Give me some ideas for guns

[baldeagle]

My wife and I went to the range yesterday with two friends, Arleen and Tim. My wife shot my P239 .357 Sig but didn't like the recoil. I tried to get her to shoot my P226 9mm, but she said it was too heavy, and she couldn't rack the slide. She also shot Arleen's Ruger LCP, but she didn't care much for its recoil either. She wasn't too thrilled by the DA trigger either. She liked the SA much better. Finally, she REALLY didn't like the hot brass popping up and hitting her.

So what are her options? I'm thinking it's got to be a revolver, because she really doesn't care for racking the slide and for the ejected brass flying at her. But aren't revolvers, in general, heavier than a comparable semi-auto in the same caliber? The recoil is also a concern. I don't think the recoil of the P239 is bad at all, but she did. I'm almost thinking a .22LR revolver is about the best option, but it's clearly not a man stopper.

I don't think she's ever going to carry, so this would be a house gun for protection. (She's also mentioned a shotgun.) She said she enjoyed the range ("but I hope you don't expect me to love it like you do"), and she will go with me from time to time to practice.

So what are some of the guns that might be good fits for her requirements?

[mctowalot]

IMHO, if she's not planning on carrying it, a Taurus Judge might fit the bill. Also, I wish I could remember who makes it, but there's an eight shot .357 revolver on the market.

You can find "light" loads for both of these for range use, and load them hot otherwise.

There are some great options in .410 on the market, but even a regular .410 buckshot shell has 5 pellets per round.

[NOS]

Not all revolvers are heavier than a semi-auto pistol. It also depends on the pistol. Small polymer framed pistols are hard to beat, but there are plenty of polymer and aluminum framed revolvers starting to hit the market that can compete. The LCR and the S&W Bodyguard come to mind in the light category. Remember that if it's light most times the recoil will be heavier. Most of these types of guns are only rated to shoot .38 special and/or .38 special +p. If you find a .357 with a polymer or aluminum ultralight weight frame, I would stay away from it. The recoil would make it a tough gun to control with the .357 rounds, and follow-up shots would be difficult at best.

I would think you could buy a decent mid-weight revolver in .357 Mag and load it with .38 special or .38 special +p for target practice. If you aren't sure about the stopping power of the .38 special rounds (which are plenty good on their own for SD) when the gun is on home defense duty, load it with the .357 Mag rounds. She'll already be used to shooting the revolver and be confident in her ability to shoot. If she needs it for HD, she will be able to put the .357's on target just as well as the .38's, only with a lot more power.
I have a Ladysmith .357 revolver at home that my wife shoots with .38 special ammo regularly at the range. I have no doubt that in a defense situation, with as many hours as she has with that gun, that she can protect herself and our family if I'm not home.
I'm not going to say that any brand is better or worse for a .357 Mag. I think it's important for you to determine what is in your budget and has the features that you are looking for.

Good luck to you both on finding the right gun for HD

[gwashorn]

Good options above. My wife has arthritis in her right hand thumb and racking a slide is tough for her. she loves her S&W 3913. It racks easy, has a DA/SA trigger and is a light weight alloy frame. So you might consider one of these. She does not CCW with it, just got her a P238 because my wife could not rack the LCP and the trigger pull just way too much. She has a S&W642 but as noted above, these light weight revolvers have a big kick. For HD it would be fine though but not so much for a range gun. The trigger pull in the 642 is a bit heavy though. Does she like 1911s? A light weight model might be nice.

Gary

[seamusTX]

I'm going to put this as diplomatically as I can think of: You are trying to apply a hardware fix to a software problem.

An experienced instructor can work seeming miracles.

Those cute little polymer .380s are evil. I own one. Shooting it is like having my hand it with a hammer. I can deal with it, but I worked my way up to that technique.

- Jim

[Oldgringo]

I'm going to put this as diplomatically as I can think of: You are trying to apply a hardware fix to a software problem.

An experienced instructor can work seeming miracles.

- Jim

That seamusTX, he sure can turn a phrase and...he's usually right.

For the reasons mentioned above, Mrs. Oldgringo settled on a S&W Airlite Mod 638. It's not fun to shoot but it will do, Heaven forbid, what it's designed to do. Get a nice .22 LR to shoot for fun and practice.

That's my 2¢ on the subject. Good luck!

[The Annoyed Man]

Good options above. My wife has arthritis in her right hand thumb and racking a slide is tough for her. she loves her S&W 3913. It racks easy, has a DA/SA trigger and is a light weight alloy frame. So you might consider one of these. She does not CCW with it, just got her a P238 because my wife could not rack the LCP and the trigger pull just way too much. She has a S&W642 but as noted above, these light weight revolvers have a big kick. For HD it would be fine though but not so much for a range gun. The trigger pull in the 642 is a bit heavy though. Does she like 1911s? A light weight model might be nice.

Gary

RACKING THE SLIDE for ladies, courtesy of The Cornered Cat. BTW, a 1911 has a slide. Also, for it to be useful as a carry weapon, it has to be carried cocked and locked. I carry that way routinely, and it is truly a very safe pistol to carry that way, but some people just can't get used to the idea of carrying a pistol with a cocked hammer - no matter how many safety features lie between that hammer and the firing pin. That would be 3, in the case of pretty much any 1911 that doesn't have an "A1" after its designation: thumb safety, grip safety, and firing pin disconnect - 4 if you count the safety between your ears. In other words, the 1911 has to be intentionally fired to actually go off. In any case, while I would have no problem myself recommending that platform to anyone, it might not be her favorite choice for the above reasons.

