What handgun should I get?

[BWT]

What I hated about 1911's was, honestly, with almost all of them, it seems to depend on who showed up for work that day a lot more from gun to gun.

I have a Dan Wesson CBOB and my Father has one, there is literally, massive difference in the quality.

I also think that some of the best advice I've ever heard is to download the magazines one round and avoid 10-rounders all together (in .45 ACP) to increase reliability.

My first handgun was a 1911, I would not advise one.

IMHO, you don't need to have an intricate knowledge of how to maintain something that your life may depend on like a gun, to use one. I think 1911's fall in that category.

I spent a ton more money than I feasibly needed to, deal with headaches/issues I shouldn't, and couldn't afford to feed it regularly enough to be good with it. It just wasn't a good buy.

That being said, some have to learn the hard way, and some follow the path commonly followed. I'm usually the latter, I just thought I knew better.

[Firestickfilms]

Any opinions of an STI ranger II in 9mm?
I stil think I want her to have a poly 9mm but another 1911 could be justified too.

[Limey-]

Any opinions of an STI ranger II in 9mm?
I stil think I want her to have a poly 9mm but another 1911 could be justified too.

I think its not a terrible choice and the old wilson KZ 9mm is a high cap polymer 1911 that actually works pretty well. That said a Glock 19 Gen 3 or Later 4 or an HK p30 are superior choices for an alround gun that does range and protection duty. Go to a large range and rent whatever she likes the look of and try and stay out of that process yourself.

[Gary1911A1]

A Springfield EMP in 9MM? It's around a 1,000 at Buds, has a smaller grip, a great trigger, light weight and excellent CS from Springfield. True it doesn't hold as much ammo as a Glock 19, but it's easy to reload a loaded magazine. Just a thought as I admit being bias.

[JHC]

Any opinions of an STI ranger II in 9mm?
I stil think I want her to have a poly 9mm but another 1911 could be justified too.

For a few dollars more . . . . http://wilsoncombat.com/new/handgun-spec-ops-9.asp

[Cecil Burch]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have really good experience with these, German or Exeter (I believe they switched to the eternal extractor and added an LCI in Exeter). They seem to be great bargains according to the less focused forums about, and they do feel like they have potential at the LGS (not that you can tell much without putting it to real use). If they turn out to not have any major skeletons in the closet they may be something to recommend to budget minded individuals to keep them out of taurus land or other such mistakes waiting to happen, keeping in mind the attention and effort the DA/SA requires to utilize.

Sorry I'm late on this.

I have been running my Exeter 2022 9MM for a while now. It has been through an ECQC, and has in excess of 5,000 rds through it.

I love mine. Great shooter. The only stoppages I have had were 5 during ECQC with Russian Brown Bear ammo and the mags getting coated with AZ dust that gummed up the follower and spring (during ECQC they were being dumped in the dirt). Interestingly enough, I had no stoppages under the same circumstances with the Mecgar 17rd. teflon coated mags. They fed flawlessly.

It's a terrific gun.

[JAD]

Or, if you really love her:
http://wilsoncombat.com/new/handgun-ms-sentinel.asp

Seriously, the EMP gets excellent reviews but I haven't seen one "run hard," as we like to say around here. For a small-handed person who's restricted to 10 rounds it makes a lot of sense as an EDC, as does the Kahr series of pistols. These get called 'hobbyist' guns a lot, whatever that might mean to you.

[Firestickfilms]

The spec-ops is really interesting but I have a feeling she'd have a hard time getting it out of my hand.
My father has an EMP she can try, I'll have to borrow it for a range trip.

[David Armstrong]

I did not explain myself well.

What I meant was, say you take a new shooter to the range. You give him or her an M&P, a Glock, an LEM HK, a sig, and a 1911 in 9mm, with 20 rounds for each gun, I believe 95% will choose the 1911.

Not saying it's the right choice (it isn't) but for a noob shooting slow for the first time, that single action trigger will seem to be "the best" and they'll probably shoot it the best, too. Since its heavy, it will seem to have less recoil vs these plastic guns that damn near jump out of his/her hands. How could anyone possibly shoot these plastic things fast, much less accurately, he/she will think.

Letting a new shooter who's trying to decide on a gun shoot a 9mm 1911 is a dangerous idea.

Can't speak for others, but very few of my new shooters choose the 1911. In fact, it is probably the least popular of the full-size autos I let students work with in their first classes. The Sig 225s are very popular, as are the 9mm Glocks.

[MikeO]

Check this out:
http://10-8performance.blogspot.com/...m-barrels.html

FWIW, my sister and I both have "new" M&P9s that are accurate, and the date on the test fired case is 11-17-2011.

Only a few hundred rounds through each so far, but no problems at all.