.38 super

[amk]

Also check STI guns www.stiguns.com; some cool custom options.

If you have decided to get a .45 then I suggest you look beyond the 1911 to modern pistols. Almost every single manufacturer has models chambered for .45, Glock, SIG, H&K, S&W, etc. Personally I would choose one of these. And we all know the reliability of especially Glocks.

Ruger does a nice small new LCP pistol in .380. But it's relatively new so don't know about reliability and quality, you can do some research.

If you plan to fire a lot then get a .32 or you won't be able to afford the ammo cost of the .45 and .380. If this is the case you should also probably consider a nice high capacity .22 that can handle high power rounds.

AMK