I do not recommend a 1911-platform for home defense, due to it's very limited magazine capacity and FBI stats on how likely you are to hit (was 1 in 7 hit last I checked).
I do not recommend a 1911 for a novice either, due to it's inherent fussyness, high maintenance, and precision of assembly.
I do not recommend dry-firing a 1911, research your specific model/variant before you dry fire a 1911.
I do recommend purchasing a full size glock, M&P, or other LE-issued or federally issued pistol. Dry fire away, 10k dry fires won't appreciably wear or hurt your modern striker fired pistol.
Get to the range as often as possible, try for a minimum once/month. Get some instruction. Get some friends that will motivate you to stay in practice. Join a club/league. Never hesitate to reach out to your resources (like CR) regardless of how silly or insignificant you might think your question is.