Gun for my wife for self defense.

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Get her the .22. I don't think a rapist or mugger has much desire after getting hit with a .22.
In time she may want a larger cartridge.

Be careful with any SA, but especially a Glock, for anyone who is not going to take the time to really learn the gun and safety features. With a reasonably light trigger and no safety I never recommend a Glock for anyone who is not going to spend the time to learn to use it. It is a terrible gun for a purse, unless a special purse.

I really like my G26, but would not want my wife to handle it as she has no interest. I have a J frame Smith for her.

Regards,
Jerry
 
The only reason I was thinking of the 26 sized was because she has held both my 22 and 27 and she says the 22 is too large for her hands, but the 27 fits better.
 
jon86 said:
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.
Click to expand...
My 2.25" SP 101 is very easy to shoot with 38 Special too. Even the mild +Ps I loaded barely had any recoil.
 
Doxiedad said:
The only reason I was thinking of the 26 sized was because she has held both my 22 and 27 and she says the 22 is too large for her hands, but the 27 fits better.
Click to expand...

Yeah, try the Glock 19. It fits a lot of peoples' hands better than the full-sized Glocks.

Also look into single-stack 9mm's. The width of the grip required to fit a double stack mag makes it too wide for a lot of people with smaller hands (the Glock is actually one of the better ones in this department). I'm partial to the SIG P239 and P225, but other people may have better suggestions.
 
She also needs to get used to some things. If she's a new shooter, everything is going to seem excessive to her except a .22LR. I found my 45 ACP overwhelming until I had shot it quite a few times. Now I love it. But then again, I am not a small framed woman, which I'm not sure if your wife is. Even if she is, that doesn't matter. There are plenty of lightweight women shooting larger calibers just fine.
 
look at your local clubs for who this summer is sponsering a
Women On Target meet. my club sold out already for mid July,
80 ladies from teens with moms to mid 70's. from 8am to late afternoon
and with a catered lunch are $60. besides a safety class there is +5 hours of hands on 22's
through whatever they feel comfortable with.
my daughter and i have instructed at the past 2 of the WOT
and the 'fun factor' is very high.


good luck.
 
shot my Father's S&W J Frame in .38 special and did ok, but didn't like the muzzle blast.


Was that with +P loads? Many times a muzzle blast problem can be solved with a change in ammo. Factory wadcutters would be more effective than a 22 but it all depends on what she feels comfortable with. If the Glock 27 felt good for her have her try a 19. Its not that much larger than a 26 and is a lot easier to shoot better.
 
She shot a Keltec 9mm subcompact today. She like it, other than the trigger pull on it. Going to shoot some more and find the brand she likes.
 
Check out the Ruger LCR

.38 Special revolver
Lightweight polymer frame
Incredible recoil-absorbing grip
Simple to operate
Easy to throw in a pocket
GREAT double action only trigger

Truly one of the great defensive revolvers on the market today!

Your wife needs a caliber that will stop a threat, and learning to shoot something with some recoil and noise is something to which we all have to adjust in becoming shooters. Your wife can do it, and by accomplishing this will become more empowered.

Giving her a .22 will only give her a false sense of security as the .22 is NOT considered much of a manstopper. If she wants to carry a gun, she needs to take some steps towards becoming a competent shooter. That involves getting past the fear of recoil and the BANG. Otherwise, she will not be able to focus on the front sight and the trigger press.

Vanguard.45
 
My suggestion, take her shooting more before just picking a gun. She'll get more used to everything and kinda null her senses. Then she'll make a better decision later. My wife shot everything at first, I was trying to get a feel for what she likes. She only liked a 22, which was fine. After shooting more, she worked her way up and now she carries a LC9.
 
Yeah we're going shooting this week. She held a LCR in the store and didn't like the way it felt in her hand, she preferred the J frame .38 special.

Do the keltecs have an exceptionally long trigger pull, or are all DAO semi's going to be like that? I'm too used to my Glocks

She was fond of the 9mm over the .38 special.
 
The LCR has a recoil reducing pad in the grip. She might like to shoot that better than the J-frame. I'm not saying one is better than the other it's just preference. If she wants a 9MM the PF-9 is a good choice and a great price, assuming you can even find one to buy. Or Kel-tec makes a PMR-30 it a 30 round 22. Then when she gets grows out of it you can buy her a new gun and you get to keep the PMR!
 
She shot a Keltec 9mm subcompact today. She like it, other than the trigger pull on it. Going to shoot some more and find the brand she likes.
Click to expand...
Which Kel-Tec, the P-11 or the PF-9?

The P-11 has a terrible trigger and I just do not like that pistol. the PF-9 on the other hand is a very well designed pistol and much better than the P-11. Kel-Tec took the best parts of the P-3AT and the P-11 and came up with the PF-9 and it's a winner IMO.
 
One of my female friends chose a .22 for her first handgun. It fit her hand well, it's cheap enough to feed that she can afford to shoot it a lot, and she actually liked it. She refused to consider anything else.

If that's the situation, I'm all in favor of the .22.
 
A woman recently shot and killed an attacker who broke in her house outside of Atlanta with a .22 - not sure if it was a magnum or lr, but make no mistake with the right placement both are deadly rounds. You may have to fire multiples, but that's what were taught anywY right? Shoot until the threat stops.

It's not my choice in a self defense round, but I wouldn't say they don't work.
 
An usual suggestion: FN Five-Seven. Relatively light gun, high mag cap, relatively quiet, recoil only slightly worse than .22LR, but much better ballistics than .22LR.

Downsides: Bright muzzle flash, expensive ammo, not very concealable.
 
Yup hopefully later this week we can go to the range and let her get some shooting in.

Thanks for advice. I'll keep it updated as it goes.
 
My wife doesn't like to shoot some of my handguns, but she happily tries them all, then states her preferences. She really got to liking my BHP a while back. She now really likes shooting and carrying a S&W 3rd gen 3913 or 5904. This was simply a process that took time and encouragement.
 
First handgun my wife shot was my 6" 629.
After a year of looking she settled on a 4" GP100.
She now carries a 1911 compact.
With enough trigger time, everyone finds what works best for them.


Jim
 
My wife loves her 32 H&R Mag. 6 shots instead of 5 with a 38 Spcl. Doesn't kick much at all. Little harder to find both the gun and ammo than a 38. I love shooting a .22, but I've had so much ammo problems, I hate to see folks risking it in .22.

You could also go with the new .327 Federal. They probably have too much bite and bark but you can shoot the .32 mag as well as the .32 long so there is a lot of versatility there. So you have a revolver that goes from very mild to very substantial.

Ruger has the SP101 and GP100 and Charter Arms has a couple of models too.

I have the LCR but my wife prefers her Charter Arms .32 H&R Mag.
 
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