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What I found on each of the handguns mentioned here: baby eagle 1.125" XD 45 1.2" M&P 45 1.2" HK45 1.4" Personally I'd never own a baby eagle for anything other than a plinker...I wouldn't trust my life to it. I think the XD or the M&P are your best bets. I didn't like the M&P for a CCW weapon, it was too large overall, but the XD could fit that role well and is relatively thin. If I were you however I would SERIOUSLY pick up a new H&K HK45 and fondle it. It's specs show it as wide, but H&K include the added width of the safety lever in there measurements (they use the widest point of the handgun). I would safely say it is around 1.2" at the grip as well. I fondled one while waiting on my last background check on my last pistol purchase, and it FELT like the thinnest doublestack .45 I have ever held. |
| I have had almost every double stack .45 known to man at some time or another, and let me tell you that the HK 45 is by far the best of them all!!!! I carry mine all the time It's very thin at the grip, and has the same grip angle as the 1911. The thing shoots like a champion. There is no better .45 auto pistol on the market if you ask me. I am a professional pistolsmith, and I love the 1911 very much, but I think the HK 45 has it beat. I think it could very well be the next 1911. |
Mossberg, The HK45 is very very sweet, it is my next handgun...it shoots and feels just as good as my P30. Amazing that a double stack .45 can feel as silvette as a 9mm. |
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I went to another gun store, and I was able to hold a Glock 21 and HK USP in 45. The Glock was horrible, the HK felt very thin I wish they weren't so expensivehe (fattest> Glock 21, XD45, USP <thinnest) |
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BUL M5, Kimber BP TEn, or Charles Daly M5. They're all essentially the same pistol. My wife fired a Kimber BP Ten owned by a family friend and fell in love with the pistol almost immediately! She never liked shooting my Glock 21 due to the fat grip, but felt the grip on the BP Ten was almost perfect. She hates my Detonics Combat Master, though.... Abbreviated grips are just not her thing at all. |
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I just picked up a new M&P-45. The grip is one of the things I most like about it. To me, it feels very similar to the 1911 and that is what I am most capable and accurate with. I also have medium sized hands and it points like a pistol should in my opinion, very natural for me. The M&P may not have the absolute thinnest grip of the double-stackers, but it's very close and seems to feel much thinner. I think you should take a minute or two to handle one if you are out gun shopping and maybe not buy anything until you get that opportunity. I guarantee you that after you get your hands on one you will at least add it to the "short list" of guns to be considered. BTW, the price is also very reasonable. Mine was listed at $629.00 NIB with Trijicon night sights. Add to that the rebate coupon from S&W for $30.00 or 2 free mags and I don't think you'll find a better deal anywhere on a high-quality pistol. Just something to think about! 
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The new Taurus 24/7 OSS is the smallest double stack .45 out there. I just held one last week, very thin. I am going to get one for USPSA production class. they have both 10 and 12 round mags. I know most poeple will say Taurus sucks, but i have had great luck with them. 
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You're gonna shoot a .45 in Production?  I suppose you could...I like many features of the 24/7 OSS. Hope your luck holds out. |
If you're running 185 grain bullets at about 700 fps, that would make minor, and I think the extra margin of having bigger bullets might compensate, to some extent, for having a little more muzzle flip and slower slide velocity. |