Ramblings on the .45 ACP & 1911

The .45 ACP has been with us for around a century and has established itself as one of the top combat/defensive rounds in history.

I love the .45 round as well as the firearms used to deploy it. It wasn't until I started shooting a 1911 that I pretty much standardized on the .45 ACP.

The Full Metal Jacketed .45 ACP round makes a good manstopper to, if that is all you can have. For instance the Geneva Convention forbids the use of expanding bullets (what we would call hollow points). This was not a problem when the United States fielded the 1911A1 in .45 ACP, but when the US military switched to the Beretta M9 in 9mm Parabellum this was a problem. Now this is not a 9mm vs. .45 debate, it is a stopping power debate. If the 9mm is able to be used with expanding bullets, then it is a good threat stopper, but this is not allowed for military use.The 9mm Full Metal Jacket has the problem of poking holes through a target without tranferring stopping power to the target. The .45 ACP is a better fight stopper in Full Metal Jacket than 9mm FMJ, however the .45 ACP works even better with expanding bullets. There are cases where both have failed to stopped a threat or have done so easily with a single bullet. The general idea and logic is that if you can only have one type of bullet, go larger! I also like the 9mm, but when my tail is on the line make mine a .45 ACP please!!!

The best round, you as a reader can chose, is the one you feel confident in using. I have heard of folks being killed with a .25 ACP, and still attacking someone after being shot with a .44 magnum. Just because a .45 is what ole ZA chose doesn't mean it is right for you. The most important thing is shot placement. Being able to place your shots where they will stop a bad guy from taking your life or your familys is what it is all about.

All the sidearms I have ever shot , the ones in .45 ACP are the ones I enjoyed most and have shot the best with. Glock, H&K, Kimber and Rock Island Armory (best value for an entry level 1911) are what I shoot in .45 ACP.

For those of you wanting to try a 1911, the Rock Island Armory 1911 (made in the Phillipines) is probably one of the cheapest ways to see if the 1911 is for you. Sure it dings up your brass (for those that reload) and the sights are terrible, but it is accurate and reliable. One of these days I will upgrade my Rock Island 1911 with an ambi safety, better sights, and an enlarged ejection port, but for now she shoots fine.

Kimbers are some real nice 1911's. I really like the Kimber Warrior. It has all of Kimbers strengths and none of weaknesses of the series II firing pin safety. Shoots like a dream, eats everything it is fed, very relaible, and LOOKS GREAT! I love this 1911 and it does everything I want a pistol to do!

Without a good magazine, your semi-auto weapon becomes a single shot derringer. I only trust ONE brand of magazine in my 1911's. That would be Wilson Combat 47D (any of the 47 series are good). Sure you can get cheaper mags, but when your life is on the line and your magazine fails, those $5 gunshow special magazines will not be looking like such a good idea. I say, "buy once, cry never again". This applies to all my purchasing decisions as I hate to buy an item twice. Wilson Combat 47D magazines are an investment in fail-safe gear!

Thanks for reading!

Have a great weekend and 73!

Later,

ZombieAxe