Gun suggestions for Wife...

[Texan79423]

IMO a .22 is not a defensive weapon. A 380 is marginal. I would recommend starting a woman on a 22 then when she learns to properly handle the weapon teach her to handle the recoil of a larger caliber.

Women can and do handle large caliber weapons when trained.

 

[leVieux]

IMO a .22 is not a defensive weapon. A 380 is marginal. I would recommend starting a woman on a 22 then when she learns to properly handle the weapon teach her to handle the recoil of a larger caliber.

Women can and do handle large caliber weapons when trained.

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Absolutely !

Many times it is the individual weapon, not the caliber. My Wife does better with one of my .45ACP’s than w/ one of the .380’s.

Try different weapons; but, always keep in mind that the gun most likely to be present when needed is always best.

Simply b/c any gun is a lot better than no gun when there is an immediate threat !

leVieux

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[Moonpie]

Last year I went this same process with a female relative.
She was a non-shooter.
After several range trips with all manner of various guns some conclusions were determined.
1.) Weight - the gun had to be light weight. She is older with weak arms & hands
2.) Recoil - she was terrified by recoil. Being basically a non-shooter she was never going to practice enough to overcome this.
3.) Cost of shooting it. Limited resources dictated low cost practice and operation. No expensive spare mags were going to happen. Low cost ammo would also help promote more practice sessions.
4.) Ease of use. IMO, for shooters with very minor experience, revolvers make more sense than semi-auto handguns. Semi's REQUIRE much more practice at Manual of Arms to master and operate safely. Too easy to ND with. Same goes for using S/A mode on a D/A revolver.
So after considering all this the Ruger LCR pretty much nailed every point.
Now remember, this thing wasn't going to be used to shoot 1000yd Creedmoor matches so Minute of Watermelon across the room was acceptable accuracy.
The LCR is quite lightweight. Yes, there are some very light weight .38 snubbies out there but recall criteria #2 and #3. Being relatively lightweight the LCR doesn't tire the shooter as much as a heavier weapon.
Recoil with .22LR is a nothing burger. This helps tremendously with desire to shoot more frequently. The uber lightweight.38 snubbies kick like hell. This is a no go zone.
Revolvers are very simple to operate. Another plus is they can utilize ANY 22lr ammo for practice and/or plinking. Bulk crap El Cheapo works just as well as Premium for paper punching. Not jammo-matic here unlike many semi's who can be primadonnas with ammo. The LCR hits another checkmark by being DAO. Point and click so to speak. I had read where the DAO Ruger guns had a remarkably decent trigger. This proved to be true with the LCR that I eventually acquired.
Revolvers are simple to clean. No loose parts to be lost or misplaced. Revolvers can also handle neglect(as opposed to abuse) quite well. A revolver can be left dirty/uncleaned, loaded, and tossed in a sock drawer, and 12 yrs later can be pulled out and it'll most probably go bang. Don't try that with a semi.
I am in the camp of It doesn't really matter what caliber you choose, It does matter that you have a weapon when you need it. That little .22lr in your hand when you need it beats the everloving shit out of that $5500 Wilson Combat 1911 locked away in the gun safe because It's too purdy to carry. So if you have that little lightweight 22lr around you, carrying it, you'll probably have it with you when need it.
A word about performance: Today there are several .22lr rounds available that are decent performers when it comes to penetration. Examples would be Stingers, Federal Punch, Velocitors, even the old classic CCI mini-mag 40grn solids aren't exactly slackers. Bulk crapola Wal-Mart rounds should not be utilized for this.
Of course .22lr isn't ideal for SD use but go back to the I'll have this gun with me because it doesn't weigh a fookin ton to carry part and you'll see my point.
The LCR hits another checkmark because its not a huge gun. It fits in pockets, purses, in a waist holster, etc easily.
A word on rapid reloads with the LCR: I know of two speed loaders available for the LCR. Speed Beez is one, Ammo Pod is the other. The Speed Beez isn't one I'd recommend doe pocket carry. It's a dandy for range use tho. The Ammo Pod is more compact and hold the rounds more firmly, its also much less prone to spill rounds in a pocket. It is super easy to use. One or two of these and your on body ammo supply is decent.

Now......where is my coffee?

