Help me pick out a pistol for the Girlfriend.

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Dr.Mall Ninja

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Hey guys. Looking to buy my girlfriend a handgun for Christmas. She went to the range with me and shot my Springfield TRP and had fun but the felt recoil was a little much for her and now she wants something of her own.

The only requirement that she has is the gun be in purple. She liked the looks of the Taraus Spectrum however I’m kinda weary about them. I think that it might not be ideal for the range and not a huge fan of 380.

This is primarly going to be used as a range pistol.Will also be her HD gun. I think it will be ultra rare that she wants to carry. So I need something that is relatively easy to shoot and make decent groups. I’m thinking 9mm. Has to come out of the factory in Black/purple. I also want to keep it not much north of $300 in case she gets bored of shooting.

I have been looking at the Sccy and the LC9. What worries me about the Sccy is the very long trigger pull. Let me know what you guys think.
 
Thank you for the link! The thread asks the questions that i answer in the beginning of my post. I’m looking for recommendations based on my needs.
 
Well Dr. Ninja I must have been staring at the screen too long. I completely missed the link you speak of.
Carry that lady from store to store to observe her intently as she handles handguns and if you find her to be excited with one or the other use your skills as a Dr. and her pulse and core temperature will not lie. Then you will know without a word the perfect pistol for both her and your own benefit. Good luck, and happy safe shooting
 
The spectrum she wants is the black/ purple combo. Which seems impossible to find one for sale on the net. If I go with that, do you think a gun dealer can just order it?
 
+1 for a .22 as a first range gun. Then a full size 9mm. Basic Newtonian physics mandates a big gun and small/low powered bullet. All the little pocket pistols kick like a mule compared to a full size gun.

Can you get by with purple aftermarket grip panels on a black gun? That would open a lot of options.
 
Browning .380
cq5dam.web.500.500.jpg
Looks like a 1911, but it's actually a little 80% scale model of one. Great for women and children with small hands getting in the sport of competitive shooting, and low recoil.

Get some purple grips, or send it to CCR for refinishing. Looks like a purple slide isn't too bad looking:
wm_10984034.jpg
 
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Buying the girlfriend/ wife a gun usually results in a used gun up for sale. I would start her off with something like the Ruger SR22. It comes in purple. My wife has assumed control of mine ( which is not purple)
If she thought your TRP had too much recoil she will likely think the same of an LC9. It maybe 9mm, but only weighs about 17 ounces. The LC380 might be an option
 
I like the EAA witness idea!! 22 might be the way to go as well with her not liking recoil. It’s really frustrating all these companies build these real “cute” guns but they are tiny and I know that they are going to be hard to learn on. I tried talking to her about the purple sleeve for something like a Glock and she is not interested.
 
Mrs farmer likes the sp101.
Daughter in law has a Glock 42.
I think an LCR would be a good option.
As would an LC9
An LCP has merit.
I always thought it would be smart for Mr/Mrs. to carry the same model of weapon and be able to share mag/ammo, but that doesn't always work out. (Despite being a good idea)
I have decided that there are some things that are different about girls.
Choose wisely.
 
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Range time is fun time. Defense is serious time. Buy accordingly. IMO, a striker fired 9mm is the best choice, as they are simple to operate (one trigger sequence) reliable, and economic to shoot, and have sufficient power to put down an adversary. As far as the purple thing, I have no clue.
 
Dr.Mall Ninja, do you have a .22 handgun? If so, take her out and let her shoot it and gauge what she thinks of it before spending money on a gift.

I agree with several others that a .22 is an ideal 1st handgun for a new shooter. Not to mention, you can get a purple Ruger Mark IV or a purple Ruger SR22 pretty easily. But in the end, your girlfriend has to like it.

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Get her a gift certificate for LGS and pre pay for some one on one training with a qualified instructor at a local range. Instructor can teach and coach her on the basics including safety, stance, grip, trigger control, and sight alignment. Then she will most likely know how to manage recoil much better and be in a better position to pick out a pistol that works well for her. IMO it is not realistic to get the best pistol for her and it being purple as that rules out the best available pistols. Instructor would be able to help with that.

Good luck.
 
Lots of good advice in previous posts. Like any gun purchase, I strongly suggest the person the gun is for gets a chance to at least handle, if not shoot it, prior to buying.

I helped my wife find her gun by first making a list of 8-10 gun models I thought would be good options to choose from, based on what she wanted to use it for (so she wouldn't be overwhelmed by nearly limitless options). We went to the local gun range/shop and she got to handle all of those, and of those, she selected the three that felt best in her hand. She shot those, and chose the one whose operation was most ergonomic to her/she liked the best.

Of course I had a big advantage in my wife already being familiar with shooting guns, even if she isn't as "into" it as me. So her gun is a S&W M&P 9 Compact, since she wanted it for defense as well as plinking. As others have said, if your girlfriend hasn't shot much, a .22 pistol is the best starting place, and many come in a variety of colors from the factory without having to do any custom work to it.

The (striker) LC9s is my personal choice for a carry weapon, as its trigger is light years better than the (hammer) original "non-s" LC9. For a subcompact 9mm, I feel the recoil isn't bad at all, however for a new shooter you may want something with more mass to soak up recoil. I can definitely see her starting with a .22 pistol, and when she's comfortable with that you can look at an LC9s or some other compact 9mm as a legitimate defensive gun.
 
If the purpose is primary a range gun and/or learning how to shoot a handgun for the first time, get a .22lr.
 
Dr.Mall Ninja said:
No I do not have a 22. We have been looking at different stuff and she likes the looks of the SR22. That’s the direction I’m strongly leaning now.
Click to expand...

If she likes they way it looks that's a good start, it seems that can be 90% of the battle with women!

If that's the route you go, maybe next year you'll be back asking about her first 9mm.
 
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