Pistols45

An the opinion of many experienced shooters, the 45 Auto is the caliber of choice in self-defensive pistols. However, most of these guns, like the classic 1911 Colt, are big and heavy. Therefore, they often get left behind for a lighter piece, which generally is of lower power. If you still want the power of a 45, why not go to a smaller and lighter gun?

We found three such pistols for this test, and gave them a wring-out. They were a Colt CCO, no longer in the Colt stable but available on the used or new-old-service market for about $1250, depending on condition; the recently introduced SIG Sauer 1911 C3 No. 19GS0031, $1143; and a new PM45-series pistol from Kahr, the PM4543, $855. The Kahr was not quite the same setup but clearly had the same intent as the other two, to deliver big power in a smaller, lighter package.

Both the SIG and Colt had aluminum frames, and they featured the old Colt Officer's Model handle with the Commander-length slide. Most of our test group believes this is the ideal setup for a 1911-type 45 auto, but those with large, wide hands might prefer a gun like the lightweight Commander, which has a bigger grip. The Kahr had its usual ergonomically designed polymer grip with stainless slide, and of course was DAO. We tested with three types of ammunition, Federal 185-grain Hi-Shok JHP, Federal 230-grain ball, and with Cor-Bon 185-grain JHP. We also tried a few groups with Federal Gold-Medal Match, 185-grain TC bullets. Here's what we found.

An the opinion of many experienced shooters, the 45 Auto is the caliber of choice in self-defensive pistols. However, most of these guns, like the classic 1911 Colt, are big and heavy. Therefore, they often get left behind for a lighter piece, which generally is of lower power. If you still want the power of a 45, why not go to a smaller and lighter gun?

We found three such pistols for this test, and gave them a wring-out. They were a Colt CCO, no longer in the Colt stable but available on the used or new-old-service market for about $1250, depending on condition; the recently introduced SIG Sauer 1911 C3 No. 19GS0031, $1143; and a new PM45-series pistol from Kahr, the PM4543, $855. The Kahr was not quite the same setup but clearly had the same intent as the other two, to deliver big power in a smaller, lighter package.

Both the SIG and Colt had aluminum frames, and they featured the old Colt Officer's Model handle with the Commander-length slide. Most of our test group believes this is the ideal setup for a 1911-type 45 auto, but those with large, wide hands might prefer a gun like the lightweight Commander, which has a bigger grip. The Kahr had its usual ergonomically designed polymer grip with stainless slide, and of course was DAO. We tested with three types of ammunition, Federal 185-grain Hi-Shok JHP, Federal 230-grain ball, and with Cor-Bon 185-grain JHP. We also tried a few groups with Federal Gold-Medal Match, 185-grain TC bullets. Here's what we found.

We recently read The Book of Two Guns, The Martial Art of The 1911 and AR Carbine, by Tiger McKee. McKee is the proprietor and headmaster of the Shootrite Firearms Academy (shootrite.org) located in Langston, Alabama. Printed in long hand with illustrations, McKee instructs and inspires the reader to consider what skills are necessary to effectively use the handgun and rifle weapon interdependently, as well as in transition from one to the other.With the two-gun concept in mind, we decided to go ahead with a story weve been considering for some time-evaluating two pairs of handguns that could also be used to work effectively in tandem, in this case, two revolvers against two pistols.In each pair, we picked one gun that was larger and better suited for primary carry, be it for duty or concealment. The other was significantly smaller and meant to be hidden in case of emergency. Each pair belonged to the same system, or as close as we could supply.For primary carry we chose two 45-caliber weapons, Rugers $836 Redhawk 45 Colt Model KRH454 and Springfield Armorys $785 Mil-Spec Full Size Stainless 1911A1. Paired with the Ruger revolver was the $450 32 H&R Magnum Smith & Wesson Airweight J-frame Model 431PD. To run with the Springfield, we added a $699 9mm Walther PPS semi-automatic, which was light weight and super slim.We could have selected any number of pairs of handguns to fill out our test roster. It is interesting to note that our four guns are each chambered for a different caliber. Certainly when it comes to a primary gun there is more leeway in choice. But when it comes to deep concealment larger calibers demand bigger, stronger and heavier frames. Bigger bullets can also limit capacity. Therefore we felt that system and size was more important than matching caliber.Our test ammunition was as follows. The 45 ACP was represented by Magtech 230-grain FMC, Hornady 185-grain JHP/XTC, and Black Hills 230-grain JHP+P ammunition. The 45 Colt test rounds for the Ruger were Winchester 225-grain Silvertip HP, Federal Champion 225-grain semi-Wadcutter hollowpoints, and Black Hills 250-grain roundnosed flat points. The 9mm ammunition was 125-grain HAP rounds from Atlanta Arms and Ammunition, Black Hills 124-grain full metal jacketed rounds, and Federals 105-grain Expanding FMJ ammunition. For the 32 H&R Magnum ammunition we chose Federal Personal Defense 85-grain JHPs, Federal Classic 95-grain lead semi-wadcutters, and Black Hills 85-grain JHP rounds.

