[ddcronk]

OK, here's the story. My wife's birthday is approaching and I want to get her a handgun. She has no shooting experience, is 5'2", maybe 110 lbs, so obviously the Desert Eagle and Taurus Raging Bull are out. I'm looking at .22 autos (though not adverse to a revolver).

My first thought was the Walther P-22, though under further investigation it seems to have serious reliability problems. My next thought was the Ruger Mk-II, but I don't want to get her one because I've always wanted one, and it would be a little too much like, "Hey, babe, here's your new 9-iron and DVD of Death Wish!"

Help me out here, guys! Recoil needs to be low, simplicity is good, and the grip needs to be small enough for widdle girl hands. Fire away!

Dan

[skeeter1]

A Smith j-frame .22 would probably work well, as would a Beretta 87 Cheetah, but neither of them comes cheap.

I tried a Ruger 22/45 at the range a couple of weeks ago and was unimpressed. It had a VERY stiff slide lock release, but maybe it was just that particular one, I don't know.

How about taking your wife to the gun store and letting her pick out her own? That strikes me as a better idea. I do think a good .22 is a good starting point for her.

If you're anything like me, going to a gun shop (any gun shop) is like being a kid in a candy store. Who knows -- maybe you'll end up with that Ruger Mk-II you wanted as well!

[longtooth]

You just said no to the 1st two that hit my mind. I have not heard of any reliability problems w/ Walther. That gun has an exceptional reputation.
I can see the reason you might not want to give the Ruger if you have been talking about it as your next personal gun. I am in the minority on that one. Personally I do not care for it, BUT, it is an EXCELLENT starter pistol.
If those still remain a no, the Q of $$$$$$$$ comes to mind. If $700.00 is OK Sig .232 in .380 is one excellent arm. I start many ladies out on it. (Borrow it from my Mom.) She is 76 & a real Southun Bell. When her .38 sp started beating her hand up about 2 yrs ago that is what we went to. Grip is very lady friendly. Recoil is no deal for anyone that has ever shot it. Several 1st time pistol shooters. simple design, Simple Design, SIMPLE DESIGN. No external safety. Double action trigger 9.5 lbs, single action 4lb, & decock. Black Polymer & light. .380 ammo a little expensive for plinking but I reload.
Other suggestions for a starter gun guys & ladies??????

[PlayboyPenguin]

I am glad to read this post is about buying your wife a gun...from the title I kind of got the wrong ides. :D

[ugaarguy]

ddcronk, please see THR Moderator Emeritus PAX' website www.corneredcat.com. This article http://www.corneredcat.com/ForMen/GunForWoman.htm in particular is very good. She's done a great job with the site and I think you'll find the info very useful.

[bowline]

I have an itty bitty wife myself...
Wanted her to have a plinking pistol, so I took her to a local shop with a very good selection and let her pick what she wanted.
She picked a nice Browning Buckmark.

She shot it maybe 3 times, and it went back in the box and in the closet, and has been there ever since. She prefers to plink with the 38 snubby she adopted (it was mine, but you know how that goes...)

38 gets a little expensive as a plinker, as I haven't gotten my reloading bench set up. However, I have a cunning plan which cannot fail - I'm going to get myself a Ruger Bearcat, and let her see me shooting it.

[ddcronk]

ugaarguy, thanks for the website, definately some things to think of there. Her section on how to pick a gun for a man made me laugh so hard I practically fell out of my chair.

[ugaarguy]

ddcronk, I'm glad you found the link useful, but don't thank me. Pax has really outdone herself with the site and it's a great resource.

[Finch]

Although I am all for letting your wife pick the gun she is confortable with, I would suggests this: Sig Mosquito in .22 (http://www.sigarms.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=30&productid=98)

[DRMMR02]

A quick note on the P-22, I heard a lot of the same rumors a while back about the reliablity of this firearm, but I think the newer-gen versions have thes issues worked out. And it is very picky about what kind of ammo you put into it, so that maye be the source of some of the confusion, not really the quality of the pistol itself.. I chose the P-22 for my first pistol, and I have yet to be disappointed. I think it's a great little gun for first-timers.

