# Trying to find a concealable 45 ACP Semi Auto Handgun For Conceal?



## bgreene89

Hey,
I just joined this forum hoping someone up here would know of a 45ACP handgun that is concealable. Obviously all of them are, but something as small as I can get. I was looking to conceal it with a in the pants holster with my shirt untucked. I have looked at the glock 36, but after doing some research I found it it had some malfunctions, and i'm not sure if they resolved them. Whats your opinions on the m&p compact 45ACP or the 40 S&W? Also how much bigger is the 45ACP in the m&p compact vs. the 40 s&w? Price does matter but I also can get them a little cheaper than retail being me and my dad run a gun shop. Willing to put around $500 in dealer cost. Also you would think I would know every gun out there are could just go behind the counter and get one and try it. Wrong we don't keep handguns in the inventory because of break ins, and here in North Carolina all handguns have to be shipped next day air. So it only puts the buyer waiting an extra day and we try to give them a good price break also so they will keep buying from us.


Sorry if my grammar is off a little

Blake


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## recoilguy

I would look very hard at the Kahr CW45. It is a very rekiable very very concealable gun!

Kahr is a quality gun manufacturer located in the USA and the CW 45 is not a lot of money. It is one that you can get a lot of holsters and has a very good warantee and Customer Service.

If I were looking for what you are thatis the gun I would get!

RCG


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## Smithboomer

I carried a Star PD .45 for years before switching over to a Colt Officers ACP in 1999. I have never looked back and have no need for any compact .45 beyond the Colt. Just my 2 cent.


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## tony pasley

I carry a full size 1911a1 year round


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## RiverDog

Bg:

If you are not a cop, you will never carry a .45 anything for too long. Beleive me. Over time, you will just not do that. Your comfort level will tell you it is impractical. 

If you are in a CCW state and want more then a knive in your pocket, I would suggest someting like a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR. That you can carry around without thinking about it. It has little to do with the caliber if you don't have the gun. If it is very small, you will always have it in the winter time. I'll always just be there. Very small pocket pistol. In the summer, I'm not sure.

The .22 LR round can be nasty. You would not want to stand eight feet away from someone shooting three or four of them. So the heavy carry becomes a moot point, because you will probably not have it on you anyway. (smile)

Most cops never shoot their guns, but carry them for thousands of hours. The likelyhood you will ever have to use your gun is nill. So it's not so much caliber, but do you have it. Trust me when I tell you you will not have it. I have a knife in my pocket and I forget it's there. But it's alway's there. That is because it is light and small and nothing I have to "think" about. 

Me? In one way or the other I'll gain your back and choke you down. With a legal blade it would be child's play. So I don't need to carry. But if I did, it would have to be small enough to always be there. And if it was, .22LR can get very nasty.


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## bgreene89

*Reply*



RiverDog said:


> Bg:
> 
> If you are not a cop, you will never carry a .45 anything for too long. Beleive me. Over time, you will just not do that. Your comfort level will tell you it is impractical.
> 
> If you are in a CCW state and want more then a knive in your pocket, I would suggest someting like a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR. That you can carry around without thinking about it. It has little to do with the caliber if you don't have the gun. If it is very small, you will always have it in the winter time. I'll always just be there. Very small pocket pistol. In the summer, I'm not sure.
> 
> The .22 LR round can be nasty. You would not want to stand eight feet away from someone shooting three or four of them. So the heavy carry becomes a moot point, because you will probably not have it on you anyway. (smile)
> 
> Most cops never shoot their guns, but carry them for thousands of hours. The likelyhood you will ever have to use your gun is nill. So it's not so much caliber, but do you have it. Trust me when I tell you you will not have it. I have a knife in my pocket and I forget it's there. But it's alway's there. That is because it is light and small and nothing I have to "think" about.
> 
> Me? In one way or the other I'll gain your back and choke you down. With a legal blade it would be child's play. So I don't need to carry. But if I did, it would have to be small enough to always be there. And if it was, .22LR can get very nasty.