We recently read The Book of Two Guns, The Martial Art of The 1911 and AR Carbine, by Tiger McKee. McKee is the proprietor and headmaster of the Shootrite Firearms Academy (shootrite.org) located in Langston, Alabama. Printed in long hand with illustrations, McKee instructs and inspires the reader to consider what skills are necessary to effectively use the handgun and rifle weapon interdependently, as well as in transition from one to the other.With the two-gun concept in mind, we decided to go ahead with a story weve been considering for some time-evaluating two pairs of handguns that could also be used to work effectively in tandem, in this case, two revolvers against two pistols.In each pair, we picked one gun that was larger and better suited for primary carry, be it for duty or concealment. The other was significantly smaller and meant to be hidden in case of emergency. Each pair belonged to the same system, or as close as we could supply.For primary carry we chose two 45-caliber weapons, Rugers $836 Redhawk 45 Colt Model KRH454 and Springfield Armorys $785 Mil-Spec Full Size Stainless 1911A1. Paired with the Ruger revolver was the $450 32 H&R Magnum Smith & Wesson Airweight J-frame Model 431PD. To run with the Springfield, we added a $699 9mm Walther PPS semi-automatic, which was light weight and super slim.We could have selected any number of pairs of handguns to fill out our test roster. It is interesting to note that our four guns are each chambered for a different caliber. Certainly when it comes to a primary gun there is more leeway in choice. But when it comes to deep concealment larger calibers demand bigger, stronger and heavier frames. Bigger bullets can also limit capacity. Therefore we felt that system and size was more important than matching caliber.Our test ammunition was as follows. The 45 ACP was represented by Magtech 230-grain FMC, Hornady 185-grain JHP/XTC, and Black Hills 230-grain JHP+P ammunition. The 45 Colt test rounds for the Ruger were Winchester 225-grain Silvertip HP, Federal Champion 225-grain semi-Wadcutter hollowpoints, and Black Hills 250-grain roundnosed flat points. The 9mm ammunition was 125-grain HAP rounds from Atlanta Arms and Ammunition, Black Hills 124-grain full metal jacketed rounds, and Federals 105-grain Expanding FMJ ammunition. For the 32 H&R Magnum ammunition we chose Federal Personal Defense 85-grain JHPs, Federal Classic 95-grain lead semi-wadcutters, and Black Hills 85-grain JHP rounds.

In this evaluation of 45 ACP subcompacts, we're going to ask how best to package the big bullet in a small concealable machine. We could say that our three test guns represent two-and-a-half interpretations of the subcompact pistol. That's because our first two pistols, Kimber's $1316 SIS Ultra and Springfield Armory's $1031 Loaded Ultra Compact, are both small single-stack 1911s. But there are differences that set them apart. The third gun feeds from a high-capacity magazine with rounds compressed in a staggered column. Furthermore, ignition is via a striker system, and the frame is polymer, not steel. This is the $687 Glock G30SF. If the price of the G30SF seems steep, that is because we ordered the gun with options such as night sights that added cost—but with the price of the Kimber and Springfield Armory pistols north of $1000, we had room to play around. Ultimately, we had a good representation of each manufacturer's smallest high-end 45.

Testing small guns is generally more challenging than testing full-size models. Big-frame guns may offer more than one suitable hand position. A small gun usually offers one grip position, like it or not. Consider the shorter sight radius. A 3-inch pistol may steer quicker than a 6-inch-barreled revolver, but any twitch of the little gun's front sight likely means the shooter will overcorrect.

Our first measure of accuracy was from sandbag support at 15 yards. With little framework to support these guns, our task was more difficult than mounting 5-inch-barrel Government models with longer dustcovers. Plus, a shorter slide means that its travel from battery to fully open provides less time to evacuate and recharge the chamber. We had to be careful not to let the slide touch any part of our support. This could slow the movement of the slide and cause a malfunction.

Our test ammunition was led by two defense rounds. They were Winchester's 185-grain Silvertip HP (hollowpoint) rounds and Federal's 165-grain expanding full metal jacket low-recoil ammunition. This round resembled a truncated cone (a triangle with the point cut off). With the price of ammunition soaring, we had intended to handload our practice ammunition. But we found that a 100-count box of quality jacketed bullets cost about the same as a 100-round box of loaded Winchester 230-grain FMJ ammunition purchased from Wal-Mart.

