@@SonnyCrocket-p6h Have you ever been in a gun fight? Why don't you tell us how that went. I can't wait....I'm sure your extensive knowledge, coupled with your ability to spell "contrary", entitles you to the Master Class level. Instead of taking a crack at an old timer who may or may not know something you don't, why don't you share your wisdom for us to absorb?
Goin on 86, still driving big ole K W most days. Load and unload trailers all over northern MN . Some ND and WI . We need owner ops. Company drivers great company freight.
I have a friend who was a MASH Medic in the Korean War. He saw body's hit with the 230 grain .45 ACP hardball round and he said it blew big holes out of their backs.
@@themudshark1106 another ignoramus who doesn't know the score. The Airforce, navy and coast guard do no personal combat at all. most of the Army never sees a combat zone, much less personal combat, much less PISTOL combat. Most of the marines never see personal combat and certainly not combat. I was army from 71-77. They sent me to Korea, which is where I made black belt. I've taken hundreds of animals with ccw guns and loads. I"ve pointed a gun at men 6x in my llfe. I've been shot and I've shot my way to the top 10% of IPSC competitors in the world. I'm not like you, talking out of my butt. I've shot a few matches with Dick, as a matter of fact.
When I was a deputy, we were shown FBI and other videos on the effectiveness of shot placement and the effectiveness of the 9mm in the field,as it was the Glock 17 they were issuing to us. Far too many officers interviewed after a life threatening firefight stated that they would not ever depend on the 9mm again after being scared of dying due to the ineffective ability of the 9mm to stop the threat posed by the shooter. Head shot would often bounce/deflect, and body shots didn’t penetrate enough to affect the shooter quickly enough as they kept shooting back at the officers. Several suspects only stopped firing at officers because they ran out of Ammo. Consequently, the 45 ACP had a higher effective stopping rate with less shot needed. I went right out a purchased a 45 after seeing the proof and taking into account the officers interviewed.
Guess I’m a Fudd too, I got into an argument with my son about 5 years ago and he bragged about his H&K 45 acp. My personal experience began with war returns that were referred to as old rattle traps, but were plentiful. My experience was not in law enforcement instead more of an urban nature. I told my son that until he shot a 1911 he’d never shot a 45 acp. I too own a Gold Cup that was purchased new in 1961 brand new for $106, that included a box of reloads and tax. As a machinist and mechanic ( retired) I was completely fascinated by the genius of JM Browning. There’s nothing that comes close, in fact every self loading semi auto pistol made today takes cues from the 1911. You’re absolutely correct about the ammo available, however because of the barrel feed ramps on the original 45’s the case has to be beefed up. 1911’s chambered in anything else uses a completely different ramping system that supports the +P . The beauty of these 1911’s is with experience in the pistol itself, tuning and and a few other enhancements these guns are unbeatable. I won that argument with my son and have built and customized 7 full size and 1 Officer . I don’t carry any of my 1911’s , as I feel they’d be rendered as evidence should I ever have to defend myself, that’s what striker fired polymer guns are for ( kinda like disposable lighter’s) Just another Fudd, there’s nothing better.
I've got a 1911 chambered in 45 ACP and one in 38 Super. I like them both and sometimes carry them but I usually carry revolvers. I guess I'm just old school and carry what both by father and grandfather carried when they were in law enforcement. I carry what I shoot well and have confidence in.
if you dont carry it, how is it better? If you 'think' that the loss of a $2000 gun is a big deal, when you're life and freedom are at stake, you know NOTHING about civilian self defense issues, bro. You'll be taken to jail, almost certainly and almost certainly have to post a bond if you want to get out of jail in less than a week, especially if your incident occurs on a weekend. That bond is likely to cost you $10,000 or more and y ou wont be getting it back, either. The attorney that you'll probably have to hire will set you back several thousand dollars, even before you go to trial. It cost George Zimmerman 1/2 million $ to get out of a perfectly justifiable shooting. The cop who just held down the the pos robber with his shin (as he was taught to do) is doing time for it, right now. If you shoot-dead a minority teenager, you're in BIG trouble, no matter how righteous your case was.
The real flaw in the 1911 is the original old school mags. If you get the newer 8 round magazine designs for the 1911 the reliability drastically increases.
@@craigthescott5074 I've got about 100,000 rds thru old school mags. they work fine. if they are properly-made. Lots of imported junk mags these days. I've had several 1911's that were unrelable, even with ball ammo, until I did drastic things to them The Colt factory is a union shop, and guys would often sabotage things when they could not get a strike going. I've had to weld up a mag latch, adding 1/8" to how high it held the magazine.
at what? it aint hard to beat for handiness of ccw carry, nor ccw speed of draw either, if I get to start hand in pocket. Ever time your ccw draw and hit, wearing a belt rig, under a heavy winter coat AND your normal concealment garment?
you're probably lying thru your teeth. 1-2 examples prove nothing. You can get 7 straight heads or tails with a coin toss. It takes 20 incidents to establish that it's pure luck. YOu didn't shoot 20 men in the chest with a .45 in Nam. So it's just another bs story.
I am a FUDD! I started as a LEO in 1964 and have been through the .38 Spcl., .357, .45 ACP., and 9mm eras. The most accurate pistol I have ever owned was a stock 1911. The most accurate revolver was a S&W Mod. 27 in .357. Both were stolen in a burglary years ago. I even had a .380 Walther PPK/S which was stolen in the same burglary. Shot placement is the most important thing about any self-defense shooting, but you have to have a weapon you can handle with you. My current choice for pocket carry is a Sig 365 with a 12-round mag. It is small enough to hide and light enough to not drag your pants off. When I head for the high country, I usually carry a G 20 in a chest pack and have a Winchester Trapper Model .44 Magnum for serious problems. Don't ask what I have around the house! I really enjoy your videos and you have a lot of FUDD experience to back them up. I hope the Gunshop Commandos don't ever encounter trained Infantry soldiers!
The word can be applied in one of two ways: 1. to invalidate a shooter's hunting experience when he applies to martial shooting; 2. to refer to a gunowner who supports the Second Amendment only so far as his sense of who should be able to bear arms, or, of what type of arms.
Dick, good to see you making videos. When I started as an LEO in 1980 we used the Winchester 158 grain LSWC-HP +P in our 2-inch and 4-inch revolvers. They were always predictable, everyone could shoot it well, and I think that is one reason it was so effective. When our city went to the SIG P226 loaded with 1st Generation 147 grain 9mm JHP's. we actually experienced a reduction in performance and a lot of us wanted our .38's back. It has been interesting to see the improvement in 9mm duty loads since those days. I consider the 9mm, like you said, to be "adequate".I've also carried the .40 on duty as well as the .357 SIG, and I think both are great rounds, and if I were back on patrol I'd slightly rather have either one of those over the 9mm, but I understand why today's agencies have moved away from those two. But there is a special place in my heart for the .45 ACP, probably because I've shot it so much since I was a teenager. It may not be the "best" cartridge but it is what I like. If that makes me a Fudd, so be it.
@@normvw4053 and as a result, the 9mm will never acquire the same amount of energy, or destruction as the 45. 9mm will always out penetrate however the goal is to stop a threat, not distant into wood
@@darrinfrench9018 you're fos when it comes to the energy thing, bro. The 90 gr Super vel 9mm, at 1500 fps, offers 450 ft lbs, the .45 ball rd, 350 ft lbs. The Liberty Arms 9mm load, 50 grs at 2100 fps in a 4" barrel, is 500 ft lbs.
In the Police Academy during Defensive Tactics training. We watched a video of a Texas DPS Trooper fire a single shot from his Sig Sauer P220 .45 A.C.P. Service Pistol on an older skinny intoxicated man. The Trooper said he just fired a big .45 hollowpoint pointblank and reholstered his weapon. It took a good Samaritan to help the Trooper get him in cuffs. The Texas DPS had many failures with the P220, different ammunition was used and the issues were still experienced. The Texas DPS switched to the .357 Sig P226 and it was a huge difference.
Very informative video. I carry a 5" Kimber TLE II in 45 acp and have for a long time. I shoot this gun well; it has proven very reliable, and I stake my life and the life of my wife on this gun. To carry concealed a 5" 1911 requires a good gun belt and holster. I prefer a leather IWB and a Kore Essentials leather gun belt. That and always carry a spare magazine. Training regularly is also important when you choose a 1911 as a carry gun. Some may think I am a "fud" for carrying a 1911 in 45, but I have never cared what other people think. The 1911 works for me, your mileage may vary. Thanks again for your informative content.
Glad you liked the video. I prefer the Commander sized model with alloy frame, a 1/2 pound lighter. I picked up a Kore belt at the NRA convention this year and love it.
The NY State Police transitioned to .45acp from .45gap I believe back in 2017. In Upstate NY, many law enforcement agencies are still running .45acp and there are no plans of switching anytime soon. The agency I work for now actually just switched from 9mm to 45acp which I support 100%.
Thats good to hear man. Its funny how even 10 years ago it was all about 45, now its 9. I wonder if the preference in LE will ever go back to the larger pistol cals. Personally, i love my 45 my dad gifted me. And living in a state with magazine capacity bans, why not have the larger caliber
My Agency was getting brand new Glock 38 pistols for our G19 pistols. The Glock rep was telling me of a female trooper in upstate survive a domestic call. She took a hit from a Muzzleloader and returned fire. The bad guy said “Oh that’s going to hurt!”. That was the first time the Glock G.A.P. was used by the Troopers. The Speer 200 grain Gold Dot did have a good one shot stop record with the Troopers when they carried the G37.
@@boostimalaka1 Not correct. The 45 GAP 200 grain Speer GDHP was a great round. And there were plenty of 1 shot stops in the 10 years it was carried. Including one I lived through 😮 NYSP transitioned to 45 ACP because of cost and availability, not effectiveness of the GAP. The only problem with the GAP was that it was a wildcat and never gained popularity. And yes that story about the female trooper is true. It happened up in the north country about 16 years ago.
@@MDR-hn2yz Glad you survived it! I recall a Trooper getting in a roll around on a Sunday afternoon by the Sunken Meadow and Southern State. The Trooper fired one shot as he was fighting with the bad guy. Two good Samaritans ran over to assist. The bad guy ran about a 100 yards to escape and dropped dead from a center mass hit. I believe the O.I.S. involved shootings with the Troopers was 13 at the time. The escaped convict took two hits at 50 yards on the run. Shot Placement!
@@boostimalaka1 agreed. I don’t advocate for people carrying mouse guns, but I would argue that the 2 worst single shot bullet wounds i have seen were from small caliber handguns: a 22 magnum and a 380. Shot placement is key.
I'm a retired L.E.O and C.S.I.with over 30 years of experience. Back in the late 80s I went back and read all the old F.B.I. reports on every officer involved shooting I could find along with every other record I could find. There were several hundreds of them. What struck me in those reports were the statements of people who were shot and survived. One common example was a California cop who took nine rounds of 9mm in the chest fired from a Browning High power at about 20 feet. He said he saw the flashes but did not fill a single hit! He was not wearing a vest. He realized he was shot when he stopped to reload his 38 caliber revolver. He said, as he was reloading he suddenly realized he had dropped to his knees. He then saw the blood on his chest! Another common comment from people who were shot by a 45 ACP or 40 caliber pistol was that they knew instantly when they were shot. That it felt like getting hit by a sledge hammer! After reading several hundred reports it became clear that people shot with a projectile over .40 caliber almost always feel it and those shot with smaller caliber pistol rounds seldom feel it. As for pistol caliber carbines, I believe the advantage is not so much with more power but rather with the greater accuracy achieved from a shouldered weapon.
You hit it on the head with PCCs, they allow you to make easy 25-50 yard shots, if that is necessary. Something few can accomplish with a handgun in a stressful situation.
I know a lady in my town that was shot by her husband in a murder suicide attempt. He shot her 5 times with a 1911 loaded with 230gr black talons. 4 rounds to her body and one to her head before he turned the gun on himself. She did not die and made a full recovery, I still see her around town occasionally. Bottom line is that all pistol rounds are weak.
I'm not disagreeing with ur overall thoughts. However I know of a guy who was shot with a 45, was standing there when it happened. We all thought it was a miss, until a cple minutes later. "Hey Jim, you got a hole in ur shirt". "And hey here's a speck of blood". When he realized he'd been hit, he fainted. Luckily, a through and through, no vitals and he was fine. So for the sake of Devils Advocate, it can happen.
@@randymathewson7939 In the Police Marksman study I referred to in the video one of the questions was "what was the subject's reaction to being shot?" The most common answer circled was "no reaction at all." That was the same across all calibers. As I said, ALL handguns are feeble compared to a 5.56mm or 7.62x51 NATO.
Retired LEO here and former Homicide Division Crime Scene Unit Investigator, as well. I remember a man taking many 9MM rounds from police weapons and still going to court for trial. I carried 45 ACP in 1911 and a Sig Sauer P220 for many years then went to 40 caliber.
I have owned pretty much every caliber of handgun over the years. We would go out to my buddies scrapyard, and shoot at old cars that were going to be crushed. We noticed that the 45 ACP would often times bounce off of windshields. Meanwhile, the other handgun calibers would zip right through every time. I think it was just too slow for that use. In MY opinion the 45 ACP is good for soft targets, but it is definitely not good for barrier penetration. I am also a major hog hunter. 45 ACP FMJ zips through a hog, but the 45 ACP hollow points are unimpressive compared to other caliber … when it comes to large hogs. All of this is what I noticed, and is my opinion. I love the 45 due to its historical value. It’s just not my carry caliber because of many reasons. Love the channel. Thanks for the work of creating this channel. God bless y’all.