I am starting BLET in January, and wanted to go ahead and try to find a concealable 45ACP for a backup gun when I am off duty. While I am on duty I plan to conceal carry a s&w 442 on my ankle. However, I completely understand were you are coming from. I use to own a Ruger LCP 380., and it was great other than the fact it jammed on me a couple of times needless to say it had to go. So which handgun would you pick Glock 36,m&p compact 40 or m&p compact 45?


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## Kharuger

I have Kahr CW45 and it's light and highly reliable... Kahr PM45 is even smaller (5+1) but more $.


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## TOF

M&P45 Compact. Small enough to hide but large enough to grip.
I am not a cop but do carry a M&P45c every day.
Use a quality IWB holster such as Galco and others sell and you will forget it is on your belt.


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## Tuefelhunden

TOF said:


> M&P45 Compact. Small enough to hide but large enough to grip.
> I am not a cop but do carry a M&P45c every day.
> Use a quality IWB holster such as Galco and others sell and you will forget it is on your belt.


+1

Of the choices you mention and considering other options as well the M&P compact would be hard to beat for what you are looking for.


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## P97

RiverDog said:


> Bg:
> 
> If you are not a cop, you will never carry a .45 anything for too long. Beleive me. Over time, you will just not do that. Your comfort level will tell you it is impractical.
> 
> If you are in a CCW state and want more then a knive in your pocket, I would suggest someting like a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR. That you can carry around without thinking about it. It has little to do with the caliber if you don't have the gun. If it is very small, you will always have it in the winter time. I'll always just be there. Very small pocket pistol. In the summer, I'm not sure.
> 
> The .22 LR round can be nasty. You would not want to stand eight feet away from someone shooting three or four of them. So the heavy carry becomes a moot point, because you will probably not have it on you anyway. (smile)
> 
> Most cops never shoot their guns, but carry them for thousands of hours. The likelyhood you will ever have to use your gun is nill. So it's not so much caliber, but do you have it. Trust me when I tell you you will not have it. I have a knife in my pocket and I forget it's there. But it's alway's there. That is because it is light and small and nothing I have to "think" about.
> 
> Me? In one way or the other I'll gain your back and choke you down. With a legal blade it would be child's play. So I don't need to carry. But if I did, it would have to be small enough to always be there. And if it was, .22LR can get very nasty.


Don't know what you call too long a time. I've carried a full size auto for over 5 years. I carry it year around and daily. It just depends on whether you want to carry it or not. I have a Smith Airweight, and choose to carry the Ruger P90.


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## john doe.

RiverDog said:


> Bg:
> 
> If you are not a cop, you will never carry a .45 anything for too long. Beleive me. Over time, you will just not do that. Your comfort level will tell you it is impractical.
> 
> If you are in a CCW state and want more then a knive in your pocket, I would suggest someting like a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR. That you can carry around without thinking about it. It has little to do with the caliber if you don't have the gun. If it is very small, you will always have it in the winter time. I'll always just be there. Very small pocket pistol. In the summer, I'm not sure.
> 
> The .22 LR round can be nasty. You would not want to stand eight feet away from someone shooting three or four of them. So the heavy carry becomes a moot point, because you will probably not have it on you anyway. (smile)
> 
> Most cops never shoot their guns, but carry them for thousands of hours. The likelyhood you will ever have to use your gun is nill. So it's not so much caliber, but do you have it. Trust me when I tell you you will not have it. I have a knife in my pocket and I forget it's there. But it's alway's there. That is because it is light and small and nothing I have to "think" about.
> 
> Me? In one way or the other I'll gain your back and choke you down. With a legal blade it would be child's play. So I don't need to carry. But if I did, it would have to be small enough to always be there. And if it was, .22LR can get very nasty.


I disagree. I carry my Glock 23 everywhere and have no problems with comfort or concealability. Sure, the likelyhood of using your weapon may be minimal but I still will carry a handgun that will do a better job for its intended purpose. If I carry anything smaller I won't carry anything smaller than my .380. In fact, I went from mostly carrying my .380 to my Glock and the transition was easier than I thought it would be. Just my 2 cents.


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## recoilguy

The guy River dog just joined this month then bad mouths carrying a gun on a gun site....HMMMMMM

He says no matter what he will gain your back and choke you down...HMmmmmmmmm

Someone asks for suggestions and this dude tosses out........ don't get a gun...... guns don't help .......specially if you are as tough and strong as he is. HMMMMMMmmmmm

Interesting and stimulating conversationalist I presume.

