GF gun part ONE

[Paddy]

So, I drag my gf out shooting quite a bit. She has her own 10/22 and she's a good shot, but the everlasting shortage of 22lr ammo and the fact that all the ammo for my weapons is free (to her) means she doesn't get to shoot the rifle much. She's been wanting a pistol for a while, and I'm pondering the options for her. She's tried on the compact 9mm pistols at the store, most of which are polymer, and they seem to fit her grip well. HOWEVER, I try to stay away from strictly defensive weapons because for me, I like to shoot them. And if I'm gonna own sometching i wanna shoot it. Also, if I'm gonna use something to defend myself, I better well HAVE shot it, a BUNCH. And if it's a small light piece it might not be as fun to shoot as a bigger, metal piece would be, even in the same size class. So, I find the sporting equivalent of a lot of weapons to be much more fun, and as a result more trust worthy and trained-in than small, snappy and hard to control weapons.

So, while I agree with her that these compact pocket 9mm pistols are practical, I'm not sure it's a good first pistol for her, as say an equivalent older 9mm like a smith 5906 or something.

Long ramble to ask basically what's a good "shooter" first pistol for a girl who is already comfortable shooting full size toys. (Some are a bit large for her hand, although she has average size female hands)

OR am I barking up the wrong tree and shouldn't overlook a proper plastic 9mm with reduced power hand loads for range use?

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Your average shooter, male or female, should be able to handle about any 9mm on the market. But she needs to choose it, not you.

 

[Paddy]

If I'm buying it, I get to choose it

 

[C0untZer0]

It makes sense that you choose it, because then when she doesn't like it and wants nothing to do with it, you'll at least have another gun that you like.

Or you could exhibit a little patience and read through the THR thread on the subject:

So you want to buy your girlfriend/wife a gun

 

[DeepSouth]

Look at the KAHR's, not the PM/CM9 but the larger ones.

She'll love'em and you'll love'em. Win, win.....

 

[9mmepiphany]

I would also highly recommend a Kahr..specifically the K9 all stainless model.

Had a female friend take a 500 round class with it and had no recoil complaints at all

 

[hAkron]

You wouldn't want to shoot a USPSA match with it, but the S&W shield is a small gun that handles like a larger gun in terms of accuracy and recoil. Also, the compact alloy and polymer framed CZ models such as the PCR, the P-07, and P-01 with thin aluminum grips, or G10 grips are nice. Even a regular M&P with the small blackstrap might be one to try. The simplicity of a Glock with an eye toward ergonomics.

 

[bannockburn]

Paddy

I'm with Sergei Mosin and C0untZer0 on this matter: if you really want this gun to be for your girlfriend you have to let her try different guns out to see which one is the best fit for her, not you.

Maybe take her to a local gun show so she can at least handle a wider variety of guns versus just what your local gun shop may carry. If this is going to be "her gun" it really should be "her choice".

 

[Drail]

Lightweight compact guns are harder to shoot than all steel guns due to the laws of physics. She will have to decide how much abuse she is willing to put up with - or not. I have range toys and carry guns - the carry guns are not as enjoyable to take to the range. An example - my main carry gun for many years was a 19 oz. Charter Bulldog. It was most definitely not fun to shoot - but I could lug it around all day in comfort. I could shoot it well enough to hit a target on demand and even shot a few matches with it - but if I was going to the range for fun I would rarely shoot it. If your GF is looking at a gun for pleasurable range use only - forget about all of the lightweight compact alloy/polymer guns out there.

 

[Tallball]

If it's a range toy and HD, the largest heaviest one that she can handle well is the best. A range that rents handguns would be a great place to try them out. Second choice would be a gun show.

I have a variety of sizes and weights of handguns; in general, the smaller and lighter they are, the less fun they are to shoot.

 

[mkc451]

from experience -- wife is all of 5'2" ... took her to a range, rented some 9mm pistols, she liked the Walther PPQ M1 best but the Ruger SR9 was nice, 250$ difference in price, she went that route.

 

[Coyote3855]

I second a couple of recommendations. First, she gets to choose even if you are paying. Second, the Kahr P9 is my wife's favorite carry gun and she shoots it very well. And she picked it. Albeit, she picked the one I was carrying, but I did replace it.

 

[Plan2Live]

She needs to pick the gun, not you.

If possible try before you buy.

Has she taken a Basic Pistol class through a qualified instructor? If not, why not? Does she truly understand the difference between striker fired, hammer fired, double action, double action only and double action/single action? Does she fully understand the pros and cons of each action type? Does she understand the pros and cons of a manual safety? If not, back to why hasn't she taken a class yet?

 

[Robert101]

I suggest you allow her to rent a few first. I think Glocks are a good first choice and work well for home defense. A 38 cal revolver is next or very close to equal. Even a 380 would be a work well. Either way, it is nice to have a good shooting partner that is female. It makes dinner conversation all that much easier.

