Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Who prefers the .45ACP and why?

with the "all self defense pistol cartridges are the same" concept being in vogue these days (and promoted by the FBI) it seems most folks opt for the 9mm over the 45ACP even in 1911 type weapons. It seems fewer and fewer of the general shooting public choose the 45 over the 9mm it has become more of an aficionado's cartridge. I wonder will it fade away over time?

Anything that's been around a hundred years or more has something going for it and is unlikely to fade away anytime soon. In addition, there will always be the allure of the "45", whether it be the ACP or the LC.

Don

I do! have a semi Auto and a single action in 45acp! can find ammo anywhere, and easy to reload!

.45 ACP is the easiest big bore brass to find/scrounge.

Brass may be had for practically free and the brass seems to live FOREVER - even with completely obliterated/unreadable headstamps

That woman cop in Philly was shot 8 times with a 9mm and lived, thats reason enough for a 45 ACP.

Shot where? I just looked it up, shoulder, arm and torso. She was seated in her car and was wearing a vest, shooter on the outside of car. I seriously doubt the outcome would have been any different with a .45 ACP.

1911 platform and ease of procurement are the top two. It gets the job done on about anything in the lower 48 other than say, Griz. Can't say it is tops for a lot of hunting, but IME it would do the job if called upon and would be a good choice for self-defense on anything but Griz.

The main push for popularity of the .45 came in reaction to the old Assault Weapon Ban. Folks figured that if you are limited to ten round mags, might as well opt for a bigger pill. The main appeal of the 9mm was high cap mags. Taking that option away caused folks to consider the ballistic advantages of the big .45.

With the end of the AWB, the appeal of the .45 diminished. Only the real devotees of the big slug have held on to it.

"Son over there we seen the 9 not work on the enemy but that ugly 1911 dropped'em every time.You should use that." Advice given to me a long time back.

……so you're saying that prior to the Clinton AWB, the .45 wasn't popular????? Really?????

…..well, that's certainly a different take on the .45 vs 9mm debate, at least one that I've never heard before---but then, there's alot that I'm ignorant about, I guess.

I was always a .45 devotee from the early days of IPSC when the .45 was used by EVERYONE except foreigners (Rhodesians and South Africans were especially tied to the Hi-Power). Tommy Campbell made the S&W Supergun in 9 and did quite well but only after he used a .45 to place in the first US Nationals in 77 in Colorado. I guess we didn't know at the time that the Clinton weapons ban would give the .45 legitimacy over the 9 :-) .

When I went to the Thunder Ranch revolver class with Doc Rocket and he showed me his slide presentation on terminal ballistics, he convinced me that I had been placing too much faith in antiquated results (Thompson LaGarde, etc.). When another former .45 devotee that was doing LEO ballistic demonstrations for Hornady also confirmed the effectiveness of modern 9's (Critical Duty ammo, etc.) I realized that people ALOT smarter and more experienced than myself were ok with the 9. With 9's being significantly cheaper and easier to shoot than .45's, I've started practicing more and carrying 9's on a semi-regular basis…….I admit however that I frequently carry a Wiley Clapp Commander in .45 and always feel "better" about it than when carrying a G-19. Old prejudices die hard, I guess.

I own 45s and don't own 9mms anymore. I don't have the itch to buy another handgun, so I'll live with the 45s. Easy to shoot, easy to reload for, and 8 rounds before reloading is enough for me.

these kinds of topics always reminds me of a guy who if he is still alive, was kind of an interesting man, more ways than one. Advanced 1911 collector, hung out on the cmp forum.
He had the bad experience to be in a water soaked paddy/rice field in vietnam, V.C. all over the place, only effective weapon at the moment he had was a 1911. They were about ready to do him, he raised up an "boom" the 1911 worked. I think he still has that gun, or did have it.
It worked in the down and dirty, hard to get around experiences like that.

Yeah. Sure thing.

https://www.policeone.com/police-he...p-carries-145-rounds-of-ammo-on-the-job/

Thanks for those words of wisdom.

You dumb fugk.



Dave

Dave,

You really need to expand your vocabulary beyond 6 word sentences and expletives.

Don

While I don't have a preference for the .45 ACP it's what I most often carry.

Reasons??

Why?

It seems despite our misperceptions that for a self defense gun 9mm is about the same as 45.

Yeah, I often shoot 9's in my 45's...