What CCW gun for my gf?

[usmarine0352_2005]

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My gf wants to get a CCW and pistol because she works in dangerous neighborhoods. However, she's never shot a gun before. I said the best thing is to go to the range and shoot some and see what she likes. I have a SW Bodyguard .380 semi-auto that I had her look at. I've noticed that she isn't very mechanically inclined but I'm sure with familiarity and use she should get better with it. Although it's another reason I think a revolver would be the best choice. Price isn't a problem. I think something without a safety is the best so she doesn't get caught with it on if she needs it.

Here's the last problem. She never uses a purse so she will have to carry the gun in her pocket. She dresses nice for work so she may have small pockets which could make carrying a revolver hard and a revolver may print.


I thought the Bodyguard semi-auto might be good because it's small, slim, and with the Galco leather holster doesn't print. I also like the Galco holster because it completely covers the trigger so you can't have an accidental discharge. Although the S&W Bodyguard has a safety it's a very small one, not like the Colt Mustang II or a Beretta 92. I don't like the S&W Bodyguard revolver.


I know Glock is coming out with their .380 soon but that could be a few months before it comes out on the market.


For pistols I was looking at the SW 640, S&W Titanium, or Lady Smith. I was thinking a hammer-less revolver would be the best choice if she went with one of those.


Do you guys have any recommendations?
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[W.E.G.]

This question has been asked a million times.

Everybody will chime in with comments about their favorite "lady's gun."

Extensive discussion of this sort of question at http://www.corneredcat.com/contents/

 

[oneounceload]

After both of you read the link above, then SHE gets to decide what SHE likes - that can be done by renting/borrowing as many different guns as possible; SHE might decide on something you hadn't thought about.

If she wants a pink 44 mag revolver, then so be it.......

 

[Grumulkin]

Whatever she buys, she would be well advised to get some training with it. It's one thing to be armed and another to give the right response in a tense situation. You probably know all this though.

My wife can handle the recoil of a 44 S&W Special and a 9mm Parabellum but she isn't able to operate the slide on any of the semiautos she has tried. Thus, her gun is a revolver.

Provided your girlfriend can operate it, the Kel-Tec P3AT is very slim and easy to conceal even in swimming trunks with a pocket holster. Some don't like Kel-Tec quality but mine has never hiccuped on anything. For a little bigger 380 Auto, you could go with a Kahr which is better made but a little heavier and harder to conceal.

 

[cowtownup]

I'm wanting to take my wife to shoot a S&W Shield in 9mm... They have them on PSA right now for $349.. I bought her the Bodyguard on an impulse buy and its just not the right gun for her... She most certainly needs to handle and shoot the gun before the purchase is made, IMO...

 

[oldbear]

With the limitations you’ve given MY best suggestion is a Smith and Wesson J frame revolver. Five rounds of 38 special ammo, 2’ barrel, and NO safety to fumble with. Defiantly not a lady’s only gun.

 

[MedWheeler]

Over 2,400 posts here; you've got to have seen the sticky, and the www.corneredcat.com site by now, right? Right?

 

[KY Sparky]

In addition to what MedWheeler and W.E.G have said, take her to the range and let her rent and shoot whatever she wants and then buy what she likes and fits her best. If possible invest in some quality training with chosen firearm. Be open minded and only offer suggestions, don't try to force your thinking on her. She may likely want something completely different.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

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Over 2,400 posts here; you've got to have seen the sticky, and the www.corneredcat.com site by now, right? Right?
.

No actually. lol. I also almost never spend anytime in the gun section. All of my time is in the general or legal sections usually.



I also don't agree with the www.corneredcat.com belief that a revolver is easier to conceal than a revolver. What???!!!
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[beatledog7]

A CCW for the girlfriend is best selected in exactly the same manner as for you or for anyone else. The right carry gun is the gun she will actually carry. She has to be comfortable shooting it and concealing, but those are not enough. She also has to just plain like it.

 

[Pyzon]

I know you and your sweetie have talked about her need to be armed, but have you also talked about why you both think she would be better off armed ?

Why does she work in bad neighborhoods ? Are there other options and better neighborhoods she should be working in ? Maybe even a career change ? Bad neighborhoods, especially in the dark are a bad idea for any of us, male or female.

Not mechanically inclined enough to handle a gun safety ? I think I agree that practice can make that go away to a high degree...I hope....

If she dresses nice for work and does not carry a purse, where will a holster fit into this ?

What i am saying is carrying a firearm typically carries a requirement to re-arrange priorities, including minimizing the chance to have to use the gun, dressing for the firearm, and most importantly the mindset and responsibility of self defense.

I know I am preaching to a Marine, so just train her in this like you have been and all will be fine.

Thanks for your service and the sacrifices your family and girlfriend have made.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=564531

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I tend to lean towards revolvers for new shooters for one main reason: if you pull the trigger and it doesn't go bang, pull the trigger again and it will. No "tap and rack", no safety. They are a little harder to conceal but there is always an ankle holster or a holster in the small of your back. My wife is tall and skinny and she has no problem concealing.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

My Wife and I recently returned to shooting sports after 30 years. We are a lot older now and what could be considered as our choice/perfect firearm for SD has changed a lot and so has what is available. I found it pretty simple to decide what I wanted to try as I was an accomplished and active shooter/reloaded 30 years ago. She was not so easy being a lot different now than the first time.

We researched and tested/rented everything in a concealable handgun in every caliber and tried to shoot everything (we did shoot everything) that was not excluded by carry criteria or some other thing....we didn't shoot all the .45 caliber or bigger options because we learned right off the bat that this was fruitless, etc. The ones we could not rent or borrow we purchased and kept or resold as it's virtues or lack of them became apparent.

