Single Stack 9mm

[BSA1]

Ditto.

The thumb safety operates the same as the 1911 although the trigger pivots. The only downside to the gun is it is heavy from being all steel so a good belt and holster is a must. I carry mine in a Sparks EX IWB holster. That extra weight trims down the recoil.u

 

[jaysouth]

I went through this exercise when I introduced my 12 year old grandson to shooting.

The .22 was passed on because of ammo cost and availablilty. In the safe, I had a Smith 3913, smith 908, Sig 225 and an STI Trojan in 9mm. Taking all of them to the range, my grandson fired 20 rounds from each. The Smiths and the Sig were the right size for a 12 year old but had more recoil than the STI. After installing slim grips on the STI Trojan, we started serious range training.

At this point, he has fired almost a thousand rounds (which he had to help me cast the bullets and reload the cartridges). We limit range sessions to one hundred rounds.

 

[PabloJ]

Guns like the S&W Ladysmith 3913 or the SIG P6/P225 9x19mm are good choices but they are no longer produced.
Used guns or LE surplus sidearms may be out there but Id buy a new 9mm pistol with a lifetime warranty or a good reputation for defense/CCW.

Rusty

edit; For a 1911 type 9x19mm or .45acp carry type, you might want to see the LDA models from Para-USA. They may be around your posted budget & they come with a lifetime service plan. I think Para-USA offers a $100.00 refund or rebate too. See the site for details.

I would not shed a tear for those as they still exist in striker fired renditions with plastic frames as: Walther PPS, S&W Shield, XDs,.....

 

[eastbank]

i have used this 9mm S&W 3913 for a lot of years and have fired hundreds of rounds thru it with out any problems. i,m sure there are loads of better pistols out there, but it has served me well in its role as a defence pistol. i own quite a few pistols and revolvers, but this one is quite close to my heart. eastbank.

 

[sig228]

^^ the only thing that bothers me on those type Smiths is the "up" to take safety off and shoot.

 

[jaysouth]

I have never used the safety on a Smith 3G if carried in a holster. A department armorer on the Smith safety, "if you can't master the mechanical operation of the safety in about three evolutions, you probably should not be playing with guns or working for this department".

A great feature of the 3913, and other Smith 3Gs, is the kill switch, or magazine disconnect. If you can hit the disconnect button, or remove the mag, the gun cannot be fired. This is not for everyone in all situations, but I know at least two women who are attracted to this feature because of children in the house.

In the case of my grandson's shooting lessions, we used the larger 1911 because of lesser recoil than the Sig and Smiths.

 

[vaupet]

Look for a used HK P7,

small enough to conceal, but heavy enough to ad stability,
ful steel construction,
very simple in operation, very intuitive,
accurate with low recoil,
bound to even appreciate in value, so if you wan't to get rid of it, you just might make a profit

but if it were for my wife, I would take a sig 232 stainless (in 380 acp)
even J.Lo likes this one

 

[snooperman]

I have never used the safety on my 3rd gen S&W guns, 3913, 5903 and 6906. Why would I need it with a long DA pull? My SIGS do not have them either. As to the mag disconnect, if you do not like it , just remove the back sight to the right 1/8th of an inch and remove the little spring like I did and the problem is easily solved. Why people make such an issue of these things is beyond me. The 3rd gen guns are some of the best bargains in used guns. I like them as much as the SIGs and H&Ks that I have and they are less than half the price.

 

[Peoga452]

Tying up a loose thread

It's been a couple of years since my original post. There has been a LOT of good advice shared. Thank you all very much. Here is what happened...

We visited several local gun shops, but just couldn't make a decision. We walked into the largest gun shop in our area one day, and a female sales associate took the time to make sure that she got to handle just about everything in the store, and gave her some good advice. That's just what she needed. She decided on a Two-Tone Springfield XDs 4.0 in 9mm, and it went home with us. She loves it, and it shoots straight for her.

She joined the local Well Armed Woman club, and she is now consistently out-shooting me, which is kinda cool and kinda embarassing all at the same time.