Hand Guns
 

All right, what do you shoot, and what would you recommend for a hand gun for my wife?

Just casually talking about what handgun to buy is the most absurdly surreal sounding thing to me.

Is she looking for something to carry, or something to keep around the house?

Both. She just got her permit to carry. Need to buy her a gift :)

And that's why your government could disarm you! :p

To the OP lots of choices reading through the old thread....while long...might give you an idea.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showt...240682&page=63

What sucks is that availability may not be great. Things are getting better since the great gun rush but still a bunch out of stock!

What caliber does she like to shoot?

My wife and I have been thinking of a handgun to buy too actually. Living in North Mexico (Arizona) you start to feel defenseless without one with the illegal amigos and shit that goes on in this filthy state.

Why would our government have any reason to do that? LMAO I find it just crazy how often, the reasoning for carrying guns around is that in-case of a government take over you can defend yourself.

Probably a 9mm. I'm a big fan of the XDm. Good gun for a beginner - there are indicators you can see and feel that will tell you if it's loaded and if there's a round chambered, the safety is built into the trigger, and it has very little recoil. Basically point and click, not much to think about. Very reliable.

She's only shot a 9mm.

:Poke: Uhhh...your government already disarmed you in 1996! :p

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/...ept-the-crims/

Actually I live currently in a place that is less than friendly to firearms owners. What shocked me most was seeing people afraid of firearms...frankly I had never seen that before. Firearms are tools and when you grow up with them and are taught to respect them they aren't something to fear. To see the irrational fear some people have about firearms has been quite shocking....

This is the XDm compact. Makes a great carry gun, but will also take the longer 19 round magazines if you're using it at home.

http://www.kygunco.com/prodimages/26551-DEFAULT-L.jpg

My XDm has the full size grip, so it isn't a great carry pistol because the grip is so long it sticks out a bit. I have a Smith M&P 9c that I use as a carry pistol. Not a bad choice, either.

http://www.great-lakes.org/graphics-...P_9Compact.jpg

THIS! You beat me to it Fraz. Great handgun for the little lady.

Sorry, I did not make myself clear at all. When I said "Why would our government do that?", I meant why would our government disarm us in an attempt to attack (or something of the sort) the population, which is what some Americans believe will happen if they are disarmed.

I would recommend she go to a range the rents pistols. Let her try out five or six different models and calibers. A good handgun purchase is more about the grip, feel and fit in the hand, than brand or caliber.

Others will undoubtedly disagree, but I am a fan of a quality short barrel .357 Mag loaded with .38+P as good all around handgun (that's what Trndogrrl has).

Depending on her clothing choices, a slim single stack .380 or 9mm might be a good fit. I like the Kel-Tec P3AT and Ruger LCP in .380. There are any number of high quality 9mm sub-compacts on the market.

Something else to consider if it's a CCW gun is to look at a 380 gun. The problem I sometimes see with women and small 9mm is that the gun snaps more on them causing accuracy issues. I had a friend that would consistently shoot better with my 1911 45 than her smaller 9mm(part is sight radius part is recoil etc.)

http://www.chuckhawks.com/concealed_pistols.htm

Springfield also makes the XDs now, which is basically a single stack XD. I'm sure it would be great for carrying (belt or purse), but it has shit for magazine capacity.

http://www.gunsandammo.com/files/201...ld-XDS-001.jpg

I've got both the smith & wesson m&p 9c and a kel-tec pf9. My wife has a beretta storm compact in 9mm.

Is you are shooting paper the beretta is the hands down winner. The catch is the first shot is often tough due to the long double action. After though firing single action the break is crisp and it fires very nicely. Almost 1911'ish nice i think. The m&p doesn't shoot as well on paper but isn't far behind. Double action but striker fired and the trigger is pretty decent.

The pf9 is my carry weapon though. Small enough to pocket carry and can be accurate but has a steep learning curve. Loooooong double action trigger with a so-so break. I found a trigger kit you can get that is supposed to help but I haven't gotten it yet. The thing about it though is the recoil. It's quite lively. Actually harder to deal with than my brother in law's SR45. I see a lot of ladies that want a pf9 and that's cool if they're experienced shooters but I'd hate to put a new shooter behind one. Definitely not a "shoot all day" pistol.

Honestly it happened regularly in 1960s and it happened even less than 2 years ago.

California passed their first law banning loaded open carry....ironically under Ronald Reagan. The reason they did that was because the Black Panthers were legally carrying rifles during their protests to protect themselves from the police. Even though there hadn't been any specific incidents of violence from them carrying the firearms for political events the politicians wanted the firearms out of the hands of the black protestors.

Shortly after they passed the law banning the loaded open carry of firearms in CA, the police started coming in an breaking up(sometimes breaking skulls) of black panther protests.