@@rockymountainlockpicker9606 i'm 72, punk and I've forgotten more about this stuff than you'll ever learn. Nobody but me risked jail by driving around shooting scores of animals from a car, with ccw loads and guns, using ear protection, often at night. so all you have is bs stories and shooting blocks of jello. The makers of ballstic gelatin will TELL you that it's not an accurate represntative of what happens in flesh and blood. You get LOTS less expansion and much more penetration in lung tissue than in jello. the lungs are just air sacks. it takes FLUID and fairly high velocity to expand a jhp. .38 dead soft lhps need at LEAST 000 fps in lung tissue and 1000 fps is much more likely to suffice. .45 jhps need at least 1000 fps and 1100 fps is much better. 9mm jhps need at LEAST 1200 fps and 1300 fps is considerably more likely to suffice. People wear CLOTHING and that little disk of clothing debris, inside of the hp cavity, is likely to slow down or eliminated the expansion of a hp. The faster the bullet is moving, the more tissue is forced into and out of the hp, making it expand. Liberty Arms solid copper jhps, at over 2000 fps, are the best ammo7 available, but the wussy SAAMI max chamber pressures of the .38 (in the US) force them to be loaded down to 1600 fps, which means that they probably wont expand. If you load hotter than the SAAMI specs for any given caliber, you open yourself up to lawsuits over a blown up pos gun, of which there are MANY thousands, chambered in .38 special. That's why it's such a poor choice as a defensive load. That and it's being handicapped by being a revolver cartridge. In 1974, I wore loose FOUR S&W revolvers, mostly with dryfire, in one winter and I was STILL dryfing my 1911 a lot, too. All that dryfire has ever broken on one of my dozen+ 1911's over the yeasr was a couple of firing pin stops, given a couple of million dry snaps.
I shot my way to top 20 in the world and top 10 in the US in IPSC. Ive ccwed for 30 years, much of it illegally in Illinois. I can show you a 2.0 second Bill Drill, all chest hits, open wear, starting hands at sides. any time you want to see it. I can toss up 2 soda cans, draw from concealment and hit both of them in midair. I've shot many 3 shot groups under 3" at 50m, from the sitting braced firing position. I taught that draw and 6 hits drill to Wilson in 1977. I got it from an old Guns and Ammo mag and Thell Reed, back in the 60's. I rode out to the first IPSC Nationals with Bill in 1977 and stayed at his house for one of his matches in 1978. It was quite a drive to his place in Arkansas, from Springfield, ILL. and he knew I didn't have enough money to be there. He warned me that Raul Walters was going to snitch on me to the cops, when he saw I was armed in a hotel at the first Nationals, in Golden Colorado. Fortunately, Jeff had an agreement with hotel management that we could carry on their property. I helped Jeff set up the IPSC in 1976. I was on the Target Committee. I outshot Raul 7 out of 9x on his home range in 1978, and he placed 3rd at the 77 world shoot. If the shoot had not been set up to favor P35's and 20 shot mags, we'd both have done much better. there. I was only 19th cause of a traffic controlers strike in London. I was 50+ hours with no sleep, jet-lagged and had to do 5 days shooting in 3 days. or I'd have been in the top 5 walters was well known to be a cheat, reaming out bullet holes with a finger and then claiming a double-hit, shooting .45 loads that were so light that when tested they didnt even have 9mm momentum.
Enjoyed your discussion of the 45 ACP. I'm half way through my 7th decade of life and I started shooting the 1911 while I was still in high school and it's still l my 1st choice of a pistol cartridge. I did two back to back tours in Vietnam (69 - 71) and although the 1911 wasn't an option for me, I would have chosen it over any other pistol caliber. If I couldn't have a 45, my next choice would be a 10mm. I've shot both in the 1911 frame and didn't think that the 10mm produced that much of a harsh recoil with a steel framed 1911. Thanks again for a good discussion!
Same age here, just got a .45 auto rifle in AR platform. I was dinging a one foot square of steel offhand at @ 96 yards, 3 out of 3 shots. Romeo 5 red dot co-witnessed to the iron sights. Otherwise I shoot my Colt series 80 1911. Love em both.
Two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and still carried by SF operators today. I love my 9mm, .357s, but if shtf and I’m down to one pistol, it’s my series 70 Colt 1911 every day
pointless weight. When the longarms come out, NO pistol is going to amount to a hill of beans. So intelligent people will use a 1 lb 9mm pocket gun and keep their rifle either on the sling or in their hands.
@@darrinfrench9018 in a pocket gun, yes. If I was going to give up the advantage of the "hand in pocket" ; start, I'd be carrying a Lw Defender, re-chambered to .460 Rowland, which makes your .45l look sick by comparison. Id' be using my 70 gr Split Nose 2 segment prefrag, at 2200 fps. solid aluminum 1066, turned on a lathe, hollowpointed and hollow based. id rather have the .25 second faster draw from "hand in pocket'. cause speed of ccw presentation has 6x kept me from having to fire AT ALL. You guys just believe a bunch of proven bs, that's all
My first handgun was also a 1911. When I was 13 I convinced my dad to buy a Colt 80 series Gov. Model, it was mine the day I turned two years ago. Wish I knew the difference between the 70 and 80 series then but oh well. It also galls me when people use the term fudd to refer to anyone who likes older guns as opposed to people who think guns should be restricted by features. I've been called a fudd multiple for the sin of preferring hammer fired pistols.
I agree. That’s because most are too ignorant to know what Fudd actually means. I’m 74, Vietnam vet, I own every caliber and type of weapon there is, and I still get called Fudd by these ignorant millennials. I’m gonna start calling them Barbies. Because unless it’s plastic and holds 900 rounds, they won’t touch it. If you can get a series 70 get it. Big difference between that and the 80. Colt had one on sale a few years ago, they did a retro classic of the original 70 series. I bought one and it’s fantastic
I first fired a 1911 in .45 ACP in 1971, during training for duty carry in the U. S. Navy. Over the years I have experimented with and owned a variety of handgun designs. Semi-autos include striker fired, DA/SA, and single action only. The 5” Kimber Custom TLE ii in .45 ACP has the best trigger for me. It is smooth, precise, and predictable. I recently found some low velocity 230 gr round nose designed for Cowboy Action shooting, and I have been using it because of the considerably reduced recoil.
I was issued a Beretta 92FS as a new cop. Then my department authorized .45’s, so I carried a Hk USP .45 for 6 years. I went back to a 9mm with a Glock 17 and the 19-round magazine. I never looked back…. Until, I discovered a Glock 22 (.40) with the factory 22-round magazine. It’s my favorite load for duty.
@@colt10mmsecurity68The Sergeant from Skokie Illinois had a Glock 21 using Speer Gold Dot 230 grain ammunition. He was down on his last magazine. The bad guy was not on drugs or alcohol. Just a determined criminal that finally stopped after getting three hits to his head. The Sergeant switched to a Glock 17 9mm. My department had the +2 Glock baseplate for our Glock 19 pistols. We had a report of an officer experiencing a problem with his +2 come off dumping the ammunition from his pistol. The 33 round magazines was a good addition to my G19!
@@boostimalaka1sounds like a made up story A single 22LR to the head is almost always deadly To say a 45 acp wasn't fatal to the head .....you in denial?
Let me just say... Iam 53, When your yt channel popped up, I was like, I think I remember reading his articles in gun mags, long prior the internet.. I bought a colt mk iv series 80 in 1989, loved it but it liked to stove pipe. It was stolen around '91. For yeeaarrss I bought other handguns, as I felt them to be better options. Only this last year did I realize as my kids were raised and gone I had some "play" monies. Ive always been very utilitarian regarding firearm purchases. I found on yt the Tisas 1911a1 clone. I could not find a bad review. I bought it and I friggen love it so much, I bought 2 more. I have put a 20lbs wilson combat spring and 8rd WC mags. I shoot the 230g federal ball and the 255g buffalo bore hard cast. This baby chews em up and hits where I point it! I have come back to the 45. It sets beside the other all around go to 357... you cannot beat what you know. I have played with alot of niche or wildcats, but the 45, 357, 9mm, 06, 308, cannot be beat for your average "proHo" .
@rjo8500 it was 33 yrs ago as well.. nowadays I have a safe but I couldnt take it on the boat fishing, so my other guns were lost when I tipped the boat over reaching for my beer.
I have an old S&W 29 4 inch that I carried for a number of years when Remington made a 1000 fps load with a very soft 240 gr swaged bullet. This was in the early 1980s and I found that load to be comfortable to shoot and it had less blast than many loads. This gun has digested thousands of rounds of.44 Special Skeeter handloads. Never gave me a minute of trouble. We wore flap holsters in Houston in those days and an N frame revolver was not a burden. Later I switched to a 1911 because it was easier to carry both on and off duty with one of my friend Bruce Nelson’s thin Summer Special holsters.
I have had 10mm pistols 9mm pistols and 357. I carry a 45 acp now. Always wanted one but everytime I was going to buy one I talked myself into something else. I carry it for protection from bad guys and black bears. I know the 45 isn't really a good bear gun but I feel it will do the job as the bears in my area are black bear and the largest is about 600 lbs. I do have 14 round capacity so I feel pretty confident. If you look at the survival rate of people hit by the 45 acp it's pretty low. As a matter of fact it has the highest mortality rate for pistol ammo. Once again not many people survive getting hit by that caliber.
I also have the Shield M2.0 45 and it’s the most accurate pistol I have. Its recoil is very manageable also. In fact, when I shot it the first time I thought I had a squib load. S&W got the recoil spring tuned right in this pistol. I’m shooting Underwood Extreme Defender 135 gr. +p ammo for self defense.
I’m 79 and I’m definitely a 45 FUDDLED kind of guy. Some of the agencies on the east coast said that the 45 gap put people down a lot faster than the 9s or 40s.
Don’t listen to cops, listen to ER surgeons in big city hospitals. We judge by where it is(most important) then what it was(pistol, rifle or shotgun). Human bodies don’t react like ballistic gel or soda jugs. You either hit something that matters, or you make a hole. How do you think people get hit 5 times and survive without a problem?
My buddy and I shoot often against steel hanging spinners, from large to very small. We've both carried 9mm 1911s for a while, but seeing the effect on steel of the .45 acp has converted us both. It just hits noticeably harder. John Browning knew his stuff.
As a newly minted 40-something, I think that a lot of my peers(and younger) put a lot of stock in the 'next big thing' and tend to take only snippets of the wisdom of people who had been there and done that to heart. My first semiauto was an Auto-Ord 1911 that a buddy sold me for a good deal. It was a bit of a dumpster fire, but it shot reasonably well and it was what I had. I worked alone at a retail store at night, and I was able to carry so that 1911 stuck with me. There were a couple of 'pucker factor' incidents where I was very glad I had that 1911. If that makes me a fudd, well, I'll grab that hunting cap on my way out to go looking for rascally wabbits. I might have gravitated towards the 9x19 these days, but I don't disparage or snub the .45ACP. One of my bucket list guns is the HK MK23; it might be a behemoth of a pistol and I may have played more than my fair share of video games in high school, but I shot one in my early 20s and I was putting groups in paper at 50yd that I struggled to make with other handguns at 25yd. Plus, it'll run .45 Super out of the box. :D Thanks for sharing this info. These are very informative videos.
Enjoying the table side commentary. It's appreciable not to have to wade through a bunch of fluff. I started carrying during the 90s-00s Clinton AWB, so 1911s was the direction I went. I carry it all these days, 9mm, 40, 357 sig, 10mm etc.... but 45 still is my go to home defense round.
I'm no ballistics expert, but in reading quite a few publications relating to the effectiveness of handgun cartridges, all seem to agree with FBI data that the .357 magnum 125gr semi jacketed hollow point is the most reliable one shot stop cartridge that's been recorded and not by a small margin. Most of my reading agrees with each other that it's on the order of double one shot stops over any other handgun cartridge including .44 magnum (probably because almost nobody gets shot with a .44 magnum)
Very good video sir. I carry a 185 grain.45 acp + p daily it's energy is 592 ft.lbs. the bullet is a xtp. A 9mm is 124 gr. At about 367 ft. Lbs. Of energy, so this is one reason i carry the .45 acp it's really superior and because i is shoot it well and im not under gunned. I like 9 mm but for me i don't see the advantages with it. Shot placement, accuracy, a bonded bullet that yields 12 inches of penetration and expansion is just whats needed for self defense in my opinion. The old .45 acp is very proven to the whole world. I have a collection of 48 so far. God Bless America and our Freedom.
My first pistol was a Government Model M1911A that I built from a $40 frame and some old surplus parts. I carried that gun a lot of years but it eventually got passed on to a friend as their first pistol. These days, my most commonly carried pistol is my S&W Shield in .45 ACP. Yeah, there aren't a lot of folks that seem to have one but I love mine. I had a gunsmith install a set of XS Sights Big Dot night sights on it, orange dot up front, and I put a Hogue grip sleeve on it to help it fill my hands a little better. I usually carry it high and close to the body at the 4 o'clock position in a leather DeSantis thumb break holster with a 6-round mag in it and one in the pipe. My ammo choice is 185gr. Barnes VOR-TX solid copper hollow points that give good penetration and reliable expansion. Those first 7 rounds are backed up with two 7-round extended mags, one on each side of my body so I can reach one with either hand because a defective mag is one of the most common causes for malfunctions, and you might only have one hand to grab a mag with. Do I sometimes carry other pistols? Sure, depends on the expected threat level, but that S&W Shield 45 is probably my favorite, and one that a LEO buddy has coveted for years and borrowed a time or two when he travels to Washington state. He'll get it in my will when I'm gone but don't tell him. Let it be a surprise.
I think the .45 was adopted because some old Fuds from the Spanish-American War in the Philippines remembered that the .45LC was more effective stopping drugged up Moros than a .38 S&W. To me, the .45acp is close enough in power to the .45LC to be called the auto version of it.
It's actually not an accident that .45 acp and .45 LC are close in performance. The military brass case .45 pistol cartridge begins with the .45 Schofield, which was a 230gr bullet loaded to about 750fps. When they switched to .45 LC and the Colt 1873, they kept that basic load of 230gr bullet at 750 to 850fps. When the Thompson-Lagarde tests finished and recommended a .45 caliber bullet for a new pistol cartridge, Colt used basis to develop the .45 acp, and working with military on the details, landed on a 230gr bullet at 850fps. There is developmental lineage there that is the reason they're so similar.
It is. 45acp was designed to almost duplicate the best loads of 45lc, but in a smaller package. Because by the 1910s 45lc had been “watered down” to 45 Schofield to be more manageable to shoot for a wider range of people. Not to say 45 Schofield was bad, it’s just there was a lot of wasted space in the casing, whereas 45acp optimizes it to get the performance needed without having unnecessary space
I'm 76 years old on October 12, 2024. I've been shooting/hunting since I was 7 years old and I still enjoy learning something new every day. Thanks for your contributions.
