Need help shopping for a 9mm 1911

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redraidermgr

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Hey everyone,

My wife and I are looking into 9mm 1911s for her. For now it will be a range gun, nightstand gun, and eventually may become a ccw for her.

After extensive looking around town we have found several guns that she likes ranging in order of her affection are the springfield EMP, Kimber Ultra Carry II (9mm), and the Colt New Agent (9mm).

Right now she is heavily leaning towards the EMP in 9mm. So far the pros for the EMP are that it is designed around the 9mm cartridge, it comes with night sights standard, it comes with 3 mags and other "goodies" from Sprigfield, and it has a lifetime warranty. The only con we have with it so far is that it is too popular and all we have found in town has been the .40 cal. This is a deal breaker as my wife is having issues with recoil sensitivity since carpal tunnel surgery earlier this year so we would have to order one in 9mm. Usually this wouldn't be a big deal but several of the dealers we have talked to said that they cant get them from their distributor right now.

The Kimber and the Colt were alternatives that the fellow behind the counter showed us as close alternatives. They are all roughly the same size, weight, and price range but are not what she had her heart set on. We may just end up waiting a while on the EMP to get back in stock.

I am writing this post looking for experiences good or bad with the EMP primarily. If anyone has had issues or successes with either of the others that might sway us to getting one of them I wouldn't mind hearing it so I can pass the info to my wife.
 
Of the three you are considering the EMP is head and shoulders above the others in inherent reliability...and in this size on this platform this means a lot.

The only real alternative I'd consider to the EMP is a Kahr. I have the CW9, but with your wife's medical limitations, I'd recommend the K9

DSC_1646.gif
 
Thanks,

the inherent reliability with 9mm is one reason that the EMP is at the top of her list. My wife did look at some Kahrs but she is just not wanting another polymer gun. She has a Ruger P95 and is wanting to get into the 1911 platform. She is adamant on her next gun being a 1911 (or at least a 1911 style). She just has to have one that runs well in 9mm because she doesnt think her wrists can handle the .45
 
cool, I will have to show it to her and let her check it out. I know that right now she is really wanting that EMP this may be another good alternative if that proves to be too difficult at this time.

Thanks for the Info about the Kahr. I am not as familiar with their guns as I probably should be.
 
I would pick G19 over those but from choices given I would pick Colt 'New Agent'. The company has been on it's last legs for years and when government "handouts" stop it will be over for them making Colt made firearm very desirable.
 
I would give a look at STI 1911s, they have several 3" and 4" models that come in 9x19 (9mm). My best out of the box 1911s have all been STI's, all the others have needed some improvement to reach their potential. The only work done to any of the STI's has been changing the grips and on a competition pistol adding a magwell, The EMP is a good pistol, another good pistol is the Dan Wesson Guardian 9mm, it has a 4.25" barrel and a bobbed frame, a better size to be both a range pistol and a CCW, IMO.
 
Thanks for the info Jed. I will have to check out the STIs. The main reason i was looking at the ones listed above is because they are available in town (except the EMP). If we can find a STI in town i will definitely have her check it out.

Pablo; we have actually both shot a G19 and while we can shoot it accurately her smaller hands made it difficult for her to get a decent grip on the pistol which is why she is interested in the single stack 1911. As for the Colt, it appears to be a very well made gun we are buying this one as range / protection not an investment / collector's piece. I know that on colts they usually hold value well but that is not as big a concern for us as having a gun that will work well and be dependable. I know that the colt still falls under that category but my wife is not as enamored with it as she is with the EMP and Kimber. They just seemed to be more to her liking.
 
Your wife specifically wants the EMP, and it's probably the best practical choice out of the others also. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
 
The EMP is a good choice

as is the Kimber Aegis. While it is not a real 1911, the new Sig 938 might be a good choice as well. All of the controls are the same but I don't believe that it has the grip safety. I am going to be looking at these as a back-up gun to my 1911.
 
The Dan Wesson Guardian is a very nice 9mm 1911 pistol.

DWG-L.gif

It's a commander length slide/barrel at 4.25 inches. The slide is steel but the frame is aluminum so it's light weight. The grip frame has a Ed Brown bobtail. The sights are Novak night sights.

Vern
 
If you can find the EMP, get it, you will not be disappointed. I've also got the New Agent in .45, it's a good gun but I don't know anything about it or the similar Colt Defender in 9mm.
 
Vern,

That Dan Wesson is beautiful.

To the OP - I have an EMP and so far it's been a fantastic pistol. I haven't put a ton of rounds through it but it has functioned well enough to earn a spot in my concealed carry rotation. It's accurate, lightweight and dependable. Also it comes with an ambi safety which is important for me being a lefty. All that and it's a looker too.

The only "issue" I have with the pistol is off-center primer strikes, though the gun has never failed to ignite a primer. My understanding is that other owners have experience the same and that Springfield will remedy the "problem" if you choose to return the pistol. I have not.

There is a rather long thread devoted to the EMP at another forum that deals almost exclusively to the 1911 platform. Not sure if it is bad form to link from here but you should be able to find it, if not shoot me a PM.
 
Has she shot a 1911 in both 9mm and 45? I won both and my fiance hates the 9mm but loves the 45.....go figure. That said the only 9mm 1911 I've had experience with is the taurus and that's not what you want for ccw down the road.
 
Please do yourself and your wife a big favor and check out the Sig Sauer 1911 choices. Their weapons shoot great right out of the box, are extremely well designed, carry a terrific warranty, have outstanding customer service, and maintain value better than most firearms.