The same events happened MUCH more recently, do you think it's a coincidence that during the original Tea Party protests that they tended not to get broken up by the police? Many of them legally carried their own firearms.

Contrast with the Occupy movement that regularly got their skulls cracked by the police breaking up their protests.

Is it a sad reality that protesters may need to carry firearms to prevent the police from using abusive tactics to silence them....yes 110%. But it's not rocket science, when both the cops and the protestors have guns you have a pretty clear balance of power(or at least one that's close enough to be painful to all). This compels both side to negotiate a peaceful solution.

When only one side has the guns and the other side doesn't then that side has a clearly superior position of power. They can and do come in an crack skulls to remove you. So long as they don't kill or permanently cripple someone they often get away with whatever abuse they want.

Is it sad that when one side has power and the other doesn't they will abuse that power to enforce their will? Yes...but that is the world we live in.

I looked at the Storm when I was on the market for a compact, but just dry-firing it at the gun shop was enough to remove it from contention. Trigger sucks on those.

That's fair enough, but even if say, protesters, had firearms, if any of those firearms are used to fire upon police, doesn't that just give the police an excuse to use force anyway?

The point is because both sides have force(baring someone being crazy) neither side is likely to use it because the result is bad for everyone. When one side has a significant force advantage they can and often do use it.

Like I said it would be nice to live in a world where force isn't used to resolve our differences but that isn't our world today. When people have a force advantage they use it, because it's fast and it's easy....reaching an agreement is hard....

I actually like the trigger on the wife's storm. This is why the advice to rent and try was good, though. Mileage really varies when you're trying to find "your" pistol.

Recently got a bodyguard 380 smith and Wesson for ccw

It's badass

Glock 26 or 27 are good as well

S&W Bodyguard 380 Pistol - It's failry lightweight and has a built-in laser sight.

She really needs to try them out. Grips are different, some more comfortable than others in a woman's hand. Please don't decide for her, let her try them and once she says she likes one over the others, purchase it for her. It's all about personal preference.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/plrIr7oHrJo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Walther PPKs or the Bursa thunder lines. Are pretty female friendly.

http://carnival.saysuncle.com/images...nder_380_L.jpg

No mention of a Glock G19?

http://us.glock.com/products/model/g19gen4

9mm
15-round capacity
compact size
comfortable to shoot

Reference Apr 1775. The largest most powerful Gov. on the planet attempted to take the residents only means of self defense.
A few muskets ,powder and shot.

Kindly Butt out. Since you are a citizen of the commonwealth of that very nation. You have been indoctrinated since birth and can hardly be considered an impartial observer.

This depends on the ladies size. 5ft 100lbs or 5'10" 160lbs.

Ask her
If she's honest she'll say "Bigger is Better".

The smallest adequate round is 9mm. The largest that she can handle , probably is 357 mag.

The larger the weapon the better the performance.

What I tell everybody.

2 things you should always rent before buying to see if you like them - cars and guns.

Don't start at the gun store. Go to your local shooting range and spend enough to test out a bunch of their guns over a couple of months. She should start to have some idea of what she likes, then go to the gun store and get a smaller version for carry, of what she already knows she likes.

Advice on this topic isn't worth much.

That said, here is my advice. The smaller and lighter gun you buy, the more likely your wife is to have it on a daily basis. Carrying daily is a PITA. If her gun is really small and really light, she will carry it. But these are usually pretty uncomfortable to shoot.

So get something very similar but bigger and heavier, even better if it is by the same company, for range sessions. Even so, she has to continue practicing with her carry weapon and better if it is with the same defense rounds she is going to carry.

A light .32 you have on your person is better than the .45 hand cannon you left at home because carrying is a PITA.

There are awesome guns today for carry. You can get mouse guns that hold 6-8 rounds of 9mm. IMO, one of those is the way to go. Small, light and 9mm, but it will be hard for her to shoot. That is why you practice, practice, practice.

I don't know why anyone even considers a Walther PPK in this day and age, except it sounds neat, Bond Movies, heritage.

Small, light modern firearms are so good today, that the PPK becomes the worst choice out of any choices in firearms.

For example, if someone had their heart set irreversibly on a PPK, I would do everything I could to find a place where we could rent a .380 PPK against a Sig P230. Nobody in their right mind would pick a PPK for FUNCTIONAL reasons over a Sig P230. Sentimental reasons, sure. But for a carry gun? NO way. The Sig P230 is better in every conceivable way from weight to trigger pull to manual of arms to reliability.

And the modern array of carry guns just gets better and better from there.

I tried it and personally didn't care for the grip. I have small hands so that may have been part of it. It was also a little heavier than I wanted carry either loaded or unloaded.

Definitely this!! It is a great CCW!

