Trying to get the wife to a larger caliber.

[Legionnaire]

Do check out the Kahr P9 if you can. My wife and daughters all like this platform. Good balance of weight (light), capacity, and sight radius. It's slimmer than the Glocks, and has a longer grip than the PM9. My girls find it easy to shoot fairly accurately at self defense distances.

 

[Tom Fury]

Wife to larger caliber

I took my wife to the range and started with 45 and worked down. She is petite and probably 120 soaking wet. (Maybe we should post wife pictures with this kind of thread...).
She can control 45, but doesn't like it...
.40: No, No, No...
9mm HMMM...Kahr would probably get the nod...
.380: why not the 9? (Platform problem; wish Glock would release that G28 .380 in the US...PPK too heavy
.22: She Can drill your eyes out with a 22...

Ended up with PPK as house gun only as I had an Interarms that worked really well; backup to an 870

Star Firestar? Heavy, but that helped control. Didn't experience recoil as brutal and they were doing something right with grip shape; you could get a good handful there. I never had problems with it from function aspect either; wish they were still out there. Imho, they were kinda sexy/exotic/Castillian too...

Cheers, TF

 

[Michael Courtney]

It troubles me that you suggest that recoil won't be a factor because she'll probably never shoot the gun. Anyone who carries a gun for self-defense should have plenty of practice with that gun.

If someone's ergonomic abilities are limited, it is very hard to make suggestions of specific models from behind a computer keyboard. She just needs to try a buncj of stuff and find a combination that works for her.

There have been several suggestions for a Kahr. She should really borrow or rent one of these to try first. The women I've known who have went with a Kahr have found that it takes quite a period of getting used to. In contrast, the guns that I've seen women take to quickly are relatively large and heavy for the cartridge: Sig P232 in .380 ACP and Sig P229 in .357 Sig. In other words, my experience is that size and weight tend to enhance a women's comfort level.

Michael Courtney

 

[SheB61]

I had a similar problem. I used to shoot my husband's .40 Beretta, but it was just too heavy and holding it up straight became painful after a while. I needed a lighter gun, and was not too concerned about recoil.

I landed up with two choices: the CZ P-01 and the FNP-9M. I decided on the CZ as I'm not a big fan of the polymers. I'm very happy with my choice.....

 

[kludge]

Has she seen the LadySmith 9mm?

 

[blo0dyhatchet]

"Michael Courtney It troubles me that you suggest that recoil won't be a factor because she'll probably never shoot the gun. Anyone who carries a gun for self-defense should have plenty of practice with that gun.

If someone's ergonomic abilities are limited, it is very hard to make suggestions of specific models from behind a computer keyboard. She just needs to try a buncj of stuff and find a combination that works for her.

There have been several suggestions for a Kahr. She should really borrow or rent one of these to try first. The women I've known who have went with a Kahr have found that it takes quite a period of getting used to. In contrast, the guns that I've seen women take to quickly are relatively large and heavy for the cartridge: Sig P232 in .380 ACP and Sig P229 in .357 Sig. In other words, my experience is that size and weight tend to enhance a women's comfort level.

Michael Courtney"

Its not that she will never shoot it, we go to the range a good bit, i meant that hopefully she will not need to fire it away from the range. Im still working to get her into a different gun

 

[PythonFan]

.357 if she likes length, .45 ACP if she likes girth, .45 Colt if she likes both.

 

[Legionnaire]

As mentioned by kludge, the S&W 3913 LadySmith is another good option. My wife didn't take to the 3913 because she didn't like the way the trigger changed from double to single action after the first shot. She isn't a hobbyist, and preferred the P9's manual of arms. That said, when I find a good second-hand 3913 (NOT the LadySmith model) at a good price, I'm going to jump on it ... for me.