[paulk]

Hey guys, i need a gun for my girlfriend. what gun that should buy? it doesn't matter what price it is.(handgun)

[3pairs12]

long gun or hand gun? duh handgun sorry stupid question.

[kingpin008]

Bring her to a shooting range that rents guns, and have her try out different guns. If she doesn't get to try each out before a purchase is made, you run a HUGE chance of getting her something that she either hates, can't shoot, or hates AND can't shoot.

Each shooter has to find the gun for them. If you want to buy it for her, good for you!

[The Lone Haranguer]

Give it in the form of a "gift certificate" and let her choose it. :D It would be preferable to rent and shoot some first, especially if she is a new shooter. It would be a mistake to, for example, buy a fleaweight magnum revolver because it is so light or small, then actually touch off a round in it and find out it's not so great. ;)

Some good information on this and other topics can be found at The Cornered Cat. (http://corneredcat.com)

[Just Jim]

Women should make their own gun decisions.

jj

[Monkeybear]

Just a heads up, everyone is going to tell you to let her pick. They are right.

[Bearhands]

#'s 3, 4, 5, 6..... are the correct answers

[XavierBreath]

I'll refer you to this page (http://www.corneredcat.com/Men/gunforwoman.aspx) to help you chose the right handgun for your girlfriend. It is well written and you will find a lot of useful information about the subject there.

[FuzzyBunny]

I agree!

Let her pick the one that fits her hand best and she likes and shoots well.

Nothing is worse than a gun that just does not fit your hand right (in my opinion)

I will suggest .38 or larger though.

[Yehen]

S&W 500....j/k :) Let her pick. May I ask what the gun is for? CCW? Plinking?

[bensdad]

I totally disagree with everyone.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but in my opinion, you should let her pick. :neener:

[CPshooter]

I would let her pick the gun, but you should be able to make the judgement call on caliber and you should direct her towards the more reliable guns. I have a gf and plan on getting her a handgun for self defense. I already know she needs a 9mm. Anything more and she can't handle the recoil, anything less and I feel like she's underarmed.

Basically, you want to guide and assist her towards something that you know suits her. If you just let her go and pick it out, she'll probably end up getting some stupid advice from a guy on the other side of the counter rather than you, and you obviously know her better than that other guy does. Let her choose what feels best. Just make sure it's reliable and an appropriate caliber for her.

[Wedge]

I'd go with an ultra subcompact scandium in .44 mag or a customized Glock 29 with a shortened barrel. Insist on only shooting full house loads out of each.

The S&W 500 in a 3" barrel would be a decent second.

Desert Eagle in .50 AE would also be appropriate. The grips are a little blocky. Tell her she'll get used to it.

Or have her pick...

[P97]

I agree with letting her choose. If I didn't have a .22 LR pistol to shoot myself and let her shoot first, that is what I would get and share it for fun shooting. Then let her pick whatever larger caliber she wanted.

[HM2PAC]

I would 2d the .22LR idea.

That or a flare gun.

[Peter M. Eick]

I have taken out several women shooting. Let them pick because each one is unique in terms of likes and desires.

My wife likes a ruger 22 MK1 but shoots a Beretta 96 when needed.
A friend who is like 110 lbs just loves my 45ACP Baer PII. Unbelievably accurate with it.
A co-worker loves on of my 38/44 Outdoorsman's. Especially with 38/44 loads.
The wife of a coworker shoots a Glock G20 and a Witness Elite 9mm.

Let them decide. You can never guess right.

[sm]

STI Race gun in 9x23mm, yellow stocks, with the serial number ending in a even number.

Contact our own Larry Correia, and he and his staff at his new store will fix you right up!

Hey, I tried the sensible approach, now I am going to start posting actual guns.

*grin*

[chauncey]

I think a Glock 17 and a S&W 908 are good contestants

[meef]

Hey guys, i need a gun for my girlfriend. what gun that should buy?:what:

Whoa dude! Don't be so drastic. Just tell her you guys are incompatible and it isn't working out. You don't have to snuff the chick!


Honestly, the question reads like one of those "what caliber for grizzly bear, razorback hogs, feral dog packs" threads.

:cool:

[micky692002]

Glock!!!

[Guy]

Im just gonna throw this out there. My buddies wife has a Bersa Thunder 380. and loves it. it pritty nice i'v even thought of getting one for my glovebox.

http://www.gundirectory.com/more.asp?gid=20160&gun=Pistol

[bensdad]

My wife loves her Bersa thunder too. IT's reliable. Her's has the gold-colored buttons and trigger.

[Guy]

nice never seen one in gold

[bensdad]

The whole gun is black. The trigger, safety/decocker, retaining pin and, I think, the mag release are gold-colored. It does look pretty cool - in a girl sort of way. If it were mine I'd take it apart and spraypaint those parts.

[Guy]

lol:D

[QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW]

honestly, take her to gun shops, let her hold some to see what feels good for weight, size, and caliber.

then go to a range, rent what she likes and then buy what she likes.

sorry but its not that hard, not to sound like a dick or anything, just think it out.

