Which HD gun for the wife?

[sammy]

I am trying to decide which of the guns in my safe I should train my wife to use in a HD situation. She never worried about a home invasion even though she has had a past scare with a prowler (not in our current home). Things have changed now that we have something more valuable than ourselves. That would be our 3 year old daughter. A recent home invasion story in the news has convinced her that she should learn how to use a gun to defend herself and our daughter.
She is not a gun person. She has never fired a gun. I will not give her access to a gun until she proves she is safe and knows how to use it.
I have 3 guns that I think she will be most comfortable with.

1. A Smith and Wesson 686 4" .357 7 shot revolver.
2. Glock 34 9mm. 10 rounds 5" barrel
3. Benelli Supernova Pump action shotgun 8 rounds of 2 3/4 buckshot.
What would you recommend?

 

[brighamr]

For a newbie, I recommend firearms training. After she is comfortable shooting different types of firearms and knows that safety/responsibility issues, let her decide.

 

[Treo]

You need to let your wife handle several guns & make her own decision. That is going to be the overwhelming concensus answer to your question.

The next thing they will tell you is to enroll your wife in a basic shooting course and a basic defensive shooting course.

Then they will direct you to cornered cat.com

If you are wise you will listen

 

[ReadyontheRight]

All of the above. Take her out shooting and have her try out all three. If she gets interested, keep taking her out shooting all three. Have her choose which one to keep ready.

If she really has no interest in practice/fun shooting, have her pick one and get her out shooting at least a few more times with it.

If she really gets into shooting, hopefully she will claim one for her own or suggest shopping for something just right for her.

With a toddler around (and more importantly, their curious friends), make sure you have a plan to keep the guns secure yet available when needed. A loaded, shot once revolver in the nightstand untouched for months is not a good answer for home defense.

I'm guessing she'll like the Glock. I personally like the extra safety of a gun that has the option of sitting in condition three.

 

[C96]

It would depend a bit on her physical abilities: Is she small, petite, physically able ?

My wife played tennis, swam and fenced for the university that we attended. It was very easy for her to learn how to physically handle firearms.

Other ladies seem to have some difficulty dealing with the safe and effective handling of firearms.

I would suggest someting like a S&W 640 with some good defensive 38 special ammo. The 640 is hammerless and weighs in at 23 oz so it is not too light.

Or something like a Remington 20 gauge semi auto shotgun.

A few years ago one of my neighbors wife thought she heard something in the middle of the night, got out her revolver, cocked it, didn't find any trouble, didn't know how to uncock it so fired it into the floor of her closet.

Strange things can happen when things don't go as planned.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

I agree with brighamr. After trying to teach my girlfriend (now my wife) how to drive a manual transmission car, have someone else teach her how to shoot.

With CCW and its training requirement in most states, there are all sorts of options.

 

[springmom]

I will not give her access to a gun until she proves she is safe and knows how to use it.

Um... unless she's under the age of 18, she's an adult and it is up to her to decide what she will do and when she will do it.

You need to take her shopping. Let her check out the various guns available. People have different grip preferences, and it may be that none of the guns you have in your safe will fit her. Let me clarify, gun by gun:

1) A .357 is no woman's idea of a "first gun". For a person who's never shot before, this is not a good starter. It's loud. It kicks. It has a honking big flash. Not a good starter gun, not even for a guy. Besides, many women find the DA trigger pull to be difficult (including me, and I shoot a lot).

2) A Glock (in .40 S&W) was my first "favorite" gun, so I have a great bias in this direction. However, not everybody likes the Glock grip; and in truth, when I handled an XD for the first time, I realized how much better the XD grip was for my hand, and it was an XD I bought for my first SD gun. Which leads me back to my original advice.....take her shopping.

3) If she decides she wants a shotgun, I'd bet that it won't be this one. It probably won't have the right LOP for her, unless she's exactly your size (and give our different anatomy, maybe not even then!) A semiauto absorbs a lot of the recoil, though; I have a Beretta Urika 291a in 20 gauge, and I will tell you that I had to have a better recoil pad put on it to avoid brusing, um, important parts.

