Which CCW for my wife?

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viking499

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My wife is thinking about getting her CCW. She will not carry in a holster on her body. That translates into here carrying in her purse or bag. So, I am looking for something small that would fit/ carry easy in her purse or bag. Figure there is some of you out there that went through the same thing.

She also has a touch of arthritis in her wrists. So, a "soft" shooter is what she likes. She did not like shooting my 38 snub due to recoil on her wrists. She does like shooting my Shield. Said it was a lot easier to shoot than the 38.

I just don't know if the Shield would be a purse gun, or maybe it is.:confused:

What other options are out there? I favor 9's. Never had a 380, but might consider it. But as I said, I prefer 9mm's.

What gun and holster/carrier options would work for her? Give me options......
 
A most excellent primer on the subject:

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

My Wife and I went on this journey last year and my suggestion is to get her to a range and have her shoot everything the two of you can rent, borrow, or buy. My Wife who is mid fifties and a five year cancer survivor is slight of build and also mildly arthritic. She loves her Colt Officers ACP in .45 but it beats her up.

She has found her true friend in a Glock 42 .380 acp but does not yet have her CCL. When she gets it she will not carry in a purse...not to discourage anyone but purses can be snatched or taken and thus provide a thief with a gun when one most needs a gun themselves. We went thru many many guns looking for the best fit for her....38 revolvers, 9mm pistols, and a lot of other things.

Good luck!

VooDoo
 
Forget anything that you favor or think is good. Take her to a range/shop that will rent or lend her several guns to try and fire. She will find what she can shoot comfortably and likes.
 
Thanks for the input so far. Keep it coming. No ranges close to me around here, so I am going "old school".

I have a request in at LGS for the next time he gets something "small" in, I get time to test drive it, or I should say my wife will be driving. The more trades he gets, the more drive time we get.

My wife does home health and is in and out of a lot of interesting homes and neighborhoods. She can not carry on her person while working, but can carry in a purse or therapy bag in and out of the vehicle.
 
First thing I would like you and your wife to do is read this WEB Site. The owner used to be a Mod here and she really knows her stuff.
http://www.corneredcat.com/

First: Please take this serious, your wife has to choose her carry gun, not you. It's good you help her weed out the bad guns but the ultimate choice has to be hers.

Second: Carrying in a purse is probably one of the worst choices she can make. A mugger or thief will grab a woman's purse first. Now the bad guy has her address (drivers license), the keys to the house and her gun. None of those things are good but put them together and it's devastating.

Third: Small guns deliver more felt recoil than larger guns and if her hands hurt a very small gun is a bad idea! There is one gun a friend with bad hands can use, it's a SIG P238 in .380 Auto. The gun is slightly heavier than most small guns but not heavy. The single action trigger is very good and the slide is not hard to rack.

Good luck to your wife finding something she likes and please go to that site and read everything! (both of you)
 
You have over 3000 posts; you've been around long enough to know NOT to ask this..! ;)


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


http://www.corneredcat.com


This is nearly a once-a-week topic, so the search feature will undoubtedly yield far more as well. Kudos to her for acknowledging responsibility for her safety. Let her assume most, if not all, of the responsibility for acquiring the tool(s) and training to assure it. Good luck.
 
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I'd never put a gun in my purse, in addition to never being able to find anything quick, I don't want lint or anything getting into the gun and it's the first thing a thief would grab. A gun should always stay on your person, never in a handbag.

I agree with the above posts that she should rent several guns and find what she wants, not what other men think she'd like.

Laura
 
I guess my original post sounded good in my head( as most things do) last night as I was typing, but must have come out wrong when I typed.......

I know my wife has to pick her own gun and I am working on getting different options for her to try. I also know that what I prefer is not necessarily what she would choose. I do know that my S&W 38 will not work for her due to recoil issues. That is the reason I put that out there, so no one would say "get a 38 snubnose".

I also know that purse carry is not ideal. I don't know if I have heard of a purse snatching in the rural area anywhere close to where I live. Not saying it can not happen, but not common around here.

But carrying on person is NOT an option right now. She wants to have something close to her. That leaves something in her vehicle or bag. Still not the ideal situation, but better than only having a checkbook and a pack of gum to defend yourself with if the need arose.

All that I am looking for is possibilities in firearms to consider for my specific situation. Figured that there might have been a few people in a similar boat in the past.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
There is one gun a friend with bad hands can use, it's a SIG P238 in .380 Auto. The gun is slightly heavier than most small guns but not heavy. The single action trigger is very good and the slide is not hard to rack.
Click to expand...
+1 on that. It's not a blowback action like most small pistols, so it's much less "snappy." Make it the P238 HD ("heavy duty"?), which is the all-stainless model. It's a bit heavier, making it even softer to shoot.

