Suggestions re: gun for my wife

[Z_Infidel]

The good news is that my wife seems to have good taste in guns: of the guns in my inventory she has handled she likes the S&W revolvers and the 1911 best.

Anyway, we are going through the process of selecting what type of handgun she would like to have as her own, whether it ends up being one of mine or a new purchase. She will probably be getting a CCW permit and might decide to carry occasionally but most likely never on a regular basis. She is left-handed with decent sized hands and a good strong grip. The Beretta 92FS is a little big for her, but she says the 1911 grip is just the right size. She likes the grip and feel of my S&W M66, and she doesn't mind the double action trigger weight.

So, to my questions:

For those of you lefties out there, do you shoot left or right handed? Is there an advantage to learning to shoot primarily with your right hand, or stay with the left hand even though it can make handling certain guns more difficult (reloading a revolver for example)? I realize it is good to practice shooting with the weak hand, and I often do this myself, but my question concerns primary shooting hand. This question also applies to my 1911 since it is a SA Mil-Spec and is not ambidextrious. If she chooses the 1911 as her favorite should she learn on the Mil-Spec or should we invest in customization or an upgrade to something like a SA Loaded with ambi controls?

My wife will probably enjoy shooting, but may never become an enthusiast like me, which is fine. But since she will probably not practice as often as I do I'm wondering if the idea of a DAO pistol has merit. Even though the double action trigger will be heavier, dealing with a safety will be less of an issue. I know she can learn to deal with manipulating the safety on a single action gun, but I'm thinking that keeping operation as simple as possible can be a good thing as well. Opinions on this?

Ultimately the choice will be hers, but I am trying to guide her as best I can.

Thanks for any advice / suggestions.

 

[rcm]

S&W 642. My wife carrys with her all the time and she is very accurate. I would say it works well because it is not a large intimidating weapon. Very easy to handle and fits her hand well. The .38 makes a big enough exit wound I think.

 

[pauli]

a wise man once said, "your wife can have whatever gun she wants." take her to a big store or a gun show, and handle every gun there.

my suggestion is that you have her try out a springfield xd, but i tend to suggest that for everyone... as long as she can slingshot the slide, left handed operation is not an issue. also, i've gotten the impression that people who like the fit of a 1911 also really like the xd's.

 

[Checkman]

I'm a leftie and I shoot with my left hand. I learned how to operate the controls on my Sig with my left hand and I'm no slower then many of my right handed friends. Personally I have found it much easier to work with autos then wheel guns as a leftie which is why I carry a Sig. But I own several six shooters and enjoy them as well.

 

[Grunt]

Well, my wife is right handed but she loves her XD-40. With no manual safety lever there is no problem with beign elft handed. The grip safety is ambidextrious as is the magazine release. The only lever that isn't ambidextrious is the slide release.
However, there are other 100% ambidextrious handguns out there. First one that comes to mind is the high quality H&K P-2000. Only thing that might take a little getting used to is the magazine release. On both my USP-45 and USP-40 Compact, I find it's easier to push the release down with my trigger finger than my strong thumb. Sounds weird but in a series of tests I've been running, it's faster (about .07 second faster than the next handgun that was a Sig 220) than my other test samples with a conventional magazine release like a 1911. As far as the slide release goes, it's on both sides and the LEM trigger also uses no manual safety that is a problem for left handed shooters.
My next choice for a 100% ambidextrious and left handed friendly shooter would be the CZ-85. It's cheaper than the H&K but still a quality piece. Here you have the manual safety and slide release on both sides and I think the magazine release while not ambidextrious like the HK, is still reverseable from one side to the other. I can't speak for the newer CZ-75 and 85 pistols but I do have a pre-import CZ-75 that is a dream to shoot. While I haven't met your wife, I'm going to guess that she would find the CZ grip a very comfortable one...most everybody does.

 

[JoeHatley]

I bought my wife a 642.



Joe

 

[ryoushi]

Obviously the Glocks are great for lefties out of the box. I have this wierd condition where I'm right handed but my left eye is dominant so I do allot of things left handed including shooting firearms.

