Hello, so the mrs and I are interested in buying a handgun for home protection and range shooting. We've been to several different stores and I found a Springfield Armory 1911-A1 for $599. Would this gun be worth buying? Also would it be too powerful for my wife to shoot? Thank you.
Do you have any experience shooting? Do you plan to conceal carry the gun?
How it would affect your wife is hard to know. My wife has tiny hands and can’t reach the trigger on a Glock.
I believe there are better options for a first gun than a 1911.
In 9mm.
Glock
M&P 2.0
CZ P-07
PX4
All the above are affordable and leave money over for holsters, ammo, and a class.
I would look at 9mm’s. Easier to midigate recoil and cheaper ammunition costs.
I would also look for a beginners class or an introductory handgun class in your area. Many indoor shooting ranges in my area offer classes like this. These type of classes provide the guns, and afford you the opportunity to handle and shoot different types of pistols.
The money you and your wife would spend for the class is a worthwhile investment. Especially if it prevents you from buying a pistol that would end up being ideal for your needs.
One thing to keep in mind is that a gun that may feel good to you when handling in a store, may not feel as good when actually shooting it.
The pistol you show in your original post would not be my first choice. I would look for a Glock 19/17 Gen5, a S&W M&P 2.0 9mm or a Sig Sauer P320 9mm.
First off, welcome to P-F!
As for looking at a 1911, I would hesitate if you and your wife aren’t very knowledgeable or experienced with handguns. Definitely get some training, beyond basics if you can reasonably swing it. If this is going to be a weapon either of you need to be able to pick up and use, I’d recommend going and handling some firearms at your local gun shop and see what will fit reasonably well in both your hands and your wife’s. I’d look at full-sized weapons like a Glock 17 (or even a 34 if you’re inclined) because they’re easier to handle being bigger in the grip area. I would look at 9mm offerings simply due to pricing if ammo being cheaper and recoil easier to manage.
If you have any follow-up questions please don’t hesitate to ask! Plenty of extremely knowledgeable, highly experienced folks grace this forum and are always glad to help newcomers who are receptive to advice.
Don't buy a gun right now. Go to a reputable local range. Take a beginner class.
Most good ranges will have a selection of guns that can be rented for a small fee.
My local range lets you pay one fee and try as many guns as you want.
The available selection will likely be current, popular weapons.
FWIW.... Some might argue that a shotgun makes a better tool for home defense, if that's all you plan to use it for.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Lots of good information so far! Yes, 9mm is the caliber I would go with for the reasons already mention....cost and lots of JHP choices.
Personally, I would get my first firearm that fits the wife. If at all possible, fire a 9mm before you buy one....just to experience the noise/recoil. If she is more comfortable with a .380 or even a .22, shoot those too if possible. For any defensive use of a firearm, you want to get rounds on the target. I would take hits with a .22 all day than misses with any other caliber.
Then get a firearm for yourself. You choose your firearm and caliber that works for you.
Eventually you may be bit by the bug: "Please honey, just one more!"
Departments who assume responsibility for training large numbers of new shooters might be a source of good information. The FBI, I believe, issues Glocks. The US military has recently transitioned to the Sig 320, so there are two handguns right there that have shown themselves to be satisfactory for beginners. You could also see what your local PD authorizes.
As others have advised, a wide spectrum gun training course is very important. It should emphasize safe gun handling over anything else. In my opinion, that's even more important than live shooting. Some of the Pistol-Forum contributors offer splendid courses.
Originally Posted by JAH 3rd
Good advice.
There is also the S&W EZ Shield in .380 and 9mm.
The M&P .22 as well.
What @RoyGBiv said is solid. If you can’t find a reputable place to go and rent guns and try them. If you are unfamiliar with firearms don’t be afraid to tell the staff that and ask for help.
I used to work in ranges and gun shops. I've seen plenty of first-time buyers get the wrong thing because they got bad advice. For liability reasons you can't return guns and resale value is rarely over 50% of retail, so those folks were out a minimum of several hundred dollars. It's far smarter you you AND your wife to get some instruction so both of you know actually how to shoot, then test fire some different guns, then decide what to buy based on your own preferences instead of someone else's.
And yeah, definitely wait a while before you go down the 1911 rabbit hole.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
That is exactly what my wife and I did about 7 years ago.
@Kryptek19
Warm welcome. You are in a good place.
Take heed of what the guys are suggesting.
Ask questions.
You will get solid, no nonsense answers.
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