Polymer Grips
I need new .45 pistol, suggestions?
I like 1911s and all but it seems that everyone and their sister has one. I like the FNP-45 but I don’t know if I want the polymer grip- I prefer traditional wood grips. Any suggestions, comments would be helpful.
If you are looking for a traditional wood grip .45 that is not a 1911, there are a couple of choices:
CZ97 – Steel construction, walnut grips, looks really nice in blue, DA/SA with an external safety. I’ve shot several and they have been accurate and reliable. The only reason why I don’t own one is that they don’t come with an ambi – safety, I’m a lefty and I haven’t bothered finding a custom shop that would fit in an ambi for me.
EAA Witness, specifically the Elite Limited model being my preference, a very nice trigger, single action, high capacity wood grips standard. Very accurate and a reasonably popular competition gun. Definately higher end than the CZ97. The EAA Witness Standard models are quite nice guns without all of the trimmings of the Elite line.
The Sig P220 is also an excellent firearm, and now they have the SA version with ambi external safeties vs. their traditional DA/SA. They don’t come with a wood grip I don’t think, but they are definately available. Also single stack so there is a bit more grip angle than a 1911 for those that prefer the handshake grip to the fist grip, but still not as wide as a ParaOrdinance, for example.
Of these, the one that is on my personal list is the P220 SA with the ambi safeties. I’ve shot them all quite a bit, and being a lefty, I don’t particularly like having to customize a gun right out of the shoot, otherwise the CZ97 is a quality firearm, and quite accurate for the price. The comparable EAA Witness guns in 45 are also quality firearms, but do not have the full length slide rails of the CZ97 which I feel adds a slightly greater amount of weight at muzzle improving the balance. Similarly, the new SIG P220′s are running with an accessory rail which serves the same purpose for me.
The high end Witness Elite Limited guns are really very nice guns and built from the ground up for racing. So if you are hand loading and tuning a load in, they are an absolute bargain for their quality. However, like any high end race gun (I have an SVI in .40 for example) they are a bit finicky and temperamental until you find ammo they like and they are broken in. This isn’t too serious an issue, and if I didn’t already have a .40 caliber race gun that wouldn’t keep me from getting one, but it does take a bit of time.
Also, I believe Smith and Wesson is making a .45 – in their own original design, as opposed to their recent 1911 endevors. It is one of the TSW models. I’ve never shot one of these in .45, but have in 9mm and .40S&W and they are quality firearms that are reliable, shoot well and reasonably priced. They also had one out of the Performance Center – I think it was the 952, which is a beautiful handgun, and shoots absolutely wonderfully. It has been a bit, and I don’t think the one I shot was a .45, but I think that was available.
Of course, there are number polymer grip/frame .45′s out there, Glock, HK, FN (as you mentioned), Kahr, as well as any number of 1911s. While I own a couple of 1911′s myself, I entirely understand the desire to branch out a bit.
Good luck with you search!
Thinkingblade
1911s: Norinco vs. Armscor