Is a .45 too much?

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rkm456

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For a first pistol? I'm currently shopping and well, I'm a big fan of 1911's. They're more readily available in .45 than they are 9mm. The extra cost of the ammo isn't a huge concern to me as the 1911's in .45 seem to be quite a bit less expensive than those in 9mm and I can put that savings towards ammo. I don't however want a first gun that's going to make me hate shooting it. For those who might be wondering I've shot quite a few polymer framed guns in 9mm and the recoil of them hasn't bothered me at all.

Thanks in advance for any input you fine folks can give me.
 
Here is my two cent's worth.

I am a fan of the .45ACP. I don't find it to be a punishing recoil as I find it more
of a push than a snap of say a .40.
It will recoil more than a 9mm but IMO not that much more.
Like any pistol, get a good set of sights, get a good trigger pull and get a gun that fits your hand and
\is comfortable to soot.
 
You'll be fine! I bought a Remington R1 .45 and a CZ Shadow as my first two pistols. It was going to be just the 1911, but I had to hold the Shadow in the store, and once I did that it had to come home too!

Seeing as you've shot some poly 9mm's and you're fine with that, the .45 will probably surprise you. It's got some recoil, but it isn't so snappy and jumpy like the 9mm with a light gun.

I don't see how anyone could hate a .45! :)
 
I would suggest you get a trainer 22 as well i picked up a sig 1911 22
and a norc 1911 45 really nice to switch up
Throw in a 9mm later when you come across one
cheers
 
It's not too much but I don't think that it would ever be my recommendation for a first pistol. .22LR is a great first pistol choice but it gets dull after the first three magazines, I get that. 9mm represents the ideal balance in my opinion. You can say that ammo $$$ is not a concern to you but it will be after 1000 rounds. You want to shoot and 9mm costs less, so you will shoot more.
 
The only reason I recommend against 45 for a first pistol is strictly based on ammo costs. If you're fine with the price then definitely get a 1911. That being said I wouldn't recommend buying a cheap 1911, they can be finicky pistols especially if they're mass produced. I got lucky with my sig 1911 and haven't had any issues that weren't cheap magazine related. If you do go 1911 make sure you get some Wilson combat magazines.
As much as I love my 1911, and as much as I'll never ever get rid of it, I still say a Glock is a much better handgun to own.
 
I have a Springfield mil spec .45 and the recoil isn't too bad, however not sure i would shoot it all day long at the range. I usually shoot a box of 50 and change pistols.
 
rkm456 said:
For a first pistol? I'm currently shopping and well, I'm a big fan of 1911's. They're more readily available in .45 than they are 9mm. The extra cost of the ammo isn't a huge concern to me as the 1911's in .45 seem to be quite a bit less expensive than those in 9mm and I can put that savings towards ammo. I don't however want a first gun that's going to make me hate shooting it. For those who might be wondering I've shot quite a few polymer framed guns in 9mm and the recoil of them hasn't bothered me at all.

Thanks in advance for any input you fine folks can give me.
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I believe it is less about recoil and more about the cost of the ammo; 9mm is just cheaper to shoot. If you can shoot lightweight 9mm pistols just fine, I'm sure you will be okay the recoil of the 45. I like the 45 and 9mm in a 1911. If you don't mind the cost of 45 ACP ammo, go for it.

Edit: If you can afford the cost of 45 ammo on a regular basis, don't cheap out on the pistol.
 
I prefer my 1911 (.45) over all my 9 mm..., if budget is not an issue Go for it !!

forget about .22, you will get there at a later time.
 
I started with a 1911 in .45acp. I also started reloading for it right away.

Is the ideal choice? No.
If you were seeking advice I'd suggest the 9mm in the same platform.

Will it kill you, cause your #### to fall off, or give you chronic halitosis if you buy the .45 first?
No. If you really are keen you can still do fine.
In the end it's your call.
 
rkm456 said:
For a first pistol? I'm currently shopping and well, I'm a big fan of 1911's. They're more readily available in .45 than they are 9mm.
Click to expand...
I would say, generally speaking, your first rifle or handgun should always be a .22 - can't beat them for how much more shooting you can do for the same amount of money, working on shooting form without the additional distraction of more noise and recoil, etc. And if you like 1911's, you can certainly get 1911 family .22s.

There may be more models to choose from in .45 ACP than in 9mm, but 9mm 1911s are not a rarity either. If you compare purely on the basis of dollars, you can probably find a .45 ACP 1911 for less expense than a 9mm 1911. On the other hand, the difference in the price of ammunition will eat that up pretty fast as well. Particularly if you don't reload. So you can choose to take the hit in cost at the front while buying, or every trip to the range after that. And the more you shoot, the more you're going to be penalized for the caliber difference on every trip to the range. If you were asking me, I'd say buy a quality 9mm and be done with it. By way of example only, Firearms Outlet in Ontario will sell you a Rock Island Armory Tactical in 9mm for about $900... not too bad at all if you're pinching pennies.

The recoil of a .45 ACP is nothing to cry about and I'm not sure why it got a reputation for recoil - it just moves around in the hand more. But less recoil is always more pleasant to shoot. Personally, unless you have a special love for the caliber or shoot Bullseye where the bigger caliber gives you a better chance of picking up a few extra points with biters, I don't really know a good reason for shooting 45 ACP instead of 9mm. However, most firearm purchases are probably based more on emotional appeal than logic anyways, no matter whether you're talking handguns, rifles, or shotguns.

The other thing you can also do is add a .22 conversion kit to the top end of your 1911. They range from fairly inexpensive to very expensive competition accuracy grade. Then you've got two guns and calibers with the same grip and trigger on both of them.
 
Prefer my 1911 45ACP over 9mm. Reload cost is similar and if you cast cost different even with retail lead is ~20 bucks per thousand.

Don't like 40's snap.
 
Unless you have unlimited funds for ammo ; I would recommend a 22 semi as a first handgun . The cost for center fire ammo can add up really fast when target shooting....I use the 22s more than anything else just because the ammo is cheap .
 
how many usgis have been through the mill with 1911- there's your answer- if it wasn't a great "learning " pistol, you'd see a plethora of 22 trainers, 9mms , etc- working up to the service pistol- well when you're in basic, they don't bother with that chit- you're on the m9 or the 1911 from the get go
 
I think my current game plan is a previously enjoyed 1911 from a reputable manufacturer. Probably a 1911 in .22lr after that. Or a Sig p220, lol.
 
usually a cheaper way to go is just to get a decent top end for your 1911 bottom- get a commander and you can get 5 calibers out of it- 22, 9, 38 super, cor-bon 40, 38/45 clerke, and 45 acp
 
t-star said:
usually a cheaper way to go is just to get a decent top end for your 1911 bottom- get a commander and you can get 5 calibers out of it- 22, 9, 38 super, cor-bon 40, 38/45 clerke, and 45 acp
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You mean get a 1911 and then conversion kits for it?
 
If you like the 1911 platform, might as well start with a 45acp first. You will eventually get one anyways. We all do, you can't stop at just one. Just get a quality one, as it is most likely the one you will want to keep in your collection. There are always 9mm's and 40sw's, but he 1911 is ICONIC with the 45acp.

I personally own many 1911's, and always enjoy shooting the 45's
 
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