RCG


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## TOF

Troll wannabe?


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## MLB

OP was looking for suggestions for a concealable .45. I can't tell you much about hopping on someone's back with a pocket knife :smt083 , but you might want to consider the AMT Backup:

AMT Backup .45acp

No, I don't have one, Steve might if I recall correctly.


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## Tuefelhunden

Faster than a speeding bullet this trolloski is.


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## EliWolfe

If I were to be looking for a .45ACP to conceal, I would save up till I could afford either the little Kimber or the EMP. Yes the price is steep, but after a year or so you will have forgotten the "pain" and have an ideal weapon for a lifetime. Of course, I am not known for being a good money manager when it comes to firearms! :smt082
JMHO Eli


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## RiverDog

I apologize and don't mean any disrespect. I am not really like that. Over time you will come to know that is true.

Sometimes when I write, I try to bring out the two extremes of any augment or decision. In my mind -- and I know it may be a small mind (smile) -- it just sets up the playing field. As much as the knife thing was misunderstood, American wrestling will get you out of most very short distance problems. More often than not when you have to react, the person will be within 3' of you. That is just a statistics thing. The reason that is true is you have so little time to stop the threat. It is more a defensive thing than offense. You will only have a second or two and your best move will always be to bring the man down and secure him. Most of the time, bad situations are right up in your face. There is little or no time to be reaching for anything.

I had a trainer friend tell me once that it is very easy and this is the way it works. If he is on the ground and you are on top of him...you will win. 

Come on! I know we are in a handgun forum. That is why I am here and am interested. I guess what I was trying to say in stupid fashion was your best friend can also be knowing a few simple moves that will save your life -- and it is not a gun most of the time. More often than not a cop will be fighting to secure his weapon. That's the 3' rule.

As the feet increase, it becomes more and more unlikely that you will ever have to draw your weapon. That is just statistically true and supports my previous comments. Should that ever happen to be in that situation, it's not the caliber so much as do you have it. I guess that what I was trying to say before. If you are not a cop, you will probably not have it. That is statically true. And here is why.

You will be so bent over the caliber that you will not have the gun. That is because it is not joke carrying a large caliber gun. In a nutshell, it's just a pain in the ass and you will never do it. Cops do it all the time; but you will not do it. It is impractical. So what do you do?

First of all, learn American wrestling and carry a legal knife. (smile) Should that not be your cup-of-tea, carry something that is so small and light that you don't even know it is there. Then it will be there. 

The folks speaking here on .38 and up are right in a ballistics sense. I agree completely. I would recommend a .45. Don't make a magnum mistake unless it is a .22. Don't even feel you need +p rounds for 8'. Accurately, a .32 is a very good middle ground. Whatever you chose it has to be there. That's why I feel the .22 LR pocket pistol is the best basic CCW person carry. It will always be there.

And don't feel a smaller caliber is a disadvantage -- that is not true. In some ways the round can be more deadly. There is a rickshaw factor that makes them very nasty. That's just the way it works. If you just have to have a large gun....

Me? .45 is flat out good. (Not talking about charge. .44 mag, 10mm) There are small high caliber pistols out there and the folks on this thread spoke of very good ones. However, that are really not that small. But they are okay. But there is also one more thing to think about.

I don't want to get into all of the pro and con, but all semi-auto's are machines. If you don't even want to think of the tap and rack mentality, just buy a revolver. Some of them are kind of the same size. And they are flat out reliable. 

I like the Ruger LCR. It is a light gun fully loaded. It is not as small as you would think, but it does shoot very serious rounds. +p and up to a 44 mag. Understand that that will not be your range gun of choice. It will spatter and kick like your won't believe. The S&W was a boat load. But if you are just looking for a gun that will always go off and is flat out brutal, that is the gun. 

There are some issues where the blast starts to work on some parts. However, I think that is a moot point. It was not designed to be a range gun. And if you are concerned, just don't use +p rounds at the range. It is a machine. If you treat it like that it will be okay. Remember to clean it and bring it back to it's happy state. Don't go overboard. Most guns that are returned to the factory was because of over oiling or under oiling. That is statically true. 

