Something for the lady

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Kyle S.

Kyle S.

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I've been contemplating what the best gun would be to get my girlfriend for about three weeks. Here are some preferences. She wants it to have a manual safety, she wants to be able to carry it so concealable/compact, im think preferably 9mm but .380 isn't out of the picture, and I'd like it to be a bit heavier so maybe a metal frame for easier shooting. Shes new to shooting but enjoys pistols the most. We have a Ruger SR 22 that she really enjoys and she also enjoys shooting the beretta 92. I had her shoot my dads glock 19x and sig p365, and she didn't like either of them, too snappy/muzzle flip.
I think she would get used to them with more practice but I don't want to start her off with something unpleasant.
Two polymer framed pistols i have looked at are the Taurus g3c with a safety, and the shield plus with a safety.
Two metal framed pistols i have looked at are the Tanfoglio compact c9, and the new csx 9 from Smith and wesson.
I'd be curious as to what you guys would recommend considering the parameters or what you guys have purchased for your ladies. I also want to keep it under $600 if possible. Just so I can afford ammo, a holster, and mags.
I haven't considered any revolvers but if you guys want to leave suggestions for those that would be appreciated too.
 
Kyle S. said:
She wants it to have a manual safety, she wants to be able to carry it so concealable/compact, im think preferably 9mm but .380 isn't out of the picture, and I'd like it to be a bit heavier so maybe a metal frame for easier shooting.
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Kind of a tall order.. the smaller the gun/ the more recoil there'll be. I don't think she's gonna want to tote around a 2lb Tanfoglio. Sig P238/Kimber Micro 380s are soft shooters. Taurus G3c is pretty popular with the ladies as are the EZ Shield models.
 
A4A1B6B7-F8CB-4368-8766-90A3E7887C28.png How much do you want her to like you? Take a look at the Kimber Black Ice. It hits all your requirements, amazingly accurate, very concealable and pretty as heck.

If you really want to go all out Crimson Trace makes laser grips for it that are great!
 
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RMH said:
Another vote for the S&W EZ Shield series. We have both the 380 and the 9mm. The wife carries the 380 and I carry the 9mm. They have them both with or without thumb safeties.
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I've said before that both my wife and our oldest daughter carry S&W EZ Shields. Both pistols have thumb safeties.
However, our daughter's EZ Shield is a 9mm, while my wife's is only a .380. That's because my well experienced wife can't handle 9mm recoil in that small of a pistol due to the arthritis in her right thumb joint.
On the other hand (no pun intended) my wife has an older Sig P239, 9mm that she loves. And a couple of years ago, when she and I completed the Idaho "Enhanced" Concealed Carry class together, my wife ran the required 98 (actually she went ahead and fired an even 100) rounds through her P239 and it didn't hurt her at all. But then again, her P239 is a larger/heavier gun than her Shield EZ - which would make it harder to carry and conceal if she was inclined to carry it.
BTW, neither my wife nor I put much stock in the tired old cliché, "A gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable." If you think about it, that cliché is the opposite of yet another tired old cliché, "I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy." I mean, if carrying a cop would be "comforting" for you, why not carry one even if a cop is too heavy to be "comfortable" for you to carry?o_O:D
Edited to change Sig P238 to Sig P239. It wasn't a typo - it was a genuine mistake on my part.:oops:
 
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.308 Norma said:
On the other hand (no pun intended) my wife has an older Sig P238, 9mm that she loves. ... But then again, her P238 is a larger/heavier gun than her Shield EZ - which would make it harder to carry and conceal if she was inclined to carry it.
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A Shield EZ is about an inch longer, an inch taller, and slightly heavier than a Sig P238 in 380 or a P938 in 9mm, except for hard-to-find and discontinued all-stainless models.
 
gc70 said:
A Shield EZ is about an inch longer, an inch taller, and slightly heavier than a Sig P238 in 380 or a P938 in 9mm, except for hard-to-find and discontinued all-stainless models.
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Yes, you're absolutely right. My mistake.:oops:
My wife's old Sig is a P239, not a P238. Her Shield EZ is about the same height and length as her P239, but her P239 is wider, and weighs more.
I'll edit my first post in this thread.:)
 
What to get your lady??… a private range session with a good instructor. And, let her pick out the gun she wants. We all think we know what’s best for them but we don’t. My best advice is to take us (but have that wallet ready) out the equation and let a professional guild her pick.
 
My bride carries or has carried a Sig p238, Sig p365 or her LCP2.

