My wife wants to upgrade

[1911Shooter]

My wife currently carries a P22 and I know she needs to upgrade to a larger caliber but what she likes is going to kill me.

This all started with a trip to the range about a week ago. My wife had the opportunity to shoot a ton of different guns and she fell in love. Now she wants a Les Baer Custom. Yes, she shot it well and she handled it great but still ITS A 2000+ DOLLAR GUN! So what do I do? Do I buy it and let her put it in her purse or do I buy a cheaper 1911 and not get her the one she wants? I'm lost on this one so give me a little advice. What do I do?

 

[Amishman44]

Ha ha...my wife is like that...she tends to lean toward the expensive pistols! My job is to help her select the best overall pistol...that fits into our budget!

I would recommend that you have her check out the Springfield EMP's in 9mm...excellent pistol for around 1/2 the $$! Good quality pistol, excellent reputation, every accurate! I think she'd be more than happy with a Springfield! Heck, I want one!

Good luck!

 

[Sylvain]

I would not let her carry a $2000 in a purse.
That's the first thing she will lose if someone grabs her purse and runs away.
That's like having $2000 in cash, all ready for the BG who will get to her purse before she can get to her gun in my opinion.
Im generally against purse carry, in my opinion the better option is to have the gun secured on your person.
Also, keep in mind that if she ever has to use her gun for self defense, the gun will be taken away by the police as evidence.
You may or may not get it back.
A $500 gun may be a better option.

 

[Vince49]

Upgrade?

My wife want's to upgrade too, but I don't think its her gun she's talking about.

 

[rgrimm01]

Think of it as an investment that will pay dividends of future happiness for you.... I am searching for a handgun for my [new LTCH getin'] bundle of love. Rackability (is that even a word) seems to be the biggest obstical for her to overcome, then the fit to hand. I am concerned with safety, dependability and inherent accuracy of the gun. If it meets all the criteria, so be it. It would appear that your post satisfies these requirements and you will be buying a Les Baer shortly? How about a his and hers matching set? OUCH...

 

[Kutnupe14]

get her a Kimber

 

[glock212327]

+1 for the Springfield EMP 9mm

 

[halfmileharry]

get her a Kimber

Kimber +1 here, same smooth feel.
Get her a Garand for the purse.

 

[45fan]

I think the best solution to the OPs problem would be to ask her WHY she likes the Les Baer. What features that made her decide that was the one. maybe expose her to a few 1911s that are within your budget, and see if she is equally impressed.
My wife loves the platform, and appreciates a beautiful, well made weapon when she sees it, but her favorite 1911 to date has been a friends WWII vintage colt that started its current incarnation as a basket case that was put together by a 1911 newbie. It locks up tight, and holds great groups, but the only thing it has extra from the original GI version is a comp bushing and a flat mainspring housing.

 

[rotortech]

My wife wants to upgrade

So does mine, but she's keeping me anyway.

 

[Airborne33]

Get her a nice 1911, but you don't need to spend that much to get something functional. On the other hand if you have that kind of cash, a custom 1911 is something that you'll hold on to for a lot longer.

Have her check out some of the semi custom 1911's out there like Kimber or Springfield. You could get something that shoots nearly as well for about half the price.

 

[Jeepcrazed]

in the ton of different guns she tried, were there any other 1911s? and what size(s) did she try?

I'm all for telling you to get her what she wants and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised with the appreciation she shows you. That being said, if the Les Baer was the only 1911 that she tried, maybe she just loved the 1911 feel, and you *might* be able to get her to fall for a Kimber or similar, instead.

Though...the Les Baer would be über accurate, if and when she really needed it. If it were me...that's what I'd be most concerned with, not whether it would be taken for evidence for some period of time after.

 

[1911Shooter]

She has shot a ton of 1911's and likes them all but that one is the one she loves. I have thought about just getting her a kimber and being done with it, but I have also got the ok to get a Les Baer and I'm not sure if I should let this opportunity pass. My idea is to get a Kimber for her to carry and a Les Baer for the range. That way its a win win.

 

[VERT]

If my wife ever had her heart set on a particular gun, it would be hers. She would never ask for a $2000 1911 so I am safe in the regard. Otherwise if she were to ask for a different gun specifically for carry we would buy it. For that matter she has the right to claim any gun in the safe as her won.

Have fun with your households new Les Baer.

 

[1911Shooter]

I feel the same way about the buying for her. Im not to worried about the cost, as long as she is happy. She is not a big gun nut, so she didnt have a clue about the cost. It really isnt that she heard the price and feel in love. She shot it and loved it. Price didnt sell her on it, the way it shot did. Actually she would probably like it to be cheaper but its not so no big deal.

 

[VERT]

I feel the same way about the buying for her. Im not to worried about the cost, as long as she is happy. She is not a big gun nut, so she didnt have a clue about the cost. It really isnt that she heard the price and feel in love. She shot it and loved it. Price didnt sell her on it, the way it shot did. Actually she would probably like it to be cheaper but its not so no big deal.

Yeah a $2000 price tag would turn my wife away as well. So, it sounds like a 1911 patterned pistol is in the future for you. Still about 13 shopping days until Christmas. You better get started now.

 

[1911Shooter]

I dont think I'm gonna push to get it before Christmas. I may get her a Kimber for Christmas but after Christmas we will start the search for the right Les Baer. I want to shoot a few different models and see which one we can agree on. This purchase will be more like buying a car than a gun. We are going to Florida for Christmas and I have a friend there that is big into Les Baer and other custom 1911's so we will see where this goes when were there.

 

[Jeepcrazed]

Bravo! what a good man!
It's really wonderful that you're willing to work with her to help her find the one she loves.

 

[60Driver]

REPS to your wife for having STELLAR taste in sidearms!!! Which model Baer did she shoot? I am sure as others have suggested you can find a suitable and well made 1911 for a bit less money but it still would not be a Baer. So.....

Evil Master Plan:
1. Buy the Baer.
2. Carefully adjust the rear sight so that is not shooting POI/POA
3. Obtain really Really Junky Mags and load with worst ammo you can find (that will not damage the Baer, but will result in FTF/FTE)
4. Have her shoot Baer in intentionally jacked up configuration, resulting in great frustration and anger on her part.
5. Explain that you would take a very bad loss selling or trading the now used Baer.
6. Undue mods to make Baer not run right.
7. Enjoy YOUR new Les Baer

In all seriousness, My Fiance is the most important thing in the world to me. Fortunately as a former Army Officer she prefers the M9 to the 1911 as the 1911 was out of service when she came in, and honestly shoots a wheelgun better. That said if she wanted my Baer to defend herself with, it would be hers. So she has my Python instead,

 

[schafe]

.....but what she likes is going to kill me....

Quick.....somebody call 911! This doesn't sound good.