Askin The Pro's

[CDDM416]

My wife of seven years, and ex of 10 years, floored me yesterday asking about getting a handgun.This is something Ive been begging her to do, she has her own bussines and many times she is alone and has to close after dark.
I think we have narrowed it down to this. S&W Model 637 .38special+P
My thinking on the +P is that she can work up to it, and use just special to begin.
So what say you pro's?

[rob_s]

I do not like revolvers for women. I think that revolvers are some of the most difficult guns to shoot well.

[CDDM416]

I do not like revolvers for women. I think that revolvers are some of the most difficult guns to shoot well.

I always thought just the opposite as far as clearing jams,and racking the slide.

Im open to all suggestions.

[rob_s]

I find that an odd way of thinking about it.

You would rather sacrifice the ability to get hits in favor of an ability to "clear jams"?

For what it's worth, anyone can be taught to run a slide. My ole lady is under 100 lbs and she can operate the slide on her Glock just fine.

[restfortheweary]

I consider myself a proficient shooter. I shoot often and train hard. I still have a hard time with trigger control on my 642. Revolver triggers are nasty and for a female hand and novice shooter, I would not recommend them. Of course the manual of arms is more simple than a semi-auto. I suggest a small and reliable semi auto (g26, Kahr CW9) to all the women who ask me.

[45&223]

Not to mention about a ga-jillion female cops. (Per RobS post) I say a decent sized 9MM so she will actually enjoy shooting, and thus get better because she is shooting more.

My beans.

[jmp45]

My wife is petite and has no problems with the M&P9. I'm planning on getting her a 9C this year.

[CDDM416]

And thats why I asked.
What I'm going to do is just have her shoot one of my G-19's and see how she likes it. If that wont work for her, I'll start looking at a G-26.

[SWATcop556]

And thats why I asked.
What I'm going to do is just have her shoot one of my G-19's and see how she likes it. If that wont work for her, I'll start looking at a G-26.

Don't do that! I let my wife shoot my G19 and when we were done I found myself looking for a new one. She said she was keeping mine. :eek:

She does not like my G26 but loves the G19. She says the G26 is too bulky and snappy when shooting +p ammo.

Take her to rent one then buy her one. She shoots yours and it's all over.

FWIW any female I have trained to shoot does so much better with an auto vs a revolver. Not knocking them but they only fill a BUG role for me.

[Striker5]

+1 Glock 19 for the same reason it is a good gun for almost anybody: small enough to conceal, large enough to shoot well, legendary reliability etc.

One thing I learned w/ wife and guns = her confidence is critical. I gave my wife my 4" S&W Model 19 .357. She grabbed that gun during a perceived break in while I was overseas and has bonded with it in some weird way. As it is an excellent gun, she keeps it w/ a speedloader of treasury loads. Point being you can get her to get the perfect gun via computer print out, but if she doesn't like it, she won't shoot it and get confident with it. We worked on this w/ the revolver and a few boxes of wadcutters.

Good luck.

[GlockWRX]

My wife is a slayer with her G19. My buddies wife also has a G19 and loves it. I would personally recommend the G19 over the G26. Just because a woman is smaller doesn't really mean she needs a smaller gun.

Small frame revolvers in .38 +P can be a hand ful, and very difficult to shoot well without extensive practice. Can revolvers be shot as well as autos? Sure, I've seen it done. But it takes enormous amounts of practice and range time, something a novice may not commit themselves too.

I would go with something that has a constant trigger pull (vs a DA/SA gun). 9mm would be my first choice, caliber wise, due to cost, low recoil, and low muzzle blast.

Something like the G19 or M&P9 would be the first ones on my list.

Grant had a pretty good set up for his wife. It was a G19 with crimson trace laser and X300 with DG switch. By simply gripping the pistol she activated the light and laser. No switches, buttons or anything. Grab it, put laser on target, inquire as to Sara Connor status, and fire. Easy as that.

[RPD03]

My wife carries a G19 and has no problem clearing malfunctions. At first she wanted a G23 but found the G19 easier to control.

[xray 99]

I just went to the range with two handguns: Glock 26 and a S&W M37. With the Glock, I was able to keep 39 out of 40 shots in the "dinner plate" of an IALEFI-Q target. Range was anywhere from 3 to 25 yards. The M37: at 15 yards I started throwing shots outside the dinner plate - by a wide margin.

[CDDM416]

She had someone put the .380 bee in her ear.
How does that standup with the pro's?

[jrmymiles]

Both my wife and mother shoot a Glock 19. Neither have problems working that slide.;)

[FokkerSF]

Take your wife to a range with several handguns and let her shoot and choose the one that works best for her. What you many think will work best, could be the worse choice for her.

After shooting various calibers; semi-autos and revolvers...my wife chose a 686 s&w.

[GlockWRX]

She had someone put the .380 bee in her ear.
How does that standup with the pro's?


