I am looking for a handgun for home protection and also target shooting. I have decided on the 45 ACP cartridge and also a semi auto pistol. Which handgun would you recommend?

Are the 1911s Colt a good choice (are these easy to find? worth the money?)OR is a more modern gun (SIGS, Glocks, etc.) more reliable, accurate, easier to shoot etc? Not even sure if those makes come in a 45!!!

Thanks in advance for your advice. Would appreciate if you can also give me the model numbers with make that you suggest.
Reddy375

OH BOY, is this one going to open a can of worms!! There are "dyed-in-the-wool" 1911 shooters that will have nothing else. There are techno gadget junkies that have to have the latest polymer frame. But in all truth there are certainly some real lemons out there in 45acp. Your job will be to determine the value you place on your life, match that with your budget, and pick. For me, I went with a Glock 30. Damn fine machine... kinda like the AK-47's of the semi-auto pistol world. It's pretty hard to get them NOT to function properly. Sure their ugly, but never once have I been concerned about reliability, and bad guys don't care how pretty your pistol is. If I had $$$$$$$$ to spend, I would have gone with a 1911, all "smithed-out" and ready to rock and roll. But for $$, I got the same reliability in a Glock. Now, let the pissin match begin

I really like the 1911 platform. I've got a customized Colt Commander, a S&W1911Sc, a SA Champion (TRP'd), and an Ed Brown. However, the .45ACP I've been using the most lately is the SA XD45 with 4 inch barrel. It's reliable (4200 rounds so far with no glitches,new), fits my hand like a glove, and is accurate. When I cross into a free state, I can load a high capacity in the well. Mine is the bitone and I really like it. That said, I had a Glock 21 for awhile. It felt like a 2x4 or brick in my hand. Didn't fit me at all, YMMV.

I really don't like the feel of a Glock. Are you going to use cast projectiles with the pistol? There was a spate of problems with the Glocks and cast bullets early on. Look for any known current information on that situation.

The SIG 220 is better.

The 1911 ... even the double column guns ... are better yet. There is more known about how to tune and a make a 1911 based gun live a long time than is known about any other kind of firearm. This approach can get expensive, but the final product is very hard to beat.

If you are convinced that a .45 is a must for you, get the CZ version. Best value for the money and leaves most way behind, including many custom jobs. On the other hand, take time to use a CZ 75 base model. Its very accurate, all steel and with a 15 mag, but you never want to use more than 2 shots being you are, "the most scared I have ever been in my life and I just knew he was was going to kill me, my wife, and my child!"

1911
Get the best one you can afford.
After all, how much is your life worth?

Do I get an orginal 1911 or a reproduction? How is a tricked out pistol better than a standard one! I know a fair amount about rifles but as you can see clueless on pistols! Thanks.

1911 is just a classic ... so much history in it that when you learn about it you will sure want one ... besides it is almost one hundred years old and still one of the best pistol ever made ...

Glock and Steyr are also excellent pistol but completely different stuff ...

If I were you, I would buy a 1911 - and then a Glock ... you will have the best of both worlds

If you can afford it, Les Baer or Wilson Combat 1911's are top notch. If your budget is a bit more constrained, go with a Glock. Simple, isn't it

There are literally dozens of extremely good 1911s out there, but for my money, either an out of the box S&W 1911 or a Kimber. Either one is hard to top for the money spent.

I have a Sig 220 ST, and like it. I've had 1911's, and liked them (Colt Series 70 Gold cup, Springfield fixed sight stainless), and I had a CZ97B (45 acp). I liked that too.

I got rid of the previous autos, because they were autos. I like to reload, and I hated shooting the ammo relatively fast, and them crawling around looking for the empty brass.

With a revolver, the empties go into my hand.

That doesn't answer your question, it' just my opinion.

The 1911's feel great in my hand (a little small). There are a ton of accesories and holsters for them. It's truly a classic.

The Sig 220 ST (stainless) is well made. It feels good too. I wouldn't call it better or worse. It's good. If you were looking for a sig 220, get one with a milled stainless slide, not the rolled carbon steel slide. The carbon steel slides have roll pins in the aft section of the slide. The milled stainless slides have a solid pin (in case you are looking at pictures on the internet).

Back to revolvers, for home defense, a 45 acp is fine, as is anything over .35 caliber. (.357, 41, 44, 45). A double barrel shotgun is better (easier hitting in stressful situations).

For revolvers, (if I can try to sway you) consider a Ruger GP100 4" model.
( http://www.gunweek.com/2004/feature1010.html)
I posted in the pistol section about this gun.

A 44 mag with mild handloads is great, as is any of the large bore revolvers. 4-6" barrels are the norm.

How can you go wrong with any of the choices?

I am a 1911 man but....

If your just starting out with a handgun I think a you may be better off starting with a glock which is much easier to disassemble and less picky about ammo.

You need to shoot a few different handguns before you buy one.