[mnrivrat]

How about taking your wife to the gun store and letting her pick out her own? That strikes me as a better idea. I do think a good .22 is a good starting point for her.

+ 1

Otherwise I recommend a J frame .22 LR Model 317 S&W or a Taurus Model 94 UL

If for self protection I recommend the Taurus Model 731 in .32 H&R Mag.

If going with an auto I would make sure pulling the slide back is not a problem or go with a tip up barrel Beretta or Taurus.

(Just my opinions & maybe something to look at when sorting through the choices)

Ditto on Pax's site as it is a excellant source of information.

[hso]

Whenever I start with someone who is interested in shooting I discuss proper grip and how to sight the gun then I lay every type of pistol I have available out on a table and let them pick it up and point it at a nearby target with a 1" red dot in the middle of it and ask them to sight it. I watch to see if the gun points naturally for them (they don't have to tilt up/down to get the sights). The ones they point without adjustment tell us what to concentrate on for them. 2 new women shooters I've been working with point 1911s perfectly. 1 guy points a CZ-75. Another points a Glock. I usually advise a .22 to start, but have been thrown for a loop several times lately and no long make that a hard and fast rule because neither of the women shooters wanted anything to do with a .22 with a 1911 grip angle and instead picked a .45 and a 9mm 1911 respectively. The smaller woman picked the .45 and never had any trouble with recoil. The taller, who is a field geologist, was uncomfortable with the .45. The guy that pointed the Glock didn't like the recoil of the 9mm so we found a .22 that he liked. The guy that pointed the CZ liked 9mm just fine. My immutable truths were modified as a result.

The moral to this fable is, none of us know what the "right" gun for another or new shooter is so we have to make options available to them so that they can find whats right for them. All we're here to do is help them fit the gun so that they can start enjoying it right out of the box.


BTW - Both gunsmiths in town have said that there's a high failure rate with the Walther.

[TexasRifleman]

One more vote for the Walther P22. I bought one of these about a year ago for my 11 year old to learn on and the thing has been rock solid reliable.

He's run literally brick after brick of Wal Mart bulk Remington through the thing and it rarely has a problem.

The only issue with the gun was the ejector was throwing brass straight up and back down on his head, but 2 minutes with the dremel stopped that.

I like it so much I take it with me to the range myself some days.

[usp9]

Walther P-22. I'd take it over the Sig and save some $$.

[merk]

In all honesty you should let her pick it out. If she doesnt like it she wont shoot it.

[orygunmike]

You say she has no firearm experience. What in the world makes you think she is interesting in you buying her a gun?

If you can...for her birthday (or as part of her birthday gifts) take her to a shooting range that rents pistols.

Shoot together....let her shoot anything she in interested in shooting.

You find out if she at all interested in shooting.
You find out her comfort level with various types of guns.
You have a fun time together...and let's face it, most wives like doing things with their spouse.

Lastly...I recommend you check out the "Cornered Cat", A site written by a woman for women shooters.
http://www.corneredcat.com/ForMen/GunForWoman.htm

There is one article that deals with the question you ask, "What Gun for a Woman?".
http://www.corneredcat.com/ForMen/GunForWoman.htm

Good luck.

[bobaloo]

I have two daughters who are both 5'0" tall, and a wife who is 5'1" tall. Fortunately, I guess, I also have very small hands for a guy my size (6'1") (no jokes please), so I've been on a search for years for handguns that we can all use.

These have worked well:

1. Walther P22 - Despite the bad press on the net I've had one for several years, have probably shot 25,000 rounds through it, as reliable as any other gun I have. That means maybe once in a box of 500 I'll have a case not clear the ejector or something like that, but normally it just keeps ticking. It is SO small that it took a while for me to learn to shoot it. When I first got it I thought it didn't shoot worth a darn. I finally figured out the right grip, etc., and it's pretty darn accurate. What's bad about the P22 is the manual of arms is different from every other gun. You push the safety UP to take it off and the mag release is weird. The downside of using this gun as a trainer is the oddball safety and mag release, have to start all over again with another gun for those.

