She Did It!!! She Finally Did It!!!!!

Congratulations on your success.

As to the XD, it's a great choice and my personal EDC (XD 40 4"). As to what model, I can only give the usual advice of trying out different models and using what you shoot best.

I had the 4" SA XD 45ACP, with full-sized grip (13+1) rounds. I did a range report some time back about it.

It is a great pistol. Also look to the shorter grip version.

Doc2005

Try and find a range that offers "rental handguns"; rent what you can
to get a "feel" for what fits you the best. Not all variations work for
all persons; some will not have a problem with say a full size tactical
(13 round magazine capacity), 5" barrel .45 ACP, while others will
find the compact frame of the same caliber more appealing. Still,
some will opt for a different caliber; including a sub-compact in
9m/m or .40 S&W. What worked for me, was the 4" full size .45
ACP, with the 13 round magazines. While there, be sure and add
a set of Tru-Glo TFO (tritium) sights on the XD of your choice,
and you are good too go~!

Just make sure (if it is a home defense gun, and she is in the home), that SHE gets some input..... Check out Cornered Cat!

wounderful news, I have an XD-45acp Tactical (5 inch) it is an amazing gun no problems at all. so that is my vote, unless you are gonna EDC it then go for the Duty (4 inch) compact, then at home you can have 13+1 when size is of no consern.

Just found this:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=354478

Hello!!! That is a bargain.

Doc2005

Flyerman, if this is your first handgun, you'll be far better served -- as will your wife when she shoots -- to buy a good semi-auto pistol in .22 LR.

Learn the functions and accuracy drills, plus safety and handling, along with you wife. You can practice, practice, practice, without it costing you and her so much you have to go to J.P. Morgan, Inc., for a loan.

Even if it's not your first handgun, you should teach your wife to shoot on a .22 L.R. pistol.

Later, when you and she are proficient, then buy that .45 ACP, if you wish. Don't ever let anyone tell you that in a self defense situation, eight or nine high speed hollowpoint .22 bullets in the chest and face of a cretin, won't stop him.

FWIW.

L.W.

My wife is also not a fan of guns, so make sure you're very sensitive (as I'm sure you are) to whatever her concerns may be. Keep it locked up and safe whenever you don't have it on your person, especially if you have kids. If she wants it out of sight, out of mind, accommodate her. Once she sees that life goes on the same as before with a gun in the house, she'll let you get more!

As for the XD, I just picked up an XD9 Service today (9mm). You might want to consider starting with a 9mm, as it's (slightly) easier to handle and a lot less expensive to shoot. Your wife might enjoy shooting it more as well. But the XD is a fine choice - I really like its safety features, and it feels great in my hand.

Try and find a range that offers "rental handguns"; rent what you can
to get a "feel" for what fits you the best.

Click to expand...

Flyerman, Congrats

If you havnt put some rounds through a CZ75 p01, you owe yourself to do so before you buy that xd. I am sure they are great guns, but the DA/SA beats a SA hands down. I own both and the CZ quality surpasses the xd so much it makes the springfield seam glockish. I think the cz fits the hand better too.

The previous post makes are really good point.

I have a couple buckmarks that my wife and I use at the range and I've been practicing my rapid fire. I can empty that thing in nothing flat all the hits on the target would fit on a BG's face. I doubt I'd be going for a head shot in a real life situation but I'm pretty sure getting 10 rounds in the chest/neck/face would really suck.

I think it's a great idea to start out with a 22 and work your way up. Good gun to learn the basics on and cheap to practice with. Federal 550 packs are now about 11.90 last time I looked but that's not even half the cost of a 100 of WWB .45 ACP. Also, you can get a nice little 22 for about 200 bucks new. That's also less than half the price of an XD.

Also, it this if your wife's first gun a 22 isn't going to scare the heck out of her with a big recoil and huge report.

I'd offer another vote for involving her heavily in the process. As heavily involved as she wants to be at least. If she's expressing the interest for the reasons stated, it may well be that she wishes to learn to shoot, and defend your home and family. If that is the case, accommodating that now will really pay off in the future.

