Suppressors looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

P

PIGtooth

Private
Minuteman
Mar 6, 2009
67
0
Tennessee or The Middle East
#1
so here's the thing, i'm deploying and my wife is left here in the states. we used to work late( 3 am) in a major city in the bar industry and i was usually there to carry the heat on the walk back to the car. aside from legalities of carrying inside a bar and offers to keep my place warm while i'm gone, i'd like to hear y'alls opinion on a good carry handgun, easily concealable and easy to learn. she's around guns enough but a good weapon with economy of motion and minimal amount of safetys for a quick draw a fire is what i'm interested in. personal experience with wives/girlfriends/moms prefered. have at it.





 
#2
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

I think a S & W 442 ( w/out the lock), is a great CCW.Hammerless, and can be fired from a coat pkt, or purse, w/ no fear of hanging up.
Light, +P's, 5 shots.............
And easy to conceal.
Also, throw in the purse, and not worry about an AD,ND, because of an eyeliner pencil/lipstick etc, getting into the TG.
 
#3
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Take her to the gunshop and see what fits her hand. Have her shoot several if possible.

Everyone is going to chime in with their "pet" choice. The truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter what WE think she should carry. If she is like most women she is going to want to pick. If she just takes whatever she is given it will most likely collect dust.

Have her try the following:
S&W J Frame .38SPL
Glock 26
S&W M&P9Compact
Walther PPS (NOT PPK or PP)
Kahr PM9

9mm or .38 should be the lower limit for a primary defensive weapon.

If she will train with it, an auto is fine. If she won't then stick with a hammerless revolver.
 
#4
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Two Shoes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think a S & W 442 ( w/out the lock), is a great CCW.Hammerless, and can be fired from a coat pkt, or purse, w/ no fear of hanging up.
Light, +P's, 5 shots.............
And easy to conceal.
Also, throw in the purse, and not worry about an AD,ND, because of an eyeliner pencil/lipstick etc, getting into the TG.</div></div> +1 S&W 642 or 442 NO-Lock are GTG

IMHO/.02: If she doesnt mind extra weight, 6-7oz diff., to help with recoil, I'd also consider the Model 60LS:
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/s...tegory_rn=15704

Have a great one,
FTK
 
#5
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Take her to the gunshop and see what fits her hand. Have her shoot several if possible.

Everyone is going to chime in with their "pet" choice. The truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter what WE think she should carry. If she is like most women she is going to want to pick. If she just takes whatever she is given it will most likely collect dust.

Have her try the following:
S&W J Frame .38SPL
Glock 26
S&W M&P9Compact
Walther PPS (NOT PPK or PP)
Kahr PM9

9mm or .38 should be the lower limit for a primary defensive weapon.

If she will train with it, an auto is fine. If she won't then stick with a hammerless revolver. </div></div>

That's good advice.
 
#6
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Unless a woman has a SPECIFIC place to store a Semi, I highly reccomend aginst them carrying one.
AD/ND's, are far too easy if they are just dropped into a purse.
And the ability to shoot and follow up, w/out a chance of a stopage, lends itself to the Revolver.
 
#7
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

+4 on the 642/442. I don't have any problems with the locks. I own 4 of the guns and they are great. My mom carries one, my wife carries one and two of my female co-workers bought them after I let them borrow mine. It is by far the easiest gun I have ever carried as well. Like I said, I have had no problem withthe locks on the two I have with them. I own a gunshop and they are hands down the best selling guns on my shelves. I would recomend staying away from the Ladysmith marked guns, as they are the same as the standard models with a little engraving and fancy rosewood grips for over one hundred dollars more. I just couldn't beat the size, weight, cost and reliability of those small frame hammerless Smiths.

Just my .02
 
#8
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

I teach CCW classes and the thing that I see from the revolver owners is the time it takes to reload.With some training IMO a compact auto would work great,6 shots from a revolver vs 15+ from a compact do the math.
 
#9
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

My wife is petite (5'5", 105 lbs) with small hands and she has a Steyr S9 and a Walther PPS - really likes them both and shoots well with both, but prefers the trapezoidal sights on the Steyr even though the PPS is smaller. She also has a NAA Guardian for light carry.

She carries loaded with Winchester Ranger +P+ ammo.
 
#10
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

By the way, we tried setting her up with a hammerless revolver and the trigger weight messed up her shooting. The NAA Guardian does too, but it's more of an "aim by jamming it into the person" backup.
 
#14
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

The Judge, loaded with 00. Most of the time, attacks on women are going to be hands-on. I'd hate to take a few cylinders of .410 00 right up close. Coat pockets won't mess with the ballistics much either.

