Gun for my wife for self defense.

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Doxiedad

Member
Joined
May 1, 2011
Messages
163
Location
Charleston, SC
My wife has never been a shooter. Recently she's started becoming interested in shooting and getting her CWP.

We're trying to narrow down the pistols she would like to try and decide from there. She's shot my Glock 22 and didn't like it, shot my Father's S&W J Frame in .38 special and did ok, but didn't like the muzzle blast.

The only one she like was his Walther .22LR. I think they're great fun and a great way to learn but i'm not sure if it's enough for a self defense load.

My dad also has a Kel-Tec sub compact 9mm she wants to try out.

Her biggest issues seem to be recoil and the muzzle blast/bark.

When she gets a chance she's going to attend a local ladies night shoot at the local range.

She's held both the S&W J Frame and the Ruger LCR and she prefers the J frame. Hopefully tomorrow she can try the 9mm and decide if it has too much kick. If not gonna steer her to a Glock 26 :D

So would a 9mm be a good choice? I think maybe if she shot the .38 more she would like it, she put 15 rounds through it which is great for her, only 1 round of my .40 and she was done :banghead:

Just looking for suggestions for calibers and pistols for her to try and find the one that she's comfortable with.

Thanks.
 
It all depends on what she will ACTUALLY shoot. I would not give her ANY bigger calibers until SHE wants to shoot them. Stick with .22.

A .22LR is WAY better than nothing for SD. It may just surprise the bad guy and give her a chance to get away. Even though they are "wimpy" by our standards, I expect hearing one go off at close range with no ear protection -- especially pointed at you -- would be enough to AT LEAST startle a bad guy.

I know the "big boys" talk about the "dropping power" of .45 ACP, etc etc etc... but ... find something she can shoot, will carry and is NOT afraid of. I started with a .22 LR Sig Sauer P229, and still shoot it 2-3x/ wk in the back yard.

Remember, the .40 cal she left in the safe will NOT help at all..... Good Luck! My wife doesn't even want to SEE my guns.... :)
 
9MM is fine, .38 Special is fine. If she likes the P-22 get her one to learn with. The cost of centerfire ammo, compared to .22 LR, will more than make up the difference in short order. Like getting a gun for free, plus she likes it and picked it out herself. After working with the Walther for a while she'll have a better idea of what she wants and that is the single most important issue for her to be happy. Offer suggestions if she happens to ask but let her make her own choices as to what fits and she likes. Visiting a range with lots of different rental guns is always a good idea but you need to let her make the choice.
 
To echo other posters, it really sounds like a 22 such as the Walther might well be the best place for her to start, at least until she gets comfortable with a larger caliber later on.

In the end, let it be her decision, ESPECIALLY on the first one. If it is a 22, so be it. It's better than a .38 or 9 left at home, or a 38 or 9 that hasn't been practiced with.
 
Yeah I'm definately going to let her choose the gun. Just trying to help her out by doing the leg work since she doesn't know much about them.

Going to let her get more time with the .38 special. She didn't mind shooting it.

I was thinking the same thing with the .22LR, it's better than nothing, I imagine they make hollow points for it? (don't own a .22 yet)
 
If SHE likes the Walther .22 !

Buy the Walther .22 , All of us like what we like and if she likes the Walther she will most likely feel comfortable with it and shoot it well.

And I would never say a .22 is underpowered for self defense! All the underpower arguments are useless!

Connection not Caliber.... CCI Stingers! I dont want one in me! I dont even want one COMING at me.....

I have one of those pistols too! I Like it alot!

Not my carry piece, but I like it! Light weight and easy to carry!
 
Go here:

www.thecorneredcat.com

BOTH of you read it..................then get her lessons from someone other than you in a place where she can try hundreds of guns to find what works for her - without any input or criticism from you

May peace then come to your household
 
thanks for the advice. I'm being supportive, not trying to push her into anything other than making sure it's something she is comfortable shooting.
 
The Beretta Tomcat .32 is very pleasant to shoot, and easy to conceal. Not much power though. My wife had one, then replaced it with a LCP. She liked carrying it, but not shooting it until I started loading for it. 2.7gr of 231 and a 95gr LRN makes it feel almost like a .22.
 