 

[Paddy]

Rental is a good suggestion although the only shop that rents around here has limited selection and been dwindling for years. Not sure where we can try otherwise. I appreciate everyone's suggestions of letting her decide, but as a beginner her decision points might not serve her as well in the real world of us having fun practicing. Many guns have been sold on appearances rather than actual usefulness or fun factor.
She definitely has it in her head that 9mm is the caliber of choice and while I don't own anything in that cal I tend to agree based on cost, availability, and power factor. It's a real cartridge and can knock down a steel plate whereas smaller ones would seem to fall off the cliff of limitation in power.
I also agree the biggest heaviest pistol she can comfortably handle would be good for her. I'd like her to have a traditional manual safety for learning purposes but weapons with them are becoming quite rare it seems.

 

[JohnBiltz]

You get no sympathy from me. I agree with her a lot more than you as far her taste in guns. Quite frankly your sounding like the kind of guy who buys his wife a power tool he needs for her birthday.

 

[redneck]

Almost all of us have been down this road, and most of us have been bit thinking we know better. A small frame polymer gun that fits her hand will be more fun to shoot than a big heavy service pistol that doesn't. If you stick with a quality brand like kahr, smith and wesson, glock, ruger, etc. you won't wear it out.

I have or have shot a kahr K9, Kahr CT9, Ruger LC9, Glock 43, Smith and Wesson Shield, and M&P compact. None of them are painful to shoot, all are much more accurate than the average person holding them, and all are made to last for thousands and thousands of rounds. There is absolutely no reason to stick with a duty sized gun unless you are shooting competitions or something. Steer her towards quality but buy whatever gun she chooses.

 

[Winkman822]

As others have said, let her pick what feels good in her hand. As for the polymer vs. all steel or steel/alloy combo, while it makes some difference, it's not as much as you would think. In my experience, polymer guns are just fine to blast away with on the range. I can honestly say that my HK P2000 (polymer frame) handles the recoil dynamics of a 9mm better than my Springfield EMP (alloy frame and steel slide). That's not to say that the EMP is a bear to shoot, it's not, but just by example, demonstrating that a polymer gun can handle for shooting just fine.

If she likes a small, subcompact 9mm with a polymer frame, great, let her give it a go. If it ends up having a little more bark than she likes after a few range trips, trade it toward something different. Sad to say, unless you rent some guns, you're probably not going to get it right the first time.

With all of the above in the mind, some things that are worth looking at are the aforementioned Kahrs, S&W Shields, the Glock 43, and if price tag doesn't scare you off too much, an HK P2000SK or a P30SK. All are polymer framed guns and all have excellent reputations for shootability, reliability, and accuracy. If you want to toss an alloy framed subcompact 9mm option into the mix, try the Sig Sauer P239.

 

[tiamat]

My wife likes her Sig P225. Not a very common gun though, even the P6's aren't flooding the market like they used to. But they have a very comfortable shape.

 

[Winkman822]

My wife likes her Sig P225. Not a very common gun though, even the P6's aren't flooding the market like they used to. But they have a very comfortable shape.

I'm not sure whether your wife's P225 is an original, but there is currently the P225-A1 which is a re-release that's slightly updated and may be worth the OP taking a little time to look it over if an alloy frame is an absolute must.

 

[ddc]

I've bought guns for my wife in the past.

My wife has bought guns for herself.

The guns that I have purchased for her are either gone or up for sale.

 

[Paddy]

Im surprised to get so much flame for this attempt, which I thought was going to be a nice thing to do for her. Well, maybe she can buy her own. I'll save my money for the guns I want, which will likely not be 9mm.

 

[corton93]

+1 to what tiamat said. Don't know the budget your working with, but if you wanted something that (for me anyways) is small enough for CC but a pleasure to take to the range i'd give a good look at a Sig P239 (or P225-A1). Slightly smaller than a Glock 19 but boy, it is substantial and feels like your shooting a full size. Granted, this is assuming you can handle the weight, 29.5oz empty. It's a chunk but is a great recreational gun. Plus, assuming you carry it in DA mode (you'd be brave not too). It's got the same traits that draw people to carry revolvers, just with the added benefit of having a sweet 4.5lb trigger from the 2nd shot thru empty. But im all opinion, no expertise.

 

[corton93]

Im surprised to get so much flame for this attempt, which I thought was going to be a nice thing to do for her. Well, maybe she can buy her own. I'll save my money for the guns I want, which will likely not be 9mm.

I understand the flame, but, assuming his GF is fairly new to shooting/CC, She may not know what is best for her. Yes, she needs to hold/shoot it first. She needs to like it, be able to carry it, and be able to shoot it good and have confidence. But at the end of the day (because MY GF can shoot and carry both guns equally well) I would not let her leave the house with my old Colt Woodsman when her Walther PPS is sitting on the kitchen table.

 

[Candyman87]

Let her try everything she can get her hands on... out of all the guns she's ever shot, my girlfriend likes her M9 and my 1911 the best. I never would have guessed either of those.