Looking for a .45acp for CC

[arjohnson]

I'd say G30 or G30SF, I carry a G30 and it's reliable and accurate, also have the option of 9 or 10 rnd mags.

[JoeWilliams]

My mistake, you mentioned your buddy carrying a Taurus .45ACP. I just think it's prudent to let anyone looking for a self defense firearm know that it's probably best to avoid Taurus. I have no experience with Kahr, but from what I hear, they make a fine pistol.

I never, in tens of thousands of rounds, had a malfunction with my PT99 or PT92s.

[jachrist]

I never, in tens of thousands of rounds, had a malfunction with my PT99 or PT92s.

anecdotal at best. The consensus is to stay away from Taurus.

Yours may be great, but there are too many people out there with bad ones to chance it.

[MuzzleFlash]

An XD45 is a good choice but I have a few caveat emptor's.
1- be aware Springfield Armory, "the oldest name in guns," went under in 1968. in 1974 the name was adopted, making them technically younger than Glocks. I was annoyed by this misleading business practice but it's no biggie.
2- If your gun breaks, spare parts are mail order only to my understanding. It's not something you can simply take to a local shop or buy the parts yourself. However they do come with a lifetime warranty, at least mine did.
3- If you want one of those guide rod Lasermax lasers, be advised XD45's have two types of barrel lugs and sadly my slightly newer model has the lugs which will not fit the internal laser.
4- Good luck with holsters. Safariland makes a level II (upgradeable to IV) holster for the XD45, Serpa I believe makes a level I or II? It's hard to find level III and above duty holsters for it, but that should change in time. The Safarilands will accommodate a range of tac lights and lasers.

Aside from all that, it's a decent gun. I'd recommend the newer models with the thumb safety but that's just my personal preference. I use a C-TAC lefty for mine, fits fine, nice and comfy, easily hidden under summer clothes. I use the Tactical, 5". What I've heard is that the recoil is softer due to the added weight and slide but since I haven't fired a smaller .45 I can't verify that firsthand. I picked the 5" for maximum accuracy, not that 4" or less is bad. Unless you live in India

My reasons for purchasing it were because of it's reviews of accuracy, it's similarity to a 1911 grip so transition should be easier, and of course it's capacity of 13+1. I got mine for just under $600 when all was said and done, transfer, fees, etc. That was around 2006.

My advice: if you can afford it, nothing beats a good ol' 1911. Except maybe an even more expensive HK. However, the most cost effective and reliable .45 seems to be a tossup between Glock and XDs

[Mancolt]

Great, thanks for all the responses guys! This is exactly what I was hoping for. As soon as I get done with finals and get a chance, I'm gonna get to a store to hopefully handle a few of these. So far it seems most of the suggestions have been:

G30 or G30SF
XD45
small model 1911s
Sig P220 or P220 Carry
A couple Taurus suggestions

I like my Taurus revolver, but like some earlier posters have stated, I'd like to stick to guns with a little bit more solid auto reputations IE: Springfield, Glock, Sig, Colt, HK

I appreciate all the amazingly quick feedback. If anyone thinks of anything else, I'd definitely like to hear it!

[jachrist]

see my first post on 1st page

[nateebobo]

1911 in the cco platform. officer frame, commander slide. if you can find one for 800 im not sure maybe used?

[BerksCountyDave]

I never, in tens of thousands of rounds, had a malfunction with my PT99 or PT92s.

YOUR Taurus pistols may be great, and that's great for you. But they have a reputation for poor reliability for a reason. Likewise, Glocks have a reputation to work no matter for a reason.

[JoeWilliams]

anecdotal at best. The consensus is to stay away from Taurus.

Yours may be great, but there are too many people out there with bad ones to chance it.

Any consensus is purely imagined by you. We've had 8 or 9 of them, all flawless.

Speaking of anecdotal, most of the Taurus bashing comes from gun snobs, and is often second or third hand. From actual owners, I've heard no more problems than folks with other brands.

Now, if you want to talk a gun with problems, lets talk about Glock grenades!

[BerksCountyDave]

Any consensus is purely imagined by you. We've had 8 or 9 of them, all flawless.

Speaking of anecdotal, most of the Taurus bashing comes from gun snobs, and is often second or third hand. From actual owners, I've heard no more problems than folks with other brands.

Now, if you want to talk a gun with problems, lets talk about Glock grenades!

I owned two Taurus firearms. Both were utterly unreliable pieces of scrap metal. I've owned three Glocks. I've put thousands of rounds through them combined without a single malfunction.

As far as "Glock grenades", it's hardly fair to blame a problem on Glock that is caused by people not knowing how to properly hand load.