[Ford]

First off by all means if she knows what SHE wants let her get what SHE wants. I tried to get my wife into shooting. She loved shooting my .22's. I decided it was time she got serious and moved up to something that she could defend herself with if need be. I bought her a 9mm. She hated shooting it.
Yeah yeah I know. Practice with it and she would be fine. Well if you look up recoil sensitive there is a picture of my wife. Seriously after 2 mags her hands where beat red.
If she is like my wife and its not a joy to shoot she's not going to shoot it.
Find out what her tolerance is for recoil and go from there.

[mokin]

Good idea getting her a gun of her own. I let my wife shoot my Browning Hi-Power and since then she wont let me leave home with it. I had to save my allowence until I could afford a new gun to carry around. I miss carrying that pistol.

[RobertFBurnett]

I'll refer you to this page (www.corneredcat.com) to help you chose the right handgun for your girlfriend. It is well written and you will find a lot of useful information about the subject there.
+1 for www.corneredcat.com

I am the opposite of female (;)) and I was finding many of the articles helpful, like I had no idea choosing gunleather was so different, I mean I watched Law and Order and the holsters always looked the same, but theres the little differences.

And after that let her fondle the merchandise, its all about the feel. And don't rule ANY option out, my fiance Hated the GP100 4" .357 but some other guy's Girlfriend two lanes over was having a Ball with a Glock .45, after a couple of rounds.

my $0.02

RFB

[TexasBen317]

You getting good advice,, but be careful giving your GF or Wife a handgun,, after that you can never ever P**s her off again!!:what:

I bought a S&W 38 air weight detective special some many years ago. Took wife to the deer ranch to let her shot it.. Dammed!!! She was dead eye with it,, I NEVER told her NO again after that experience.. :D

[Mandirigma]

STI Race gun in 9x23mm, yellow stocks, with the serial number ending in a even number.

Steve, wow, actually posting a gun :what:

But why yellow? shouldn't it be a color she picks so that she can coordinate? not that it matters

oh yeah Odd Numbers > Even Numbers

OP: another +1 on corneredcat.com

[Flopsy]

I recommend using the search function on this forum. There have been about 419,376,418,456,813,451,824 threads on the subject.

[spiroxlii]

LET HER PICK!

But if you want to know what my girl picked... She has a Bersa Thunder 380 and loves it. I liked hers so much that I got one for myself.

[skwab]

take her to a range that lets you rent, or to a gun show - I took mine to a show to try the grips of as many as possible, and ended up getting her a glock 19 - she loves it.

[salthouse]

Letting her select her own gun is step #2. You guys are forgetting about step #1.... Buy a gun that YOU want and wrap it up nicely and give it to her. When she finds that it doesn't fit her hand, has too much recoil, etc.... (be very careful to make sure this is the case when buying) you need to say your sorry and should have taken her with you to the gun store to begin with, ask forgiveness and then proceed to step #2. (Congrats on your new gun!)

[Markbo]

She's got to have enough gun:

http://skirmisher.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/worlds_largest_revolver.JPG


If she can't handle that, then you know it just wasn't meant to be.

[salthouse]

that's a great picture, I like how seriously he seems to be aiming. My guess is he limp wrists it.

[Car Knocker]

So what kind of boy guns do you have that she's tried?

[spiroxlii]

Girl guns? All my guns are girls, but some of them don't have names yet.

Swiss K31 - No name yet
Lee Enfield No1MkIII - Sheila
Ishapore 2A - Kashmira
2 Soviet Mosin-Nagant M44s - No names yet
Chinese Type 56 SKS - No name yet
Yugo M59/66 SKS - No name yet
Ruger 10/22 - Anna
Bersa Thunder 9UC - Marcena
Bersa Thunder 380 - Martina
HS Produkt HS2000 - Katarina
Uberti 1873 Cattleman Birdshead - Amanda
Cobray/Leinad .410/.45 SxS derringer - Hulga
Heritage Mfg. Rough Rider .22LR SA revolver- No name yet
H&R Model 649 .22Mag DA revolver - No name yet

[4v50 Gary]

Women should make their own gun decisions.

jj

Concur. She should receive some formal safety instruction that includes basic gun safety, nomenclature, principles of marksmanship before going to the range with two types of guns (semi & revolver). Let her practice her marksmanship, determine which works better for her and take it from there.

[Samuel Adams]

My wife wants a .22 but her 4'11" frame handed a P220 just fine.

[tegemu]

Before you do anything else, go to www.corneredcat.com .

[Ala Dan]

(Laughing Loudly) :D :D :D

a satin nickel Taurus PT-22 with pink plastic grips~! ;)

No- just kidding, as these darn things are jam-o-matics; don't even go there. :D

[NGIB]

Everyone is right, let her pick. I am afraid my wife will see the Sig P232 I traded for and claim it as her own though...

[patentmike]

No gun?
Find another girl.