2. Kahr CW9 - Bought this a year or so ago and love it. Again, lots of naysayers on the net, it's been completely reliable for me through about 2500 rounds, mainly hot self-defense level loads. The gals love it, it really fits their hands well, has a great long smooth double action trigger, good sights and can be shot amazingly accurately for such a small gun. I carryy it a lot when I need to carry with a t-shirt or as a backup. Love it. On the other hand, it has a lot of recoil with hot loads, for a beginner or for plinking you'll want to load some softer ammo.

3. Steyer S-9. Bought this years ago, super little pistol. Kinda like a Glock but better IMHO. Being an old-timer, I like the fact that it has a real, physical saftety. The sights are a little different, but the gals like them. Solid as a rock, fairly slim grips that fit small hands, but relatively heavy so recoil isn't an issue. For carry you can use the stock 10-round mags that fit flush and carry a couple of 14 rounders for spares.

4. Browning HiPower - A classic. Solid, reliable, 9mm that's got a nice long barrel and is heavy enough to soak up the recoil. Later models have nice sights, classic operation, grips are small enough to fit about any hand (but may need to replace the grips that came on it, Hipower grips vary a lot, from great to awful). Not only a great trainer but enough firepower to make a good carry gun later if desired.

5. 1911 - Although most folks think of this as a big gun it has the smallest grips asnd shortest trigger reach of any full-sized gun and easily fits the hands of petite women. If you load you can tune the load to the user. The girls love shooting the 1911 with 230 grain lead bullets at about 800 feet per second. Nice and soft shooting in the full-size gun, dirt cheap to shoot (about 2.5 cents per round as I cast my own bullets), accurate as heck, and once they get comfortable you can ramp up the load if you want. They get a kick out of shooting the "big gun", and it's a gun they can use for carry if they want. Went out last month and one of the girls put about 200 rounds through the Kahr and then asked to shoot the 1911 because there was so much less recoil.

Hope this is of some assistance, I've been dealing with the same issues for years. My daughters love to shoot, the wife is OK at it but really prefers the AK or AR over handguns. Actually, she prefers the Barrett, kinda figures doesn't it?

[dragongoddess]

A Hammerli Trailside. A wonderful .22.pistol
A bearcat
A Woodsman

[tegemu]

As I suggested in another forum, see what PAX has to say at www.corneredcat.com . Nobody deals with women and guns better than her.

[xd9fan]

like wedding rings.......let her decide what she wants.

[Adam5]

Does your wife know that you are thinking about getting her a gun ? When my wife bought hers, I had her at multiple ranges shooting everything from a .22 to .45. I told her to keep shooting multiple types and calibers until she found one that she felt the most comfortable with. She ended up getting A Springfield XD-9 in the 5in tactical.

Adam

[SigfanUSAF]

I bought my wife a P228. She didn't like it. So I did the only logical thing. I traded 'er in for a 5' 7" brunette that did:D

[t49si83]

You are on the right track wanting a .22 and being open to revolvers. I have taken several first time shooters to the range with a Heritage .22. They're cheap (under $150). It's a shame I have to say this, but YES they work well. Some people are so incredibly prejudiced against guns under $200 it's sickening. The drive men have to give their wives/girlfriends guns is hilarious because it almost never works. The Heritage comes with a .22 mag cylinder which is extra handy. The fact that it's a SINGLE action means she will learn good aiming/shooting habits by repetition and simplicity.
[click on pic for more info]
http://www.heritagemfg.com/pix/traditional_items.jpg (http://www.heritagemfg.com/traditional.shtml)

Of course, a Taurus .22 is one of the best revolver values:
http://www.taurususa.com/images/imagesMain/941B4.jpg (http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=368&category=Revolver)

[Autolycus]

Maybe a Sig with a short trigger.

I also recommend a HK P2000sk or P2000 highly. You can change the grip and make it smaller if she doesnt care for it to much. Make sure to get her leather. I recommend Kramer leather. I believe he makes holsters for women meaning that they are for all the nice curvy things women have that make us like them more than guns.

