[Joe Merchant]

Hello all,



First let me say that I am very new to pistols. I have gained intrest pistols since shooting my dad's S&W 460 and Ruger P345. I am on the verge of buying a gun of my own, and love the looks and specs of the M&P 45 (especially with a surefire light on the rail

).



With that being said would this be "too much" of a gun for me? I plan on using it for mostly home defense (I don't think it would be good for concealment.) and weekend shooting. Some friends of mine say I should purchase a revovler for a first gun (my wife wants a 637 with Crimson Trace sights, and I do plan on buying her one), while other friends say go for the auto.



What do you guys think?



Thanks in advance



Joe

 

[Fallschirmjäger]

I had my first .45ACP when I was still in my early youth. It didn't recoil nearly as much as I'd been told it would, and with every shooting session it became more familiar.



To be honest, I think the snappy kick of the .40 might affect me more than the shove from the .45, although I'm going by remembrances instead of back to back shooting.

 

[ZB338]

You can buy any gun you want. After all, it's your money.

A good choice for a first gun is always a .22 rimfire. The

ammo is cheap. You can buy a brick of 500 for next to

nothing. The reduced recoil will teach you the basics without

causing you to develope a flinch and all of the bad habits

that come with starting out with a big bore handgun.

 

[tsix]

Hello all,



With that being said would this be "too much" of a gun for me? I plan on using it for mostly home defense (I don't think it would be good for concealment.) and weekend shooting. Some friends of mine say I should purchase a revovler for a first gun (my wife wants a 637 with Crimson Trace sights, and I do plan on buying her one), while other friends say go for the auto.



What do you guys think?



Thanks in advance



Joe

When I joined the military (don't ask...) we all qualified on the 1911. No choices, no questions. I suspect if it was ok for raw 17/18 year olds that never shot a handgun (or any other gun for a lot of them) it will be fine for you to have a .45. The questions you should be answering are how much are you going to spend for ammo, can you afford it? How much time do you plan to spend shooting, can you afford it? A smaller caliber is quite a bit cheaper to shoot. Can you rent one to try out? That would be ideal.



Good luck and enjoy your new weapon, whatever you decide...

 

[2xTap]

I think the 45ACP is a decent enough handgun for first-timers. That cartridge does not have the "pop" of rounds with higher charge compression like the .40SW or the .357SIG and carries enough punch so as to be ARGUABLY more suited for personal defense than say the 9mm or .380ACP



It's been my experience -- an experience mirrored by countless others -- that the .45ACP provides more of a "push" in recoil than a snappy "pop" like the fore mentioned cartridges.



In short... buy it. Shoot the hell out of it. Enjoy it.

 

[Steelshooter]

The standard answer would be for a new shooter to buy a 9mm. If you really want a .45 the M&P is a soft shooter compared to most. It has more of a push recoil than the snap you get from .40 or even some 9mm rounds.

 

[thedude]

I have both the 9mm and the 45, surprisingly not much difference in recoil. If you have the money to spend on ammo for the 45 go for it, you won't be disappointed. 9mm is much cheaper to shoot though.

 

[Puffy]

I have to agree with Broadside.

Millions of men and women have been using the .45 for almost a hundred years. It rocks. I have several and wouldent trade one of em. Your a lil' less likely to kill your neighbor also as it it only goes 850fps and tends to stay in rather than pass thru.

 

[Steelshooter]

Hollow points limit penetration in 9mm and .40 too which is one good reason for their use.

 

[jbremount]

I also started out shooting the .45 in the military and it is not as hard a cartidge to shoot as some would have you believe. I can remember when the 1911 guns were shot one handed by soldiers. The grip and stance has changed or become more modern and the .45 is even easier to shoot. I think if you find a good teacher/instructor/school and learn the proper hold/stance/etc , you will be fine shooting the .45acp.You have to do your part no matter what gun you buy.



If you plan to shoot a lot, then reloading is the way to save money to shoot more. The .45acp is a very good cartidge to reload. The .45 is a low pressure cartidge, you can shoot the brass until it splits or gets lost. Of all the cartidges that I shoot, the .45 is my favorite.