20 year old daughter wants a handgun . Which one ?

[Jewell]

Find a range that rents guns and let her see what she shoots best.

Great advice right there. This is going to be her gun. Let her see what's comfortable for her, so she can pick it out.

[Hmac]

Walther PPS M2

[Talon167]

I'd suggest your daughter select the handgun and not us. But, I'd recommend a full size 9mm as a start.

[hotrodder636]

My wife's pistol of choice is an HK P30. We went through double digits number of pistols until she settled on the P30. She shoots it very well, is very comfortable with it. She is only 5'2".

As others have said take her out to try some. My wife started out wanting pink crap on her AR, it got her into ARs. She has now moved on to a completely FDE gun. If a pink gun makes her comfortable at first, I say don't knock it.

[Hammer27]

One minor addition: don't rule out a revolver immediately. A lot of non-gun people are more ok with a loaded cylinder than round in the chamber. Less moving parts (hammer falling versus the slide moving) and no flying brass to shock the inexperienced shooter as well. Also legal pretty much everywhere.

[26 Inf]

Also, have her read The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Great suggestion. IMO the biggest step in enhancing personal safety is to get folks to pay attention to their intuition.

As far as weapon selection, there are several ways to go about it. Many folks get a weapon and learn to shoot with that weapon. The problem with that avenue is that they may choose a weapon that is not best suited for them or what they actually want the weapon for.

With no idea of your daughter's firearms knowledge, I'd default to this solution. Ensure she knows how to shoot first. Everyone is real big on going to high-speed trainers and that is fine, but another avenue is the NRA - have her take the online NRA Course 'Basics of Pistol Shooting' https://basicpistol.nra.org/ it will take her six or seven hours, cost her $60.00 and will ready her to fire her first shots.

I recently had to take the course for a certification I was getting, and even though I have been shooting and teaching shooting for over 30 years, it kept my attention. Then she can take the second part of the course from an NRA certified instructor, or, practice what she learned in the online portion on her own. The NRA says don't do that, but in reality, that is what I think most folks will do.

It is at that point that I would introduce her to different types of pistols and actions - all in .22 if possible. Then SHE can make a more KNOWLEDGEABLE decision about what weapon is best for her based on the primary use for the weapon and her preferences. This will help answer questions such as 'does my pistol need a light rail?' 'do I want a striker fired or a conventional SA, or even a DA/SA?'

Bottom line for me is I'd rather face a moron armed with a rifle than a good shooter with a .22.

[daniel87]

The gun needs to be reliable, something she can hold and shoot well.

Take her to a gun tange that has rentals.

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[teutonicpolymer]

Glock 34
Walther PPQ M1/M2/M2 5"
HK VP9
Sig P320

Since cc isn't an option then might as well get what is easiest to use which would probably then be a big striker fired gun.

[BuzzinSATX]

Lots of great advice here, and while I think the "perfect solution" is of her to go shoot a bunch of firearms and do an in-depth comparison, I just don't think that is either practical or cost effective. At least at the ranges I go to where you can rent guns, they typically have a minimal selection of firearms, and just to try one costs you at least $15 + a box of their ammo...you do that for four guns, you are into it for over $100 before you buy a thing. And there are simply so many choices out there, it can really be overwhelming for a new shooter to choose a good firearm. Size, make, model, caliber, etc.

And what about caliber? While many believe a 9MM is the minimal acceptable caliber for a fighting handgun, I would say a .380 my wife or daughter will carry and is comfortable shooting will trump the 9MM they leave in the safe every time. So since we don't live in a perfect world, we should recognize all options and help new buyers understand the compromises they must accept when they choose different firearm options.

It's an overwhelming universe of choices, which makes it great and confusing all at the same time. New gun buyers (and even seasoned gun buyers) can always benefit from some good, hard earned advice. That said, I've always felt the best results occurred when someone knowledgeable guides the new shooter towards a few models that have proven popular for women shooters.

