does anyone shoot a singlestack 45 anymore?

[MustangGreg66]

I shot SS 10mm today, it was a lot of fun

45 is what I Normally for SS though.

[pjb45]

I can use the same load for my Limited and Single Stack guns.

My SS .45 is a house protection - car trip gun now. I just do not shoot it in matches.

My SS 40 S&W is way easier for me; one batch of ammo for everything, better parts and it was built by Virgil.

[wgj3]

When I first started shooting pistols, I had an H&K USP in .40. That gun just runs. Always. Then I met a 1911; the trigger is the best out there. I immediately understood what people were talking about when they referred to the difference that a trigger could make. They are easy to find in .45 as has been mentioned many times in this thread, and they do run very well with that cartridge. I wanted one xx11 gun that I could easily run in USPSA(SS) and IDPA(CDP) and be competitive. I also run it in L-10 with Wilson mags, and this setup works for Heavy Metal in 3-Gun now that everyone is going to 10 rds in the pistols.

A couple guys joke about the "A-zone being bigger" with a .45, but that's true. It only takes a few points here and there to make difference. I used to shoot 3D archery, and I always used the fattest arrows that I could make fly straight with my setup. Larger diameter catches more lines. I tried fletching up a golf shaft one time, but it wasn't properly spined; go figure. And, those bigger, heavier bullets will drop steel with marginal hits. There is a lot to be said for the big ol' cartridge.

The .45 is FAR from obsolete!

[Smo11]

I shoot 45 and the majority of the people shooting ss in my area also shoot 45

[Revopop]

.45 because I can use the same load for my moonclipped revolver.

What he said!

[JKSNIPER]

Why shoot a girly man .40 when you can shoot a Hans and Franz .45 !

[co-exprs]

I'll be the first one to say that I like options and certainly encourage others to explore them as well. For some reason though, a SS 1911 just isn't right without 45. I'm not terribly traditional, but for some reason, this pair simply goes together like peas and carrots. My 2011 is in 40 and that's fine, because the 2011 is such a departure that 40 doesn't seem to violate. From a competitor standpoint, I like shooting 45. Front sight tracking has always been the component to offer up the most resistance to my progression. The slower slide speed of the 45 allows me to track the front sight more easily. I also prefer the recoil impulse of the 45 as I believe the 45 to feel noticably softer than 40 for the same PF. In terms of reloading, the 45 is extremely forgiving and easy to reload. The large primers feed well in the press, you can use just about any powder you want and I can always find a good deal on 200gr swc. Changes to loads don't seem to have a significant impact to POI in 45 either. 45 cases can be reloaded just about forever. Mags are easy to find, over the counter in 45. Slide locks usually work properly in 45. A 45 barrel weights less than a 40, so the nose of the pistol is a tad lighter. I suppose this makes it swing faster, but I think we might be splitting hairs at this point. The very best reason of all is that 45swc bullets make really big holes in the targets, which makes me smile.

[StravIs09]

45 is great, people have been using them forever. but 40 is the new thing.

40 has less felt recoil

you can get them to run just as good or better

i could go on all day as to why i like my 40 but for me it just shoots better than a 45.

plus it shoot a bullet faster than 700 fps

*if you are having problems with your 40 try using a 10mm mag they seem to work great

[luckyshooter1]

I have been shooting 45acp single stack for the last 5 years it just feels good. Easy to reload

[Mr Player]

I have shot SS 45 for a long time. BUT I just bought a 40 and I am very excited to not have to worry about brass so much.

[martial_field]

Pfffttttt...they were cool for the first hundred years but not so much anymore.

I shoot 45 ACP because I like having the gun in its original caliber, because the 45 makes bigger holes providing a small advantage in scoring and because the 45 is a very low pressure load so there's less chance of KB and brass lasts longer. I also like the feel of 45 recoil better than the 40. It just feels softer to me though I shoot 40 too in my limited and limited 10 guns.

[Canuck63]

A couple guys joke about the "A-zone being bigger" with a .45, but that's true. It only takes a few points here and there to make difference. I used to shoot 3D archery, and I always used the fattest arrows that I could make fly straight with my setup. Larger diameter catches more lines. I tried fletching up a golf shaft one time, but it wasn't properly spined; go figure. And, those bigger, heavier bullets will drop steel with marginal hits. There is a lot to be said for the big ol' cartridge.

The .45 is FAR from obsolete!

Ditto!

when I started competing in 2007 I did that with a 45ACP SS,then in 2008 I switched divisions to Limited with a gun built around a Para Frame whose mags couldn't take more than 15 rounds without bulging and exploding....15+1 when I was lucky (condition 1) against 18+1,19+1 and sometimes even 20+1 !

I did not feel disadvantaged the least because I could shoot that pistol with a 200 grainer over 4,6/4,7 grs of Vitha 310 as if it was a 22LR and I brought home many a C and an A that would have been Ds or Cs respectively...I did well that year and that shooting like the absolute amateur noob that I was,i.e. (not so)controlled bursts aiming at the "brown",entire mags for three plates,a pepper and a bobber and so on and so forth...lotta noise and nothing to write home about but boy....those 200 LSWC made holes so big that I sorta could afford being carefree...the A-zone was really bigger sometimes !At that time I had a SVI Limited in 40S&W as well (see my avatar)and you could tell that I was practicing with that gun because you could see me walking from stage to stage smoking a Lucky or three and watching the other guys doing their drills...I just couldn't stand the 40,even if my gun ran like a million Dollars !

In 2009 I bought two more SVIs,then a forth and a fifth,all in 40 because I started digging this cartridge after finding the right load(s),the right set-up and started practicing more seriously but deep inside my heart a 45 round was still waving his little hand at me !

This year I'll compete again in the SS division with any of my four SSs (all in 45ACP) and the more I shoot them the more I look at my safe fondling the idea of getting rid of my Ltds to buy more 45ACP SSs!I've shot three matches so far,two first and a second and again...more As and Cs that would have been Cs or Ds and the odd D that coulda been a Mike....even if they were MUCH less than when I first started though !

The 45ACP rules and as wjg3 har rightly pointed out....is WAY FAR FROM BEING OBSOLETE!

Best Regards from a cold,windy Italy!

Manu

Edited February 13, 2012 by Canuck63

[digby7]

I shoot SS in 9mm - I dont reload and 9mm is within my range of tolerance for purchasing ammo, .45 gets way too expensive for the amount i shoot.

That and having a extra 2 rounds is nice.

[martial_field]

I shoot SS in 9mm - I dont reload and 9mm is within my range of tolerance for purchasing ammo, .45 gets way too expensive for the amount i shoot.

That and having a extra 2 rounds is nice.

Right, if you don't reload, 9 mm is the way to go unless you make or inherited a lot of money. 40 is bad enough to purchase but 45 gets ridiculously expensive very quickly. The only other disadvantage of 45 in my view is that it adds weight as you're walking around the range from stage to stage.