I am in the selection process for a handgun that the SO is to use as her CCW. I have been looking at both compact and sub compact pistols. There are many to choose from and I am getting a little bewildered trying to figure out the best one to buy so I am turning to the collective experience of arfcom for some answers.
She will keep the weapon in her purse most of the time. So what you arfcom?

P.S. This is the big post 223!!! A monumentous occasion for me indeed.

what is the min to qualify with a CHL?  32ACP or 380?
it think it's 32.

anyway i would get her a little J-frame smith like a model 60 but only if she can pull the trigger double action.  you might look at the Kel-tec or tiny barretta offerings.  again if she can pull the trigger and work the slide.   it's all about fit and weight.  shop around and go to several gun shops and find one that fits her.  her hand should wrap around the grip not pinch it like a taco or go so far her finger nails gouge the meat of her hand under her thumb.  get her some good lessons.    

 if your in the Houston Area come meet the houston crew and we will let you shoot a selection.  

Try a Glock 19.  My g/f loves it and the only thing that feels better to her is a PPK.  I'd stay away from the straight blowback pistols because the slides can be hard for a woman to rack.  If it's a DA revolver, it better have a relatively light pull.  As I said, though, I'd get the Glock.  

Yep. .32s, .380s and 9mms work great for women and stop the bad guy. It is when a guy uses them that they do not work properly. LOL Sorry I just could not resist.

I would try the G19 myself as well.

A lot of it depends on how mechanically inclined she is, and whether she has the patience and interest to learn about the gun and developing a good discipline.

My wife is the type of woman that doesn't seem all that interested in guns, or even shooting. Every once in a while she'll get a wild hair and want to go shooting with me. No matter how many times I try to teach her how to operate a semi-auto she seems to do a brain dump shortly afterwards.

In which case I've come to the conclusion that a revolver is about the best way to go. Revolvers are about as basic as they come for handguns. Simply grab and shoot, then reload by 'opening the little wheel' and putting the round things in the round holes...go figure.

Another thing that's already been touched on is trigger pull. My wife is a tad on the petite side and she has a really hard time with triggers that are even remotely stiff. She'll get to a point to where the gun starts waving all over the place in an effort to try to pull the trigger. It's this reason that I eventually settled on a little .38 Colt Detective Special for her. The trigger is fairly easy, smooth, and short (by double-action standards). She tends to shoot it rather well and didn't require a repeated block of instructions on operation.

With all that said, if you and her are set on an auto then the Glock 19 is about as good (read simple and reliable) as you're gonna get.

Good luck!!

Thanks for the quick feedback. It'll be my gun, so I appreciate all the specifics as to why y'all recommend each one. I've shot a Glock 19 before (it's the one I use most often at the range) and I'm pretty comfortable with it. I think I just want everything in one - small enough to carry in a not-too-big purse but packing enough wallop to stop any bad guys who think I look like a target.

hk940 - I have family in Houston, so I may just take you up on your offer...

Bob1984 - I like the Glock 19 a lot, too - your gf has good taste.  

GenghisKhan - thanks for the reassurance. The main thing I want is the confidence that if I pull the trigger, the BG will know something hit him.



ETA: 2Manchu - I'm petite, but pretty darn strong, so pulling the trigger is something I can do.    Thanks for the detail of each kind. Sounds like a G19 may be the best bet - I was hoping for smaller, but safer and easier are two fine qualities.  

I got my wife a glock 26. She want to purse carry. Glock for her meant carrying unchambered without a holster in her purse. Weighed too much, and under stress retrieving, racking the slide, point and shoot was too many variables. I needed a better solution.

Then I came across a used mint S&W 642 hammerless 38spl for $249.00. Lighter then the glock, easier to operate. She loves it. I added the Hogue grip for a little more comfort. It has the Speer Gold Dot SB 135 +P with 2 speedloaders.  She is very happy with this setup, and so am I.

Each person is different, but if it is going to be a purse carry weight and safety are major items to look at. The hammerless airweight revolvers are hard to pass over.

If I were going to get a concealable weaon for my wife, I'd take a good look at the Sig 239.

beretta tomcat  in ss

My suggestion is the Kahr K9 and the Kahr MK9. YOu can always go with the "P" versions of both. My wife carries both.

I am just not a plastic type of guy, nor is she.

Get her a 45ACP if it doesn't bother her!  The recoil is almost the same as a 9mm.

my fiance likes the S&W ladysmith.

personally, i think that its 9mm or lager for a calbier....

G26 would be my first suggestion
Kahr and keltecs and SIG would be around there

if she cant/wont learn how to operate a semi, opt for a revolver--SWs are nice

try narrowing it down to a certain caliber--i'd start w/ .380, 9mm, and .45acp

then fine the one that feels good in her hand--what fits

My wife has a Beretta 86.  Its a 380 with a tip up barrel.  Its light and has been very reliable.

Quoted: I am in the selection process for a handgun that the SO is to use as her CCW. I have been looking at both compact and sub compact pistols. There are many to choose from and I am getting a little bewildered trying to figure out the best one to buy so I am turning to the collective experience of arfcom for some answers. She will keep the weapon in her purse most of the time. So what you arfcom? P.S. This is the big post 223!!! A monumentous occasion for me indeed.