Illinois man, eh? I feel your pain... lol. Let's hope the federal courts restore our rights sooner than later! Anyway, I just picked up my first .45acp from the FFL today: M&P 2.0 full size. Came with two 10rd mags and I picked up two 14rd mags bringing my cost just shy of $700 after tax/transfer and the mag cost ($45 a piece!) When I saw that total I thought "should have just spent a little more and bought a nice 1911" but then I wouldn't have the capacity of a compact 9mm... Shoots nice, put a couple of boxes of Win White 230 ball through it this afternoon to break it in. Ran all 100rds with no issues aside from stiff mag springs, had just enough push to be fun without needing to bear-down for accuracy like I need to with the big bore magnums. Glad I bought it, and I'm just trawling for .45acp content to justify my purchase when I found your channel. Really informative, pleasant ~20min watch. Earned my sub! Looking forward to seeing some more! Take care
@craigmcdonald6305 XDS triggers can be worked nicely...they aren't target pistols (but extremely accurate for a 3.3 inch barrel....for a self defense gun a light match trigger isn't necessary
Really like both the .45 ACP and the .45 Colt rounds. Besides 1911s, I also have a Springfield Armory XD-E in .45 ACP which can carry 6 or 7 depending on mag in a nice DA/SA setup with 3.3 “ barrel similar to your XD-S and shoots very accurately. Thanks for the discussion and sharing.
Thanks for the review and thoughts based on your experience. I really like the Federal HST loads for my 40 S&W and I've seen great reviews of the 45 ACP 230 grain version as well - they expand and penetrate about as "perfect" as can be expected from a pistol round. I find the 45 easy to shoot well and the muzzle blast isn't like a .357 Mag.
whats "shooting well' to you? Can you do a bill drill in 2 seconds from ccw, on an actual electronic shot timer? No, the 230 gr jhps do NOT expand well in flesh and blood. I can prove this anytime you'd like to bet a year's pay on it. What happens in jello is irrelevant. The makers of the gelatin will TELL you that it has no relationship to shooting live targets. They say it's ONLY for comparison of various loads do in JELLO. that's all You KNOW that soldiers lie their asses off about everything ELSE, so why believe them about the 45? almost none of them ever saw anyone shot with a .45 PISTOL. Some of the Korea war vets may have see some small, exhausted, starving men show with the Grease gun or the Thompson.
Good presentation. I taught firearms in the military and as a career law enforcement officer. My series 70 Colt was in a shoulder holster under my "cruiser" jacket when I was a trooper in Alaska. The .45ACP is truly under appreciated. There is a great deal of unrealized potential. The .45 SMC loading eclipse the 10mm by a substantial margin. As I begin my 8th decade my trusty series 70 Colt is close at hand. I bought it brand new in 1970.
I'm also a believer in the .38 spl 158gr LSWCHP load. Buffalo Bore has a load that goes 1k fps / 351 ft lbs out of a 2 inch barrel which is very respectable. Glad to hear you mention it.
respectable, you mean. Why dont you TIME getting 5 hits with it in .80 second with that load and a J frame 38, timed first shot to last, on an actual shot timer. I can easily do that with a pocket 9mm and the 50 gr, 2000 fps Liberty arms solid copper hp? You'll be lucky to get it done in twice that time. There's nothing special about the effect of such a load. I'ts only got 350 ft lbs and it'll over penetrate a man. 1000 fps is the MINIMAL veloocity to expect reliable expansion of a .36 bore lhp. My 9mm, in a velcroed-in kydex holster, looks just like a wallet in my front pants pocket. A .38 snub so-carried makes you look like a potato-smuggler
@@SonnyCrocket-p6h I'm not Jerry Miculek, but I'd argue it's possible to do. However, this former FBI load does have a special effect which I'll summarize below from another's actual testing: The Buffalo Bore 158 loads use pretty much the softest bullets you can get. I have tested them through 4 layer denim and 3" guns and about 75% of the time they expanded to between .57-.60 and go 14-15" in clear ballistics gel. About 25% of the time they only expand a tiny bit and penetrate 19-20" in clear ballistics gel. In bare gel from a 3" they penetrate 12-13" and expand consistently to .67-.69, just shy of .70. They are huge. In bare gel from a 1 7/8 gun they basically get to .65 avg diameter and 12" pen. Again this is the BB standard pressure stuff. The BB 158 +P stuff is an entirely different story. It's a very violent bullet that from a 3" expands to around .70 and drives to around the 16-17" mark. At which point it either stops or occasionally blows its petals off and the base goes to around 20". From what I can tell it's the same bullet they use in the standard pressure stuff. I have also found the BB to be more forgiving of smaller cylinder throats and thread choke than other 158's, in terms of accuracy, I think because they are so soft. Downside is they are muy expensive.
You make an excellent point. One pistol round may be a tad "better" than another, arguably, but none of them put anyone down like a rifle round can. Every defensive handgun caliber has failed to stop a threat fast enough. And every "weak" little mouse-gun cartridge has dropped someone on the spot. It really is all about where you hit someone, way more than it is a question of what they are hit with. All that said, I like my 9x19s hot, my .45s heavy, and really prefer my magnums. Great channel, Sir. New subscriber. I'm a retired cop too and was my department's gun-guy. Thanks for what you did and what you do.
The local police department here dropped the 38 special for the 9mm . The police hated them and they dropped the 9mm . They then went to 40 calibers they didn't stay with the 40's very long and went to the 45 acp . They have been with the 45 acp every since. And it was effective enough to stop a mass shooting in under a minute. I do carry my 1911 in the winter. I have no problem with it being reliable and accurate. But I also love to carry my 357 magnum too .
I’m a 45acp fan, I own 9 45 caliber handguns, one of these is the XD 45acp tactical. I bought this pistol used for a great price, 13 rounds in a double stack magazine, 5.5 inch barrel, striker fired polymer framed handgun. I fell in love with the XD 45 Tactical, it’s been absolutely reliable, and extremely accurate. It’s a huge handgun, horrible for concealed carry, but I hunt in black bear country, and I use it as a home defense weapon, I mounted a light and might add a red dot soon.
@@lprice804 I’ve done it, I have Barretta 92s I’ve CCed,,, I prefer my PSA dagger or my Max9. I can CC the Max 9 all day no issues. I drove with a Max 9 Cc for 14 hours once.
Very interesting, this was my first time hearing about hollow point wadcutter bullets, I had to stop the video and go read more about them. When I first started in law enforcement I carried a GP100 because I couldn't afford a semi auto and a fellow officer offered me the GP until I could get my own. Revolvers had pretty much faded out of use by then but in my state if you qualified with a revolver during the academy, you were qualified to carry either the revolver or the semi auto but if you chose a semi auto to qualify with you had to qualify again with a revolver to be able to carry one on or off duty. Seemed logical to me to knock out two birds with one stone. During my time there was a mass Exodus from the 9mm because of its poor performance. Officers were switching to .40S&W or going back to the .45acp. My chief switched from 9mm to .45acp and sold me his old S&W59. He went with the newest S&W at the time but I don't recall the model. Probably a 4506 or something. I carried the 9mm for a few years but the ballistic reputation really bothered me so I ended up selling the 9mm and switching to a Glock 21 .45acp. It was a big brick of a gun but it was very accurate, extremely reliable and I never once worried about whether my .45acp round would let me down. I still have a G21 I shoot occasionally.
I am a Fudd (Fatal Urban Dealer of Death) as well. 🤣😉 I compete in a Defensive Pistol competition every month. Most months I win - or at least place in the top three. And I am the ONLY shooter there with a .45 1911. It just leaves the plastic fantastic 9mm kids (I am also the oldest guy there - by a lotta years) befuddled and kinda angry. 🤣😂Last month, I had a head shot that was barely creasing the edge of the scoring ring and one of the kids said, "Lucky you were shooting a .45!" I said, "No...that's WHY I shoot a .45." 😎👍
I'm in my late '30s: am I a younger Fudd, or an old non-Fudd with Fudd affinity? 😂 Seriously though, I don't know why/how listening to guys with experience became "not cool." Even when I was in my early twenties, it didn't make sense to me.
@LibertysetsquareJack I'm right there with you. I'm turning 29 soon and have ALWAYS sought out wisdom from the "elders". My peers might have had interesting ways of looking at things, but the fudds knew how things really worked.
Good summary. I'm no gun expert. But i can't remember the first time I shot a 9mm. But I specifically remember the first time I shot a 45 acp. It felt powerful but controllable. Not too snappy like the .357 and not too weak like 9mm. To me, 45 is the most fun to shoot. I know I'd rather be shot by a 9mm then a 45 so 45 is my caliber of choice. I like Federal HST 230 JHP the best. For carry, I like the XDM elite 3.8 inch barrel. My favourite 45 handgun I have is the SAR K2. Very heavy at 37 ounces with all steel frame but an awesome trigger. I have a Glock 21 too that is totally solid.
We have the XDS chambered in 45 acp . Most people don't know about them. And yes I agree with you about the XDS, it shoots really well. And it is very concealable .
Mr. Fairburn, thank you for your service to our country and the plethora of information you have given us, I am 59 and I grew up hearing your name, I have a Springfield Armory XDM Elite 3.8 in 45acp and it’s my favorite.
Great Video Sir. I bought a Para Ordnance P-13, 45 ACP a long time ago. I have never had a misfire, or a FTF or a FTE. For some reason, when Para, made in Canada sold or moved to the USA, they went out of business. It is a little heavy for concealed carry with 15 rounds of 230 Gr. XTP's. But a 1 inch group at 21 feet, not under stress is really great for me. it's a P-13, but all Para mags fit, and I prefer the 15 rounders. Why did you shoot him 15 times, cause that's all the ammo I had. Nuff said.
My favorite carry gun (and I have a few) is my S&W .45 Shield. 7 round mags, one inch thick, 20 oz. You would think it would kick like a mule, but the recoil impulse doesn't bother me a bit. Love the thing. Great trigger from the factory, BTW, as compared to my M&P compact, which I had to put an APEX trigger in If you like .45s try the .45 Shield.
I really enjoy this series. I have carried a 45 on duty for the past 15 years. I carried a 45 GAP for about 10 years and it was a great round. Mine was reliable, accurate and I was involved in a 1 shot stop with one. We transitioned to 45 ACP about 5 years ago because of the cost & lack of availability of GAP ammunition. I am not anti-9. I carry one off duty quite a bit. But there is something comforting about a 45 to me.
You FUDD. Me, too. 😀 I bought a Lightweight Commander 43 years ago. I still have it. And I use a Springfield XD-S 45 for EDC. Thanks for your channel. Best regards.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Honest information based on fact. Refreshing to view your presentation as opposed to the others based merely on trend.
Our department still was issuing Ruger Security six’s in 357 in the 80’s . But officer could carry their own 45 auto pistol. After they qualified with it . Had been that way since the 1950’s
Great discussion. The 45 is a very accurate and effective round. Today with the improvement in the popular defensive cartages, pay your money and take your pick.
I was issued a 1911A1 when in the Navy. 230 RN Factory ammo for targets out to about 50 yards. After 6 months I found a SW Model 19, in using 158 gn LHCSWC ammo I could knock down a125 lb target with one round out to 100 yards. Sitting using a two handed grip 200 yards worked well, too.
Retired Army combat vet new to law enforcement here. All our swat uses 9mm blah blah blah. After shooting a 1911 that is all I want to shoot. Waiting on my S&W 1911 to come in. Shoots and looks great I am surprised more people don’t have one
I bought a military NM slide group at a gun show in Peoria. I had to lap it onto an Essex frame. that thing would group 3 rds of jswc Remington 185 gr match ammo into 3.5" at 100 yds, from my Lee machine rest. So i put a friend off to the side, behind a big tree at about 150m and he'd call my bullet impacts on the 200 yd berm. Once I got the gun "on target" the sights were aimed at the tree tops at 180m. :-) The machine rest made you fire it as a single shot. I put 5 rds into a 7" group out there! The 1911 and the .45 rd are amaxingly accurage. many a 30-30 will group no better than that. Ditto 30Carbine with ball ammo.
The last 1911A1s were delivered to the US military in 1945. Ever since then the pistols issued to troops were either repaired, rebuilt, or refurbished to varying degrees. Reliability varied greatly. At Lackland AFB in the 1980s the Marines we trained were having so many problems with theirs that they restricted the magazine capacity to five rounds. I qualified with a highly modified and shortened 1911A1, but despite the alterations (or possibly because of them), they were not anywhere near 100% reliable. I don't really blame the design. These were tired old guns. There are more robust and dependable pistol designs available today, and while I love the slab sides, I don't really see myself picking one as my first choice for personal protection.
The Marines received new Colt made M45A1 pistols a few years ago, but I agree that the military 1911A1s were very old arsenal rebuilds and quality probably did vary quite a lot. Same goes for the "AR15" marked H&R M16A1 rebuild I was issued at my unit in California in 1978.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb I left out the M45A1 for the same reason I left out the USAF's Colt Gold Cups. These were limited procurement specialist pistols never intended for general troop issue. My understanding is the USMC has largely phased them out for logistics reasons. To the best of my knowledge we never acquired any H&R M16s in the Air Force, but I did run across a very early production rifle that had been rebuilt. As I recall it was marked either Armalite AR-15 or Armalite X-M16. I wish I'd taken a picture of it because it must have been a Model 601 or 602. Did I mention the chopped 1911A1 I was issued was built by Union Switch & Signal?
@@Paladin1873 I didn't know about the Air Force Gold Cups. I believe H&R was contracted to build some rifles before it was standardized as the M16. The one I had, as my failing memory serves, had no forward assist.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb If I've learned anything i life, it's that anything is possible. Our Gold Cups were issued to Combat Controllers and I think Pararescue men. I was told by our gunsmiths they did not hold up to abuse very well so we withdrew them.
Did a pistol course in the 80s using a rattletrap old 1911 & fell in love. Traded in a Beretta plus $ for a Colt series 80 later. (Couldn't afford one now!) I learned to reload & gunsmith my .45, the learning still goes on at age 71. Got a flat bottom firing pin stop ordered so I will fit that & check it out. I followed Elmer Keith but stayed with the .45 Colt & .45 acp for affordability. Having fun!