Me? Common joe average CCW carry. I would recommend something like a Beretta Bobcat. Only because it will be there without you even knowing it is there and sometimes forgetting it is even there. I truly feel the accessibility is more powerful than the caliber.


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## Steve M1911A1

MLB said:


> OP...might want to consider the AMT Backup:
> 
> AMT Backup .45acp
> 
> No, I don't have one, Steve might if I recall correctly.


Yup.
It's my 24/7 carry piece. It's pocket-size, but it's accurate enough, and reliable enough.
It's a little rough when it's new, and it needs a little kitchen-table gunsmithing, but all of that is pretty simple and straightforward. (Ask me for details, if you buy one.)

Pocket-size pistols, in particular those firing major-power cartridges, are specialists' guns which require lots of experience and continuing practice from the user. They are difficult to shoot effectively and well.
If you intend to carry and use one, and you also intend to be effective with it, you must first become a very good shot with full-size pistols.

My wife prefers her .38 Special, S&W snubbie, although she also uses a Kel-Tec P3AT, and soon will add a Colt's M.1903/M.1908 in .380 ACP to her armory.
Her S&W Bodyguard is easier to shoot effectively than is my AMT .45 Backup, but also it's not as "powerful" (whatever that means).


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## RiverDog

EliWolfe said:


> If I were to be looking for a .45ACP to conceal, I would save up till I could afford either the little Kimber or the EMP. Yes the price is steep, but after a year or so you will have forgotten the "pain" and have an ideal weapon for a lifetime. Of course, I am not known for being a good money manager when it comes to firearms! :smt082
> JMHO Eli


I do like beautifully milled handguns. I would strongly suggest buying the one best gun you can afford. In the long run and over time, it will bring you the most joy. There is just something about beautifully milled handguns. Always buy the best one you can afford. The pleasure you will feel will over reach the price. You will never go wrong with buying quality.


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## RiverDog

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Yup.
> It's my 24/7 carry piece. It's pocket-size, but it's accurate enough, and reliable enough.
> It's a little rough when it's new, and it needs a little kitchen-table gunsmithing, but all of that is pretty simple and straightforward. (Ask me for details, if you buy one.)
> 
> Pocket-size pistols, in particular those firing major-power cartridges, are specialists' guns which require lots of experience and continuing practice from the user. They are difficult to shoot effectively and well.
> If you intend to carry and use one, and you also intend to be effective with it, you must first become a very good shot with full-size pistols.
> 
> My wife prefers her .38 Special, S&W snubbie, although she also uses a Kel-Tec P3AT, and soon will add a Colt's M.1903/M.1908 in .380 ACP to her armory.
> Her S&W Bodyguard is easier to shoot effectively than is my AMT .45 Backup, but also it's not as "powerful" (whatever that means).


I like the cut of her jib. I also like the S&W .38. But is has a kick. Do not put +P rounds into it. (After the range and into your bedroom, of course.) That .38 is not cycling against a spring? I like the cut of her jib. I'm sure she has told you it's really not that bad. You go girl! I don't understand why folks make so much of that. Pop, pop, pop from a revolver. It is a bit harder, but come on.

It is a machine. She understands and does that? I just don't understand the problem.


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## Steve M1911A1

RiverDog said:


> ...I'm sure she has told you it's really not that bad...


Quite the opposite. She will fire between 15 and 20 shots in practice, and then she has to stop because her hand hurts. (No, she doesn't use +P. We found cartridges that are very effective, but low in recoil.)
The .38 Special's recoil is why she's experimenting with the two .380 ACP guns. I get the feeling that her final choice will be the Colt's M.1903/M.1908, but that remains to be seen.

I gotta point out that Jean learned to shoot with a full-size Government Model in .45 ACP, and she is still very comfortable using it, even for extensive practice. The trouble is that it is almost bigger than she is, so there is no way she could ever conceal it on her small body.


