you have $550.00, what .45acp do you buy?

[BTLFED]

Tactical RIA or a G21.

[1911Jeeper]

A new RIA 1911, a used Glock, or a used Springfield 1911.

I have never have owned a 1911 that didn't go BANG every time, on the first trip to the range.

[Jim_L]

I would buy another Regent in a second. And you could get some extra mags and ammo to boot.

[dsk]

It used to be easy to find a Springfield GI Mil-Spec in that price range. Now that production is on indefinite hiatus the few I see for sale are often priced out of sight. It's a shame because they clearly were the best low-priced 1911s on the market, bar none.

[Ron H.]

Originally Posted by AlabamaLEO

to stop the over run most folks add on to, lets put the tax et cetera at a TOTAL of $600.00

Para GI expert? Glock 36? what say you?

Sir, option 1 would be to save more money until I could afford something good. But if I needed a .45 right now and $550 were all I had, option 2 would be to look for a decent used Colt. If that didn't work (which seems likely), then I'd probably switch gears and look for a .357 DA revolver.

JMHO, FWIW.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

[Bigmant]

I'd save it and wait to by something even better

[chambersaviator]

I'd probably buy an Auto-ordnance or buy some parts from Caspian and build one

[rrobertson]

Originally Posted by AlabamaLEO

to stop the over run most folks add on to, lets put the tax et cetera at a TOTAL of $600.00

Para GI expert? Glock 36? what say you?

If I had that much to spend on a .45 I would purchase either the XDM 4.5in .45 or the XDM .45C 3.8. I have the XDM 4.5in .45. That is just personal preference tho, if I wanted a 1911/varient I would save up more which I did to get my TRP. If your looking for a plastic/polymer beater or a stop gap until you have the funds for a higher priced firearm, again I just prefer the XDM lineup over the others and the only other plastic/polymer firearm I would purchase besides those two listed is the FNX-45 Tactical but that is way over the limit. Also just as a side note the 460 Rowland conversions for the XDM's feel fantastic.

[bwdilli]

$600 dollars tops? I'd buy me a nice used Sig P220. If you're wanting a 1911. I'd recommend saving a bit more and being patient. There are deals out there if you look and watch, but you have to have the money ready to go.

[Mr. T]

I would go with the M&P .45. If I wanted a 1911 I would just save until I could get exactly what I wanted.

[MidwestRookie]

STI Spartan.

*2nd choice - Beretta PX4

[sechott]

I was looking at a series 80 Thomson 1911 today for 550. I know this shop sells high so it maybe cheaper elsewhere. It was vey well made in USA, it had GI sights which my eyes are not too fond of these days.

[meanc]

For $600 in 45cal - a Glock 30sf with a few boxes of premium ammo.

[DW10MMPointman]

As far as 1911's go... I'm happy with my Rock Island mid-size. They're tough to beat (in the world of 1911's) for the price. If a 1911 isn't what you're after, I have experience with a few .45's that I can comment on.


New guns:


Glock 21/30/36... Dependable shooters. No shame in owning a Glock, they're just kinda' boring to me so mine always get traded away for something with a bit more heft.

Smith & Wesson M&P... Mine was the full size model with ambi thumb safety. Nice pistols that feel better to me than the Glock lineup. My experience has found them to be slightly less reliable than Glock, but others argue that point. Also, the finish on the two M&P's that I've owned seemed prone to rust no matter what I did to keep them protected. Either way, I place the M&P slightly above the Glock on my totem pole.

Springfield XD Series... Reliable, accurate, and wait... Did I say reliable? These guns have ran like champs for me, but much like the Glock pistols, they are a bit boring to me. I'd put the XD pistols on par with Glock.

Taurus PT-145... Don't waste your money. I'm not bashing Taurus here as I own one of their old .44 Special revolvers and it's fantastic. Unfortunately, the PT-145 was a great concept (a pistol that was about the size of a subcompact Glock, but that held 10+1 rounds of .45 ACP) that was poorly executed. Early versions experienced frame cracking issues. Mine had a problem with the sights not wanting to stay on the gun until I applied plenty of Loc-Tite. The mag release was also too easy to engage by accident. In addition to these issues, the gun left a lot to be desired with regard to reliability. Again... Neat idea, but poorly executed.



Now for some used guns in your budget....

Smith & Wesson 3rd Gen: Nice pistols. Never cared for the slide mounted safety, but it's not a deal killer in my opinion. I give these guns points above all of the new guns listed above if for no other reason than I like an all metal pistol. Reliability is good with these guns, and deals are out there if you look for a bit. Stock up on mags.

