Help me decide please...

[Bruenor]

Ok, I'm not going to turn this into the old 9mm vs .45 debate, but...

I can't decide between a Hi-Power clone or a 1911 .45. The next gun show is coming up at the end of May. I've seen Charles Daly 9mm Hi-Powers for $309 + tax. While I've never fired any version of a Hi-Power, everything that I've read about the design says that they are great.

That said, people I talk to swear by their 1911s. Of course, I haven't fired one of those before either. Also, I expect the price for a 1911 .45 to be higher than that of the Daly Hi-Power.

Has anyone here owned/fired a Daly Hi-Power. If so, what do you think of them? And as for the 1911 owners out there, but kind do you have, and roughly how much would one cost?

Thanks.

[High_Desert]

I have owned a Charles Daly 1911. I had no complaints other than the magazines. I switched to Wilson Combats mags and had no issues. Sold it to my brother in law as he wanted it pretty bad. Still no problems with the gun.

My primary carry guns are a Kimber Custom shop 1911 and a J frame Smith. I really like the Kimber and don't have a need for another 1911. I use Wilson Combat mags in it too. The Kimber was pretty spendy, but I used to have a really good job! ;D

My favorite 1911's right now are Kimber and Springfield Armoury. I shoot every week with a group of guys and this is what most of us have.

But guns are personal so its whatever fits you. Hoefully you can shoot different ones before you buy.

Best regards,
HD

[RangerRick]

Hands down, go for the .45 as the bad guys don't get up after digesting one unlike the 9mm. *Special Ops folks have learned this the hard way in Iraq and Afganistan but they have learned. I currently carry a Springfield 1911 but I'm looking for a doublestack 1911 to pack around a bit to see how it feels with that 14 round mag before I drop the dollars.

Ranger Rick

[docsoos]

Excellent replies, all. Especially what Rick said about .45 ACP versus 9mm.

My .02 worth would be what EVER ya buy, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. The military has shown that everyone will fall back on what they have been TRAINED to do (read: REPETITION) when things get "dicey". The 9mm can be had in +P+ flavors, so whether ya believe in the FAST,SMALL projectile, or SLOW,BIG projectile, either ought to get the job done, given shot placement and not fumbling with your weapon when split-seconds count.

I personally like the .45 ACP for serious social work; even 230 grain ball ammo has a spectacular record of one-shot stops, unlike 9mm. Given the moderate complexity of 1911's in general (grip safeties, manual safeties, mag releases, slide stop releases and external hammers), even though I was trained with them in the U.S. Army, I have come to respect the "plastic pistolen" (Glocks), due to their damn-near fail-safe, striker-fired mechanisms with NO EXTERNAL SAFETIES to mess with. And they have quite a few sizes in .45 ACP flavor, to boot.

I have NEVER, EVER had a misfire or jam with ANY of my Glocks, in 9mm (Model 17 and [2] Model 26's) OR .45 ACP ([2] Model 21's, a Model 30, and [2] Model 36's). I can't say that for ANY of my 1911's (Colt's, Auto-Ord's, and Kimber's). And that was with BALL or ANY hollow-point loads I fed into them.

Best Wishes with your quest, and PRACTICE with what you choose! ;D

DocSoos

[AARTY]

What are you planning to use this pistol for? I have no experience with CD Hi-powers but have used Belgian and Inglis ones and found then to be a very good design. I am however a .45 man and am also partial to the 1911. BTW is your screen name as in Bruenor Battlehammer?

[Bruenor]

What are you planning to use this pistol for? I have no experience with CD Hi-powers but have used Belgian and Inglis ones and found then to be a very good design. I am however a .45 man and am also partial to the 1911. BTW is your screen name as in Bruenor Battlehammer?

Basically I'm looking for a self-defense handgun. Right now, the only handgun that I have is my Ruger .22, which is a little on the small side for self defense. I'd like to have both a 9mm and a .45, but my limited funds are restricting me to one or the other. Of course, those limited funds are also what is making me want to get a 9mm. I'd be able to shoot it a lot more, and get a lot more comfortable with it.

On the other side, I'm going to learn how to reload for my .44 magnum lever action, so I could buy the extra dies for the .45 and just reload my own.

And yes, the screen name comes from Bruenor Battlehammer. I've used the name on several boards before, and you're the first one to notice and/or comment on it.

[knucklehead]

Sounds like you are set on a mag-fed firearm, which is a great choice. The fund/budget/other priority thing perspective can lead you in a different if your personal preference lines up with this thinking.

I know there are far more experienced people speaking here who carry and use weapons daily, but as far as personal self defense, I'm thinking that we would not be pumping a couple dozen mags into our 1911s like Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116830/)....as cool as seeing him load that pile of 1911 magazines is. There is research available that speaks about the number of shots fired in both law enforcement and private situations, and I think is far fewer rounds than in military combat situations.