Ultimately, the difference between a 9MM Shield, a PPS, an XDs in 9MM are quite minimal. All are proven, popular single stack firearms. Ergonomics vary a bit, but in the long run, they are quite similar. A G43 and a Ruger LC9 are smaller, and while they may "feel" better in her hands, they may not be as easy to shoot, so that's a consideration. If concealed carry is a possibility, I would definitely steer them towards this type of firearm, at least for a first firearm. Regardless if the method of carry is on person or purse, I know from experience my wife will NOT carry a subcompact double stack firearm (at least not either my G26 or XDm 3.8C). But she WILL carry a Shield with an 8 round mag.

Below is how I, when asked, go about helping a new shooter (lately, most have been females, some single, some married to non-shooting husbands). I typically ask a few questions like 'are they planning on getting a CHL down the road', 'how far away do they live from their neighbors (in a subdivision? out in the boonies? something in between?), have they ever shot a gun before and if so, what and when. From there, I try and guide them towards a solution that will work.

If concealed carry is absolutely not a future reality or option, I typically guide folks towards a compact (Glock 19) size firearm as we know they are easier to shoot and have better ammo capacity. I have brought a few ladies to the range and I bring a Glock 19 and XDm 3.8C and I borrow a friend's Sig P320C and another friend's M&P 9C and SR9C. If they may consider pursuing a CHL in the future, I normally add a few single stack firearms like a Shield, a Sig P290, and an LCP (my only .380). I wish I had a PPS to bring, but I don't have one yet that I own or can borrow. But I have shot one once at an IDPA match and they seem to be great shooting guns and something I tell folks to research and consider.

I go through the "4 Rules" drill" (or if we begin from my home, I let Clint Smith run the safety briefing for me) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Y7...I&spfreload=10

At the range, we go through basic familiarization and do some dry fire just so they understand the basic mechanics of semi autos. I am going to be right behind them so if any issues come up, I will fix them. I want the new shooter to simply concentrate on how they like OR don't like the grip, angle, recoil, etc. I set the target 3 yards in front of us. I do NOT want them focusing on aiming...I only want them to feel the gun operating.

I load up all the guns with 9 rounds (less if single stacks), and have the new shooter pick up and fire three rounds, lay the gun back down, pick up the next gun, shoot three rounds, and continue this until all guns have been fired for three rotations. Then, I ask them which gun(s) they DIDN'T like (I find new shooters can more easily differentiate what the DON'T like easier than what they DO like). I eliminate those guns from the table and we reload and continue shooting a few rounds with the remaining guns. When we get down to a couple guns left, then we start looking at actually aiming the firearm and see if there may be any accuracy differences between the guns. And ultimately, we try and get down to 2-3 firearms they would be happy with.

I also let them know the there are many more choices out there that may or may not work better from them, but for now, they have a starting point. I usually offer to go with them if we can coordinate a visit, but it's not always possible, so I also let them know if they go to a gun shop or the local Cabelas/Academy/etc., they may well run into biases when they actually go shopping for a firearm, so buyer beware that just because the guy is selling guns DOES NOT make him an expert on them. I also let new gun buyers know that firearms are NOT returnable (which normally comes as a surprise to most), so be sure you know what you want before you make that sales final. And FINALLY, I tell them that like cars, the same make and model of a firearm can sell for hundreds of dollars more from one vendor to the next, and I offer to help them logic check their purchase if they take a pic and text me the price before going final, and I will tell them if I think it's a good price or not. I'm certainly no expert, but I do enough window and internet browsing to know what a G19 or a Shield goes for both locally, and at reliable online vendors like G&R, GTDIST, and Buds. I had one lady text me from a LGS as she was getting ready to finalize the sale on a "slightly used" 9MM Shield with 2 mags for $550 + tax. I told her Academy had new Shields on sale for $399, so spend her money wisely.

In the end, I agree the buyer is ultimately responsible to make the decision. But since we all know new gun owners can often go wrong and select something very wrong for them for any number of reasons (including bad advice form a gun counter, frustration due to choices, or limited rental options at a local range), I think if you care that they make a good direction, it's important to steer them towards a popular firearm at a good price, so if they do decide it's the wrong gun for them, they are not stuck with it forever.

Just my $0.02, they you got from a public gun forum, for free.

YMMV

[bigdaddy801]

Faced the same question from a daughter about the same size. Built her an AR 15 in 9MM. Works real well. Just my 2 cents worth.

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