handgun for my wife


cskinner675

Cskinner675
We are moving to florida in a month and she is worried about break-ins because our apartment is on the first floor. Also she wants a firearm to carry in her purse for protection reasons. what would be some of yalls opinions on a firearm for her. Thanks
 

For a woman unacquainted with firearms, I would choose something small, simple, and reliable. I tend to like Sig Sauer pistols, and their new P238 line is short and to the point. It's easy to use, has 6 rounds of .380, and is priced comparitive to a Glock. Sig also has a whole assortment of slightly larger concealable pistols, such as the P239, P232, and the P229 for the feel of a full size with a shorter barrel.
 
I agree with Pianomistro. Something small and reliable, but I would recommend a revolver. One of the small
5 or 6 shot .38 special or .327 federal caliber one would be perfect. She would not have to worry about a magazine, racking the slide, or remembering to take the safety off in a stressful situation. That can be problem
if She is not that familiar with firearms.
 
What type of firearm should you get?

My question is how much time has she had at the range? Do not carry a pistol in a purse, if your purse is stolen, weres the gun? In the purse. Now the crook has the purse, and a double bonus, your firearm. Carry this in some type of a holster on your person.
A revolver in a 357 Mag wolud be a great choice, you can used 38s for pratice and carry too, try an Ruger SP101. But if she wants, she has the option to use the 357 cartridge. For a semi automatic pistol a Glock 19 or a 23 would be a great choice also. Go to a local range and rent a few guns, see whats going to work for her. I have seen to many guys buy a gun for the misses and they dont evan use it. The reason is that it scares them, or it does not fit them at all.
Let her be the one who chooses the gun and be supportive on the choice. It may make things much easier on you at home. Take a few safety classes that are NRA certified classes in this area of interest. For around the home, a shot gun may be another great choice. Use a 2 3/4 inch shell, in a 4 to 6 shot load with an 1 1/8 once pay load. This will not penatrate walls and carry to far either. Point and leter go. The sound of a pump shot gun has a destinctive sound when racked. It speaks for its self.

:biggrin:
 
Three things:

1) I would suggest a great home defense weapon for y'all would be a 20 gauge shotgun (like a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870) using tactical shot #4.
2) And, agree w/HK USP 40 cal... your bride should carry on her person… to legally do so would require a CCW permit. The classes in Florida are quick and cheap. Y'all could take the CCW class together! :)
3) Take her to a gun range that allows test runs with pistols before buying. Let your wife shoot a number of weapons focusing on comfort in her hand and which one feels right to her.

But, I would definitely recommend a semi-auto: H&K compact, Glock or S&W are great choices.

If you don't mind me asking... where in Florida are y’all moving to?
 
We are moving to florida in a month and she is worried about break-ins because our apartment is on the first floor. Also she wants a firearm to carry in her purse for protection reasons. what would be some of yalls opinions on a firearm for her. Thanks

My opinion would be to take her shopping to a gun. She is the important part of the equation here not what we think. Have her shoot a few. My wife tried barettas, sigs, S&W, she ended up with a Taurus PT140 pro.

She loves the feel in her hand and can shoot very will with it
 
Two things you never buy a woman...... Shoes..... and a gun. You'll never get the one that fits just right. Best thing to do is take her to shops and let her handle some. Then see if you can rent the ones she likes the best. If you get one that fits her well it'll be fun for her to shot and she'll be more likely to practice with it.

Having said that have her look at the Bersa Thunder .380. Its a sold made gun, not to heavy, easy to conceal, and for around $300 won't break the bank.

Hope this helps.

What part of Florida are you moving to?
 
Enough with the "get this" if she is not that familiar with firearms stuff!!!

If the thread was, What gun should the 240lb jock who know nothing about guns carry this thread would be ... get the training, learn what you are doing, and nothing else ... but because it is "the wife" ???

The answer is NONE! Either she learns to handle a firearm safely, securely with the right training and attitude or she does not carry ... period!

Treat her like you would any male freind. Take her to the range, let her shoot your guns, let her rent some guns, have her take the classes and then let her pick the gun she is going to carry.

Of course, I reccommend she look at the P-3AT or the LCP, they are my primary carry ... light, small, and simple to operate and folks, there is plenty of stopping power in a .380.

I also agree that purse carry is dangerous and BTW, purse grab is THE most likely attack that she will be exposed to here in Florida (as I assume most places). Most female LEO no longer purse carry. And really, how often does a woman wear a dress these days? Slacks have pockets, and again the little .380s with a billfold backer holster pocket carry even in thin materials with no printing.

Glad she is wanting to join the ranks. It is just so important that she do it right, because in the long run it is what will keep her alive.
 
Two things you never buy a woman...... Shoes..... and a gun. You'll never get the one that fits just right. Best thing to do is take her to shops and let her handle some. Then see if you can rent the ones she likes the best. If you get one that fits her well it'll be fun for her to shot and she'll be more likely to practice with it.

Having said that have her look at the Bersa Thunder .380. Its a sold made gun, not to heavy, easy to conceal, and for around $300 won't break the bank.

Hope this helps.

What part of Florida are you moving to?

We finally agree on something!
 
Take her out shooting. Invite some friends. Let her try as many different options as possible. I have a decent selection of handguns and I would have guessed that my wife would pick either the Kahr CW9 or the Ruger SP101 in .357. After trying all my pistols, and training with a couple of them at Front Sight, her choice is the XDm-9. Now to figure out how to conceal it.