Loading lead bullets would have saved us money, but the polygonal barrel of the Glock, which once leaded greatly effects accuracy and is difficult to clean, repelled us from that option. We used the 230-grain ammunition in our action test, which consisted of standing and shooting a rapidfire string of seven continuous shots. Our target was the 4-inch bull of an 8.5-inch by 11-inch Caldwell paper target mounted 15 yards downrange.

Seven shots was the common denominator in terms of capacity between our three pistols, so we decided to count how many shots out of seven we could land on the notebook sized paper. This test was performed cold, picking up the gun and performing the drill one time only. Reliability, accuracy, ease of operation and concealment were our primary concerns in this test.

Everyone loves the big bullet. But one of the reasons why the models in this test are in production probably has more to do with a recent announcement by the United States military. A proposal was made to move away from the Beretta M9 and substitute a 45 ACP pistol with thumb safety and higher capacity than the traditional 1911 Government model. Plans to adopt such a pistol prompted several manufacturers to produce prototypes. Subsequently, the military decided to stand pat with the Beretta.Nevertheless, participating gun makers thought they might as well let the public decide if these new designs were worthwhile. Thus, all three pistols in this test, the $623 Taurus OSS No. 24/7-OSSDS45B, Springfield Armorys $571 XD45 No. XD9661HCSP, and the $743 Smith & Wesson M&P No. 109107, can be made safe by lifting a thumb-operated safety.Some of the questions we wanted to answer had to do with carry options and ergonomics. To withstand 45 ACP recoil, these guns were bigger and built heavier than the 9mm and 40 S&W models generally associated with polymer design. Would adding a full load of heavy ammunition make the guns too much to carry? What about reliability? Would the magazine springs remain strong enough to lift the final rounds into position? To test this last proposition, one magazine of each gun was left fully loaded with the 230-grain Black Hills JHP +P rounds for 14 days.What about the thumb safeties? Did they interfere with maintaining a natural grip? Would they slow the shooter down in an emergency? Did the thumb safety cause malfunctions? Did we think the addition of the thumb safety made the gun safer to handle both tactically and administratively?For this test, we fired indoors at Houstons Top Gun Handgun Training Center (topgunrange.com). There we tested from a distance of 15 yards from a sandbag rest. We also garnered comment from members of the public thanks to testing alongside one of the many corporate functions hosted by Top Gun staff. Test ammunition included three prime examples of 45 ACP ammunition. For a light-recoiling target round we chose Winchester USAs 185-grain FMJ loads. Next, we tried Federal Premium 230-grain Hydra-Shok JHP rounds, and for maximum power 230-grain JHP +P rounds from Black Hills Ammunition.Heres what we learned:

In this evaluation, we will look at three .45 ACP 1911-style pistols. Not too long ago, this would mean three pistols that looked almost exactly alike. But today's 1911 may contain as many different components as the total number of its parts. For example, the new Brownells catalog devoted solely to the 1911 lists as many as 27 different styles of custom hammers. Thus, our test guns offered several different variations on the 1911 platform.

Our three test guns were the $1421 Kimber Custom SIS RL, Springfield Armory's $1332 Loaded Operator MC, and the $1129 Para Ordnance P14-45S GR. Each gun fired from a 5-inch barrel supported at the muzzle by a bushing and could be referred to as full-size "Government" models. But the Para Ordnance pistol offered higher capacity, feeding from a wider magazine wherein the rounds were piled in a zigzag pattern rather than stacked in a single column. All three guns varied in the designs of their grips, sights, and thumb safeties.

Gun Tests readers sometimes ask why reviews on certain guns vary over time. For instance, they wonder why Gun A, reviewed two years ago, got a "Don't Buy" rating, but in a more recent evaluation, it gets a B+. The short answer is that test to test, guns vary, ammunition varies, the story angle varies, and, perhaps most important, the match-ups vary. In an earlier draw, Gun A may have run up against other models that made it look like chopped liver. Then when we tested it again, Gun A may have whipped Guns B and C because the latter two weren't much good, and Gun A benefited from the comparison.

In a way, that's what happened when we tested a new-for-2007 Smith & Wesson M&P 45 .45 ACP, $619, against a $1235 Heckler & Koch USP Compact Tactical USP45CT .45 ACP, which we last tested in June 2007, and the $635 Glock 21 SF, which we tested in July 2007. In June, the H&K got an "A" rating, when we said its "…light weight, ease of maintenance, and accuracy makes it very appealing. Our staff concluded that it was best to operate the USP45CT either as a full-time single-action pistol or a full-time TDA. Sticking with one system or the other was the only way to stay trained up, in our opinion."

