Gents, I need your help.

The GF and I pretty much wedded ourselves to 9mm because of availability, cost relative to other calibers, ease of shooting (for her), etc.

Lately we've been taking some training and I know enough to know that the writing is on the wall that she can't shoot a Glock for shit because of the trigger.

I'm wanting to steer her to a good 1911 clone, or other 9mm with an excellent trigger.

C'mon, ARFcom handgun experts--this is your fire mission.

So far, my Rock River has been very reliable.

It has been better than a couple of Springfields and an STI.

Good luck with the 9mm 1911 and “reliable.” I hear the Glock 19 works ok.

A 1911 is an expert only gun. It is a thinking man’s gun.  I have even seen a trained police gunsmith accident discharge a 1911.
Go look for an H&K P30 or a similar Sig like P226.  Those have a heavy double action first shot followed by single action. But because they have a de-cocking feature you reduce the risk of accidental discharge. The ultra light first shot trigger pull of a 1911 which has to be carried cocked and locked with the chamber loaded is a problem for inexperienced shooters. Army reduced the risk by carrying a 1911 with chamber empty but for a self defense gun an empty chamber will get you killed. When carrying a 1911 one has to regularly check that the safety is still on and has not accidentally been bumped to off. That is not a huge problem because of the grip safety a feature that the Browning HiPower lacks. If it’s a range only gun go Wilson Combat or for a fourth the price the new Springfield Armory clone of a Browning HiPower. But understand the risk.  Some people should never progress past double action revolvers then thay have the safe carry option of the heavy double action trigger but can cock the hammer for that light trigger to make a precise controlled shot. That is what the guns like H&K P30 and Sig P226 P229 mimic. That heavy first pull unless you intentionally cock it saves inexperienced shooters a lot of negligent discharges.

DW Vigil or Guardian.    I carry my Vigil commander length daily, and it has ran flawless.

I know it's blasphemy, but I've never been a fan of 1911 9mm guns.

Find a good, purpose-built 9mm striker gun.  Myself, I reluctantly switched from Glock to the VP9 because I shot one much better than my Glocks.  Better trigger, adjustable back strap AND side panels to customize the grip to one's hand.

Try others - M&P, Sig, FN, Canick, etc.

I have direct knowledge 3 samples of 9mm 1911s produced recently ish by SA that have alot of rounds thought them with no issues. They are all using Tripp mags. Probably 6000 roujnds between them

Magazine choice is a real issue with 9mm 1911s.

I own 2 DW Guardians in 9mm and a Vigil CCO in 9mm. Excellent 1911’s for the money and mine have been 100% reliable. IMO, a newish shooter would be better served with something else for a defensive pistol. I carry a G43X. There are many other good choices. Learning to shoot is the way to go. If you can hit a man-sized target at 5-7 yards you'll be good to go. Self defense isn't about shooting pretty little groups on paper.

Metalform Springfield style mags are excellent in 9mm.

Sw model 39-2

Go on....

Love me some 9mm 1911's but I'd recommend more training with the Glocks. Eventually, she'll get better with the trigger. The 1911 is going to come with a different set of potential issues, especially if you buy something less than a Dan Wesson, which I view as the base.

Wilson Combat mags is what you'd want.

Frankly, I helped a femaie friend buy a handgun, and she settled on a 9mm S & W Shield EZ.

I think we might go that route, but I wanted to see if there's a 9mm 1911 that is just universally loved first.

Depending on carry preference and her hand size, a Sig P380 is super easy to shoot and I had 3 reliable ones, but the 9mm version is a bit more snappy. (Not true 1911 but worth noting)

Good Lord. You don't carry a 1911, do you?

OP...a shooting  partner of mine has a LW framed Colt Commander in 9mm that he bought 2-3 years ago. He uses it in IDPA so it has been shot quite a bit. He has never had a problem. Wilson mags are the answer.

