Concealed carry gun for the Mrs.

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snakebite129

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I'm looking at getting the .45 1911 compact from RIA. Putting some nice grips and using that as my CC. My wife has also hopped on board and is up to the challenge of using a .45 but recently I was talking to a gentleman and he recommended starting her with a .22 handgun.

I told him of my concern for regards to stopping power, but he is in the understanding that .22's when entering an object will actually "bounce" around until they exit. He told me of a story where he shot a chipmunk or gopher and it went in straight, but came out from the top!!

So based on all of yours' experiences, would a .22 be a waste of money for stopping power as a first CC??

Also she is only 5' 4" and 135lbs with smaller hands. But she has held her own when shooting rifles.


thanks for everyones input.
 
I can't say this with enough emphasis, let HER pick her gun. Also, something to ponder, .22 rounds frequently fail to cycle in a semi-auto. Don't want her to need it and just hear a "click". The compact .380's like the LCP can be a wench as far as handling, a compact 9mm perhaps, glock 26, taurus 709 etc... The Keltec 9mm has a horrendous trigger. Let her handle it and see what feels right for her though, I don't recommend a .22.
 
i wouldnt reccomend a 22 for SD. My wife carries either a sp101 with .38 special +p or a 3rd gen smith in 9mm +p. both very easy for her to control and alot more power than a 22. Bersa also makes a big for caliber .380 acp...its the thunder wich is about the most tame 380 ive ever shot.
 
While I fully believe in my signature, I think .22 would be underpowered for a CC weapon. What I don't understand is why the choice is either .22 or .45? If she can shoot rifles (and do you mean .22, or .223, or .308 or what?), she can probably hold her own with .38, .380, .40, 9mm, etc. First step would be going to a range that rents guns, and trying out a few.
 
When my wife took her CCW classes she used an FS .22 Semi Auto,..basically a Bersa .380 medium sized. She went to a Bersa/Firestorm 380 as her CCW,...and now the .22 is kept as a plinker and practice gun. She also has a Taurus 605 9mm revolver she carries. Does quite well with all three.

I echo letting HER choose,...she should try a .45 of course,..but she may like something a smaller in caliber,..don't be surprised if that is not so.

However,..at 135,..and 5'4",..she may well be able to handle the .45 quite nicely,..don't under estimate her. I'd suggest taking her to a range that rents,..or someplace where there are a lot of friendly shooters who would be willing to let her pop a few rounds to try out different guns and rounds. See what works best for HER. Go from there.

I do NOT recommend a .22 for a concealed carry gun if one CAN do something more effective.
 
I'm not one to discount a .22 as a SD weapon. If the alternative is nothing, the .22 looks pretty good.

However, my wife who is very "recoil averse" would only carry a .22 until she fired a mid-size .380. She loves her Bersa Thunder. She hated the tiny pocket .380s.
 
Have her hold a Walther PPS. Not only is it perfect for carry, the single-stack also makes the grip excellent for smaller hands. Available in 9mm and .40.
 
I started my wife on a 20ga Mossberg 500. She liked it.

I bought her a .38 snub. She didn't like it. (My mistake).

However, she really liked my BHP and my S&W 5904 though. Hmm...


She now carries a S&W 3913 (w/ Hogue grips) and she really likes it... she's dang good with it too.

It's a process I did somewhat incorrectly, but the end result was good.

Les
 
When I started to include my wife in my shooting hobbies, she had never even touched a real gun before, let alone shot one. The sound of gunshots at the range made her flinch. But she took a safety course, and part of that course involved a free box of ammo and an hour's rental of any gun she wanted, under instructor supervision. What did she choose? An old S&W Model 10. She proceeded to annihilate the center of an NRA slow-fire target.

Two days later she bought her own 642, and continues to out-shoot me with it regularly.

Long story short - the most important thing, regardless of the sex of the shooter, is for that shooter to be comfortable with the gun they're using. It is IMPERATIVE that she be involved in the selection process. Find a local range that rents guns, and let her sample a variety of calibers and pistol types - revolvers, semi-auto, all of it. Then work with her to narrow the field.
 
got my wife a .38 snubby that she picked out. i would not be comfortable sending her out with a .22 as a self-defense weapon.

that being said, if thats what gets her into shooting then it may be a bad investment. as she progresses you can get her in a larger caliber and in the end you have a wife that is well protected and enjoys shooting and a spare .22 handgun to shoot. not a bad deal.
 
A 22 cal is only effective in stopping rabbit sized assailants. A bodyguard or centennial in 38 would be effective against making an aggressive hominid "goblin" turn his attention elsewhere.
 