Likewise, the Glock 21 SF got kudos from us as well, when we said in July, "No question this is an improvement on the G21. Better handling, but still a big gun with little potential for concealed carry. In our view, we think police will be trading in their G21s for the improved SF model."

First introduced by S&W in February 2007, the M&P45 is the newest addition to the M&P pistol series, a product line launched in December 2005. We've tested the M&P9 9mm and the M&P40 with varying degrees of success, rating the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Compact 2009004, $624, as a "D" in the April 2007 issue. The Smith & Wesson M&P .40 S&W No. 209000, $624, got a "Conditional Buy" in the August 2006 issue, and a Smith & Wesson M&P40 .40 S&W, $495, got an "A-" in the October 2007 issue.

The M&P45 began shipping in May 2007. Leland Nichols, president and COO of Smith & Wesson Corp., said at the time, "By combining the powerful .45 ACP cartridge with the performance and safety features of the M&P series, working professionals and shooting sports enthusiasts have a new option in the growing line of M&P products well-suited to fulfill a variety of needs."

Nichols continued, "We are also aware that multiple branches of the U.S. Military have expressed a desire to shift from their current 9mm weapons to either a .40 or .45 caliber duty weapon for greater stopping power. We are now currently shipping both .40 and .45 calibers, as well as a 9mm, in the M&P Pistol Series, and are fully prepared to address either requirement, should the U.S. Military initiate a request for purchase."

The gun was rolled out as a full-size polymer pistol with a 10+1 magazine capacity and an optional 14+1 magazine. It was originally offered with a traditional black frame and was manufactured with or without a frame-mounted ambidextrous thumb safety. Later, the M&P45 came with a dark earth-brown frame and a standard manual thumb safety, which is the gun we acquired for this test.

Chances are that whenever a pistol is described as being a single-stack .45, it will automatically be assumed that the handgun in question is a Browning 1911. But that isnt always the case. Not every .45 semi-auto that feeds from a single-column magazine was meant to be carried cocked and locked. Nor does every single-stack .45 operate with a single-action trigger.To wit: In this test we will evaluate three single-stack .45s that operate with a hinged trigger, with at least the first shot being fired double action. The $711 Smith & Wesson Model 457 has been in the catalog since 1996. The 457 is a traditional double action (TDA) pistol that once charged, can be "decocked" to both raise and drop the hammer on the first shot. Both the $697 Kahr TP4543 and the $620 Glock G36 are striker-fired pistols that define double action in a less traditional manner.Nevertheless, the benefits of a single-stack pistol were in place throughout. All were narrow, making them easier to conceal, and their slim profiles offered a rectangular sensation to the hand. Our staff agreed that this helped them point the gun at the target more quickly. All three guns were snag free, and thanks to the use of polymer and aluminum alloy, each pistol was lighter in weight than most big-bore handguns. Please note that in regards to how we measured the front strap and the overall height of our test guns we chose a slight variation in protocol. Since each of our guns relied upon their magazines to either complete or extend their grips, we measured with the magazines in place.In choosing our test ammunition we took a cue from the July 2007 test of the Sigarms P220 SAO. In that test we learned that our best choice for rapid fire was the 185-grain Hornady XTP/JHP round. Accordingly, we again chose these 185-grain Hornady rounds plus 185-grain silvertip hollowpoints from Winchester. With so much rain falling in Houston, we shot the guns indoors at Top Gun of Texas (topgunrange.com). So we packed some Winchester 185-grain BEB WinClean ammunition as well.The pistols were tested from a distance of 15 yards. We used a sandbag rest to support each gun and reduce shooter error. In this way we could tell more about the machines themselves and determine the level of accuracy available from each gun.We also let our staff shoot each pistol in what we call a 557 test. By 557, we mean five shots standing unsupported offhand, with a maximum time limit of five seconds from a distance of seven yards. The goal of the shooter was to land the tightest five-shot group in the given time period. Our point of aim was the 3-inch circles along the margins of the Hoffners ABC16 target (hoffners.com). In this way we were able to better ascertain what was required of the operator to shoot each gun effectively. Lets see which of our test guns did the most to help us get the job done.