Cirillo developed a .45 JHP with a screwdriver slot across it's nose. He called it the 'felon grabber". His Partner, Bill Adler, shot several armed robbers with various .45 loads. Jim shot a guy at about 10 ft with a 14" barreled Ithaca and 00 Buck. the guy turned and RAN. Jim shot him AGAIN and he kept on running! Jim said that after seeing THAT, he had no faith whatsoever in any pistol load sufficing. :-) His famed first shootout, 3 guys at 50 ft, he shot one guy in the head, one in the side as he turned, and one in the back as he fled. So it was about 1.0 second , first shot to last, the draw not being part of it and he was armored at the time. The pair made it to the hospital, taking two different subway trains! .38 lrn for you.
45acp like ALL rounds is all about the bullet weight and what that weight does to the ballistics!! A 9mm with 147 is a small ass weak 45acp ballistically so if you carry 45 carry it with 185 grain anmo that will give it that calibers best ballistics for expansion and penetration. Personally I would only carry 357 sig or 10mm cause we only have one life
I have a Clinton era Sig Sauer P229 that was originally chambered in .357 Sig just collecting dust in my safe. I keep it more as a collector’s piece as most I see are .40 S&W conversions. Maybe I should reconsider and carry it?
I head up our church security detail. My favorite gun that I shoot best is an Ed Brown Kobra Carry a 45 ACP Commander pistol. The round that seems to work best: reliability, precision, and accuracy is the 185 grain one. The defense loads I use for church are Hornaday's critical defense in 185 grains. Im a bit concerned about over penetration, so I carry the Critical Defense rather than Critical Duty. Great review BTW!
I have two Springfield Armory 1911's. One is a 'GI model', the other has more 'bells & whistles' than the GI model. I've used both in the past as my EDC gun. Now that I'm over 60, my EDC is a Sig Sauer P365XL. The wife also carries a P365XL. There are days (depending on where I have to travel to), that I carry my P365XL on my hip, and the 1911 with 'bells & whistles', in a shoulder holster. Both are carried with 3 spare mags. Good video. Thank you!
I’m very happy that I discovered your videos! You are only a few years older than me but you were a part of those formative years after I became interested in firearms in the early ‘70s. So glad that you’re making videos!
I still carry an XDs .45 and like it a lot. It has been 100% reliable through probably 1,000 rounds and is fairly easily concealed. I carry with the 5 round mag for conceability, but carry also two 7 round extended mags should the need arise. I’ve never felt uneasy about having only 20 rounds. However, now well into my 60s, I recently bought a Shield Plus in 9 mm, mainly to get the cheaper ammo, but must admit that the slide is quite a bit easier to rack and I do shoot it more accurately. However, I attribute the accuracy more to the better trigger on the Shield. As much as I like the XDs, the stock trigger leaves much to be desired.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb I likely will switch to the Shield once I shoot it enough to have conf in it. Only shot about 100 rounds so far, but it hasn’t failed yet. If it digests 200 practice rounds flawlessly, I will shoot a box of defense ammo and if that goes well, I will switch to the little 9 on or shortly after my 65th birthday. Hate to admit it, but my 65 year old hands just don’t have the strength they had a 45 or 25.
I have carried .357, .45acp, and 9mm on duty and off for my entire 30+ years as a law enforcement officer. My all time favourite was the .45 (in a revolver), in my light weight Commander it did the job. I'm now retired and carry a Ruger LCR in .38+P as a disengage weapon. I agree with your assessment on long gun power. I like the M-1 in 30-06 it will do most anything I want.
I was issued a 1911 for both of my tours in Vietnam. I was flight crew so that was standard along with a car 15. The car 15 looks okay, but I NEVER could warm up to the 5.56. So instead a civilian friend of mine got me a brand new, still in cosmoline- a WWII M-3 grease gun, and that was chambered in 45 acp. And I used both on occasion, when necessary. It was loud-slow- almost zero recoil and did it ever spit some fire. In fact that friend of mine got us enough new M3's that every aeroscout that wanted one, got one. I miracled mine to a noob. I hope it served him well.
As a 30 year law enforcement veteran I’ve carried.357 mag and .45acp I began carrying a .45 in about 78 an Sig P220. Later in the late 90s we carried Glock 21s. I still have my Smith Model 19, and my Sig. I still carry a .45acp a n FN p-45. Out of the many Officer involved shootings I’ve been associated with all the .45acp shoots were fatal. Several 9mm and 38special shoots were not. In those situations fire was returned by the bad guy. Not so with the .45 cases.
Hits count and diameter is secondary. Hollow points can clog up or fail to expand, a 45 does not shrink. 45acp has the same ballistics as a 45 long Colt so it's been working for a 150 or so years. Everyone seems to forget about the 38 Super chambering aka 9x23.5mm that is also launch a 160gr hard cast which puts it in 40S&W and 45acp territory.
the Army rifle qual was so easy, 1971, that I could have qualified with a .28 snub, if it had kit guns sights on it. and luminous inserts. A lot of it was at night, very slow time frames, but you fired a 3 shot burst. I got off 2 shot bursts, then went semi auto and helped the guys on either side of me
If you look at the Ammoland study of *every known case* of handguns vs bear attacks, no caliber .40 or larger handgun has ever failed to stop an attack (provided the defender actually scored a hit). So I would say that .45 acp is A-ok for the task.
First issued duty gun was a glock 21 (45auto) loved it but it was a brick. Very chunky gun with alot of real-estate for your hands. We're using model 45's in 9mm now with an rmr on top. It certainly helps at distance but i gotta say. That dot doesn't lend itself to quick target acquisition like the tritium dots did.
If you read any of the books about the MACV SOG guys in Nam. They all praise the stopping power of the 45 compared to other handgun calibers. Even when it came to the sub machine guns using the m3 grease gun still. With the added benefit of 230gr ball ammo being naturally sub sonic for suppressors. Something still very relavant today!
Kinda funny when guy's say with all the ammo improvement theres not much difference between 9mm and 45acp. Pretty sure they improved both. 45 hits harder. I carry one or the other but
Young Kids today think I am a FUD not because I carry a 9mm but because I carry a 92FS. They just simply can't understand or use the DA/SA trigger. Coming from shooting revolvers, I have no problem with the DA trigger. With my time in the Army, the only real problem I had seen with the M9 was the soldiers with small to tiny hands that could not reach the DA trigger very well. This was never a problem for me with my larger size hands. I also feel the M9/FS models are one of the safest pistols to carry. There is a video on RUclips of an LAPD officer who got his 92FS taken from him inside the police station. The bad guy pointed the 92FS at the officer's head and pulled the trigger, but the 92FS was on safe. The bad guy could not figure out how to make the gun hot and ran off. He later figured out the safety and started winging shots into the police station until he taken into custody. The Beretta 92FS saved the officer's life that day. The Beretta M9/92FS is not for everyone but is for me. It served me well in the Military and still serves me well today.
Dick, I remember reading that analysis years ago about 28:58 38 special plus P having greater stopping power than the other calibers tested. I was amazed at that, especially since the .357 was included in the testing. I owned neither 28:58 one at the time, so i had no bias. I would love to hear you discuss those tests. Thanks for the videos and knowledge.
😂I’m a Fudd! The 9mm has been around longer than the .45, but younger generation calls me a Fudd😂😂😂 I routinely carry both, depending on circumstances… can’t go wrong with with if using premium self defense ammo… but ultimately, I’m a 1911 guy.
On the matter of PCC's, I will say that 9mm+P+ ammo will give a very significant velocity boost out of a long barrel PCC (typically about 200fps). The excellent (no longer updated) site BBTI lists velocity of 1550 fps for Corbon 115gr+P, which is a velocity well into 357 magnum 4" revolver territory. I've seen tests with Underwood 124gr+P+ Gold Dot where it cracks 1500fps as well. I agree that with standard pressure 9mm, there is significantly less gain to be had. Much easier to shoot and much higher capacity, and quieter, but ballistically, a 16" PCC is really just gonna turn standard pressure 9mm into 9mm+P+ from a duty length handgun- about 1300fps for typical 115gr JHP. I prefer a short AR carbine, but still...nothing to sneeze at.
The velocity gain for the standard pistol calibers from a PCC are HIGHLY variable. As you state, the +P+ versions can gain a lot of velocity, but some loads I have tested over the years gained nothing to even a slight drop in MV. All such loads gain velocity in Sub-Gun barrels (8-10 inches) so things are highly dependent on the burning rate of the powder used.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb IIRC Paul Harrell did a handgun vs carbine veloctiy comparison. The heavy bullets did NOT go much faster from a 16" bbl. The light bullets had very good increases in velocity. So yep, test before trust. I never had a chrono until I started working with a wildcat cartridge...25=223. Wish I'd bought one 40 years ago. Its an education in powder, bullet diameter(224 vs .257) and even primers. Quick tip= Federal Match primers boosted speed a good 50 fps over CCI Magnum.
Excellent presentation. With soft body armor becoming more comfortable, affordable, and effective, it exposes a weakness of the .45 auto, in my opinion. The lower velocity of this caliber, means that it will not penetrate even low end soft body armor. This is why I went to the .45 super. I handload the Lehigh 135 grain FTP to about 1600 fps. It will penetrate IIIA soft armor at close range, with power to spare.
Thanks for the kind words. The Lehigh bullets penetrate soft armor because they don't deform not because of extreme speed, so any velocity above 1200-1300 fps will likely get them through for a lot less recoil.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb the threshold for the FTM bullets to penetrate armor is at about 1500 fps. A couple of guntubers tested this ammo from different barrel lengths against IIIA vests using the factory underwood .45 auto +p 135 brain FTM. None of the handguns could generate enough velocity to get through, but when shot through a carbine with a 12” barrel at just over 1500 fps, they went through the vest and penetrated 9” into the gel block behind the vest.
@@Mbartel500I am basing my info on one of the manufacturers loading the Lehigh bullets and he tests against armor with the proper backing according to the NIJ standards. The use of vests by criminals certainly happens but is QUITE rare in the real world.
If the .45 ACP has been working since 1911, I’d say yes it’s a very valid self defense option.
My favorite.
I mean, 9mm parabellum is actually older than 45 ACP by a few years, so the same could be said for that as well.
@@M2fiftycal 👍🏻 and the .45 Colt even older yet.
@@kylewood8327 My favorite revolver is a double action which shoots .45 Colt and .45 Auto via moon clips
@@slypperyfox but you never CARRY it, so what good is it, really, hmm?
Thoroughly enjoying this series. As a young guy, it pays to hear from the “been there, done that” crowd. Can’t wait for the next episode!
Thanks
Agreed. We are boarded with so many choices it’s mind numbing at times.
45 is how us old guys roll 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
that does'nt mean that you know anything. In fact, the contrary is true
@@SonnyCrocket-p6h Have you ever been in a gun fight? Why don't you tell us how that went. I can't wait....I'm sure your extensive knowledge, coupled with your ability to spell "contrary", entitles you to the Master Class level. Instead of taking a crack at an old timer who may or may not know something you don't, why don't you share your wisdom for us to absorb?
@@SonnyCrocket-p6h Us old guys have forgotten more than you'll ever know.
Goin on 86, still driving big ole K W most days. Load and unload trailers all over northern MN . Some ND and WI . We need owner ops. Company drivers great company freight.
only if you're dumb. The only .45 ACP jhp that reliably expands in animals is the CorBon 165 gr, 1250 fps variant and you can't get it anymore.
I have a friend who was a MASH Medic in the Korean War. He saw body's hit with the 230 grain .45 ACP hardball round and he said it blew big holes out of their backs.
Yea but did it blow their lungs out to.
either hes' a liar, or you are cause no such thing ever happened unless the spine was hit.
@@EsyuDach Please tell me what branch of the military you served in or are you a gun store commando?
@@themudshark1106 another ignoramus who doesn't know the score. The Airforce, navy and coast guard do no personal combat at all. most of the Army never sees a combat zone, much less personal combat, much less PISTOL combat. Most of the marines never see personal combat and certainly not combat. I was army from 71-77. They sent me to Korea, which is where I made black belt. I've taken hundreds of animals with ccw guns and loads. I"ve pointed a gun at men 6x in my llfe. I've been shot and I've shot my way to the top 10% of IPSC competitors in the world. I'm not like you, talking out of my butt. I've shot a few matches with Dick, as a matter of fact.
@@EsyuDachare you in denial?
When I was a deputy, we were shown FBI and other videos on the effectiveness of shot placement and the effectiveness of the 9mm in the field,as it was the Glock 17 they were issuing to us. Far too many officers interviewed after a life threatening firefight stated that they would not ever depend on the 9mm again after being scared of dying due to the ineffective ability of the 9mm to stop the threat posed by the shooter. Head shot would often bounce/deflect, and body shots didn’t penetrate enough to affect the shooter quickly enough as they kept shooting back at the officers. Several suspects only stopped firing at officers because they ran out of Ammo. Consequently, the 45 ACP had a higher effective stopping rate with less shot needed. I went right out a purchased a 45 after seeing the proof and taking into account the officers interviewed.
Guess I’m a Fudd too, I got into an argument with my son about 5 years ago and he bragged about his H&K 45 acp.
My personal experience began with war returns that were referred to as old rattle traps, but were plentiful. My experience was not in law enforcement instead more of an urban nature.
I told my son that until he shot a 1911 he’d never shot a 45 acp. I too own a Gold Cup that was purchased new in 1961 brand new for $106, that included a box of reloads and tax.
As a machinist and mechanic ( retired) I was completely fascinated by the genius of JM Browning. There’s nothing that comes close, in fact every self loading semi auto pistol made today takes cues from the 1911.
You’re absolutely correct about the ammo available, however because of the barrel feed ramps on the original 45’s the case has to be beefed up. 1911’s chambered in anything else uses a completely different ramping system that supports the +P . The beauty of these 1911’s is with experience in the pistol itself, tuning and and a few other enhancements these guns are unbeatable. I won that argument with my son and have built and customized 7 full size and 1 Officer .