Just my two cents.

man, what a can of worms. if you are going to target shoot or reload, the glock is out in my book without an after market barrel. the brass is expanded to the point i would be afraid to reload it. my glock 22 is head shot accurate at 25 yards and absolutly reliable. i carried it for several years as a security guard. the 1911 has many things to recomend it. it will fit small or large hands, is reliable, accurate, and literaly any gunsmith who hangs out his shingle can do many improvements and repairs to these guns. S&W, Kimber, and Springfield make guns at prices that won't bankrupt you. however as you move up in price fit and finish improve. i have a Les Baer premier II that is the finest handgun i've ever fired.it took 6 or 7 months to get and iirc costed 1425 dollars in 1995. i don't beleve his prices have increased much if at all in 10 years. shop around and handle as many different guns as you can and see what feels best. good luck and happy shopping

reddy you don't say but how much expoerence do you have wih handguns in general? Is the 1911 some thing you have spent time on?

If not I would sugest,if you like polymer look at the XD's in 45acp and or the glock, if target shooting you just mean paper punching,and your open to other calibers,,any of the 9mm's and 40's on the market will do the job on both counts,and ammo is cheaper even if you reload.

I would offer that maybe a trip to the local shop that allows you to rent a piece and shot it,mite be worth while

I have a Kimber that I bought 8 years ago. 10,000 rounds later it shoots good as new.

Sig P220, simple accurate and sure. Get the night sights as well. Note 9 round capacity with .45 ACP warranty!

Glocks simply go bang when you pull the trigger guys, look at this link about a crazy nut who put his .45 up against other guns and mother nature.

It really is a good read

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=462537

I don't like glocks tried them during an endurance testing at Raahauges Shooting Sports Fair years ago.I have a Colt 1991A1 that had to be massaged by a custom pistolsmith so it would hit the target,it did.My choice was the Sig P220 in 45acp after conferring with a police officer who is a former marine armorer trained at the colt factory .He said they're accurate to 50 meters and will remain that way thru 50,000 or more rounds.I bought my P220 for $499.99 plus tax & dros came to $555 in 1996.The original price was $800+ but when LE didn't adopt the Sig the company ran specials for dealers giving them a choice of a case of 45 acp ammo or a ruger 10-22 rifle for each pistol they sold,the cheapest price was $479 from my dealer but we weren't aware of his cut rate price when we bought ours.

To each his own on guns but I really don't like the 1911 design. Its way to complicated to use.

Modern autoloading pistols have double actions. That means that even if it's not cocked you can pull the trigger and it will fire. Something like that is what I prefer.

For some odd reason many like the looks of the 1911. It's ok with me. If you must have that look the Para Ordinance guns are fast to fire and operate very well.

For the house maybe a .45 is good as the large bore may stop an assault without having to shoot. Handguns are good but shotguns are better by the way for home defense. Have both.

Self defense is in itself a can of worms. Whatever gun you do decide on for a defensive pistol will become a target gun as well, simply because practice when calm is what it takes to hit when your not.

That said, a DA revolver is easiest to deploy and won't malfunction. No levers, buttons ect. I started with a S&W 459 in 9mm. Not a good choice but I was young, in the service, and the S.E.A.L.'s were trying these out. I sold mine after only a few months. My next purchase was a SP101 2 1/4" .357 and I still have it, loaded, and available.

My next purchase was a 1911 Combat Commander in .38 Super Auto. Great gun and a good performing gun. I can put different barrels with this frame to come up with a trick .45, and can get a Kimber .22lr conversion kit for around $220. This lets you practice with the same gun you plan on using for defense.

There are different levels to consider. Full time concealed carry is different than a night stand pistol. Lazers hanging on the bottom of the frame may be alright for a gun thats not being concealed, but I'd hate to have that in a SOB holster all day.

I didn't care for the Glocks. They are reliable and tough but I don't shoot them as well. I have fired and liked the Sig 220 and will probably go that route next. I have a Mosquito thats 90% the size of the 220 so it will feel familiar. The other pistol I'd seriously look into if it's not for carry is a H&K USP. Excellent arm, but not an easy one to hide.

The pump 12ga is king for home defense! Every bad guy recognizes the sound of a slide racking one into the tube! Nate

If you are not a reloader than you might want to reconsider the caliber or learn how to reload.
I would also bypass the 1911 platform. I would look at Glock, Sig, and HK. My preference goes to Glock in the compact model (G-30). Next would be the Sig P220 and finely the HK. Any of these have a excellent reputation for being accurate, reliable, and durable. You cannot go wrong with any of these and they will be ready to go out of the box. I would try to rent these before putting down the money. Esox357.

I'm also a 100% 1911 fan but do not recommend them to shooters who are not going to practice a great deal.

I am also not a big fan of Glockes...with only a very short light trigger pull between you and an unintentional discharge it is just too easy to put your finger on the trigger at the wrong time during a stressful situation...

At this point i would look at the S&W M&P or the Springfield XD. Several of the people I shoot with have the XD and it is a great gun.

One of the guys added the TruGlo fiber opti/tritium sights and they really stand out.

Bob

I grouw up with 1911s but now i carry a glock 40sw as a guide in my country i killed a lot of hogs with it ,dont hesitate buy a Glock.Juan

My choice is an eaa witness in .45. Holds ten rounds.
I have the full size stainless version. It is fun to shoot.