I also agree that a purse is not the ideal place to keep your firearm. If you are determined to go this route, at least buy a purse made for carrying (separate compartment for the firearm and steel cable reinforced shoulder strap).
 
I agree with everything already said
only thing I would add is to take her to range and bring some female shooters
it would make her more comfortable, and there will be female shooter's guns that
she can try out
 
I own a pt140 pro real good gun for me so far have about 3500 rounds with no malfuctions of the firearm have had some bad primers in some range ammo over all i really like the gun also i have a xd45c tactial and berreta m92 but carry my taurus most of the time
 
PREPARE FOR A NOVEL!!!:biggrin:
]It all depends on her training or willingness to train. When I was a LEO/ Firearms Instructor, our Dept sponsored "Handgun Classes for Women", in response to women arming themselves, but not knowing how to handle a firearm. They would show up for class with everything from Raven 25 Auto's to Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mags with 10" barrels. Bubba would buy his wife a cannon or a ladies gun.

Many would show up with 9mm or 40 autos of various makes and models, some with revolvers. Most knew they would never be able to shoot the semi-auto in a REAL-LIFE situation if they needed to. They had no confidence with them because they got minimal training and the pistol was too difficult to understand with a little training, much less under stress in a shooting for defense. Have her do a rapid malfunction clearance drill and see what happens. Now have her do it after she's run for 2 blocks and rolled around on the sidewalk being attacked, or locked in a bedroom with her daughter and a telephone. Keep it simple. Point, pull trigger, BANG! No safety levers, mags to bump into place, you get the drift.

Out of all of the guns they brought to class, and several that I provided for use in class, they always came back to two guns and they were both revolvers. They loved the K Frame S&W's like the model 66, model 10, 65 or 15. And the J frames like the model 60 or 36, and some liked the Airweights because they carried them and they were lighter. Remember many women make better beginning shooters and students, because they don't have to maintain the mocho man image, and having to appear that they already know about guns. They will learn if taught properly. I've trained over a thousand women in the basics and with alot of range time. The only thing I can tell you for certain is this. KEEP IT SIMPLE, KEEP THE RECOIL COMFORTABLE, USE EAR PLUGS OR MUFFS, KEEP THE RANGE CLOSE TO START WITH AND BUILD CONFIDENCE.

They like simple, because it doesn't overwhelm them with too much information in something as "scary" as a firearm. They can handle recoil, but not much to start. Most defensive shootings occur within 10-12 feet. Start there. Teach them to aim, but also teach them to point shoot at close range. She's not a damn sniper. Many have trouble pulling the slide to the rear with proper force. How is she going to do that to clear a malfunction? The cylinder of a revolver is easily opened to see if it is loaded or unloaded and to load or unload. They like that. It's comfortable and easy. As a first gun for the house, a 4 inch barreled 38 or 357 mag is great. It's easy to shoot and hit with, and the recoil is not as severe.

For carry, a 5 shot J-Frame snubby. If it's too heavy or bulky, THEY WILL NOT CARRY IT. EVEN IN THEIR PURSE. They complain about the weight on their sholder strap, or the bulge in their waistband, etc. If they must carry in a purse, get a holster that will hold the gun upright and easily accessed or let her pick out a concealed carry purse. Teach her that when she's walking through a dark parking lot, keep the gun in her hand in the purse. If a Thug Monkey tries to snatch the purse, he pulls the purse off of the gun, and it stays in her hand. Trust me, I know this. Women dress differently than you do, and don't tell them to re-think their wardrobe and their appearance. It ain't gonna happen. At least not drastically. You have to adapt to their world, because they've been taught how to dress from a child and there are standards they are going to have, when it comes to girl things. Trust me, I know this.

So get her a couple of revolvers and some light loads and heavier defense loads and get to work. She will understand the differrence in the lightweight gun and heavier gun at the range. If she wants later, she can work into a semi-auto, once she develops the understanding of the way things work with guns. I can't tell you how many damn cops I've seen, telling a first time buyer woman, don't buy that revolver, revolvers are antique peices of sh*t! Here get this Super Duper Tactical Operator 40 with Night Sights and a Combat Light with the camo finish, because that's what he carries after graduating an Academy and working the street for 5 years. Or Bubba telling his wife, just shoot this here 44 magnet in their general direction. You don't even have to aim it or hit him. He won't hang around for the second shot. Or Biff the yuppie telling his wife," here honey, here's a "Micro Baby 25". It's a ladies gun. I shoot a 45, but this is all YOU need for your protection. Yeah, after all, you are so much more of a target than she is, right? LAST BUT NOT LEAST, get her away from the "Movie Mentality". It don't work like TV. Make sure she understands that.
 
By the way, safety is a key issue. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILAR WITH ANY FIREARM, DO NOT HANDLE IT.Until you recieve proper instruction. Becuse if you have a situation that may require attention to detail, you may end up in hot water your self. Safety first. Also keep a cell phone charged and by the bed. This is a great idea, for the fact that if some one cuts the land lines to your home phone, you can call for help. Also make sure to let the cops know were you are at in your home. Stay there, and be sure that you tell 911 you are armed. This will give the responding officers vital information that is needed to ensure your safe:pleasantry:ty and theirs also.
 

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