Snubbie 45 and some others

This month's Combat Handguns (November) has a neat article on Smith and Wesson's 325PD, a snub-nosed .45ACP revolver. At first I wasn't sure about this little bulldog gun with its two-tone finish, lovely cocobolo grips and hi-viz foresight (they might work but they just look weird); it just didn't look right. By the time I'd finished reading the article however I was sold. It might look a bit odd but it's a nice little .45- a four-pound single action pull, machined for a lanyard attachment (hey, maybe that just appeals to me, but it's a nice touch), Airlite weight (Scandium and Titanium- hence the dual finish) and, most importantly, big bore performance in a concealable package.

The 1911 .45 has got to be one of the best pistols for defensive shooting available and this 325PD would make a nice partner to the semi-auto. Taurus make a nice 2 inch barrelled .45ACP revolver but it's a five shot model, as opposed to Smith's six shooter. I'm becoming more and more of a fan of Taurus the more I hear about them and this .45 looks to be a pretty neat package too. If a five-shot .45 tickles your fancy then why not check out some other Taurus options- in the venerable .45 Long Colt of course! They have four compact options- the Tracker Model 455, the Total Titanium 450, the Model 450 and the Ultra-Lite 450. All very nice guns. .45 ACP is probably the optimum self-defence round but I've got a real soft spot for the Long Colt and these modern snubbies are a great platform for it.

Speaking of the 45 Long Colt (once I'm started etc.) how's this for a lovely piece of hardware? I've got to admit that I've never been a fan of the legendary Colt .45, much preferring Ruger's single actions with their modern sights, but as I get older I seem to be becoming more of a conservative and traditionalist- this colour case blued Ruger Bisley Vaquero is just a lovely gun (even better when you see the actual 4 and five eighths barrel) and it's enough to make me look again at the Colt design. This is very nice indeed.

Now, how about a .45 Long Colt Redhawk with this low glare stainless finish?