I own a Sig 9mm, 226 Navy model and a Sig .45 Nitron Rail model. These weapons shoot much more accurately than my capability. From time to time I am pleasantly shocked when my shooting is really "on" and I perform up to the guns potential.

I failed to pick up on your wife's shooting experience, but her limitation might preclude her shooting .40 or .45 caliber. You want her to enjoy shooting and continue so take it slow.
 
I am no expert, but for years I have heard that M1911's and 9mm's really don't mix well. If ammo cost is no problem, why not go for a .38 Super?
 
First I want to thank everyone for their responses and suggestions.

CZ223 - my wife did look at a 938 and wasnt as taken with it because it is so small. she wants something that is a balance of size and comfort. she wants something that she can get a solid grip on but still be small enough to not feel huge in her hands. It is her choice and I want her to be happy with it so she is taking the lead and is deciding what is right for her. Thank you for the suggestion though. I myself like the look and size of it and may consider it when it is my turn for a gun. :)

VMR357 - thanks for the suggestion on the Dan Wesson. I know a couple people have mentioned it as well. we havent found any in our city. If we come by one we will definitely check it out but for her she likes to have a hands on look at it to see how it feels in her hands.

2wheels - Thanks for the input. She is really looking at it and is leaning towards the EMP heavily. I like all guns so the colt or kimber may follow me home eventually.

GPJoe and 9mmEpiphany - I would like to thank both of you for suggesting and finding the other thread, I will do some looking through it as well. I have done a search on the forum and found a few threads including 9mms about the EMP but I can never have too much information to parse. My wife and I are the type that like to do a lot of research and hands on before we buy an expensive firearm like this.

Rmiller - my wife has never actually shot a 1911. We are meeting with some friends that own 1911s so that she can try them before she decides. the .45 is a little bit intimidating to her because of her surgery. She is interested in trying it and may be surprised by how different it feels. Time will tell on that. right now she is loving the EMP after trying a .45 1911 that may change. we are in the early stages of gun buying. we really like to do our research and find out as much as we can about the gun so that we know exactly what we are in for and what we are getting.

Mac - My wife's shooting experience is that she is proficient with firearms in smaller calibers. She has shot some of my revolvers but is not a fan of the more powerful cartridges lately because of her surgery. She has never shot a 40 but may be willing to try it if we can find a rental one in town. She has shot .45 but not in a 1911. I have a friend that has some .45 cal 1911s and he has said that she can try them and see what she thinks about it. With her being so recoil sensitive she is easily intimidated by the larger calibers because she does not want her wrists to ache for a week or two after shooting. she can handle 9mm but on certain guns (the polymer framed p95 being one, the glock being another) she has some mild discomfort after shooting anything more than a magazine or two. That is one reason that she is so interested in the metal framed 1911s that would help with recoil.

CornCod - the tale that 9mm and 1911s dont mix is one reason that we are seriously looking at the EMP because it is a 1911 STYLE pistol that has been redesigned around the 9mm cartridge. This fact has, from what i have heard and read, fixed most of the feeding issues that other companies have when they make a 9mm 1911.

Once again thanks for all the input and keep it coming.
 
Walkalong -

we havent handled the 9mm but we have held and looked at the .40 cal. she can rack the slide and manipulate the safety and slide stop easily because of the thinner frame and grips. My wife is by no means weak or frail but she is recoil sensitive at the moment because of carpol tunnel. before her surgery earlier this year she did not have any issues with anything she picked up short of an AK-47.
 
Bear in mind that ANY poly/alloy, small framed 9mm is going to be pretty snappy in recoil; especially with commercial defensive or +P loads. Since her initial uses will be as a range and/or nightstand gun, I'd really suggest that you consider a 1911 in 9mm. They are noted for having a mild recoll and have one of the best triggers out there.
 
Springer99 - Thanks for the advice. I have suggested trying a full size 9mm 1911 but she is set on the compact 9mm 1911. She says that it fits her hand the best and that it feels better than any pistol she has ever held. I have to agree that the gun fits like a glove in my hands as well. We will be keeping an eye out for any full size 1911s in 9mm to see what she thinks about them as well. right now she is on the compact kick because they tend to fit her medium sized hands better.
 
I have a 9mm SA EMP and a Wilson Combat CQB Govt in .45, so quite familiar with 1911s

Did your wife handle the EMP? Since it's designed for the 9mm cartridge the width and depth of the grip is smaller than a Kimber Aegis and others that are based on .45 frames.

The 9mm EMP has an aluminum frame and steel slide for a lighter package than the all steel 1911 options -this may be a factor depending how she intends to carry.

I have well over 10,000 rounds through the EMP - it's a great reliable, accurate shooter. Great customer service if you need it

I compared the Kimber Aegis and EMP when shopping for a CCW. Both were similarly priced (EMP $100 more), but I kept coming back to the EMP. A slight edge in fit and finish too.
 
Skiwi -

The smaller grips and better customer service in one reason that my wife decided on the EMP. We have held the EMP in .40 but not 9mm because there is not one known to man for sale in our town at the moment. We went by a pawn shop that we frequent today and asked and the owner called his distributor who said he should have one tomorrow, which means that the pawn shop could receive it by Friday.

That is a lot of ifs... But should all the "ifs" line up we may have a brand new EMP on layaway as soon as this weekend. And the owner quoted up almost $200 less than any of the other places in town that said they might could find one in a month or so.
 
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