What gun for wife (pistols, handgun, cost, target)

[NHDave]

.380 isn't considered big by any stretch when discussing self defense calibers.

[countryboy73]

Originally Posted by purplesky

I'm a woman and in the process of testing out guns to buy. I did like the Glock the best of all the ones I tried. One of them I tried kept jamming--I believe it was a Sig. I did try a 380 and loved it, but don't want something so big for home protection, plus the expense of the bullets

Still haven't picked a final one yet, want to test a few more. Most important thing for me is that it wont' jam, especially if I'm aiming it at someone who broke in and is trying to hurt me and my family.

.380 is the smallest caliber I would ever consider for self defense. I have used one as a backup to my .45 until they started shrinking the 9mm pistols. Now I have a .45 that is as small as many .380's for a backup. .380 is less powerful than 9mm, .38 Special(in most loadings), .40 S&W, and most other defense cartridges. For a main defense gun, especially for a house gun that will not be carried concealed out of the house, I would go with a full-size 9mm of some quality. Glock is tops, Springfield Armory XD is good, Sig Sauer is generally good, at least in most models(a 228,229, or 226 in 9mm makes an excellent defense gun). CZ pistols(model 75 variants) are proven performers, too.

If you are unfamiliar with guns in general, a good start is the Smith and Wesson or Ruger .357 Magnum revolver in a 4" barrel, medium frame flavor. Load it with .38+P defense ammunition(easy, swing the cylinder out and drop rounds into the 6 holes, swing the cylinder back into the frame), put it where you want it, and it waits until you need it. When you need it, pick it up, point it at the perp and start pulling the trigger. Keep pulling it until the perp is down and not moving, or until you hear a click. Obviously this is an over-simplification, and you need good training(as important as the gun, really), but the idea was to give you a picture of why a revolver is nice for home defense. No safeties, no magazine releases, no slide stop levers, just a trigger. And no magazine spring to take a set, either. The revolver can literally set on your nightstand for years, and be picked up and put into use with a good expectation that it will fire all six rounds without a problem. Not always the case with an auto.

[M3 Mitch]

Originally Posted by donald cherry

What gun should i buy for the wife,we did rent a 380,boy what a kick. Maybe a 9mm??some thing that has a mild kick,auto,and be able to ccw,what do you guys think. Thanks

Need to know a lot more about your wife - serious shooter or just wants a gat to put on the table next to the bed?

Will she practice? Will she carry? If she carries, how? In a bag, holster, or what exactly?

How big are her hands, how well does she handle recoil, how well can she shoot?

In general a DA revolver with a 3 or 4 inch barrel, maybe 38/357, better a .44 special (or even 44 Mag but I would not stoke it with full house loads unless she's OK with so much recoil and blast...) or 45 ACP or Colt - such a wheelgun would not be a mistake.

For CCW, the Ruger LCP in either 38 or .357 would be really tough to beat.

I would not particularly recommend an automatic for anyone with limited hand/arm strength, and/or who won't practice with it a good bit.

Years ago I would do martial arts and IPSC shooting with the same general crowd, there was a cute blonde in the group who would be just fine with a 1911 in .45 ACP, or whatever Magnum wheelgun you handed her. You wouldn't know it to look at her.

[Nite Ryder]

Well you have gotten quite a few ideas to consider. I would find a way to show more than one pistol to your wife, and let her choose which she likes the best. If it were me, I's have a couple small revolvers like the SW&W J Frame in 38 special to show her. Re-read post #12, he has good advice. A revolver is much easier for a woman who is inexperienced to use. Some women have trouble pulling the slide back on a semi auto, which of course is necessary to load the first round. The most important advice I can give is whatever you get, practice makes all the difference. If she won't pactice a baseball bat is just as effective as a gun. One of my wife's handguns is a 38 special J frame, she practice's with one of my J Frame's in 22 lr caliber.

[eidas]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

For CCW, the Ruger LCP in either 38 or .357 would be really tough to beat.
.

husband got me LCP semi-auto; I COULD NOT deal with the slide--sold it to a friend & got revolver. Trigger pull was still hard, so had gunsmith loosen it up a bit.

For target shooting/gun familiarity have her use a 22

my SIL/I found a great class (just the 2 of us) that taught us more about gun handling than our husbands had in the combined 70 years of marriage.

[Ghostly1]

My wife loves her Walther PK.380. Easy slide and take-down. Good sights. I have a PPS 9mm and for a pocket/belly gun a S&W Model 637 I had the trigger pull worked on.

[Cyborgt800]

What gun for wife?

Well, I traded my wife for a Mini-14 and a P90! ...I think it was a good trade!

[Rudydog1]

My first gun was a Bursa 380 auto...to start with it was great, good with hollow points. From there I purchased a 38 LCR 5 shot which is totally effortless accept you better get the job done in 5 rounds unless you are skilled at a speed loader or plan on using two guns..;}My latest purchase for the most power is a 9 MM Beretta PX4 Storm...nice unit. I have smaller hands and a little arthritis so the Glocks did not work. Since I conceal carry via a purse I felt more comfortable with a safety. The Storm does not have much recoil as far as I am concerned and is a little heavy to carry in a handbag. The slide is very manageable for me and it is a great weapon. However, 9 mm ammo is as you know hard to find and price is expensive...So questions I considered were was I going to carry daily or just leave in night stand. BTW...the Storm has a 17 round magazine clip you can purchase...that does project slightly out of the stalk but with hollow point loads..awesome fire power for we ladies...while we still can.

[donald cherry]

my wife has a ruger 38 wheel gun for the house,and she wants a sa/da w/hammer auto w/safety,she did try my beretta px4 sub,and like it but she jam it up ,do to limp wristing......

[M3 Mitch]

Another point in favor of the LCR is you can get one in .22 as well as .38 or .357, so you can practice with the .22.

I have read the DA (and it's DA only) trigger pull on the LCR is quite good, that it's fairly user-friendly.