[woad_yurt]

My girlfriend never touched a gun until she met me. I took her to the range and she really liked it. Living alone, she soon saw the wisdom in having a gun in the house. She tried a bunch of stuff and was lukewarm until she shot my old, clunky, beat up DA Iver Johnson Model 55A Cadet in .32 S&W long. She hits dead center every time. It's weird with that gun as the hammer covers the rear sight groove when at rest but she hits what she's aiming at, no problems, every time. So, I gave it to her. Now, she's happy. She did freak a little when I told her that she and Sirhan Sirhan had similar tastes in firearms....

Anyway, she must have tried dozens of my and my friends' weapons before she found one that was good for her. I think it more important that she's comfortable and proficient rather than her having something a little more standard, you know? She also does very well with a CZ 52 but it hurts her hand after a magazine or two. It's also a little crazy for a house gun as the neighbors would be at risk. She was pretty good with a friend's CZ 83, btw, but said it was also uncomfortable.

We recently went and applied for a carry permit. She already has her carry gun: An almost pristine 85 year old 7 shot US Revolver Co. double action in .22LR! She likes it because it's nickel, it's manageable and it's a tiny, tiny gun; she calls it "cute." I guess 7 Aguila Super Maximums will at least get someone's undivided attention.

Paulk: Let your girlfriend pick. You never know what they'll like. It's better that she (rather than you) is comfortable with it.

A US Revolver Co. .22 and a Cadet! Go figure. At least I didn't have to shell out for a Kimber.

[jgo296]

well i dont think you should let her pick shell pick "the cute one"
id recommend an j frame with 38+ and lasergrips yes its a difficult gun to shoot but laser will help and all you have to do is pull trigger
if you can get her to practice ill recommend what i think everyones first pistol should be glock 19

[spiroxlii]

jgo, it's fine to guide your girlfriend, but not letting her pick at all on the grounds that she'd pick "the cute one" is a little harsh.

After all, for better or for worse, many women do pick guns and holsters and methods of carry based on how they're going to look. The "cute" gun in your girl's holster is better than the "scary" or "ugly" gun left at home.

[rust collector]

Absolutely depends on her preferences, but make sure she has the opportunity to fire a Walther P22. It's a small, light, fun gun.

[DrLaw]

Tell her it a choice between the gun and a vacuum cleaner.

Oh wait, you said girlfriend. In that case, you tell her the choice is between
the gun and tickets to a pro hockey game, and...

...then let her choose the gun. (seems to be a trend here).

The Doc is out now. :cool:

[Logan 5]

Everyone on the board is right about having her pick.

From my own experience.... Be sure that your wife can cycle an autoloader. Many women think that they look great but can't even prepare the weapon to fire. This also applies as to whether or not she can correct a disabled or malfunctioned semi-automatic. (This is important) Revolvers don't have this issue.

I bought the wife a Beretta but she couldn't operate it. (good for me:))

So we had to get her an airweight 637 which is brings me to my other point. Make sure that you know what kind of action she wants:evil:...I mean with the pistol you horndogs. Single and Double action is alot more fun at the range than just plain old Double Action. And try to focus on grip size as well. Smaller pistols that I would never look twice at are my wife's favorites because they fit her. She probably would want 9mm in auto and .38 in revolver. They are capable enough for self defense and not too rough in recoil.
P.S. Ask the salesman if there is a special on buying two getting a better deal. (She is a great shopper and you get another pistol):p

[Defensory]

It's fine to let her make her own choice. However, if the weapon is primarily for self-defense, you need to set one restriction--she has to let you buy her a weapon with a minimum caliber of at least .38 Special or 9mm.

If she wants a semi-auto, fine. Buy her any brand and model of semi-auto she wants, as long as it's chambered for at least a 9mm.

If she wants a revolver, fine. Buy her any brand and model of revolver she wants, as long as it's chambered for at least a .38 Special.

Too many women want to wimp out and buy the smallest and "cutest" gun available, usually a .22 or .25, which are virtually worthless for serious self-defense.

If she flatly does not want a gun of sufficient stopping power (38 or 9) for minimum self-defense requirements, forget the gun and just buy her a can of 10% OC pepper gel with UV dye instead.

Anybody male or female who buys anything smaller than a 38 or 9 for their primary weapon, simply isn't serious about self-defense.

Weapons chambered for .22, .25, .32 and .380 should never be considered for anything but a backup or "hideaway" gun.

[PointOneSeven]

My friend's GF thought the S&W 642 snubbie was 'cute.' And she hates guns.

[woad_yurt]

For those of you who insist that there be some caliber requirement:
Sometimes one has to be satisfied with baby steps. Something is better than nothing.

In my own case, now she's a very comfortable, confident Annie Oakley (well, not quite but she's good!) with a .32SWL, which by the way, was a cop caliber for a long time. One of the reasons she likes it is because she "can keep it aimed at the target better for the next shot." Alll by herself, she's discovered the value of the follow up shot. A year or two ago, she was without skills or a weapon. This is a major improvement, no? I'd rather she had a gun, any gun, than a can of pepper spray (see above.) A confident, skilled person with just a .22 can be very effective.

With her, I just plant seeds and see what sprouts. Unbending demands work with her as little as they work with me.