• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

1911 in Massachusetts question

P

Preachers Sheets

Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
553
Likes
39
Feedback: 1 / 0 / 0
My fiance is pretty small, she's only 5 feet tall and her hands are just as small. We shot a .22, 9mm and a .45 and she is head strong on a .45. She doesnt have a problem with the firearm and she's learning quick. She specifically likes 1911 style.

What kind of quality 1911 can I get for her, I was thinking a compact or sub-compact. I know Para makes a slim framed verison which would be perfect for her. Her fingers dont wrap around the handle as much as I'd like them too.

You should of seen her two handing the wide a$$ Beretta.[thinking]
 
Last edited:
I dont know of any gun shop that has that wide of a selection. I suppose we'd just have to hop around to a bunch of stores. I just dont know about the reliability of certian brands. Like I have heard Para is not so great but what do I know.... I rather ask you guys.

Also, she doesnt have a license yet and in MA she cannot handle the firearms.

I wonder if the Manchester Firing Lane has the kind of 1911's I'm looking for; to rent.
 
1911

Preachers Sheets said:
My fiance is pretty small, she's only 5 feet tall and her hands are just as small. We shot a .22, 9mm and a .45 and she is head strong on a .45. She doesnt have a problem with the firearm and she's learning quick. She specifically likes 1911 style.

What kind of quality 1911 can I get for her, I was thinking a compact or sub-compact. I know Para makes a slim framed verison which would be perfect for her. Her fingers dont wrap around the handle as much as I'd like them too.

You should of seen her two handing the wide a$$ Beretta.[thinking]
Click to expand...
********
Take a road trip to the S&W performance center in Springfield. She can handle different 1911`s they have there and rent one to shoot.
 
Take her to a gunshop and let her try her hand on as many as she can get her hands on. Whether she'd be allowed to handle them in MA unlicensed is up to the gunshop and their own policies.

But if you're at all within driving distance, the guys at State Line in Mason, NH are wonderful and patient. They've literally spent hours with me and my small hands helping me figure out what I like and what I don't like in a gun. Another thing to think of, if her heart is set on a 1911, is a gunsmith can actually thin-out the grip a bit and combine it with a really short trigger, so the reach her index finger has to make is the shortest possible.

Good luck, and let her decide what fits her and what she likes.

PS: When we got the Springfield 1911A1 back from having Greg Derr work on it I was amazed at how much better it fit me, even though that wasn't something specifically worked on. I'd be happy to let her try out our various guns at HSC if she'd like.
 
rwl1955 said:
********
Take a road trip to the S&W performance center in Springfield. She can handle different 1911`s they have there and rent one to shoot.
Click to expand...

+1. Not everything they sell is for rent but she can try out a lot of guns. I would let her try my warthog, but it is out of commission at the time being and getting ready to ship out.
 
Theres a company that makes very slim grips for 1911 out of aluminum. I beleive the company is called alumagrips but I could be wrong. I have a pair for my 1911 and noticed a huge differance from the factory S&W grips. Might be worth checking out.
 
Since your in Ma. I would check out the S&W 1911's. There is not much more for selection here in Ma. I think only Para which has a very mixed reputation and STI which I believe has a good rep. but will cost you more. There might be one or two others but not much of a selection in Ma.
 
You could always have one built for her. I built my Officer and it was a lot of fun.

I have a Para LDA. It is not quite a 1911 but it looks like one. I thought that it was going to be my carry pistol until I realized that it is a piece of crap.
 
DTR said:
Theres a company that makes very slim grips for 1911 out of aluminum. I beleive the company is called alumagrips but I could be wrong. I have a pair for my 1911 and noticed a huge differance from the factory S&W grips. Might be worth checking out.
Click to expand...

A company called VZ Grips also makes nice thin grips out some sort of composite. I have a set on my Para LDA and they are very nice. You can get them in normal thickness or extra thin.
 
Last edited:
If you're going to build one for her (Caspian or STI or whatever), look into a "CCO" 1911. It's a Commander length slide mated to an Officer length receiver. You dont' see them very often. If she's got small hands and a small frame, she'd probably do well with this configuration (for carry purposes, anyhow).

You can get slim grips to fit the officer length grip. There'll be a little less muzzle flip with the Commander length barrel compared to an Officer length one.

Just something to think about.
 
Preachers Sheets said:
What kind of quality 1911 can I get for her, I was thinking a compact or sub-compact. I know Para makes a slim framed verison which would be perfect for her. Her fingers dont wrap around the handle as much as I'd like them too.
Click to expand...
1) Skip the compact and or sub-compact. More recoil and stiffer recoil springs.
2) Skip ParaOrdnance -- their quality is dodgy.
3) S&W is probably the best going in MA.
 