I'm not a fan of the .380s. The blowback models such as the PPK and the SIG P230 recoil nearly as much as a 9mm. They are not significantly smaller than a good 9mm, yet they are inferior in terms of terminal effects. Plus, they are usually not as reliable as a good 9mm either.

A good 9 and some class time with a good instructor and she will be all set.

[threeheadeddog]

This is a response I made in another similar thread. I am simply going to cut and paste it.

I think that in many cases we(shooter guys) tend to think wrong or at least incorrectly in what women would like.
My wife was very adament about wanting the .45 1911 as the house gun. Why did she like that perticular pistol when I figured that she should like something smaller and more womenly? For the same reasons I did, the bigger the gun, the better the trigger, and for her the smaller girth makes a gun easier to shoot... DUH. I think that too often we try to force "petite" guns on petite women and this just detracts from their confidence(cus petite guns suck for actually shooting)

Get her something she can shoot first(M&P 9, and Glock 19 are the most obvious choices) then see what she can do to make it easier to carry. God forbid suggest that the two of you go out and buy her another bigger(and nicer) purse. Most likely she will like that.

If I could afford it I would get a alluminum frame 9mm 1911 for my wife but $ dont grow on trees

[MarshallDodge]

Take your wife to a range with several handguns and let her shoot and choose the one that works best for her. What you many think will work best, could be the worse choice for her.
That is the best advice. Let her shoot lots of different guns and let her decide. Women always amaze me at what they choose.

[PRGGodfather]

Yes, the best advice is the platfrom to which she is willing to commit. Steer her away from the .380, since it won't perform ballistically when she needs it -- and if this is just about fun, a .22 is more economical.

If it's for self-defense, she should understand her choice is more than just picking out a pistol -- she needs to develop a training regimen to stay safe AND proficient.

That said, my wife shoots a Glock 19 AND a S&W Model 60. She finds the revolver easier to understand and its smaller grip fits her hand better, but she prefers the G19 trigger. She likes them both, so she can have them both.

At the end of the day, she is a heck of a shot -- BUT deep down, I don't think she could shoot another human being -- unless it was me (since apparently, there are times I do not qualify as one! ;) ) My wife's marksmanship and gun handling are acceptable, but her mindset is decidedly non-warrior -- unless our children are threatened. Things change when that is the dynamic.

She has .38 Spl DPX loads in the Smith and Federal HST loads in the G19.

The .380 does not meet the minimum performance standards for terminal ballistics, just as standard velocity .38 is often acceptable without +P. I would encourage you to check out the Terminal Ballistic forum stickies from DocGKR as part of the decision framework.

[rob_s]

Take your wife to a range with several handguns and let her shoot and choose the one that works best for her. What you many think will work best, could be the worse choice for her.

While I know this is the "conventional wisdom", I think it's bad advice. Knowing what "works best" is not only a fallacy but is even if true is pretty much worthless in the hands of a novice. If the whole story is buy gun, shoot gun once, put gun in purse for next 30 years then I guess that's ok advice, but if there is an intent to train and/or practice with the gun a choice made on an initial ignorant grip alone is kind of a bad way to start.

But, I also understand that you're dealing with a woman and most times it's "get me what I want or don't get me anything".

[JHC]

Training a few new woman shooters I've found them range across the full spectrum of what they prefer and will commit to carry. Some have just loved the Glock 9mm, some snub .38s.

I agree it may be a mistake for the untrained inexperienced to pick their own after one range session, however, this experience combined with a realistic assessment of what they are willing to commit to dress around and actually carry every day is pretty important. The better fighting semiauto will be of zero use when it is not carried the day it's needed. The airweight .38 is pretty easy to get hits with at 5 feet compared to a G19 or M&P locked in the car when the attack goes down on the other end of the parking lot.
Square range - yep, full size combat auto is the heat. When she's trying to literally peel a street creature off of her, .38 snub does not require expert marksmanship. Just good mindset and having it with her.

[Alpha Sierra]

Lightweight snubbies are pistols for EXPERIENCED shooters. They are FAR from the ideal gun for a beginner.

A full size M&P9 will be an awesome pistol with which to learn. Then add an M&P9c when she's ready to carry.

[CDDM416]

WOW, You guys sure gave me a schoolin, Thanks.
We are going to scrap the revolver idea, and since I have
a spare 19 in the safe that she can use, she will at least get to start some
practice and get some feeling as to what she can expect
as far as shooting in general. again thanks alot. :cool:

[JHC]

Well then she is starting out with one of the finest options available. All of this get back to the spare gun in the freakin safe? LOL!!!

Please report back a month hence and then two months hence. This will be a recurring topic.

[Triton28]

But, I also understand that you're dealing with a woman and most times it's "get me what I want or don't get me anything".

Bingo.

My wife ultimately chose a .38 Lady Smith. She likes the grip, shoots it pretty well, and because she chose it, takes pride in the fact it's her own. I could have bought the same damn gun without her consent and I guarantee she'd never carry it.

As for the revolver/semi debate, I don't think there's a wrong answer. Especially for women who aren't going to seek professional training, the top priority is comfort with the platform.