Well, there’s a bunch of different magazine manufacturers. They all make magazines with different followers, feed lip profiles, and spring rates. 9 or 10 round capacity seems to be the most common. Some have welded base plates and some have removable base plates. Some have bumpers some don’t. Then, the guns have different slide lengths, spring rates and ramp profiles. They also have all of the other concerns that 1911s have in general, like extractor tension.  

What does all that mean? It means that not every gun, magazine, and ammo combination is going to play nicely together. Since magazines cost upwards of $30 each, it can be an expensive proposition to find out which combos work. Now, if you have another gun, guess what? It might not work 100% with the same combination.

I’ve had a few 9mm 1911s. They are great fun to shoot. But, there’s a catch. They might not be a set it and forget it proposition like a modern gun.

What ammo profile is he using in IDPA? Quality hollow points?

RIA/Armscor with Mecgar mags.  They've been making 1911s for over 100 years.

Mom bought me a 1911 in 1969. I’ve carried one on duty which gets you complaints that you have your pistol cocked in your holster. I’ve carried one enough to know that you have to spend range time with it training.

The light trigger is fine for a range gun or a highly trained shooter but it’s a problem for a novice particularly when holding felons at gunpoint or other shoot/don’t shoot situations. A striker fired or DA/SA with a de-cock feature is a safer choice for a novice.

But buy what you want I’ve been in the ER with the guy who accidentally shot his fiancée driving down the road when she hit the brakes. Surprised People tend to subconsciously squeeze with the entire hand. That includes the trigger and grip safety. So if the safety is bumped off … bang.  Solution = Off target Off Trigger & Muzzle Discipline

VP9 is what you seek!

The trigger weight on an umodified 1911 and an unmodified Glock are the same: ~5lbs.  I've carried a 1911 every day for about 15 years now, at no point have I shot myself, or anybody else (despite having had to point it at a human on more than one occasion).  Care to spout any other pearls of useless nonsense?

Ok….

HK VP-9 has the sweetest Trigger of any striker fired 9mm I've tried and I really prefer DA/SA and SA. However if I wanted to leave my hammer guns, I will be carrying a VP-9.

Sorry your gun has a 5 pound trigger.

OFF Target ….OFF Trigger

Muzzle Dicipline

As are Tripp, Wilson, Dawson, and EB.  

If you can't find a mag that you like out of those I don't know what to tell ya...

Back to the OP, Dan Wesson would be my first choice.  BUL and Springfield make a good 9mm 1911 as well.  Plenty of really good custom/semi custom makers out there too.  

Honestly haven't played around with many of the low end offerings though.

Stacatto doesn’t make 1911s.

For IDPA he is just shooting cheap FMJ's. But prior to the ridiculous ammo shortage, he did run several boxes of self defense ammo (Gold Dots I believe) so that he could carry it it if he wanted to.

Key words here indicate that your friend is -----Not a NOVICE shooter ----and is inclined to train.
                                                ...."He has never had a problem."  It's Likely that he has had competent instruction.

That's a different thing than fixing the novice who cant accurately shoot a Glock by giving them a 1911.  

I have no issue with someone running a 1911 if they are willing to learn how to safely do so.     However a Glock  is a fairly idiot proof firearm that anyone should be able to shoot well with just a little practice learning the trigger.  And A VP9 is an idiot proof firearm with a better trigger and better grip. However a  DA/SA offers the shooter a choice, just like a double action revolver does.  

Springfield SA35  clone of the Browning Hi-Power would be a great 9mm choice but only if you understand off target off trigger and muzzle discpline..

I like my two .45acp 1911’s but for 9mm I went with an M&P 2.0 and changed out the trigger to an apex. Gives me the 1911 grip angle of 18 degrees and the high quality 1911 trigger. It’s truly the best compromise to carrying a 1911 in 9mm and it’s slightly lighter than the steel or aluminum frame 1911’s I own.

Attached File

CZ P10-S,. CZ  P10-M,. I am sure there are others out there.

Link?

I understand the points you are making, because I have heard them many times.

I would suggest that no pistol is idiot proof. I DID misread the OP, and I was thinking that she was already familiar with a 1911.

