.45 acp for beginner?

[fredj338]

In the right pistol, the 45acp is quite easily controlled. Mt XDTac is very soft shooting even w/ +p ammo. It will cost you quite abit more to feed it though.

[agmed]

Previous posters have given good advice, but I have not seen anyone suggest that you call your local ranges and see if they have an XD45 (and perhaps a 40 cal) you can rent. Usually you need to bring your a gun or come with someone to rent (a policy to avoid rent for suicide). That way you can really see how you like the feel of the gun. You might ask a range master/friend if he/she knows someone who would let you try out an XD45.

You stated "HD/range" but is range for plinking or are you thinking of going for bullseye, IDPA or IPSC in the future. I'm not an expert, but I don't think 9 mm will get you into the Major Power factor so you get less points. Even if you don't think now that you will do competition, this is an infectious hobby that may take you places you never dreamed, including poverty, if your not too careful <G>.

You may not always live in a 10 round state, so with the XD45, full cap mags are quite respectable.

I agree with the others that given what you have shot already, the XD45 will be fine. I find my XD45 TAC more pleasurable to shoot than my SIG 228. I believe that the lower chamber pressure spec on the 45ACP results in a slower acceleration of the round vs 9mm, helped out by the bigger slide.

Even though this is a 45ACP forum, to be fair you should look at the 40cal. You get similar muzzle energy and flatter ballistics with cheaper cartidges. Go check out prices in your area. I believe most people report more perceived recoil though than the 45ACP. Again, the chamber pressure spec is higher since it was developed later when better metals were available.

I've been reloading 9 mm for my Sig and KelTec, and wanted a longer slide pistol for target. Carry isn't an issue for me anymore. Since CA in its infinite wisdom deemed I can only have 10+1, I want them big and fat now. I've only put about 300 rounds through my XD45 (mostly MagTech 230g FMJ) wo any FFT of anykind. Now that the barrel is a bit broken in, it is on it's way to SA Custom for a trigger job and set of Heine Straight 8's.

I'm hoping to get more free time from work and get into local competition so I'd be handloading 45 anyway, but man the bullet prices have jumped in the last few years.

As already stated, do lots of dry firing to smooth your trigger pull. You might want to pick up a snapcap to load in the chamber when you do this. Consider taking some instruction from a good shooter to start with good habits. Also, believe it or not, consider getting an air pistol for practicing fundamentals as I've seen a competitive air pistol shooter pickup a centerfire pistol for the first time and d-n near X ring every shot!

You will have a great time either way. Enjoy.

[judas530]

Yes I do plan on trying some IDPA matches with the gun. Do I need the extra sight radius of the tactical or will I be alright with a service model. The deal I am getting on the service as oppossed to the tactical is to good to pass up if I can get by without the longer slide.

[Liquid Rhino]

Nothing wrong w/ a 45 to start off with. Just as anything you have to practice at first you'll get the hang of it - Give it a shot!

[Doc Holiday13]

Originally Posted by Harris

Recoil is Newtonian physics. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The bullet is propelled from the gun with energy that can be expressed as weight times velocity.

If you have a .45 ACP with a 230 grain bullet traveling at 850 fps, you have momentum of 195,000 units. A 9mm with a 140 grain bullet traveling at 1200 fps has 168,000 units. Exactly that much momentum is simultaneously directed rearward. A considerable amount of energy is used to cycle the action of the pistol, but for our purposes we can consider that amount to be equal for each. so using the numbers above thee 9mm is generating 86% of the recoil of the .45. You would be unlikely to notice this difference. What you will notice is a different "feel" in how this energy occurs. The 9 mm feels "sharper" to most people than the .45. This is often referred to as feeling like a "bang" in the 9mm and a "boom" in the .45.

Those number are why theoretically any two bullets can perform equally. By adjusting bullet weight and velocity you can cause a .25 caliber, a .357 caliber and .45 caliber projectile to deliver the exact same energy to the target, and in fact you can fairly easily accomplish this with a 9 mm and a .45 acp. If a target was a solid, impenetrable block of steel, it would react exactly the same to being shot with a .45 acp bullet weighing 185 grains and traveling at 908 fps as it would to a 140 gr 9mm traveling 1200 fps. Of course steel blocks seldom are aggressive. So we have to consider how our intended target will accept the energy. All else being equal, smaller diameter equals greater penetration, and the energy transfer taking place over a longer period of time. Of course complete penetration results in energy being wasted altogether.

What is my point? (I had one when I started).

Buy the .45. Recoil is negligibly different, and the things that fly out of the end are really effective at their intended purpose.

Harris

You need to go check your math a little bit

Try some conversions and formula's. Not being a dick but check your math is all I'm saying

[charlie.45]

I jumped from a .22 pistol to a .38 SAA then to a .45acp sub compact. the recoil in even some of the smaller .45's is not bad at all and it is more of a push than the snappy recoil of the .40. If price of ammo is not much of an issue for you go with the .45 you should have no problems quickly adjusting to it with practice.

[Harris]

Originally Posted by Doc Holiday13

You need to go check your math a little bit

Try some conversions and formula's. Not being a dick but check your math is all I'm saying

No offense taken, I'm surprised it took until page 3.

For those interested, the numbers posted are only useful for showing relative energy between the various rounds. If you want to do this "right" you'd have to convert grains to fractions of pounds, and use the velocity squared and weight squared. The numbers would be different, but the relative values would be the same.

Harris