I don't own a .45acp anymore. I've had many, Colts, Springfield, Kimbers and Smiths.
I've read and researched all the stuff that says the .45 is the best handgun for stopping a human being.
Where is the proof of that? The fact that it was a military weapon for so long does not prove it. Sure, it stopped a lot of Germans and Japanese. But that's not proof. It is a simple statement that the .45 was issued and used. That doesn't mean it was the "best."
I'm not making an argument in favor of another caliber; just reminding 45 fans that it ain't all that.
I hear people speaking highly of the .380 from a short barrel and how far it penetrates when using a hardball round. As far as a .45, they say. But wait, the .45 is so much bigger! So what? Does bigger give it so much more ability? If so, where is the proof?
I once believed in the fantasy of the 45acp. I took it deer hunting. What a mistake. It won't regularly stop a deer. More often, a deer shot with a 45acp will not be recovered.
Now, shoot him with a .308. Much smaller, but much faster. Shoot an enemy combatant one time with a .308 at 500 yards and he goes down immediately. Shoot him up close with a .45 pistol one time and he may or may not go down.
Okay, I know the issue is not pistol vs. rifle, but it proves the point that a fat caliber is not superior. Get shot with a .357 and die within seconds. Not sometimes, but every time. Where is the proof that the .45 is better?
The .45 vs. 9mm debate is never ending. Why is that? Why is it not a proven fact that the 45 is better than the nine? Some say it is proven, some say it is not.
Simply look at the age of the 45acp. Certainly, after a hundred years, we have better rounds. I'm not saying it's a 9mm, but I suspect that it is. Without considering capacity of the magazine, where is the proof that a 9mm is inferior to a 45? Where?
I shall tell you where it is. It's in your head, which tells you bigger is better.
In truth, a .45 is better if you need to shoot someone who is naked and their are no barriers of any kind between you and him. If he's got a coat on, forget it. It's just too slow and fat to go in.
Modern ballistic thinking is more than askew. It's completely incorrect and based on nothing except "bigger is better." In truth, velocity is everything and size is nothing.
Ask yourself: If you were suddenly struck with a long term survival situation such as a nuclear holocaust, when you came out of your hole, would you rather have a 45acp or a Smith Model 686? Which of those two guns would see you through any hostile or hunting situation you would encounter?
Okay, that's not why you carry a .45. You carry during peace time as defense. Fine. But it's still only a .45acp. It can never be a .357M. It's highly debatable that it can even measure up to a .38+P or a 9MM. Regardless of reloading speed and magazine capacity, the .45acp is as outdated as a .44 Walker. It is simply not enough.