P238-HD-Detail-R.jpg


Suggestions for purse carry:

  1. Get a dedicated holster purse that has a separate gun compartment.
  2. Make sure to carry it around the neck and shoulder, not just hanging on the shoulder.
  3. Practice drawing from the bag a lot (with an empty gun, of course).
  4. Have your hand on the gun in high-risk situations, like parking garages, etc.
 
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Here's some other for women sites online as well.
http://www.babeswithbullets.com
http://www.nssf.org/FirstShots/NewShooters/
http://www.nrahq.org/education/index.asp
www.womenandguns.com http://women.nra.org
NRA Women's Programs
Women In Shooting
Programs

Second Amendment Sisters - Self-Defense is a Basic Human Right

She might benefit from going to a basic accredited NRA, or NSSF, or maybe a women's only beginner class. That way she gets a good starting education of what is out there and what works for her. It would also be in a relaxing atmosphere.
 
+1 to voodoo on his answer.

I did get my ex wife a pa-63 and had it anodized purple for her. She was very happy but the 9x18makarov round in an aluminium frame really racked her wrist. She would not carry it at all and rarely shot it. I got it back in the divorce...

I bought my new wife a Taurus 709 slim in 9mm which I acquired in a trade a while back. She put one round through and set it down. She said it was too light and too powerful and felt like it would jump out of her hand...

I then acquired a f.I. model D (star model D) in 380 for her. It has a steel frame so its heavier and has the lighter 380 round. She was much happier. I was happier as it is a micro 1911 clone and I know the design works. The Taurus had several failures in 100 rounds so it went away...

But, let her shoot a few and see how she likes them. Even a 22 is better than nothing if she needs to resort to firing shots! I have fired several micro 22s and know some are very reliable. Hell, I'd even bet my life on a Beretta in .25acp. Best damn bear gun ever !!!

;-)
 
"small" typically is the wrong way to go since it equates to unpleasant recoil which leads to a reluctance to practice and a desire to just leave the thing in the drawer at home.

As you've seen the constant truths when this topic comes up is that assumptions about what someone can shoot are typically incorrect AND We or You cannot pick what fits Her any more than She could pick what fits You or Me since the none of us have the same ergonomics. I may fit a CZ and you may fit a 1911 and she may fit a Glock and each of us will be most comfortable and accurate and learn quickest with what fits us as individuals. That leads to the third truth - the person that will be using the handgun needs to select their own handgun after learning some basics about fitting the gun to themselves and trying it out to be confident it is a good fit. If they know what fits they can pick the caliber that gives them the most confidence whether that's a 9mm or 10mm.

To those ends it is critically important for the new shooter to learn how to grip and point and check sights for fit and then handle a 1911 single and double stack, CZ, Glock, Sig, handguns to find out which of those types of grip angles and widths are most naturally matching how they point the gun. Once that's known it is just a question of finding something that they like in the family that fits.

All that rehashed, if she likes your Shield you already have some indication that that grip angle is a good match for her and she's in the 1911 grip angle family giving a lot of options to pick from. If your Shield is 9mm then she should try one in .40 or even .45 and find out if she's comfortable with those. If she likes the caliber then a compact Shield could be a good idea.

Carry off body isn't desirable, but we all know that if that is the route taken it is critical not to have a handgun rattling around in a bag or purse. They need to be secured and oriented for emergency access and reliability. OTOH, there are some very discrete onbody systems that would allow her to carry under her clothing.
 
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On another site I visit an unfortunate women left her purse in her car with her pistol in it and it was broken into and stolen. I personally don't believe in off body carry unless it's absolutely necessary.
 
I will second Vodoun da Vinci's suggestion of the Glock 42

viking499, My wife was in a very similar situation as yours. She refuses to carry on body (which is more difficult for a female than it is for male). She and I know that off body carry isn't as good, but it's better than no carry at all. She also has pain in her hands (fibromyalgia in her case) so light recoil was important.

When shopping around all the gun shop empolyees would say "38 snub nose". For some reason this is the default gun recomended for women. I don't understand why becasue they are (in my opinion at least) more difficult to shoot accurately than most semi-autos, and they often recoil more. My wife also had difficulty reaching that long double action trigger with her shorter fingers...

After a while we came to the conslusion that a small single-stack .380 was the way to go. Also we wanted to avoid blow-back style pisots as they have more "snap" (my Makarov snaps more than her Glock). We narrowed it down to Glock 42, Sig P238, and Colt Mustang. They all seemed to fit her hand well. We ended up with the Glock mainly because it was the cheapest.

