Advice needed on handgun for wife

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Advice needed on handgun for wife

Posted: 6/6/2002 7:32:54 AM EDT

I had posted the following in the Women Forum on the Hangun board and received a few good suggestions, but am looking for more. Hopefully with the greater number of browser on this board, I will receive some additional responses.

My wife is looking for her first handgun. She is rather petite, being 5' and 95 pounds, so a large handgun with a heavy trigger pull would not be an option. I would also like the caliber to be at least a 380, and would probably not pick a Glock due to the lack of an external safety.

We would appreciate any recommendations.

Posted: 6/6/2002 7:50:08 AM EDT

[#1]

i just picked this up and if you live in the Houston area we can meet at a gun range and i will let you test shoot it.
cdp

Posted: 6/6/2002 7:56:54 AM EDT

[#2]

For her size, I think a Beretta Cheetah or a Browning BDA (which Beretta also manufacters, i think), both are .380.

Posted: 6/6/2002 8:31:57 AM EDT

[#3]

HK P7M8 (or PSP if you can find 'em). Slim grip, light single action trigger, squeeze cocker is very safe. Low bore axis and steel frame make for light recoil (I think a 380 PPK kicks more). Very accurate and reliable. High build quality.

Posted: 6/6/2002 8:54:11 AM EDT

[#4]

S&W Ladysmith revolver, perfect for the little ladies. My wife loves hers.

Posted: 6/6/2002 9:22:58 AM EDT

[#5]

My wife is looking for her first handgun. She is rather petite, being 5' and 95 pounds, so a large handgun with a heavy trigger pull would not be an option. I would also like the caliber to be at least a 380, and would probably not pick a Glock due to the lack of an external safety.

We would appreciate any recommendations.

I'm single, but have given my best friend her CCW weapon for Christmas... I took her shooting on three occasions to test different handguns vs her hand. On the third trip, I noticed a trend on her shooting.... I wound up buying her a Glock 19 of her own.

Posted: 6/6/2002 9:36:38 AM EDT

[#6]

Since you are shopping for her, not she shopping for herself, I am assuming you are the gun nut. Assuming she is not a gun nut don't go buying here guns with all kinds of fancy switches and safeties.

Keep it simple for a non shooter. Point pull trigger.

If she has to worry about magazine dissconnects/de-cockers, single action/double action she might as well have rubber display gun because she is not going to know how to work it when the time comes.

Either a Glock 19 or some 4" 38sp revolver kept loaded and chambered in a fobus holster which covers the trigger housing.

Pull gun from holster point and pull trigger repeat last step till empty. That is all she might ever remember in a crisis situation if she does not practice and droll over guns and thier featurs like we do.

Posted: 6/6/2002 9:43:20 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
i just picked this up and if you live in the Houston area we can meet at a gun range and i will let you test shoot it.
cdp

Thanks for the offer. The CDP is an awesome handgun, but I think a 45 cal 1911 would be a little much for a woman of my wife's stature and experience with handguns.

Posted: 6/6/2002 9:47:41 AM EDT

[#8]

what, is this thing supposed to be a surprise?
take your lady shopping someplace where she can shoot a couple pieces, then buy her the one she wants.

Posted: 6/6/2002 9:59:40 AM EDT

[#9]

A Ladysmith or a babyGlock should be right up her alley. Simple, small-but not too small, affordable, and pack a decent wallop

Posted: 6/6/2002 10:04:36 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
HK P7M8 (or PSP if you can find 'em). Slim grip, light single action trigger, squeeze cocker is very safe. Low bore axis and steel frame make for light recoil (I think a 380 PPK kicks more). Very accurate and reliable. High build quality.

I'll echo that. The HK also has a gas system which reduces recoil and is a very accurate handgun. Of course, if you don't want to pay that much, try a Bersa in .380. I've got one of those, too, and it's very reliable. Adjustable rear sight, slide release, decocker and costs less than $300.

Posted: 6/6/2002 10:06:18 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
what, is this thing supposed to be a surprise?
take your lady shopping someplace where she can shoot a couple pieces, then buy her the one she wants.

I plan to do that, but I'm just looking for a place to start. I have a Beretta Cougar 8000F, and when she shot that it became apparent that this was too much gun for her.

Posted: 6/6/2002 10:07:16 AM EDT

[#12]

S&W models 65,66,19

Posted: 6/6/2002 10:09:10 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
S&W Ladysmith revolver, perfect for the little ladies. My wife loves hers.

I kind of like the looks of the hammerless Ladysmith revolver. It's simple, compact and relatively light. It's probably one of the ones we'll look at.

Posted: 6/6/2002 11:01:17 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
S&W Ladysmith revolver, perfect for the little ladies. My wife loves hers.

I agree, or some other revolvers. In "normal" situation, she probably can handle other pistols also, but in a real, panic situation, revolvers are better. She just points and pull the trigger, and keep pulling until she is out of ammo, or the bad guy is down. There is no needs of "rack-and-clear" the bad round, is-the-safety-on, is-the-round-in-the-chamber, too many factors to deal with for her. In real situation, even the more experience people are panic. Therefore, practice, practice, practice...
All these are my 2 cents, of course. HTH.

