Building on the success of its Combat-series 9mm lineup, Stoeger has introduced the STR-45 Combat, a platform that marries the series' proven reliability with the heavy-hitting power of the .45 ACP. This purpose-built addition delivers duty-ready performance and big-bore authority to a frame specifically engineered for high-stakes environments.

The debate over whether the .45 ACP is an outdated boomer round or a timeless classic continues to simmer in local gun shops, but Stoeger seems content to let the sales figures do the talking. While the industry has leaned heavily toward the 9mm for the last decade, there remains a vocal demographic that prefers the slow, heavy thud of a 230-grain projectile. The STR-45 Combat arrives as a nod to these enthusiasts, scaling up the company’s existing striker-fired architecture to accommodate a cartridge that carries more history than most modern firearms companies.

Stoeger, often recognized as the pragmatic sibling in the Beretta Holding family, has spent the last few years refining its STR series. By utilizing the same fundamental design language found in the STR-9, the STR-45 Combat aims to provide a familiar transition for shooters moving up in caliber. This looks to be a deliberate expansion designed to offer a higher-caliber alternative for those who find the 9mm a bit too polite for their liking.

Handling a double-stack .45 can often feel like gripping a standard two-by-four, but Stoeger has attempted to mitigate this with specific ergonomic choices. The frame includes a high-traction grip texture and a deep undercut on the trigger guard, which assists in keeping the bore axis relatively low. To ensure the pistol doesn't discriminate based on hand size, it ships with interchangeable small, medium, and large backstraps, allowing the user to customize the reach to the trigger and the overall circumference of the grip.

The geometry of the STR-45 Combat is decidedly utilitarian, featuring a full-length frame that runs flush with the end of the slide. This provides a substantial amount of real estate on the integrated accessory rail for mounting duty lights or lasers. Additionally, the inclusion of an enlarged magwell suggests a focus on practical competition or defensive use, where the ability to guide a fresh magazine home under stress is more important than keeping the pistol’s profile slim.

On the business end, the 5.18-inch barrel is designed to squeeze a bit more velocity out of the .45 ACP, a caliber not exactly known for its blistering speed. This extra length also provides a longer sight radius, which can be helpful for those attempting to maintain accuracy at distance. For shooters who prefer their range sessions to be a bit quieter, the barrel comes threaded at .578x28, making it ready for a suppressor right out of the box, complete with a thread protector for when the can stays home.

The sighting system reflects the modern Combat trim level, featuring high-visibility, suppressor-height fiber-optic sights. This setup allows the shooter to see their iron sights over the body of a mounted suppressor or through the lower third of an optic window. The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation, a feature that isn't always standard in this price bracket but is appreciated when dialing in specific heavy-grain defensive loads.

Recognizing that iron sights are increasingly becoming a backup plan, Stoeger has made the STR-45 Combat optic-ready from the factory. The slide is pre-cut and includes four different mounting plates, covering the footprints of most popular red dot sights on the market. This saves the owner the headache of hunting down proprietary adapters or sending the slide off to a machinist, allowing for a more modern sighting solution to be implemented within minutes of unboxing.

Capacity is perhaps where the STR-45 Combat makes its strongest argument. While the standard version of this pistol offers a respectable 13 rounds, the Combat model utilizes extended magazines to reach a 16+1 capacity. Carrying seventeen rounds of .45 ACP provides a significant amount of lead on tap, placing it ahead of many traditional platforms that often top out at 10 or 13 rounds. Stoeger includes three of these magazines in the box, which is a helpful touch for those planning to use the pistol for training or duty.

With an MSRP of $649, the STR-45 Combat positions itself as a functional tool for the budget-conscious professional or the civilian enthusiast. It lacks the flashy aesthetics of boutique pistols, but it compensates with a feature set that prioritizes functionality and versatility. For the shooter who wants the authority of the .45 ACP in a package that mirrors the features of a modern 9mm duty gun, this new entry from Stoeger appears to be a very logical, if somewhat heavy, contender.