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14K views 158 replies 62 participants last post by  CZRex 
#1 ·
Lately I've been seeing posts guys have started about getting a 45. Seems to be an early spring fad.

Yeah. Thanks, guys. Life just got spendy.

I'll jump on the 45 bandwagon. Again. It is giving me an excuse to buy a gun I've always kinda admired, but never could justify spending that kind of money.

And I still can't. But I don't care. I want a 45. Debated a p220 (done it), another 1911 (many times), a USP 45 or HK45 (behemoth guns), and have settled on an HK45c.

I want this gun. It looks sharp. And I've never heard anybody whine about it (once they paid for it). So, looks like I'll be running 45 ammo soon. Again.
 
#3 ·
I hear you on the 45. I've been wanting a G21 for a couple years now. BIL has one and I shoot his regularly and shoot it very well. Then the 45 threads start and then Mike1956 even makes a thread about the G21. I've just been putting it off but I'm officially saving for one. So you are not alone. The G21 won't replace my G19 as my primary carry gun, but range fun and an added Home defense gun it will more then serve a purpose.
 
#7 ·
It's too damn hot here for IWB. And I would have to get all new pants (I'm 5'10" and 165 lbs. My pants just don't have the extra waist size to add a gun). OWB is so much more comfortable for me, so it's either that or pocket carry my 642 when I have to tuck my shirt in for something.

Either the Brommeland I have for my 1911 or any of the Nelsons I have pull the butt of the gun snug against my body at 4:30, so I don't really have any printing issues.

So the shorter barrel is kind of necessary for me. And the single stack.
 
#10 ·
The HK USP 45 Tactical is my favorite .45 ACP handgun bar none. But if you want to carry it then the HK45C is a better choice and an awesome gun in its own right.
 
#12 ·
I never did learn the DA pull on the HKs I owned as well as I would have liked. I loved everything else about them though except the price and semi-rarity of magazines.
 
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#13 ·
Him 59 buck mags only 10 rounds ..

I'll pass . I owned a usp tactial ..never got the love of them
 
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#15 ·
The only glock other then the 42 I sold ... The non flush mag played havoc with me
 
#16 ·
Can't never go wrong with the old .45 acp. Been kicking butt for 104 years and NOBODY ever asks "is .45 acp enough" ! I love my 1911, and it sleeps with me every night. I also enjoy my Springfield XD Tactical .45 that does truck duty. My Glock 21 is awesome too but it spends too much time in my safe. My old Ruger P345 is hidden, but accessible, in my home, just in case..........45 acp.......yeah, I'm thinking..... I like it!
 
#17 ·
I applaud your choice of .45 ACP, but I have mixed feeling about the HK45c. Let me share some observations:

I have a 45c and like it. Carried it today, in fact. The HK45c is only slightly bigger than a Glock 19.




The HK45c carries fairly well--not snubbie well, but well enough with a decent jacket or loose shirt. Decent magazine capacity and it's fairly accurate too.

But it's not a 1911.

I took my HK45c and my Ruger 1911 CMD out to the range on Saturday. This is a fixed 25 yard range. The Ruger clearly outshot the HK...in my hands. I'm not qualified to comment which gun is truly more accurate, but I can shoot that Ruger 1911 quite well. With the HK, I tend to shoot a bit low and I really need to take my time to match the 1911. I think it's the trigger. In SA, the HK ain't bad. Yet, comparing side-by-side, the Ruger trigger is much better--and it's not the best 1911 trigger I've used! I did do a home 'trigger job' on the Ruger 1911 (just polished some surfaces) and it's pretty good. Nevertheless, let's say both pistols are essentially stock. The HK trigger is a bit mushy and indistinct. The 1911 is...1911 crisp. The reset on the 1911 is quicker and more distinct; the break is lighter and crisper. Follow-up shots are quicker with the 1911. And with "controlled pairs", I was way more accurate with the 1911.



It's hard to argue with the reliability of the HK, and I doubt 1911's are as reliable as the HK. However, both my Ruger 1911 and HK have about the same number of rounds on the odometer: +/- 250. Both have been flawless to date. But the Ruger 1911 is more accurate and, with a thinner frame, easier to carry. The HK has a 1 round capacity advantage. I haven't measured, but I bet the Ruger is heavier (I don't really care). I prefer the ergonomics of the 1911 (And I like the Sig 227 ergo's more than either the HK or the 1911.)