For a carry gun, my wife's getting a Smith and Wesson M&P 40c in the next week or so - that'll make us a matched set (how cute). Anyway, I'd take LonewolfUSMC's advice and take her to a gun shop and have her try out several guns. Whatever fits the hand is the best place to start. Hell, my wife loves the feel of a 1911 in her hand but the full sizes aren't practical to conceal with her line of work. Every woman's different, just let <span style="font-style: italic">her gun</span> find <span style="font-style: italic">her</span>.

Oh, and don't let the guy at the gun shop be a douchebag. Since your wife is capable of handling guns, don't let the gun shop guy keep deferring to you. Make sure they know it's her gun, not yours, and it's money for them if they act right - regardless of whether it's out of your pocket or hers.
 
#15
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

I think you have to be a really good judge of her abilities first. I would narrow it down from a list and take her to the store to see what she likes. If the gun doesn't agree with her she'll be terrible with it.

First, how does she handle recoil? If she is having problems with shot anticipation then definatly consider a .22, .22wmr.

Second, how proficiant is she with firearms? Can she operate a semi-auto with ease or does she get lost with the controls and struggle with getting the slide back? That can rule out all autos right there if yes.

She has to feel comfortable with the gun... i.e. not scared of it, or ignorant of it.

Smith and Wesson makes a J-frame .22 and a J-frame .22mag if all other options are out.

To me she looks pretty small and no matter what females in general have a harder time hiding a firearm just because of fashion alone, put build on top of that and it limits the gun even more.

For a home defense gun. I would always recomend a full size gun... more accuracy, less recoil, easier to use.

If she can handle an auto try looking at
Kel-tec PF-9
Ruger LCP
Kel-tec P3AT
Kahr P380
Beretta Tomcat

All of the above are pretty thin guns and from what I can see of her they look like good options.

Revolvers i would look spcifically at smith & wesson. Rugers tend to be heavier and more robust which makes them harder to hide and more exhausting to carry.

Also, stress to her that a purse is not an ideal place for a gun. It's hard to find in an emergency. Also, purses tend to get left behind, even if for a few min. that's enough for someone to steal the gun or catch her without it. The gun should be ON her.

Communication is key. So is your experiance and judgement. If she had an accident with the gun while you are away how shitty would that be?

If nothing else consider this option.

There are a lot of less lethal and non lethal options right now. If she had something like a Kimber Gaurdian angel pepper blaster on her while out and about (40.00) she would be pretty protected or even a taser. And get the gun for home.

That is an extremely good option. Then she can be confident at home and out and about.





 
#16
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Oh and btw, I see a lot of posts about S&W 442s. I have one, and my wife and a friends wife responded poorly to it. The recoil isn't harsh or punishing but it's up there because of the airweight thing so with a little training it can be overcome but You have to have the time to run that training with her. 3 maybe 4 good range trips and say an hour or two a night with good dry fire training for a week. It doesn't sound like that kind of time is there for you. That's the only reason I disagree with that choice.
 
#17
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Skip the 442 and pick up a 332. It's the scandium centennial in .32H&R mag. She can practice with .32 longs, which have almost no recoil, and carry 100gr .32mags, which still have far less recoil than hotter .38's. Plus, she gets 6 rounds instead of 5.
 
#18
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

I just bought a S&W 340 PD .357...great small, light (11oz empty) carry weapon. The M&P 340 .357 is the same gun only it weighs about 14oz empty.
DSC01946.jpg


My girl is about 110lbs and she really liked it because it was small, lightweight and fit her hand well, plus all I had to do was show her how to pull the trigger and nothing else. She has not shot it yet but I'm sure she could handle 38's and probably +P's. I have shot it and it is perfect for what it was made for but .357's out of it would be to much for her and probably useless if she needed it because she would miss...or drop it.
The 442 Airweight is basically the exact same gun only not a scandium frame so it's 15oz or so empty and it can only shoot 38/+P's...No .357, if you ever wanted to. It all depends on what you want to spend the 340PD is more money than a 442 but it can shoot .357 if I wanted to carry it. I tried to get a 442 first but they were sold out so I got the lightest one I could find and you can literally forget you have this thing on you. If you can spend the $$ I would get the lighter handgun (340) because if it is light and easy to carry there is more of a chance she will have it on her when the time comes, but load it with 38/+P for her and after all what's money if it came down to her actually needing it. With the 340 loaded it probably weighs less than a 442 empty but it all comes down to the cash flow and the lighter gun has more recoil but it's not brutal with 38's. I am not knocking any other opinions or carry guns I just did the research on the 340 and have shot it so thats all I know, and then again I usually carry a 1911.

