Sidearms & Scatterguns carry pistol for the wife
- Thread starter stoney15
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Re: carry pistol for the wife
My wife carries a S&W 442 Air Weight and I must say, I think I'm going to pick on up as well as a pocket gun. With only being 5 rounds, the cylinder is really skinny. With the quality defensive ammo out there, 38 +P critical defense is more than anyone would want to stand in front of, far better than the .32ACP in my current KelTec pocket gun.
That being said, depending on how she wants to carry, she could go with a higher capacity gun. If doing purse carry, she may want to try a semi auto like a G26, M&P Compact, M&P Shield Sig 938 or a Kahr CW9/PM9. All of those could probably be concealed belt side also for a smaller woman.
Best of luck
My wife carries a S&W 442 Air Weight and I must say, I think I'm going to pick on up as well as a pocket gun. With only being 5 rounds, the cylinder is really skinny. With the quality defensive ammo out there, 38 +P critical defense is more than anyone would want to stand in front of, far better than the .32ACP in my current KelTec pocket gun.
That being said, depending on how she wants to carry, she could go with a higher capacity gun. If doing purse carry, she may want to try a semi auto like a G26, M&P Compact, M&P Shield Sig 938 or a Kahr CW9/PM9. All of those could probably be concealed belt side also for a smaller woman.
Best of luck
Re: carry pistol for the wife
Depends how she's carrying it. Revolvers are considerably thicker than many semis, though still my preference in a compact. If your wife is willing to dress around the gun that's rare and impressive, mine's not really, we got her a DB9, yesterday, no rounds thru it yet, better trigger than the Ruger, smaller than a Kahr, simpler than a Sig, and she didn't like the Kel-Tec, however online reviews appear mixed. "Pocket" 9mms I think are about ideal, lots of choices.
Depends how she's carrying it. Revolvers are considerably thicker than many semis, though still my preference in a compact. If your wife is willing to dress around the gun that's rare and impressive, mine's not really, we got her a DB9, yesterday, no rounds thru it yet, better trigger than the Ruger, smaller than a Kahr, simpler than a Sig, and she didn't like the Kel-Tec, however online reviews appear mixed. "Pocket" 9mms I think are about ideal, lots of choices.
Re: carry pistol for the wife
^^^this^^^^
Just like us guys, your wife needs to try each option and decide for herself. While I like my M&P 9 and my Kahr P9, I often find myself carrying my S&W 642. Argue all you want about capacity, width, caliber, and recoil, but each of us ultimately chooses what we like best, whatever the reason(s).
So the answer is, you need to let her shoot, handle, and choose based upon what she likes and NOT what makes the most logical sense or meets your criteria. That way, she'll like it and be comfortable carrying it and therefore she WILL carry it.
Self protection is a personal decision and despite all facts, opinions, and expertise applied, if its not what we like, it won't get carried. And that's the worst choice of all.
My opinion...
^^^this^^^^
Just like us guys, your wife needs to try each option and decide for herself. While I like my M&P 9 and my Kahr P9, I often find myself carrying my S&W 642. Argue all you want about capacity, width, caliber, and recoil, but each of us ultimately chooses what we like best, whatever the reason(s).
So the answer is, you need to let her shoot, handle, and choose based upon what she likes and NOT what makes the most logical sense or meets your criteria. That way, she'll like it and be comfortable carrying it and therefore she WILL carry it.
Self protection is a personal decision and despite all facts, opinions, and expertise applied, if its not what we like, it won't get carried. And that's the worst choice of all.
My opinion...
Re: carry pistol for the wife
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lash</div><div class="ubbcode-body">^^^this^^^^
Just like us guys, your wife needs to try each option and decide for herself. While I like my M&P 9 and my Kahr P9, I often find myself carrying my S&W 642. Argue all you want about capacity, width, caliber, and recoil, but each of us ultimately chooses what we like best, whatever the reason(s).
So the answer is, you need to let her shoot, handle, and choose based upon what she likes and NOT what makes the most logical sense or meets your criteria. That way, she'll like it and be comfortable carrying it and therefore she WILL carry it.
Self protection is a personal decision and despite all facts, opinions, and expertise applied, if its not what we like, it won't get carried. And that's the worst choice of all.
