I just bought a 386sc and I'm a little bigger than you. 6ft, 235lbs ex powerlifter and have been a competitive shooter since age 10, my dad made me wait a few years and trained more. I was an Olympic alternative in Biathlon. AMU, presidents 100 etc, 21 years in the military. I tell you this because these scandium guns are what people call expert level pistols. You can shoot them as a novice but need to adjust your shooting schedule for them. They shoot very different than steel or polymer. Scandium pistols are very stout in recoil, even for guys bigger than me (I consider myself small to medium in the units I worked in.) I carry my 386 a bit more than my alternatives. I have literally hundreds of options to carry but carry it more and more. As I get older I notice my 3.5in 1911 I had Wilson make for me is carried less. The 38Super it's chambered in is also more work to buy when I'm lazy and don't feel like loading. Yes, I carried reloads. I know it's an issue in a shoot and have been involved in 2 of those already, once was the victim shot at, the second I talked the guy down. The 386 or any sc pistol will work well but it requires work on your part. I'm not saying it won't work, it just is something you should train with. It's not a run of the mill 36 or 342. The bigger frame and size of the 386 helps, of the sc pistols, it's the easiest to shoot actually. The 44spl version is 2nd easiest. The 340sc is the hardest. I haven't shot the 45acp so I don't know about it's shootability. I have 2 1911 E scandium pistols but they are a different animal. Prepare to shoot it a bunch is all I'm saying.