All of that said....I have always disagreed with the "experts only" tag on the 1911. I really think it is simple, intuitive, and ergonomic. I have been messing around with a HiPower lately, and on one hand it is indeed a refined 1911. On the other, some of the refinements suck, like the magazine not dropping, the tiny safety, etc.

This in my case as well, but my RIA in 9mm is accurate and reliable so far!

In my case the wilson mags are not preferred, the metal form work great. The wilsons cause my slide to drag.

If you can’t shoot a gun well that means just lack of training. Not because of the gun itself. Have her put 2,000rds through a glock over 4-5 range trips and get some real time behind a glock.

If you want a 9mm 1911 just to have one and try out there’s plenty production models out there. I’d go with Dan Wesson if you have the coin.

IT'S NOT THE TRIGGER.

What is the difference between a “2011” and a “1911”?

Ask this guy….

Don't they make a single stack?

If you wanted a single stack 9mm I'd say go w/ a single stack Sig over a 1911 and I like 1911s.

Actually I believe this to be good advice and well put.

I currently own 3 1911's and have owned many others and shot one in what was then IPSC and now USPSA for over 20 years.

Have a gunsmith look at that mag release all the Hi Powers that I have had were flawless in operation and quite accurate.
I have to agree with you on the Hi Power safety being too small to be ideal however the new Springfield Armory version appears much improved.  Perhaps the term expert only is an over statement but one absolutely must be willing to train and spend time using it.  This is not a platform that you can load it put it in the dresser drawer and take it out 20 years later to use in an emergency and be proficient with.   I have see several negligent discharges with 1911 one fatal.

It is a thinking mans weapon.

For a novice having problems with a glock who is wanting a lighter trigger a DA/SA either a revolver or semi auto is a safe choice, even a single action revolver can be a great place to start and fine tune those skills on sight control and trigger control but until someone  learns muzzle discipline and off target off trigger, they are not safe with any firearm  and the 1911 is not very forgiving.  With a 1911 if the safety is off the grip safety is depressed and the trigger is depressed they go bang and while that makes sense to most of us what seems to f up is that people grasp with their whole hand sometimes without thinking about what they are doing unintentionally causing the hammer to fall under certain conditions. brakes slammed on in the car, trip and fall, gunsmith trying to force a feeding issue round goes into the chamber and surprise grip safety and trigger were depressed but he sure had a solid grip on that handle ...Bang.  De-cocking the hammer to 1/4 cock or to carry with the hammer down and have the hammer get away from you......  Walk through a commercial building after finding an open door in the middle of the night and let an air compressor kick on... I know a cop who shot an air compressor that way.  Have someone try to run over you with a car and dive to the side landing on your shoulder ....  bang ... people grip with their whole hand as a reflex under certain conditions ....that finger has to be off the trigger.  Note:  they have only been teaching  Off target off trigger for about the last 25 years before that it didn't exist.

1911 is a thinking mans gun.

As a 1911 guy who spent conservatively $15K on high-end 9mm 1911s over the years…

Just don’t.

S&W M&P and an Apex trigger. Thank me later.

I have a $350 rock island 9mm kit (unramped barrel) on a $99 PSA frame.  Using brownells mags, i think made by mecgar or metalform.  Very minimal hand fitting required to get it together.  Its loosie goosie.  It runs 100%.  Never had any misfeeds, misfire, mis-ejects.  It eats steel and brass.

https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazines/1911-9mm-magazines-prod84195.aspx

You want a 9mm with a good trigger and good overall ergos?

Try a Walther PPQ or PDP.

These are very good magazines for This pistol

Dan Wesson DWX

My RIA has shot over 10K rounds with only 3 malfunctions and those were directly related to a worn recoil spring. However that has all been 124 gain ball using Tripp mags.

If you want to shoot hollow points and be "bet your life" reliable, look at an M&P with Apex trigger kit or a CZ.

I own a springfield range officer in 9mm and it has been a great gun over 2500 rounds of all kinds of ammo and not one malfunction very sccurate also