If you prefer more firepower than today's micro-pistols have to offer, maybe you are looking for something more along the lines of "large and light", such as these .45 auto-pistols, which utilize innovations such as aluminum-alloy frames, and shortened grips and slides:
$1,009
Specs:
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Height: 4.75"
- Width: 1.28"
- Weight: 27 oz. (empty)
- Length 7.7"
- Mag. Capacity 7
- Full-length guide rod
- Materials: Aluminum Frame and Stainless Slide, Match-Grade Steel Barrel
- Barrel Length: 4"
- Fixed Sights, 5.7" radius
- Grips: Black synthetic double diamond
- Trigger: Aluminum Match Grade, 4-5 lb pull
Notables:
- Extended left side safety
- Plastic rear mainspring housing for weight reduction
- Excellent fit and finish
- Bushing-less barrel design
- Excellent Accuracy
- Excellent Reliability
Negatives:
- Hard to pick up front sight in low light
- Lack of grip texture or checkering on front strap
- Sharp edges around ejection port
- Special takedown tool needed for disassembly
- Bullet feed ramp seems prone to damage over time
- Includes only one magazine
$1,076
Specs:
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Height: 5.5"
- Length: 7.5
- Weight 31 oz. (empty)
- Magazines: two 7-round, blued steel
- Barrel: 4" stainless steel, match grade, fully supported ramp, bushing-less bull barrel
- Sights: Fixed, low profile, combat rear, dovetail front, tritium 3-dot
- Trigger: aluminum match grade, 5-6 lb pull
- Grips: Cocobolo hardwood
- Frame: forged aluminum alloy, accessory rail, black hardcoat anodized
- Slide: forged steel, Black Armory Kote
- Recoil System: dual spring w/full-length guide rod
Notables:
- Full-length grip with a shortened slide
- Steel mainspring housing
- Ambidextrous safety
- Excellent trigger, 4.7 lbs
- Good accuracy
- Great reliability
- Good in rapid-fire
- Quick sight pickup
- Excellent machine work on the barrel feed ramp
- Excellent night sights
- Included holster and mag pouch
Negatives:
- Lack of grip texture or checkering on front strap
- Handsome wood grips tended to be slippery
- Ambi-safety tended to bruise the dominant hand knuckle
- Safety was super-stiff to operate
- Sharp edges on ejection port
- Stiff controls overall, which "did not change with use"
- "Horrible takedown procedure" (and reassembly)
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| $1,200 |
"The 1911 C3 is a 7+1 compact .45ACP featuring rosewood custom wood grips and is available in a Two-Tone finish. Weighing in at just under 30 ounces unloaded, each 1911 C3 is machined to exacting tolerances and hand-fitted to insure reliability and performance." Sig Website
Specs:
- Item #1911CO-45-TSS-C3
- Action: Single Action Only
- Trigger Pull: 5 lbs
- Length: 7.7"
- Width: 1.4"
- Barrel Length: 4.2"
- Sight Radius: 5.7"
- Weight Empty: 29.5 oz.
- Mag Capacity: 7 Rounds
- Sights: Novak Night Sights
- Grips: Slim Profile Custom Rosewood Grips
- Frame Finish: Black Hard Anodized
- Slide Finish:Stainless
Notables:
- Checkered Front Strap, for extra secure grip
- Easy, no-tools takedown
- "Super accurate"
- Stainless slide and barrel
- "Great reliability"
- Fixed sights
Negatives:
- Lacks accessory rail
- Safety on one side only
- Unusually flat at top-of slide
- Pricier than most comparables
$1,069
"This is the stainless version of the original super-compact .45 with truly awesome firepower. There is no smaller, more powerful 1911-style, 10+1 semi-auto .45 ACP in the world." Para USA
Specs:
- Product Code: WHX1045S
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Capacity: 10+1
- Barrel: 3"
- Weight: 31 oz.
- Length: 6.5"
- Height: 4.5"
- Action: Single Action
- Material: Stainless
Notables:
- Two 10-round magazines, one with extended grip
- Blackened version available with Trijicon night sights
- Bushing-less-barrel design, stainless match-grade
- Loaded-chamber indicator
- Colt-style series '80 firing pin safety
- Slide features Para's Power Extractor
- Flared ejection port
- Skeletonized hammer and trigger for weight reduction
- Good trigger approx. 5 lbs. of pull w/clean break
- Rubber "O" rings prevent grip screws from backing out
- Vertical serrations on frontstrap
- Left-side thumb safety and grip safety w/swelled palm section
- Front-beveled magazine-well
- "Exceptional accuracy", 2" at 25 yards-Combat Handguns magazine
- Bearable recoil w/200 grain handloads
Negatives:
- Tended to malfunction if not cleaned and oiled every 150 rounds
- Magazines difficult to load completely due to stiff springs
- Hammer drops down even if the slide is not completely closed
- Punishing to the hands after several hundred rounds
