Thanks all for the suggestions, info and pictures.

I will try to answer all the questions. I have had 3 examples of the HK USPc 45. Great pistols, but not for me. The DA triggers on all 3 were less than adequate.

I will be trying a HK 45C. Friend of mine is loaning me one next week.

I have shot the G30 several times. While very accurate and reliable, it was too bulky, for me.

The G30S I shot kept pinching my finger between the bottom of the grip frame and the mag base. No go.

I did try the XDE in 45. I hated the trigger and the gun felt.....awful, to me.

The shield 45 I have shot extensively as an instructor at the local indoor range. I've never understood all the hype around those guns. Lousy trigger and I found my CS45 to be a much softer shooter. Even the XDs 45 was a softer shooter.

I would not consider a shield.

I am also going to shoot a G36 again.

But for the time being, I am carrying my 457 again. And wondering if I should just keep carrying it and call it good.

Thanks again for all the assistance! Best regards, 18DAI

The Kahr CW 45 is my choice. It nice and flat and disappears iwb.

I have been carrying an H&K 45C for some time. It is not only accurate, but the recoil is very easy to control. This is a great LEOSA/CCW pistol to carry with a proper holster.

VARETFED

I agree, most "Compact 45s" are still pretty big.

I have a USP45ct, but it almost always has a can on it so it does not count. I use it because the grip size is smaller than my USP 45 Tactical and many shooters prefer the smaller frame





I have lots of Commander and Officer sized 1911s, but even the Officers are still large unless we are talking about belt carry





What I consider to be the only TRUE sub-compact 45ACP suto loader that I own and carry is my Boberg



I know that since the Boberg design was sold to Bond Arms, only the 9MMs are currently available, but that will change

That 45ACP Boberg has a 3.75" barrel, considerably longer than any Officers size 1911 and just .03" shorter than a Glock 36. I guaranty you will like the trigger, it is truly astounding. The pistol carries 6+1 and works wonderfully well even with 45ACP+P and 45SUPER. The rotating barrel design dramatically reduces perceived recoil

I enjoy pocket carry with the Bobergs.

S&W 457

Sig 220 carry.

I have , in the past, carried an Officers Model Colt but it is just too heavy.
Then a Kahr PM 45. It did not hold up well in my training regime, literally wore it out. Follow that with an XDS. Totally reliable and stands up well to hard use. BUT. Being a small plastic pistol with aggressive handle, it can punish you. Currently carrying a Dan Wesson CCO. Nice aluminum frame, insanely accurate. A fellow I work with just picked up a Colt Night Defender and it is a nice package.As for capacity, I am an adherent of the "You'll run out of time before you run out of bullets" philosophy.

For me it's the Sig 1911 RCS .45. Commander length bbl., Officer's Model grip length, alloy frame, Novak tritium night sights and a melted, no hang ups presentation. When I'm carrying a .45, this is the gun and by far my favorite 1911 over the 50+ years of shooting/carrying them. Rod

My favorite is S&W Shield 45 with extended mag I get 7+1 for 8 rounds total. I think that's enough rounds for local work, I switch to a G30s with 10+1 and two spares if going to Chicago. Also, occasionally don an S&W PC945 in an OWB holster, but it shoots a little below POA for me requiring an unusual sight alignment.

Really? Have you shot a 2.0. I shot one recently (a Compact not a Shield), and thought the trigger was okay.

quote:

Originally posted by 18DAI:

The shield 45 I have shot extensively as an instructor at the local indoor range. I've never understood all the hype around those guns. Lousy trigger and I found my CS45 to be a much softer shooter. Even the XDs 45 was a softer shooter.

I would not consider a shield.

While I think the stock Shield 2.0 triggers are an improvement, I install Apex trigger kits in all my Shields. I have the 9mm, 40sw, as well as 45ACP. Makes a world of difference.

quote:

will be trying a HK 45C. Friend of mine is loaning me one next week

I like HKs. I have a a .45C. I like my 45C. It has many virtues. It’s trigger is.......not one of them. . If you don’t like the USP trigger the 45C double action will....well it will re level set the USP trigger for you.

Honest I thought the XD45 compact mod 2 was a pretty darn good small modern .45.

My Shield 2.0 includes an Apex Kit, Triji Night Sights and Hogue Grip sleeve.
It's a very accurate and sweet shooter and not much bigger/heavier than a stock 9MM Shield. The stock trigger was OK, but the Apex brings it to the next level.

It shoots better in my hands than my 9mm 2.0 set up exactly the same....and better than my 2 HK 30Sk's.

Agree with Dr. Shame. ^^^

S&W Shield .45.

Ridiculously easy to carry concealed. It's so soft shooting, I can't explain it. It's shoots less briskly than my W. German P220. I don't know how the engineers did it, but they did. Accurate as hades. Crazy accurate. Smith got this one right.

Sig P220 carry SAS. Not much smaller than a full size, but I carried the full size for 20+ years with no concealment problems. Back problems, non carrying related, led me to appendix carry.
For conventional CCW, flat single stack in a Milt Sparks IWB for the win!

Springfield XDS .45 here.

Would carry it to a variety of meetings in a sticky pocket holster.

My P245 finds itself in my rotation quite a bit in the winter.

USPc 45. I don't know why anyone would use the double action on it. It sucks! I even changed mine to variant 9 so that I could not accidentally decock it.

I also like my Wiley Clapp Lightweight Commander.

Thanks again all for the continued info and pics.

Again, the shield 45 is not a consideration, for me. And yes, I have shot two different examples of the 2.0 shield 45. To diagnose problems with them for customers. Both were suffering FTFs. Cleaning the mags and replacing the followers SEEMS to have fixed the problem. I wouldn't accept one as a gift. But buy what you want and like what you will.

I shot the HK45c yesterday. VERY nice gun and it shot like a lazer. I may buy it. But "compact"? Not really a "small" gun.

I also shot my friends XDs 45 - original version. It was a handfull and the checkering on the grip frame was a bit much, for me. But it was accurate, reliable and thin. IWB with it would be very comfortable. I am considering it too.

And I am still thinking about the Mod 2 XDs 45. A very nice compact 45 that feels good in the hand and has a grip safety. I like manual safeties on guns. Especially on striker fired plastic guns. Anyone know if its possible to delete the loaded chamber indicator? Or render it inoperable?

Thanks again for everyones input! Regards 18DAI

I've got a couple nice Sig Compacts (a P220 SAO Compact and a P245 Custom Shop "One of 75" pistols), but my usual "Go To" .45 these days is this Nighthawk Custom T3. Though heavier than the alloy framed Sigs, its still a bit less bulky and slightly lighter than my Commander sized Nighthawk GRPII.