My opinion... </div></div>
Excellent advice right here. If I were aiding a S/O in purchasing a carry firearm, I'd try to get her in front of as many reliable firearms and let her sort out her choice. Don't steer toward or away from any particular firearm she chooses, the one exception being to avoid the unreliable crap out there.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lash</div><div class="ubbcode-body">^^^this^^^^
Just like us guys, your wife needs to try each option and decide for herself. While I like my M&P 9 and my Kahr P9, I often find myself carrying my S&W 642. Argue all you want about capacity, width, caliber, and recoil, but each of us ultimately chooses what we like best, whatever the reason(s).
So the answer is, you need to let her shoot, handle, and choose based upon what she likes and NOT what makes the most logical sense or meets your criteria. That way, she'll like it and be comfortable carrying it and therefore she WILL carry it.
Self protection is a personal decision and despite all facts, opinions, and expertise applied, if its not what we like, it won't get carried. And that's the worst choice of all.
My opinion... </div></div>
Excellent advice right here. If I were aiding a S/O in purchasing a carry firearm, I'd try to get her in front of as many reliable firearms and let her sort out her choice. Don't steer toward or away from any particular firearm she chooses, the one exception being to avoid the unreliable crap out there.
Re: carry pistol for the wife
I begged, borrowed and stole as many pistols and caliber combinations as I could when trying to find my wife a gun she liked. I get .40 ammunition issued for free, 1000 rounds per year x just over 10 years of not practicing with it = a pretty good stash, so I was naturally leaning toward anything .40 cal.
She hated, despised, wouldn't even touch the .40 guns after trying a few of them. She tried the Glock 27, 23, 22, M&p.40 in compact, midsize, Kahr CR.40, PPK, some revolvers, etc.
When she got to the Glock 19, she said "this ones kinda ok"
The Glock 17 "wow"
The Glock 34 "This ones nice, I can shoot this one really good"
Then she shot a M&P 9mm Julie Goloski edition, with the Warren sights and pink grip. "Wow, it shoots like the big one (glock 34) but looks nice too" (she put the whole magazine into a 12in group at 25 yards, the same as with the G34.)
She now carries the Julie Goloski everywhere she goes, to work, to the mall, while driving her Suzie Soccermom BMW (with her ccw permit of course).
For those who havn't tried the M&P, its just like a Glock, but with all the square parts rounded
I begged, borrowed and stole as many pistols and caliber combinations as I could when trying to find my wife a gun she liked. I get .40 ammunition issued for free, 1000 rounds per year x just over 10 years of not practicing with it = a pretty good stash, so I was naturally leaning toward anything .40 cal.
She hated, despised, wouldn't even touch the .40 guns after trying a few of them. She tried the Glock 27, 23, 22, M&p.40 in compact, midsize, Kahr CR.40, PPK, some revolvers, etc.
When she got to the Glock 19, she said "this ones kinda ok"
The Glock 17 "wow"
The Glock 34 "This ones nice, I can shoot this one really good"
Then she shot a M&P 9mm Julie Goloski edition, with the Warren sights and pink grip. "Wow, it shoots like the big one (glock 34) but looks nice too" (she put the whole magazine into a 12in group at 25 yards, the same as with the G34.)
She now carries the Julie Goloski everywhere she goes, to work, to the mall, while driving her Suzie Soccermom BMW (with her ccw permit of course).
For those who havn't tried the M&P, its just like a Glock, but with all the square parts rounded
Re: carry pistol for the wife
The one that she will actually carry... My ex started out with a Glock 19, but it weighed down her purse to the point that she quit carrying it. Shifted over to a xD Sub Compact 9mm and she still carries it.
I completely let her select it based on grip feel, and only kept her away from the junk and the gimmicks. Finding a range that has several rental options helps out too.
The one that she will actually carry... My ex started out with a Glock 19, but it weighed down her purse to the point that she quit carrying it. Shifted over to a xD Sub Compact 9mm and she still carries it.
I completely let her select it based on grip feel, and only kept her away from the junk and the gimmicks. Finding a range that has several rental options helps out too.
Re: carry pistol for the wife
my wife uses a smith 442. she wants a pocket pistol but cant rack the slide on any of them very well. i told her if she cant rack it and had a jam shes screwed.
my wife uses a smith 442. she wants a pocket pistol but cant rack the slide on any of them very well. i told her if she cant rack it and had a jam shes screwed.
Re: carry pistol for the wife
My wife carry's the Smith and Wesson 380 bodyguard and loves it. I also have heard good things about the Ruger lcp.
