First, one must understand that when you must resort to a handgun you are in a full-on "Oh, F Me!" moment. That handgun is designed for Fighting Men as a tool of nearly last resort, a tool that will allow him to fight his way to his rifle. No sane Fighting Man knowingly walks into Harm's Way without his rifle. Remember your Colonel Cooper: The rifle is the Queen of personal weapons.
Here's the short version: The Moros were an Islamic Tribe in the Phillipines seeking, what else, a Caliphate. Our Army was there, using .38 caliber sidearms that were woefully ineffective. Part of that ineffective result was because the Moros Warriors would take wet strands of leather and tie them tightly around their testicles. As the leather dried, it tightened, and the resulting pain drove the Warriors to levels of madness and determination most people can only imagine.
Our troops did not have to imagine, for the stories of US Soldiers being hacked to pieces even after hitting enemy Moros with several rounds from their .38s (and their rifles of the day) became commonplace. So, the Army demanded a Manstopper, and soon after John Browning (others were involved as well in various aspects of the development) and Colt delivered what would become the M1911 in the .45 ACP - the Manstopper.
I am not going to try to argue 9mm versus .45 ACP or plastic firearms versus steel. Each person will have to answer those questions personally.
Here's my answer: If I am forced to pistol-range combat against a single or multiple enemies, which is almost always at closing to belt-buckle range, .45 ACP is my caliber of choice, and the forged steel of a 1911 is the only Platform. The .45 ACP is a proven Manstopper. And if you are so close to an enemy that you may need to crack his skull with the butt of your pistol during a backfist, do you want the forged steel of a 1911 in your hand, or plastic?
There is a reason the 1911 and the .45 ACP are still the choice of Professionals after more than 100 years.
Kerodin
III
