Long story short, my wife has a female friend who has a desire to own a pistol for personal protection. After I tried (unsuccessfully) to teach my wife the finer points of semi-auto handgun usage, I finally switched to a Colt Cobra and she loved it. Based on that experience, when my wife's friend asked me for advice I said:
1. how often will you practice?
2. how big is your hand?
3. have you any prior handgun or rifle experience?
My impression is that she won't practice more than a couple of times a year due to her job. She isn't petite but doesn't qualify as a big handed woman. And zero prior experience.
So, based on my wife's experience, I recommended that I take this friend to the range with my Colt Cobra (.38 special) and told her that I would also take my S&W CS9, a 9mm small framed pistol. As a result of my wife's annual trip (please don't tell me the obvious) to the range, I was required to reorient her to the magazine release, slide release etc. When I settled on the revolver she was like "ok, point it down range, sight properly, good trigger discipline, and fire. Right".
So, can any of you that have instructed more than one female, related or not, who can't or won't practice monthly, comment on my choice of handgun? I am thinking of one of the smaller hammerless S&Ws (would that be a J framer) or perhaps an equivalent. Money is not a problem for this friend so I am open. A local gun shop recommended a Judge and I told her to run, not walk, from that place because the salesman was talking about how the shot shell was a great defense round.
1. how often will you practice?
2. how big is your hand?
3. have you any prior handgun or rifle experience?
My impression is that she won't practice more than a couple of times a year due to her job. She isn't petite but doesn't qualify as a big handed woman. And zero prior experience.
So, based on my wife's experience, I recommended that I take this friend to the range with my Colt Cobra (.38 special) and told her that I would also take my S&W CS9, a 9mm small framed pistol. As a result of my wife's annual trip (please don't tell me the obvious) to the range, I was required to reorient her to the magazine release, slide release etc. When I settled on the revolver she was like "ok, point it down range, sight properly, good trigger discipline, and fire. Right".
So, can any of you that have instructed more than one female, related or not, who can't or won't practice monthly, comment on my choice of handgun? I am thinking of one of the smaller hammerless S&Ws (would that be a J framer) or perhaps an equivalent. Money is not a problem for this friend so I am open. A local gun shop recommended a Judge and I told her to run, not walk, from that place because the salesman was talking about how the shot shell was a great defense round.