Gun for my wife to use?

[Smaug]

Kate wants to get back into shooting with me.

She wants her own centerfire pistol.

We only have one right now, a Ruger P90. It is a good shooter, and stone reliable, but the trigger is crap; I have to admit.

The ones we've looked at that she likes the looks of are: (in order of preference)

• Browning HiPower Mk. III
• Beretta 92F
• Walther P99
• Taurus 24/7
• CZ-75
• S&W M&P

I'm a little worried that she likes pistols and hands revolvers though, as she limp-wrists from time to time, and is barely strong enough to cock the P90. But she just hates the looks of revolvers. But I know I have to humor her, because otherwise she won't shoot with me.

Her favorite gun of ours is the Ruger Mk. II Target. She is a crack shot with it. She can out-shoot me, and I am very good with it.

She has small hands, so the ones with large circumfrence grips might be out.

What do you suggest?

 

[toddmog]

My wife and I are both ordering Kahr CW9's.

I would take your wife to a gunshop and let her handle as many as possible. Even better if they have a range with rentals.

My wife loves our Ruger 22/45 mk. III, but wanted something she could carry after taking the CCH class this past weekend.

 

[weregunner]

Since this her choice which ever one fits her is the one she should go with.
.45ACP guns might be too strong a recoil spring as you have noted already.
There are techniques to over come it. www.corneredcat.com and www.womenandguns.com may have something on that.

Otherwise there's no harm going with the 9x19 or a 9x18 gun.Cheaper than the other calibers to shoot, low recoil, and gives and excellent level of protection. This despite conventional wisdom to the contrary.

The daughter likes the CZ75/85 series and shoots them well. Just make sure the CZ is a BD model with a decocker. Otherwise she gets to lower the hammer manually and that can lead to possible negligent discharges. Lowering the hammer can be done safely. Just something to consider.

As for the Taurus guns:
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=3008.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5058.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=3468.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=7273.msg69001#msg69001

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=7207.msg60088#msg68088

At the bottom of my signature is a list of other guns that could work for her.
SIGs P6/225 is out of production, but can be found at www.jgsales.com, as well as other police or military trade in guns. Have to hit the 'Handguns' tab on the left hand side of the page. That'll bring up what ever they have. All the various brands,makes,and models.

Ruger might be a good one to take a gander at. P95s are built solid,have decent accuracy,are dureable, and the price is right.

Too bad about the revolvers. They are still viable tools for fun and defense.

 

[borntwice]

Let her enjoy the Ruger Mk II. If she likes to shoot it, she will be proficient. There is no reason for someone to feel they have to go to a larger caliber of firearm, just because it is popular. A well-aimed .22 shot is much better than a miss with a .45.

Personally, the .22 semi-auto handguns are the funnest to shoot, in my opinion.

 

[frogger42]

Of the guns on your list, I like the M&P the best. However, I strongly suggest you let HER make this decision and not you and not some stranger on the internet. Find a range with a good selection of rentals and let her try as many as possible. Let her pick the one she enjoys the most. Otherwise, she will be more likely to not stick with it.

 

[Hook686]

Today, 07:51 PM #1

Smaug wrote:

I'm a little worried that she likes pistols and hands revolvers though, as she limp-wrists from time to time, and is barely strong enough to cock the P90. But she just hates the looks of revolvers. But I know I have to humor her, because otherwise she won't shoot with me.

Her favorite gun of ours is the Ruger Mk. II Target. She is a crack shot with it. She can out-shoot me, and I am very good with it.

Sounds to me as though a S&W 3913 Lady Smith might be worth a look by your wife.

 

[tasco 74]

my spousal unit likes the old colt .38 det spl her dad used when he was a cop here in town... it's a really cute little 2" snubbie with the old style round barrel and small grips.... i do load pretty lightly for it though... i'd hate to see anything happen to it especially with my reloads......

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The ones we've looked at that she likes the looks of are: (in order of preference)

* Browning HiPower Mk. III
* Beretta 92F
* Walther P99
* Taurus 24/7
* CZ-75
* S&W M&P

Smaug,
From that list I would suggest the Beretta as long as it's not too heavy for your wife to use comfortably. Because many police agencies are trading in their Beretta 92's and 96's there are many on the market and they are currently inexpensive. The Beretta 92 is a extremely reliable pistol and will last a very long time. Also, if repairs are needed parts are easily available everywhere.

If she finds the Beretta a little too heavy because it is a heavy pistol, I would pick the CZ-75.

Of course, this is only my opinion. There are other good pistols out there but I stuck with what you posted. Too bad she hates revolvers... Good luck to Kate on finding something she likes.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I love my CZ75B but just be aware that some people find the DA trigger position to be difficult to reach. The CZ75 P-01 reportedly has the trigger angled differently to help with this.

I will say that the Walther P99 is the most comfortable gun I have ever fired.

My dear old mother still swears by the S&W Model 19 her father carried when he was with the LAPD. She is a better shot with it than I am and doesn't mind the big pop of the .357 magnum either.

 

[Ivy Mike]

another gun you may want to look at is the FN FNP-9. Its got two backstraps so you can customize the fit a little. I bought one as a gift for an old GF after she went shooting with me a few times. She really wanted a Sig but I just couldn't swing the price at that time. Women seem to really like Sigs from my experience.

 

[DWARREN123]

Let her pick out one she can handle, don't gice advice just let her decide.

 

[c1ogden]

Let her try them all and buy the one that feels best in her hand. It will probably be the HiPower!