H&K USP: If you try hard enough, you might run across a deal on one of these used from a private individual. I've owned a lot of H&K pistols, and I find them to be the cream of the crop when it comes to polymer pistols. Oddly enough, the older USP series is my favorite among them, and I wish I would have never sold my USP .45 full size. Big capacity, very accurate, never a failure, felt good in the hand, and was able to be carried cocked and locked. Also, I like H&K's mag release. It's just quicker for me, and is a feature I wish all of my pistols shared. One word of caution... Mags are $$$$.

Sig Sauer P220: I've owned a couple of these pistols, and I've been issued them for my job for the past 7 years. My feelings on them are mixed. When taken care of, they are reliable, and accurate. We have guys at work who neglect their issued weapons, and their P220's usually prove to be problematic. I like the P220 well enough, but for it's size, and limited capacity... I'd rather carry something else for duty use. If I'm limited to a single stack .45, I'd prefer it to be a single action 1911 which fortunately my agency allows me to qualify on as my backup/off-duty gun. If you can get past the mile-long, heavy DA trigger pull, the Sig's trigger is actually pretty decent in SA. I'd rank the P220 in the same category as the 3rd Gen Smith & Wesson pistols.


So there you have some food for thought. It's not all-inclusive, and is obviously up for debate. But, these are my impressions of the .45 pistols in your price range that I have first hand experience with. Good luck.

[Hawg1]

I'd get a RIA tactical and some decent grips and mags

Originally Posted by Itshak

Did you ever do as you call it a block (Glock)? have you ever shot a Glock 30 SF or Glock 36? you did not like it after shooting or are you just prejudiced because of other reasons like maybe being brain washed by some here?
Have you ever shot a S&W M&P in 45? or how about an XDM compact in 45?
Now if you have not it is time you go and give this guns a try you might be surprised at what you find or what you like.

I owned a Glock 30. Didn't like one single thing about it. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough and I will never own another Glock.

[Rastoff]

Well, I own an RIA Tactical. I haven't had any problems so, I guess that would be my choice.

I do like the M&P 45 though.

[LEO2B]

Originally Posted by AlabamaLEO

to stop the over run most folks add on to, lets put the tax et cetera at a TOTAL of $600.00

Para GI expert? Glock 36? what say you?

Used Caspian Custom or a G36. Found em both for 600 or less. The G36 was 550 with about 200 rounds and an IWB holster, LNIB. Got lucky. The Caspian has every doo-dad you can throw at a 1911 Kart NM barrel, Wilson speed chute/combat sights/oversized mag button, barnhart burner grips, STI trigger, nowlin hammer, and on and on-nice and tight. Super shooter.

Looking to buy new or used?

[Kodadek]

Well...there's the following and mind you this is not in order of want, just off the top of my head...and these are ones I've considered buying before.

1: SAM Commodore
2: SAM Elite
3: American Classic II
4: American Classic Commander
5: ATI GIFX (Commander sized imported via ATI from SAM)
6: RIA Tactical
7: RIA Widebody
8: RIA GI
9: RIA CS
10: RIA MS

Yeah, they're all 1911s, I have no real interest in owning an XD, M&P, Block- hey, I'll add power to the movement and I don't care which model it is, they're far from the apex of ergonomics...no bad guns, but learn to accept that despite the adverts there is no such thing as perfection, cept when I look in the mirror-in .45

[oneoff]

If the gun is intended for self-defense or carry with any seriousness at all, an M&P .45.

Otherwise, whatever trips your trigger the day you buy one; or just keep looking 'til you find yourself with more money.

[JT1911]

I had $550- I bought an RIA GI .45 and 250 rounds of ammo and still didnt max the budget.

[labroslog]

Originally Posted by camillo

Wilson Combat
(put the remainder on a credit card)

[govtcheez]

I just bought a Citadel 1911 as my second 1911. Spent about $530 after FFL fees. Pretty happy with it so far, except for the front sight which I plan to swap out very soon.

[mikeg1005]

Originally Posted by AlabamaLEO

to stop the over run most folks add on to, lets put the tax et cetera at a TOTAL of $600.00

STI Spartan... about $650 shipped to me... I'll make up the extra $50 by packing my lunch for a week or two.

MIke.

[Itshak]

Originally Posted by Hawg1

I owned a Glock 30. Didn't like one single thing about it. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough and I will never own another Glock.

If you make the mistake of buying another one or you know another person that bought one and hates it so much that wants to get rid of it and because of all the Glock haters out there that do not want to have to do anything with Glock's if you can't find anybody that wants it, just send it to me I will get rid of it for you.

[Wizard1500]

For $600, I would find a used Sig P220, or and XD-45.....1911, save up for a while and buy a Sig. Norinco 1911A1 can be hard to find, but they are a good buy....I've had one for around 20 years, and it still shoots good....just hate the sights.....