She has Carpal Tunnel, and she is able to rack and shoot all of these without issue on a good day, on a bad day, the LCP2 with CCI Velocitor or federal punch is her go to.

d
 
Kyle S. said:
I've been contemplating what the best gun would be to get my girlfriend for about three weeks. Here are some preferences. She wants it to have a manual safety, she wants to be able to carry it so concealable/compact, im think preferably 9mm but .380 isn't out of the picture, and I'd like it to be a bit heavier so maybe a metal frame for easier shooting. Shes new to shooting but enjoys pistols the most. We have a Ruger SR 22 that she really enjoys and she also enjoys shooting the beretta 92. I had her shoot my dads glock 19x and sig p365, and she didn't like either of them, too snappy/muzzle flip.
I think she would get used to them with more practice but I don't want to start her off with something unpleasant.
Two polymer framed pistols i have looked at are the Taurus g3c with a safety, and the shield plus with a safety.
Two metal framed pistols i have looked at are the Tanfoglio compact c9, and the new csx 9 from Smith and wesson.
I'd be curious as to what you guys would recommend considering the parameters or what you guys have purchased for your ladies. I also want to keep it under $600 if possible. Just so I can afford ammo, a holster, and mags.
I haven't considered any revolvers but if you guys want to leave suggestions for those that would be appreciated too.
Click to expand...
Beretta 81
 
Stay away from polymer 380 guns. I have not found anyone (myself included) who enjoys shooting those. I made the mistake of buying one for my wife. That was 4 years ago, and it hasn't been fired since lol. She now shoots 38 specials with a GP100 with a 2.5 inch barrel. More importantly, she likes shooting it.

A commander 1911 in 9mm would be another good choice.
 
Shak3s1977 said:
Stay away from polymer 380 guns. I have not found anyone (myself included) who enjoys shooting those.
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Okay, I'll give you the fact that you've never really "met" any of us, but I already posted that I, my wife and our daughter enjoy shooting polymer framed Smith 380 Shield EZs.o_O In fact, our daughter enjoys shooting her polymer framed 9mm Shield EZ - my wife doesn't because the recoil is too rough on her arthritic right thumb joint. And I've never shot it. But I sure do like shooting my Glock 19.;)
 
.308 Norma said:
Okay, I'll give you the fact that you've never really "met" any of us, but I already posted that I, my wife and our daughter enjoy shooting polymer framed Smith 380 Shield EZs.o_O In fact, our daughter enjoys shooting her polymer framed 9mm Shield EZ - my wife doesn't because the recoil is too rough on her arthritic right thumb joint. And I've never shot it. But I sure do like shooting my Glock 19.;)
Click to expand...

Like I said, I'VE never met anyone lol. I guess I should have been more selective with my choice of wording. I should have put "Stay away from MICRO polymer 380 guns". Guns like the Taurus 738, Ruger LCP, etc.

Snappy recoil, small sights. A belly gun, and nothing more as far as I am concerned. Not much fun practicing at the range, when you can't hit anything. And if your not having fun, you probably won't practice again.
 
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Another raised hand to look at the S&W "EZ" series. My wife and I have both. We're both older, she's partially disabled, and has no trouble loading the mags, racking the slide, or shooting the 380 version. I've got the 9mm one. While I don't have the physical problems she has, I'm not getting any younger, and easier/lighter is better. Ours are grip safety only models, but you can get them with a thumb safety too.

The advice to let her pick one out herself is always good, but at least have her look at the EZ's. Good guns.
 
Let her pick her own gun. @Mark_Mark is 100% spot on. Take her to A range with a good instructor and a large selection of rental guns. Let her shoot whatever she wants within the criteria she has chosen. A gun will pick her as much as she picks it. Anything else is just an uneducated guess.
 
I have to agree that the LCP is a little snappy if you don't have good grip strength. I upgraded mine, 13# spring and stainless guide rod, and added a grip, made it much better.

The Sig P238 (.380) is what the wife settled on originally, and now she is carrying a polymer Sig P365 (9MM).

The only negative I had with the P238 is the extended magazine dropping sometimes, still not 100% sure why, not sure if during recoil I was touching the release just enough to allow it to drop since there was pressure on the pinky extension, did not happen with the standard mag. I replaced the magazine eject spring with the "heavy" spring based on many folks saying this was the fix, and so far, have not had a continued issue.

Whatever she gets (and she should pick after firing one), be prepared to replace it in the future, and it will be come either a backup, range gun, safe occupant or trade in. I have seen my brides carry selection go from .22 to .380 to 9mm, to .22wmr, to .22, to 9mm, etc.

Last, and I am prepared to get blasted by those that know better, if all she can shoot accurately is a .22 LCP2, or if there are medical reasons she can't shoot bigger, then let her carry the .22 - teach her to shoot it so she has a higher probability of survival, maybe Mozambique drills?

First you won't talk her out of it if that is what she wants to carry, second if it is not painful for her to shoot she will practice with it, third, I would rather have my wife carrying a 10 round .22 she can put all rounds at 7 yards in a fist size group with than a snappy LCP that she may or may not hit the BG with.

d
 
I have the Kimber micro 9, not a bel air, the CDP model, used to be my wifes, now in my safe (see above), and it is about the same size as the p238 and a little more snappy to shoot, but not a bad gun.
 
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