[RogueIsland]

The .45 stops people, but many can't get accuracy with it.

I think this is a belief that comes largely from the fact that, toward the end, many of the .45s in the military's inventory were so old that they had simply gotten worn out. Anyone who wants to see what the .45 ACP is capable of need only attend an NRA bullseye competition or IPSC match.

As for recoil, it's really not a very hard kicker. Where it got that reputation is beyond me. Any problems with it are likely due to improper grip and stance.

[xzins]

The problem might be age.

I think it's more simple. It's rounds down range. If you get 20 rounds a year, then you're in the lucky group.

If someone gave me a bucket of rounds and told me to go get good with it, then I could do it.

Walmart's box of 550 rounds for 10 bucks remains one of the best reasons why low caliber Ruger match pistols are deadly. There's not much knockdown power, but you can put 3 or 4 rounds in the target as fast as you can pull the trigger. Why? Because you practice, practice, practice.

Soldiers generally love to go to the range. They gripe about some of the range safety rules. But they gripe most about the number of rounds they get. Shooting is fun. Going all that distance to shoot 2 clips is stupid AND demoralizing.

[SirFishalot]

I regularly compete in IPSC matches with a 1911 chambered for 38 super. It is basically a 9MM on steroids. Light kick provides great recovery time.

As for the lube problem,
I don't understand why the Military hasn't taken advantage of some of the excellent metal finishes out now. A few are so slick that you can dryfire the weapon for 1000s of rounds without problem. My 38 super gun above, and all 10 mags for it, is finished in NP3 by Robar. It cost me about $400 to do but it has about 2500 rounds through it since and I can detect no wear. The slide moves like it's on ball bearings.