I have to echo jimbo. It might be a good idea to get a gun your wife would want to shoot. The grip on those XD .45's is small for a double stack, but it is large in comparison to many other grips. And your wife might not appreciate the kick of a .45. Of course, you know that situation better than us. Perhaps she'll allow you to get a gun, but will want nothing to do with it. If she's like most people (including gun grabbers), once she holds a gun in her hand, she'll get excited, and may just want to shoot it.

I think the argument for a .22 is quite convincing. But heres a thought, get a gun that you can also get a .22 kit for. No sense having the cake unless you are going to eat it.

I second the idea of a gun with a .22 conversion.
It's an efficient way to get a full power handgun and a .22 for practice.

If you choose .22 LR I'd go with HV solids for defense though.
I've seen .22 HP ammo fail to penetrate the shoulder blade on small pests so I always prefer a solid bullet for any "serious" use.

I can see why people would suggest a .22, but personally, I have no desire to own a .22 and never have. I would never want one for self defense, and so I never get excited about plinking with one. I like my plinking to have a directly practical application. Not to mention, if I had enough money to go out and buy a .22, I'd much rather spend it on a real gun. And learning to shoot with a 9mm is not that difficult. I don't see the sense in starting with a BB gun, then a .22 then moving to a .25, then a .32, .380, 9mm Makarov, .38, 9mm Luger, .40, .357 SIG, .45 ACP, 10mm, .357, .41 magnum, .44 magnum, .454, and then finally ending up with a .500 S&W in your hands. It really isn't a jolt to your system to just pick up a 9mm and start learning to shoot.

Start small, work up. Don't scare her off right away with a 45.

I'm impressed with my fiance as of late..

She started out scaring the poop out of me saying things like "If we get married, your guns are gone"

Now she's saying at the 1 year anniversary she'll have a 5000$ budget specifically for the firearm of my choosing. Wants me to get her a seacamp. As luck would have it, one of my friends who owes me a lot of money aquired a nice pistol on the cheap that another buddy of mine who has a pristine seacamp really wants and is willing to trade for.

Strange world we live in, but atleast it's comfortable.


ETA - My fiance is <110lbs, 5'1" and loves shooting 45s. .357 magnum is a bit much for her, .38 intimidates her for some reason (probably because the same gun she shot .357 out of is the same one I wanted her to try the .38 with), 9mm is nothing, rifles don't work well due to her boney shoulders and complete lack of muscle, and .22s bore her.

I'd say go for a 1911. Ciener kits are ~200$ and mine works flawlessly and with enough accuracy to make it fun and good for practice.

I am curious as to why your wife has veto power over you owning a gun?

Whatever works for you all I guess. If she wants something and you say no does she get it anyway?

my home defense gun story

after my wife and i got married, and i already owned a single shot bolt action .22 and a ruger 10/22 i told her i thought we needed a handgun for the house for protection. i also brought up the argument about a 'worst case scenerio' situation with a natural or man made disaster. sitting in a home with no power, phone etc, waiting for something bad to happen, at least we could protect ourselves

she was immediately against it and shot back about how gun accidents happen in the home, where will you keep it, etc.

i went out and bought one of those handgun safes with the push button combonations. i opened it up, bolted it through the inside onto the plywood/floor beams below and showed her this is where it would be kept. she said what if someone just steals the safe, i told her to try to pick it up...lol.

then she says you don't even know anything about handguns or home protection, and i showed her the class i signed up for at the local range.

so finally after all that she said, well if you're buying a gun then i'm going off birth control pills...because we don't even have a family to protect yet.

we now have a S&W 686p 7 shot revolver, a 14 month old son, and a daughter due in may!

Point by point, Peetee32 sounds like he handled it just right. An excellent post.

Calm, rational,High Road all the way. Gun Vault type lock up is excellent. Training class definately.

And congratulations on the two kids!

Personally, I think the whole idea of needing to start out with a .22,,, or a revolver is overrated.. If it works for you fine, but some good instruction by knowledgeable people, good and accurate manuals to maintain your firearm and other places to get useful, reliable information and instruction should help as well...

An NRA basic pistol course is not a bad idea...

Is Springfield selling spare parts for the XD to the public?