Oh, Controversy

ZWCoffindaffer said:

However I dont want her to have to lug around too big of a gun all day.

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Let HER decide what SHE wants to lug around all day.

Go to a range with her and rent some guns and try them all out. Then it's her decision.

Deaf

I see alot of people suggesting a double action revolver. I can't speak for anybody else but I know my wife struggled more with the revolver than she did with the semi-autos. Mostly this was due to the long trigger pull. With her small hands and short fingers it was actually very difficult for her. I put some extra thin grips on her Taurus 85 and that did help, but she still prefers autos.

Also I think it's insulting to suggest that a female shooter can't handle a semi because it's "too complicated".

I'm not saying that revolvers are bad, but I am surprised that the snub nose .38 continues to be the "default" recommendation for inexperienced female shooters

Also the method of carry can have a pretty big impact on the choice of pistol, how do you think she's going to carry it? I'm sure you already know this but having a good holster is crucial. My wife usually goes with purse carry, which alot of people will say is awful, but it works for her. She's smart about it though, she has a purpose built "gun purse" with a special gun compartment that is lined with velcro. She has a kydex holster that we bought separately that attaches to the velcro. The purse came with a "universal" holster that was total junk, if you get one toss it in the garbage. This is what she uses now:

http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/H...id/113/slug/Ohai-Modular-Holster/Default.aspx

Works great, the trigger is protected by hard plastic, and the gun always points the same way so she can draw consistently.

Whatever you do, don't just toss the gun loose into the main compartment of a purse with all the other junk in there. Really bad idea.

If she's going to pocket carry, she might have trouble getting even a .380 into her pockets. For some reason the pockets on women's clothes are way smaller. You might be better off with a .25 ACP. I know alot of people will flame me for this but there are some very good .25 pistols out there. If you get a Beretta with a "tip up" barrel you can very easily chamber a round without even having to "rack" the slide. You can carry it in your pocket with the hammer down. The .25 is will give you much better reliability than the .22LR will. People complain about these pistols being "junk" but virtually everyone I've heard say that owns the .22 version and not the .25

Hard to beat a m&p shield, xds or glock 43. The ruger lc9s pro is also a really good shooter. Up close and personal a .380 will ruin someone's day for sure so a glock 42 would also be a option. If the budget is a little more flexible and she doesn't mind hammer fired guns I would also get ahold of a Hk p2000sk/p30sk, Cz rami or sig 938/238 if possible. I also really like the Kimber micro carry .380's. Or you could go Bond and get a Walther ppk or the really good knockoff of that with the bersa thunder 380. So many good subcompact guns out there nowadays

Shes shot guns before and does very well with anything Ive put in her hand from a 7mm Rem Mag to my subcompact .45 ACP. However I dont want her to have to lug around too big of a gun all day. What do you guys think about carrying a .380? Is it enough gun for self-defense(please save the "its shot placement that matters" quote)? I'm purely talking stopping power and penetration in a real situation, should it ever arrise(hopefully not). On a side note, anyone shot a Ruger LCP .380? LGS has them on sale for $199, which seems like a good deal, even for a pocket gun.

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Have an LCP, regard it as a specialized gun. It's good for keeping on one's person when anything larger would be too large.

Any gun is better than no gun, and a .380 can do the job. Also, a LCP, P3AT, or P32 is easier to carry/conceal than most pistols and revolvers.

My 20 year old daughter has a Taurus TCP in .380 and she shoots it quite well. She likes the small size and light weight.

She did not care for the Kel-Tec PF9 as it was difficult for her to shoot. She does well with full sized handguns and really likes .357 revolvers but the Taurus .380 is her favorite.

If she had to carry something larger and heavier she would probably end up leaving it at home more often. So for her the small .380 is a good fit.

YMMV

I had a LCP, hated shooting it. Rather shoot large magnums. I got rid of it because I would never practice with it. It was just too unpleasant to shoot. First of all, everyone recommends small guns for women. Are women being attacked by smaller people than men? Then they need to carry real guns. You will hear people say things like shot placement is what counts and then recommend a gun with a long hard trigger pull and rudimentary sights.

Women probably will need more than one gun and multiple holsters because their clothes don't help them hide it. So they may have to move it around and go to different guns depending on what they are wearing. Good video comparing 4 different guns being shot by women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7nWBMIeIXI

Step 1: Go to the gun store and give her the credit/debit card
Step 2: Back away from the counter
Step 3: Shut up

I would also add to be ready to buy another gun in a few months, she will most likely either love the gun and want another or she'll hate it and want another.

You could do a lot worse than the Shield 9mm.

I would go with the one with the safety if you think she might be doing off body carry on occasion.

You will hear people say things like shot placement is what counts and then recommend a gun with a long hard trigger pull and rudimentary sights.

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+1, this is exactly why I don't recommend most "pocket" guns (with some exceptions again big fan of the "tip up" Berettas)

Women probably will need more than one gun and multiple holsters because their clothes don't help them hide it.

