Asking for my Wife - Which handgun?
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Asking for my Wife - Which handgun?
My wife is a small lady but she's pretty strong for her size (years of martial arts and athletics). She's 5'0" tall, in the 115 lbs range and trying to go down to 110 at the most. I and some events in and around our neighborhood have convinced her to start shooting, we have yet to get to the range (one of the next two weekends) but she asked me to help her pick out a handgun.
I had her hold a few different ones to get a feel for the weight and overall frame size she'd prefer. She tried my full size XD and thought it was too wide to be comfortable. She thought the .357 Magnum revolver was too heavy (understandable, the thing is a beast). The one she did like was the little Walther P22.
Based on that, I'm leaning toward a Kahr in 9mm more than likely for her, but I'd welcome any suggestions from the ladies on the board as to what they like (especially if they are of comparable size!).
{Title edited for clarity - JK}
I had her hold a few different ones to get a feel for the weight and overall frame size she'd prefer. She tried my full size XD and thought it was too wide to be comfortable. She thought the .357 Magnum revolver was too heavy (understandable, the thing is a beast). The one she did like was the little Walther P22.
Based on that, I'm leaning toward a Kahr in 9mm more than likely for her, but I'd welcome any suggestions from the ladies on the board as to what they like (especially if they are of comparable size!).
{Title edited for clarity - JK}
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- NordicRX8
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Is this something the Mrs. will be carrying concealed or just something to have in case of "things that go bump in the night"?
Here's a good thread for some suggestions:
http://ohioccwforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=20197
Here's a good thread for some suggestions:
http://ohioccwforums.org/viewtopic.php?t=20197
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She's leaning toward a semi-auto, so the revolver might be out but I'll get her to try an airweight SW at least. This will likely be a housegun for a while but she'll end up getting her CHL down the road I think - she just needs to get over the initial hump so to speak of gun ownership.
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I am trying to get my wife started in shooting. IMO a 22 or 380 would be good for starters. If you give her a larger caliber to shoot, it might turn her off. Start with something like a Ruger LCP in 380. Stay away from Keltec, they have a tinny feel. Good Luck.
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I had a Kahr P9 and really hated the recoil. The gun never felt comfortable in my hands, either. I have a Sig P232 now (.380) and I love it. I also like the Walther PPK, which is chambered for .32 and .380. I like the .380 version. You might want to have her try both. An advantage to the Walther is that the mag release is in a more natural spot. The Sig has an awkward mag release near the base of the magazine that takes some getting used to.
Walther PPK
Sig P232
I think both of these guns would be easy for your wife to conceal. I think women have more trouble concealing than men. I've had trouble finding good concealment options for my Ruger P89 and Sig P229, so I carry the one I can conceal most easily.
Hope this helps!
Ann
{edited to shorten links - JK}
Walther PPK
Sig P232
I think both of these guns would be easy for your wife to conceal. I think women have more trouble concealing than men. I've had trouble finding good concealment options for my Ruger P89 and Sig P229, so I carry the one I can conceal most easily.
Hope this helps!
Ann
{edited to shorten links - JK}
- Stephen2
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My wife is the same size only 100#'s though. She is tough too.
We went through this when deciding what she wanted to carry. (We wanted to carry the same gun model.)
She tried many. We liked the size of the Kahr but we wanted something that wouldn't fall apart from shooting weekly for proficiency. (We try to shoot 100 rounds a week each.)
Couldn't do the Glock as we wanted to shoot lead and not jacketed.
She tried a .45 and a 9mm. .45 is the right choice as it has more stopping power than a 9mm. It was too big in her hand though. (She thought the recoil was the same though!)
She couldnt do a double stack 9mm due to width.
We ended up with single stack Firestars. Relatively inexpensive but reliable and solid.
It was a hard choice. We had considered a sub-compact springer XD. More rounds, trigger and grip safety and a few ounces lighter. (But heavier when extra round were added. Firestar 8+1, XD 15+1)
We liked the grip safety but we decided since we have kids that a lever safety would be better suited.
You could carry a smaller caliber but you want something that works. Plus the 9's are cheaper to shoot.
Report back what you decide.
We went through this when deciding what she wanted to carry. (We wanted to carry the same gun model.)
She tried many. We liked the size of the Kahr but we wanted something that wouldn't fall apart from shooting weekly for proficiency. (We try to shoot 100 rounds a week each.)
Couldn't do the Glock as we wanted to shoot lead and not jacketed.
She tried a .45 and a 9mm. .45 is the right choice as it has more stopping power than a 9mm. It was too big in her hand though. (She thought the recoil was the same though!)
She couldnt do a double stack 9mm due to width.
We ended up with single stack Firestars. Relatively inexpensive but reliable and solid.
It was a hard choice. We had considered a sub-compact springer XD. More rounds, trigger and grip safety and a few ounces lighter. (But heavier when extra round were added. Firestar 8+1, XD 15+1)
We liked the grip safety but we decided since we have kids that a lever safety would be better suited.
You could carry a smaller caliber but you want something that works. Plus the 9's are cheaper to shoot.
Report back what you decide.
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Although I tend to agree with much of what has been posted, I would encourage you to consider the laws of physics when selecting a handgun for your wife. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. A pistol needs a certain amount of mass to soak up the recoil.
Thus, air-weight snubbies and plastic-framed autos may be light enough for easy carry, but they can be frankly unpleasant to shoot. I would recommend a larger, steel-framed handgun -- at least for a start. Snubbies make for a nice size carry gun, but try one in steel, so there's enough heft to absorb some of the recoil. Kahr also makes a small 9mm, but their steel frame job is more "shootable" than their plastic frame models.
Both of my daughters learned to shoot with my 9mm Browning Hi-Power. Even though it's got a double-stack magazine it was still slender enough for their small hands.
By the way, we tried the Walther P-22 with great success. It is small, attractive, reliable, and very easy to shoot. Your wife could do a lot worse than that.
Thus, air-weight snubbies and plastic-framed autos may be light enough for easy carry, but they can be frankly unpleasant to shoot. I would recommend a larger, steel-framed handgun -- at least for a start. Snubbies make for a nice size carry gun, but try one in steel, so there's enough heft to absorb some of the recoil. Kahr also makes a small 9mm, but their steel frame job is more "shootable" than their plastic frame models.
Both of my daughters learned to shoot with my 9mm Browning Hi-Power. Even though it's got a double-stack magazine it was still slender enough for their small hands.
By the way, we tried the Walther P-22 with great success. It is small, attractive, reliable, and very easy to shoot. Your wife could do a lot worse than that.
TunnelRat
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My wife hates revolvers and after trying nearly everything really likes (and subsequently has no problem carrying) a Beretta Tomcat in 32acp. While a larger caliber would be ideal if she wont carry anything else then its the right caliber. Load it with FEderal Hydrashocks and the what winds up in the badguy will be more like the width of a .45.
Its more solid than any gun its size that Ive picked up, has a safety, and has a pop-open barrel if you dont want to rack the slide to chamber the first round. Its method of operation is a little different than other autos but it really is a great gun. Pretty accurate too considering the barrel length. Plus it carrys invisible in shorts in a pocket holster.
Its more solid than any gun its size that Ive picked up, has a safety, and has a pop-open barrel if you dont want to rack the slide to chamber the first round. Its method of operation is a little different than other autos but it really is a great gun. Pretty accurate too considering the barrel length. Plus it carrys invisible in shorts in a pocket holster.