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## spanish073187

EliWolfe said:


> If I were to be looking for a .45ACP to conceal, I would save up till I could afford either the little Kimber or the EMP. Yes the price is steep, but after a year or so you will have forgotten the "pain" and have an ideal weapon for a lifetime. Of course, I am not known for being a good money manager when it comes to firearms! :smt082
> JMHO Eli


+1
Just picked up a Kimber Pro Carry II and love it.


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## P97

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Quite the opposite. She will fire between 15 and 20 shots in practice, and then she has to stop because her hand hurts. (No, she doesn't use +P. We found cartridges that are very effective, but low in recoil.)
> The .38 Special's recoil is why she's experimenting with the two .380 ACP guns. I get the feeling that her final choice will be the Colt's M.1903/M.1908, but that remains to be seen.
> 
> I gotta point out that Jean learned to shoot with a full-size Government Model in .45 ACP, and she is still very comfortable using it, even for extensive practice. The trouble is that it is almost bigger than she is, so there is no way she could ever conceal it on her small body.


My Wife prefers the full size .45 also. She has a Ruger P345 and is quite proficient with it. Its her CCW.


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## samurai

Another vote for M&P45c- in your price range. I also carry a Colt Defender Plus-no longer available.


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## recoilguy

If I were looking for a concealable .45 that I could have dissapear and still be a good shooting reliable weapon even after reading the thread I still say the Kahr CW is the way I'd go. You really should go with what you are confident with.........The Kahr is a gun I shoot often and carry frequently. Thats not to say table gunsmithing an AMT or carrying a Kimber or any other 1911,r a wheel gun isnt right. I just like to know I can rely on my gun and I can rely on Kahrs.

RCG


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## heritage1909

*Colt New Agent 45*

I carry a Colt New Agent 45 with Crimson Trace Grips for concealed carry. Very reliable and accurate for concealed carry.


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## hideit

Glock 36. Compare the specs to the 3" 1911s and the cost and I think you will pick this one


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## Overkill0084

RiverDog said:


> Bg:
> 
> If you are not a cop, you will never carry a .45 anything for too long. Beleive me. Over time, you will just not do that. Your comfort level will tell you it is impractical.
> 
> If you are in a CCW state and want more then a knive in your pocket, I would suggest someting like a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR. That you can carry around without thinking about it. It has little to do with the caliber if you don't have the gun. If it is very small, you will always have it in the winter time. I'll always just be there. Very small pocket pistol. In the summer, I'm not sure.
> 
> The .22 LR round can be nasty. You would not want to stand eight feet away from someone shooting three or four of them. So the heavy carry becomes a moot point, because you will probably not have it on you anyway. (smile)
> 
> Most cops never shoot their guns, but carry them for thousands of hours. The likelyhood you will ever have to use your gun is nill. So it's not so much caliber, but do you have it. Trust me when I tell you you will not have it. I have a knife in my pocket and I forget it's there. But it's alway's there. That is because it is light and small and nothing I have to "think" about.
> 
> Me? In one way or the other I'll gain your back and choke you down. With a legal blade it would be child's play. So I don't need to carry. But if I did, it would have to be small enough to always be there. And if it was, .22LR can get very nasty.


I may never need my homeowner's insurance to rebuild my house after a fire either, but I won't be cancelling it either. I'm too old & out of shape to be engaging in hand to hand combat in a SD situation. A .22 CAN be nasty, but I would guess that out of a small pocket pistol, the results may be a bit disappointing. I wouldn't carry anything under .380, but then I'm not a hand to hand badass.


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## Bisley

I carry an XD45 Compact, year round, and a spare mag. That's a double-stack pistol and 24 rounds of .45 ACP, and yes it is heavy. But, if you are going to make the commitment to carry a lethal weapon, carry something that you are confident with, carry it every day, and just get used to the pain and discomfort. 

It doesn't have to be a .45...but .45's are very good.


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## RiverDog

You guys make me smile. I love the cut-of-your-jib.

Not only do you know handguns inside and out, but you have a responsible sense for what is the right gun for the person. And that means a lot. What I may like may mean nothing to the person standing next to me. I love the .45, but also love shooting a .22LR semi-auto at the range. It is just flat-out fun...and flat out cheaper. Ammo is just becoming very expensive. You can easily go through fifty bucks in a very short period of time. Shooting has become more expensive than golf -- and I stopped that because it just became way too expensive. 