I don’t carry any of my 1911’s , as I feel they’d be rendered as evidence should I ever have to defend myself, that’s what striker fired polymer guns are for ( kinda like disposable lighter’s)
Just another Fudd, there’s nothing better.
Yep, Tupperware is cheap and readily available. If one is lost or damaged it's no big deal.
I've got a 1911 chambered in 45 ACP and one in 38 Super. I like them both and sometimes carry them but I usually carry revolvers. I guess I'm just old school and carry what both by father and grandfather carried when they were in law enforcement. I carry what I shoot well and have confidence in.
if you dont carry it, how is it better? If you 'think' that the loss of a $2000 gun is a big deal, when you're life and freedom are at stake, you know NOTHING about civilian self defense issues, bro. You'll be taken to jail, almost certainly and almost certainly have to post a bond if you want to get out of jail in less than a week, especially if your incident occurs on a weekend. That bond is likely to cost you $10,000 or more and y ou wont be getting it back, either. The attorney that you'll probably have to hire will set you back several thousand dollars, even before you go to trial. It cost George Zimmerman 1/2 million $ to get out of a perfectly justifiable shooting. The cop who just held down the the pos robber with his shin (as he was taught to do) is doing time for it, right now. If you shoot-dead a minority teenager, you're in BIG trouble, no matter how righteous your case was.
The real flaw in the 1911 is the original old school mags. If you get the newer 8 round magazine designs for the 1911 the reliability drastically increases.
@@craigthescott5074 I've got about 100,000 rds thru old school mags. they work fine. if they are properly-made. Lots of imported junk mags these days. I've had several 1911's that were unrelable, even with ball ammo, until I did drastic things to them The Colt factory is a union shop, and guys would often sabotage things when they could not get a strike going. I've had to weld up a mag latch, adding 1/8" to how high it held the magazine.
A 45 Auto pistol is hard to beat!
Especially from a 15 round FN FNX
at what? it aint hard to beat for handiness of ccw carry, nor ccw speed of draw either, if I get to start hand in pocket. Ever time your ccw draw and hit, wearing a belt rig, under a heavy winter coat AND your normal concealment garment?
.45 acp saved my ass twice in Nam. That's good enough for me.😊
A long-standing personal policy for me ... never argue with success.
🫡🇺🇸
you're probably lying thru your teeth. 1-2 examples prove nothing. You can get 7 straight heads or tails with a coin toss. It takes 20 incidents to establish that it's pure luck. YOu didn't shoot 20 men in the chest with a .45 in Nam. So it's just another bs story.
@@EsyuDach Did you finish high school????????
@@EsyuDachyou doubt his story?
How many times we watch police shoot a perp 17 times with a 9mm and the person remains standing?
I am a FUDD! I started as a LEO in 1964 and have been through the .38 Spcl., .357, .45 ACP., and 9mm eras. The most accurate pistol I have ever owned was a stock 1911. The most accurate revolver was a S&W Mod. 27 in .357. Both were stolen in a burglary years ago. I even had a .380 Walther PPK/S which was stolen in the same burglary.
Shot placement is the most important thing about any self-defense shooting, but you have to have a weapon you can handle with you. My current choice for pocket carry is a Sig 365 with a 12-round mag. It is small enough to hide and light enough to not drag your pants off.
When I head for the high country, I usually carry a G 20 in a chest pack and have a Winchester Trapper Model .44 Magnum for serious problems. Don't ask what I have around the house!
I really enjoy your videos and you have a lot of FUDD experience to back them up.
I hope the Gunshop Commandos don't ever encounter trained Infantry soldiers!
The word can be applied in one of two ways: 1. to invalidate a shooter's hunting experience when he applies to martial shooting; 2. to refer to a gunowner who supports the Second Amendment only so far as his sense of who should be able to bear arms, or, of what type of arms.
It would be a brief encounter.
Dick, good to see you making videos. When I started as an LEO in 1980 we used the Winchester 158 grain LSWC-HP +P in our 2-inch and 4-inch revolvers. They were always predictable, everyone could shoot it well, and I think that is one reason it was so effective. When our city went to the SIG P226 loaded with 1st Generation 147 grain 9mm JHP's. we actually experienced a reduction in performance and a lot of us wanted our .38's back. It has been interesting to see the improvement in 9mm duty loads since those days. I consider the 9mm, like you said, to be "adequate".I've also carried the .40 on duty as well as the .357 SIG, and I think both are great rounds, and if I were back on patrol I'd slightly rather have either one of those over the 9mm, but I understand why today's agencies have moved away from those two.
But there is a special place in my heart for the .45 ACP, probably because I've shot it so much since I was a teenager. It may not be the "best" cartridge but it is what I like. If that makes me a Fudd, so be it.
Fudds of a feather ...
Legendary. What a 9mm HP does under ideal conditions and perfect expansion, a .45 ACP FMJ does by default.
Yes, what the 9 mm uses velocity to accomplish what 45 ACP does with mass.
@@normvw4053 and as a result, the 9mm will never acquire the same amount of energy, or destruction as the 45. 9mm will always out penetrate however the goal is to stop a threat, not distant into wood
@@darrinfrench9018 Not according to the reloading data.
that's a lie, bro. and can easily be proven to be so, on animals. Wanna put a year's pay on it? I trust Dick to hold the money.
@@darrinfrench9018 you're fos when it comes to the energy thing, bro. The 90 gr Super vel 9mm, at 1500 fps, offers 450 ft lbs, the .45 ball rd, 350 ft lbs. The Liberty Arms 9mm load, 50 grs at 2100 fps in a 4" barrel, is 500 ft lbs.
Im a 28 year old fudd, its either a glock 30 .45 acp or a CA bulldog 44 special.
Young fudd gang!!!
In the Police Academy during Defensive Tactics training. We watched a video of a Texas DPS Trooper fire a single shot from his Sig Sauer P220 .45 A.C.P. Service Pistol on an older skinny intoxicated man. The Trooper said he just fired a big .45 hollowpoint pointblank and reholstered his weapon. It took a good Samaritan to help the Trooper get him in cuffs.
The Texas DPS had many failures with the P220, different ammunition was used and the issues were still experienced. The Texas DPS switched to the .357 Sig P226 and it was a huge difference.
I will take Glock over Sig and HK over Glock.
Sure
Police shot a man 27 times in Florida with 9mm and they had to cuff him
A female officer in Arkansas shot a man in the head with 9mm. And still had to fight and needed help to cuff him. 🤷🏽♂️
@@isaactrujillo76 missed the brain, obviously.
Very informative video. I carry a 5" Kimber TLE II in 45 acp and have for a long time. I shoot this gun well; it has proven very reliable, and I stake my life and the life of my wife on this gun. To carry concealed a 5" 1911 requires a good gun belt and holster. I prefer a leather IWB and a Kore Essentials leather gun belt. That and always carry a spare magazine. Training regularly is also important when you choose a 1911 as a carry gun. Some may think I am a "fud" for carrying a 1911 in 45, but I have never cared what other people think. The 1911 works for me, your mileage may vary. Thanks again for your informative content.
Glad you liked the video. I prefer the Commander sized model with alloy frame, a 1/2 pound lighter. I picked up a Kore belt at the NRA convention this year and love it.
The NY State Police transitioned to .45acp from .45gap I believe back in 2017. In Upstate NY, many law enforcement agencies are still running .45acp and there are no plans of switching anytime soon. The agency I work for now actually just switched from 9mm to 45acp which I support 100%.
Thats good to hear man. Its funny how even 10 years ago it was all about 45, now its 9. I wonder if the preference in LE will ever go back to the larger pistol cals. Personally, i love my 45 my dad gifted me. And living in a state with magazine capacity bans, why not have the larger caliber
My Agency was getting brand new Glock 38 pistols for our G19 pistols. The Glock rep was telling me of a female trooper in upstate survive a domestic call. She took a hit from a Muzzleloader and returned fire. The bad guy said “Oh that’s going to hurt!”. That was the first time the Glock G.A.P. was used by the Troopers. The Speer 200 grain Gold Dot did have a good one shot stop record with the Troopers when they carried the G37.
@@boostimalaka1
Not correct. The 45 GAP 200 grain Speer GDHP was a great round. And there were plenty of 1 shot stops in the 10 years it was carried. Including one I lived through 😮
NYSP transitioned to 45 ACP because of cost and availability, not effectiveness of the GAP. The only problem with the GAP was that it was a wildcat and never gained popularity.
And yes that story about the female trooper is true. It happened up in the north country about 16 years ago.
@@MDR-hn2yz Glad you survived it! I recall a Trooper getting in a roll around on a Sunday afternoon by the Sunken Meadow and Southern State. The Trooper fired one shot as he was fighting with the bad guy. Two good Samaritans ran over to assist. The bad guy ran about a 100 yards to escape and dropped dead from a center mass hit. I believe the O.I.S. involved shootings with the Troopers was 13 at the time. The escaped convict took two hits at 50 yards on the run. Shot Placement!
@@boostimalaka1 agreed. I don’t advocate for people carrying mouse guns, but I would argue that the 2 worst single shot bullet wounds i have seen were from small caliber handguns: a 22 magnum and a 380. Shot placement is key.
I'm a retired L.E.O and C.S.I.with over 30 years of experience. Back in the late 80s I went back and read all the old F.B.I. reports on every officer involved shooting I could find along with every other record I could find. There were several hundreds of them. What struck me in those reports were the statements of people who were shot and survived. One common example was a California cop who took nine rounds of 9mm in the chest fired from a Browning High power at about 20 feet. He said he saw the flashes but did not fill a single hit! He was not wearing a vest. He realized he was shot when he stopped to reload his 38 caliber revolver. He said, as he was reloading he suddenly realized he had dropped to his knees. He then saw the blood on his chest! Another common comment from people who were shot by a 45 ACP or 40 caliber pistol was that they knew instantly when they were shot. That it felt like getting hit by a sledge hammer! After reading several hundred reports it became clear that people shot with a projectile over .40 caliber almost always feel it and those shot with smaller caliber pistol rounds seldom feel it. As for pistol caliber carbines, I believe the advantage is not so much with more power but rather with the greater accuracy achieved from a shouldered weapon.
You hit it on the head with PCCs, they allow you to make easy 25-50 yard shots, if that is necessary. Something few can accomplish with a handgun in a stressful situation.
I know a lady in my town that was shot by her husband in a murder suicide attempt. He shot her 5 times with a 1911 loaded with 230gr black talons. 4 rounds to her body and one to her head before he turned the gun on himself. She did not die and made a full recovery, I still see her around town occasionally. Bottom line is that all pistol rounds are weak.
I'm not disagreeing with ur overall thoughts. However I know of a guy who was shot with a 45, was standing there when it happened. We all thought it was a miss, until a cple minutes later. "Hey Jim, you got a hole in ur shirt". "And hey here's a speck of blood". When he realized he'd been hit, he fainted. Luckily, a through and through, no vitals and he was fine. So for the sake of Devils Advocate, it can happen.
@@randymathewson7939 In the Police Marksman study I referred to in the video one of the questions was "what was the subject's reaction to being shot?" The most common answer circled was "no reaction at all." That was the same across all calibers. As I said, ALL handguns are feeble compared to a 5.56mm or 7.62x51 NATO.
Retired LEO here and former Homicide Division Crime Scene Unit Investigator, as well. I remember a man taking many 9MM rounds from police weapons and still going to court for trial. I carried 45 ACP in 1911 and a Sig Sauer P220 for many years then went to 40 caliber.
I have owned pretty much every caliber of handgun over the years. We would go out to my buddies scrapyard, and shoot at old cars that were going to be crushed. We noticed that the 45 ACP would often times bounce off of windshields. Meanwhile, the other handgun calibers would zip right through every time. I think it was just too slow for that use. In MY opinion the 45 ACP is good for soft targets, but it is definitely not good for barrier penetration. I am also a major hog hunter. 45 ACP FMJ zips through a hog, but the 45 ACP hollow points are unimpressive compared to other caliber … when it comes to large hogs. All of this is what I noticed, and is my opinion. I love the 45 due to its historical value. It’s just not my carry caliber because of many reasons. Love the channel. Thanks for the work of creating this channel. God bless y’all.
What's your opinion on .40SW
That's odd. My experience with hogs vs .45ACP (Federeal HSTs) is quite the opposite.
You are correct about 45 poor perpetration on auto glass and doors.
45acp rules.
only in the minds of fools.
@@EsyuDachyou are a child
@@rockymountainlockpicker9606 i'm 72, punk and I've forgotten more about this stuff than you'll ever learn. Nobody but me risked jail by driving around shooting scores of animals from a car, with ccw loads and guns, using ear protection, often at night. so all you have is bs stories and shooting blocks of jello. The makers of ballstic gelatin will TELL you that it's not an accurate represntative of what happens in flesh and blood. You get LOTS less expansion and much more penetration in lung tissue than in jello. the lungs are just air sacks. it takes FLUID and fairly high velocity to expand a jhp. .38 dead soft lhps need at LEAST 000 fps in lung tissue and 1000 fps is much more likely to suffice. .45 jhps need at least 1000 fps and 1100 fps is much better. 9mm jhps need at LEAST 1200 fps and 1300 fps is considerably more likely to suffice. People wear CLOTHING and that little disk of clothing debris, inside of the hp cavity, is likely to slow down or eliminated the expansion of a hp. The faster the bullet is moving, the more tissue is forced into and out of the hp, making it expand. Liberty Arms solid copper jhps, at over 2000 fps, are the best ammo7 available, but the wussy SAAMI max chamber pressures of the .38 (in the US) force them to be loaded down to 1600 fps, which means that they probably wont expand. If you load hotter than the SAAMI specs for any given caliber, you open yourself up to lawsuits over a blown up pos gun, of which there are MANY thousands, chambered in .38 special. That's why it's such a poor choice as a defensive load. That and it's being handicapped by being a revolver cartridge. In 1974, I wore loose FOUR S&W revolvers, mostly with dryfire, in one winter and I was STILL dryfing my 1911 a lot, too. All that dryfire has ever broken on one of my dozen+ 1911's over the yeasr was a couple of firing pin stops, given a couple of million dry snaps.
