Over three decades of Law Enforcement...and always a 1911 format 45 ACP close at hand. Powerful, compact, and efficient at what it was designed to do. PROTECTION.....one was always close to me...just like today.

John Moses Browning came up with a winner when he finally perfected the 45 acp. After the turn of the century the US Army called for a auto loader that would push a 230 grain bullet at 800/900 fps. About what the single action Colts were getting with the 255 grain lead bullet and six grains of Bullseye. That’s the load they went to, after dropping black powder in the 45 Long Colt.

Not many know this but the first 45 ACP cases were made by the military arsenals from 30-06 shells. These cases were turned over to the manufacturers interested in submitting a new auto loading handgun to the Army. Many submitted guns, but it was Savage Arms’ handgun that came in first place....but Savage didn’t have the equipment to produce guns as fast and in the quantities the Army wanted them...so the second place winner, Colt’s Browning designed handgun took over and is forever burned into the pages of handgun history. Multi millions produced in all kinds of variations by scores of manufacturers....since official adoption in 1911.

I told the story of the first one I fired when still in my single years and how it recoiled back for my small arms and smacked me in the face...there has been a lot of 1911s gone thru my hands since that day, over a half century ago. I’ve had them in several standard calibers...45...9mm...38 Super. Also in some strange calibers...41 Avenger....brain child of J.D.Jones...it was and still is one fine cartridge....better than the 40 S&W. And the all time best in power, the 10 mm in the Delta Elite. Still it’s the 45 acp that stirs my heart most.

I once fired a 230 grain ball round directly into the door of a Buick Roadmaster 75 (that should tell you the approx year). The bullet went thru the door and the window that was rolled down, crossed the car over the laps of two miscreants without touching them, and went thru the other door’s arm rest, then thru the inside panel and stopped in the other rolled down window. I certainly gained their complete attention. And No I didn’t want to see their license, I wanted to see the palms of their hands......the 45 acp has always seemed to me to be under rated for penetration. In the 1950s I shot a near ton bag of meat in Africa twice in the ribs with a military 45...and ball ammo. We were chasing him in a jeep, and stayed with him after I shot him....he ran for a long distance. But the 45 put him down, the two slugs were found in the off side lung after passing thru ribs and the near side lung. Elands are as big as moose with nicer horns. We found a village that was starving, and the Eland was the answer to their problems till we could get some officials to the village.

We had a nasty habit as agents when some perp (criminal/perpetrator of crime) broke badly. We would smack him in the fore head with the flat slide of the 1911. It always got their attention. Let’s see that’s 4 lbs of gun...28000 grains, at about mile per minute swing..or 88 fps and 48 pounds of muzzle energy at the forehead. Yup, that used to do it.

The only real modern change I like in the 1911 auto loaders is the guide rod assembles and heavy springs to go with them. I don’t like safeties on both sides of the slide. The extended slide release is ok if you have short fingers. Personally I don’t like double action autos, decockers, and the host of other treats that have come along to jazz up the old warhorse. In fact I don’t even like the 1911a1 cuts in the frame and the arched grip housing. Not much I can do about the trigger relief cuts in the frames now a days. But I change to flat housing very quickly. I do like the new rounded hammers, the one on my Charles Daly auto is superb...just about perfect. I still have scars on the web of my right hand from 45 hammers and heavy loaded ammo. The old spoon type and straight type hammers would draw blood every time.

If you don’t reload...then Cor-Bon has ammo for you. Out of my Daly five inch barrel, their 185 grain hollow point ammo crossed the screens at 1186 fps and 578 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy, with excellent accuracy. And with the guide rod and heavy return spring I installed the gun functions flawlessly. The Daly clips carry 8 rounds...so with one in the chamber that’s nine rounds of fire and brimstone. Like my friend Sheriff Jim Wilson says..."you can’t do it with that many you need to quit gettin’yourself in trouble."

Now let me say right here....something smells in gunville. All these years the 45 acp round has been kept at a pressure rating below 20,000 psi. In fact 20,000 psi is considered the new line of PlusP power loads. All that jazz about the head size being large, and though the action with 9mm and 38 Super can tolerate 30,000 plus pressures.....the 45 acp head size would batter the life out of the autos at those levels...right? RIGHT!

Bullcrap...along comes the 10 mm on the Colt 1911 format...(and don’t believe that nonsense about special heat treating on the Delta Elite)...and that round generates well over 35000psi....with a head size way over the 9mm and very close to the 45 acp. "Oh now Paco if you go there with the 45 acp you will batter the locking lugs....." Some one actually told me that...some one that should know better...someone that works for Colts Industries...

I have no intention of going to 35,000 psi plus in my 1911 45s. But lets be reasonable, with today’s steels, brass, tolerances, powders, our 45 acps should be giving us 600 lbs plus of muzzle energy as a minimum. My Daly45 barrel has been throated slightly and polished highly so it will cycle my Keith 260 grain cast bullet. That bullet at 26,500 psi and 1050 fps gives 635 ft.lbs of muzzle energy(12/HS7/standard primers)...but the real secret is the bullet. That big wide faced Keith bullet is the one used in the 45 Long Colt. It hits hard and penetrates very deep.

I’ve cleaned house on a number of feral dogs with this load. No matter the size of the animal, I have never had one of these Keith slugs stay inside...all exited. The one Az. blackbear I have shot with a 45 acp and this load...hit in the rump...the Keith exited out the left side before the front leg. The exit hole was a good two to three inches wide...but more of a ripping in length at about five inches.

As soon as you pick up a Charles Daly 45 ACP you know you are holding a substantial handgun. It is all steel, very well machined with fit and finish as well any of the Colt line of autos. The finish is a deep black/blue slightly dull to cut reflection concerns...if you have those, I don’t. The polishing was done by folks who know what they are about...all edges are sharp and defined, all the flat areas are just that...flat...with no waves.

The first reaction I had when I picked it up and rolled it over in my hands then sighted over it’s excellent combat sights was....this is a special and well built handgun. Some handguns in the 1911 format now a days built by many different manufacturers have IT..many don’t. It’s an intangible for me, if the gun doesn’t have it, I don’t want it. It’s the gun’s design and set up that helps you pull it right on target..it helps you to point with it instinctively or it doesn’t...there is no middle road for me and 45 autos. This handgun has it in spades and aces...it has double safeties for right and left shooters...ugh on that for me....it has extended furniture, safeties and slide release, that are done well. The front of the slide is scored for easier recharging of the chamber and that is a nice touch well worth having. The clips hold eight rounds, so with one in the chamber that’s nine. I have a clip that holds fifteen, that I used to carry as my spare, it sticks out from below the frame...but if occasion came about to where I needed it, it’s ugly looks wouldn’t bother me a bit.