I like the look but don't like using them. Just doesn't fit my hand well.

You have large hands? The single stack mag design should accomodate most hands better than the double stack...

I love the 1911 . . . as a distant admirer. If I could afford a gun collection, there would be several variations of the 1911 in it. And some Desert Eagles.

I'm green with envy here. Ever since I've started pistol shooting I've wanted a 1911.

Right now I'm shooting an H&K USP 9mm that I've "inherited" from a friend, which I don't really like due to its double stack "high capacity" mag and light "front end" (most of the weight seems to be at the back of the gun which makes the barrel "jumpy"). I have medium to small hands and am more comfortable with a single stack mag. And the great 1911 trigger (breaks sooner that any other handgun I've ever fired --> especially compared to that "anti-stress-trigger" crap such as the Walther P99 features) makes it a dream to shoot...just don't sneeze when you've got the finger on the trigger.

But my Wilson Combat Elite Professional is just one lottery win away.....

Very, very nice... I'm looking at picking up an SA TRP Tactical right now...








-Skater

Sorry, forgot to watch this thread...

No, hands aren't particularly large (in between a medium and large glove size, for example). I think it's a combo of skinny, biomechanics, and grip. I found that I really like a P226 in. 40 S&W - it was the sweet spot for me.

I suspect it may be mostly a grip issue due to my skinny hands (I'm 6'2", 173 lbs). For example, I fired an SA .44 revolver with a wooden grip and I could take the power but the grip just made it hurt my hand so much I didn't want to pull the trigger. I had a similar feeling with the "standard" 1911 though less intense (more annoying than painful). It just made me not like it especially after using the Sig.

It may also be a power issue.

I'm a revolver girl and my favorite go-to handgun is a 4", .357 Magnum revolver, S&W Model 27. It has rosewood Magna stocks and that makes its grip the perfect size for a person with small hands but long fingers. With full-house .357s it kicks pretty hard. But the big "N" frame is very docile with standard power .38 Specials. It's got virtually no recoil at all with those, and the single-action trigger breaks at about 3 1/2 pounds, reminiscent of the 1911-style trigger but obviously not the same. Try that .44 with lighter Specials and I bet you'll have more fun. I used to shoot an S&W M29 with .44 Specials in IDPA. I really liked that combination.

I can't remember what model, but in that same session I fired a. 357 revolver that was a very close second to the Sig but it had a nice, thick rubber grip. IIRC, I also fired a. 38 with a 5" barrel and hefty wooden grips and +P rounds that worked well so you may be right on your suggestion

I did all this in a handgun training class that's required to get the 5-year permit that allows one to purchase firearms in CA ran by bayprofs.org (hunter safety is also valid but having taken this class before I stuck with it). The instructors and assistants all bring their pistols so the students get to fire a large variety. In this case,. 22 through. 44 and pretty much everything in between.

I don't currently have a way to store firearms safely so I don't have any so the class or a range rental are my only options at the moment.

I have large hands and 1911s can get a little uncomfortable after extended shooting. I imagine some Hogue grips or similar could let you comfortably shoot all day, but mine is just a range toy and the stock grips are too darn purty.

I don't like the original "old" grip safety, because it pinches the skin on the web of the hand. But on many/most new beavertails, they have a "memory pad"...and my hands are just too bony to absorb that under recoil, so my hand hurts from it. Though I've not shot one, I suspect an older beavertail, or the Kimber style would work and feel best for me.