I like the premise that "defend mahself against the gubment!" should come up during a discussion about some guy's bird buying a 10 round 9mm handgun.

Because if government troops show up to deprive you of your ongoing liberty, your wife holding a 9mm glock should be enough to scare them off. ROFL

No he isn't, dimwit.

Not true at all. This is a misconception some men make thinking women want what men want regarding a pistol.

For a ccw I wanted smaller, lighter and more comfortable. If I'm carrying it, I'd better feel confident with it, not big and manly. JMHO.

Do you want a pink gun? I would guess not but there are women who do.
That market is for women for a reason.
I do not own or want one of them. I purchased mine for protection and took it seriously. It's not a play thing or a toy, but that's just me. I know, women who own pink, purple, etc. take it just as seriously. But to me, it's just stupid and a successful marketing ploy.
I have a girl friend who has a Taurus 738TCP 380 in light pink. I make fun of her every time I see it!

Absolutely this except the "Advice on this topic isn't worth much" part.
Advice and encouragement will help them make smart decisions and consider options they hadn't thought of themselves.

Anything with a high capacity magazine.

I started with a Ruger LCP Centerfire and was very happy with it. I decided on the S&W Bodyguard 380 because of the laser sight but also considered the Ruger LCP-CT. I just liked the grip of the Bodyguard better (feels more balanced to me too) and that's why it SOOO Important that your wife try them out for herself!!
Availability right now is also a consideration.

Alot of women have small hands and have a problem racking a slide on a gun... I recommend a good .38 special revolver without an exposed hammer

http://www.compactfirearms.com/media.../850ss_-_1.jpg

I have a Ruger LCR 38 special, holds 5, something like 13 ounces, hammerless, made of polymer. Love that gun, so light and shoots damn good.

Agree with this. My wife prefers her .38, and is more accurate with it than an automatic. She over thinks loading and reloading a 9mm and doubts her ability to do so in a potentially stressful situation.

You can't beat them

You also have to ask yourself also with an auto
Could she clear a gun jam?

My wife is totally comfortable with her .38 special and is balls on target at 10 to 15 yards so that's what I want her to use. Women have been known to "limp wrist" a gun and prevent it from cycling properly...

The first thing to came to mind were various models of 9mm, but that's not a bad call either. As others have stated, take her to a shooting range where they rent guns Hoover and let her try out several models. By going that route, you will be sure what she likes in advance, rather than buying the gun and hoping it's the right fit.

I personally have a ruger sr9 i keep in my truck. Ive only had it about 3 months and have put limeted rounds through it. But its too much for my wife to shoot with consistency. I did shoot a little snub nose .380 revolver with a laser a few weeks ago that my old supervisor bought for his wife. At 30 yards with the laser i was shooting the eyes out of his foam deer archery target. Might pick one up for my wife to conceal and carry.

Clearly I'm no expert, but if she can't operate an auto, does she have any business carrying a firearm?

I've owned and used a Walther PPK for years. Extremely accurate up to 100 feet. Mine is a 22 lr low report and kickback holds 14 rounds been using it as a skunk plinker lately.

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/...P7250002-1.jpg

One of my guns is a Ruger LCP. My wife and son and mom can all shoot it comfortably. I have a pocket holster and it just looks like I'm carrying a wallet in my front pocket. It is relatively easy to draw and fire. Definitely worth checking out...

Good advice on renting guns so she can test them out. My wife is small, 5'8', 135 lbs. She also has small hands and has struggled racking the slide. I have a .38 special, which she likes but she thinks its too big.

Good advice throughout the thread. Getting your first CCW handgun is like going to The Bunny Ranch in Nevada. You have to try them all out before you decide which one you want to use and abuse daily. Good luck.

Also, I've always carried .45's with 3" barrels. Unless she swings a hammer all day, they're probably a caliber + barrel length to avoid.

If she's willing to practice, she can overcome this. It's just a matter of getting used to it. And you can use dummy rounds to simulate loading, reloading and clearing jams.

Also check out the Walther PPS in 9mm. I have one in 40, and wouldn't recommend it in 40 for the ladies, but think it would be a good shooter in 9. Also, Ruger's new LC380 is a slightly larger, but still nice and small 380 that could be a good choice. A snub nose 357 shooting 38's would be the most reliable, though limited on shots.

All the advice on renting guns is bang on.

Stay away from the LC9. I would throw my wife's away if she would let me.

I shot my dad's yesterday. It is a REALLY good ccl gun.

5 shots isn't a bad thing when it's 200 grains of pain per shot.

We have a private range I'm a member of that's less than two miles from our home. Took here there last weekend and she really enjoyed herself. Never thought that shooting was something we would do together.