I shot my way to top 20 in the world and top 10 in the US in IPSC. Ive ccwed for 30 years, much of it illegally in Illinois. I can show you a 2.0 second Bill Drill, all chest hits, open wear, starting hands at sides. any time you want to see it. I can toss up 2 soda cans, draw from concealment and hit both of them in midair. I've shot many 3 shot groups under 3" at 50m, from the sitting braced firing position. I taught that draw and 6 hits drill to Wilson in 1977. I got it from an old Guns and Ammo mag and Thell Reed, back in the 60's. I rode out to the first IPSC Nationals with Bill in 1977 and stayed at his house for one of his matches in 1978. It was quite a drive to his place in Arkansas, from Springfield, ILL. and he knew I didn't have enough money to be there. He warned me that Raul Walters was going to snitch on me to the cops, when he saw I was armed in a hotel at the first Nationals, in Golden Colorado. Fortunately, Jeff had an agreement with hotel management that we could carry on their property. I helped Jeff set up the IPSC in 1976. I was on the Target Committee. I outshot Raul 7 out of 9x on his home range in 1978, and he placed 3rd at the 77 world shoot. If the shoot had not been set up to favor P35's and 20 shot mags, we'd both have done much better. there. I was only 19th cause of a traffic controlers strike in London. I was 50+ hours with no sleep, jet-lagged and had to do 5 days shooting in 3 days. or I'd have been in the top 5 walters was well known to be a cheat, reaming out bullet holes with a finger and then claiming a double-hit, shooting .45 loads that were so light that when tested they didnt even have 9mm momentum.
Enjoyed your discussion of the 45 ACP. I'm half way through my 7th decade of life and I started shooting the 1911 while I was still in high school and it's still l my 1st choice of a pistol cartridge. I did two back to back tours in Vietnam (69 - 71) and although the 1911 wasn't an option for me, I would have chosen it over any other pistol caliber. If I couldn't have a 45, my next choice would be a 10mm. I've shot both in the 1911 frame and didn't think that the 10mm produced that much of a harsh recoil with a steel framed 1911. Thanks again for a good discussion!
Sure ya did.
Same age here, just got a .45 auto rifle in AR platform. I was dinging a one foot square of steel offhand at @ 96 yards, 3 out of 3 shots. Romeo 5 red dot co-witnessed to the iron sights. Otherwise I shoot my Colt series 80 1911. Love em both.
Two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and still carried by SF operators today. I love my 9mm, .357s, but if shtf and I’m down to one pistol, it’s my series 70 Colt 1911 every day
tough choice, right? I know what you mean tho... Combat Commander...
pointless weight. When the longarms come out, NO pistol is going to amount to a hill of beans. So intelligent people will use a 1 lb 9mm pocket gun and keep their rifle either on the sling or in their hands.
@@EsyuDachsounds like a 45 hater
And loves the 9mm
@@darrinfrench9018 in a pocket gun, yes. If I was going to give up the advantage of the "hand in pocket" ; start, I'd be carrying a Lw Defender, re-chambered to .460 Rowland, which makes your .45l look sick by comparison. Id' be using my 70 gr Split Nose 2 segment prefrag, at 2200 fps. solid aluminum 1066, turned on a lathe, hollowpointed and hollow based. id rather have the .25 second faster draw from "hand in pocket'. cause speed of ccw presentation has 6x kept me from having to fire AT ALL. You guys just believe a bunch of proven bs, that's all
@@darrinfrench9018 my pocket gun is9x21, 45 grs, 2200 fps, 500 ft lbs.
My first handgun was also a 1911. When I was 13 I convinced my dad to buy a Colt 80 series Gov. Model, it was mine the day I turned two years ago. Wish I knew the difference between the 70 and 80 series then but oh well.
It also galls me when people use the term fudd to refer to anyone who likes older guns as opposed to people who think guns should be restricted by features. I've been called a fudd multiple for the sin of preferring hammer fired pistols.
I agree. That’s because most are too ignorant to know what Fudd actually means. I’m 74, Vietnam vet, I own every caliber and type of weapon there is, and I still get called Fudd by these ignorant millennials. I’m gonna start calling them Barbies. Because unless it’s plastic and holds 900 rounds, they won’t touch it. If you can get a series 70 get it. Big difference between that and the 80. Colt had one on sale a few years ago, they did a retro classic of the original 70 series. I bought one and it’s fantastic
I first fired a 1911 in .45 ACP in 1971, during training for duty carry in the U. S. Navy. Over the years I have experimented with and owned a variety of handgun designs. Semi-autos include striker fired, DA/SA, and single action only. The 5” Kimber Custom TLE ii in .45 ACP has the best trigger for me. It is smooth, precise, and predictable. I recently found some low velocity 230 gr round nose designed for Cowboy Action shooting, and I have been using it because of the considerably reduced recoil.
TMI
I was issued a Beretta 92FS as a new cop. Then my department authorized .45’s, so I carried a Hk USP .45 for 6 years. I went back to a 9mm with a Glock 17 and the 19-round magazine. I never looked back…. Until, I discovered a Glock 22 (.40) with the factory 22-round magazine. It’s my favorite load for duty.
Why is it your favorite? The magazine quantity or you just like shooting it?
I've been a cop for almost 30 years. As a CSI I've been to a LOT of autopsies.... and because of what I saw I'm good with the 45ACP.
@@TisiphonesShadow Can’t go wrong with it. Can’t really go wrong with any of the big 3. They all terminate bad guys very well.
@@colt10mmsecurity68The Sergeant from Skokie Illinois had a Glock 21 using Speer Gold Dot 230 grain ammunition. He was down on his last magazine. The bad guy was not on drugs or alcohol. Just a determined criminal that finally stopped after getting three hits to his head.
The Sergeant switched to a Glock 17 9mm.
My department had the +2 Glock baseplate for our Glock 19 pistols. We had a report of an officer experiencing a problem with his +2 come off dumping the ammunition from his pistol. The 33 round magazines was a good addition to my G19!
@@boostimalaka1sounds like a made up story
A single 22LR to the head is almost always deadly
To say a 45 acp wasn't fatal to the head .....you in denial?
Let me just say... Iam 53, When your yt channel popped up, I was like, I think I remember reading his articles in gun mags, long prior the internet.. I bought a colt mk iv series 80 in 1989, loved it but it liked to stove pipe. It was stolen around '91. For yeeaarrss I bought other handguns, as I felt them to be better options. Only this last year did I realize as my kids were raised and gone I had some "play" monies. Ive always been very utilitarian regarding firearm purchases. I found on yt the Tisas 1911a1 clone. I could not find a bad review. I bought it and I friggen love it so much, I bought 2 more. I have put a 20lbs wilson combat spring and 8rd WC mags. I shoot the 230g federal ball and the 255g buffalo bore hard cast. This baby chews em up and hits where I point it! I have come back to the 45. It sets beside the other all around go to 357... you cannot beat what you know. I have played with alot of niche or wildcats, but the 45, 357, 9mm, 06, 308, cannot be beat for your average "proHo" .
The more basic a 1911, the better it works. My next series will cover the 1911 from then to today.
That absolutely sucks your gun was stolen. Curious, was it a burglary? Did they penetrate the safe? I worry about this.
@rjo8500 I was a twenty year old dumbass and had it locked in my jeep at the barracks.. I was deploying and my folks were driving my jeep home...
@rjo8500 it was 33 yrs ago as well.. nowadays I have a safe but I couldnt take it on the boat fishing, so my other guns were lost when I tipped the boat over reaching for my beer.
@@MichiganSilverBack lol
I have an old S&W 29 4 inch that I carried for a number of years when Remington made a 1000 fps load with a very soft 240 gr swaged bullet. This was in the early 1980s and I found that load to be comfortable to shoot and it had less blast than many loads. This gun has digested thousands of rounds of.44 Special Skeeter handloads. Never gave me a minute of trouble.
We wore flap holsters in Houston in those days and an N frame revolver was not a burden.
Later I switched to a 1911 because it was easier to carry both on and off duty with one of my friend Bruce Nelson’s thin Summer Special holsters.
I have had 10mm pistols 9mm pistols and 357. I carry a 45 acp now. Always wanted one but everytime I was going to buy one I talked myself into something else. I carry it for protection from bad guys and black bears. I know the 45 isn't really a good bear gun but I feel it will do the job as the bears in my area are black bear and the largest is about 600 lbs. I do have 14 round capacity so I feel pretty confident. If you look at the survival rate of people hit by the 45 acp it's pretty low. As a matter of fact it has the highest mortality rate for pistol ammo. Once again not many people survive getting hit by that caliber.
With a good penetrator bullet, the .45 should do all you need.
45 super is what I use
Smith and Wesson 45 Shield. I love it for CCW.
I also have the Shield M2.0 45 and it’s the most accurate pistol I have. Its recoil is very manageable also. In fact, when I shot it the first time I thought I had a squib load. S&W got the recoil spring tuned right in this pistol. I’m shooting Underwood Extreme Defender 135 gr. +p ammo for self defense.
@@kevinmuirhead6291 yes it is amazingly manageable for a .45, and very concealable.
i had one, but it would hang up on hollow points so i got rid of it and got a g30.
I’m 79 and I’m definitely a 45 FUDDLED kind of guy. Some of the agencies on the east coast said that the 45 gap put people down a lot faster than the 9s or 40s.
Don’t listen to cops, listen to ER surgeons in big city hospitals. We judge by where it is(most important) then what it was(pistol, rifle or shotgun). Human bodies don’t react like ballistic gel or soda jugs. You either hit something that matters, or you make a hole. How do you think people get hit 5 times and survive without a problem?
The bigger the hole you put in a boat, the faster it sinks.
My buddy and I shoot often against steel hanging spinners, from large to very small. We've both carried 9mm 1911s for a while, but seeing the effect on steel of the .45 acp has converted us both. It just hits noticeably harder.
John Browning knew his stuff.
As a newly minted 40-something, I think that a lot of my peers(and younger) put a lot of stock in the 'next big thing' and tend to take only snippets of the wisdom of people who had been there and done that to heart. My first semiauto was an Auto-Ord 1911 that a buddy sold me for a good deal. It was a bit of a dumpster fire, but it shot reasonably well and it was what I had. I worked alone at a retail store at night, and I was able to carry so that 1911 stuck with me. There were a couple of 'pucker factor' incidents where I was very glad I had that 1911. If that makes me a fudd, well, I'll grab that hunting cap on my way out to go looking for rascally wabbits.
I might have gravitated towards the 9x19 these days, but I don't disparage or snub the .45ACP. One of my bucket list guns is the HK MK23; it might be a behemoth of a pistol and I may have played more than my fair share of video games in high school, but I shot one in my early 20s and I was putting groups in paper at 50yd that I struggled to make with other handguns at 25yd. Plus, it'll run .45 Super out of the box. :D
Thanks for sharing this info. These are very informative videos.
Enjoying the table side commentary. It's appreciable not to have to wade through a bunch of fluff. I started carrying during the 90s-00s Clinton AWB, so 1911s was the direction I went. I carry it all these days, 9mm, 40, 357 sig, 10mm etc.... but 45 still is my go to home defense round.
Glad you enjoy!
I'm no ballistics expert, but in reading quite a few publications relating to the effectiveness of handgun cartridges, all seem to agree with FBI data that the .357 magnum 125gr semi jacketed hollow point is the most reliable one shot stop cartridge that's been recorded and not by a small margin. Most of my reading agrees with each other that it's on the order of double one shot stops over any other handgun cartridge including .44 magnum (probably because almost nobody gets shot with a .44 magnum)
Very good video sir.
I carry a 185 grain.45 acp + p daily it's energy is 592 ft.lbs. the bullet is a xtp. A 9mm is 124 gr. At about 367 ft. Lbs. Of energy, so this is one reason i carry the .45 acp it's really superior and because i is shoot it well and im not under gunned. I like 9 mm but for me i don't see the advantages with it. Shot placement, accuracy, a bonded bullet that yields 12 inches of penetration and expansion is just whats needed for self defense in my opinion. The old .45 acp is very proven to the whole world. I have a collection of 48 so far. God Bless America and our Freedom.
My first pistol was a Government Model M1911A that I built from a $40 frame and some old surplus parts. I carried that gun a lot of years but it eventually got passed on to a friend as their first pistol. These days, my most commonly carried pistol is my S&W Shield in .45 ACP. Yeah, there aren't a lot of folks that seem to have one but I love mine. I had a gunsmith install a set of XS Sights Big Dot night sights on it, orange dot up front, and I put a Hogue grip sleeve on it to help it fill my hands a little better. I usually carry it high and close to the body at the 4 o'clock position in a leather DeSantis thumb break holster with a 6-round mag in it and one in the pipe. My ammo choice is 185gr. Barnes VOR-TX solid copper hollow points that give good penetration and reliable expansion. Those first 7 rounds are backed up with two 7-round extended mags, one on each side of my body so I can reach one with either hand because a defective mag is one of the most common causes for malfunctions, and you might only have one hand to grab a mag with. Do I sometimes carry other pistols? Sure, depends on the expected threat level, but that S&W Shield 45 is probably my favorite, and one that a LEO buddy has coveted for years and borrowed a time or two when he travels to Washington state. He'll get it in my will when I'm gone but don't tell him. Let it be a surprise.
I think the .45 was adopted because some old Fuds from the Spanish-American War in the Philippines remembered that the .45LC was more effective stopping drugged up Moros than a .38 S&W. To me, the .45acp is close enough in power to the .45LC to be called the auto version of it.
It's actually not an accident that .45 acp and .45 LC are close in performance. The military brass case .45 pistol cartridge begins with the .45 Schofield, which was a 230gr bullet loaded to about 750fps. When they switched to .45 LC and the Colt 1873, they kept that basic load of 230gr bullet at 750 to 850fps.
When the Thompson-Lagarde tests finished and recommended a .45 caliber bullet for a new pistol cartridge, Colt used basis to develop the .45 acp, and working with military on the details, landed on a 230gr bullet at 850fps.
There is developmental lineage there that is the reason they're so similar.
