Lafayette local, want suggestions on 45 acp handgun

[BayonetOfStJamesGreater]

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, first posting. I live in Lafayette and am wanting to buy a handgun that shoots 45 acp.

I'm looking for something that's ready to shoot out of the box, that I will use for personal defense and won't take a huge chunk out of my wallet, being on a budget and all.

When I say ready to shoot out of the box, I mean it. Being on a budget (and no one wanting to hire a college student who has no car), I can't spend too much (or anything!) breaking a gun in.

So, what options do I have? Thanks in advance.

 

[Joe Williams]

If you are on that much of a budget, feeding a .45 is gonna be a bear! .40 is cheaper to shoot, 9mm much cheaper, and like the .45 both have proven records as effective defense rounds.

If you just gotta .45, look into a Rock Island Armory 1911. Under $400 brand new, a box or two will let you know she's ready to rock.

 

[WebSnyper]

Do you have any preferences on trigger action (SA, DA/SA, DA only, etc), any personal requirement for an external safety that you can manually engage, etc? Are you looking to carry it?

Everyone here is going to have their preference and will steer you that way.


As Joe states .45 can be a little expensive to shoot. You can pick up 100 rounds of 230 grain, FMJ, WWB at Walmart for practice for approx $33.

Personally I favor the Glock 30.

 

[FatGeek]

Home defense only or concealed carry also? I agree with Joe, the RIA 1911 is a great pistol, but carrying 3 lbs can get old pretty quick. It can be done comfortably, but it takes a quality holster to properly distribute the weight. I carry a 1911 Government IWB daily.

If the RIA 1911 is above budget, the Glock will be also. I owned a steel frame EAA Witness for several years, I would go for their polymer frame version if I had to do it again. I switched to a 1911 Government for easier concealment. The dual stack Witness holds more ammo but is half an inch wider. I know guys that carry Taurus Millennium pistols daily and have not had problems. I've shot their guns at the range and grouped fine at 10 yards.

 

[drgnrobo]

I will have to along with the other suggestions as far as the 1911's ,RIA's have a few options as well. If you plan carrying RIA has a nice compact model W/better sights,beavertail safety & extended thumb safety. Carrying a full size model isnt as bad either as long as you invest in a decent holster.Glocks & S&W M&P's are good to go out of the box but always run a couple of mags of your chosen defense round to ensure reliability.

 

[snapping turtle]

My opinion only....... Next year is the 100 anniversary of the 1911 model.

There should be some special runs made for the celebration. Maybe you need to save a couple of hundred more dollars and get a anniversary issue model next year after maybe the summer job.

Your sacrifice now will pay off in 20 or 25 years when your special run is worth more used than you paid for it 20 years earlier just like the education you are receiving now.

Get a rock river arms or high point now and it looses 33% of it's value as soon as you buy it. A special version of a colt will always be worth about what you paid for it. It should also match the amount of money you are receiving with your degree.

If you need to get something now to carry look into getting your 50 quality posts and find something you can live with and carry off the classifieds for now.

Save your cash and get a quality 1911. Here is a tease. A remington-rand 1943 1911 A1 that is perfectly mint for a military pistol. I got it years ago for a small amount of cash from a person getting rid of a collection. It is worth more and more every year but since it is growing in value I do not shoot it much or carry it, I got it after I got my degree.

 

[Hoosier45]

Don't know what your budget is, but 1911's are pricey. I would look for a used W. German Sig P220.

Kahr CW45 may be in your price range, but may require 200-300 rounds for break in.

 

[bman]

ruger p90, rock solid,accurate,and reliable. won,t increase in value but it is within your budget.

 

[thekuhnburger]

Glock 21 or 30. depending on if you want to conceal it. Always ready to shoot right out of the box

 

[amhenry]

+1 for the Glock 30. Go to a gunstore and handle a bunch of guns. A used 1911 is a great option as well.

 

[wwdkd]

Another vote for the Glock 30. Great size/weight for the amount of rounds you get and relatively cheap and easy to find as well.

