Best semi automatic pistol for woman?


First, let her pick it out. I introduced her to several
pistols, just to get an idea about recoil, handling, operating,
etc. Then we went pistol shopping. I tried steering her
towards revolvers, but she did not like the feel, or the
function. We tried the Ruger LCP, Beretta Tomcat, Bersa
Thunder, a Kel-Tec, a used Sig 9mm, a Glock 9mm, an XD-9
subcompact, and finally the S&W M&P 9c(compact). S&W M&P 9c
went home with us, after the 48 hour waiting period.

My wife has gone through an NRA Personal Protection Pistol
class. She has practiced under stress, and is fairly lethal.
I am figuring if her life is in danger, she has 50/50 odds.
If the grandson, or her sons are in danger, the odds go up to
95/5 the bad guy is going to have a bad day. If I am around,
she will be behind the bed screaming.
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Since I am use to the screaming, it will be disorientating
for the bad guys.
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Squeeze
 
Squeeze, It sounds like you have a good wife and you are a wise man for giving her her head in personal choices....

Great analogy about the screaming...
 
So important to let her choose.

To try and help some more that that.

http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx

That site will point you in a good direction. The lady who put that info out has shared a lot of good info.

Keep in mind that racking the slide will get easy with practice for her. I have trained my wife and many other women to shoot and have yet to find one that cant manipulate a semi-auto after learning how.

All that said. My wife looked at many pistols and tried a bunch. She ended up with a Springfield XDsc.

The one that was easiest for her to rack the slide was the Glock 19, but she preferred the XD.

Good luck
 
I've seen a lot of ladies that had trouble running a slide (wife and daughter included) and it most often involved them pinching the slide between their thumb and forefinger and trying to pull the slide to the rear....

A simple change of technique can fix this...

Hold the handgun in your strong hand, (trigger finger indexed outside the trigger guard) across the front of your body -chest high (pointing to the left - assuming you're right handed) place your weak hand along the top of the slide and grasp it with the thumb on one side and fingers on the other.(palm over the ejection port) Now, using both hands - shove! left hand to the right, right hand to the left. Release the slide and let it return to battery.

I've taught this technique to a lot of folks who just swore they could not run a semi-auto.
 
If she can't rack a slide when everything is operating correctly, getting a jammed case out because she limp wristed on the first shot is a guarantee the bad guy gets her if the first shot didn't connect. Get a DA revolver and get ome trigger time in. You can pick up a used Ruger Security Six for about your price range, and it will function every time, no questions asked.
 
I know guy who is selling an armenius .38 revolver for $75. I may just buy her that and buy myself a pistol and let her practice with mine until she just gets used to it
 
Got my daughter a Glock 19. A good .22 pistol might be better than a centerfire she can't shoot handle safely. Lead flying from a .22 is better than no lead at all in an emergency. Also they are in your price range.
 
I'd get as many in her hand as possible, see what she likes the best (in 9mm) and save the $$ until you're able to buy the one she REALLY likes. Buying her something she doesn't want (something that doesn't fit or "look" right) or something she doesn't like (something with too much kick) will never motivate her to use it. If she picks it out after she has had at least 10 in her hand you stand a better chance of happiness.

That said my wife picked up a Ruger P95 in 9mm and loves it....still after 10+ years, with no desire for anything else. I wish I could be so satisfied :-D
 
Originally Posted By: claimbusterYup, the old guy bought and trained Mrs CB back many years ago on two S&W J-Frames. She has a 2" and a 3" 38 Special. She doesn't shoot enough to know how to handle an auto and I worry about that. She's not mechanically inclined and a jam, FTF or FTE would be a disaster. The S&W won't act funny because it has a year's worth of closet lint in it and it won't jam.

However, her first line of defense, at the house, when I'm on the road is a short barreled Remington M870. She knows how to shoot a shotgun and I would feel sorry for some POS that came through the front door when she had her 870. BTW, we don't use buckshot either. Her gun is loaded with target loads, a target load with #8 shot at 50' is devastating. After being hit with 1 1/4 oz. of #8's, I doubt any POS will want to come any further.


I would up the shot size. #8's to the torso is going to hurt like [beeep] but will not likely render them incapacitated, especially if that person is wearing layers of clothes. I'm sure you folks if Colorado wear layers for a few months out of the year. Like you said I doubt they'll want to come any further, but what if they have a gun? They don't have to come closer to shoot.

Why not up it to some BB's? Don't take chances with a POS with a weapon.
 
I had gotten the ex a small auto as she "liked" that better than a snub revolver, mostly cuz it (a Colt Mustang) was lighter and a bit more compact than the DA snubbies of the day, and she liked the "looks" of it better!!!!!. In hind site, she'd of gotten a small hammerless DA revolver, and I'd've taken the crap later! KISS is THE principal to go by in this case, and there's too much to go wrong with an auto for an everyday concealed gun for most people who don't think about guns all day (ie, not most of us on here!!)! The good hammerless revolvers will cost more, but it is your family's lives we're talking about here. 38 is enuf gun, and is better in a little gun to train with, 357 is rough on pretty much anybody in a snubbie. Training reloads can be loaded down even more. A 22LR in the same model is a great trainer.