My wife carry's the Smith and Wesson 380 bodyguard and loves it. I also have heard good things about the Ruger lcp.
Re: carry pistol for the wife
just get her a S&W 38 special....its what the cops carry for backup
just get her a S&W 38 special....its what the cops carry for backup
I have two first is a Taurus CIA it is a concealed hammer so it is primarily a double action but it has the option to pull for single action. I had to have the trigger worked on tho bc she could not pull it in double action. My smith took it from ab 10 lbs to ab 6 lbs and could not take it any further bc if so single action would be less than ab 1-1.5 lbs. The second is a M&P compact a much better action but it is a auto so if it jams and she doesn't know how to properly clear it on instinct then the CIA is a better action. My suggestion is to take her and let her put her hands on all of them she likes and try the trigger bc if it has a long trigger pull most women don't like it. or at least that is my experience. She also likes my 1911 but she cant conceal a full frame 1911 wo going way out of the norm. Hope this helps.
I begged, borrowed and stole as many pistols and caliber combinations as I could when trying to find my wife a gun she liked. I get .40 ammunition issued for free, 1000 rounds per year x just over 10 years of not practicing with it = a pretty good stash, so I was naturally leaning toward anything .40 cal.
She hated, despised, wouldn't even touch the .40 guns after trying a few of them. She tried the Glock 27, 23, 22, M&p.40 in compact, midsize, Kahr CR.40, PPK, some revolvers, etc.
When she got to the Glock 19, she said "this ones kinda ok"
The Glock 17 "wow"
The Glock 34 "This ones nice, I can shoot this one really good"
Then she shot a M&P 9mm Julie Goloski edition, with the Warren sights and pink grip. "Wow, it shoots like the big one (glock 34) but looks nice too" (she put the whole magazine into a 12in group at 25 yards, the same as with the G34.)
She now carries the Julie Goloski everywhere she goes, to work, to the mall, while driving her Suzie Soccermom BMW (with her ccw permit of course).
For those who havn't tried the M&P, its just like a Glock, but with all the square parts rounded
I agree completely my wife picked both of the ones I mentioned out all on the own I just kept her away from the crap. She also is the only person I have ever seen jam a glock on multiple occasions so I kept her away from them. I cary her M&P most of the time, and can shoot a 2" group with it a ab 20-25 yrds. Most of us have a caliber that we like more than others but you have to remember that even a .22lr will kill someone it is the caliber that kills more than any other in the us just due to accidents.
Good Idea. My wife asked me to get her a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 with the laser sight. Then, we went to the range, and she said the grip stung her hand. Her fingers are long, but her hands are small, yet she actually prefers to shoot many of my guns which are large grips. My hands are "XL" when buying gloves. We ended up getting her a Bersa Thunder 380 with the 15 round double stack mag. This is not a terribly light gun, but it is fairly small, has quite a few rounds in it, and is pretty easy to handle. Even still, she is always asking me if she can use my 45, 357, etc. I gave her my Astra A-100 45, and she takes that with her in the car when she travels in-state.
Really, you want to have her shoot different types, even calibers, and sizes. For me, my first impression as I pick up a pistol, get a good grip with my strong hand, and rack the slide, that is usually the best indicator for me if I will like it. I go for fell first, and size is second. If you aren't comfortable shooting it, you lose something in effectiveness. You probably want to take it apart as you would for cleaning, and look it over inside. Ease of take down and cleaning are part of my decision. I just got a Beretta PX-4 Compact 9mm. It fits my hand well, but I wish I had paid more attention to the innards of the gun. It has a very flimsy looking plastic thing below the return spring. I am not sure how long this will last. I also was not able to fire it before I bought it. It may just need breaking in, but the ejector was catching/not moving enough, and the rounds were jamming in feed. I took it apart, and the ejector seemed to be contoured "backwards," so it was catching the round between the base and the ejector ring. I recontoured it, and this helped, but the spring still seems a little stiff. It cycles fine when firing, but to chamber the first round you have to be a little rough with it. Hope it breaks in, or else I'll have to get a gunsmith to work on it.
These are the things you can't tell in the gunstore. We have a couple stores near us who also have indoor ranges. They rent quite a selection of firearms too, so you could shoot before you buy. They give you a certificate for a free range session with the purchase of a gun, so you could test first with a rental, buy, and then test right there so if there were to be a problem, you are right where you bought the gun and can have them address the issue.