Her biggest issues seem to be recoil and the muzzle blast/bark.
Click to expand...
If that's the main problem then I think you're going about this all wrong. It seems you are looking at very small and light guns. Muzzle blast and felt recoil will be greater in a short light handgun than a slightly larger one that weighs more. Your wife might like a larger heavier handgun instead of the ones you are now trying.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
If that's the main problem then I think you're going about this all wrong. It seems you are looking at very small and light guns. Muzzle blast and felt recoil will be greater in a short light handgun than a slightly larger one that weighs more. Your wife might like a larger heavier handgun instead of the ones you are now trying.
Click to expand...

Hmm I didn't think of that. So maybe let her try something Glock 26 sized in 9MM ?
 
Try a lot of different guns that are larger and heavier. You just might find one that your wife likes. (do you really have to stick with Glocks?) :barf: ;)
 
If she likes the walther p22, maybe let her try out a p99? I believe walther also has a .380 on a similar frame style, though a bit closer in size to the p22 than the p99. The heavier gun suggestion also makes sense. You might also want to try to get a hold of a Sig p229,or a p225/p6 for the metal frame to soak up some recoil. In the end though, it's going to be what she wants and will actually shoot well. It does her no good to have a gun that she hates shooting.
 
Another thing you may want to try is something in the .327 variety. The versatility of it being able to shoot .32L, .32 H&R, and .327 Fed Mag will allow it to grow as she grows. Meaning you can shoot rounds with around 85 ft/lbs all the way up to rounds around 500 ft/lbs.

I also concur that the .22 is a great tool for cheap training and building confidence.

Best of luck
Shawn
 
If she likes the 38 special but not the muzzle blast, maybe get her to try a SP101 3 inch with 38 specials. Or a 4 inch k frame.
 
Of course, as mentioned, I'd let her pick, but think about what guns you like to shoot and why.
Originally Posted by ArchAngelCD
If that's the main problem then I think you're going about this all wrong. It seems you are looking at very small and light guns. Muzzle blast and felt recoil will be greater in a short light handgun than a slightly larger one that weighs more. Your wife might like a larger heavier handgun instead of the ones you are now trying.
Click to expand...
Hmm I didn't think of that. So maybe let her try something Glock 26 sized in 9MM ?
Click to expand...
I think you missed the point here. Why pick the little G26 when you could choose the G19 which is a more comfortable pistol to shoot. Or better yet, one of the other striker fired 9MM's with better ergonomics than the Glock like the XD, M&P, or Ruger SR9.

I don't think anybody likes shooting little J-frames or small concealment pistols. They are difficult to shoot accurately and, in general, uncomfortable. A revolver sized like a K-frame S&W with a 4" barrel would be much more comfortable.

I would also lean towards single action or striker fired auto pistols since their triggers are much easier to operate than a double action revolver. Racking the slide may be somewhat difficult, but you pretty much only have to do it once and you can use most of your body strength. A double action revolver requires 10 lbs of strength for every shot with just your index finger. That gets pretty old, pretty fast.

A .22 semi-auto is a great way to go. Ammo is cheap, the pistols are light weight, low recoiling, and usually comfortable to hold. If she finds she likes shooting, you can later step up to larger calibers.
 
definitely start her out small , I wouldnt even think about 38's or 9's , ..32 acp or 380 ,she cant go wrong with the 380 , if your just looking for stopping power , all the calbres out there have rounds that are capable of stopping an intruder , for my money I dont want to stop someone , I want them dead in there tracks , "no body goes hunting to wound their prey" , practice small and move up until your no longer comfortable the calibre, you want the calibre below that!
 
If that's the main problem then I think you're going about this all wrong. It seems you are looking at very small and light guns.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It's a classic error to think that a small gun is easier to handle. And that Kel-Tec 9 is a nasty little gun. Painful to shoot.

Much better here to get something that manages recoil.
 
Where I live we frequently start women off with a Bersa .380 pistol or a .32 Walther pistol. Both guns are well liked by the new woman shooters and the recoil is mild enough for them to handle it. Once they get used to handling their guns, they fall in love with them and really develop good shooting habits.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
My wife wants a .22 WMR pistol for self-defense. Now what?
2 3
Replies
54
Views
16K
Sam1911
S
S
  • Locked
Hand gun for the wife
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Chief_Cabioch
C
S
  • Locked
LADIES help please!
Replies
18
Views
977
ddc
D
U
  • Locked
What self-defense ammo for a .380?
2
Replies
46
Views
5K
Shawn Dodson
Shawn Dodson
H
  • Locked
Small Auto or Revolver Suggestions for Petite Wife
2
Replies
47
Views
2K
wnycollector
W
Back
Top