Gun suggestions for Wife...

[Byrd666]

Find A Girl And A Gun group or trainer in your area. Encourage her to attend a meet....bribe her if necessary. She'll be among other women who have similar issues and experiences. She'll also get to try a variety of guns. Let her make the choice....

Absolutely

 

[rman]

so one consideration is she's not a shooter, not a hobbyist, none of that. A gun to her is like a fire extinguisher to a chef. It's for emergencies.
Will that change? Maybe, but unlikely. She's on my family membership at Defender Outdoors here in FW, but it's mostly for me and the kids.

She can hit a target decently at the range. Can she shoot under duress? Probably about as good as half the people (translation: ehhhhhhh).

So I did what any reasonable, level-headed human would do. I bought a complete 380 slide/recoil assembly/barrel for her gun. $250 brand new on ebay. Need to get 12 round mags, I'm assuming her current 12 round baseplates will fit since it's frame specific (P365x)

Reviews say it's very reliable and super manageable as long as she doesn't limp wrist, which she doesn't do.

Any excuse to buy gun stuff is justified to me. "My wife can't handle her P365.... so I bought her a registered G3 trigger pack"

 

[smittyb]

I’m just gonna suggest something to give an alternative.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/44969/ruger+5439+lcr+lcrx+single+double+action+.22+wmr+1.87+6+round

Load with Speer GDHP
Lightweight, low recoil, but effective

 

[General Zod]

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

The first question you need to make sure you know the answer to is...if she is in a self-defense situation, will she shoot? Otherwise giving her a firearm is the same as arming her attacker. My wife has assured me she could never point a weapon at another human being with any likelihood of using it - gun, knife, whatever. So I don't even try to suggest she arm herself. No, I don't like it, but there's no point in trying to get her to change.

The second question is...why don't you let her decide? And maybe look at larger pistols. My wife's favorite gun of mine to shoot (out of the two times she's shot) is my full size 1911A1 - because the mass of the pistol means recoil is mild and the grip fits her hand well. She doesn't like its weight, though. Let your wife try several options out (and this does mean getting her out to a range where she can try them). Don't put some super-lightweight .357 in her hand and assume everything will be fine - for one thing, she'll fire it once and never want to touch it again from the sound of things. If she settles on a .22, and is willing to use it, it'll still discourage most assailants because people simply don't want to be perforated and bleed. If you can get her into a .380 or a 9mm, then do so, but trying to pick one for her is guaranteeing she won't like your choice...just like the Sig you chose for her. There's nothing you can do to that pistol that'll make it appeal to her - she's already tried it once and made up her mind. To her it'll always be that same gun she didn't like.

 

[rman]

The first question you need to make sure you know the answer to is...if she is in a self-defense situation, will she shoot? Otherwise giving her a firearm is the same as arming her attacker. My wife has assured me she could never point a weapon at another human being with any likelihood of using it - gun, knife, whatever. So I don't even try to suggest she arm herself. No, I don't like it, but there's no point in trying to get her to change.

The second question is...why don't you let her decide? And maybe look at larger pistols. My wife's favorite gun of mine to shoot (out of the two times she's shot) is my full size 1911A1 - because the mass of the pistol means recoil is mild and the grip fits her hand well. She doesn't like its weight, though. Let your wife try several options out (and this does mean getting her out to a range where she can try them). Don't put some super-lightweight .357 in her hand and assume everything will be fine - for one thing, she'll fire it once and never want to touch it again from the sound of things. If she settles on a .22, and is willing to use it, it'll still discourage most assailants because people simply don't want to be perforated and bleed. If you can get her into a .380 or a 9mm, then do so, but trying to pick one for her is guaranteeing she won't like your choice...just like the Sig you chose for her. There's nothing you can do to that pistol that'll make it appeal to her - she's already tried it once and made up her mind. To her it'll always be that same gun she didn't like.

she would shoot, especially if the kids were with her... I don't think it's an easy choice for anyone but she's come around to the notion that it's her or them.

As far as having her pick... it's an option, but she normally makes me do all the picking. Yes, it's weird. She would shoot the P365 if she needed to. As much as we'd eat our own feces if it was some weird life or death situation. Choices will be made lol.
The 380 conversion should make it a lot easier for her and possibly get her more accustomed to it.

 

[General Zod]

she would shoot, especially if the kids were with her... I don't think it's an easy choice for anyone but she's come around to the notion that it's her or them.

That's good. My wife would freeze up completely. Nothing to be done about it.

 

[rman]

That's good. My wife would freeze up completely. Nothing to be done about it.

i mean, for all we know, we might be the same way. At least for me, I've never been in that situation.

 

[General Zod]

i mean, for all we know, we might be the same way. At least for me, I've never been in that situation.

I've never had to draw. But I've been in the situation twice where I had my hand on the grip and was about to.

 

[Axxe55]

i mean, for all we know, we might be the same way. At least for me, I've never been in that situation.

TO BE HONEST PROBABLY MOST OF US NEVER HAVE EITHERTHIS IS WHY TRAINING ANDPRACTICE ARE VERY IMPORTANTTO BUILD SKILLS THAT WE RELY UPON WHEB SOMETHING GOES WRONG!