 

[glock2010]

thumbs up on the glock 45 model 30,i have one and love it

 

[451_Detonics]

I am with many others...for on a budget the 45 doesn't make a lot of sense. Given you are asking what to buy also makes me think you may not be well acquainted with handguns, a 45 is a stout introduction. A 9mm is every bit as effective for SD and is cheaper to practice with. Why not go over to Applied Ballistics there in Lafayette and try some of the rentals and see what you would like to shoot?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

So, what options do I have? Thanks in advance.

You have dozens of options.

You have to put in work and keep your eyes open. The widow at the garage sale is your best bet. I found a Smith 1917 that way.

A 1917 might not be a bad less expensive pistol but buddies of mine have said that even the Brazilian guns are going up.

Keep your eyes open and your Google alert open.

My mama told me, you better shop around . . . *hands on hips* shop, shop, shop . . .

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YPdVqwk978]YouTube - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Shop Around[/ame]

 

[wtfd661]

Glock 30 or Kahr CW45. I know you said you don't want to "break it in" but you do need to shoot whatever you get enough to become proficient with it.

 

[ayerskw]

Lots of goods posts in response to your question... Need to echo the cost consideration on .45 cal... {.45 cal can run you twice the cost of 9mm} If cost is an issue, then what is the point in having a nice handgun if you can't aford to shoot it?

My friend just bought a 9MM Springfield XDM and I am very impressed with it. It came with all of the accessories (2 magazines, a fobus holster and a fobus magazine belt holster). An XDM is match grade and runs ~$100 more than a regular XD. [However, the XD is a nice gun too!] The Springfield had all of the features of a Glock plus some additional well thought out features such as a cock and a chambered round indicators that enables one in the dark to quickly discern whether the gun is ready to fire or not. Additionally, with a little practice, you can field strip the weapon in less than 10 seconds. Do some research on the Springfiled arms they are very well made [Drop forged] and should provide you a life time of reliable use.

Hope this helps!

 

[BayonetOfStJamesGreater]

Alright, I can see you guys have plenty of suggestions. Thanks.

The reason for the .45, Lafayette is becoming a big hub for the drug trade between Indianapolis and Chicago. (it has been for some time, but its getting worse, especially with the economy)

Meth heads won't go down with a 9 mm, and I was told that the whole reason our soldiers used the .45 back in the day was because it had the stopping power they needed in the Philippines against drugged up tribesmen.

The older veterans that go to my church tell me the switch to the 9mm Beretta is something they weren't too happy about and tell me if I go for anything it should be something in .45.

Since money's an issue, I'll just be patient until I have the cash to get something.

Oh, and yes, this is going to be for carrying.

 

[Joe Williams]

Might wanna do some research on the REAL effectiveness of the .45 against druggies... plenty of failures to ponder, just as with the other calibers.

9mm, .40, .45... all work fine with proper defensive ammo. And 9mm costs half as much as .45!!!

Not a darn thing wrong with the .45, of course. It is slightly more effective than 9mm, it's accurate, a pleasure to shoot, and a pleasure to reload. It's just awfully pricey to shoot if you don't reload and use cast bullets, and has more recoil than the 9mm, though nothing that can't be handled.

 

[banjogore]

I know this is probably going to start a flood of post slamming my suggestion but you can get a brand new 45 Hi-Point for less than $150.00 they have a lifetime warranty and shoot great right out of the box... the downside is they are a pain in the rear to break down far enough to clean properly, weapons are like cars if you maintain them right they are dependable... of course there are exceptions to every rule like the Jennings with guns and the Monza with cars.

don't get me wrong... I have many name brand weapons ie; Colt, S&W, Taurus, Rock Island, ect.ect but for the price and warranty I bought a 45 and 380 Hi-Point, put hundreds of rounds through both and had one jam in the 380 and none in the 45 ... but I do my own service, repair and tweaking on all my weapons... I guess it's a military belief that if you can't maintain a weapon properly you shouldn't have it anyway

 

[Bounty Hunter]

First off-Welcome.

I have heard many good things about the Citidel. I came real close to getting one,but got a good deal on my Taurus.

About an hour North of Lafayette, in Rensselaer,there is a gun shop with very good prices. Better than any I have seen in Lafayette. Owner is a little rude sometimes, but very good prices. Especially on his used stuff.