 

[smittyb]

Last year I went this same process with a female relative.
She was a non-shooter.
After several range trips with all manner of various guns some conclusions were determined.
1.) Weight - the gun had to be light weight. She is older with weak arms & hands
2.) Recoil - she was terrified by recoil. Being basically a non-shooter she was never going to practice enough to overcome this.
3.) Cost of shooting it. Limited resources dictated low cost practice and operation. No expensive spare mags were going to happen. Low cost ammo would also help promote more practice sessions.
4.) Ease of use. IMO, for shooters with very minor experience, revolvers make more sense than semi-auto handguns. Semi's REQUIRE much more practice at Manual of Arms to master and operate safely. Too easy to ND with. Same goes for using S/A mode on a D/A revolver.
So after considering all this the Ruger LCR pretty much nailed every point.
Now remember, this thing wasn't going to be used to shoot 1000yd Creedmoor matches so Minute of Watermelon across the room was acceptable accuracy.
The LCR is quite lightweight. Yes, there are some very light weight .38 snubbies out there but recall criteria #2 and #3. Being relatively lightweight the LCR doesn't tire the shooter as much as a heavier weapon.
Recoil with .22LR is a nothing burger. This helps tremendously with desire to shoot more frequently. The uber lightweight.38 snubbies kick like hell. This is a no go zone.
Revolvers are very simple to operate. Another plus is they can utilize ANY 22lr ammo for practice and/or plinking. Bulk crap El Cheapo works just as well as Premium for paper punching. Not jammo-matic here unlike many semi's who can be primadonnas with ammo. The LCR hits another checkmark by being DAO. Point and click so to speak. I had read where the DAO Ruger guns had a remarkably decent trigger. This proved to be true with the LCR that I eventually acquired.
Revolvers are simple to clean. No loose parts to be lost or misplaced. Revolvers can also handle neglect(as opposed to abuse) quite well. A revolver can be left dirty/uncleaned, loaded, and tossed in a sock drawer, and 12 yrs later can be pulled out and it'll most probably go bang. Don't try that with a semi.
I am in the camp of It doesn't really matter what caliber you choose, It does matter that you have a weapon when you need it. That little .22lr in your hand when you need it beats the everloving shit out of that $5500 Wilson Combat 1911 locked away in the gun safe because It's too purdy to carry. So if you have that little lightweight 22lr around you, carrying it, you'll probably have it with you when need it.
A word about performance: Today there are several .22lr rounds available that are decent performers when it comes to penetration. Examples would be Stingers, Federal Punch, Velocitors, even the old classic CCI mini-mag 40grn solids aren't exactly slackers. Bulk crapola Wal-Mart rounds should not be utilized for this.
Of course .22lr isn't ideal for SD use but go back to the I'll have this gun with me because it doesn't weigh a fookin ton to carry part and you'll see my point.
The LCR hits another checkmark because its not a huge gun. It fits in pockets, purses, in a waist holster, etc easily.
A word on rapid reloads with the LCR: I know of two speed loaders available for the LCR. Speed Beez is one, Ammo Pod is the other. The Speed Beez isn't one I'd recommend doe pocket carry. It's a dandy for range use tho. The Ammo Pod is more compact and hold the rounds more firmly, its also much less prone to spill rounds in a pocket. It is super easy to use. One or two of these and your on body ammo supply is decent.

Now......where is my coffee?

Once again, you absolutely nailed it.

That being said, why not 22WMR? Ammo is not quite as cheap, but you get a considerable bump in performance for a very small increase in recoil.

 

[General Zod]

IMO a .22 is not a defensive weapon. A 380 is marginal.

Y'know, I'm not going to volunteer to be shot by either. If what she'll carry/use is a .22, it's a damn sight better than expecting her to just use her fists.

 

[Moonpie]

Once again, you absolutely nailed it.

That being said, why not 22WMR? Ammo is not quite as cheap, but you get a considerable bump in performance for a very small increase in recoil.

22WMR was tried..
1.) These days 22WMR ammo is quite expensive. Upwards of $15+ a box it takes it out of the easily affordable zone for my particular shooter.
2.) 22WMR out of a snubbie is a beast. Massive muzzle blast. Recoil, as you said, isn't much but the blast along with the tremendously loud report was too disconcerting for my particular shooter.
3.) I only had one handgun available for her to experiment with in 22WMR(S&W M351). She didn't care for the heavy trigger pull in D/A. I was averse to let her get too used to using the S/A mode as I felt this would lead to an ND in a tense situation. That long pull thru to fire trigger pull is just safer IMO.
I couldn't find a speed loader in 22WMR for the Ruger either.
For an experienced shooter a LCR in 22WMR is a fine choice.

