Let her try a BHP first. wider grip.....but not as deep front-to-back so it sorta equals out.

And you're much more likely to get a reliable BHP (never seen a newer one that was unrelaible from the get-go).

Just buy the 9mm 1911. Whats one more gun? You are ALREADY WAAAAYYYYYYY past your list for the year anyways

PS: Check your damned mail!

Aimless, I owned a Colt 9mm Series 70. It was a pussycat as far as recoil far less than 45. I was going to convert it to 38 Super but sold to fund another gun. It was dead reliable with FMJ and cast lead but didn't like hollow points.  I didn't want to ramp the barrel. I bought the gun for 300 bucks 1980, ran 5000 rounds through it and sold for what i paid for it.

I shot my buddies HP same grip angle but felt lighter to me. Colt no longer makes 9mm only 45 and 38 Super. I hear guys are running 9x21 in the Super for more power. Springfield, Kimber, Para and STI make 9mm guns though.

I've also heard the 1911 9mm is jamb prone due to the shorter overall cartridge length, but don't know if that's true.

Quoted: Grips on a Browning hi power might be s little thick]

My hands aren't big and I wanted to get a BHP but it felt blocky to me. The short grip tang and way-back thumb safety also felt creepy. Got a CZ75B instead. A little bigger overall but grip is a lot more ergonomic, with more of an oval cross section like a 1911. It's about the only double-column I can handle (single stack still fits me best). CZ's a lot less expensive than the BHP but is still top quality working-wise (although not quite the same finish, etc.). It's also all steel and soaks up recoil just wonderfully.

The standard 1911 platform/Mag was set up for a bullet around the 1.220 OAL.  
The 9mm has an OAL of around 1.120.  

This allows the bullet to jump/move forward in the mag.  The 1911 mags are designed to retain the top round at the back of the feed lips.  If the top round is allowed/seats forward of the back of the lips, then as the slide moves forward to pick up the round, there is a chance that the rim will not slip in between the breech face and extractor (top round tension problem).  This means that the round is not controlled at feeding, and when it springs forward off the mag lips, it may or may not fly into the chamber.  Also, depending on the amount of tension that the extractor is set to, the extractor it's self may not snap over the rim if the round does fly into the chamber.

The solution is to use a Mag that is set for 1.120 OAL rounds that prevent the extra forward of tip space, or as current, just shrink the 1911 platform to use a shorter depth mag from the start if the standard factory length round is to be used.

On the positive side of the longer depth mag/platform, this allows you to longer load the standard 9mm round.  The benefits of this is greater case space-volume (read high speeds with less pressure), and if the planets are in your favor, get the ogive (bullet-barrel land contact area) to sit .005 off the lands for better accuracy and take up most of the extra forward space. Using the right bullet/ogive, it's not uncommon to long load the bullet out to the 1.200 mark, and make the 9mm a Major power factor class pistol (now we just have to get that Min. 40 limit repealed).

My STI Rangemaster 9mm has been 100% reliable, the magazines have a spacer at the rear.  A friend has a cheaper STI Trojan in 9mm which is also super reliable and accurate (which is why I bought mine).  Mine shoots 115gr and 147gr Federal American Eagle extremely well.

I have to say that anyone who says they are UNreliable has not shot my friends. His dad has a Colt series 70, he has NEVER cleaned it. WhY? He is a lazy SOB and says he doesnt know how to take it apart and doesnt really care. All he does it wipe the frame down with some WD-40 every once in a while.

I called him out on this because he told me he has never had a FTF/FTE with the handgun. Along with my glock and sig he brought his colt 70 series.

Well, I had to pay him 20 bucks because I told him that I guarantee that it would malfunction sometime during the 300 rds. of 9mm that we bought for it.

I dont think I would ever get one though.....with the full size you could literally feel the slide move front-to back-and front again. It felt like it was a looooong time before it returned to battery,  

Use good mags and its fine.

I got my wife a 9mm Kimber Stainless Target.  It's a great gun all around.  Extremely accurate, light recoil and reliable.  I can't recommend it highly enough.