when it comes to maximizing stopping power many serious gun owners opt for the 45 acp caliber for their self-defense and concealed carry needs the 45 acp has a reputation for being a powerful round and as a result of that many people fear.

Shooting it especially those who have limited experience with guns because of this it's not a caliber that's recommended for beginner shooters we're looking for a first self-defense handgun however once you learn how to accurately shoot the 45.

You'll appreciate the raw power that most other handgun calibers just can't offer with so many choices available on today's market choosing the best 45 pistol for you can be both time consuming and frustrating to save you the time researching we've compiled a list of the best 45 acp.

Handguns along with their specifications and descriptions to help you choose the perfect one to suit your needs well there are a number of high quality 45 caliber pistols out there the guns covered in this video are some of the most well-rounded and diverse pistols on the market each.

Of these models have set the standard for reliability and accuracy they're excellent for home defense and will make a great addition to your firearms collection the new x-tac elite in full and compact sizes is a unique choice for shooters looking.

For a practical custom pistol that comes standard with cutting edge performance options the bi-directional x-tac front strap mainspring housing and slide caulking serrations offer an enhanced grip and improve durability over traditional checkering in severe hard use environments.

Scientifically designed by bill wilson to work with wet or dry hands with or without gloves the extact pattern redefines secure shooting comfort and gun handling without the coarse often painful nature of other grip treatments in tandem with our aggressive g10.

Starburst grips the extact serrations lock securely into the firing hand and reduce muzzle flip without snagging on clothes or cover garments chambered in 45 9 millimeter and 38 super the striking good looks of the extact elite barrel comes from upgrades like a fluted chamber and a flush cut reverse crown standard.

Performance features like our reload enhancing one piece bulletproof magwell and our robust rear battle site with fiber optic front sight ensure getting rounds on target has never been faster extra detail is lavished on the x-tac elite slide with top and rear slide.

Serrations which cut down on glare machined carry cuts ball and mill cuts and a heavy bottom slide chamfer that streamlines your pistol's profile and reduces sharp edges while the full-size option is perfect for competition and duty use the x-tac elite is also available in a compact.

Size ideal for concealed carry the shorter grip and round butt one-piece bulletproof magwell ensures comfortable carry even in vehicles and the shorter slide clears the holster faster getting you into the fight sooner with unique options like the concealment hammer and grip.

Safety as well as countersunk slide stop this smaller x-tac elite will become your new favorite for everyday carry the hk45 is a polymer frame recoil operated handgun chambered in 45 acp offered in a number of different variants and models different models the hk45 include the full-size hk45 and the compact hk45c.

A tactical version of both the compact and the full-size model are offered giving the shooter an extended threaded barrel capable of suppressor use the tactical models are also offered in the black tan and od green frames different trigger variants of the hk45 and 45c include the limb or lem variant as well as a traditional.

Double action model allowing the shooter to carry the handgun either with a hammer forward in traditional level action mode or caught a lot with the optional thumb safety like the p30 series of handguns the hk45 incorporates a removable backstrap of various sizes allowing the shooter to better fit the.

Grip to their hand the hk45 and 45c is a robust line of handguns with test samples going more than 45 thousand rounds without major parts breakage of failures it's the choice of a number of special operations groups around the world and it's also equally at home in the hands of a law enforcement officer.

Or civilian shooters alike there's no doubt that the pistol game has significantly changed especially when it comes to carry pistols but windows to the sides is that really necessary maybe not and it's nice to know that nighthawk customs has remembered that the bull commander.

As you see here has just those things that you need and not too much of the stuff that is unnecessary the bull commander has a 4.25 inch match grade barrel finishing out the front of the bull commander is what nighthawk custom calls the bullnose front it has this slant you see right here.

This actually aids in getting the pistol back into the holster easier when it's time to send rounds downrange you'll find that the sights are extremely adequate there's a tritium front dot sight and a heinie ledge straight a rear sight love or hate the 1911 there's no denying.

That the single stack frame is easy to get a grip on it points well and this particular one is very controllable even though it's chambered in 45 acp it has tremendous shootability and part of that is thanks to the three and a half to four pound.

Trigger which is extremely crisp when it comes time to reload this one piece magwell mainspring housing is going to be a real treat for you hi i'm julie golub with the newest addition from the performance center the m p shield m 2.0 with four inch barrel it's pretty special.

