I would own a .45 ACP 1911 in a flash.

And if I was a crim would own several!

I noticed decades ago, a person could buy frames in Victoria and every thing else except for the barrel for a low price. The barrels were registered in Vic. In SA the frame was registered but not the barrel. Put them together and voila!!!

Mr Plod I unfortunately never did it. No need for a raid! And I read bikie gangs were doing it a few years later.

The .45 1911 was reportedly one of the most popular handguns in Australia pre the gun steal off Mark 2 when most handguns greater than .38 and 9 mm were slen off law abiding Aussie shooters because some chink student in Melbourne murdered maybe three persons with a handgun. A massacre!!! The steal off was designed to eliminate as many handguns as possible with calibre restrictions and barrel lengths. A lot of manufacturers thankfully immediately offered slightly longer barrels and foiled the evil dwarfs plans. But not the .45 ACP.

Some target disciplines are permitted larger calibres, such as metal silhouette and even IPSC in some states but not SA.

U would own one without a doubt if not more than one. A true classic and still as relevant today.