I think she might be set on the 1911 cause of the single stack's grip vs the Beretta she tried. I have a 1911pd and love it. When I hold a gun's grips I like to feel like I am completely dominating it, that is why i bought a Walther PPS over a Glock. If she tried a PPS with the 7rnd mag I would bet she loves the feel...however I think the mass trigger would NEED changing for the average woman. Mine sarted out at just over 15lb pull but did break in somewhat. Just a thought
 
1. Continue to bring her shooting as often as she wants to go.
2. Have her apply and get her LTC.
3. Bring her to a gun shop and let her decide on what fits her hands best.

A full size 1911 will be more controllable in smaller unexperienced hands that any compact. Recoil equals pain equals flinch.
 
I am signing up for a gun club on July 12th. Once I am a member she can take the course and get a few bucks off the normal price. From there she will apply for a LTC A then she'll pick out her very own gun.

I called the S&W Performance Center and they are open Friday (I have Friday off). It is 5.00 to rent each 1911 and the ammo is 25.00 for 50 rounds. I feel that will give us a good feel for everything S&W has to offer. The shorter pistols recoil was a factor in my head which is why I think it'll be good for her to run through a few mags in any 1911 she has her heart set on. From there we are going to head up to Manchester Firing Lane in NH and American Firearm School in North Attleboro to see if she likes anything aside from the 1911. The entire process is going to be fun.

She is the one who asked me if she could take the course, get her LTC and own her own pistol. I never thought she would be into this.....she likes to cook and do all kinds of girl stuff.
 
Preacher: for people with small hands, the key issue is grip circumference. The single stack M1911s are blessed with a small grip circumference, which makes them usable by people with smaller hands. As others have suggested, you can reduce the grip circumference even further with thin grips. The thinnest grips require that you replace the grip bushings, but that is a very cheap thing to have done.

Note that while M1911s come in several sizes, the grip circumference is the same for all of them. The full size models have a longer sight radius (distance between front and rear sights) and are thus easiest to shoot accurately. In addition, they are the heaviest, and thus have the least recoil. They also have the softest recoil spring, so they are easier for people with smaller, weaker hands to operate the slide.

I have a number of 1911s, including a couple compact 1911s (Commander sized slide on an Officer's smaller frame). I strongly suggest that you do not consider any of the smaller guns, particularly for a novice. If I understand correctly, this is a range gun for a novice, so concealment is not an issue, but shootability is. Go for the full size -- it is easier and more fun to shoot.

And stick with a steel frame. Aluminum frames are lighter -- that makes them easier to carry but increases recoil noticeably.
 
Last edited:
Come out to Remsport Mfg. in Ludlow MA, It will be worth the trip.
At Remsport you can try out 1911 frames and grips. Get the proper fit.
Contact us.

Remsport Mfg. is listed in the Dealer Range forum section.
413 579 1994Ask for John
 
Some more suggestions:

(1) Try a short trigger as well as the slim grips. I have smallish hands and it makes a big difference for me.

(2) Consider the Springfield EMP, with its shortened grip frame, although it would have to be a private sale in MA. I think there are some other 1911s designed to be easier for small hands as well, the Para Slim Hawg and something from Nighthawk Custom.
 
Last edited:
You guys have a good point, I was thinking of a sub compact or a compact 1911 but I really didn’t want to because I knew they would have more recoil. She is fine with the full size 1911.

Funny you say I need to consider how far her fingers wrap around the entire grip. I was having her hold the pistol last night because it came to mind as I was cleaning it. My hand has a really good grip but it seems like the left side of the grip barely makes more than a little contact with her fingers from her right hand. I think the grips would help a ton. My thumb is half the length of her palm and a section of her finger combined. I was goofing around and I wanted to compare my foot to her forearm. My heel starts at her elbow and my big toe ends at the start of her palm. It's childish but I find the contrast amusing. Tiny people FTW!

I'm going to have her handle a few pistols this weekend and see how things go.
 

Similar threads

Manhunt Underway After Mother and Daughter Shot, Killed in Gun-Controlled Massachusetts
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
Varmint
Varmint
Watchtower Apache 1911
Replies
9
Views
407
paul73
paul73
Happy Colt 1911 Day!
Replies
0
Views
73
FPrice
FPrice
a .22 lr question
Replies
8
Views
256
Asaltweapon
Asaltweapon
  • Locked
How Much Jail Time For Stealing Three Guns In Massachusetts? Six Days.
Replies
8
Views
424
M1911
M1911
Back
Top Bottom