.22 rounds used to be a penny a piece. Those days are over. .22 rounds are pricey now. I am amazed how much ammo has gone up in ten years. But the .22 is still the best bang for your buck and it is fun to shoot. If it is not fun, you will not do it. If you don't do it, you will never get as good as these guys. What they do came from thousands and thousands of rounds. If it is not fun and cheap, you will not do that. 

For home defense, I think the .45 is your gun of choice. It is a softer fire and the ballistics are devastating. The magnums and +P+ rounds do very well for bears. Listen to the folks here that have been there/done that. There are probably a lot of cops that have been trained. You just cant't beat the training thing. Here, you get it for free. Listen. 

Let me take a minute or two. Always support the police. Do whatever you can to support their efforts. There are very few people on earth that will risk their life to save yours. Always have the utmost respect for that. The same respect you already have for our US army. It is very much the same thing. Support them anyway you know, how. Explain to the children why the police are their best friends. Be just one voice that makes sense to a kid. That will stick in their mind. And then there will be an argument that makes some sense. Most kids are pure. They want that support. They have to believe that there are thousands and thousands of people that believe the same thing. If enough people take the time to do that, it will feed upon itself. I saw that happen with a small troubled bunch of kids. It works.

Forgive me for going off subject. I just had to say that. I live in an area where kids can go bad very fast. Their information can be very bad. And then it become a mind set. In their bones, they are pure little kids. Propaganda and kids has worked for thousands of years. A pure child will make a very bad mistake, because of the propaganda. It works because the support is feeding the mentality. That has to stop.

In a nutshell, be very open and talk about that. Help the kid to understand how easy it is to ruining his life. Help him to "see" the picture. Help him to "see" the steps that lead up to the very bad mistake. Only then will there ever be an argument. A decision. Most kids are pure. They will remember what you told them. That is your power. 

One kid walking away from the bad situation because he understands.

And that is your power. He understands.


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## Steve M1911A1

To quote P.G. Woodhouse (in particular, Jeeves): We endeavor to please, sir.


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## Hollander

The Kahrs are great guns. Many people like the smaller sized Kimbers. I have the Springfield EMP9 and just got the Springfield Ultra Compact Stainless .45 which has a 3.5 inch barrel and weighs 33 oz. Alot of people bash the short barreled .45's but the new Ultra Compact out of the box has had no mistakes through 150 rds of three different types of ammo. I carry the EMP owb but it is a little more difficult to conceal that way. I usually carry a PPS .40 which really is easily concealed. Try to "fondle" as many as you can and see what feels good. Most of the smaller guns are easy to hide including some of the .45's. Do a lot of research, looking, and talking to shooters if you can. I am sure there is a gun out there for you, you just have to find it on your own terms.


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## RiverDog

Kahr CW45:

Trigger cocking DAO; lock breech; "Browning - type" recoil lug; passive striker block; no magazine disconnect


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## RiverDog

Hollander said:


> The Kahrs are great guns. Many people like the smaller sized Kimbers. I have the Springfield EMP9 and just got the Springfield Ultra Compact Stainless .45 which has a 3.5 inch barrel and weighs 33 oz. Alot of people bash the short barreled .45's but the new Ultra Compact out of the box has had no mistakes through 150 rds of three different types of ammo. I carry the EMP owb but it is a little more difficult to conceal that way. I usually carry a PPS .40 which really is easily concealed. Try to "fondle" as many as you can and see what feels good. Most of the smaller guns are easy to hide including some of the .45's. Do a lot of research, looking, and talking to shooters if you can. I am sure there is a gun out there for you, you just have to find it on your own terms.


Alot of people bash the short barreled .45's but the new Ultra Compact out of the box has had no mistakes through 150 rds of three different types of ammo.


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## Springfield Armory

All the options so far sound good,also take a look at the Colt Defender (3" 1911,my favorite of the compact ones).


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## ralphf

I carry a sig sauer p220 (r) in my wasteband. I am retired law enforcement and perhaps I just got used to it over the years, but I will always carry a .45acp.


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