Title kinda says it all. My Fiance and I got our KY CCDW's, and she wants a pistol to put in her purse (properly holstered of course) or maybe on her hip if she is comfortable with it. She wants it to be 1911 patterned (her only and favorite pistol to shoot is a full sized .45 ACP Springfield Loaded model). We talked, and both think that .380 or 9mm would be preferred as she is kind of recoil shy/sensitive. She at least wants the frame mounted safety, but does not object to having a grip and frame safety. The only pistols that I can think of that meet these criteria are the Sig P938, P238, and Springfield EMP. Price range is $600-$800. We'd like to compile a list so we can research and attempt to rent and try out some options. What pistols am I forgetting?
Fiance wants a carry pistol, looking for specific attributes
- Thread starter lpsharp88
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ADKWOODSMAN
Member
S&W bodyguard 380 comes to mind.
That's not really 1911 patterned, and the safety can be kinda hard to manipulate (in my experience), but I'll definitely suggest it to her.
I was kinda thinking a .380 in that frame size would be better anyway. How's the recoil of the 938?
ROAshooter
member
Browning 1911-380....is an 85%size copy of the 1911....my wife carries one as her CCW
Zendude
Member
The Sig 238 is really a nice reliable shooter. Recoil is minimal, even for a 380. Most ranges I've been to have them in the rental lineup, so you can test drive it.
Zerodefect
member
Dan Wesson ECO in 9mm.
Great Scot
Member
Couple ideas
Along with the Browning mentioned earlier, there is also the Baby Rock by Rock Island and the Kimber Advocate. Both are 1911 style. One other option is the Witness Pavona in .380. Patterned off of the CZ, it can be carried cocked and locked, has a large capacity, and is a very soft shooter.
Along with the Browning mentioned earlier, there is also the Baby Rock by Rock Island and the Kimber Advocate. Both are 1911 style. One other option is the Witness Pavona in .380. Patterned off of the CZ, it can be carried cocked and locked, has a large capacity, and is a very soft shooter.
FL-NC
Member
I never met your girl, but here's what I observed with MOST girls:
1. girls tend to carry guns in their purse. I advise against this, because a purse is easy to take away, and a woman's purse is a black hole. They can't find their keys, lipstick, phone, shopping list, whatever when they need it and not under stress.
2. Girls tend to wear more form-fitting clothing than we do. This makes carrying a gun NOT in the purse a problem. So, it end up in the purse.
3. Girls will often prioritize their outfit and accesories over anything else. If the gun doesn't "jive" with this "ensemble", it will be eliminated and stay at home or somewhere else where its doing no good. So it goes in the purse.
4. If the gun is or may end up going in the purse, it needs to be lightweight and safe in the sense that it will be rolling around in that black hole with the lip stick, keys, feminine items, etc. With all these problems presented by MOST girls, the smart thing in my opinion would be a small DA automatic in 9mm or (sigh) 380, like a Ruger LCP/LC9, S&W bodyguard, Kel-Tek, or similar.
Probably not what many people want to hear, but this is what I believe to be the truth. YMMV
1. girls tend to carry guns in their purse. I advise against this, because a purse is easy to take away, and a woman's purse is a black hole. They can't find their keys, lipstick, phone, shopping list, whatever when they need it and not under stress.
2. Girls tend to wear more form-fitting clothing than we do. This makes carrying a gun NOT in the purse a problem. So, it end up in the purse.
3. Girls will often prioritize their outfit and accesories over anything else. If the gun doesn't "jive" with this "ensemble", it will be eliminated and stay at home or somewhere else where its doing no good. So it goes in the purse.
4. If the gun is or may end up going in the purse, it needs to be lightweight and safe in the sense that it will be rolling around in that black hole with the lip stick, keys, feminine items, etc. With all these problems presented by MOST girls, the smart thing in my opinion would be a small DA automatic in 9mm or (sigh) 380, like a Ruger LCP/LC9, S&W bodyguard, Kel-Tek, or similar.
Probably not what many people want to hear, but this is what I believe to be the truth. YMMV
www.corneredcat.com for info.
Then look for a female oriented class.
This is better advice that the usual list of guns by men on the Internet.
Then look for a female oriented class.
This is better advice that the usual list of guns by men on the Internet.
fightinpikey
Member
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I'll through in a vote for the p238. Just got my wife one and she loves it.
MikeJackmin
Member
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- Feb 24, 2005
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- 1,604
I don't really remember. I fired 1 round, then it broke and needed TLC from the factory to work again. Then I never touched it again (not my gun anyway).
I realize the site is specifically designed for girls, but as a guy I still found the information there useful when I first got into guns.
Yes I have the Pavona in 380 and it is one of my favorite pistols in 380. Not a pocket pistol, but has a very good trigger, is the most accurate pistol I have even better than my ZC75B.
The magazine holds 14 rounds plus one in the chamber.
Also another good feature is the slide is very easy to rack.
BSA1
member
FL-NC,
What you have not observed (which is a good thing for c.c.) is there are purses designed with a side pocket especially for carrying a handgun in. We have one that will hold a small auto or revolver in the sitting in the closet. I should sell it as the ladies in thd family like bigger handguns.
What you have not observed (which is a good thing for c.c.) is there are purses designed with a side pocket especially for carrying a handgun in. We have one that will hold a small auto or revolver in the sitting in the closet. I should sell it as the ladies in thd family like bigger handguns.
