Which pistol?

With all the police activity in our area, wifey has been talking about getting a pistol she can handle. The concerns are: she has smallish hands, we want something with some stopping power. recoil is a consideration. With these points in mind, my thoughts are for a medium frame 9mm auto. A lighter .22 revolver lacks the power, a .38 revolver will kick, autos absorb the recoil somewhat, and 9mm is decent power. I don't think she wants a .45 because of the size and recoil. She will get professional training in the use of any firearm she will have. With 10+ rounds, the 9mm auto should do the job. Discuss, please.

.40 is a nice round.

I have an HK USP .40 that is light, very well balanced, accurate and can be cocked and locked. It is safe and reliable as stone. I've fired thousands upon thousands of rounds of all manner of questionable quality w/o a jam.

Pricey but worth every penny.

9mm should do a decent job of covering the bases for your wife to use. Heavy enough bullet to cause damage without a recoil that would be difficult to manage. Load it up with Hydra shock ammo or whatever your local law enforcement uses.

I'd get a 1,500 millimeter dog with a 28 tooth clip. Recoil can easily be controlled with a low foliage diet.

A full size (1911) 45 ACP does not have that bad of a recoil. It is THE proven manstopper, I mean "aggressorstoper". My wife qualified for her concealed carry with mine. I suggest going to a range and trying one out. There are ranges you can rent one at. I bet especially in FLA. Otherwise, if you want a 9, hard to go wrong with a full size Glock, or Baretta 92, or better yet, the Taurus clone. Remember that a smaller, lighter gun means it will recoil more. My wife shot my Star PD (a small aluminum frame 45 ACP) and it put her off of handguns for a year. Yeah, it's a bit of a handfull. But the 1911, by comparison, isn't bad at all.

I haven't shot 40's, but they are very popular these days.

There is a reason why the Beretta 92 has beaten the 1911's record for "most rounds fired per jam" record. 9mm is an effective round. The best way to find out is to fire a bunch. One persons "kick" is another person's "gentle push"... (I'm looking for the most rounds fired reference...)

All 4 law enforcement agencies in this county carry Sig P229's. It's a .40cal round and they load Hydra Shock P++.

For home defense - shotgun with shortest legal barrel. Big scary noise - don't have to be that accurate. 9mm is nice in that you can get 15 rounds down range in a hurry. My wife actually likes shooting a .45 more than a .22 or the 9 - it makes her laugh. FWIW a .22 is very easy to handle, and can put a target down - good enough for the mob. Most domestic type shooting is something like 10' for range with a moving target. But the reality is more like gun gets stolen when no one is home - unless it's in a gun safe - in which case it's not so handy if you actually need it.

cwh wrote: With all the police activity in our area, wifey has been talking about getting a pistol she can handle. The concerns are: she has smallish hands, we want something with some stopping power. recoil is a consideration. With these points in mind, my thoughts are for a medium frame 9mm auto. A lighter .22 revolver lacks the power, a .38 revolver will kick, autos absorb the recoil somewhat, and 9mm is decent power. I don't think she wants a .45 because of the size and recoil. She will get professional training in the use of any firearm she will have. With 10+ rounds, the 9mm auto should do the job. Discuss, please.

My 38 revolver kicks much less that my 380 auto and the wife actually enjoys shooting the 38 revolver. My advice is go to a range, rent or borrow several different types of guns, and have at it. I hate taking anyones advice on guns because everyone is so different and you can't beat firsthand shooting experience when deciding which is best for you (or her).

taurus judge shotgun pistol's great for short range defense too.

In line with the Grassroots thing I am thinking about getting one of these when I get my CCW.

CZ-82 Czech 9x18 Makarov Military pistol

Dang near a 9mm Lugar, cheap, and CZ has been making some very good weapons for a long time.

I also like older military weapons, I had a Browning Hi Power that I sold (one of the dumbest I have ever done).

Dr. Hess wrote: A full size (1911) 45 ACP does not have that bad of a recoil. It is THE proven manstopper, I mean "aggressorstoper". My wife qualified for her concealed carry with mine. I suggest going to a range and trying one out. There are ranges you can rent one at. I bet especially in FLA. Otherwise, if you want a 9, hard to go wrong with a full size Glock, or Baretta 92, or better yet, the Taurus clone. Remember that a smaller, lighter gun means it will recoil more. My wife shot my Star PD (a small aluminum frame 45 ACP) and it put her off of handguns for a year. Yeah, it's a bit of a handfull. But the 1911, by comparison, isn't bad at all. I haven't shot 40's, but they are very popular these days.

Agreed. 1911s are sweet shooting guns. My wife is small and had no problem handling a 1911, but she does prefer the 38 revolver.

The CZ's have a very good reputation. The "Springfield" XD also has an excellent reputation, and was made over in CZ land, or near it. I forget as the names of the countries there change so often. The XD was developed by a desperate people who had been fighting non-stop for like, 3000 years, with battlefield experience feeding back into the development cycle almost overnight. You get a well thought-out weapon system that way.