I think the S&W 642/442 or Ruger LCR is ideal. Start out with target wadcutter loads. Light recoil and still way better than a .22 for stopping power. Once comfortable, slowly work up the loads. Recoil is all relative to what you're used to. The LCR does have a notably lighter trigger and less felt recoil due to the grips.

Small autos can be a bear to cock, and are often intimidating for newbies to carry one in the chamber. Not to mention possibility of limpwrist malfunctions and such. Then clearing it in the case of a jam...
 
Cornered cat
Read ALL of that first. Have her read it, too.

".22 bounces around" is a myth only believed by people with a poor grasp of physics.
You get a .22 to LEARN to shoot, you pick a CC weapon based on the other considerations. And SHE picks a CC weapon based on her needs and desires. Buying a gun (particularly a handgun) for someone else and expecting them to like it is a fool's errand, present her with a pile-o-guns either by handling at a shop (OK), renting (better) or getting every handgun all your friends own together at the range (best) ... ler HER decide what she likes and doesn't like, she might find a model she likes everything about, she might get a list of wanted and unwanted features ... go from there.

And a .22 will pay for itself in saved ammo cost fairly rapidly. Soon enough you'll be eyeing that box of 50 cheapo FMJ .45 rounds and the box of 550 decent .22 rounds for about the same price and wondering why you don't have a .22 anyway, if you go to the range more than once a year, anyway.
 
".22 bounces around" is a myth only believed by people with a poor grasp of physics.
Click to expand...
bigfatdave

bigfatdave, when my wife was in high school one of her friends was shot and killed by her father. She jumped out of a closet and startled him when she was supposed to be staying the night at a friend's house. The girl was shot in the chest with a .22 and it "bounced around" and went through her heart and lungs. Bounced off of her collar bone.
 
I do carry on occasion a Beretta 21-A in my shirt pocket, accurate little gun but only as a backup or plinker. Carry is either a 45 or J frame 38. The 22 in the ear will work and if I could hit an eye at 10yds every shot I might consider it, otherwise no and not even a 380.
 
LET HER PICK
what works for you
doesn't mean it works for her
and you don't want to piss her off
take her to the store and MAKE SURE she shoots if before you buy

what is acceptable to you in recoil may not be to her.
 
Let her pick, but show her the Sig P-238.

Easy slide to rack, mild recoil, reliable, good looking, small, night sights. I thought mine was the perfect carry gun..................then I bought a Seecamp, but I still think the Sig has more good features.
 
Yes, let her try the various guns. I am not sure why so many people think woman=small gun. Especially small light gun with tiny grips. My wife has a Browning BDA and her sisters have Bersa Thunder .380s. My sister has a Glock 19. My wife tried my S&W 637 and didn't like it at all. Incidentally, my wife started out on .22s and her favorite gun is her Walther P22. She will happily shoot that all day long.

The SIG P232 might be a better choice than the P238. It's probably just me, but I've always thought a pistol carried cocked and locked in a pocket or purse was a really bad idea.
 
Agree with warhawk!

A quick story..my wife shoots rifles great! Loves the ak and would give you run for your money. But it doesnt fit in her purse! So..she wants a .45 of course I agree and get her a colt 1911 .. NO GO..too loud and too much recoil..switch her to S&W sub compact 9mm..NOPE..same problems..FINE! in frustration I gave her my grandads .32 auto he got back in ww2.
Perfect fit! Pistol is compact reliable and "not to loud". She can handle recoil and isnt afraid to shoot it and that translates into "rounds on target"
the only plus is I ended up with a nice 1911 for me!
I still dont understand why my rifle shooting wife had such trouble with a pistol.
 
I lost a friend in middle school who was hit by a negligent discharge from a .22lr that entered his thigh and ended up in his abdomen. He died in the ER a couple hours after being shot from internal bleeding.
That being said, don't count on the "bounce around factor" to make a .22 rimfire a self defense caliber.
Let her try out everything you can get her hands on, and let her shop for herself.
My wife (a petite fleur) picked out an SP101 and carries it stuffed with Winchester Silvertip .357mag's. She punches paper with my Super Blackhawk with full-power .44remmags and loves it. There's no accounting for taste. Let her pick her poison, if it's a .22 or a .44, at least you know she's armed.
Who knows, before long she may be asking you if they make a forty-six!
 
Bounced off of her collar bone.
Click to expand...
That's ONE bounce, not "bouncing around"
Any bullet can be deflected by bone, nothing makes the .22lr round particularly good at it except light weight, which limits available momentum to be redirected.
 
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