Plan2Live
Member
There are a lot of options out there for your fiancée. Not being able to conceal a pistol in form fitting clothes is a myth. Last summer I spotted a young lady at lunch that was rail thin, wearing low rise cut-off shorts that left nothing to the imagination combined with a cropped t-shirt that rode above her belly button and carrying a baby on her hip. I wouldn't have ever suspected she was carrying until I spotted two red tattooed wingtips I recognized peaking above her waistband over her appendix. The Ruger logo. Seeing that I gave her a better once over and spotted her cell phone in her back pocket which caused me to look closer at her cell phone holster which was a Sneaky Pete holster. A bit of conversation revealed she was concealing a Sig 238. Okay so her tattoo clashed with her carry gun, I didn't say it was a matching ensemble.
In one of my CWP classes a few weeks ago another normal to trim young lady was wearing a pair of jeans and a somewhat form fitting long sleeved button up shirt untucked. Underneath was an inside the waistband holster concealing a pink LCP. To the casual observer you would have never seen a thing.
This past weekend, also during a CWP class, one of our female instructors who is a former dance instructor and very thin was trying out a new concealment option for her Springfield XDs. She was wearing a very, very form fitting button up shirt over a very tight fitting holster vest with the XDs resting just under and beside her left breast. It was invisible. Obviously not a great choice for a fast draw but hey, that's what she had us guys around for. She always jokes she will use us as cover if anything goes down!
There are lots of options out there from the items mentioned to belly bands, garter belt holsters and on and on. Your fiancée just needs to get out and explore.
In one of my CWP classes a few weeks ago another normal to trim young lady was wearing a pair of jeans and a somewhat form fitting long sleeved button up shirt untucked. Underneath was an inside the waistband holster concealing a pink LCP. To the casual observer you would have never seen a thing.
This past weekend, also during a CWP class, one of our female instructors who is a former dance instructor and very thin was trying out a new concealment option for her Springfield XDs. She was wearing a very, very form fitting button up shirt over a very tight fitting holster vest with the XDs resting just under and beside her left breast. It was invisible. Obviously not a great choice for a fast draw but hey, that's what she had us guys around for. She always jokes she will use us as cover if anything goes down!
There are lots of options out there from the items mentioned to belly bands, garter belt holsters and on and on. Your fiancée just needs to get out and explore.
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Do you think she's going to pull it out of the purse when the time comes? Or is she just gonna shoot through it?
S&W Model 640
No one tool is gonna do every job. The 640 will do the one you asked about better'n anything else I can think of. If it's coming out of the purse ... that's a different story.
S&W Model 640
No one tool is gonna do every job. The 640 will do the one you asked about better'n anything else I can think of. If it's coming out of the purse ... that's a different story.
edmo01
Member
Some things to consider for the recoil sensitive and those shooters with less upper body strength...
- Smaller (lighter) guns have more felt recoil
- Smaller autos have stiffer, harder to manually cycle recoil springs
- Smaller guns are generally harder to aim and shoot accurately
You are wise to come up with a short list of handguns to have her shoot prior to the purchase. I have seen friends pick the wrong handgun for their women instead of letting the women make the choice. "Small" and "cute" should not be used as a purchase decision in place of actual shooting experience.
My friends generally end up with a gun which doesn't get carried, thus defeating the whole purpose. The micro autos and Airweight J frames come to mind... Snappy recoil, hard to shoot accurately, and almost impossible to overcome the recoil springs during manual slide manipulation.
Now for a gun suggestion... Although not a 1911 patterned gun, the S&W Shield 9mm does have a thumb safety, is fairly easy to shoot, and mine has been 100% reliable.
I suggest this polymer option instead of a downsized 1911 style gun for functional reasons. It has been my experience that as the 1911 design is reduced in size, reliability is sometime reduced as well.
Other considerations could be the sub-compact autos from GLOCK, S&W, Springfield Armory, etc... Although the double stacks are wider and slightly heavier, they tend to absorb and distribute recoil better and generally have lighter to "rack" recoil springs. My wife and daughter picked the 9mm GLOCK 26 as primary carry guns for these reasons.
So many options...
Edmo
- Smaller (lighter) guns have more felt recoil
- Smaller autos have stiffer, harder to manually cycle recoil springs
- Smaller guns are generally harder to aim and shoot accurately
You are wise to come up with a short list of handguns to have her shoot prior to the purchase. I have seen friends pick the wrong handgun for their women instead of letting the women make the choice. "Small" and "cute" should not be used as a purchase decision in place of actual shooting experience.
My friends generally end up with a gun which doesn't get carried, thus defeating the whole purpose. The micro autos and Airweight J frames come to mind... Snappy recoil, hard to shoot accurately, and almost impossible to overcome the recoil springs during manual slide manipulation.
Now for a gun suggestion... Although not a 1911 patterned gun, the S&W Shield 9mm does have a thumb safety, is fairly easy to shoot, and mine has been 100% reliable.
I suggest this polymer option instead of a downsized 1911 style gun for functional reasons. It has been my experience that as the 1911 design is reduced in size, reliability is sometime reduced as well.
Other considerations could be the sub-compact autos from GLOCK, S&W, Springfield Armory, etc... Although the double stacks are wider and slightly heavier, they tend to absorb and distribute recoil better and generally have lighter to "rack" recoil springs. My wife and daughter picked the 9mm GLOCK 26 as primary carry guns for these reasons.
So many options...
Edmo
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justin22885
member
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just get her an officer size 1911 in 9mm or a "baby rock" from rock island for like $400, its a 380 1911.. and try 180 grain loads in 45acp, they should have less felt recoil than 230s
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