Lastly, the Ruger is easier to completely strip down and clean. The parts are simple and big. The HK is a pain to completely strip down and the parts are small and fussy. The slide is a pain to disassemble; you need tools. A 1911 can be completely broken down with a punch, or a nail. Yes, the HK is easier to field strip. But that is trivial as compared to the ability to do a complete overhaul.

I'm not giving up my HK, but my reality is that my Ruger 1911 or Sig 1911 is a better defensive carry weapon in my hands. Maybe I just need to train more with the HK. But then the 1911 is more fun to shoot. 1911: it just doesn't get better than this.
 
#34 ·
In all fairness, I can't really compare a SA 1911 (or even my SIG P938) to a SA/DA.

Ain't fair.

In the world of handguns, the only trigger that I have found in any variant that is even in the same realm as a 1911 is the Walther PPQ. And even the mighty Walther trigger that everybody (and myself) raves about pales in comparison to a 1911 trigger.

There is no way that the HK45c trigger (or anything else) comes close. Even a SA/DA in SA mode won't break that well. No way. The PPQ and SIG's excellent SRT trigger are as good as everything else can get, but the only way you can have a 1911 trigger is, of course, to get a 1911.

There is a reason that a 1911 is so easy to shoot accurately, more so than just about any other handgun. Hence the longevity.

And that ain't the 1911's only attribute.
 
#29 ·
Carrying an HK makes a guy a SEAL without going to BUD/S, a Delta operator without joining the Army, and Force Recon qualified without spending a day in boot. You will also have an overwhelming desire to read Tom Clancy.

Since I started shooting HKs (while still wearing my Glock Perfection hat), my buddies have been relentless. Should they ever hear the legend of Gecko45, I am doomed.

And they ain't gonna hear it from me.
 
#22 ·
I never had any desire for a 1911 or an AR until I started hanging around here. With all these beauties you guys keep throwing down...

Fortunately, we don't have OC in Illinois, because the amount of money I would drop on fancy holsters to carry some nicely dressed pistols and wheelies would get me introuble. I'd have to quit buying because divorce is even more expensive.

Keep the pictures and projects comin' DCers.
 
#27 ·
I still need to get me a Glock in .45acp. It's on my list, specifically a G30sf.
 
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#38 ·
What's not to like about the .45? I've learned a lot from this forum over the last several years, and as a result I am changing my main carry to an XD mod 2 .45. 9+1 with a flush round mag, grip is 1.2" wide; height 4.75 and length 6.5. 26 ounces unloaded with the compact mag.

This gun is only 0.2" longer than the XDS and 0.375" taller, and 0.3" wider, but nearly double the capacity (6 v. 10). I wanted something I knew I would carry, and this will do very well in an OWB holster.

I am just waiting for a new holster from Winthrop.
 
#159 ·
What's not to like about the .45? I've learned a lot from this forum over the last several years, and as a result I am changing my main carry to an XD mod 2 .45. 9+1 with a flush round mag, grip is 1.2" wide; height 4.75 and length 6.5. 26 ounces unloaded with the compact mag.

This gun is only 0.2" longer than the XDS and 0.375" taller, and 0.3" wider, but nearly double the capacity (6 v. 10). I wanted something I knew I would carry, and this will do very well in an OWB holster.
I am just waiting for a new holster from Winthrop.
My Mod 2 .45 is only slightly larger than my CZ Rami and carries only 1 rd less, whether it's the flush mag or the extended mag. Now how can you beat that? It's my summer carry piece now with the 13 rd mag inserted and two more 13 rd mags on my hip.....while at work in a hot warehouse. 40 rds should be enough, eh? It carries easily and is plenty accurate, with not much flip recoil, but with a stout push. I love my CZ's, but this S'field is pretty sweet. I paid $510 before taxes.
 
#45 ·
Threads like this get to me. Everytime I load my 9mm and look at those teeny weeny cartridges I get this sense of angst in my gut. This feeling like I am loading a .22. I feel undergunned. Been with the 9mm 7 months now and that feeling never goes away.....

Someone please tell me the 9's enough. I keep trying to believe it's enough but no amont of self chatter convinces me.
 
#50 ·
Congrats! I really like the 45C, it's probably going to be my next 45. I've got an HK P2000SK in .40 and it's been the most reliable semiauto I've ever owned.
 
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