Advice for first time cca?

[sw910]

Hello all, I have owned firearms for years but never carried before. I have shot the heck out of my sw 910 (back when they were well made ;) and wanted some advice on a .45 caliber for concealed use. I have shorter fingers so double stack mags tend to be out. Your thoughts and advice please.

Thanks!

[r4fthrs]

Personally, I have always been a fan of the 1911 platform, for carry- Commander size or smaller. If you want inexpensive, but reliable & utilitarian- Rock Island. If you want one with all the bells & whistles and money is no option- Baer Custom or Kimber. Springfield is the middle of the road. There are a lot of other options, but these are the ones I have used and are familiar with. i carry an old Colt Combat Commander with a few modifications.

Stay away from the Chinese made knock offs, they are junk

Hope this helps

[Glockster20]

If you want something that is concealable, affordable and reliable, check out the Glock 38 in .45 GAP. Single stack 8 round mag in a medium sized package. If you want smaller, they have the "mini" Glock or subcompact model 39 with single stack 6 round mag. The reason I mention the .45 GAP, see both links;

.45 GAP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Inside the .45 GAP

[tcox4freedom]

Your hands are most likely no smaller than mine. I also have arthritis in my hands that makes it VERY hard to find a HG that allows me a proper grip. ( Single stack 1911's are usually two big/heavy for my hands.)

There are a lot of guns now that allow you to change/modify grip. But, I like the XDM 40; a full size dbl stack. The Taurus 24/7 Pro C 45acp is my primary carry and works well for me.

I suggest taking your time and trying out several different HG's and not rush to purchase.

[RugerP345]

Bought a ruger p345 compact .45 a few weeks ago. Nice for concealed, I can wear a collar shirt untucked and it is barely noticeable. No problems feeding ammo. Shoots about 6" left at 10 yards, tho.
I really considered the .45 GAP but I was just too concerned about the availability of the special ammo, especially in a crisis where ammo might not be so plentiful.

[1911 Headbanger]

Small and lightweight, go for a Colt Officers Model or Defender, or Kimber CDP 3". Springfield Armory also has their scaled down 1911 frame guns in 9mm, 40 or 45 GAP. The Glock 36, Kahr Arms PM45 or one of the Para Ordnance D/A 1911 officer sized frames. Just depends on how compact and whether you want D/A or S/A autos. A 45 ACP pistol has to be a certain sized frame to accomidate the cartridge and magazine, so you just can't go too micro sized. If your hands aren't capable of handling those frame sizes, you may want to check 40's, 9mm's or 45 GAP's. I just don't care for the GAP Catridge, not because it doesn't work, but because of ammo choice and availablity.

[kevin mosley]

Check out the Kahr PM45. Very Compact - Very Nice.
I don't own one, but I handled one this past week, and it's compelling!

[gestu1]

I carry a Smith and Wesson M&P 45. Whats nice is they come with interchangable palm wells to fit different size hands. I carry the full size version but they also have a compact. Check one out. You might like it.

[sw910]

Thanks all. Next time I am at the range, I will check out the XD and the glock and see which one I like better.

[glock36]

I second the Glock 36. Single stack .45 cal, it fits my small hands like a glove
Good luck God speed
Merry Christmas