My wife has shown a interest in getting a handgun. She has commented that my Model 80 .45 is to big for her hand. I am thinking maybe a small .380 semi auto. Does anybody have any suggestions on what would be a good for protection as well as plinking.

Diss,

I've been going through this with my bride.
She shoots her P95 very well, but it's too big for purse carry.

If she didn't mind heavy, I think a Sig P232 would be the right choice, or Bersa Thunder, but she's very picky. I have a Kel Tec P-32 and as soon as she gets used to it, that will be her carry gun (she has to have her fingerprints redone for CHL...they are very picky)
Anyway, She loves shooting my Springfield V-10 .45, but it is heavy for her purse as it's all steel.

She hates shooting her S&W Airweight 642 .38, but it might end up being her carry gun as it is reliable and light.

It kicks like a mule but for protection, who cares?

Her P95 is great. Easy to rack the receiver, accurate and completely reliable. She shot 223 out of 250 on the TX CHL test with it and she had only been shooting for 2 months.

Anyway, the KelTec P-32 is about the lightest, but it is strictly for close up work and might not drop a BG very quickly.

An Airweight J-frame revolver is great for protection, but no fun at the range for woman.

I've heard the Para LDA 6.45 is a possible alternative. It has dual springs to lessen perceived recoil and is a Double action 1911!

I want one for myself.....OF COURSE.

Runt_of_the_litter over at the Firing Line loves hers!.

Diss,

I forgot to add. We tried a Beretta tomcat. Jam-o-matic and complex to work....IMHO.

The 642 Airweight S&W is hammerless btw

Quoted: Anyway, the KelTec P-32 is about the lightest, but it is strictly for close up work and might not drop a BG very quickly.

Hey Coz,  did you and your wife resolve that failure to extract issue you were having with the P-32?

Houston,

Not yet. I want to shoot it now that I've cleaned it up and stuff....but I've not been able to get out and shoot it again. The gal from Gibson arms told me that if it happens on all ammo, that she'd get it fixed through Keltec for me. I traded her for it a couple of gun shows ago.

I think I may even go so far as to have it hard chromed. I hear it's only $20 at Keltec and that it resolves issues such as this.

I'm carrying the thing right now

Thanks for the input. I looked around a little on the net and I sure like the looks of a Colt Model 80 .380. Have any of you ever handled one or have any thoughts on it?

Quoted: Thanks for the input. I looked around a little on the net and I sure like the looks of a Colt Model 80 .380. Have any of you ever handled one or have any thoughts on it?

Not bad. It's the Beretta 85? IIRR. Nice gun but see if you can find one of the older ones with the hicap mags.

Diss,
I forgot about the Colt Mustang .380

Looks like a 1911. Action like a 1911.

Cost like a....Les Baer 1911!

I have actually been looking for one below $500.

They are very proud of them, and of course, Colt doesn't make em any more.

Very cool choice indeed. I think I have a mental block against paying more than $400.00 for a "pocket pistol".

Pistol for your wife?  Damn good trade -

LOL
hinking.gif
DoubleFeed--What are you offering for her?

I got a rifle for my wife.  Course, now I have to do my own laundry, but it seemed like a good trade at the time.  

My 2 cents;

 Let her decide. She should go - without you to the gun store!  Let her fondle each one that catches her eye. I have talked to several women over the years who have firearms but really didn' shoot them. I found that many had the firearm  tucked away somewhere in the house; shot it once or twice but she didn't like it . the reason: she ended coming home with the firearm that her spouse/boyfriend wanted .

 General recommnendations:
  get what fits her hand
  get what is reasonalbly comfortable to shoot - recoil etc.
  get what she is willing to carry around in her purse, pack etc.  You are right the SW hammerless  titanium  guns are great  in there compact size and weight (about 11oz unloaded as I recall, and they are less likely to snag in a purse on drawing)
   get what she can function in a crisis situation - she will have to decide on revolver vs semi auto, the latter obvioiusly entails more of a commitment to jam clearing drills  
    I would say that the smaller sized semi autos that I have handled are harder to rack vs a bigger gun , and if  a woman has weak hands/forearms  this is a significant consideration.  If she elects to go with a 380 be aware of Barettas model 87 with tilt up barrel option, but this is not a compact gun by today's standards.
    caliber: most 380s use a blow back mechanism and I can tell you that my Baretta 84F has more felt recoil than my approximatiely same sized/weight CZ75compact ; 40 may be too much if your wife is small, .38 with  plus P rating or 38/357 would give her the option of using straight 38 special, plus P rated ammo or going up to 357 - which again might be too much, ditto for 9mm guns rated for plus P ammo on choices of ammo.