Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Best .45 for concealed carry?

WWhunter - I did one of the first US reviews of the Kahr P45 and I was absolutely awed by the ergonomics of the gun, which were truely outstanding. And I loved how slim and compact it was; I ended up buying the one I tested, it was a very nice pistol. I carried it for several months before I came to the realization my LW Commander packed a little better FOR ME. But I can certainly see how you fell in love with the Kahr .45, it REALLY feels good in the hand, to the point that very few pistols in the world feel nearly as good, and almost none better. Good choice, nice pistol.



http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_184_30/ai_n16741473/

Kevin, elaborate on this a little more if you would. What or how do you mean? I guess, specifically what did you like/dislike--thanks.

He's likely referring to the fact that the 1911 is very flat and slim, so it tends to hug up to you, and feels comfortable. Additionally, many think the Commander is the best compromise in size for the 1911, having none of the drawbacks of the chopped down ones or the full length ones.

Looks like this thread is running its course, but I'll chip in. I carried a full size EAA .45 with a barrel comp. Great shooter, heavy on the belt and I'm 6'6". My experience carrying full size guns on the hip is that the barrel pinches the skin on my hip too many times when carrying IWB. Been carrying a Detonics Combatmaster for several years now mostly IWB in a Tucker Leather holster. Works great, worth not having a full grip to easily conceal it while wearing dress slacks and shirt with no jacket. Looks to me like the Crossbreed holster would be even better.

Commander size fits the bill as a great all around 1911 IMO. Would be hard to beat one in a Crossbreed.

Have shot the XD, Glock and M&P. Haven't carried them, but all seem slim enough and you can make a flavor that fits you with all of them.

FYI a guy sells a $20 belt on ebay that has an extra loop sewn in on the hip and i have found it to be really pratical, is secure, extremely comfortable and easy to conceal.

www.summitgunbroker.com has some deals from time to time.

The best .45 for concealed carry, in my every so humble opinion, is my new Wilson Combat CQB Compact. I sunk a pile of bucks into it, so maybe, just maybe, I am biased.
Leather of course, by Sam Andrews.

Hmf. Thought we were talking about "best" - not "best for $500". I must've missed that in the title...

Should be evident that the consensus is there is no best - only good and not good.

I think I mentioned it before, but maybe that was another thread. The shorter slide of the Kahr tended to push he Kahr up from my beltline when sitting. It just felt like it wanted to come out of the holster. When carrying the LW Commander, which isn�t a while lot heavier, the slide was long enough that it kinda locked under the belt, and stayed put very well. When I carried the Kahr, I was constantly pushing down on the butt of the gun to make sure it was securely in the holster. When I carry the LW Commander, there�s none of that, it just rides where it�s supposed to.

Oh, I should mention that I only carry IWB; you could have very different results carrying OWB.

You once described it as the handgun "squirting" up over the beltline and that little light bulb went off in my head. I thought yeah, I hate when that happens. That definitely reshuffled my approach to concealment.

I carry a full sized 1911 daily without a hitch. Nothing better IMHO

I've done that regularly for many a year. I switch to others, from time to time, but that's the one I always seem to come back to. I stopped last summer because I was developing a chronic skin irritation along my belt line, so switched to something lighter that I like nearly as well, i.e., a Kahr P9. Will likely go back to the 1911, either the Government Model or Combat Commander pattern, at some point again.

Does it feel natural and do you shoot it well ? Does it carry well and does it hide well on you ? Those are the questions you need to answer when it comes to a CCW pistol.
I don't like fat grip pistols because they don't hide well, even when carried IWB w/o a holster on me.
I can shoot a 3 inch, 1911 .45 alot better than I ever thought I would, but, like Kevin, they don't have enough slide to keep them where they need to stay if I'm moving fast.
Unlike some, I find the weight of a full size, steel 1911 isn't that bad and mighty nice to have if I really need to use the gun. Still, if I were buying one just for CCW use, it would probably be a Smith, or a Colt Alloy frame 4 1/4 barrel gun.
I can't tell you what to buy. So you need to ask and answer the above question for yourself. BTW, it has taken me a long time and several guns to get where I am now. Don't plan on picking one gun and being completely satisfied forever. Probably won't happen. E

We carry a gun because it's COMFORTING not becaue it's comfortable.

There you go. A famous student of Jeff Cooper's said that. Runs his own school now. Thunder Ranch.

Just go get you a HK compact and thank me latter....

I have the H&K USP-45.

I think you choice of the G30 for a CWP would be a good one. If 45 ACP is your caliber of choice you might also look into a G36. It is a slimmer package and a little easier to get a hand around and conceal but you give up some ammo capacity. You can't go wrong with either one.
270

That makes sense. That's the price you pay for being in good shape and having a trim waist line.

One of the perks that I've found of "gravity enhancement" is that the muffin top pushes down on the grip of the handgun while the "buffalo butt" simultaneously pushes up on the muzzle. The trick is getting an equilibrium of force!

Drummond
If you want a 1911 I would personally go for the STI guardian or the Shadow, the later being the more expensive of the two. I would not go with Kimber, had one and it was a POS, had to send it back to them twice with different issues and the finish out on it was crap, STI is a better product especially for the money. Some have mentioned the HK 45 compact which is a great gun, but it is also considerably more than a Glock. Glocks are ugly but they just flat out work and are pretty damn accurate for what they are. I have a Glock 20 that right out of the box out shot my full custom 6" longslide Nighthawk. Sold the Nighthawk and kept the Glock. You also can't hurt a Glock. But they are ugly and you either love em or hate em based on the grip and the grip angle.
Anyway hope this helps.
Danny
If you can go to a range that will rent guns and shoot as many as you can to see which one feels the best and you are the most comfortable with.

I'm not in "that" good of shape. I have a little roll around the middle I refer to as my "Beer Sculpture".

Sounds like a lot of limp wristing in this thread ? IMHO