Suggestions for wife's first handgun?

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.308 garand

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I am currently in the market for a handgun for my wife. My wife has showed intrest in shooting and I want to get her something she can take to the range and just go out and plink with. I don't want to spend a lot on a gun because this will be her first gun and if this doesn't hold her intrest I won't be out that much money. I am looking for a cheap small caliber gun that is cheap to shoot. I was thinking maybe along the lines of a Hi-Point in a .380. Does any one have any suggestions I would like to stay in the $200 range? Is there a .22lr pistol out there for around $200? Any input on this would be great.

TIA,
Justin
 
Always start them out on a .22. Cheap to shoot, mild on the ears, etc. Kimber's S&W was a good choice. Ruger might be even better, if you can still find one for $200. Good luck.
 
Browning buckmarks are around $200 by me. Nothing wrong with a cheap .22 to start. If she likes it she'll pick out her next gun, if she doesn't you have a cheap .22 to go plinking with.

The plan I am going to take for myself and my wife. Get a .22 for her and if she likes it great, if not I have a .22 that I didn't have before.
 
My advice:

Don't buy a very small gun for her first gun, as these are impossible to shoot well.

Within your price range, you may want to purchase a used Ruger Mark II or a .22 revolver. If money is that much of an issue, .22 ammunition is by far the best.

Incidentally, on the subject of buying a cheap gun for a beginner:

1) Using crappy equipment often makes people hate the game. It is far easier and more pleasant to learn to shoot on quality equipment.
2) Quality equipment can be resold at a good price if you want to play a different game. Crappy equipment can't.
3) If it turns out you like the game, you'll end up buying better equipment rather quickly anyway. So why waste steps moving up?

pax
 
You might look into Bersa's little .380's. They're under $200 and have been gaining a reputation for being easy to shoot, accurate and reliable. It would be a good starter gun that's capable of being a self defense or concealled carry gun should she pursue either path.

Check into bersatalk.com if you want to get the opinions of a bunch of owners.
 
How about let her pick out the gun she will shoot??? She'll feel more involved & may hold her interest longer. I would recommend something in 22lr...maybe a Buckmark or Ruger MK iii or maybe something in a wheelgun. Lot's to choose from in the 22lr arena ;) Good luck, have fun! :D
 
id agree with 10-ring, let her handle some of the guns and pick it out while helping her. Anything 9mm and less would be pretty good to start out on, i started on a walther ppk and that thing has zero recoil with a .380! I dont know if id recommend it because it would be a little harder to aim with the sight radius but its a fun gun
 
i dont know why everyone always says the 380 has alot of recoil, i have a browning buckmark which is a good gun for plinking and it shoots about the same. Took my friend out to the range to shoot pistols for the first time and we shot about 100 rounds thru my 357 sig, and then he picked up my ppk and never put it down.
 
I agree to let her pick out the pistol, but be careful. The first one my wife picked out for herself 10 years ago was a USP 40( It was cute). Granted I taught her to shoot on a Sig 220, it was still expensive and (cute):)
 
I already posted the buckmark ($219 at Academy) and saw that the S&W 22A is $198. If she is anything like my wife where she will occasionally join you at the range, doesn't like but doesn't dislike shooting and really could go either way I don't think just buying one of these plinkers is a problem at all.

Now I have only with my wife for the last 8 years and have found that she doesn't really care about shooting but likes to go if it is a nice day. She would rather shoot at 7 yards than 25, and if possible would rather kill some cans instead of paper. Her hands are roughly the overall same length as mine (I have square hands with short fingers and she has small/narrow hands with longer fingers) so any gun that fits me fits her reasonably well.

I was looking for a new centerfire gun. Both of us have shot a Glock 23 and shot it well but didn't care for the recoil. I wanted to get a gun she wouldn't mind so decided to get a Glock 17. It is my gun, but she doesn't mind shooting it. My Ruger Blackhawk OTOH is too heavy and she doesn't like the way it rolls in her hand.

Back to my point...she is as much a shooter as most people. If it is a nice day she'll come out, if not she doesn't. She wants to have fun, and doesn't want to punish herself shooting a bunch of heavy .45 Colts or .40 S&W or 10mm or any of that. She likes to shoot a .22 and doesn't mind a 9mm. So guess what the next gun I buy is going to be...a .22 semi auto. Why? Because I don't have one and everyone loves to shoot them, my wife included.

Just don't buy a gun for your wife that you wouldn't buy for yourself. I have not used a Buckmark, but it looks to be a quality gun. When I buy a .22LR I am going to use it a lot, probably 10:1 ratio between me and my wife for usage. So I am not going to buy one that I wouldn't want myself since I am going to use it often as well.

Now, if she does take to shooting all of her next purchases will be up to her. But in the case of my wife, I know that she really doesn't care (she has told me on numerous occasions). All she wants is something in .22LR that is reasonably accurate (tear out the center of a target at 7 yards - so a 2" group at 7 yards, which I think is quite reasonable for any decent firearm) and is reliable (doesn't want to be clearing jams, dealing with light strikes, etc. etc.).

Best of luck! Let us know what you get! Hope I made sense, it is getting late (for me) and I am getting stir crazy being stuck in the house from the ice storm.
 
my picks

my picks for a ladies first gun would be:

Ruger, either single six or bearcat .22 LR

Ruger MK II only (avoid MK III) in the standard or 22/45 grip configuration.

Taurus 94 4" barrel

for inexpensive fun, try out a standard western or birds head grip Heritage Rough Rider for about $120- $170.

Avoid the Walther P22, its gotten ALOT of bad reviews and complaints on Rimfire Central. i have spoken with shooters at the range who wished very much they had avoided them.
Bast of luck -Eric
 
Does your wife choose your tools?

