Recommend a smaller-caliber handgun for my wife

[alemonkey]

My wife has expressed interest in getting her own pistol

She likes shooting my .40 S&W, but the recoil is too much for her. I suggested a nice .38 Special revolver, but she said she wants an automatic. Any ideas? She doesn't want a .22, and would like something full sized, so no compact .380's.

 

[Mad Magyar]

This calls for a 9mm of some sort...Plenty to choose with many price variations. I would take her out to a Sportsman's Warehouse, or similar venue and let her take hold of many of the pistols for handsize, balance, and trigger-finger reach. I agree, I'd stay away from the .380's in a small package.

 

[NWdude83]

A Kahr in 9mm.

 

[slzy]

a makarov is heavy for the caliber and very accurate. regular readers know i had trouble finding magazines,but other than that it does real well.

 

[Seven©]

 

[woad_yurt]

I second the Makarov suggestion. Very pleasant to shoot, they don't jam and very affordable to buy and to shoot.

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

Best thing you can do is let her handle as many arms as possible and see what strikes her fancy.

Here's a few brands that come to mind:

Beretta
Browning
CZ
Colt
FN
Glock
Heckler & Koch
Kahr
Para Ordnance
Smith & Wesson
Springfield Armory
Steyr
Sig Sauer


Also, check out:
http://www.corneredcat.com/

.

 

[icebones]

depends if she has small hands, a glock 19 or glock 26 is just about right for a whole lot of people, or maybe a compact or subcompact springfield XD if the glock dosent fit her fancy. (the g-19 would be a tough customer here, 15+1 rounds of 9mm in a compact handgun, you can even fit it with one of those internal lasersights, or a laser grip if you want to.)

9mil is about as small as i would go. anyway ammo is cheaper than .380. the kahr K-9 is a excellent little handgun with a surprisingly slim profile, if she doens mind the weight, also kahr makes a lighter weight polymer model too. with 7+1 rounds in a kahr, it beats out any revolver.

hope this helps.

 

[bhhacker]

Have her try a .45...the guns usually have heft to them and its more manageable then a .40 My girl likes 9mm but loves my 1911

 

[guntotinguy]

I would say a .45 in a small Kimber or Paraord...my wife is 5"2 and 97 pounds and has no problem handling a Ruger P94 but also loves her Kimber Ultra Carry 2 .45...

 

[jgo296]

glock 19

 

[gc70]

She likes shooting my .40 S&W, but the recoil is too much for her.

Is your pistol available in 9mm? If she already likes and is familiar with your pistol, a reduction in caliber may be all that is needed to get the recoil into her comfort zone.

 

[NWdude83]

Kahr TP9

 

[Texastbird]

Just be sure that she can rack the slide on whatever you decide on. My wife had to practice a while on my P89 even though she enjoys shooting it. She has less trouble with a 1911 slide since she seems to be able to get a better grip on it. That's her favorite target pistol with some lighter reloads I make up for her.

 

[Northalius]

Glock 19 is compact, which is roughly mid-sized. Glock 17 is full size.

Glock 19 will be easier to conceal, though.

If she changes her mind and wants smaller, then check out the Glock 26.

These all 9mm models of Glock, btw.

Rent a Glock 30 at the range, too. That's in .45 ACP. It's not snappy like the .40 S&W is, but more of a push back, instead. Check out the Glock 21SF, as well.

Test them all at the range, in fact.

 

[JCT]

Used Smith and Wesson model 64 .38 Special, great revolver

 

[searcher451]

I tried a .38 special Taurus with an ultralite frame for my wife, thinking that it would be the "perfect," no-brainer self-defense weapon. She shot it twice and vowed never to fire it again: too much kick, too much noise. I had her try the new Walther PPS, and she liked that much better (though she can't easily rack the slide, which brought up another set of issues). But you might take a look at the PPS, if you can find one (new on the market, lots of demand). The three magazines, plus the ability to change the backstrap, make it an excellent firearm for concealed carry consideration, and it has plenty of horsepower to get someone's attention.

 

[mljdeckard]

The truth is, .40 is about the snappiest recoiling pistol in wide use. .45 and 9mm both have softer recoil in guns with similar setup. I would advise, without intentionally sounding insensitive, to have her just get used to it.

 

[btg3]

Of several guns stores here, some arrange by caliber, others by manufacturer. I suggest going to the 9mm counter and handle everything they've got (in full size, no compacts). Narrow down what feels good, see what points naturally, and try racking the slides.

My bias is toward an M&P because:
1. The distance to the trigger is nice for my small hands.
2. It comes with 3 different backstraps to help with getting the best feel for your hands.
3. The $50 rebate and 2 extra mags (total=4mags) are a nice deal.
4. Price of 9mm ammo lets you shoot considerably more before you have to reload your bank acccount.