Posted: 6/6/2002 1:55:57 PM EDT

[#15]

My standard response to this question is 'Let's get together with my guns and try them and see what you like'. Everyone is different and the only way to be sure is to shoot as many styles as you can. My wife surprised me when she decided on a Ruger P94(9mm). That was many years ago. We went shooting this past weekend and she still enjoys plinking. She handles it wonderfully and is very accurate.

I agree with lurker.

ByteTheBullet (-:

Posted: 6/6/2002 2:07:33 PM EDT

[#16]

I'll have to second the Bersa .380. Great gun for the money. My shooting buddy bought his wife one and even she hits decently with it.(she doesn't go shooting with us very often) I bought my GF a Colt Gov't. Model .380, and it's one damn fine little gun. Shoots great, reliable as hell. I've checked out that Browning also, looks pretty decent (especially the nickle plated model).

Posted: 6/6/2002 2:29:46 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
i just picked this up and if you live in the Houston area we can meet at a gun range and i will let you test shoot it.
cdp

Thanks for the offer. The CDP is an awesome handgun, but I think a 45 cal 1911 would be a little much for a woman of my wife's stature and experience with handguns.

Houston,
Don't over-estimate the gun or under-estimate your wife's abilities. My wife is the same size as yours. She carried a Pony Pocketlite .380 for a while and hated shooting it. The damn triggerpull was too heavy. She liked the Ultra CDP, bought one and loves it. The .45 is a pleasure for her to shoot with Federal 165 grain Hydra-Shok JHPs. She's not a gun nut, btw. She just decided to take responsibility for her own safety when she's out. At least have her try it.

Posted: 6/6/2002 2:42:39 PM EDT

[#18]

Lady Smith, 38+P (5 shot)
Bersa .380(not many light SA that have safties.)
S&W Ti 32 H&R Magnun, very light and the round has good Balistics.(6 shot)
good luck
DA

Posted: 6/6/2002 3:01:39 PM EDT

[#19]

Consider the Kahr P9C-Compact,light,very
smooth/controllable trigger right out of the
box,accurate enough,RELIABLE.Try the Federal
9BP load.Also,stay away from +P or worse +P+
(She won't come back), and the Fed load is
very controllable on repeat shots with enough power and tolerable muzzle blast.Whatever you
get, Practice. Regards, Chuck Hunt

Posted: 6/6/2002 3:16:00 PM EDT

[#20]

Here is my wife's pistol.

S&W Mod. 649 .357 (5-shot)

I liked her choice of weapon so muh I bought a pair...

It is super compact. Very simple to use. With the bobbed hammer it does not catch on things if she carries in her purse but there IS a hammer there so you can shoot it either single OR double action.

When shooting .38 specials it is very mild. But my wife likes to shoot .357s in it.

She likes the option of shooting either .38 Specials or .357 Magnums.

Posted: 6/7/2002 6:11:58 AM EDT

[#21]

Thanks everybody. You have given me some excellent suggestions for where my wife and I can start our search.

Posted: 6/7/2002 7:29:00 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
HK P7M8 (or PSP if you can find 'em). Slim grip, light single action trigger, squeeze cocker is very safe. Low bore axis and steel frame make for light recoil (I think a 380 PPK kicks more). Very accurate and reliable. High build quality.

Great choice for a first gun. I have owned a couple of PPK's in .380 and a P7-M13 as well as the M8 model. The PPK is a very solid weapon with a slightly stronger kick IMO than the P7's. The squeeze cocker is a fine system and very advanced even by today's standards. You can drop a P7 off a rooftop with a chambered round and it will not fire. Very safe and fast under pressure. The only problem is the high price for the P7. I would probably go with a USP or C for around $600 less than a P7 if cost is an issue.

Posted: 6/7/2002 7:33:47 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Thanks everybody. You have given me some excellent suggestions for where my wife and I can start our search.

Hey if your in the Houston area & are on the NW side of town go check out Tomball Pawn & Jewelry. Those guys have excellent prices & a good selection of new/used guns. They're a dealer for just about any big name manufacturer & if they don't have it they can get it. Avoid Carter's Country, overpriced!
You just missed the big Reliant Hall show so there won't be another one of those until August.

Good Luck!

Posted: 6/7/2002 7:44:58 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
The only problem is the high price for the P7. I would probably go with a USP or C for around $600 less than a P7 if cost is an issue.

I see the P7M8 around here used for about $750 on a regular basis, in "like-new" condition. The biggest problem with the P7M8 as a carry gun, is the weight, 28 oz. empty. All steel, strong as a moose, but a little heavy. This is about as near revolver shooting as you can get with an auto and still meet my standard of safety.

I have a Model 60 LadySmith in .357 that sees a lot of concealed carry use. I really like the smooth Dymondwood combat grip that came on this one.

The Colt Mustang PockeLite is very nice, if you can find one. 12.5 ounces, a pleasure to carry, even if a bit anemic in use.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Advice needed on handgun for wife

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