The M1911-A1 (former military .45 automatic) is very reliable and it is easy to find ammo for it. Parts are easy to get because they are quite popular and have been in production for several decades. The original reason for development, to stop a Morro who is heavily drugged and bent on your destruction for religious reasons is quite relevant today, as some of the drugs crooks are addicted to have the effect of not realizing they have been shot unless it is with something that will knock them on their bum. The .45 round packs some 250 ft/lb of energy, enough to do just that.
Safety is better than many handguns. There is the usual thumb safety that locks trigger, hammer and slide. There is a handgrip safety that locks trigger and hammer unless the pistol is properly gripped in the hand. The firing pin is too short to reach from the hammer to the round in the chamber, so it has to be hit by the hammer dropping from the fully cocked position to gain enough inertia to fire. This means that even if the weapon is dropped from a rooftop and it lands on the end of the barrel, it will not fire.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