 

[3KillerBs]

She just has to try them for herself. And sometimes it's counter-intuitive about what suits a small hand.

I have small hands, but I have wide, square hands. Some of the tiniest guns like the Kel-tec P-11 and the Taurus Millennium Pro are too big for me in terms of reaching the trigger and controls comfortably (as well as being so stiff and difficult that I can't work the slide release), while some of the huge military/police duty guns like the Beretta 92fs and the Taurus PT-92 fit comfortably and are easy to operate.

So don't automatically think that small hands = small guns. Since concealability isn't a factor for this range gun make sure she gets her hands on some of the big ones and not just the compacts and subcompacts.

 

[Reddbecca]

Whatever you do, do NOT limit her to the revolver selection. It burns me up more than just about anything when men think that women can't handle semi-autos for one reason or another.

 

[weregunner]

There's www.corneredcat.com and www.womenandguns as possible sources of info.

Good points from the women all the way around.

 

[weregunner]

Small guns have their own foibles to consider.
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6716.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=6717.0

There's also the which trigger type to try or use.DAO or similar ones or standard DA/SA? There are major differences, mindset, training, and dedication needed to master each type. It can be done with either trigger type.
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=432.msg10868#msg10868
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5343.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=2384.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5001.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=1521.0

Things to consider.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

She has small hands, so the ones with large circumfrence grips might be out.

The BHP, not having a long-reach double-action trigger, might be OK. I can't see her in the Beretta, or the CZ unless it is in "cocked and locked" mode. I don't know enough about the Walther or Taurus to comment on them. The M&P, especially with the small backstrap fitted, should be a good fit, however. Not having to enclose a mainspring, its grip is quite slender and the trigger reach is short.


Here is where the "slimnines" (single-stack 9mms holding 7 or 8 rounds in the magazine) really come into their own. Two excellent examples of these are the Kahr and the S&W 3913.

 

[klane]

I have several M&P's in 9MM, .40 and .45 and love them all! My wife who is 5'2" and 100 pounds has small hands and finds the M&P9 very comfortable with the small backstrap. I load it and a spare mag with Speer 124gr. Gold Dots (not +P) for her.

 

[SureThing]

I wouuld suggest a M&P 9 or Glock 19

Beretta's grip is too fat for my wifes hand, and she had a hard time racling the slide on the Cz due to the smallish surface area because of the slide in frame design.

 

[skinewmexico]

My wife handled them all, and picked a Glock 17, of all things, But all she carries now is her Kel-tec. You also need to let her hold an XD, and Sig P6.

 

[machinisttx]

My wife is 4'6" tall and picked out her own pistols. One of them is a CZ75.

The most important thing is that SHE needs to be the one picking it out, because it needs to feel right to her.

 

[golden]

Try Them All

My first suggestion would be to go to a range which rents guns and let your wife try a magazine or two with each gun.

My second is to not "DOWNSIZE HER". A lot of woman can handle any gun a man can.

Ask yourself, is she really petite or small. A woman who is 5'5" or more can probably handle any of the above guns. Just start out with regular velocity ammo and let her see how she likes the handling, the controls and the accuracy.

If she can already shoot a .22lr well, it is more likely that she just needs to find a 9m.m. that fits her.

I WOULD FIRST AND FOREMOST, REMEMBER THIS IS HER CHOICE AND SEE WHICH ONE IS BEST TO HER. YOU CAN ALWAYS OBJECT IF ONE IS NOT RELIABLE OR PROVES INACCURATE WHEN SHE TRIES IT OUT (as a rental).

I personally like the BERETTA 92 and WALTHER P-99, but those are my choices. The BERETTA may be too big if she is petite.
The WALTHER is lighter and a more compact design, important if it will be carried concealed.
I think the CZ-75 is a great gun, but without a hammer dropping safety, it is more dangerous to lower the hammer, especially for someone new to firearms. The newer P-01 version with a decocker might be a better choice.

You may want to add the BERETTA 8000 which is now available at a very good price as the STOEGER COUGAR. It has similar handling qualities to the BERETTA 92.

I have not shot the TAURUS or M&P, so I cannot endorse them. They may be great guns, so I would not rule them out.

I would not consider the BROWNING for someone new to centerfire shooting. In trained hands, it and the 1911 are great weapons, but again, in trained hands.

One other suggestion. You may want to suggest she take a shooting course from at a range WITHOUT YOU. Familiarity can sometimes be a problem when teaching someone how to handle a new gun.
I speak from experience.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[EricShelton]

I don't see anybody mentioning the Ruger SR9. Of course, maybe it's that she didn't like the looks of it. I only bring it up because of the adjustable backstrap, it's amazingly slim, and the ProArms podcast had a lot of good things to say about it's accuracy and ease of refining the striker-based trigger. Just may be another one to dangle in front of her...

 

[Nagant]

My girlfriend really seems to enjoy shooting my Kahr CW9. It's a very slim gun that fits beautifully in the hand of anyone of average or less-than average size. I agree that a woman "can" shoot any gun that any guy can shoot, but it's not practical or comfortable to shoot a gun that doesn't fit your hand...

 

[Gibbles]

I bought my wife a S&W 60LS (Lady Smith). It's a very nice gun, it's .357 but we run .38 special through it. My wife is rather small and a wimp , I could not find a semi auto she could rack the slide on, after talking to other female shooters I started looking at revolvers for her.
It fits her and I enjoy shooting the pistol also.