[Mustangkyle]

I'm looking at pistols an I'm thinking of an hk45 in .45cal does anyone have any suggestion other than that. Or does anyone have any bad sides of the hk like the o-ring barrel

 

[carver]

If you are buying a home defense gun, go for it, they make a good gun. If it's something you will be carring, then you had better be looking at the extra weight of the 10 + rounds. Understand that this is a combat pistol. Not a CCW pistol.

 

[PanhandlePop]

Other suggestions??? Yes, there are many good handgun choices in 45 acp, and, as noted by Carver, much will depend on the intended purpose--target, plinking, competition, CCW, HD, etc--your budget, and mechanical preference--SA/DA, DA only, striker fired, 1911 design, and so on. So, borrow or rent some different guns you might be interested in and see what seems to suit you best. And BTW, HK makes a good product.

 

[Mustangkyle]

Thanks for the suggestions guy's. the ideal purpose for the gun is secondary backup while hunting(especially during muzzle loader season) but if I can get my carry permit in pa in a few months I would carry it also. I like the look of the hk45 and it has a hammer which I have deemed to be very important for ease of use and for when I am hunting I can de-cock the hammer unlike the glock or the Springfield xd. So you can carry with one in the camber and not have to worry about the gun in the holster, the safety, or having to pull the slide back at the moment you need it to fire. Also the o-ring barrel is concerning cause I just wander if its going to wear out or do I have to replace it every time I clean the gun. The accessory rails although not really important are nice. As much as I'd like to have a steal frame gun like the colt 1911 in .45 I feel that a polymer gun may stand up to the conditions better and who knows it may even be cheaper to replace parts. Thanks for your help I'll definitely have to go try them on for size to bad it's hard to do after the sandy hook massacre.

 

[Highpower3006]

I know that everyone has their own preferences as to what they want in a particular gun as far as intended use is concerned. But, I don't think that the external hammer on the HK is all that big a deal, not that HK doesn't make a fine gun, I just don't see that as being the main selling point.

If the HK is a double action pistol then having one in the chamber with the safety off is just about the same as having any other gun carried in the same condition. The XD line of pistols have a grip safety, so cannot fire until the gun is gripped properly. Glocks have no safety to speak of, but if carried in the proper holster there is no likelihood of them going off all by themselves. Revolvers have no safety at all and would be the same as a double action pistol carried with the hammer down and the safety off.

The main thing is, if you need to draw the gun and fire it quickly, can it be done fast enough to address the situation? Out here in the west there is the very real possibility of running into a bear or mountain lion. Sometimes it happens in thick brush or woods where there is no time to be fumbling with a safety. For this reason I carry a 4" .44 magnum revolver, just draw it and fire.

What you need to do is address the training issue. Go out and practice drawing and firing with whatever gun you buy. As you become familiar with it, you will find that whatever type of motions you have to do in order to bring it into firing condition will become automatic.

 

[old semperfi]

1st as far as what lasts longer,i have a 45 gov model made in 1913,i think that makes it 100 years old.i carry it cocked and locked and beleive me i can get it into action fast.the hk for me is too big for my hands,and if i was wearing gloves forget it.let me know when your plastic gun hits 100 and we will see.old semperfi

 

[CampingJosh]

let me know when your plastic gun hits 100 and we will see.old semperfi

I don't have any plans to be shooting in my late 120s, so I don't worry too much about if a gun will last 100 years.

Besides, the first generation of HK "plastic" pistols is now past 40 years old and doing fine. Glocks are past 30 and show no signs of the polymer degrading. Shoot, the old Nylon 66 is well past 50 and still highly regarded.

I don't worry about modern polymers holding up to the years.

 

[gvw3]

I have every intention on shooting well past the 120 mark. I am half way there now.

 

[dad2thebone]

I like the HKs I just like my ruger more. Its my main carry and im used to it. p345 is great, has never let me down.

 

[WHSmithIV]

I'm with old semperfi... maybe it's just because we're both vets. The very first pistol I ever learned to shoot at 17 years old was the 1911 in the good ole US Navy. It will always be my favorite pistol. It 'feels' like the deadly pistol that it is. I carry mine full mag, one in the chamber hammer down. If I need it, I draw and cock the hammer at the same time. As with anything, practice makes perfect. For me, I like the single action for the light trigger. I have double action revolvers but I much prefer the 1911. Somehow, I just don't like the thought of a plastic pistol. That's exactly what polymers are - special plastics.

 

[harleyhobie]

I've had a hk usp in 45 for a few weeks now. it shoots great one of my more accurate 45's may take over for my glock 21 as favorite, at least till i get my kimber

 

[carver]

Thanks for the suggestions guy's. the ideal purpose for the gun is secondary backup while hunting(especially during muzzle loader season) but if I can get my carry permit in pa in a few months I would carry it also. I like the look of the hk45 and it has a hammer which I have deemed to be very important for ease of use and for when I am hunting I can de-cock the hammer unlike the glock or the Springfield xd. So you can carry with one in the camber and not have to worry about the gun in the holster, the safety, or having to pull the slide back at the moment you need it to fire. Also the o-ring barrel is concerning cause I just wander if its going to wear out or do I have to replace it every time I clean the gun. The accessory rails although not really important are nice. As much as I'd like to have a steal frame gun like the colt 1911 in .45 I feel that a polymer gun may stand up to the conditions better and who knows it may even be cheaper to replace parts. Thanks for your help I'll definitely have to go try them on for size to bad it's hard to do after the sandy hook massacre.

I don't know what part of the country you live in, or what dangers you might face while out in the woods hunting. But if you intend to carry this pistol all day long, you might want to consider either a different gun, or load only 7 rounds in the mag. I carry a 1911A, and I can tell you now that if I was doing anything other than walking, or standing, I would be carring a lighter gun myself! Just remember that the 1911 has been carried all over the world by our troups, and it has proven it's self to be a pistol that you can rely on, no matter the conditions. I would not hesitate to use the H&K, and I would not worry about the polymer framed guns, but the steel of the 1911 will hold up just as well, if not better in the long run. However, if I were worried about bears, or big cats, the .45 would not be my gun of choice! I would step up to the .44 mag revolver.