[mikeus_maximus]

Let me add to my prior post, that as in everything else in life, you get what you pay for. There are cheap guns out there such as the S&W Sigma series. But read the reviews. The trigger is horrible on many of these guns. It comes down to little things like that in a life and death situation. One of the reasons I will reiterate my belief int he 1911.

Good comment. I'm thing about a 1911 for my next gun- either Para Ordnance or Kimber or (if wife won't object) a Nighthawk :)

As to S&W autos- yes, I've read bad things about the Sigma series. But folks should not confuse those with the new Smith& Wesson M&P autos- great guns!

[Red in Blue PA]

By all means, I would go with the Kimber and avoid the Para. The Para GI Expert is about $599 and you need to add in a grip safety and a few other things (to make it comparable with the Kimber Custom II), and once you do this, you get close in price to the Kimber Custom II. Add in the fact that the slide is cast and not forged, and IMO it is a no brainer which to choose. (I believe Para is the only company to use casting instead of forging).

Take it FWIW.

[gigster]

I know there are bad reports about the S&W Sigmas out there, but, I had my SW9VE reworked under factory warranty, and it made it a totally new firearm, in my view.
However, there should be no need to send in a new firearm to be reworked,IMO.
Now, to the question of what to get, for the poster. Massad Ayoob recommends a 20 ga. auto-loader for home defense. The wife doesn’t need to rack a new shell into it after firing, and a 12 ga. is too overwhelming for most women. Get it in the youth model, for a shorter pull, and barrel.