Once again we are responding to a subscriber by filling out a test roster with pistols suggested by reader mail. The category requested was full-size single-action-only semi-automatic pistols chambered for .45 ACP and framed with a built-in accessory rail for attaching a light or laser.We got 1911-style pistols from Kimber and Springfield Armory along with a single-action-only version of the Sigarms P220R. The Kimber was a an $1113 Custom TLE RL II, essentially the model sold to LAPD SWAT.Springfield Armorys $1740 TRP Light Rail Armory Kote is referred to on the manufacturers website as being "designed around the same specifications" as the companys FBI contract pistol.The Sigarms P220 series was, from the beginning, designed for military use. Our $1013 P220R TSS SAO was probably developed to compete for the United States military contract that ultimately failed to materialize last year. Kimber and Springfield Armory have built their reputations producing 1911-style pistols, but for Sigarms the combination of a single-action trigger teamed with ambidextrous thumb safeties was a fresh approach. We couldnt wait to see how these single-stack pistols stacked up.Each gun was tested from a sandbag rest backed by solid support from a distance of 25 yards. We measured five-shot groups printed with three different types of ammunition. They were Hornady Custom 185-grain XTP/JHP hollowpoints, Speer Gold Dot 200-grain GDHP +P hollowpoints, and Winchesters 230-grain USA FMJ round-nosed jacketed ammunition. The Winchester USA rounds were also used throughout our "practical" tests, which consisted mainly of pounding "Evil Roy," steel plates from Action Target (actiontarget.com), punctuated by reloading as quickly as we could. Each gun digested about 350 rounds throughout our tests. Here is what we learned.

In this test we will look at four different polymer handguns that offer higher round capacity but take up less space than full-size models. Our first pistol, the $503 Taurus PT24/7 Pro 45-BP-12 could be considered a true compact, especially when compared to Taurus's new OSS pistol. The Springfield Armory XD45 4-inch Compact XD9645HCSP06, $589; and the Springfield Armory XD45 5-inch Compact Tactical XD9655HCSP06, $619, have undergone the Colt Officers treatment, receiving a shortened grip frame attached to a full-length slide. The $637 Glock SF21 is a remodeling of the Glock 21, but the SF21 does not seem to be much smaller. We wanted to find out if any of its subtle streamlining added up to a better pistol than the original.

We established basic accuracy for each pistol by measuring five-shot groups fired from a rest at 15 yards. Our test ammunition consisted of a typical practice round, Winchester's 230-grain FMJ Q4170 load and two hollowpoint defense rounds. Our JHP rounds were Winchester's USA45JHP ammunition and the Hornady Custom 185-grain JHP/XTP No. 9090 load. In terms of accuracy all three guns exceeded our expectations.

We also put the guns through an action-shooting test in which the operator pressed the trigger as fast as he could confirm an acceptable sight picture. For this test we visited American Shooting Centers in Houston (amshootcenters.com). There, we posted a Hoffners ABC16 target at the 7-yard line. This target measured a full 35 inches tall by 23 inches wide with six 3-inch aiming circles on each side of a humanoid silhouette. We fired 10 three-shot strings at the silhouette for a total of 30 rounds. The first two shots were aimed at the 5.5-by-8.0-inch A-zone chest area. The third shot was aimed at the B-zone, represented by a 5-inch-diameter half circle in the head. Firing from the bench at a 1.5-inch bull and unsupported at the Hoffners target were simple but revealing tests. Here is what we learned about each pistol.

The use of the word "basic" in describing pistols in this test would shock pistol shooters from less than a decade ago. When it comes to the 1911 .45, what passes for standard equipment has improved dramatically. All three of the guns in this test share the same design and are the lowest-priced models available from their respective manufacturers, but they are by no means "basic" guns, at least not in historical terms.We recently got and shot the $904 Springfield Armory Parkerized w/Night Sights PX9109L, CZ USAs $1079 Dan Wesson Pointman Seven 01900, and one of the lowest-priced 1911s weve encountered, the $617 Taurus PT1911 1-191101.Here is a list of features shared by the test pistols that not long ago were upgrades that were only available from the hands of a custom gunsmith: Beginning at the muzzle we found full-length guide rods, dovetailed-mounted front and rear sights, forward cocking serrations, flared ejection ports, reduced mass hammers, relieved-mass triggers adjustable for overtravel, a wide beavertail grip safety with raised contact area, checkered mainspring housing, checkered grips held in place by Allen screws, and a beveled magazine well.Elsewhere, there were some differences worth noting: The Dan Wesson Pointman had a stainless-steel finish and a BoMar-style adjustable rear sight. The Taurus pistol was blued, and the Springfield model was Parkerized. The latter two pistols offered a low-mount rear sight, windage adjustable by drift only. They also came with ambidextrous thumb safeties. The Dan Wesson thumb safety was left side only.