The gun is only half the equation though, she needed a good way to carry it. She bought a dedicated gun purse from Corondo:

http://coronadoleather.com/

It has it's own pocket that is lined with velcro so you can attach a holster to it (a much better option than letting the gun just rattle around inside). The compartment has a lock on it too. Normally it's left unlocked but on the rare times when she needs to set the purse down she'll lock it first. I thought this was a cool feature. It's not enough to stop a theif but it will keep out a curious child (we have 2 small kids)

Then she bought one of these:

http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/H...id/113/slug/Small-Purse-Defender/Default.aspx

The hoslter portion worked great in the Coronado purse. The "L" shaped purse bracket just got set aside, we haven't found a use for it yet...

Anyway while purse carry may not be ideal this system has worked out GREAT for her. She has her gun with her more often than I have mine now...

Also the Glock 42 is actually enjoyable for her to shoot at the range. She joined "girl and a gun" and actually belongs to the same chapter as Kathy Jackson (founder of Cornered Cat). She takes the Glock with her every time they go shoot...

http://www.agirlandagun.org/item/firearms-academy-of-seattle/
 
I was in the shop recently waiting on the background check at the gun store. It's surprisingly looooong to get this transaction done now. I stuck around because I wasn't close to home so I wasn't going to "come back later." I asked to handle the Sig 238 - my Glock 26 dwarfs it. No way in heck would I describe it as comfortable. It was too tiny for me.

I can relate to the recoil issue though. A S&W 36 is heavier than the air weight and more enjoyable to shoot - I speak from experience; bought a S&W 442 twice, sold it twice. The 36 is easier on the hands, as is the Colt Detective Special. Speaking of Glock, a 19 or 26 is also easy on the hands and not hard to handle. A Ruger SP101 2 or 3", GP 3" - this isn't unreasonable if she'll carry in her bag. Purse carry will give her options but she must enjoy shooting it and be comfortable handling the gun.

Laura
 
I'm not going to recommend a gun as the choices I was going to suggest have been covered. I recommend some kind of sewn in, close-fitting, dedicated compartment inside a purse if a gun is going to be carried there, especially with short stroke triggers like those of the Glock or Shield, as well as positioning the gun upright so it is ready for use and not covered or entangled by other objects, not carried loose in the purse.
 
Weak, and, or, arthritic conditions are a bad combination with AL handguns. IMO, and having personally witnessed the notorious "Limp Wrist" syndrome with several individuals. This becomes an elevated concern with physical conditions that effect an individuals ability to properly support the weapon when firing. And although it is possible to reduce the weight of the recoil springs, it's still something that would concern me when someone's life depends on the proper cycling of the firearm.

If it were my wife, I would rent some firearms, both AL's and revolvers to see what best suits her for fit and function, in her hands with live fire. 38 spcl. with the right defense loads, can be far less painful to shoot than a light weight AL.

As to what Arch said, I agree totally, carrying in the purse is not a good plan at all. Bad guys will almost always snatch the purse, it happened to my sister, and she in fact did have a handgun in it. Beyond the purse snatching issue, most ladies have numerous items in their purse that could quite easily get lodged in the barrel, thus causing another serious problem to deal with.

GS
 
You say your wife doesn't like shooting your .38, have you tried any of the low recoil .38 loads, like the Hornady Critical Defense Lite, with the pink tips? Taurus makes a .380 revolver.

Since we can't get women to dress around their gun, like we will, they are going to carry in their purse. She might not have enough time if accosted to draw her semi-auto and get into a defensive position. She may need to fire through the purse to stop the threat. I guarantee you, it's unlikely she'd be able to get more than one shot off with a semi. Between not having a proper grip in the confines of the purse and the slide getting hung up on all the stuff in there. With a revolver, she can keep pulling the trigger until the threat is stopped.

A good point was brought up about a heavier revolver like a 36, an 85 or a Detective Special. When it comes to recoil. Weight is your friend. My wife hated the 442 I had, but has her own 36 now. Couple that with lighter recoiling ammo, and it will be a whole lot less unpleasant to shoot. Still unpleasant, but less so. But it's not a target gun. It's a lifesaver.
 
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As far as what gun, I'm of the opinion to have her try various guns and let her decide.
 
The Ruger LC9 is probably easily found to rent from a gun range to try. It's easier than most to rack, has an easy, though long, trigger to shoot accurately, and does not recoil too badly. If you wanted, you could always load her up with FMJ for better penetration without a hot load to give the shots less snap.

They would fit nicely into any holster/purse, too. It's what I am going to outfit my wife with. Here is a video showing it used with a purse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-57M9mqcaU
 
Whatever gun she likes and will actually carry is the win, regardless of power or magazine capacity.

If any place near you rents, it's worth the rental to make sure you don't wind up with a safe queen.

Also... recoil is extremely subjective. My wife (5'2") claimed my Security Six "kicked too hard" even with mild .38 reloads... but she'd burn through a whole box of full-power .44 Magnums in the Blackhawk. Much sturm and drang and "Whee!" of fun.
 
She said the other evening that she would like to hold one of the new Ruger LCR 9mm revolvers sometime. That might be an option for her.
 
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