[t49si83]

I recommend Kramer leather
http://www.kramerleather.com/images/splash.jpg
http://www.seinfeld-fan.net/pictures/kramer/kramer026.jpg
It's the only holster that allows you to make your own pizza pie.

[bg226]

A .22 revolver is MUCH fun! Reliable, simple and very accurate. Some .22 revolvers have a capacity of 10 rounds.

[langenc]

orygunmike has it. DONT select a gun for her but let her select her own-after shooting several.

How do you think she would do selecting one for YOU--6-2 big hands better get him a 32 special..

[JCF]

I'm with longtooth... Sig 232 is a sweet little starter gun. Marginally larger than a PPK/s and super simple. Recoil is almost unnoticeable.

[erict]

When we plink in the yard my wife shoots my Walther p22 or she really loves shooting the Sig 239 in 9mm. She's a little bitty woman too.

[stiletto raggio]

I bought my mom and my sister consecutive Kahr MK9s for Christmas. They loved them. I replaced the standard grips with nice looking (and exceedingly comfortable) wood grips. I chose the model because it was easy to use (nothing to manipulate but a triger, slide and mag release), compact, relatively powerful but still light-recoiling and cheap to shoot. I got pinky extensions for the short mags so they could always get a full grip. They did not ask for these guns (they never would) but are very happy to have them. They enthusiastically request that I take them to the range every time I am home.

That said, I have known my mom and sister for a very long time and have been shooting with them on numerous occasions. I am also a highly competent instructor and was able to familiarize and coach them without making them uncomfortable. I had been gun shopping with my mom before and knew that she like a little bit of heft, preferred an auto to a revolver, and wanted something that would fill her hand.

I guess what I am trying to say is that in my situation, I don't think buying guns for them was a bad decision. They are realtively experienced shooters whose tastes I am familiar with, and I am an experienced gun-buyer who has trigger time on a very large variety of guns. In you case, I would get her to a gun shop with a big selection and let her try some on for size. If possible, get her to a range with a similar weapon and let her compare some side-by-side. Then, based on what you know about her, make a selection.

[slabsides]

You don't already have a good .22 plinker? Shame on ya!
For her birthday, I'd suggest a 3" J-frame Smith&Wesson, in .38 Special. If you can glom the one with the adjustable sights, better yet. It's called the Chief's Special Kit Gun. A versatile woman's...or man's sport and target shooting revolver, with loads available for uses from potting bull-frogs to tin-cans, to defensive concealed carry in pocket, holster or purse.
Then buy YOURself a Ruger Mark II Bull Barrel, adjustable sights, or even a Standard Model with the fixed sights. NOT A .22-45, with the plastic frame.
Shoot the Ruger for fun__both of you. :p

[Linda]

I've got to agree with the guys who have said "let her pick her own gun out". That is...,if she wants one. All too often, men want to force their wives to shoot. If they don't want to, they will find no enjoyment in it.

I think you're underestimating what your wife can shoot also. So what that she is petite. I really don't think size has anything to do with shooting, unless you're talking shotguns or other extreme caliber firearms.

I bought a Ruger 22/45 for use in my CCW classes I instruct. They are very economical to shoot, no recoil and a nice little gun. But, when I shoot that vs my carry gun, a Colt Defender, I feel very unsatisfied. I for one...,enjoy the recoil of a .45!!!:)

[Dave Markowitz]

Let her pick out her handgun.

I just went through this with my wife. The first time she shot any gun was several months ago. It was my S&W Model 18 .22 LR. She didn't care for the balance of a revolver, yet I look on it as virtually a perfect gun for a n00b. Last weekend we went to the range again and this time she shot my dad's 50th Anniversary Ruger Mark II w/4.75" light barrel. She much preferred the feel of the Ruger, so I'll be getting one soon.

She also shot a Glock 19C last weekend and hated it. The 9mmP had too much recoil for her, and the stupid porting on the barrel didn't help anything by diverting gas back into the shooter's face.

The bottom line is to let her pick out something she likes so that she's inclined to shoot it often and learn how to do so safely and accurately. Most likely that'll be a .22. After she's past the beginner stage then start thinking about something bigger.