^^^^ this kimber all da way, sides when you pistol whip them do so with a 1911!!!I think a lot will depend on her comfort level. They're both about the same size, so if the .45 round doesn't bother her, I'd go with that simply because it will deliver a larger projectile down-range. Ya don't want someone thinkin' you didn't give 'em everything you could.<G>
I enjoy looking for guns, she enjoys looking for shoes
This. My girlfriend can't even rack the slide on my Kimber. She'd have better luck beating an attacker to death with it than shooting them.The comment about you wife picking out a pistol for her is a valid point. If the gun doesn't fit her and she is not comfortable with it, she will never shoot it well. Maybe the recoil of a .45 is no problem for a man, but most women have issues with it. I recommend you find a range that will allow her to test fire different types of pistols before you buy something.
Do you want your wife's life to possibly depend on your choice for her personal defense weapon?
Years ago I sold guns. Numerous times guys would come in with a girl/woman wanting to "buy their wife/girl friend" a pistol for home defense. Most guys just wanted a new gun and used the excuse of buying something for her to get a new gun. They almost always wanted a semi-auto. First thing I would do is hand the girl/woman the pistol and ask them to cycle the slide. One woman out of ten could accomplish this.
You need to be very secure in your wife's ability to operate and fire [with accuracy] whatever pistol you buy for her.
Good Luck with whatever is chosen.
Why are you choosing HER carry gun? It's really a personal preference, especially for women, so I would recommend having her choose one on her own.
I would have her try these guns out, or at least have her attempt to manipulate them first. 3" 1911's have a tendency to be extremely stiff, highly sprung guns, as a matter of function. A lot of people have problems racking the slide on these guns, and it's kind of pointless to have it as a defensive gun if she can't even manipulate it reliably.
Gal here. Congrats to your wife on the upcoming purchase.
I have EDC'd a Colt Commader .45acp for the past few years. Just recently I have transitioned to a Sig P238 that I have commandeered from my husband for summer carry. I do not take the transition lightly as I am a die hard 1911 fan. Frankly, the P238 surprised me. I had been avoiding due to it's size, however is it a great mini-carry that closely mimics the 1911. Otherwise I would have nothing to do with it.
Prior to this I was fantasizing of a Springfield EMP. It was the price tag that was scaring me off. I never was able to get to the range to rent one. One thing I was concerned with was the length of the grip. When carrying the part of the firearm I have the most trouble concealing is the grip. If I lean forward the grip protrudes. My concern with the EMP is the grip + mag bumper made for an unnecessarily long grip. I wondered if it was worth jumping from a Commander to the EMP and gain no real edge concealing.
I have for a brief period carried a Colt Oacp (Officer's acp). The grip size was just right for concealment. What I had issue with was controlling muzzle flip and recoil when shooting. It wasn't all that pleasant and I wanted to enjoy shooting my EDC.
A grail weapon for me is a Colt CCO configuration (Officer's frame/Commander slide). They are harder to find and they do cost a nice bit of money.
That's my take on carrying 1911 platforms. I have not carried a Gov't 1911, don't intend to. But I love range time with them.
amazing feats of engineering for the time they were built in.View attachment 22555
1911 indy car. Relevant.