Which CCW for my wife?

[Mastrogiacomo]

Wow...given the weight and barrel length of the LCR, I can only wonder how a 9mm would recoil....she's a braver woman than I am....

Laura

 

[Ryushin]

I'll have to also say the Sig P238 HD is a fantastic easy to shoot pistol. The HD model has another extra few ounces of weight over the other P238's. My wife has this pistol and it's almost a joke how light the recoil is. It's insanely easy to rack as well. Wife also just bought a Kimber Micro Carry Stainless. She found the recoil almost the same between the two. She finds the Kimber ever slightly smaller then the Sig P238 and it's what she has chosen to use as her CCW when she starts doing that.

She had an LC9 and she put about 750 rounds through it. Absolutely flawless in it's reliability. Sold it though. The recoil stung both of us when shooting it. Though I've read the LC380 is a fantastic little gun to shoot with very little recoil. Also had the LCP and sold it for the same reason's as the LC9.

I also have a Sig P938. Recoil is "slightly" more then the P238. But my wife and put several hundred rounds through it in one range session and neither one of use felt any kind of discomfort shooting it. Even brought along a swat team member along with his older mother. They could not believe the P938 was a 9mm. His golden years mother actually liked shooting the P938 more then the P238. Go figure.

I have a 1968 S&W Air Weight .38 special that I received from my grandfather. Wife does not like shooting it one bit. Recoil is harsh.

For .380's you have a lot of choice to choose from with very little recoil. I cannot even recommend a .32 auto after shooting the P238 or the Kimber Micro.

Another option might be a 1911 in 9mm. Springfield’s Range Officer comes to mind.

Have fun in letting your wife handle all the pistols she can. It's fun to go shooting together.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

I would say the Ruger LCR in .22 Magnum. Lightweight, reliable, good trigger, light recoil, and with Hornady Critical Defense or Speer Gold Dots made for short barrels, the round is effective if placed well.

 

[tomrkba]

Train first! Buy later!

1) Attend leveling classes such that she is ready to attend a two day defensive firearms course. This could be as simple as NRA Basic Pistol or a one day "Ladies' Intro" class.
2) Both of you go to a two to four day defensive firearms class. The school will have guns for her to use.

Start shopping for a gun. She will know what she needs AFTER the class if she has not attended one yet. Otherwise, she will likely choose something small and cute--and absolutely hate it. She won't have any idea of what she actually needs.

Start the paperwork with on the carry permit; usually the defensive course will be accepted for the shooting requirement.

 

[viking499]

Finally had time to stop by a gun shop while on a shopping trip with the family this weekend. Had my wife handle a stack of pistols. Went through many different brands.

After much fondling, she had a top pic as far as feel......and it is one that I already own.

After I told her that this, she said that's good and we just need to work with it and her so she can overcome her short comings with it.

She seems happy so far and so do I......that means I get to buy myself another gun.

 

[MutinousDoug]

I went through with this with my sister 2 years ago. I let her shoot my compact autos: Colt Mustang 380 and Bersa Thunder as well as my model 15 2". She has our old 4" model 19 that we shot as well. She wanted a compact CCW/CHP (Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit). She decided she was most comfortable with a S&W 442. Great! Annoying to shoot but packable.
The wife is comfortable shooting 38's in her 4" Model 66 but isn't going to carry that anywhere she's going. She is not interested in learning an auto manual of arms and neither is my sister. Revolvers are in my bedside safe for that reason.
Girls do what they do...

 

[viking499]

She liked the feel of the LCR 9 next. Followed by the P-07.

Both are on my short list.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

The CZ P01 is on my short list....as the CZ 527 FS....


Laura

 

[goon]

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.

Exactly.

Not to be rude, but in reading these "what gun for my wife" discussions, it seems that sometimes we forget that women are individuals with their own preferences and abilities. It's obvious - maybe so obvious that we feel like we don't need to think about it. But women are going to have to choose their own guns, just like we do.

And the CZ-527... yep. I'd love one in 7.62x39mm. Maybe after I make my first million.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by tomrkba: Train first! Buy later!

1) Attend leveling classes such that she is ready to attend a two day defensive firearms course. This could be as simple as NRA Basic Pistol or a one day "Ladies' Intro" class.
2) Both of you go to a two to four day defensive firearms class. The school will have guns for her to use.

Start shopping for a gun. She will know what she needs AFTER the class if she has not attended one yet. Otherwise, she will likely choose something small and cute--and absolutely hate it. She won't have any idea of what she actually needs.

Well, I didn't do it that way.

What I did was buy first, train, and then buy something else after I had a better idea about what I should be carrying.

That is not the economical way to go about it!