Don't pick a gun out for your wife. Give her some parameters, cost, min/max caliber, etc. and turn her loose in a gunshop with a good selection. We all shoot better with guns we like, it's a mental thing. She'll shoot more if she feels involved in the process, not told "here, shoot this".

Teach her what a good handgun fit feels like, educate her on what calibers are good for her chosen purpose and tell her what you can afford to spend if she doesn't already know.

My wife went from a non-shooter to owning several of her own shotguns and handguns. She's particularly proud of her SIG P232 because she chose it herself and shoots it fairly well at SD ranges. I know she could have gotten a tilt breech 9mm for about the same money and the grip frame is nearly identical, I woudn't have chosen the .380. But it's hers, not mine.
 
Get one that she likes, fits her hand, does the job she wants it for and can shoot well. That's all the criteria that is important, IMHO.
Let her pick it out.;)

Rick
 
Thanks for all the suggestions.

I think in this situation I am going to look into several of the .22lr listed above. I'll narrow done some of the choices and then let my wife find the one that works best for her.
My wife fits the description above, only going to the range when it's nice out and would rather shoot cans than paper. My wife doesn't love guns or love going out and shooting, she loves me and as a result she is trying to get involved in a hobby that I enjoy very much. If I can keep my wife intrested in shooting than I will have combined a hobby that I love with the woman that I love. Thanks for all the help and advice.

Thanks,
Justin
 
i am also looking at getting the wife her first handgun. prolly in march time frame. we have been to look and looked at a taurus ultralight 38 special. she liked it alot. only concerns i have with that is it is so light the recoil might be too much for her. we have also looked at the 357 also. the reason is the 357 can shoot 38 chells as well as 357. frame wise the 357 is heavier than the 38. so im still kinda debating the 38 just in steel not lightweight. because that should help with recoil. i figure the 357 will be way too much gun for her. what yall think?
 
tideguyinva ~

You want to get a .38 or a .357, that's not a bad first gun choice if she likes it & it fits her hand. But steer clear of super-short barrels (go with a mid length or full size) and avoid the ultra-lightweights. Better to go with a heavier gun to begin with. That's not a male/female thing -- it's a new shooter thing. A super-lightweight snubbie is not a beginner's gun.

pax
 
I think in this situation I am going to look into several of the .22lr listed above. I'll narrow done some of the choices and then let my wife find the one that works best for her.
My wife fits the description above, only going to the range when it's nice out and would rather shoot cans than paper. My wife doesn't love guns or love going out and shooting, she loves me and as a result she is trying to get involved in a hobby that I enjoy very much. If I can keep my wife intrested in shooting than I will have combined a hobby that I love with the woman that I love. Thanks for all the help and advice.

Thanks,
Justin
Click to expand...

Sounds great. It is really nice that your wife wants to share in your interest. I think you should go to the store and let her look at 22lrs. Any of the one mentioned so far will serve her well for knocking down those cans. I HATE CANS and too feel the need to shoot little holes in them.

One piece of advice is the keep it fun. She really is there to be with you so don't be too critical. Keep her safe but keep it fun. If she likes the .22lr then let her get another. Good luck.
 
I've started two ladies now on a Lady Smith .38 special. Regardless of the caliber I think a revolver is the way to go. Its more dependable and important lessons are to be learned by not telling her that all of the chambers are not loaded-she should be surprised by every shot and not learn the bad habit of compensating and flinching.
 
First handgun for your lady?

First, buy her a COMFORTABLE pair of shooter's ear muffs and protective glasses. Then buy her a double action revolver with at least a three or four inch barrel. Caliber .22 Long Rifle isn't a bad choice, but a .22 Magnum would be a lot better for self defense, and with very little more recoil. Taurus makes a pretty good .22 Magnum like that and it holds eight rounds.

But if having a small weapon that's just cute as all get out will help make a shooter out of her, then get her a single action Ruger Bearcat. It's a small, handy, very well made revolver that resembles the larger caliber single action "western style" revolvers many of us enjoy. Load it with .22 LR CCI (brand) Stingers and you could sure do a lot worse for a defensive gun. Get what's called the New Model Bearcat, in stainless steel if possible. Sell your TV and buy her a good gun. She's worth it.
 
+1 1911, Let her pick one that fits the best. It may be something you never thought she would like. I took my wife to the toy store and tried to stay out of the way while she handled ~15-20 pistols from Glocks to Kimber 1911's. She chose a H&K USP compacgt in 9mm. I would have liked to her to get a .45ACP, but it is her gun. Now I just load the 9mm's as well as .45ACP. :D Best advice is not to push her, take her to the store when you have a ton of time to just look around. My wife fondled the H&K several times before making the choice. She tried a BHP and the range and really liked that so I picked one for the collection. She shoots that one pretty good as well.
 
Colt Diamondback .22. Easy transition to a .38 if desired.
If it has to be an autoloader, then get a Kimber Rimfire 1911. Alloy frame, so it's lightweight and easy to hold up.
I built my own on a Commander frame with a Ciener top and a C&S trigger kit. It's my wife's favorite gun by such a huge margin she just asks, "why can't all guns be like this?"
Once, when I was over shooting trap, we heard her, ten bangs (with the steel plate ding), quiet, then ten more, over and over until she went through the whole brick of Wildcat .22s. And this is a girl who really doesn't care for shooting.
The 1911 is the one-size fits all handle. She transistioned to softball .45 loads in a lightly-spring SA and knocks down steel plates with ease.
But I always start everybody on a wheelgun because the guts and works are easy to see and comprehend. So, the Colt, with that superior trigger, does the best.
Bill
 
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