Read what has been posted but ignore 95% of it if you can - she has to shoot them to choose and you need to guide but not dictate as what is right for you or me or my Wife may have no relevance to your significant other. Get some training for her and get on The Path to find what yer looking for and be prepared to spend some money and a whole year at least. IMO, the Internet, discussion forums, and boards like this one where "experts" and the "most knowledgeable" congregate may actually make the process and selection tainted to some degree.

All advice is worth what you pay for it and the choices are simply stunning - lots of great choices and just as many over hyped and not-so-good choices as well. Sorting them out objectively and making the best personal choice will take time and money/experience and serious thought. Others will try and direct you at some reading material and that's great but I suggest she shoot everything that interests her before you let others redirect or limit the process.

Some initial training in basics is the first step if she is not an active shooter or has no basic skills or understanding.

Good luck and study hard to make the right choice - the gun she chooses may not be the gun that she carries 2 years from now.

VooDoo

 

[BSA1]

As already mentioned this topic has been discussed to death many times so my reply is directed at your comment that "However, she's never shot a gun before."

You are putting the cart before the horse by wanting to purchase a gun before she receives proper training. I don't mean one range session and calling it good. As with any new shooter she should attend a accredited training course such a sponsored by the NRA or if that is not available receive individual training from a instructor.

A small frame gun is probably the hardest firearm to learn to shoot well. Therefore it is easy for a new shooter to become discouraged and give up learning to shoot well. Just as important she needs to learn how to operate the features of the gun.

Get a good quality 22 handgun and turn her over to a good instructor and classes.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Snap too Marine, your lady is smarter than you give her credit. Anyone can learn how to use any gun if properly instructed. Have her enroll in a SD class and she will decide which handgun to purchase after the class. Your job is to go to the store with her and pay for the gun... (IMHO of course)

She may decide to carry a small pistol or a Glock 19 carried IWB is for her or maybe even a 3" S&W K frame but only she can know that.

 

[djm3801]

well the NRA Basic pistol course is a good place to star but she needs to try a few and see. My wife hates recoil and no way she can rack a semi auto. I though Bodyguard 380 was it and she hated it. I did not like it either. She has a LCR22 revolver. Not afraid to shoot it or practice with it. And she can manage it herself. Yeah I know, a 22 is no good for self defense. Do not agree.

 

[torqem]

I once had a gf who could not rack a slide. I told her that she was going to have to pump some iron at the gym in order to remain my gf. She didn't, and she wasn't.

 

[2wheels]

Best advice has already been given, take her to the range and let her shoot a bunch of guns, possibly get her some training, let her decide what works on her own.

Between family, friends, and girlfriends I've taken a few women shooting so here's a few random thoughts of my own.

Many women have trouble manipulating the slide on automatics without some training, and sometimes they just don't seem to have the strength even with proper technique.

Small guns are easy to carry but can be more difficult to shoot and manipulate, I've seen women struggle with tiny guns like the Bodyguard .380. I've seen two women shoot that particular gun and they had trouble with the trigger, the recoil, and in one case racking the slide (may have been due to the gun being new).

I've also had several women I took shooting really dislike the recoil on my .38 Special J-frame, the last one I took shooting fired one shot and set the gun right back down. Before that she was shooting an alloy framed 1911 without complaining, so she's not totally recoil averse.

My Sig P238 is one tiny gun most women can shoot well, the recoil is mild enough that it doesn't bother them. They can rack the slide without much difficulty.

On the other hand, they tend to do quite well with mid to full sized 9mm-.40S&W autos or .38 Special revolvers. The Springfield EMP I had for a while was a favorite among many women I took shooting. For the most part they also did well with guns like... Stoeger Cougar, HK P30, Sig P239, and Glock 19/23 to name a few.

 

[Captcurt]

Definitely get her to try several different guns and types of guns. One of the biggest problems that I have seen is a woman's inability to pull the slide back to charge a semi-auto. Even if they can charge it you need to train them to shoot with a solid grip. I have seen a few that would limp wrist a gun so bad that it couldn't cycle. She might be better served with a revolver. Then there is the caliber choice. A butt kicking caliber may be Macho but they can be pretty intimidating to a novice.

 

[oneounceload]

I've also had several women I took shooting really dislike the recoil on my .38 Special J-frame, the last one I took shooting fired one shot and set the gun right back down. Before that she was shooting an alloy framed 1911 without complaining, so she's not totally recoil averse.

My wife fired one round of standard 38 from my j frame and also put it down. She stole my G26 and P7 from me, so she doesn't mind shooting, but that was a bit much, even with the rubber grips they come with.

As much as many here say get a J frame, they are NOT easy guns to shoot properly or accurately - better off with a Bersa 380 or something similar they can handle easily and are not afraid to practice with

 

[JERRY]

moderators, please make a sticky note about letting people (wives, girlfriends, moms, sisters, daughters) decide for themselves which gun they should get based on what they like, what they can shoot, what they can carry; and not what we think they should.....

 

[Old Dog]

I'm surprised that we have members here who actually have girlfriends, given the amount of time so many of us spend on the internet.

I will however respond by stating that in my experience (as a firearms instructor), many females -- I'm not saying most, but ... -- do not much care for actually shooting the lightweight revolvers.

 

[shooter54]

Just my 2 cents. I am a 1911 guy-but I carry a Kahr CW9 9mm . My wife can operate it ok and it is easier to shoot than the S&W 642 38 she owns. If you end up carrying the same brand/type sidearm-so much the better... what ever that may be, as long as it is 100% reliable and handles good.

 

[Hickok44]

A rolling pin!