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+1 again, you'll probably spend more money on holsters (or gun purses) than you do on the gun. Heck even as a guy, I like to have a few different holsters for my carry gun, usually at least two (an IWB and an OWB).

I would also add to be ready to buy another gun in a few months, she will most likely either love the gun and want another or she'll hate it and want another.

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Yup, ended up buying 3 guns before we found one my wife really liked.

Bottom line: this will probably be expensive, but it's money well spent. It is a big weight off my shoulders, knowing that my wife is able to take care of herself if she had to. She carries on a regular basis and she puts time in at the range to stay proficient. She even started shooting in IDPA matches in the "BUG" division. She's actually become a better shot with a pistol than me so I wouldn't want to mess with her (I can still out shoot her with a rifle though).

ZWCoffindaffer said:

Rest assured, she is going with to pick it out herself.

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In the past several decades, I have helped pick out pistols for quite a few female shooters including countless coworkers, relatives, my sister and wife who also wanted carry pistols.

When their husbands/boyfriends pushed them towards 380/9mm because they are "smaller" and "cuter", I had them actually shoot various pistols in different calibers and let the holes on target be the final judge. Ultimately, if you can't hit the target, it won't matter how much the pistol costed and what caliber it was.

Guess how they shot and what most of them chose?

To my surprise, many of them shot 9mm/40S&W/45ACP best over 380/.38Spl and preferred 40/45 over 380/9mm.

Contrary to our notion of smaller 9mm being best carry pistols, many preferred single/double stack 45 for carry.

My sister who is smaller framed with small hands liked M&P40 the best and actually shoots NRA matches with it.

My wife likes Glock 27 and Taurus TCP 738 as she shot them better than other subcompact/pocket pistols. When she found Glock 30 grip too fat for her liking, it was replaced with Taurus PT145 SA/DA.

So, if you TRULY love your girlfriends/wives, PLEASE let them shoot the pistols and BUY what they can shoot most ACCURATE and do not allow OUR preconceived notions about what may be "best" for them influence tools that could actually SAVE their lives.

In this age of tweakers that barely react to being shot by any caliber I don't consider .380 to be a viable personal defense caliber anymore. It just doesn't do enough damage. I carried one every day for more than a decade, but that was then and this is now. IMHO the only thing .380 has going for it are some really small pocket guns, but there are 9mms almost as small and that's a much better cartridge. Most .380s are still blowback designs so they have much worse felt recoil than more powerful cartridges. Tiny guns with heavy recoil springs are not the easiest thing for someone with small hands and/or limited strength to manipulate, if that's a factor. My ex wife is 5'8" and 125 pounds. She shoots my XD45C better than any other handgun she's tried, including my PPK/S in .380. There is, however, no way she could conceal my XD on her person unless she wore a burlap sack or similar. lol She has her CPL and is considering carrying in a 'leashed purse' that attaches to her belt to prevent purse snatching. I don't like off-body carry but for a fashonista-type like her with an extensive wardrobe of form fitting clothes it probably does make sense. I always tell new shooters to try a bunch of guns and calibers and go with the heaviest caliber they are comfortable controlling followed by the gun they shoot the best. Most of the popular carry guns are available in all the popular calibers so there are tons of options.

In this age of tweakers that barely react to being shot by any caliber
I don't consider .380 to be a viable personal defense caliber anymore. It just doesn't do enough damage.

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Does that include triple taps, face and neck shots? How about groin? All with the best ammo, of course.

What I'm reading suggests that .380 is best called a "leave me alone" caliber.

Probably appropriate for some neighborhoods, but not all.

By the way, I am considering adding a pocket pistol in .380.

But I suspect, if I do, it'll be in 9, to match my (slightly) larger 9. (See sig line)

I have the same situation. Please have her handle, rack, and snap the pistol. My daughter LOVES her Glock 42. Wife prefers the LC380, fits her hands better.
Being able to shoot a .22, .32, or .380 eyes open, versus a .40 or 9mm eyes closed is a no brainier. The more she shoots the more confident she will become.

Sounds like the op is all set. Nice work. The question was asked in this thread why people keep recommending small .380s for women. Before my wife started carrying, I would have agreed. She shoots a larger 9mm great! But a great shooter at home in the safe is worthless. Picture yourself ready to hit the Walmart for a blissful day of shopping. What do you have on? Pants (likely jeans or shorts), sturdy belt, untucked shirt or perhaps tucked shirt with jacket or sweatshirt over it..... You know the drill. Now picture your lady.... My wife doesn't wear sturdy belts to keep the pants up. If it's a belt, it's a fashion accessory. No untucked shirts or cargo shorts.... Women's clothing fits differently. Yoga pants, tights, dresses, skirts..... Unless it's a super small mouse gun, there's no place for it except off-body. Even then, how comfortable is an extra 25oz in the purse? Yes, I cringe at the thought of my wife depending on her little BG .380, but it beats the 9mm in the safe. Just my experience and opinion.

Unless it needs to be particularly small, I wouldn't carry a .380 if there was a similarly sized 9x19mm.

If it wasn't for pocket carry, I'd just as soon carry a Glock 43 or an S&W Shield as any .380.