Hiya Roxanne-

The first thing that comes to mind for me on this is to ask what you're thinking (primarily) the use of the gun's going to be.
I'm gonna guess you're thinking personal defense somewhere in the set of reasons to choose the .45
If that has anything to do with it, good for you. The .45acp has nearly a hundred years of documented performance and it's known to be a very reliable one hit solution to most problems that could be solved with a handgun.

You noted that you would be getting into a .22 some time soon, think about compatibility with your pistol and carbine. Some of the handguns that would take the .45acp are easily and affordably converted to the .22 and/or .17 rimfire cartriges. The 1911 style automatics (kimber, springfield, colt...) are super easy to convert, it takes about twenty seconds to go from .45 to rimfire with a 1911 and you get to keep fresh and in practice for ultra cheap running bulk packaged ammo through a conversion kit.
I don't know of a carbine (besides the AR-15, but that's a whole different story...) that would be able to do the same, but a good .22 rifle or carbine won't cost much either. Actually, there's the Thompson-Center Contender which is a single shot rig that can be easily coverted from cartrige to cartrige by switching the barrel assembly and firing pin. You can get it as a rifle and there are barrels available for it in almost every imaginable chambering. Takes a bit more than twenty seconds to switch, but not much more than that.
You'd be getting into a very cool niche item with a Contender and have as many different barrels as you want without registration or waiting period (for each additonal barrel that is, the gun's a gun after all). It doesn't cost much to get into a new caliber with the Contender either. You're looking at about a hundred fifty to two fifty for a used barrel assembly in like new shape, sometimes with a scope mount and scope included.
The only thing you could consider a drawback is that it's a single shot gun and you have to break it open (elmer fudd style) to re-load for each shot. The big upside of this kind of arrangement is that it's inheritly an accurate system and the Contender is about as durable as a handgun or rifle gets.
Something to think about there.
FWIW, an already hot chick with an accurate Contender is one ultra hot item.
*fans himself...*

If you live in the east bay, consider a trip to El Cerrito to visit the Old West Gun Room. It's a tiny shop run by an interesting man named Bob. Lots of history in there. Sometimes you have to wait to get his attention at the counter, but it's worth it and you know for double damn sure what you're getting with him. No bullshit, very straight talk. I think he's going to be out on vacation till the 6th of april, so you might need ot wait a bit till you can get anything from him.

I'd stay clear of Traders in San Leandro. Super low on the integrity scale and the staff really don't know what's what about the product.

There's a shop in San Francisco on Mission street near Army street called High Bridge Arms. It's another one of the old world culture of shops. There's lots of history in that place and the folks there won't screw you or bullshit you.

There are other shops, but as far as recommending something, I'd point to El Cerrito or Mission street.

Have you shot the .45acp much?
It's a great round, very accurate and controllable, super effective as a defense round and excellent as a sporting round.

Have you thought of getting any kind of training to go with the pistol?
I'd super extra highly recommend it.
Very good for your skills and very valuable for the unthinkable time you'd need to use it to defend yourself. Good training will leave you branded with a default mechanism to handle the gun safely while you're in the fight/flight mode. Very valuable...



--john