Pistol Ideas for Wife

My wife also is starting to get into shooting. The first time we went she was very intimidated by the range, other people and the 9mm's i have. I bought a Walther P22 for her to use to get used to it. We went again last week and it a bit but she did great with the 22 and then by surprise she went for the G17! WOW was i shocked.....
 
This is Grade-A advice right here, and often overlooked by people looking at small autos. I watched a guy at a local GS recently trying to buy a small auto for his mother (~70 yrs), and she was struggling to rack the slide even once. No one seemed to notice or be concerned by that.

If she is going to carry for protection all she has to do is rack the slide once and she is good to go!
 
Get your wife to look at a sig 239 DAK or look at the DA/SO version in 9mm. It has 8 round mags- or 10. low recoil and perfect for females to concel and shoot- crimson trace will give her added confidence- after she feel comf. try a houge grip.
Good luck,

Extreme Rendition
 
Who makes a .327 Magnum? I have never heard of one of these. I would assume being a magnum that it would be a revolver.. Just curious......Thx...

Ruger, Taurus and Smith & Wesson all have .327 magnums now. I like the Smith best, but I am highly prejudiced. The .327 is reputed to be as powerful as a .357, though it shoots a lighter bullet. It can use .32 short, .32 Long, H&R .32 magnum and high power and normal power .327 rounds. That gives you a TON of variable power rounds to work with. Let her learn the gun shooting .32 short, and over time, work your way up.

The one Smith sells right now is from the Performance center, and it had built in muzzle ports for taming recoil. It's a bit expensive for me right now, but if I needed my first carry gun, and know what I know now, I would consider it.

ScottS is giving some GREAT advice here, Especially about choosing a revolver for a newer shooter. I think his posts should be combined into a sticky titled "Women's First Gun." with the option of adding other info as we go along about holsters, ammo, conceal garments for women and other good advice that we pluck from our members.

GREAT POST ScottS ++++++
 
If she is going to carry for protection all she has to do is rack the slide once and she is good to go!

Only if you're willing to simply drop the gun and surrender if it malfunctions, or if you are never interested in practicing with the gun. In my experience, if someone is fighting with a gun every single time they take it out to shoot (whether it's because they can't rack the slide, or the trigger tears their finger up, or hammer bite, or whatever), they will soon lose interest in shooting entirely. No one like fighting a gun every time they go out. And if you don't think training with the gun you carry is important, then we'll have to agree to disagree on that.
 
36 post and no one posted that bad old joke:

"I got a gun for my wife, the best trade I ever made"

Posted for historical purposes, not my opinion
 
Only if you're willing to simply drop the gun and surrender if it malfunctions, or if you are never interested in practicing with the gun. In my experience, if someone is fighting with a gun every single time they take it out to shoot (whether it's because they can't rack the slide, or the trigger tears their finger up, or hammer bite, or whatever), they will soon lose interest in shooting entirely. No one like fighting a gun every time they go out. And if you don't think training with the gun you carry is important, then we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

Good point. I agree with ya......
 
If she does not like the recoil of your .45 then she is definitely not going to like the recoil of the small polymer 9mm's or a J Frame.

Caliber: Based on what you have said so far, we are down to .380, 9mm or 38 Special. While the .327 sounds interesting, it is still a relatively new cartridge which makes it unproven wehn it comes to self defense use. I'm not willing to be part of the test group and neither should your wife.

Revolver/Auto: If your wife is willing to spend just a little time practicing then I would suggest an auto. Based on what I have seen in 15 years of local competitive shooting, most shooters, even experienced ones, can't hit a thing with a snub nose.

However, if the choice is to be a revolver, then I would suggest one of the following with a 3" barrel: S&W K Frame, a Ruger SP-101 or one of the old Ruger Security/Speed/Service revolvers.

If the choice is an auto, then for 9mm one of the single stack Sig's, one of the "large" all steel Kahr's, the compact Springfield XD or the S&W M&P. I find the recoil & muzzle flip of the micro sized 9mm to be worse then a .45ACP

In .380, I would look at the Sig or the Bersa. I'd stay away from the Walther PPK, not all of them are reliable and the slide serrations can chew up the web of some people's hands.

The recommendation of going to a rental range and trying guns is a good one, in the end, she is going to be the one shooting the gun and carrying it, so it needs to make her happy.
 
I agree with ScottS (and many, many experts) that the KISS principle should govern. In a SHTF situation, the revolver is the way to go for an inexperienced shooter. Besides the .38 and the .327, consider the J-frame rimfires. Eight rounds of hot .22LR or seven of .22MRF with low recoil and cheap practice. Not a knockdown round, but a couple of them in the torso or one in the control panel should be enough to TCOB. If you're still looking at autos, S&W is launching its Bodyguard .380 in May (along with a .38). S&W has a rental range at the Shooting Sports Center and Academy in Springfield, and the guys are knowledgeable. Bit of a road trip from NH, but they're only a mile or two off I91. Here are the new Smiths:
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...&storeId=10001&catalogId=11101&content=754501
 
Okay I know I am not the norm. I do not like revolvers. I also like my 1911,but as I said I am not the norm.
I agree with K-Dub and Ross. She should also try as many different ones to see what feels right to her and what feels comfortable in her hands. There is not a one size fits all for this, and going off what someone thinks will be right....[thinking] unless you guys are looking for more toys for your gun safe you know she will never shoot.
Just let her decide.
 