It is. 45acp was designed to almost duplicate the best loads of 45lc, but in a smaller package. Because by the 1910s 45lc had been “watered down” to 45 Schofield to be more manageable to shoot for a wider range of people. Not to say 45 Schofield was bad, it’s just there was a lot of wasted space in the casing, whereas 45acp optimizes it to get the performance needed without having unnecessary space
I'm 76 years old on October 12, 2024. I've been shooting/hunting since I was 7 years old and I still enjoy learning something new every day. Thanks for your contributions.
Illinois man, eh? I feel your pain... lol. Let's hope the federal courts restore our rights sooner than later!
Anyway, I just picked up my first .45acp from the FFL today: M&P 2.0 full size. Came with two 10rd mags and I picked up two 14rd mags bringing my cost just shy of $700 after tax/transfer and the mag cost ($45 a piece!)
When I saw that total I thought "should have just spent a little more and bought a nice 1911" but then I wouldn't have the capacity of a compact 9mm... Shoots nice, put a couple of boxes of Win White 230 ball through it this afternoon to break it in. Ran all 100rds with no issues aside from stiff mag springs, had just enough push to be fun without needing to bear-down for accuracy like I need to with the big bore magnums.
Glad I bought it, and I'm just trawling for .45acp content to justify my purchase when I found your channel. Really informative, pleasant ~20min watch. Earned my sub! Looking forward to seeing some more! Take care
Thanks for the sub! I think you'll be happy with your M&P .45.
Im 36 years old, and ill take and respect the opinion of an "old timer" over the loudmouth millenial any day of the week.
@@JackCarlino Good choice. We old timers aren’t always right, but we’ve seen a thing or two.
Experience is a hard master. I trust someone who has experience and is willing to offer it to others for free.
@@LTVoyagerYes you have!!!
@@LTVoyager And have been to a place or two where we needed said weapons to do a 'thing' or two ;}>
@@gotchagoing4905 then you made it out only by luck, going by what i see here.
Hollowpoints vs Ball, both will mess you up!!!😊
Like all our great service men and women say "They All Fall With Ball!!!" 😊
My exact thoughts 💪🏾
so will a pellet rifle. It means nothing. It's just a moronic statement, echoed by the ignorant.
@@shanman1382 no, they dont, that's a crock of crap.
I carry an XD-S in .45 acp also. Excellent handgun and easy to conceal. I had an XD-S in 9mm also but my wife carries it now.
Another XDS 45 fan..have 2 twins...carry XDS 45 with a couple spare mags in off pocket and feel VERY comfortable going about my daily activities 👍
I had that happen with a Glock 43 and my wife ... they steal more than your heart!
Not a fan of the XD-S trigger.
@craigmcdonald6305 XDS triggers can be worked nicely...they aren't target pistols (but extremely accurate for a 3.3 inch barrel....for a self defense gun a light match trigger isn't necessary
I carry my XDs often and have either Federal HST 230 grain JHP or DRT 150 grain JHP ammo and it is a great defense weapon for sure! 💯
Really like both the .45 ACP and the .45 Colt rounds. Besides 1911s, I also have a Springfield Armory XD-E in .45 ACP which can carry 6 or 7 depending on mag in a nice DA/SA setup with 3.3 “ barrel similar to your XD-S and shoots very accurately. Thanks for the discussion and sharing.
Thanks for the review and thoughts based on your experience. I really like the Federal HST loads for my 40 S&W and I've seen great reviews of the 45 ACP 230 grain version as well - they expand and penetrate about as "perfect" as can be expected from a pistol round. I find the 45 easy to shoot well and the muzzle blast isn't like a .357 Mag.
whats "shooting well' to you? Can you do a bill drill in 2 seconds from ccw, on an actual electronic shot timer? No, the 230 gr jhps do NOT expand well in flesh and blood. I can prove this anytime you'd like to bet a year's pay on it. What happens in jello is irrelevant. The makers of the gelatin will TELL you that it has no relationship to shooting live targets. They say it's ONLY for comparison of various loads do in JELLO. that's all You KNOW that soldiers lie their asses off about everything ELSE, so why believe them about the 45? almost none of them ever saw anyone shot with a .45 PISTOL. Some of the Korea war vets may have see some small, exhausted, starving men show with the Grease gun or the Thompson.
Good presentation. I taught firearms in the military and as a career law enforcement officer. My series 70 Colt was in a shoulder holster under my "cruiser" jacket when I was a trooper in Alaska. The .45ACP is truly under appreciated. There is a great deal of unrealized potential. The .45 SMC loading eclipse the 10mm by a substantial margin. As I begin my 8th decade my trusty series 70 Colt is close at hand. I bought it brand new in 1970.
Thank you for your service!
Eagerly awaiting the next in this series. Excellent content.
I'm also a believer in the .38 spl 158gr LSWCHP load. Buffalo Bore has a load that goes 1k fps / 351 ft lbs out of a 2 inch barrel which is very respectable. Glad to hear you mention it.
respectable, you mean. Why dont you TIME getting 5 hits with it in .80 second with that load and a J frame 38, timed first shot to last, on an actual shot timer. I can easily do that with a pocket 9mm and the 50 gr, 2000 fps Liberty arms solid copper hp? You'll be lucky to get it done in twice that time. There's nothing special about the effect of such a load. I'ts only got 350 ft lbs and it'll over penetrate a man. 1000 fps is the MINIMAL veloocity to expect reliable expansion of a .36 bore lhp. My 9mm, in a velcroed-in kydex holster, looks just like a wallet in my front pants pocket. A .38 snub so-carried makes you look like a potato-smuggler
@@SonnyCrocket-p6h I'm not Jerry Miculek, but I'd argue it's possible to do. However, this former FBI load does have a special effect which I'll summarize below from another's actual testing:
The Buffalo Bore 158 loads use pretty much the softest bullets you can get. I have tested them through 4 layer denim and 3" guns and about 75% of the time they expanded to between .57-.60 and go 14-15" in clear ballistics gel. About 25% of the time they only expand a tiny bit and penetrate 19-20" in clear ballistics gel.
In bare gel from a 3" they penetrate 12-13" and expand consistently to .67-.69, just shy of .70. They are huge.
In bare gel from a 1 7/8 gun they basically get to .65 avg diameter and 12" pen.
Again this is the BB standard pressure stuff. The BB 158 +P stuff is an entirely different story. It's a very violent bullet that from a 3" expands to around .70 and drives to around the 16-17" mark. At which point it either stops or occasionally blows its petals off and the base goes to around 20". From what I can tell it's the same bullet they use in the standard pressure stuff.
I have also found the BB to be more forgiving of smaller cylinder throats and thread choke than other 158's, in terms of accuracy, I think because they are so soft. Downside is they are muy expensive.
You make an excellent point. One pistol round may be a tad "better" than another, arguably, but none of them put anyone down like a rifle round can. Every defensive handgun caliber has failed to stop a threat fast enough. And every "weak" little mouse-gun cartridge has dropped someone on the spot. It really is all about where you hit someone, way more than it is a question of what they are hit with. All that said, I like my 9x19s hot, my .45s heavy, and really prefer my magnums.
Great channel, Sir. New subscriber. I'm a retired cop too and was my department's gun-guy. Thanks for what you did and what you do.
Thanks for your service, too ... and the subscription!
The local police department here dropped the 38 special for the 9mm . The police hated them and they dropped the 9mm . They then went to 40 calibers they didn't stay with the 40's very long and went to the 45 acp . They have been with the 45 acp every since. And it was effective enough to stop a mass shooting in under a minute. I do carry my 1911 in the winter. I have no problem with it being reliable and accurate. But I also love to carry my 357 magnum too .
I’m a 45acp fan, I own 9 45 caliber handguns, one of these is the XD 45acp tactical.
I bought this pistol used for a great price, 13 rounds in a double stack magazine, 5.5 inch barrel, striker fired polymer framed handgun.
I fell in love with the XD 45 Tactical, it’s been absolutely reliable, and extremely accurate.
It’s a huge handgun, horrible for concealed carry, but I hunt in black bear country, and I use it as a home defense weapon, I mounted a light and might add a red dot soon.
You CAN CC an XD 45 Tactical. Just not comfortable to sit with very long. It's my EDC
@@lprice804 I’ve done it, I have Barretta 92s I’ve CCed,,, I prefer my PSA dagger or my Max9. I can CC the Max 9 all day no issues. I drove with a Max 9 Cc for 14 hours once.
When I reported aboard my US Navy ship in 1964, the issued sidearm was the 1911 45 ACP.
Definitely enjoying your videos, can't wait to hear your thoughts on the 40SW,
Very interesting, this was my first time hearing about hollow point wadcutter bullets, I had to stop the video and go read more about them.
When I first started in law enforcement I carried a GP100 because I couldn't afford a semi auto and a fellow officer offered me the GP until I could get my own. Revolvers had pretty much faded out of use by then but in my state if you qualified with a revolver during the academy, you were qualified to carry either the revolver or the semi auto but if you chose a semi auto to qualify with you had to qualify again with a revolver to be able to carry one on or off duty. Seemed logical to me to knock out two birds with one stone.
During my time there was a mass Exodus from the 9mm because of its poor performance. Officers were switching to .40S&W or going back to the .45acp. My chief switched from 9mm to .45acp and sold me his old S&W59. He went with the newest S&W at the time but I don't recall the model. Probably a 4506 or something. I carried the 9mm for a few years but the ballistic reputation really bothered me so I ended up selling the 9mm and switching to a Glock 21 .45acp. It was a big brick of a gun but it was very accurate, extremely reliable and I never once worried about whether my .45acp round would let me down. I still have a G21 I shoot occasionally.
I am a Fudd (Fatal Urban Dealer of Death) as well. 🤣😉 I compete in a Defensive Pistol competition every month. Most months I win - or at least place in the top three. And I am the ONLY shooter there with a .45 1911. It just leaves the plastic fantastic 9mm kids (I am also the oldest guy there - by a lotta years) befuddled and kinda angry. 🤣😂Last month, I had a head shot that was barely creasing the edge of the scoring ring and one of the kids said, "Lucky you were shooting a .45!" I said, "No...that's WHY I shoot a .45." 😎👍
Keep teaching the new generation!
I'm in my late '30s: am I a younger Fudd, or an old non-Fudd with Fudd affinity? 😂
Seriously though, I don't know why/how listening to guys with experience became "not cool." Even when I was in my early twenties, it didn't make sense to me.
@LibertysetsquareJack I'm right there with you. I'm turning 29 soon and have ALWAYS sought out wisdom from the "elders". My peers might have had interesting ways of looking at things, but the fudds knew how things really worked.
@@BrassCatcher365 FUDD power!
@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb lol yes sir!
Good summary. I'm no gun expert. But i can't remember the first time I shot a 9mm. But I specifically remember the first time I shot a 45 acp. It felt powerful but controllable. Not too snappy like the .357 and not too weak like 9mm. To me, 45 is the most fun to shoot. I know I'd rather be shot by a 9mm then a 45 so 45 is my caliber of choice. I like Federal HST 230 JHP the best. For carry, I like the XDM elite 3.8 inch barrel. My favourite 45 handgun I have is the SAR K2. Very heavy at 37 ounces with all steel frame but an awesome trigger. I have a Glock 21 too that is totally solid.
We have the XDS chambered in 45 acp . Most people don't know about them. And yes I agree with you about the XDS, it shoots really well. And it is very concealable .
Same.
This channel is remarkable. Liked, and happily subscribed. Been following your writings for years, sir. Glad to have discovered your channel tonight.
Mr. Fairburn, thank you for your service to our country and the plethora of information you have given us, I am 59 and I grew up hearing your name, I have a Springfield Armory XDM Elite 3.8 in 45acp and it’s my favorite.
Thank you for the kind words.
@ you are welcome.
I agree 100% with you sir the 45 Auto is the best defense round ever made
This was a really good discussion, filled with solid logic and good data.
Great Video Sir. I bought a Para Ordnance P-13, 45 ACP a long time ago. I have never had a misfire, or a FTF or a FTE. For some reason, when Para, made in Canada sold or moved to the USA, they went out of business. It is a little heavy for concealed carry with 15 rounds of 230 Gr. XTP's. But a 1 inch group at 21 feet, not under stress is really great for me. it's a P-13, but all Para mags fit, and I prefer the 15 rounders. Why did you shoot him 15 times, cause that's all the ammo I had. Nuff said.
My favorite carry gun (and I have a few) is my S&W .45 Shield. 7 round mags, one inch thick, 20 oz. You would think it would kick like a mule, but the recoil impulse doesn't bother me a bit. Love the thing. Great trigger from the factory, BTW, as compared to my M&P compact, which I had to put an APEX trigger in If you like .45s try the .45 Shield.
I really enjoy this series. I have carried a 45 on duty for the past 15 years.
I carried a 45 GAP for about 10 years and it was a great round. Mine was reliable, accurate and I was involved in a 1 shot stop with one.
We transitioned to 45 ACP about 5 years ago because of the cost & lack of availability of GAP ammunition.
I am not anti-9. I carry one off duty quite a bit. But there is something comforting about a 45 to me.
Thanks for the work. Recently former IL guy (Tremont /Pekin area) Also started with .45 ACP. Still like it today.
Thanks for the kind words ... you're right around the corner from me.
You FUDD. Me, too. 😀
I bought a Lightweight Commander 43 years ago. I still have it. And I use a Springfield XD-S 45 for EDC.
Thanks for your channel. Best regards.
Wow! A very informative video. Thank you.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Honest information based on fact. Refreshing to view your presentation as opposed to the others based merely on trend.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hard to argue with a caliber that's been reliable and effective for over 110 years.
Thank you once more for sharing your knowledge with us! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Our department still was issuing Ruger Security six’s in 357 in the 80’s . But officer could carry their own 45 auto pistol. After they qualified with it . Had been that way since the 1950’s
Great discussion. The 45 is a very accurate and effective round. Today with the improvement in the popular defensive cartages, pay your money and take your pick.
I was issued a 1911A1 when in the Navy. 230 RN Factory ammo for targets out to about 50 yards. After 6 months I found a SW Model 19, in using 158 gn LHCSWC ammo I could knock down a125 lb target with one round out to 100 yards. Sitting using a two handed grip 200 yards worked well, too.
Pretty good shootin' for a navy guy!