I may be off base, but having been through this hundreds of times, my .02.  Why are YOU selecting somethiing for HER?  She is the one carrying it, therefore she needs to be picking it(with some helpful hints, such as "you don't want a Lorcin.), not you.  If she picks it herself, she will definitely be more secure and comfortable with the choice.  More often than  not, the SO picks something for the girl because it's what he THINKS is best, only to find it in the drawer because she does not like or is uncomfortable with or cannot operate it.YMMV

I really think of .32 and .380 as backup. To my way of thinking a CCW starts with a .38 or a 9mm. Haveing said that a .25 in the pocket or purse beats a.357 that sits in the safe 5 days out of six because it is too heavy to drag around every day .
My usual carry (because I am lazy) is a S&W 642-1 (airweight) that I bought used for $235 . I just slip it into a Uncle Mikes pocket holster and slip it into my side pocket and I can mostly forget it is there.
I have a pretty good confidence of getting decent hits with the .38sp+p 125gr load. I wouldn't want the much more expensive exotic alloy .357's as I think the brutal recoil would slow my repeat shot  times a lot.
I shoot this gun quite a bit with lighter 38 reloads and always finish up a range session with a couple cylinders full of the +p stuff.
This is what I do but it is only one of many ways to go. Set yourself up with some way to get a lot of range time in on whatever types of guns might work. Different strokes for different folks!

Quoted: Quoted: I am in the selection process for a handgun that the SO is to use as her CCW. I have been looking at both compact and sub compact pistols. There are many to choose from and I am getting a little bewildered trying to figure out the best one to buy so I am turning to the collective experience of arfcom for some answers. She will keep the weapon in her purse most of the time. So what you arfcom? P.S. This is the big post 223!!! A monumentous occasion for me indeed. I may be off base, but having been through this hundreds of times, my .02.  Why are YOU selecting somethiing for HER?  She is the one carrying it, therefore she needs to be picking it(with some helpful hints, such as "you don't want a Lorcin.), not you.  If she picks it herself, she will definitely be more secure and comfortable with the choice.  More often than  not, the SO picks something for the girl because it's what he THINKS is best, only to find it in the drawer because she does not like or is uncomfortable with or cannot operate it.YMMV

Quoted: Thanks for the quick feedback. It'll be my gun, so I appreciate all the specifics as to why y'all recommend each one. I've shot a Glock 19 before (it's the one I use most often at the range) and I'm pretty comfortable with it. I think I just want everything in one - small enough to carry in a not-too-big purse but packing enough wallop to stop any bad guys who think I look like a target. hk940 - I have family in Houston, so I may just take you up on your offer... Bob1984 - I like the Glock 19 a lot, too - your gf has good taste.   GenghisKhan - thanks for the reassurance. The main thing I want is the confidence that if I pull the trigger, the BG will know something hit him. ETA: 2Manchu - I'm petite, but pretty darn strong, so pulling the trigger is something I can do.    Thanks for the detail of each kind. Sounds like a G19 may be the best bet - I was hoping for smaller, but safer and easier are two fine qualities.

There is female input in this thread

Four letters...........1911.


Scout

Quoted: Four letters...........1911. Scout

those are NUMBERS!

Quoted: There is female input in this thread

LOL...  and I'm the female who'll be carrying it.    The only handgun I've shot is a G19, but it's a little heavy for my purse, so I asked sfax39 what he thought would be best. He thought we should see what y'all thought since the weight of the gun isn't as much of a concern for him and since y'all probably have a lot more experience picking out a quality, lighter-weight, still deadly gun...  

from the looks of this thread, I've got some serious shopping to do...  I didn't think there would be that many choices...  we really do appreciate the input.  I'm sure I'll have to twist his arm to drag him to a gun shop or three...  

Quoted: Quoted: from the looks of this thread, I've got some serious shopping to do...  I didn't think there would be that many choices...  we really do appreciate the input.  I'm sure I'll have to twist his arm to drag him to a gun shop or three...

got to at least three and then go back and try them (the gun shops and the guns) out several times.
then buy the same gun for 20% less at the gun show.

the offer is open.  IM me if you want to go shooting.  

Quoted: Quoted: There is female input in this thread LOL...  and I'm the female who'll be carrying it.    The only handgun I've shot is a G19, but it's a little heavy for my purse, so I asked sfax39 what he thought would be best. He thought we should see what y'all thought since the weight of the gun isn't as much of a concern for him and since y'all probably have a lot more experience picking out a quality, lighter-weight, still deadly gun...   from the looks of this thread, I've got some serious shopping to do...  I didn't think there would be that many choices...  we really do appreciate the input.  I'm sure I'll have to twist his arm to drag him to a gun shop or three...

Do it It depends on what you can shoot. My wife is deadly with a Glock, but struggles to use a revolver, Her sister is the opposite, shoots a revoler well, doesn't shoot autos well.
Enough Practise will make you able to shoot both well. But practise takes time.

I guess it also depends if you have a little purse or the giantic "black hole" type.

When Considering Weight, Think that in the Glock 19 there are 16 rounds of 9mm making up that weight. In other designs like the Kahr(excellent design)  there are only 8 rounds making up that weight. Get the one you shoot best with.
Remeber you should load the magazines to capapcity, you don't have to, you can save weight.


Best bet as said, you shoot a bunch of them, get the one you like the best.

The question for most people is their favourate gun the one they shoot best with, or is the gun they shoot best with their favourate gun. There is an important psychological aspect to shooting and guns.