Shooting is fun. The cure for getting people who don't like guns or are afraid of guns to like guns is simply to take them to the range, put one in their hand and have them pull the trigger. Works almost all the time. The trick is getting them there in the first place.

I was watching an episode of The Layover the other day where Anthony Bourdain was skeet shooting. He missed repeatedly until he finally got the hang of it, then he hit repeatedly. At one point he turned to the camera and said "How could you not love this?"

The springs are stiff on many models and some womens hand is not strong enough to rack the slide... My wife and daughter both have problems with them... Now Personally, I can chamber a bullet on the side of my leg or the edge of a table... If you have been shot in the arm this may be the only way you can chamber a bullet... It can break your sights so be careful.

Now with that said, in the house she has a pump mossberg 500 she will wear some ass out with and has no problem with that whatsoever as well as there is always an AK-47 it the safe she knows exactly how to shuck one in the chamber.

You need to get the wife whatever YOU like and tell her this is what you're getting and to shut the **** up.

I never thought I would say this, but I am a revolver guy when it comes to ccl.


Here is my my carry gun, at least until I get the .357 model. :D

http://www.impactguns.com/data/defau..._642_laser.jpg

No frills, not even a safety to get in the way, just a gun that fires when the trigger is pulled.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/05/menahudu.jpg

The judge. It's designed to hold .410's and .45 Colt, if you're wanting a handgun.

I, however, recommend a home defense shotgun, that's very very light.

She can do it, she just struggles with it.

She wants to be able to defend herself. Since she's an attorney and deals with scumbags every once in a while I think its a good thing.

I think it is an excellent thing that your wife is smart enough to want to defend herself.

She's really kicks-ass

I'm a lucky dude.

Does she have nice boobies? if not I would buy those first

There have been good suggestions.

If I were you and lived where you do, I'd take her to Sportsman's warehouse and have her hold several different makes/models. See how they fit her hand, how she likes the balance and if she can pull the slide.

A single stack will most likely fit her hand the best. The personal CCW .380s are pretty small and IMO aren't what she's going to want for a purse/home weapon.

XDM is a good choice, I do like the bodyguard in contrast to what I said above and I'll be one of the guys who will tell you that while you can get a really nice Kimber or higher end name brand, you don't have to. I have a single stack 9m Taurus Millenium that I like a lot and brideowanian shoots it well.

First handgun she fired was a taurus judge with 410 home defense rounds, then I got her a Ruger SR .22 to get comfortable shooting, and then move her up until she's ready to shoot a 1911 .45.


If you want to bring her down to my farm, I could let her shoot up to a dozen models.

The 1911 is the first gun my wife and sister in laws go for ever time we are shooting.


It's also strange that my Beretta 92fs gets a lot of love, too. The handle on it is massive.

The Glocks collect dust (like they should :D)

I don't care for glock at all. Never have liked them and it would be my opinion that they are not an entry level weapon.

I had a Model 36 .45, shot it one time and sold it.

By brother has a Glock .40 cal.


If I were attacked and had that gun on me I might use it as a club instead of firing it.


I am obviously over-stating it, but I shoot it every time we get together, and hate it more and more.

My Beretta and SW 1911 are soooo much better IMO.

if it's one she wants to carry I would go with a .380.

I have a Beretta PX4 Storm .40 and love it. People compliment me on it all the time. I didn't care for the way the Glock felt in my hand. Never evne tried to shoot the Glock because of that.

We did Sportsmen's today. I found plenty of stuff I wanted, but they didn't have much in stock.

Most places don't have much these days. You'll get a better deal there most of the time compared to sheels or bass pro. There are other places that are worth a look too like Fleet Farm......or a gun show.

Can't wait for the Fleet & Farm to open in Ankeny. Can't believe Des Moines doesn't already have a store like that.

For now we are just trying to get as many different models in her hands. Friend of my does combat training so I think I might just see if we can set something up with him at a range so she can get comfortable.

I love my Sig 40, my son has the compact Glock 40. I have shot it and it is a little jumpy but I had little problem grouping with it~

Jumpy is the perfect word to expain a Glock. Follow up shot FAIL.


I won't even get into my dad's Baby Glock. I dislike it more than my wife's LC9.

get the pinky extension grip for the win

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...wL._SX342_.jpg

let's you get your pinky on the baby glock grips

Works good on both of mine

This is probably the biggest limiter to buying anything right now. It is getting better slowly but supply is still low and it makes it hard to try anything.

I had one of those. Did not care for it. Even with the extension the grip is too small. Personally I think the 19 is small enough to be a good carry piece.

I had a .40 sig sauer p229 for about 4 years. Probably shot only 40 bullets from it at the range. Ended up selling it because I never used.

http://img2.findthebest.com/sites/de...Sauer_P229.jpg

really?
must suck to live in fear all your life
i live in south mesa no fear here