Not sure if this should go to the "caliber" thread or not but I'm sure it's not a "placement" comment. Dang! lots of good threads lately!
I haven't shot a .45 ACP but I've been shooting a S&W 66 .357 magnum with a 4" barrel for over 10 years so I feel I'm probably proficient with a 1-shot stop caliber.
I finally bought a 9mm Beretta and have put in around 400 rounds these past 2 weekends. I'm beginning to get a feel for its accuracy and handling and hopefully get as comfortable with it as my revolver and .22LR Ruger.
When I do get confident with the 9mm, I imagine that transitioning to a .45 would be "easier" than transitioning from a .357 to a 9mm. The 1st shot mechanics are so different!
Any recommendations for a DA in .45 or 10mm? I'm not really "up to speed" on guns and ammo so I'm curious about the pros and cons for the .45 and 10. I do know TKDFighter prefers the 9mm because .... and T0ki and Skpotamus prefer it slow .... Hopefully we have a 10 fan in the house :-)
Thanks!
DA .45? There is NO substitute for Para Ordnance whatsovever. The DA that feels like an SA. Get the 14.45 and find pre-ban mags out there.. Best of both worlds if you're going full-sized. Otherwise, Para makes compacts and a ridiculously compact pistol that is the ultimate carry .45:
http://www.paraord.com/pages/about/carryoption.html
In my opinion, the best and safest way to carry in .45ACP next to the H&K USP Compact.
In terms of 10mm? Take your pic. That round was created for a problem that didn't exist. Once the "wonder round" among LEOs, it has now all but been discarded for something like .40, .45 or the sexy .357 Sig. Look at .40 before 10mm. Lot more (and cheaper) offerings out there....
Just for general info; I carry 147 gr Hydrashoks in my Glocks. I also carry Hydrashoks in my duty pistol, but those are .40, and I'm unsure as to what grain they are.
TKDFighter, the best rounds to carry for 9mm IMO. Slows down the round and gives it a helluva lot more punch.
Good god TOki, are you me under a different name? I have the para p1445 ER LDA model, I stuck some hogue wrap arounds on it and good lord, I love that gun! . The para's at the gun store I work at come with a certificate to buy 2 pre ban mags from the factory for $45 /mag. I'm not sure if that's the case at all Para dealers.
I carry my glock 30 more than anything else now, it's smaller and doesn't rust. I live in a high humidity area with a russian family line, aka, I sweat like a pig in summer But damn, those Para's are sweet guns. My LDA is definitely my baby, I just love that trigger on it. *wipes drool off mouth....
.40 Hydrashoks come in 180, 155 and 165gr for the 40. I read where ballistics tests facor the lighter weights...
Cor-Bon 150 and the Federak 155 are the best recommended from what I hear. I like Federal even though many say they are overrated. For the .45 ACP, damn near EVERYONE agrees that they are the best, but I WILL admit that in other calibers, CorBon is making a MUCH stronger case than anyone.
IIRC the better stoppers in 9mm are the 124gr +P weights.
The "problem" if you call it that with the 147gr 9mm bullets is that because of their high sectional density (a relationship between the weight and the diameter of a bullet). The higher SD, the more penetration. For example, if you had a one pound arrow or a one pound ball, the arrow would penetrate more because of the small cross section relative to the weight behind it.
On that, with pretty much any 147gr. bullet you are hedging your odds on the side of needing penetration... (thru a car door). Like mentioned above or on another thread, the excess penetration could result in you losing more energy out the back end than you would like. On the other hand, a bullet with a smaller SD like a 95gr 9mm causes all the energy dump to happen quickly but it might not reach to the vitals.
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For the .45 ACP I prefer bullets with a bonded core like Golden Sabers and Gold Dots (my preference) because there is a much lower possibility of experiencing jacket separation from the core. Golden Sabers have the added advantage of a brass jacket which is harder than copper and might give a little better light hard cover penetration and resistence to deformation than softer jackets.
I might be wrong but I think the guy that designed the Hydrashok is the same guy that designed some of Triton's bullets like the Quikshock. Triton has AWESOME stuff too and you .45 guys might want to check out their .450 SMC line for a banging good time. CAn shoot them stock out of my USP and I think in a 1911 all you need at the most is a 22lb or so recoil spring.
I think hydrashocks come in 135gr as well but I too read in that one study that the middleweight .40s are the best stoppers of all... gosh, didn't the .40 165gr or so come out as the best stopper in Evan's recent studies? I'll still stick with my .45 tho... and 9mm which will prob. be my next CCW.
finally... my first pistol was a Para P13 that was an utter POS. yikes, that is what sold me on the USP series.
You had problems with a Para? Damn, they musta reworked them or something. I've put about a 1,000 rounds through mine since I bought it, and it has yet to misfire or jam. Good accuracy, I love the thing.
Eh, with so many flavors to choose from though, everybody can pick their favorite gun.
I've had nothing but good from the 14.45!! But I do prefer the USP also...
Yes... this was my eye opening experience that every manufacturer can make a lemon. I took it and made it into lemonade... traded it back to the place I bought it from for a USP. On hkpro.com you can read of USPs and P7s going down in flames. Rare, but it happens with all of the production lines (Glocks, SIGs, etc.) albiet a minute percentage.
I'm thinking that the main problem that caused the majority of the mechanical malfunctions was the extractor being out of tune.
"I'm thinking that the main problem that caused the majority of the mechanical malfunctions was the extractor being out of tune."
Shit, ain't that almost ALWAYS the issue when it isn't mags?
I guess it is with those internal extractors! :D
cheers