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BigJimP · April 1, 2013, 04:48 PM

When I hear questions like this come up....my suggestion honestly, is to go to a local range that rents a number of different handguns ....and fire, as an example, every 9mm in the rental case.

What you're looking for ...is what fits your hands the best. The grip angle, can you reach all of the controls without shifting your grip, sights, thumb safety, decocker, etc.....but probably mostly the trigger....how much slack, how much creep ...how does it break ...how does it reset.

Focus on a couple of things as you fire....feel of trigger as it breaks and resets..does the gun come up from the bench level and on target....or is the nose up or down.../ elimate guns with triggers that you hate...

I'm going thru this with a buddy right now ...he's predetermined that he wants a Sig 226 ....but he has smaller hands ...and when its all said and done, I think he'll like a 1911 or maybe a Sig 239 ( single stack sig ) a lot better...../ but same thing --- for the cost of some rentals ( about $ 15 ) and a couple of boxes of ammo ( $40 ) he'll be able to eliminate 99% of the guns out there...and he may find something he likes, that I don't think he will like. I think on the Sig 226 - he might have to move his grip to reach the mag release...and I think unless he goes with a SRT trigger ..the pull on the DA/SA trigger will be too long to suit him and reset is likely to be worse...

As an example the Sig SRT - won't work for me / but may work for him.....
I can reach the mag release on the Sig 226 ...maybe he can't.....
I like the grip angle on the 226 ...don't know if he will or not.....

But it takes a while to go thru the elimination process...and maybe a 2nd or a 3rd trip to the range...
------
Since you're new to this hobby....remember there are a lot of 1911's out there as well in a 9mm..and in 4" or 5" barrels, etc....alloy frames, steel frames, etc.../ even to decide on which 1911 would involve in shooting a lot of different guns.

April 1, 2013, 04:48 PM	#24
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	When I hear questions like this come up....my suggestion honestly, is to go to a local range that rents a number of different handguns ....and fire, as an example, every 9mm in the rental case. What you're looking for ...is what fits your hands the best. The grip angle, can you reach all of the controls without shifting your grip, sights, thumb safety, decocker, etc.....but probably mostly the trigger....how much slack, how much creep ...how does it break ...how does it reset. Focus on a couple of things as you fire....feel of trigger as it breaks and resets..does the gun come up from the bench level and on target....or is the nose up or down.../ elimate guns with triggers that you hate... I'm going thru this with a buddy right now ...he's predetermined that he wants a Sig 226 ....but he has smaller hands ...and when its all said and done, I think he'll like a 1911 or maybe a Sig 239 ( single stack sig ) a lot better...../ but same thing --- for the cost of some rentals ( about $ 15 ) and a couple of boxes of ammo ( $40 ) he'll be able to eliminate 99% of the guns out there...and he may find something he likes, that I don't think he will like. I think on the Sig 226 - he might have to move his grip to reach the mag release...and I think unless he goes with a SRT trigger ..the pull on the DA/SA trigger will be too long to suit him and reset is likely to be worse... As an example the Sig SRT - won't work for me / but may work for him..... I can reach the mag release on the Sig 226 ...maybe he can't..... I like the grip angle on the 226 ...don't know if he will or not..... But it takes a while to go thru the elimination process...and maybe a 2nd or a 3rd trip to the range... ------ Since you're new to this hobby....remember there are a lot of 1911's out there as well in a 9mm..and in 4" or 5" barrels, etc....alloy frames, steel frames, etc.../ even to decide on which 1911 would involve in shooting a lot of different guns.