A female friend of mine in New Mexico got herself a S&W Model 60 for carry. It has a hammer, so it isn't snag free, but she has arthritic hands too and has had at least a couple of carpal tunnel surgeries, and she doesn't have the ability to pull through the trigger stroke. So the ability to cock the hammer before firing is critical to her. She can manage holding and shooting the gun properly; she just can't manage pulling the trigger through a double action stroke. She keeps it stoked with +P .38 Specials. Her husband carries an XD 9 and knows how to use it.

Ditto what Jim said about cute little polymer .380s. I own one too, and I can't stand that thing. For the life of me, I can't figure out why I haven't sold it yet. Larger, heavier guns in more powerful calibers are actually MUCH easier to shoot. If an instructor (not you) can get her to simply try one out, I promise you she'll see that for herself.

I recently taught a female friend how to shoot by starting her on a .22 pistol. She also shot a Glock 19, a 1911, and my M&P 45. Her favorite gun of the day was the M&P 45. That doesn't mean that the M&P 45 is the pistol that she'll ultimately choose to carry, but it does mean that she has confirmed for herself the principle that bigger and more powerful doesn't necessarily mean harder to shoot, and she will incorporate that into her decision making process when choosing a gun for personal carry. That is a perfect example of fixing a software problem, as opposed to a hardware problem. Her search algorithm has been refined.

[bnc]

When shooting the P239, was recoil the only issue? If so, they do make it in 9mm.

[gfmun]

I guess my first question would be does she want a handgun? There are probably a few tons of guns out there lying around purchased by husbands for a wife who did not want it. I own two of them.

Learning to shoot or enjoying shooting a handgun? I would suggest a .22lr, probably a Ruger or Browning pistol. Easy to load and shoot. No noise. No recoil. Work up from there if thats what she wants to do. Big targets at close range.

Home protection? .410 shotgun in double barrel or snakecharmer. Easy to use, effective at close range and easy to teach to use because of low recoil and low noise.

As someone else said, get an experienced instructor. Husbands should not try to teach their wives to drive a straight stick, play golf, or shoot.

just my .02.
thanks,George

[seamusTX]

Husbands should not try to teach their wives to drive a straight stick, ...

I did. With my own car.

There's an old saying that good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. I have lots of experience.

- Jim

[baldeagle]

When shooting the P239, was recoil the only issue? If so, they do make it in 9mm.

It may be different for her, but I don't perceive much difference in recoil between the 9mm P226 and the .357 Sig P239. Maybe that's because I'm used to shooting... I was surprised by her reaction the first time she fired the P239.

[seamusTX]

Hold your wife's hand (there's an idea!) and look at the difference in musculature and bone structure.

Yes, there are women who can handle magnum handguns as if they were sewing needles, but those women are few and far between. Our CompVest is one. Her performance is awesome when she isn't even really trying.

- Jim

[CompVest]

I would come at it from another angle and one I rarely suggest. Give a fun and easy range experience for a while to get her used to all the "stuff". Do it by giving her a 22 to shoot. Try revolver 22 and semi 22. The idea is to get her used to the range and shooting and then see about upgrading to a larger caliber later.


By having her shoot 22 revolvers and semis she will be better able to decide which she prefers.

I don't see any reason to rush into buying a gun for her or for her to rush into choosing one. She can shoot the ones that you have so she is capable of using them to defend herself is needed. Give a her a 22 and enjoy your range time together!

[baldeagle]

Thanks for all the input so far. Some points of interest. I don't know that my wife wants a handgun. She is becoming convinced that she should have some sort of SD weapon available in the home. Thus the reason for trying out my two to see if she liked either one of them. I don't think she's ever going to like handguns (I could be wrong), and I'm not going to push her to buy one. My only concern is that she have something she is competent and practiced with to use in case of emergency. I doubt she's ever going to get a CHL, and that is her choice.

I'm wondering if moving up to a .45 might make sense. I read a number of comments here and elsewhere about women who like the .45 better than the smaller calibers. We're headed to her childhood home next Saturday. I'm sure she will shoot more than one of her father's many revolvers. Maybe something will rise to the top. I forgot to mention that she has some arthritis, so she doesn't have tremendous hand strength.

CompVest, I like your suggestion. This is all very new to her, and it's an adjustment as well as a learning process. She has told me she will go to the range with me "sometimes". So patience, I think, is the right way to go. At least she is now in agreement with me that, as we get older, we are becoming more vulnerable and less able to defend ourselves physically, and it's time to consider firearms for self defense.

[seamusTX]

The century-old .45 ACP has quite a bit less "snap' than 9 mm in an alloy pistol like the SIG or modern calibers.

Shotguns have an undeserved reputation for knocking the shooter on his or her butt. They are quite manageable with competent instruction. Most bad guys looking down the barrel of a shotgun will hear their momma callin'.

Here's a nice .22 pistol. It's not for sale.

- Jim