 

[leVieux]

Last year I went this same process with a female relative.
She was a non-shooter.
After several range trips with all manner of various guns some conclusions were determined.
1.) Weight - the gun had to be light weight. She is older with weak arms & hands
2.) Recoil - she was terrified by recoil. Being basically a non-shooter she was never going to practice enough to overcome this.
3.) Cost of shooting it. Limited resources dictated low cost practice and operation. No expensive spare mags were going to happen. Low cost ammo would also help promote more practice sessions.
4.) Ease of use. IMO, for shooters with very minor experience, revolvers make more sense than semi-auto handguns. Semi's REQUIRE much more practice at Manual of Arms to master and operate safely. Too easy to ND with. Same goes for using S/A mode on a D/A revolver.
So after considering all this the Ruger LCR pretty much nailed every point.
Now remember, this thing wasn't going to be used to shoot 1000yd Creedmoor matches so Minute of Watermelon across the room was acceptable accuracy.
The LCR is quite lightweight. Yes, there are some very light weight .38 snubbies out there but recall criteria #2 and #3. Being relatively lightweight the LCR doesn't tire the shooter as much as a heavier weapon.
Recoil with .22LR is a nothing burger. This helps tremendously with desire to shoot more frequently. The uber lightweight.38 snubbies kick like hell. This is a no go zone.
Revolvers are very simple to operate. Another plus is they can utilize ANY 22lr ammo for practice and/or plinking. Bulk crap El Cheapo works just as well as Premium for paper punching. Not jammo-matic here unlike many semi's who can be primadonnas with ammo. The LCR hits another checkmark by being DAO. Point and click so to speak. I had read where the DAO Ruger guns had a remarkably decent trigger. This proved to be true with the LCR that I eventually acquired.
Revolvers are simple to clean. No loose parts to be lost or misplaced. Revolvers can also handle neglect(as opposed to abuse) quite well. A revolver can be left dirty/uncleaned, loaded, and tossed in a sock drawer, and 12 yrs later can be pulled out and it'll most probably go bang. Don't try that with a semi.
I am in the camp of It doesn't really matter what caliber you choose, It does matter that you have a weapon when you need it. That little .22lr in your hand when you need it beats the everloving shit out of that $5500 Wilson Combat 1911 locked away in the gun safe because It's too purdy to carry. So if you have that little lightweight 22lr around you, carrying it, you'll probably have it with you when need it.
A word about performance: Today there are several .22lr rounds available that are decent performers when it comes to penetration. Examples would be Stingers, Federal Punch, Velocitors, even the old classic CCI mini-mag 40grn solids aren't exactly slackers. Bulk crapola Wal-Mart rounds should not be utilized for this.
Of course .22lr isn't ideal for SD use but go back to the I'll have this gun with me because it doesn't weigh a fookin ton to carry part and you'll see my point.
The LCR hits another checkmark because its not a huge gun. It fits in pockets, purses, in a waist holster, etc easily.
A word on rapid reloads with the LCR: I know of two speed loaders available for the LCR. Speed Beez is one, Ammo Pod is the other. The Speed Beez isn't one I'd recommend doe pocket carry. It's a dandy for range use tho. The Ammo Pod is more compact and hold the rounds more firmly, its also much less prone to spill rounds in a pocket. It is super easy to use. One or two of these and your on body ammo supply is decent.

Now......where is my coffee?

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Gee, Moonpie; I didn’t realize you were that intelligent. That discussion was excellent.

Now, is there a GLOCK for that ?

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[Moonpie]

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Gee, Moonpie; I didn’t realize you were that intelligent. That discussion was excellent.

Now, is there a GLOCK for that ?

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You should see me walk and chew gum at the same time.

 

[leVieux]

You should see me walk and chew gum at the same time.

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I have gained new respect for Moonpie !

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[O.S.O.K. 1961]

Let me preface this by saying my wife doesn't shoot. She's gone twice.

I used to keep a XD9 Tactical (5") in her nightstand. Will probably put it back there with a cheaper streamlight or something on it.
She has shot that before and it was fine.

I got her a P365x awhile ago, got it cerakoted all girly and crap. Zero'd it in on Sunday, she shot 1 round and hated it.
She watched the kids shoot a suppressed Walther P22 or whatever it's called and thinks that's the ticket

Outside of finding a stronger wife, what would be a good gun for her to carry in her purse when she makes her midnight trip to Racetrac for a slushy?
She already complains the tiny P365 is heavy.

I've thought about putting a compensated slide on it, like the Spectre Comp or the X-Macro, but I don't think that will do much. I have an x-macro and maybe it's more controlled, but it still packs a punch even compared to a P320 carry.
View attachment 392663

I suggest that you get a Taurus 856 and a couple boxes of wad cutters and let her try that. She might actually have fun... And while not optimal, I would not want to get shot with a wad cutter which will penetrate adequately and do the job if needed. It's also good from the standpoint of not producing muzzle blast and recoil is very mild of course.

 

[leVieux]

I suggest that you get a Taurus 856 and a couple boxes of wad cutters and let her try that. She might actually have fun... And while not optimal, I would not want to get shot with a wad cutter which will penetrate adequately and do the job if needed. It's also good from the standpoint of not producing muzzle blast and recoil is very mild of course.

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Excellent suggestions.

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[scattergun6]

Speed Loading - .22 Caliber - Page 1 - 5 Star Firearms

.22 caliber speed loaders, range blocks, bedside blocks and carriers.