Okay I know I am not the norm. I do not like revolvers. I also like my 1911,but as I said I am not the norm.
I agree with K-Dub and Ross. She should also try as many different ones to see what feels right to her and what feels comfortable in her hands. There is not a one size fits all for this, and going off what someone thinks will be right....[thinking] unless you guys are looking for more toys for your gun safe you know she will never shoot.
Just let her decide.

Nope not looking for a gun safe, I was trying to get ideas on what she should try as I didn't really have a clue and I didn't want to walk into a gunshop and say "let's find a gun for the little lady" I was hoping to have some specific ideas on what might be a good fit to try first.

We talked today and her dad has a .380 and a compact 9mm that we're going to try out next weekend when we go visit then work from there on narrowing down the options.
 
Good luck to her. I have tried many calibers, revolvers, semi- autos. I finally decided on a Glock 26. I found it the best for me as far as recoil and size for carrying. I do find it a bit cumbersome for me when I am running around doing quick errands, so I am purchasing a .380 pocket gun this week for those quick close by trips and also to carry while I go running outside and work out at the gym. I realize I may get some flack on that last statement, but a 380 is better than not carrying every time I leave my house, which happens more times than not. (oh and I am offering a woman's opinion if that helps at all)

Keep us posted, I would love to hear what she has decided on.
 
I've never fired one but the .327 magnum looks like it wouldn't kick much and it also shoots .32S&W,.32S&W long and .32 magnum. Any very small 9mm like the PM9 or the Glock 26 will probably recoil too much for her.

Ya I've heard good things about the 327 Mag. . I wouldn't mind getting a few of them for myself.
 
Who makes a .327 Magnum? I have never heard of one of these. I would assume being a magnum that it would be a revolver.. Just curious......Thx...

If I remember right Ruger ruger/gp100 got together with Federal

federalpremium.com and made a gun / bullet duo.

I have heard of it in a lot of other types of guns now and I think some long guns. If I remember right it was some of the SASS guns that it was in for SSA's and rifles.
 
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What are some good compacts in 9mm that we should take a look at and what would be good to stay away from?
I have a Kahr K9 - it's a compact, steel-framed 9mm semi auto. It's a striker fired gun with no external safety - just squeeze the trigger and it goes bang. It has a long, smooth trigger pull not unlike a revolver, but it's magazine fed. I absolutely love this gun - accurate, reliable, not a lot of recoil. The PM and P series Kahrs are polymer framed and weigh less... and have a bit more recoil. She may or may not prefer the heavier steel-framed K9.

For a shooter with limited experience, it's very hard (IMO) to beat a S&W J-frame with an enclosed hammer.

aw_jeez.jpg


Can we please STOP recommending J-frames for women? Just because it's small it is NOT necessarily an easy gun for a beginner!! (Somewhere, I'm hearing Angelina Jolie saying "Why do I get the girl gun?"). She would probably be better off with a revolver with some more mass to it like a used K-frame or a Ruger SP101.

And yes, I have a J-frame... and no, I don't like shooting it very much. I prefer my K-9, frankly. Or my model 19. The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability.
 
The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability.

I agree. Nothing but concealability.

Oh, yeah, and carry-ability. Significantly lighter than any K-frame or SP101. Disappears in purse or pocket. No hammer to snag anything. Try picking up small purse with an SP101 in it, or dropping one in a pocket.

OK, The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability and carry-abiity.

Oh, yeah, and ease of use, since it's DAO. One trigger pull to learn. Consistent every time. No chance of cocking a hammer under stress and dealing with a lighter trigger pull.

OK, The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability and carry-abiity and ease of use.

You're right. Why on Earth would someone recommend a Centennial-style J-frame?
 
Okay I know I am not the norm. I do not like revolvers. I also like my 1911,but as I said I am not the norm.
I agree with K-Dub and Ross. She should also try as many different ones to see what feels right to her and what feels comfortable in her hands. There is not a one size fits all for this, and going off what someone thinks will be right....[thinking] unless you guys are looking for more toys for your gun safe you know she will never shoot.
Just let her decide.

Slow down, Madam Mod. Almost everyone who offered an opinion in this thread specifically recommended that NHAtHeart take his wife to a location that offers many different guns to try out. MFL, an NES shoot, and S&W's store were all mentioned as possible try-out locations, and a couple even offered access to their personal stash.
 
