Handgun for Wife

[illini40]

Hello INGO,

I am looking to you for some guidance as my experience in the handgun arena is limited. My soon to be wife has expressed interest in owning her own gun. What suggestions do you have for a handgun for her?

She has hunted and shot more than most, but not much with handguns. I think something small enough that she can handle is important. Budget is probably around $400 or less (negotiable). She has shot my one handgun - Ruger SR9 - and didn't mind it. I am looking for guidance on anything. I think 9mm is a plus, but open to other calibers. What about .22lr? She would primarily just shoot at the farm, but likes the sense of it being a defense weapon.

All in all, this gun would probably sit around and maybe turn into another toy for me.

 

[MbMinx]

My suggestion would be a 9mm. I'm FAR from any kind of expert, but that seems like a good mix of personal protection and (reasonably) inexpensive target shooting. I love target shooting my 22LR, but it's not my first, second or third choice as a defensive weapon. 9mm Ammo is common and not terribly expensive, and you can find all sorts of 9mm guns in about any price range I've looked at.

 

[ae168504]

Take her to a range that rents a variety of handguns, if possible, and let her try a couple different calibers and styles. If close to Indy, Indy Trading Post rents and has indoor range.

 

[DustyDawg48]

Don't shop based on the cheapest or the pinkest gun out there. Most gun shops will try to push a pink revolver as the best lady's gun there is but that is rarely the best choice. A .22 semi-auto is a great place to start building good shooting habits and skills but as a defensive weapon it does lack...nobody is going to volunteer to get shot in the face with one but there are other better options out there.

Glock, Ruger, S&W...you can easily be spoiled for choice. The Smith and Wesson M&P is a great option because they have the slim 9mm M&P Shield but their standard-sized M&Ps, whether the compact or actual full-frame version, all have these brilliant back strap/ palm swell inserts that make the grip much more customizable than the other guns out there. The one thing for her to keep in mind is that smaller guns tend to recoil with more force than their larger cousins. More mass helps absorb the energy and while it is very temping to like a gun the size of the Ruger LC9 it will have more perceived recoil that a full-size 9mm like the Glock 19 or the Ruger SR9.

As has been suggested, hit a few gun shops and let her handle different brands to see which seems to fit best; don't let them keep pushing pink-colored turds at her, give her a chance to buy a quality piece. There is a great video, it's on here, by a very lively character named James Yeager...the video is called 'Women are too stupid to buy their own handgun...' or something to that effect. Would be well worth your and your better half's time to watch since he makes the point that they ARE NOT and it's primarily the men in their life that make the stupid gun choices FOR them.

My wife has a good little .22 auto that she shoots but if I were to buy a gun strictly for her to defend her life with and the lives of my kids it wouldn't be a cheap revolver. I'd go Glock 19, M&P9 or the SR9 above the rest.

 

[illini40]

Thanks for all the input so far. I just watched the Yeager clip.

I think you are confirming my thoughts on 9mm. She will realistically probably never carry the gun outside of the home or vehicle.

 

[wizard_of_ahs]

Take her to a range that rents a variety of handguns, if possible, and let her try a couple different calibers and styles. If close to Indy, Indy Trading Post rents and has indoor range.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Leo]

Lots of good ones out there. The smallest semi autos are also the hardest to shoot well and generally hard to operate. Don't overlook a .38 revolver. Easy to operate, dependable, wide variety of ammo available, and most will not break the bank. Ruger SP101, any of the J frame Smith and wesson offerings, the charter arms "undercover" snub nose, all make good carry pieces. Good Luck

 

[CaptSully]

My wife has the LCP. She really likes it and it fits well in her purse.

 

[Spike_351]

Take her to a few gun shops, let her try what she wants and likes, and you will find one for her more easily and quickly.

 

[Jakob]

PK380, my GF had no problems chambering/firing it. It's a reliable firearm and very compact/lightweight!

 

[Butros17]

My wife has the LCP. She really likes it and it fits well in her purse.

We recently started looking for my girlfriend, and during a rental session to try out a couple, she too loved the LCP. She's a smaller woman (5'3") so she didn't want a canon in her purse. Loved the feel, use, etc. Just really wants it in pink.

 

[Midskier]

My wife has a LCR in 22 shoots great easy to handle easy to load / unload lightweight blah blah , but she really likes the 5906 and shoots both very well, my daughter on the other hand can handle the lightweight revolvers in same calibers ok, not so eager to shoot the 9s , really likes the Beretta NEOS, the LCP fits her tiny hands (she's 21) the best but she won't shoot it again, 1 shot and she was done with it. and neither will have anything pink.........good luck with this one

Dan T

 

[dbrier]

As others have said, let her pick after shooting some different types and calibers. Start off by seeing what fits her hands. Try to let her do the shopping and let her discover what she wants and needs. Nothing pisses my wife off more than having someone who doesn't know her try to push her purchase.

Don't push her to something and by all means don't let some gun store employee force her into something.

 

[eflop]

I bought my wife a pink Walther PK22. She loves it and it is very easy to pull the slide back. Never has jammed, 400+ rounds. She has it in a fanny bag. How cute.

 

[dbrier]

If I bought my wife a pink gun, hopefully the worst that would happen is that she throws it at me.

 

[Clarity]

Did anybody suggest the Keltec 9mm? Those are priced right AND you can get it in pink!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

My wife's gun is currently my old duty Glock 22 in .40. Glocks are easy first weapons, and they are made to fit a variety of hands, and the recoil is very controllable even for those lacking in hand/wrist strength.

My mom's main gun was a Sig P226, but my mom was something of an outdoorswoman. She had no issues with any caliber, bow hunted, etc.

The point is, don't think smaller people (ladies) are limited to smaller guns. A full sized duty style weapon is obviously fine for self defense or plinking, more forgiving (and thus more rewarding) when it comes time to shoot, and absorbs recoil better than the little guns.

 

[lobowind]

I really thought I would like the Ruger LCP because of its size. Luckily a friend let me shoot his before i ever purchased one, and I learned I didn't like it at all. So definitely renting a few models at a shooting range would be valuable for your wife to determine what she prefers.

I ended up going with a 4th Generation Glock 26. Being a woman, I preferred the different-sizes for the backstrap compared to the Gen 3 backstrap. And I liked the ease and reliability of the Glock. But your wife really would benefit trying different pistols out to see what fits her best.

 

[Rey B]

Have her do some reading Contents | Cornered Cat

 

[Echelon]

My wife carries the Taurus 709 Slim.... but has her eye on M&P Shield 9mm. If we ever find one, i'm sure she'll be making the switch.