Best of luck with your choice, and be prepared, you might wind up buying more than one before you're done.
My wife carries a M&P Shield 9mm IWB. She uses a FoxX IWB holster the most but has some kydex on the way to try out also. The Shield is very thin and conceals well. We both run M&Ps of various sizes in 9mm, so this helps continuity of training and manipulation. I am happy she has chosen to carry on-body and puts in the time to train with it.
my wife got a beretta bobcat 22 this summer and she loves it. She's small and needed something very easy to conceal, this seems to be perfect.
Whatever she likes the most is what she should carry.
S&W J-frame
Ruger LCR
Glock 26/27
M&P Shield
Ruger LCP
S&W Bodyguard .380
Just to name a few.... My carry guns are most often M&P shield, S&W 360PD. Also carry my 1911's and Glock's from time to time depending on what I am doing.
S&W J-frame
Ruger LCR
Glock 26/27
M&P Shield
Ruger LCP
S&W Bodyguard .380
Just to name a few.... My carry guns are most often M&P shield, S&W 360PD. Also carry my 1911's and Glock's from time to time depending on what I am doing.
I would stay away from critical defense ammo. I did a lot of testing and it was not even close to the best. Buy Speer .38+P 135 grain gold dot SB. That round kicked all the others ass when I ran them through the FBI test protocol at work. The Speer round is engineered specifically for short barreled revolvers. Only thing I carry in my J-frame after that test.
I would argue that a Glock 19 would be a good choice. My wife carries a S&W 642 air weight. It has taken her probablly 600 or700 rounds to just get proficient with putting the bullets in a nice tight group at 10 yards. Truthfully the J-frame is a master class gun. It has trench sights which are nice wide and open, it has a 1.5 inch barrel and the sight radius is about 2.5 or 3 inches. The trigger pull is atrocious (women don't always like that) and worse yet, they are VERY slow to reload. If she is going to shoot a j-frame, then as with any other gun, she needs to practice with it...A LOT...that includes reloads with either a strip holder, or a speed loader. The other question is how does she want to carry? purse or on the person...here is what my wife carries her j-frame in http://flashbangholsters.publishpath.com/
my wife has the sw bodyguard 380 also...i think the main thing for women is weight and size. there is no way my wife would carry a mid sized glock or similar. i do think the airweight might be good too but it might be too thick for CC unless in a purse. when choosing a gun, my wife was very interested in saftey features that made her feel more comfortable, like long trigger pull etc....sometimes women who are newish to shooting think the gun will just go off, so making her feel confident with her choice is important.
Sorry if this is a repeat, I didn't read all the posts...
Present, OBJECTIVELY, many choices and let HER choose what she likes...and DON'T argue with it even if you despise her choice. Even if it's a single-shot 22 short derringer. Even if it's a pepperbox. Even if it's a Taurus.
Just like most of us, she'll change her mind on what she really wants a dozen times, so the pisspoor initial choice won't last too long. Grin and bear it.
If you force the pistol YOU like on her, she'll hate it just because it was forced. She'll resent it, and she won't carry it. The single shot 22 short derringer in her purse is better than the G19 in the safe.
Present, OBJECTIVELY, many choices and let HER choose what she likes...and DON'T argue with it even if you despise her choice. Even if it's a single-shot 22 short derringer. Even if it's a pepperbox. Even if it's a Taurus.
Just like most of us, she'll change her mind on what she really wants a dozen times, so the pisspoor initial choice won't last too long. Grin and bear it.
If you force the pistol YOU like on her, she'll hate it just because it was forced. She'll resent it, and she won't carry it. The single shot 22 short derringer in her purse is better than the G19 in the safe.
After shooting the full spectrum of handguns my fiancee's favorite to shoot was the Colt Python. But her favorite to shoot and practically carry was the G23. I set her up with as many options as my brother and I already had and she was most comfortable with the Glocks, since she has had several hundred rounds through a 19. Small revolvers had too heavy of a trigger, and kicked too hard. And sub pistols kicked too hard. I bought her her own 23 but she never carries it although she always enjoys shooting it.
My girl can not stand autopistols. She has a 442 and a older SW M19. She cant shoot the 442 great, probably better served by a edged weapon at that range. She shoots the m19 OK. User preference really varies regardless of gender. Many women have chosen either the cz-75 or the glock 19. I still think the g19 is the best weapon for universal carry regardless of gender.
