Ok, so wife is 5' 0" and I am 6' 3".  i can handle anything from 22 to 500 magnum, wife is a bit more "delicate".

I need something around the house that is:

1. Simple/relaible to operate.
2. We both can aim and shoot. (think recoil)
3. Does real stopping damage to the "bad guy".

Comments?

Randy

BTW-I chose a S&W 686 357 mag. Loaded with first two rounds 38 special and the rest 357 mag hot loads.  My logic is this: If the wife pulls the gun, she can get two aimed shots off before real recoil hits.  Then if she has to (adrenaline pumping) it has the stopping power.

A steel framed 1911. the .45 acp recoil is not bad at all.
a glock in 9mm the polymer frame absorbs a lot of the recoil and 17 rounds is plenty, super reliable

Maybe a Sig 239 (9mm?) or Kahr K9/40 if she has smaller hands...

Glock 17 or 19 with premium 9mm hollowpoints, and practice for both of you. Night Sights and a mounted light are a good idea also. And did I mention Practice.

Do you make this stuff up?  Two round of contronable .38 followed by hot .375's.  Are your last two rounds tracers so you know when your out of ammo?

how are you going to explain that to a jury?  Oh yes, you will.

Do your wife a favor.  Buy her a gun she likes and one that fits her hand.  Load it with contronable ammo and spend some time or money and get get her in to a good training course like Ayoobs LFI or TDI in Southern Ohio.

Maybe you ought to duct tape a pocket knife to the barrel as well!

Ditto on the 239.

All right Captain.....get that blood pressure under control.

The answer is....Ruger SP101 revolver in .357 with Crimson Trace laser grips.  Use Speer 38 hollow points with the new 135 grain tip.  

The laser beam will have everyone except the most stoned crack head headed for the door, and if not, she will be pin point on target without trying to aim with iron sights in a dark room.

If she is like my wife, inserting the clip, jacking the slide and working the safety is way too much to worry about in a high stress situation.  And leaving an auto cocked and locked in the night stand will have her Knickers is such a twist you will get no peace (or piece, for that matter).

Stick with a revolver and laser grips for simplicity and accuracy.

AMEN !!   (wave)

Sorry guys but the "BEST" gun for home defense is a 12 guage pump shotgun (Rem870, Mos500) with an 18" barrel!

Yes....12 gage is the best.  But the question was, what's the best handgun for wifey and him.  I would guess that the .357 would be the most she is going to be able to handle....and even that will take several trips to the range to get used to the kick.

The L frame S&W 686 might be a bit heavy for her. I might suggest a K frame S&W 65 or 66 with a 4inh barrel. (3inch are great to if you can find one) She can shoot .38spl and if needed you can fire .357 mag. If she isn’t a gun enthusiast she will probably be more comfortable and shoot better with quality .38spl ammo.

My wife prefers my 1956 Colt Detective Spl over her Glock 26.  Easier for her to load a revolver than the spring loaded Glock mag and she hits very well with it.

Mike

Try the Glock G19.
The wife and I just purchased this model, and we both love it.
Its what we call a good compromise pistol

This one is a little different....

If you are looking for a pistol, try searching for a Beretta Mini Cougar.  There are still some available on the shelves.   They are a "compact" size, fit well in a womans hand, and Beretta uses a rotational barrel lockup design that seems to absorb a lot of recoil just by functioning.  If you fire a Glock 9mm and the Mini Cougar side by side, you will definately notice the Beretta has less recoil.

Just my .02  

Quoted: Do you make this stuff up?  Two round of contronable .38 followed by hot .375's.  Are your last two rounds tracers so you know when your out of ammo?

Hey thats not a bad idea leaving 2 rnds of tracer last so youll know your out of bullets. Thats what im going to start doing when i load my AR15 mags and pistol mags.

Honestly, the best answer to your problem would be "get both" and I'm serious about this.  A compromise gun is not a great idea.  Get the one that feels best in hubby's hands, and the one that feels best in wifey's hands.  If you absolutely must get only one, get the biggest caliber the wife can handle comfortably.  A .357 revolver is not a bad choice.  Load the thing full with .38 special +P and a well made hollow-point like a gold-dot and you're set.  .38 Special is plenty to royally screw over any would be evildoer.  If she can't handle .357 magnum then you really wouldn't want any in the gun.  Gunfights can go way past 2 rounds because it's harder to shoot accurately under stress.  If you're home alone then load it up with full-house loads all day long.  MJD

Highway man has probably the most sensible solution, but what about a S&W 325PD in 45 ACP?  45 ACP doensnt kick very much, but I am not positive if this is true in a revolver (especially one with a 2 1/2" barrel).  You have the simplicity of the revolver with the punch/stopping power of the .45

Yes it is a pricey gun, but very good and I feel it could handle the job well for the both of you.

My wife is quite finicky, and won't shoot much more than a .22 at the range, but hits well with the Glock 17 9mm.  No controls, no extra safety levers, 17+1 rounds and an attached tactical light.  

She did not like the 19 or 26.  She has shot the 1911, but the .45 is just not for her.

A .357 will relieve you of your eardrums if you have to fire it inside the house.  A short barrel and full house loads are a sure thing for it.  

Glock 19, night sights, MX3 light.

If you haven't already, maybe you should be asking your wife about this too

Find out how your wife feels about having a gun for protection.

Talk about the use of a gun in the home for protection.

If she agrees that you need a gun at home for protection, develop a plan together on how best to employ it.

Have a light for the gun, have a phone for the gun too.

Take classes with her.  If she doesn't know how to use a gun for protection yet, show her how serious you are by having a third party teach BOTH of you.  This way there is no difference in what needs to be done when something goes bump in the night.  You are both operating on the same sheet of music.

If she's not a shooter already ( and from the way you worded your question, I'm guessing she's not) it's a good idea for an instructor other than you to teach her.  This way, if she doesn't take to shooting right away, she won't resent you but might not like the instructor for a while.  The best way to avoid this is to get a good instructor, perhaps a female cop/ ex-cop.




You're a shooter, she might not be.  You have a better chance of adapting to her needs than she does of yours in this situation.  Heck, you're over a foot taller than her.  You should be able to handle a little .32 (if that's what she choses).


tweeter, Mosul