 

[Axxe55]

I've never had to draw. But I've been in the situation twice where I had my hand on the grip and was about to.

IMO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS ONE OF THE MORE CRUCIAL SKILLS A PERSON SHOULD LEARN!

 

[rman]

TO BE HONEST PROBABLY MOST OF US NEVER HAVE EITHERTHIS IS WHY TRAINING ANDPRACTICE ARE VERY IMPORTANTTO BUILD SKILLS THAT WE RELY UPON WHEB SOMETHING GOES WRONG!

exactly. I've been training with my church to get that muscle memory down. Learning to draw and either find the front sight or the dot in my sight picture, and pulling the trigger smoothly

 

[Byrd666]

Two things. IF, and just if, I were to want my lady to have a pistol/wheelgun at her disposal for that situation and knowing her abilities were that of a novice, I would do my best to get her to a Girl and Gun function, (of which I might have some contact info. for you, if you want it. PM me.) and I would put the highest capacity .22lr handgun I could within her reach. Loaded with either Federal Punch, or CCI Fragmenting HP rounds. Lightweight with minimal to nonexistent recoil and minimal noise, with loads that should the job.

 

[Riley]

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

If it’s in her purse, size is less of a consideration.

I think she may be saying it’s “heavy” because of the stout recoil. For most people who don’t understand, It’s counterintuitive that bigger guns are easier to shoot. I would definitely setup something bigger and heavier.

 

[WT_Foxtrot]

My wife has shot with me at times over the years, but reluctantly and never really enjoyed it, mainly because the weapons were really a bit too much for her with recoil, etc. BUT she decided after a couple incidents a couple years ago that she wanted to carry, so obviously that search began.

I knew a 9mm or larger was more than what she would want and I ended up buying her a Glock 42 .380 for Christmas on a good deal from GAG kind of as a trial. It's compact, light and very little recoil, but of course it's a .380. Figured is she didn't like it, I'd sell or trade for something else. She loved the fit in her hand right away. We went to the range together a couple weeks later and she absolutely loved it and after a little practice and a few tips, actually shot the eyes out. I was actually quite surprised at how accurate she was right out of the gate. Now she's comfortable as hell and constantly begs me to go shooting.

Just my experience and YMMV.

 

[seeker_two]

Loaded with either Federal Punch, or CCI Fragmenting HP rounds. Lightweight with minimal to nonexistent recoil and minimal noise, with loads that should the job.

That fragmenting crap is useless for anything larger than a squirrel. Stick with the deep-penetrating .22lr rounds like Punch or Velocitors.

 

[rman]

My wife has shot with me at times over the years, but reluctantly and never really enjoyed it, mainly because the weapons were really a bit too much for her with recoil, etc. BUT she decided after a couple incidents a couple years ago that she wanted to carry, so obviously that search began.

I knew a 9mm or larger was more than what she would want and I ended up buying her a Glock 42 .380 for Christmas on a good deal from GAG kind of as a trial. It's compact, light and very little recoil, but of course it's a .380. Figured is she didn't like it, I'd sell or trade for something else. She loved the fit in her hand right away. We went to the range together a couple weeks later and she absolutely loved it and after a little practice and a few tips, actually shot the eyes out. I was actually quite surprised at how accurate she was right out of the gate. Now she's comfortable as hell and constantly begs me to go shooting.

Just my experience and YMMV.

I'm somewhat of a collector (i think addict is a better definition) that rarely gets rid of guns. If the p365-380 conversion isn't where she wants to be, then no big deal.

Now that we've got a membership to the range, going isn't a "burden" anymore. We can hit the range for 30 minutes and not feel we have to maximize our lane fees. Perhaps she'll start going a little more often.

 

[General Zod]

I'm somewhat of a collector (i think addict is a better definition) that rarely gets rid of guns. If the p365-380 conversion isn't where she wants to be, then no big deal.

Now that we've got a membership to the range, going isn't a "burden" anymore. We can hit the range for 30 minutes and not feel we have to maximize our lane fees. Perhaps she'll start going a little more often.

Maybe something like a Walther PPK - small, but it has some mass and will absorb recoil, and .380 is fairly gentle-shooting. And the pistol itself is compact enough she may not think of it as "heavy".

 

[hornetguy]

I've thought about a nice little wheelgun for her. I don't expect her to get in a shoot out, but an old reliable non-jamming 5-rounder certainly fits the bill.
I have an old colt detective special and it's a soft shooter even w/ a 2" barrel.

Especially if you load it with target wadcutter loads.... sounds like you already have it....

 

[hornetguy]

My wife is an occasional shooter at best. She complained about hard to rack slides. We ended up going to a gun show and trying everything we could... She picked the Sig P238.... I had never owned a Sig (cost, mostly), but I was tickled that she wanted it.... so.... "yes ma'am", and we took it home. She has shot it several times, and is good enough with it... her problem is that she is not a "gun" person, and has to think about how to get it loaded and going. I'm still working on that.
Sort of a double edged sword..... I'm trying to nudge her back to a smaller revolver with light loads, but she says "I have a gun already"

 

[oohrah]

My granddaughter likes the S&W 380 EZ