Get her a Lady Smith

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Hitlers interest in that part of the world was fueled in large part by the fine people hurting instruments being produced there.

I recently shot a 38 Rossi and its recoil wasn't that bad. I shot a 45 ACP 1911 and its definitely has a kick. But I liked it. A 1911 isn't easily concealable.

I was going to suggest a Lady Smith in 38+. You can load it up or down depending on recoil preference.

I would also recommend an all steel 9mm. the weight makes the gun kick less and more controllable, an all steel gun will also not suffer from limp wrist shots like a polymer gun will which can be a problem with women shooters.

I have let several women shoot a 40 glock i use to have and all of them complained of this sharp snap after firing. Now recoil is a subjective thing and is different from person to person gun to gun but i would recommend 9mm. Does it have as much knock down as 40. no, will the gun hold more bullets, yes, will ammo be cheaper, yes, will it be more pleasant for the wife to practice with 9mm than 40. absolutely and that's the main reason i recommended 9mm. It is less likely to scare a woman while practicing and is softer on the hands allowing more practice sessions and greater familiarity with the gun.

A 92 Beretta would not be bad but a CZ 75 would be better, they seem to fit in smaller hands very well, double/single trigger, can be carried condition one, and are a bit more accurate that most service pistols. 16 +1 in 9mm 13+1 in 40. i think.

A basic full size CZ75 starts around $480, with most being in the $500 range, i own a SP01 their most expensive SERVICE pistol and i got it for $630, it has 5in barrel full length dust cover 18+1 9mm and is 43oz. Barely kicks at all. My 95lb mother even likes to shoot it.

Cotton wrote: My advice is go to a range, rent or borrow several different types of guns, and have at it. I hate taking anyones advice on guns because everyone is so different and you can't beat firsthand shooting experience when deciding which is best for you (or her).

^^ That's you're answer right there.

At my girlfriend's first time at a shooting range, she tried a 1911 and a 9mm Glock 17. She had no problems with the 1911, but was constantly having malfunctioning problems from the Glock. She didn't have a strong enough grip to control it, so the slide would not travel far enough back to properly eject the spent casings.

I'm sorry but there is to be no further discussion. This is EXACTLY what you want. I totally hotlinked the pic for extra attractiveness.

/thread

^^ That is a very nice gun. A good friend has one for everyday carry. I've shot it on numerous occasions and it's very easy to handle. He reports never having a jam, and it's very durable and user friendly. Highly recommended.

^^ And as an added bonus, it has a rail at the front so you can attach a coffee maker.

Dr. Hess wrote: ^^ And as an added bonus, it has a rail at the front so you can attach a coffee maker.

Some folks need the extra caffeine to maintain vigilance. I attach a bottle opener so I don't have to keep shooting the caps off.

One nice thing about the 1911 is the slim frame and handle.

I would be cautious in selecting a gun based on what you presume to be your wife's comfort level with a handgun. As others have stated, it is important for her to try several guns and see which "fits" her. After all the "best" gun in the world is worthless if it is left at home in a safe. My 100lb wife is comfortable with a 38spl revolver, but not a 9mm, and not a 357 Sig. As a contrast my recently retired range master is a 100lb 5ft nothing woman who carries a 45 auto with hand loads and is undoubtedly a better shot than you, me, or just about anyone else.

If cost is a concern a good inexpensive gun might be a S&W model 10 in 38spl. I personally carry a snubnose S&W 640 in 357 mag every day. But I have also carried a S&W 686+, Sig 226 in 40, Beretta in 40, and a Glock 21. I dont intend to endorse only these guns as there are other guns that I wouldnt mind using, but for various reasons I have a limited selection of guns and calibers that I can carry. Each of these guns have their pluses and minuses between weight, maintenance, size, capacity, and ergonomics. It is really up to the individual to narrow down which gun is the best for their needs from a list of quality firearms.

I shoot competitively, own at least one example of almost everything discussed here, and can speak from some experience. Just some things to consider:

The handgun was invented for one feature alone: portability. The whole idea is to have a defensive weapon always with you, while leaving your hands free. It is the last choice for home defense. The shotgun is the weapon for home defense because it is much easier to learn to shoot with sufficient accuracy (because it is fired from the shoulder) and it is much more effective than ANY handgun round. 20 gauge is fine.

If she is going to "carry," she needs to consider where and how she will do so.

This will be controversial but I'm with the people who say: "When you get serious about a defensive handgun, you get a double-action Smith revolver and learn how to use it." None of us who have not been through it can imagine the state of mind in which the gun is used defensively. If any slide-racking or safety-flipping is to be done, there's a problem. There are semi-autos that can be carried safely, ready-to-go with a pull of the trigger. The revolver is king here, I think. A dozen or more shots? Think about the first one and, maybe, the second.

A lot of pre-purchase testing is vital as is post-purchase training. Even with the shotgun. FWIW.