Because it is ideal for ccw right out of the box all three come with two magazines one flush fit one extended it also features front cocking serrations and the trigger has a tactile and audible reset this firearm also features a pc tuned action so you have a little bit of extra.

Smoothness built right in this firearm has all of the features of the m 2.0 family but what really makes it stand out is the fact that it is optics ready you have a four inch barrel that means a longer sight radius if you choose to use the fiber optics but this super slim.

Option with the red dot makes it the first of its kind it's a great feature for super fast shooting and very very efficient for ccw because it's super slim you can purchase this firearm in three different configurations a non-ported non-red dot version a red dot version without porting and then.

Finally a ported version with a red dot this is the walther ppq45 when you think about a polymer frame striker fired handgun chambered in 45 acp the first thing most people think about is an unwieldy difficult to manage pistol with a lot of recoil but to the contrary walters flagship 45.

Is perhaps the most comfortable easy to shoot handgun in its category when you consider the ppq45 is at its heart of ppq you know you've got phenomenal ergonomics in the grip and the angle of the grip to the slide and yes it's got the ppq trigger so it's going to be extremely.

Easy and fun to shoot the ppq45 comes in a foam lined hard case with two 12-round magazines a chamber flag a detailed instruction manual and a doj approved lock the slide and barrel are tena for coated to resist corrosion and the slide has front and rear serrations.

Making it easy to manipulate on the top of the slide you have no snag low profile three dot polymer sites for rapid aiming and target acquisition and the rear sight is adjustable for windage under the front of the frame you have a picatinny rail where you can mount an optional flashlight.

Laser or laser light combo the ppq grip is the focus of much praise in the industry with its aggressive non-slip cross-directional surface which provides you with the perfect fit as well as great control and confidence when shooting add to that the ppq45 comes with a small and large interchangeable back strap and.

You're going to have a customizable fit that will make this one of the most comfortable pistols in your collection the ppq trigger is second to none the initial pull is 5.6 pounds with four tenths of an inch travel and one tenth of an inch reset so you'll be accurately and quickly putting follow-up shots.

On target the ppq has three internal safeties two drop safeties and one on the firing pin block for safe carry the slide stop is ambidextrous and conveniently positioned for thumb operation but won't interfere with a modern style pistol hold.

Magazine release button is also ergonomically placed for easy operation and can be positioned for right or left-handed shooters the ppq45 weighs in at 28 ounces empty and measures 1.3 inches wide and 5.8 inches tall with an overall length of 7.4 inches fall in love with the 45 caliber.

Round all over again with the surprisingly easy to handle and extremely fun to shoot walther pbq45 what i've got here is the 220 legion what does legion mean well i'll tell you what those of us who shoot professionally for a living both military law enforcement competitive shooters you know we go out there.

We buy a stock gun we do all kinds of things to it custom triggers uh custom grips custom sights do a lot of enhancements on the gun to make the gun more suitable for the professional shooter while the legion series coming at you right out of the box with all those features on it ready to go looking at the gun.

Tell you what beautiful gray finish on this gun really looks nice on the grip down here you've got custom g10 grips with the legion emblem on it these g10 grips feel really nice i'll tell you what your hand really just sticks to this gun aiding in that purchase on the gun is.

Some aggressive front front strap checkering and aggressive checkering up underneath the trigger guard so it really feels real nice hand kind of sticks to it what i also like about the grip on this gun are two additional things you have a real deep undercut up.

Underneath the trigger guard here kind of the x5 undercut and this thin beaver tail which really allows your hand to get up high so those two things combined your hand hits up high in this gun so you got good height bore access on the gun real shootable and it needs to be because the 220.

What's that mean 45 acp yes indeed 45 acp means you got three 45 caliber magazines and the 220 is chambering 45 as you know so it's right out of the box ready to throw those hard balls downrange with the legion you've got the custom trigger so this is a gray guns trigger i'll tell you what this trigger is just.

Silky smooth and beautiful it is a double action slash single action meaning your first shots double action coming about 10 pounds and your second shot after that and every subsequent shot is at 4.4 pounds you also have a short reset trigger so when you fire the gun you reset that trigger.

I'll tell you what lightning fast getting back on target real quick trigger pressures with this gun but that grey guns trigger wow i'll tell you what talk about smooth very smooth trigger on top of the gun you got the sig custom x-ray sights up front a big green dot that green dot.

About glues itself to any target you put it on and also tritium so it's going to glow in the dark as well as your two tritium diodes in the back so that is the 220 legion get yourself one you