JMHO - whatever you get her, train with it a bunch. NRA training is great and worth the time - for the whole family. As some way more experienced guys in defensive shooting have said, "A handgun is to get you to your shotgun!"

On shotgun loads - http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=176

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm#SHOTGUN%20AMMUNITION

That said, I have mine loaded with 2 3/4" #6 birdshot to start, and it's gets progressively larger shot thru the magazine. I'm in town, and the nearest house is an old frame house 12' away - both of us have one layer each of siding, wood and plaster/lathe separating us. When I'm getting to the end of my ammo, I figure I'm getting desperate - 00's! JMHO.
 
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Although they may not be the most modern looking, double action revolvers are easy enough to use that, once she has the marksmanship part down, your wife will likely be well armed even without the benefit of hours of practice. Will just picking up a double action make her a gunfighter? No, but having no other controls but a trigger is a definite plus. The immediate action drill of "pull the trigger again" is also very easy to remember under stress.
An auto is going to need its slide and/or controls manipulated at some time during firing or malfunctions.
 
Originally Posted By: wahoowadWhile she's fumbling with that slide - he's on her. Outsmart her somehow and get her a accept a shiny revolver.

fumbling with the slide? it should be fully loaded and ready with the hammer down and safety on, before she walks out her door.

t/c223encore.
 
Originally Posted By: t/c223encoreOriginally Posted By: wahoowadWhile she's fumbling with that slide - he's on her. Outsmart her somehow and get her a accept a shiny revolver.

fumbling with the slide? it should be fully loaded and ready with the hammer down and safety on, before she walks out her door.

t/c223encore.

Thats the thing...... I want to get her something that we can keep cocked and locked. I just want to make sure it is something that isnt too bulky or kicks too much.
 
My wife carried a KelTec P32 in her purse for several years. She liked the small size and light weight. I didn't like the caliber for self defense, and she didn't like the recoil of my P-3AT. I would consider the .380 as a bare minimum for a true SD weapon. I do carry one as a BUG everyday.

I finally convinced her to carry the S&W 642 (Airweight 2" .38 Special)that I got her for Christmas a couple of years ago. It maybe adds another 12 ounces to a purse that already weighs 6 to 8 pounds.

If I thought that a Glock or a 9mm KelTec would be better, I have several of them available.

The .38 snubbie is rock-solid reliable, has plenty of punch with high quality ammo, and she has way more experience shooting revolvers than semi-autos. Nothing to get messed up - like a safety to fumble with, or an unseated mag. Her 642 has a set Crimson Trace Laser Grips that came with it and she likes the laser a lot. I liked the CT grips so well that I bought a set for my 638.

Unless your wife is going to practice regularly and a lot, a DA revolver would be a much better choice in my humble opinion.
 
Any semi-auto she is going to get won't she have to actuate the slide sometime. Is she going to be able to do this? On a DA Revolver she points and pulls the trigger.
 
Look at a XD or XDM or G19 in 9mm. Easy as pie to shoot, ladies love them. Look at the service size.
 
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Originally Posted By: CJWOriginally Posted By: claimbusterYup, the old guy bought and trained Mrs CB back many years ago on two S&W J-Frames. She has a 2" and a 3" 38 Special. She doesn't shoot enough to know how to handle an auto and I worry about that. She's not mechanically inclined and a jam, FTF or FTE would be a disaster. The S&W won't act funny because it has a year's worth of closet lint in it and it won't jam.

However, her first line of defense, at the house, when I'm on the road is a short barreled Remington M870. She knows how to shoot a shotgun and I would feel sorry for some POS that came through the front door when she had her 870. BTW, we don't use buckshot either. Her gun is loaded with target loads, a target load with #8 shot at 50' is devastating. After being hit with 1 1/4 oz. of #8's, I doubt any POS will want to come any further.


I would up the shot size. #8's to the torso is going to hurt like [beeep] but will not likely render them incapacitated, especially if that person is wearing layers of clothes. I'm sure you folks if Colorado wear layers for a few months out of the year. Like you said I doubt they'll want to come any further, but what if they have a gun? They don't have to come closer to shoot.

Why not up it to some BB's? Don't take chances with a POS with a weapon.

CJW, you are probably right on this one. If a perp breaks in with heavy winter clothes on, my #8's may not do the job.

THX!

I am still sticking with my suggestion of a 5 or 6 shot DA revolver though. That suggestion is based on the notion that it is going to a less than total savvy gun handler that doesn't shoot a lot.

Mrs. CB needs coaching on how to change out a light bulb and gets out to the range once every 5-6 years. No sir, no semi-auto in her hands.

All kidding aside, the revolver is the best gun for HER safety.
 
I went thru all this revolver stuff with my wife too.I think 5.Most of them the triggers were too hard for her to even pull without using 2 fingers!!I had at least one trigger spring lighten one up.But then you may get a no bang light strike.The .22 was ok but I thought she needed a more powerful gun.So one day I ask her about a semi.She says yes thats what I want and why you keep telling me NO
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i show her a new glock 27 in store,She likes,trigger pull great she buys!She also can shoot it better then a wheel gun. I rack the slide for her carry use.10 shots of black talons outta do it.
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my 2 cents
 
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