Handgun for a mother

[mdThanatos]

So there was a gun show here this weekend and I was hesitant to attend since the prices are always horrible and they never seem to have what I am looking for. My mother asks me if I was planning on going and I said I don't know why, to which she tells me she wanted to go. So after recovering from the shock of her statement I said ok get ready.

So after I get disappointed in not finding what I was looking for, a Marlin XS7 (found one for $450 unscoped), she and my dad had been looking at pistols and she wants to show me what she likes.

Listed in no particular order are the following:

Walther PPK .380
Bersa .380
Kimber Ultra Carry II .45
Springfield Micro Compact 1911 .45
S&W .38, the 637 and the 642
Charter Arms Lavender Lady, and no not because of the color, .38

So I am really happy that she is looking at handguns because she has always been against me owning them and nearly went ballistic, pun intended, on my uncle when he gave me my first .22 rifle. The problem is I don't have much experience with what she is looking at. I know my XD45 will be too big for her to shoot comfortably and she doesn't like how the grip feels on my .357 Blackhawk. I would like her to shoot both of them to see how she likes the feel of the calibers she has shown interest in so we can make a decision on which one she should purchase but if anyone here can help eliminate some of the choices based on reliability issues or what not that would be most beneficial for us.

This will be a range gun primarily and I know that the Smiths and Kimbers and Springfields tend to have a good reputation, I love my XD so I don't have any qualms about suggesting the Springfield for her, but the Bersa and the Walther and the Charter I am unfamiliar with and because of my lack of knowledge I am hesitant to recommend them for her.

Oh for some fun, anyone care to take a guess as to what her number one choice was?

 

[Quoheleth]

Some others to consider (in no particular order) are:

Smith & wesson M&P autos. The three backstraps assure a comfortable grip for lots of different hand sizes.

Ruger LCR. Nice & thin. My new favorite toy.

CZ82 - relatively cheap gun. 9mm Mak is between .380 and 9mm in power.

Smith K-frame (Model 10, 15, 64, etc.) in .38 Special. Be much more comfortable than the j-frames you mentioned.

Rock Island 1911s are great guns at great prices - either the Tactical or Officer.

FOR CERTAIN:
Get her to a range where she can test drive a bunch.
Let her choose, but offer guidance based on her comments, not your opinions.
Support her decision. I.e., if she loved the Taurus because it felt great to her, don't badmouth Taurus.

Q

 

[mdThanatos]

I was trying to keep an open mindset about what she was looking at and did suggest the RIA but she didn't like the feel of them, even the officer model, she felt it was too bulky compared to the Kimber and the Springfield. I had her look at the compact and subcompact versions of the XD and M&P autos but again she didn't like the feel. I wasn't surprised when she held a glock and found it uncomfortable. With the Ruger lcr she felt it to be bulkier than the smiths she tried and the lcp she felt to be too tiny, go figure.

 

[C-grunt]

Remember that the small 1911s can be very picky about limp wristing and do recoil pretty good.

My wife LOVED her Smith 442 J-frame .38. Until she shot it. Those also have some hefty recoil because of the light weight. After the first 2 cylinders through it she never picked it up again. So I traded it in on a Ruger SP101 that she likes much better.

If she wants a revolver, especially if its mostly a range toy or home defense, I highly suggest a larger gun.

I have owned a Bersa .380 and it was a great little gun.

Never owned a PPK but they are well thought of.

 

[ArthurDent]

Congratulations on Mom joining the ranks of gun owners!

Since she is new to the field, I would strongly suggest a revolver. I think the S&W 642/442 is the perfect carry gun for a new shooter. However, this gun is snappy! Since you say that she wants to go to the range a lot, I would suggest a bigger frame gun. You should be able to pick up a used S&W model 10 for about $300, and spend the difference on ammo.

Since you are familiar with the XD, that might be an excellent choice for them if you think she can handle the battery of arms for a semi. Choose a smaller caliber, say 9mm. A semi *IS* more complex than a revolver, which is something to seriously consider for a new shooter.

You may want to push her towards a .22 to make practice cheaper and more fun. $0.05 per round for .22 vs $0.50 per round for other calibers adds up in a hurry. Also, the bang is a lot smaller.

The main think I would encourage you to do (as others have also suggested) is to get her to a range that rents guns. Have her try out several guns and pick the one that feels the best to HER. The main thing is to have a gun that SHE is comfortable shooting.

Good luck, and keep us informed.

 

[Kevin77]

I have a Taurus 709 slim and it would work well for a person with smaller hands. It shoots quite well and is a nice size. The recoil is tame and ammo is diverse, plentiful and the cheapest of any centerfire pistol.

 

[skoro]

In my experience, women shooters really like S&W k-frame 38 revolvers. The Model 10 or 64 with a 4" barrel handles nicely, is easy to shoot accurately, and won't have objectionable recoil. No slide to rack or safety to fumble with. Just aim and squeeze the trigger. Simple, rugged, and durable. A lightweight snubby, on the other hand, can have some nasty recoil/muzzle flip and be very uncomfortable to shoot.

 

[Bentonville]

I bought a little Chief's Special, model 36. I had the trigger tuned by a qualified S&W armorer, bought some wad-cutters and gave it to my mother, who was 82 at the time. She had no problems handling the gun. The recoil is comparatively light. She hit was she aimed at. Now my wife has it and she is very accurate with it. I have a 3 inch Model 36 that is fun for her to shoot as well. This trigger has been tuned as well. My wife shoots semi-autos well but has trouble racking the slide. She especially enjoys shooting the HK P7 due to the very good trigger. These are my limited experiences with women shooters.