5starfirearms.com

I'm looking at these to complement my LCR in .22 Magnum

 

[shipwreck]

I was surprised at how much I liked this gun, so I bought one. VERY light, and shoots amazingly soft.

You can even add +2 extensions from Taran Tactical:

I am recovering from surgery, and this is my summer gun. Loaded, it is just slightly over 1 pound.

 

[Jc2468]

Let me preface this by saying my wife doesn't shoot. She's gone twice.

I used to keep a XD9 Tactical (5") in her nightstand. Will probably put it back there with a cheaper streamlight or something on it.
She has shot that before and it was fine.

I got her a P365x awhile ago, got it cerakoted all girly and crap. Zero'd it in on Sunday, she shot 1 round and hated it.
She watched the kids shoot a suppressed Walther P22 or whatever it's called and thinks that's the ticket

Outside of finding a stronger wife, what would be a good gun for her to carry in her purse when she makes her midnight trip to Racetrac for a slushy?
She already complains the tiny P365 is heavy.

I've thought about putting a compensated slide on it, like the Spectre Comp or the X-Macro, but I don't think that will do much. I have an x-macro and maybe it's more controlled, but it still packs a punch even compared to a P320 carry.
View attachment 392663

So… My wife has tiny hands- and well… weak fingers too. We tried several handguns. The first of which was my Beretta. Disaster. She ended up renting a S&W .38 to complete the CPL class. Which even then, she struggled to pull the trigger. Practice would help her. And she goes out maybe 1-2 times a year now. She does not shoot a lot and isn’t big into firearms. However, she tried a Sig P238 at the range and she loved it. It is incredibly compact, light, and very easy trigger pull. The slide is very light- I sometimes forget that it is not a toy. Lol. Extended mag gets you to 7 rounds of .380- not the best capacity or caliber wise- but a good easy to use insurance policy gun for the wife!

 

[leVieux]

So… My wife has tiny hands- and well… weak fingers too. We tried several handguns. The first of which was my Beretta. Disaster. She ended up renting a S&W .38 to complete the CPL class. Which even then, she struggled to pull the trigger. Practice would help her. And she goes out maybe 1-2 times a year now. She does not shoot a lot and isn’t big into firearms. However, she tried a Sig P238 at the range and she loved it. It is incredibly compact, light, and very easy trigger pull. The slide is very light- I sometimes forget that it is not a toy. Lol. Extended mag gets you to 7 rounds of .380- not the best capacity or caliber wise- but a good easy to use insurance policy gun for the wife!

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The very best weapon to start with is always the one which is most likely to be present when needed.

Considerations of ‘’how well she shoots it’’, mag capacity, caliber, etc. should all be very secondary.

If it is not to be THERE, it is useless.

So ‘’carry-ability’’ should be decisive for all newbies !

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[scattergun6]

So ‘’carry-ability’’ should be decisive for all newbies !

And "like-ability." We are all impacted by how something looks or feels or smells or...no matter how much someone else feels an item is cool or state-of-the-art or desirable, if it doesn't appeal to us personally it won't be treasured, won't be kept, won't be used. We all buy guns that appeal to us in one way or another...no reason to think your wife or friend won't be the same.

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

Smith & Wesson EZ, either 9mm or .380.

 

[rman]

I'm not sure if I ever updated, but i got a complete 380 slide for her P365 and a pair of mags. Just got to get a few mags through it so that she's comfortable.

As-is, her P365x does the job when needed. But why not get her something that she's less reluctant with so that there's no hesitation.
As far as effectiveness, I don't expect her to be in a situation where she'll need to engage a threat beyond 5-7y. I can't see the future, but this is an EDC. Inside the house if I'm not home, sleeping, or dead, she can handle a full-size 9mm fine. I taught her to shoot on a XD9 Tactical 5"

 

[leVieux]

And "like-ability." We are all impacted by how something looks or feels or smells or...no matter how much someone else feels an item is cool or state-of-the-art or desirable, if it doesn't appeal to us personally it won't be treasured, won't be kept, won't be used. We all buy guns that appeal to us in one way or another...no reason to think your wife or friend won't be the same.

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Exactly.

But, we often see their male significant other over-riding or altering their decision.

Their first carry gun should be whatever they prefer to CARRY. The intent is to try to get them to ALWAYS carry, first.

Pushing them often results in their resistance to carrying, which defeats the protective purpose.

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[leVieux]

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Exactly.

But, we often see their male significant other over-riding or altering their decision.

Their first carry gun should be whatever they prefer to CARRY. The intent is to try to get them to ALWAYS carry, first.

Pushing them often results in their resistance to carrying, which defeats the protective purpose.

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My Wife has a G19, a G26, & a couple of the most expensive J-frames.

Mais-la, What does she carry ?

A P3AT, & w/o extra magazine.

Better than nothing. . . . . .

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