To me the biggest drawback is having to fit an ambidextrous safety on my 1911s but it's mainly an aesthetic concern. I can operate the slide release and magazine release just fine. The main thing is just to shoot the gun allot. I shoot better with a single action trigger and I like the way a 1911 type pistol feels in my hand so I've learned to work with them.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I had a 442 snubbie and got rid of it. I hate double action only guns and I couldn't hit anything with it. The Beretta compact type M is my babe -- and my Glock 19. I'm looking for a model 60 3" when I get the funds.

Laura

 

[HSMITH]

I brought my wife an Airweight Cheifs Special (Model 37) tonight and she was VERY happy. The weight difference is enough that it might stay with her when the M36 she had before was somewhat troublesome in some clothes and situations. Bad news is I get that old ratty nearly new and VERY nice 36!

 

[Stickjockey]

My wife asked for a Mak. She loves it.

 

[Z_Infidel]

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied.

I have looked at the CZ85 as an option, as well as the XD-9. I have a feeling my wife would like the grips on those guns even better than the 1911. I like the idea of her choosing a .45, but that is not the primary concern.

I will take all the other suggestions into consideration as well.

 

[Sean Smith]

An airweight snubby is, generally speaking, about the worst possible suggestion for a gun for an inexperienced shooter. Crap sights, heavy trigger pull, heavy recoil... the list goes on and on. Why these get recommended to new shooters, especially women, is beyond me.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I wondered the same thing Sean, which is why I got rid of mine. The recoil was murder on my hands and I couldn't hit the side of a barn. The sales pitch was "all attacks will take place in close quarters...." True, but give me a Glock or a Beretta any day. The 442 nearly turned me off from revolvers completely but thankfully, my 686 4" brought me back around. You'll notice I said I was shopping for a 3" model 60? No more airweights or snubbies for me, thank you.

Laura

 

[obiwan1]

Like the man said: "what ever SHE wants". I'm leftie and I don't find it a hinderance to shoot a newer generation auto or any revolver that way. DAO is perfect for us. So are 1911s with an ambi safety. Learn to use the left index finger for the mag release. You never need to use the slide release. Feds are taught to slingshot all of the time. There are techniques to speed load a revolver for the leftie. Bottom line............ what ever she wants and develop technique around it.

 

[steelhead]

Piror experience talking - get her what she wants and not what you think she needs/you want.

She has already picked a great pistol, great caliber and great trigger.

I'm a lefty and the 1911, for me, is one of the most "user friendly" pistols around. An ambi safety is about all you need to upgrade with and it won't cost much. 100% agree with obiwan1 on using the index finger for mag release. You should also be able to hit the slide release as well (might need an extended mag release but I haven't needed one or you can slingshot the slide as previously mentioned).

Revolvers are more difficult for lefties but not to the point of being a severe handicap.

 

[Z_Infidel]

For everyone encouraging me to allow my wife to make her own decision on a hand gun, I hear ya loud and clear. The only reason I'm involved is because I have a lot more experience, she trusts me and has asked for my help with the decision. I plan on going with her to the gun shop where she can try various guns as well as the ones at home. She will decide what she wants and I will support her decision. In the mean time, I will give her as much advice as she asks for. The real deciding factor will be learning what she shoots the best and feels most comfortable with. Thanks again for the good suggestions.

 

[George S.]

I'm a leftie and I shoot my Springfield 1911 Loaded in my left hand (I'm also left eye dominant). I had always wanted a 1911 and the Loaded model with the ambi safety works great for me. I had looked at the Mil-Spec but after pricing out the upgrades like the ambi safety, night sights and wood grips like I would have done, the Loaded was the better deal.

I only wish it had an ambi mag and slide release but after shooting a lot, I can operate the mag and slide release fairly easily with my left index finger. It took a little practice and felt strange at first, but it works out.

I think she has made a good choice in a pistol and the 1911 is a whole lot of fun to shoot. But she does need to find a handgun that fits her hand and feels just right.

By reloading .45ACP, I have gotten the price of shooting it down to about the same price as shooting 9mm and .38Spl.