Just offering a different perspective here, not trying to stake out a "right" or "wrong" claim, but as far as making a purchase that covers a need and answers budgetary priorities goes, the .357 mag revolver is a great choice with a great selection of loads that stretch from light .38s to hammering .357s. If you have a shop nearby that does law enforcement contracts and such, they may have trade-ins or the odd confiscated revolver from time to time. PDs are not generally using revolvers as duty weapons anymore, but there are backup and personal revolvers being traded all the time. When every PD in the nation caught the self-loader bug, you could get a bag of revolvers for relatively little change (of course, I HAD relatively little change at the time, so I only got one)

Having said that, when budget/priorities allow, I'm planning on buying a good 1991 patterned pistol - it is the classic American pistol, it fits my hand very well compared to wide-bodies like the Browning or Berettas I've tried, and I shoot pretty well with it.

Oh, and regarding the 44 mag levergun, I was thinking a great rural combo would be the lever and a 44mag revolver, which is also very versatile because that same set of 44 mag dies will can be used to load 44 specials with a couple twists of the collar. But now I am getting way off your original topic..... ;D

[Bruenor]

Oh, and regarding the 44 mag levergun, I was thinking a great rural combo would be the lever and a 44mag revolver, which is also very versatile because that same set of 44 mag dies will can be used to load 44 specials with a couple twists of the collar. But now I am getting way off your original topic..... ;D

Don't think that I haven't thought about a .44 mag revolver. Unfortunately, for the prices I've seen, I could probably get my CD Hi-Power ($309) plus a Rock Island .45 ($350) for as much as the revolver.

That said....it's on my wish list. ;D

[AARTY]

Cool! I really enjoy RA Salvatore. Although not my preferred Caliber, 9mm ammo has come a long ways and is relatively inexpensive, just make sure to try a few different brands/type/bullet wgts to determine what will feed reliably and be the most accurate in your pistol. will you be CC this new addition? Just fyi, off and on I carry a Taurus 24/7 in .45acp that has over 4,000rds through it with minimal problems and those were truly minor and within 100rds of purchase with no repeats to date. Maybe you can save a little longer and get a more proven brand of 1911 like an Springfield Armory. Whatever your choice good luck and stay safe!

[FotoTomas]

Bringing up old stuff but I wanted to add some spare change. *:)

I love 9mm for many reasons and I love the Browning Hi-Power as well. *Even so the M1911 rocks my boat more and while I will ALWAYS have my 9mm GLOCK 26 around the M1911 is what I would get of your two choices.

Of course you might get lucky like I did recently and found a S&W model 629 .44 magnum Mountain Gun for $300. * ;D

[jim]

The 1911 will outlast the HP with less maint. and parts replacement. The HP uses too many roll pins, and they tend to shoot loose after a while. As for caliber, no contest.
jim

[docsoos]

Of course you might get lucky like I did recently and found a S&W model 629 .44 magnum Mountain Gun for $300. * ;D


I'll give ya $305.00 for it.....................Okay, $310.00. ;D

DocSoos

[FotoTomas]

I'll give ya $305.00 for it.....................Okay, $310.00. ;D

DocSoos


Sorry... It went down the river for $600. ;D

[cubcadet]

Hey Bruenor,
Are you looking for a carry piece? Have you considered a revolver? Unless you`re planning on going into combat, wouldn`t a revolver do? How about the Bulldog Pug? I currently pack a Taurus 4", in .44 Spec 5 shot. I`m thinking of shortening the barrel and cutting off the hammer spur.
For autos, you can`t beat the .45 ACP. Stock Browning hi-powers are fine arms. I`m sure the variants are fine, too. As long as the fit is good.

[OzarksJohn]

Howdy.

I realize that this response is really late on this topic, but I like both the Hi-Power and the 1911. I have used both. I tend to think that for us civilians on a budget that the 9mm has a lot more going for it. As much as I like 1911 .45's, I've come to view the 9mm as far more practical in today's world. A good HP that will digest economy grade hollow point ammo is a real gem to carry and use. The reality of 9mm ball and .45 ball in civilian shootings isn't all that far apart in actual stops.OzarksJohn

[Bruenor]

So I thought I'd report back with what I ended up getting. I found a brand new CZ75 BD, with two mags, for $399 at a gun show a couple of weeks ago. The magazines hold 16 rounds, and the BD model comes as a DA/SA, with decocker. I've shot a couple hundred rounds of 9mm through it and I LOVE it.

Of course, now I'm looking for a good .45 or .44 magnum. :-/

[WRTN]

The CZ-75 is one of the finest hand guns available for the dollar spent. *You will be hard pressed to make one jam and once you have the point of impact aim site picture learned to memory, you will find it a VERY reliable as well as phenominal shot grouping firearm. *It carries and handle very well.

The Colt Officers ACP or one of the more recent versions out there such as some of the Springfield Armory or other models are good choices. *

.44 Magnum although no argument concerning power factor, it is not very practical as a carry weapon unless you can carry in the open and pretty much the only concealable carry .44 Mag that comes to my mind is a S&W Model 629-2. *It is still a heavy chunk of metal to carry. *An excellent backpack gun. *Where size and weight are NO factor along with muzzle blast and muzzle flash, the Desert Eagle in .44 Mag is a VERY accurate weapon. *The smooth bore rifling and hot ammo required make for very tight shot groups. *

Another very accurate 45 ACP is the AMT Hardballer Longslide IF you can find one. *They require a bit of trigger work and are finicky on ammo though but fun to shoot. *