Mike Kilo Niner
New member
I've been shopping around for a pistol chambered in .45 ACP for quite a while now, and was quite impressed with the various 1911 clones out there. The grip felt nice, the triggers ranged from "hmm, not bad" to "how have I lived this long without a trigger this nice?!" But nowhere I went had an attached shooting range -- until today.
I rented a couple of 1911-style pistols (stock GI, Kimber full size with beavertail) and a Sig P220 for comparison (my first handgun being a Sig P228). Those slim steel and aluminum pistols that pointed so nicely in the shop, looked so wonderful in the case, and in all other ways made me drool with avarice were absolutely NOT comfortable in the hand under recoil for me. They were as accurate as advertised, and had much to recommend them, but when I fired the P220 it was perfect. Somewhat more recoil than my beloved 9mm, but not bad at all. Trigger was surprisingly nice, bar-dot sights as I've grown fond of. Perfection... for me.
That, I suppose, is the point of this meandering ramble that vaguely resembles a story. The moral, oft repeated on these forums: whenever possible, try a pistol out before you buy it. Reading about it, even holding it in a shop are insufficient to determine that elusive balance of ergonomics, weight, caliber, etc. that really makes a gun suited to you.
Good shooting everyone, and thanks for all you advice (recently, and in the past -- thanks to the ever-handy search feature)!
I rented a couple of 1911-style pistols (stock GI, Kimber full size with beavertail) and a Sig P220 for comparison (my first handgun being a Sig P228). Those slim steel and aluminum pistols that pointed so nicely in the shop, looked so wonderful in the case, and in all other ways made me drool with avarice were absolutely NOT comfortable in the hand under recoil for me. They were as accurate as advertised, and had much to recommend them, but when I fired the P220 it was perfect. Somewhat more recoil than my beloved 9mm, but not bad at all. Trigger was surprisingly nice, bar-dot sights as I've grown fond of. Perfection... for me.
That, I suppose, is the point of this meandering ramble that vaguely resembles a story. The moral, oft repeated on these forums: whenever possible, try a pistol out before you buy it. Reading about it, even holding it in a shop are insufficient to determine that elusive balance of ergonomics, weight, caliber, etc. that really makes a gun suited to you.
Good shooting everyone, and thanks for all you advice (recently, and in the past -- thanks to the ever-handy search feature)!
