Originally posted by Saurdaukar
So true Hangtime. =) Obviously everyone has their prefrence with pistols - I think I can show some light in the subject here. Im working at a rifle range right now - extra cash for college - and we have pistols and rifles available to rent. Many of the guns listed in this thread we have at the range - some are good - some are not.
First and formost Ill push my personal favorite - the Colt 1911A1 .45ACP. For concealed carry - a fullsize 1911 is a workout. The pistol weighs a good amount and the rounds arent exactly featherlight either. A compact Commander, Officer's Carry, or Defender offer both shorter barrels and lighter weight. The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round is - bar none - the best self defense round in existance. The velocity and the weight of the slug are enough to put anyone out of action for good. Think of it this way - a 9mm is very fast, but light - almost like driving a nail into something with a hammer. A .45 ACP... is the hammer - slow and heavy (if the sun is at the right angle, you can watch the bullet fly through the air - that slow). Knockdown power is what you want. It doesnt have good armor penetration, but I doubt anyone you might have to defend yourself from is wearing Class 3 body armor. 
Anyway - the 1911A1 is simply the finest pistol out there. It dominates in professional pistol shooting and is the prefered choice for concealed carry. Ive owned two Colt's in the past year or so and Ive never had ANY problems with them. A brand new rollmarked 1991A1 (slightly redesigned) will run you about $550 - higher end and custom models will run you more. I would stay away from any other 1911 producer other than Wilson Combat ($2000+ range here) for carry. Kimbers are better shooting guns out of the box, but are prone to reliabilty issues (FTF, FTFe, FTRTB, etc) and you actually want the gun to go off if you need it. Springfield Armory is declining in quality - too expensive in the $500-$600 range for what they offer and Para-Ord is a joke. The only disadvantages of the 1911 for carry are the fact that it is a single action pistol... must be carried locked and cocked in order to be employed - call me amature, but I was uncomfortable with this at first, and the heavy recoil. Granted its not a .50AE Desert Eagle, but the .45 will kick considerablly making followupo shots difficult unless the weapon is ported. The most wonderful thing about a 1911 is the trigger pull... great out of the box and even better after a trigger job - this is why the pistol dominates shooting competitions. It is important to note however the difference between Colt's 1911's - Series 70 and Series 80 pistols. Generally speaking - Series 70 pistols are more desirable and are better shooters, but less safe. The Series 80 pistols have MANY safety features added to them, as well as some external parts that make the gun easier to shoot - this at the expense of a PERFECT trigger pull.. instead you only have NEAR PERFECT - still 100% better than any double action pistol listed.
Verra nice summation on the 1911-A1/91-A1 Saur. I always through the recoil on my Goldcup was just right, and never had a problem with successive shots. And no, it wasn't ported
The biggest difference between the 70series and the 80series is the firing pin block safety. A really nice addition to the 1911 from a safety standpoint. Won't let the firing pin engage unless the trigger is depressed (similar to Glocks). This is where most of the trigger complaints on the 80series come from. But still a better trigger than just about any other handgun, save maybe the single action revolvers and a select few double action revolvers fired single action
.
The Colt Delta Elite is also a VERY nice weapon, if you can find one. 1911-A1 80series frame chambered in 10mm. I was surprised by how well behaved this weapon was.
As several folks have pointed out, try it before you buy it. If the shop you go to doesn't want to let you dry fire the weapon ask them if they have SnapCaps. They are basically a plastic cartridge with a spring loaded plate inplace of a primer and give the firing pin the resistance it needs to hit.
Caliber makes a difference. As has been pointed out 9mm is worthless. Too high velocity and too low impact.
The .45ACP is the exact opposite, real low velocity (as Saur said you can see the round in flight in the right light) and HIGH impact.
Think about the guns on the 109G10. The MGs are the 9mm and that 30mm tater gun is the .45ACP. Sure, you can kill with the MGs after spending alot of ammo. That tater gun is one shot BOOM!
Then there's the .40S&W cartridge. It's supposed to be a "best of both worlds" round, good velocity and good impact. It's not a bad caliber. I think I've still got a box of Winchester Black Talons in .40S&W from when I had my Glock23
I think I'd rather have a 10mm over a .40 though (.40 is just a shortened 10mm anyway).
the .357sig in an interesting cartridge (since someone mentioned it). It's a .40 case necked down to 9mm. I've never really liked this one.
For defense the ammo you chose can make a difference also. Remington Golden Sabers were my preferred carry load. "Flying Trash Cans" was a nickname stuck on them by an editor for one of the gun mags. If there was enough light you could see the HUGE cavity of the round waiting to fly out of the barrel (I looked using a mirror). Just looking down the barrel of my 1911 with the mirror was enough to send chills down the spine. I really would not like to be looking directly into he business end of one.
If you're thinking about revolvers you can't go wrong with a .357mag. Been several years since I actually kept up with all the testing etc, but the Federal 125gr jacketed hollow point was still the king of one shot stops. Followed closely by the .45ACP. I've got a real sweet Colt Trooper .357mag with 6" barrel. The single action trigger on it is sweeter than any raced 1911-A1 I've ever seen
