A .45 with a small grip?

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Ian

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A friend of mine is looking at getting a .45 autoloader, but she isn't fond of the 1911 design. She has small hands, and just doesn't feel like she can get a secure and comfortable grasp on one...front-to-back they are too big.

Does anyone know of a good .45 with a smaller grip than a standard 1911?

BTW, recoil isn't a problem for her (her current carry gun is a .357 snubby that she doesn't have problems controlling), and neither is operating the slide a problem. She just wants a smaller grip.
 
Would she consider a .45 GAP pistol? They are suppose to have a smaller grip than most .45 ACP pistols (the downside is higher ammo costs and somewhat rare ammo).
 
Ian:
Has she tried the slim grips for 1911's. The standard grips can be a little "fat" for small hands, whereas the "slim" grips (several companies make them) might be the answer. You need different grip screws for the slim grips. Hope this might help her.
 
I have comparatively short fingers, so most .45's, especially the higher-cap models, have a too large grip radius and too long of a trigger reach for me. This is stated so I am not dismissed as yet another 1911 purist. :D

So, another vote for a 1911 pattern with the slim-line grips, I like Navidrex but Brownells has 3 or 4 choices, flat mainspring housing and short trigger.

I have had ladies of all sizes shoot my lightweight Commander so equipped and they do just fine and feel very much in control. The lightweight, Commander-sized guns (multiple manufacturers offer LW frames now) can also help with carry and handling comfort and, with proper technique and normal pressure loads, don't increase "felt recoil" significantly.

The ability to modify the grip and trigger is an advantage to traditional metal frames that only a few of the polymer makers address (although those few are addressing it pretty well-nowadays).
 
We tried my 1911 without any grip panels (not firing, just holding), and she said it really wasn't any better. i don't have one with a short trigger around, though. We'll have to find one at a shop to try out.

A .45 GAP is probably not a solution - she wants a .45 to share ammo with her husband (who has a Springfield 1911A1). If she drops that consideration I imagine she'd rather switch to a 9mm or .40 S&W.

We'll also have to check out the Sig. Thanks for the suggestion there, Black Majik.
 
Yeah, if it is the grip depth(?) rather than overall radius or trigger reach that could nix the idea.

It seems to be trigger reach most often though. When you have to crank the gun around in your hand to reach the trigger it is a no go.
 
A .45 GAP is probably not a solution...
Click to expand...

In that case, I'll agree with everyone else that recommends a single-stack 1911.....

Or if a 1911 doesn't work maybe something like a used S&W 457....its been many years since I owned this model, but I think I remember the grip was single-stack and compact. The gun itself was a POS that jammed all the time, but it was probably a lemon....I'm told that most are reliable and that I got unlucky.
 
Yost-Bonitz take the 1911 to the limit -

Extreme grip reduction package - thins front strap, removes metal from rear of grip frame and under trigger guard, thins customer's stocks, and includes a custom made lowered thumb safety.
Click to expand...
Ted Yost did a grip reduction for Jeff Cooper. Notice this is not just a matter of filing the sides of the magazine well and making everything flex and bind.

There are several people doing grip reductions on the Glock.
 
What Carebear said:
Slim-line grips, flat mainspring housing and short trigger.
 
Bersa Mini Firestorm! Good shooter with a nice grip and ambi safety/slide release all for the price of $399. Downfall is the price of spare mags. $40 each.
 
Lets see...

for Taurus,

PT145
PT745
24/7 ( which is actually slimmer than a 1911)
945

for Ruger

KP345

For Glock

G36

There are others but these the ones getting noticed at the moment

If she really has some cash than she needs to look into H&K and SIG.
 
A friend of mine is looking at getting a .45 autoloader, but she isn't fond of the 1911 design. She has small hands, and just doesn't feel like she can get a secure and comfortable grasp on one...front-to-back they are too big.

Does anyone know of a good .45 with a smaller grip than a standard 1911?
Click to expand...
Yeah.

Springfield Armory. I don't recall what they call it, but they recently introduced a scaled-down compact 1911 for the .45 G.A.P. cartridge. The .45 G.A.P. has ballistics that are almost identical to the .45 ACP. This new, smaller version of the 1911 is a perfect answer for people with small hands.

Para Ordnance will be coming out with a similarly scaled-down 1911 soon, probably in their double-action LDA configuration.
 
The question made me think of my 1991A1 Compact (ugly officers model), so I whipped out the calipers. Understand this pistol has a short steel trigger and a Kings beavertail safety. Measures 2.6 inches from the face of the trigger to the grip safety before either is depressed.

I modified this weapon for my wife, who was all of 5 feet tall-and I think she was trying to squeeze an inch in on me at that. She handled the weapon just fine.

I'm not so sure your friend is having a problem with the LOP on a 1911 series so much as she is used to shooting revolvers. The grip on a revolver is different in feel as well as distance. The grip on my M-60 S&W is longer, front to back than the Compact, but it indeed feels different.
 
I know you said autoloader, but have you considered a 45acp revolver? A nice S&W, or even a Taurus revolver puts you into the realm of 100% custom fitted grips. She could retain ammo commonality with her husband.
 
The wife is having the same problem. She wants a .45, and even tho she really enjoyed shooting the 1911 we rented, the grip is just too big. However she has found that the Witness/CZ/Baby Eagles fit her hand very well and the Taurus 24/7 is a close fit too.
 
The Taurus 745 single stacker is REALLY small. Doubt there are any smaller. Does have a rather long trigger pull tho.
 
I find it wierd that people are complaining about the 1911 grip being too big.

Had a girlfriend with TINY hands, and she could handle a 5" 1911 with standard grips, flat MSH and long trigger just fine. Of course, no 2 people are alike. But I find it funny how people are suggesting double-stack .45 ACP guns instead... does not seem to compute, since they will be wider AND just about as long front-to-back, and typically have a longer trigger pull than a 1911. And THAT is supposed to be more small-hand friendly? Say what?

:confused:

Anyway, some 'smiths also do grip reductions on 1911s... not just thin grips, but removing metal too. Depending on the budget, that might be worth a look.
 
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