When I first started out we only had Sig 226 and a 1911. I liked the 226 but it was a bit too large in my hand. I bought a M&P9c and I love it. I do also like 1911s but it took time to get used to the .45. I was lucky to have friends that had a bunch of different firearms so I did get to try out a lot of different calibers. I have found out that I would rather shoot .45 than .40, revolvers are fun but I cannot shoot a lot out of them. As others have suggested trying different firearms is key because you never know what she will like.

I am thinking with all these posts lately maybe it is time for a "NES Ladies Shoot" All the guys can bring their ladies and we can have a fun day shooting different types of firearms.
 
I agree. Nothing but concealability.

Oh, yeah, and carry-ability. Significantly lighter than any K-frame or SP101. Disappears in purse or pocket. No hammer to snag anything. Try picking up small purse with an SP101 in it, or dropping one in a pocket.

OK, The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability and carry-abiity.

Oh, yeah, and ease of use, since it's DAO. One trigger pull to learn. Consistent every time. No chance of cocking a hammer under stress and dealing with a lighter trigger pull.

OK, The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability and carry-abiity and ease of use.

You're right. Why on Earth would someone recommend a Centennial-style J-frame?

I'm an experienced shooter and I find that even I have a hard time getting all rounds COM at 10yds if I fire too fast. It may have concealability and carry-ability and simple use, but the DAO trigger may be too heavy for most novice shooters to do anything but miss the target.
 
I'm an experienced shooter and I find that even I have a hard time getting all rounds COM at 10yds if I fire too fast. It may have concealability and carry-ability and simple use, but the DAO trigger may be too heavy for most novice shooters to do anything but miss the target.

I certainly don't disagree. My 042 initially had a trigger that felt like pulling a large bag of salt up a gravel driveway with your index finger. An inexpensive action job, and suddenly it's a different gun.

We need to not lose sight of the OP's initial question, as well. The queston is not, "Can a woman handle/shoot/learn to love a [insert favorite gun here]." He's looking for a carry gun for an admittedly inexperienced shooter, as in, "Under extreme stress, can my wife be reasonably expected to deploy and employ this weapon system to save her life."
 
Oh, yeah, and ease of use, since it's DAO. One trigger pull to learn. Consistent every time. No chance of cocking a hammer under stress and dealing with a lighter trigger pull.

OK, The ONLY thing that the J-frame rules in is concealability and carry-abiity and ease of use.

You're right. Why on Earth would someone recommend a Centennial-style J-frame?
Oh, please. A KelTec P32 is lighter and also one trigger pull. It's also smaller but I don't see you recommending it.

A Glock is one trigger pull, as is my K9.

However, it'd be nice if the OP's wife could HIT something with her new carry gun, and I still maintain that a J-frame is NOT a beginner's gun. NOTHING you have said has contradicted that. You even admit that you needed a trigger job for the thing!!
 
Oh, please. A KelTec P32 is lighter and also one trigger pull. It's also smaller but I don't see you recommending it.

A Glock is one trigger pull, as is my K9.

However, it'd be nice if the OP's wife could HIT something with her new carry gun, and I still maintain that a J-frame is NOT a beginner's gun. NOTHING you have said has contradicted that. You even admit that you needed a trigger job for the thing!!

When did this become a pissing contest between you and me? This is supposed to be a thread where (relatively) experienced shooters share their thoughts with a (relatively) inexpereinced shooter to help him pick a carry gun for his (admittedly) inexperienced wife. If you want to make this about you and me, take it to PM and I'll ignore them. At least it doesn't garbage up the thread.
 
Oh, please. A KelTec P32 is lighter and also one trigger pull. It's also smaller but I don't see you recommending it.

A Glock is one trigger pull, as is my K9.

However, it'd be nice if the OP's wife could HIT something with her new carry gun, and I still maintain that a J-frame is NOT a beginner's gun. NOTHING you have said has contradicted that. You even admit that you needed a trigger job for the thing!!



Ross, there are some 4 and 5 inch barreled J frames, in the Model 60 line. A 4 inch, J frame 38 is a heck of a nice gun.
 
When did this become a pissing contest between you and me?
You are right. We can debate this in person some time, but it doesn't belong here. Sorry.

Ross, there are some 4 and 5 inch barreled J frames, in the Model 60 line. A 4 inch, J frame 38 is a heck of a nice gun.
Now, a 3-4" Model 60, which is an all-steel gun, I will agree with. I simply think that they are better guns than the 2" lightweight guns are for beginners.
 
I think the suggestion to get her to a range and shooting different pistols is ideal.

I had my wife looking at someone's compact 380, which she did not like. Then she picked up the same person's M&P 9mm, and she liked that gun. Now, she is not nuts about that anymore, because it ejects brass straight up and out and onto the head of the shooter. She forgot a hat when at the range this weekend, so she would only shoot the Mark II 22/45. She enjoys shooting that the most, but that's not going to do that much good in many instances.

I'm all for getting my wife someething else, if she wants it.
 
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