Retired Army combat vet new to law enforcement here. All our swat uses 9mm blah blah blah. After shooting a 1911 that is all I want to shoot. Waiting on my S&W 1911 to come in. Shoots and looks great I am surprised more people don’t have one
I bought a military NM slide group at a gun show in Peoria. I had to lap it onto an Essex frame. that thing would group 3 rds of jswc Remington 185 gr match ammo into 3.5" at 100 yds, from my Lee machine rest. So i put a friend off to the side, behind a big tree at about 150m and he'd call my bullet impacts on the 200 yd berm. Once I got the gun "on target" the sights were aimed at the tree tops at 180m. :-) The machine rest made you fire it as a single shot. I put 5 rds into a 7" group out there! The 1911 and the .45 rd are amaxingly accurage. many a 30-30 will group no better than that. Ditto 30Carbine with ball ammo.
Thank you for your service , your points are spot on to topic at hand .
The last 1911A1s were delivered to the US military in 1945. Ever since then the pistols issued to troops were either repaired, rebuilt, or refurbished to varying degrees. Reliability varied greatly. At Lackland AFB in the 1980s the Marines we trained were having so many problems with theirs that they restricted the magazine capacity to five rounds. I qualified with a highly modified and shortened 1911A1, but despite the alterations (or possibly because of them), they were not anywhere near 100% reliable. I don't really blame the design. These were tired old guns. There are more robust and dependable pistol designs available today, and while I love the slab sides, I don't really see myself picking one as my first choice for personal protection.
The Marines received new Colt made M45A1 pistols a few years ago, but I agree that the military 1911A1s were very old arsenal rebuilds and quality probably did vary quite a lot. Same goes for the "AR15" marked H&R M16A1 rebuild I was issued at my unit in California in 1978.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb I left out the M45A1 for the same reason I left out the USAF's Colt Gold Cups. These were limited procurement specialist pistols never intended for general troop issue. My understanding is the USMC has largely phased them out for logistics reasons.
To the best of my knowledge we never acquired any H&R M16s in the Air Force, but I did run across a very early production rifle that had been rebuilt. As I recall it was marked either Armalite AR-15 or Armalite X-M16. I wish I'd taken a picture of it because it must have been a Model 601 or 602. Did I mention the chopped 1911A1 I was issued was built by Union Switch & Signal?
@@Paladin1873 I didn't know about the Air Force Gold Cups. I believe H&R was contracted to build some rifles before it was standardized as the M16. The one I had, as my failing memory serves, had no forward assist.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb If I've learned anything i life, it's that anything is possible. Our Gold Cups were issued to Combat Controllers and I think Pararescue men. I was told by our gunsmiths they did not hold up to abuse very well so we withdrew them.
Did a pistol course in the 80s using a rattletrap old 1911 & fell in love. Traded in a Beretta plus $ for a Colt series 80 later. (Couldn't afford one now!) I learned to reload & gunsmith my .45, the learning still goes on at age 71. Got a flat bottom firing pin stop ordered so I will fit that & check it out. I followed Elmer Keith but stayed with the .45 Colt & .45 acp for affordability. Having fun!
Cirillo developed a .45 JHP with a screwdriver slot across it's nose. He called it the 'felon grabber". His Partner, Bill Adler, shot several armed robbers with various .45 loads. Jim shot a guy at about 10 ft with a 14" barreled Ithaca and 00 Buck. the guy turned and RAN. Jim shot him AGAIN and he kept on running! Jim said that after seeing THAT, he had no faith whatsoever in any pistol load sufficing. :-) His famed first shootout, 3 guys at 50 ft, he shot one guy in the head, one in the side as he turned, and one in the back as he fled. So it was about 1.0 second , first shot to last, the draw not being part of it and he was armored at the time. The pair made it to the hospital, taking two different subway trains! .38 lrn for you.
Being a "Fudd" works for me. I prefer the 44special, Underwood ammo.
Love the 45..very versatile
45acp like ALL rounds is all about the bullet weight and what that weight does to the ballistics!! A 9mm with 147 is a small ass weak 45acp ballistically so if you carry 45 carry it with 185 grain anmo that will give it that calibers best ballistics for expansion and penetration. Personally I would only carry 357 sig or 10mm cause we only have one life
I have a Clinton era Sig Sauer P229 that was originally chambered in .357 Sig just collecting dust in my safe. I keep it more as a collector’s piece as most I see are .40 S&W conversions. Maybe I should reconsider and carry it?
I head up our church security detail. My favorite gun that I shoot best is an Ed Brown Kobra Carry a 45 ACP Commander pistol. The round that seems to work best: reliability, precision, and accuracy is the 185 grain one. The defense loads I use for church are Hornaday's critical defense in 185 grains. Im a bit concerned about over penetration, so I carry the Critical Defense rather than Critical Duty.
Great review BTW!
Sounds like you have a well-reasoned choice for your needs. Your church is well protected.
When the shtf always a good idea to have your favorite pistol in your hand.
I have two Springfield Armory 1911's. One is a 'GI model', the other has more 'bells & whistles' than the GI model. I've used both in the past as my EDC gun. Now that I'm over 60, my EDC is a Sig Sauer P365XL. The wife also carries a P365XL. There are days (depending on where I have to travel to), that I carry my P365XL on my hip, and the 1911 with 'bells & whistles', in a shoulder holster. Both are carried with 3 spare mags. Good video. Thank you!
I’m very happy that I discovered your videos! You are only a few years older than me but you were a part of those formative years after I became interested in firearms in the early ‘70s. So glad that you’re making videos!
Thanks for the kind words!
Those fluted underwood all copper rounds actually create a wound channel twice the size of regular hollow points. Pretty incredible.
I still carry an XDs .45 and like it a lot. It has been 100% reliable through probably 1,000 rounds and is fairly easily concealed. I carry with the 5 round mag for conceability, but carry also two 7 round extended mags should the need arise. I’ve never felt uneasy about having only 20 rounds. However, now well into my 60s, I recently bought a Shield Plus in 9 mm, mainly to get the cheaper ammo, but must admit that the slide is quite a bit easier to rack and I do shoot it more accurately. However, I attribute the accuracy more to the better trigger on the Shield. As much as I like the XDs, the stock trigger leaves much to be desired.
I carried my XDs almost exclusively when I first got it, right after it was introduced, but current EDC is a Kimber Micro 9.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb I likely will switch to the Shield once I shoot it enough to have conf in it. Only shot about 100 rounds so far, but it hasn’t failed yet. If it digests 200 practice rounds flawlessly, I will shoot a box of defense ammo and if that goes well, I will switch to the little 9 on or shortly after my 65th birthday. Hate to admit it, but my 65 year old hands just don’t have the strength they had a 45 or 25.
I have carried .357, .45acp, and 9mm on duty and off for my entire 30+ years as a law enforcement officer. My all time favourite was the .45 (in a revolver), in my light weight Commander it did the job. I'm now retired and carry a Ruger LCR in .38+P as a disengage weapon. I agree with your assessment on long gun power. I like the M-1 in 30-06 it will do most anything I want.
Thanks for your service.
He was a cop, they don’t serve the country.
@@Rubeless Remember you said that the next time you need one.
I sometimes carry a .45 Redhawk
I was issued a 1911 for both of my tours in Vietnam. I was flight crew so that was standard along with a car 15. The car 15 looks okay, but I NEVER could warm up to the 5.56. So instead a civilian friend of mine got me a brand new, still in cosmoline- a WWII M-3 grease gun, and that was chambered in 45 acp. And I used both on occasion, when necessary. It was loud-slow- almost zero recoil and did it ever spit some fire. In fact that friend of mine got us enough new M3's that every aeroscout that wanted one, got one. I miracled mine to a noob. I hope it served him well.
As a 30 year law enforcement veteran I’ve carried.357 mag and .45acp I began carrying a .45 in about 78 an Sig P220. Later in the late 90s we carried Glock 21s. I still have my Smith Model 19, and my Sig.
I still carry a .45acp a n FN p-45.
Out of the many Officer involved shootings I’ve been associated with all the .45acp shoots were fatal. Several 9mm and 38special shoots were not. In those situations fire was returned by the bad guy. Not so with the .45 cases.
Hits count and diameter is secondary. Hollow points can clog up or fail to expand, a 45 does not shrink. 45acp has the same ballistics as a 45 long Colt so it's been working for a 150 or so years. Everyone seems to forget about the 38 Super chambering aka 9x23.5mm that is also launch a 160gr hard cast which puts it in 40S&W and 45acp territory.
the Army rifle qual was so easy, 1971, that I could have qualified with a .28 snub, if it had kit guns sights on it. and luminous inserts. A lot of it was at night, very slow time frames, but you fired a 3 shot burst. I got off 2 shot bursts, then went semi auto and helped the guys on either side of me
If you look at the Ammoland study of *every known case* of handguns vs bear attacks, no caliber .40 or larger handgun has ever failed to stop an attack (provided the defender actually scored a hit). So I would say that .45 acp is A-ok for the task.
I agree. The success rate of the Ammoland study is amazing. Even non-fatal hits seem the change the focus of a charging predator.
First issued duty gun was a glock 21 (45auto) loved it but it was a brick. Very chunky gun with alot of real-estate for your hands. We're using model 45's in 9mm now with an rmr on top. It certainly helps at distance but i gotta say. That dot doesn't lend itself to quick target acquisition like the tritium dots did.
If you read any of the books about the MACV SOG guys in Nam. They all praise the stopping power of the 45 compared to other handgun calibers. Even when it came to the sub machine guns using the m3 grease gun still. With the added benefit of 230gr ball ammo being naturally sub sonic for suppressors. Something still very relavant today!
Kinda funny when guy's say with all the ammo improvement theres not much difference between 9mm and 45acp. Pretty sure they improved both. 45 hits harder. I carry one or the other but
Young Kids today think I am a FUD not because I carry a 9mm but because I carry a 92FS. They just simply can't understand or use the DA/SA trigger. Coming from shooting revolvers, I have no problem with the DA trigger. With my time in the Army, the only real problem I had seen with the M9 was the soldiers with small to tiny hands that could not reach the DA trigger very well. This was never a problem for me with my larger size hands. I also feel the M9/FS models are one of the safest pistols to carry. There is a video on RUclips of an LAPD officer who got his 92FS taken from him inside the police station. The bad guy pointed the 92FS at the officer's head and pulled the trigger, but the 92FS was on safe. The bad guy could not figure out how to make the gun hot and ran off. He later figured out the safety and started winging shots into the police station until he taken into custody. The Beretta 92FS saved the officer's life that day. The Beretta M9/92FS is not for everyone but is for me. It served me well in the Military and still serves me well today.
Dick, I remember reading that analysis years ago about 28:58 38 special plus P having greater stopping power than the other calibers tested. I was amazed at that, especially since the .357 was included in the testing. I owned neither 28:58 one at the time, so i had no bias. I would love to hear you discuss those tests. Thanks for the videos and knowledge.
😂I’m a Fudd! The 9mm has been around longer than the .45, but younger generation calls me a Fudd😂😂😂
I routinely carry both, depending on circumstances… can’t go wrong with with if using premium self defense ammo… but ultimately, I’m a 1911 guy.
Doesn't matter if it's a 9mm or a .45 ACP. Both are good calibers. SHOT PLACEMENT is more important than the two calibers.
your right but more so for 9mm but you have to make sure you have to go with the right bullit
On the matter of PCC's, I will say that 9mm+P+ ammo will give a very significant velocity boost out of a long barrel PCC (typically about 200fps). The excellent (no longer updated) site BBTI lists velocity of 1550 fps for Corbon 115gr+P, which is a velocity well into 357 magnum 4" revolver territory. I've seen tests with Underwood 124gr+P+ Gold Dot where it cracks 1500fps as well.
I agree that with standard pressure 9mm, there is significantly less gain to be had. Much easier to shoot and much higher capacity, and quieter, but ballistically, a 16" PCC is really just gonna turn standard pressure 9mm into 9mm+P+ from a duty length handgun- about 1300fps for typical 115gr JHP.
I prefer a short AR carbine, but still...nothing to sneeze at.
The velocity gain for the standard pistol calibers from a PCC are HIGHLY variable. As you state, the +P+ versions can gain a lot of velocity, but some loads I have tested over the years gained nothing to even a slight drop in MV. All such loads gain velocity in Sub-Gun barrels (8-10 inches) so things are highly dependent on the burning rate of the powder used.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb I agree with that synopsis.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb IIRC Paul Harrell did a handgun vs carbine veloctiy comparison. The heavy bullets did NOT go much faster from a 16" bbl. The light bullets had very good increases in velocity. So yep, test before trust. I never had a chrono until I started working with a wildcat cartridge...25=223. Wish I'd bought one 40 years ago. Its an education in powder, bullet diameter(224 vs .257) and even primers. Quick tip= Federal Match primers boosted speed a good 50 fps over CCI Magnum.
Great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Love these videos, very in depth technical analysis.
lol. you gotty be KIDDING
@user-ci2mn1oy3w , learn to spell please! "gotty" 🤣@@SonnyCrocket-p6h
Excellent presentation. With soft body armor becoming more comfortable, affordable, and effective, it exposes a weakness of the .45 auto, in my opinion. The lower velocity of this caliber, means that it will not penetrate even low end soft body armor. This is why I went to the .45 super. I handload the Lehigh 135 grain FTP to about 1600 fps. It will penetrate IIIA soft armor at close range, with power to spare.
Thanks for the kind words. The Lehigh bullets penetrate soft armor because they don't deform not because of extreme speed, so any velocity above 1200-1300 fps will likely get them through for a lot less recoil.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb the threshold for the FTM bullets to penetrate armor is at about 1500 fps. A couple of guntubers tested this ammo from different barrel lengths against IIIA vests using the factory underwood .45 auto +p 135 brain FTM. None of the handguns could generate enough velocity to get through, but when shot through a carbine with a 12” barrel at just over 1500 fps, they went through the vest and penetrated 9” into the gel block behind the vest.
@@Mbartel500I am basing my info on one of the manufacturers loading the Lehigh bullets and he tests against armor with the proper backing according to the NIJ standards. The use of vests by criminals certainly happens but is QUITE rare in the real world.
@@lockloadwithdickfairburn-cr1jb yes it is rare…but I've got rare covered. Unlike the **cough** FBI.