Just take her shopping. If the two of you believe you have the option of some time regarding threat, a .22 semiauto pistol would be ideal as a starter gun. No recoil, fun as all get out, and she can have a good time with it long after she's moved on to a better SD caliber. It is for her to find her own gun. It is for you to encourage her, take her shooting, and write the check for what she wants.

Happy shopping, and good for you for being willing to get the best for her.

Springmom

 

[CalebJns]

I agree with everything thus far...I am somewhat in the same boat (we don't have children, yet)...but I have been trying to get my wife into shooting. I have convinced her one time to go with me...she shot my .22 revolver, and seemed to like it. We continuously talk and discuss Gun Safety...Just from reading your opening thoughts...I would go along with either the S&W 686 with .38+p ammo or the Glock 34. Something that if the worst case were to happen and she had to "defend" the house while your not home, she would have to handle your daughter, as well and a gun. The pistol would allow for her to hold the daughter as well as a weapon. I think the shotgun would be cumbersome.

 

[SoCalShooter]

I think you will probably need to let her see several weapons and shoot several its really got to be her preference.

 

[sammy]

Thank you all for all the good info. We are in the very early stages right now. Springmom, I did not mean she could not have access but she is far from comfortable with them right now. She is 30 years old and has never had an interest in firearms. The link to corneredcat.com is just what I was looking for. We are going to the range on Monday and I am going to let her shoot the Ruger MKII and possibly the Smith with some mild .38 hand loads. Training is a must, I agree. But she needs to feel comfortable with a firearm first before she attends a class. I don't want her to be too overwhelmed.
Thanks all, Sammy

 

[hso]

I'll reiterate what others have said, you can't pick for her.

Whether she happens to be comfortable shooting a gun has to do with whether it fits her or not and not what anyone thinks she should shoot.

A petite 90 lb friend of mine ended up shooting a .45 P13 most comfortably after working through several different 9mms. Why? Because the grip angle, width and reach to trigger were such a perfect fit for her that the recoil was more than manageable. She shoots sure and fast with her P13.

Another female colleague of my wife's points a Glock and is happiest with the 9mm right now.

Yet another female coworker points a BHP.

My wife fits a CZ 75 and her first gun was the .45 Silver Team Witness that EAA used to import from Tanfoglio. Again, I wouldn't want to comment negatively what she was "supposed" to shoot having watched her chew the bull out of a target at 30 ft. shooting rapid fire with her .45. Time after time after time.

Give your wife the opportunity to fit a gun and she'll be shooting proficiently with it in no time.

 

[bnkrazy]

I vote for letting her decide as well. I got my wife a S&W Ladysmith (.357 Mag / .38spl) as a gift for her first gun. She liked it, and shot it OK, but a < 3" barrel is no fun at the range. Six months later I had to get her a Sig 239 in 9mm. I don't mind having an extra gun, but you can save yourself some $$$ by letting her pick.

That being said, the Benelli is probably the easiest to start out with as well as the "safest" as it's pretty hard to get in front of a shottie and not really be trying. Try her on some target loads and see how she does.

 

[BikerRN]

Have your wife take a Gun Class and learn how to properly handle a weapon, and shoot one too.

You are the Husband, not the Teacher. Do Not try to confuse the two roles and decide that you can teach her.

With that said, I'd suggest the Revolver because they are the easiest to learn on, easiest in terms of "administrative handling" and you don't have to depend on the power of the fired cartridge to cycle a new round in to the chamber. If her gun doesn't go BANG when she wants it to, all she has to do with a Revolver is squeeze the Trigger again.

I have been carrying a gun for over twenty years and I've recently come back to favoring Revolvers for my off duty carry. I like the simplicity and ease of handling as I get older. I have my pick of whatever weapon I want to carry off duty, on duty is a different story, and I frequently choose a Revolver.

The roundgun is the easiest to learn on, but the hardest to "master". I'm still working on "mastering" all of mine.

BikerRN