Best big-bore concealed carry piece

Talk about something that's subjective!

Well, might as well ask. What's the best concealed carry big bore (.44 and up) and why?

Kimber Ultra? Springfield's .45 GAP mini?

All I know for sure is that it ain't my 4.5 pound/9"barrelled/55gr/.454 ball Walker.

[MegaGlide]

Officer sized, alloy framed .45 acp.

[LittleBear]

I agree with Mega, but I carry and Ultra, being short and all.

[16X9 Shooter]

Glock 30 is 45 ACP.

I'm a 1911A1 guy from way back, so I tend to look for a similar design in a compact. The Springfield looks nice, but it's in .45GAP, not .45ACP. The Kimber Ultra is the other .45ACP I like the look of.

Still, I don't want to pass up any reasonable possibilities. I'm assuming that any .44 or .45 revolver would have way too much bulk with that fat cylinder, and those little toy derringers and stamped steel single-shot things are out, so I'm back to semi-autos, smallest possible with a magazine that holds a few rounds.

[Harris]

For today my answer is the Colt Officer's Model, or the Defender.

If Springfield makes their XD sub-compact in .45 ACP (rumor has it they're headed that way), that would be smaller, lighter, and have a higher magazine capacity. Right now the XD-45 Compact would sure be in the running. It's got a 10 round magazine for concealed carry, and a thirteen round (with a grip extension) for service.

Harris

[MegaGlide]

Well, specifically, mine is the Kimber Custom Combat, or Combat Custom, or something like that from their custom shop a few years back.
4" bbl, Officer's size alloy frame, dehorned, tritium sights, etc.

[trackstar55]

I prefer a nice single stack compact 1911 in .45acp. Kimber makes an nice Ultra RCP II, but the sights are a little difficult to get used to. Here is the link

http://www.kimberamerica.com/pistols...p/ultrarcp.php

If you want to go the revolver route, Smith and Wesson also makes a 3" .45acp. Here is the link.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...-1&isFirearm=Y


I have personally carried a Kimber Pro Carry HD II for two years and find it very comfortable. It is a 4" .45acp.

The Glock 30 or Glock 36 are other options. I would prefer the 30 before the 36.

[FXDRYDR]

If S&W, Glock and Sig are first tier, then it's second tier -- but if you want some horsepower to pack for self defense and that you'll actually shoot on occasion, you might take a look at the Charter Arms .44 Bulldog. It's been around a long time, is simple, made in USA and was designed to do exactly what I described.

[Gunfixer]

I've carried a full size gov't model in a Milt Sparks Summer Special inside the waistband holster for years. As long as you have a little meat on your bones it hides just fine under a loose T-shirt. The extra barrel length makes hits a lot easier under stress.

[Harris]

I just got a nice snub-nose revolver. The Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull/.45 colt. The cylinder is off to the pistolsmith right now so I will also be able to fire .45 ACP's using moon clips. Should be a nice ankle gun, plus the .454 Casull cartridges look like AA batteries.



Harris

[MegaGlide]

Ankle gun?
Maybe if you have ankles like Tipper Gore and wear bell bottoms...

[LittleBear]

Originally Posted by MegaGlide

Ankle gun?
Maybe if you have ankles like Tipper Gore and wear bell bottoms...

I still like the 45 acp 1911 as the best big bore carry gun that is thin and easy to conceal. I put slim grips on mine and the thickest part of the gun is where the safety is. It disappears with a baggy t-shirt or any loose button down casual shirt. I have the Ultra, but with any 3" 1911, Kimber, Springfield or whoever, you take your chances on how well it will work. Once you get one reliable, they are one sweet shooter. The 4" or 4 1/4 inch barrel guns tend to be more reliable out of the box.

I've got a S&W CS40...but I really like the Sig P232.

Harris, how does that Ruger handle with the .454s in it? Wrist-buster?

The extra thickness of that big cylinder might be a problem for concealed carry, but I don't know. Worth a look, and so is the .44 Bulldog, even though I started out thinking semi-auto only.