.45 Comparisons

One day, I will be in the market for a .45 ACP. Choosing is the hard part. Requirements are, 5 inch + barrel, and ambidextrous. (How hard is it to retrofit an ambidextrous safety? I saw the parts at Cylinder and Slide and was wondering if I need to pay a gunsmith to do that, or can I do it myself). I might as well get one new, and if I did it will be my first new gun. Gotta throw a bone to the manufacturers eventually, instead of haunting the used gun market.

I don't know enough to have any more opinion. I hear that beaver tails are bad, and that there us nothing wrong with them. That grip safeties are bad, and that if you have one and shoot 100 rounds through it you will never notice the grip safety again. Materials preference, steel, plastic, unobtanium alloy... (my preference leans toward steel) Consider this a solicitation. Full length guide rod is good for super accuracy, but it can jam. Single action only, or double action. I dunno.

My starter list to think about, based on respected manufacturers

Glock G21, 13 rounds.

Colt O1970CM Special Combat Government or XSE (only $950) is probably highest on my list. Because it is Colt.

Springfield Armory Operator (nice and full featured) or Mil-Spec (good, too, and only $700, sometimes as low as $600 something, and I'd have to customize with an $80 safety here, a $70 hammer there, a $90 trigger there), or the XD Tactical (plastic, like a Glock).


Smith and Wesson makes a 1911 style like this Tactical Rail SW1911 and are the 'forgotten' 1911 clone. It looks like they might start at north of $800. The Smith and Wesson M&P .45 is polymer and are a little too short in the barrel department.

There are many other 1911 clones I'd also consider. Kimber stands out. Taurus, a Brazlilian company, (I DO like that country's waxing innovations) is full featured, ambidextrous, but at a budget price of $700.

Of course, dreaming of all these .45s without any test firing may be a moot point. Ideal on paper may fall short in the way it fits my hand, or a half dozen other unforeseen details that might make it unsatisfactory. And value for my money is a factor as always. I'm not going to skimp and get a poorly made gun, but I won't drop $2.5k on one either. I have a feeling that out-of-the-box $600 plain Jane Mil-Spec will shoot as well as I can shoot it, and function reliably. If I was shooting 400+ rounds a week through my pistol, with good coaches, with a goal of entering and winning shooting competitions, THEN a $2k+ weapon might me appropriate, but that is not my goal now.

Help. Which one, and why?
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