handgun for my wife

[GEM]

Gun for Woman FAQ:

The right way to do it.

1. Have woman take tactical course oriented towards women.

2. Woman chooses gun after training.

In emergency self-defense situations:

1. Buy something like an SW Model 10, SW 66 - load it with a mild
self-defense load like the Federal PDA 38 SPLs

2. Teach her to shoot center mass at the range.

3. Have her get training, ASAP

Things not to do:

1. Buy the gun without her testing it
2. Get her a shotgun because you just gotta rack and it and anyway you
can't miss with this manstopper.
3. Teach her everything yourself - don't need no instruction from a pro.
You are a PRO!
You are also a great lover.

 

[bnolsen]

Well I (probably) screwed up. I bought a pistol for my fiancee hoping she'd like it.

Best case: I'll just have to get her another one
Worst case: She takes one of mine instead :banghead:

I showed it to her but she hasn't gotten to fire it yet.

 

[71Commander]

I went shopping with my wife for a gun as a Christmas present and this is what she chose. Now she wants CT grips, another 250.00, and i'll pay it smiling.

S&W 386PD

 

[bobby68]

ladysmith 357... my wife loves hers

 

[Greek]

S&W 442

My wife likes to carry the S&W 442 (with Winchester Silvertips) in her fannypack. At the range she shoots my Sigs and now tells me she wants something more "powerful".
So now I'm thinking of getting her a Sig 239.

 

[moxie]

By all means shop around and have her try various guns. Be sure to have her try the S&W model 65 Ladysmith. Also the same gun with Hogue rubber grips. This gun has a 3" barrel so is neither long nor short, and a medium frame which fits most women's hands. A small frame gun usually kicks too much and a large frame gun is, well, large. It has an exceptionally smooth trigger as well. Its only drawback is the wood grip, which is pretty but doesn't allow for as positive a grip as rubber and transmits more recoil than rubber. Easily solved by replacing them with the Hogues. Very inexpensive fix. Load the gun with .38 specials rather than .357 magnums for less bark and bite, but still enough punch. If it's for inside the house load it with .38 Special Glaser Blues but practice with whatever .38 special is cheap at your gun shop. The Glasers will break up when they hit drywall, minimizing the unfortunate likelihood of hurting someone you're not intending to hurt. Expensive but worth it, in my humble opinion. If it's for use outdoors, then load with Remington Golden Saber .38 special 125 gr. +P, and practice, again, with the cheap stuff. The Golden Sabers are really good defensive rounds.

 

[Pilot]

I posted this on another thread, but my wife just bought a S&W Model 642, .38 Spl. I thought a small .380 semi-auto would be better, like a Sig 232 or Beretta Mod. 85, but I let her pick and that's what she bought. I think the revolver is better for her as she doesn't shoot much and is not familiar with semis. She's also taking a course with it, so she'll get proficient wiht the little thing. Boy is it light!

 

[gc70]

Let her choose.

My wife doesn't carry, so her criteria were mostly oriented to home defense or range use. She generally does not like all of the operating controls on a pistol, although she does shoot my Ruger Mark II at the range.

Here's mama's gun.

 

[Pilot]

GEM wrote:

"Things not to do:

1. Buy the gun without her testing it"

Good point, but we couldn't find any ranges that had one to shoot. From what I've read and in talking to some instructors, you realy can't go wrong with a little revolver in .38 Spl. If she doesn't like it, I'll carry it, then we're back to square one for her.

 

[bbrown609]

If she is not familiar with guns, most agree that the revolver is the way to go. In my opinion, a revolver is always the way to go, but I don't want to hijack this thread and begin that arguement. Usually, people new to guns will go to the store and fall in love with the ultralights because they feel so well in their hands. Do not buy an ultralight, snubnose revolver as a first gun. Those of us that have shot and own them know why. They are not enjoyable to shoot, and they may scare her off of guns all together. Buy her a 3 or 4 inch barrel, Ruger, Smith, or Taurus in .38 or .357 in a normal, not ultralight, model. These guns are very comfortable to shoot, very dependable, and make great home defense, vehicle guns. Once she becomes comfortable with shooting and understands the ins and outs of the sport, then an ultralight may be useful for her to carry. I don't like shooting mine, but I take it to the range periodically to make sure I am competent with it. It serves a purpose, and that is to be comfortable to carry and be available for emergency, self-defense situations at close range.

 

[Wilson 17&26]

I think all wives should have their own handgun. I was elated when my wife selected a handgun after getting her CHL. I was very happy when she purchase her second, so she could carry the one most appropriate for what she was wearing. Now that she wants a gun to match each new outfit, a bit of my enthusiasm has gone. Somehow having two or three pistols that are the same except for finish and grip color seems a bit excessive