 
#19
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

we went with a S&W M&P 9 compact. fits her hand very well and she can work the slide, mag release etc... a problem she was having with the glocks. I got her doing one armed and left handed drills tonight. i think the girl wants to get in the fight worse than i do.
 
#20
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

My wife does well with a Kahr K9. It's quite compact. The combo of nice Hogue grips and the weight of a metal frame allows for a package that’s quite manageable at the range. She is recoil averse, so I was worried she wouldn’t enjoy training with a 9mm. Not the case at all. Down side is that when loaded it’s not an ultra-light rig.
 
#21
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Too many women get the "get a .38 revolver, its a girl gun" line pushed on them and many, in my experience, dislike those. The M&P Compact is a good choice. My wife likes my Kahr K9 but likes the P9 even better. She didn't like the heavy double action trigger pull on the revolver and it didn't point well for her. Recoil doesn't bother her as much a overall weight of the gun. Big +1 to LoneWolf's advise, let the woman try some choices and see what she likes. Sounds like your wife did good.
 
#22
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

The M&P is a fine choice. I would tell her to keep the Barret as her back-up piece though. The Barrett has been proven effective against most attackers and my wife believes it fits her hand well and recoil is manageable with APIT.
smile.gif
 
#24
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Take her to the gunshop and see what fits her hand. Have her shoot several if possible.

Everyone is going to chime in with their "pet" choice. The truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter what WE think she should carry. If she is like most women she is going to want to pick. If she just takes whatever she is given it will most likely collect dust.

Have her try the following:
S&W J Frame .38SPL
Glock 26
S&W M&P9Compact
Walther PPS (NOT PPK or PP)
Kahr PM9

9mm or .38 should be the lower limit for a primary defensive weapon.

If she will train with it, an auto is fine. If she won't then stick with a hammerless revolver. </div></div>

X2, If she shoots at least 50 rds per month, the glocks may be fine. if you limp wrist them which many women do, the often fail to cycle. I like the model 63 3" barrel. It shoots .357, she can practive with .38's and +p .38s are fine. Stainless keeps the perfurme from fucking up your finish and it will go off 6 times damn near for sure every time. The S&W model 10 or 64 or 13 are also good picks but only the 64 is stainless.
 
#25
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PIGtooth</div><div class="ubbcode-body">




</div></div>


Nice car.
 
#27
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

The Sig Sauer P239 in 9mm is a nice gun. It's a single stack mag (8 round), so it fits a small hand quite well.

Another good option, as mentioned above, is the Beretta Tomcat in 32 Auto.

I've heard a thousand times that the 32 Auto is no good for self defense, yet surprisingly, I've never found anyone who would agree to let me shoot them 7 times with it. Go figure.
 
#28
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

+1 for the 442 as several people mentioned above. It's simple and reliable. A good point and shoot gun. I gave one to my younger sister when her husband deployed and I keep one at home for my wife when I'm at work.

Also consider how much training time she will have while your deployed. If she doesn't go to the range and practice, she may forget how to clear stoppages and other semi-auto specific problems.
 
#29
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SIERRAWHISKEY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I teach CCW classes and the thing that I see from the revolver owners is the time it takes to reload.With some training IMO a compact auto would work great,6 shots from a revolver vs 15+ from a compact do the math. </div></div>

If you're teaching future CCW holders that 15 shots are necessary to defend your life, you could stand to learn an awful lot more about shootings involving CCW holders.
 
#30
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

I settled on a 642/442 or other 2" snubby hammerless here...

hammerless snubby = KISS = no snags from the purse/pocket = no confusion under stress

JB
 
#31
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Good God, 1122 MSRP!!! I guess I've forgotten how the prices are climbing. Not sure I can justify the pistol for that cost.
 
#32
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

My wife has with her always a Springfield XD40 SUB Compact with tritium night sights. She loves the gun. Plus I am at peace of mind knowing that if she ever needed it she knows how and when to shoot!
 
#33
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

Originally Posted By: SIERRAWHISKEY
I teach CCW classes and the thing that I see from the revolver owners is the time it takes to reload.With some training IMO a compact auto would work great,6 shots from a revolver vs 15+ from a compact do the math.

What compact Holds 15 rounds? and if it takes that many to hit your target I believe you have lost the fight.
 
#35
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Two Shoes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Unless a woman has a SPECIFIC place to store a Semi, I highly reccomend aginst them carrying one.
AD/ND's, are far too easy if they are just dropped into a purse.
</div></div>
1+. Which is why I like the H&KP7.
 
#36
Re: looking for a concealed handgun for wife.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SIERRAWHISKEY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I teach CCW classes and the thing that I see from the revolver owners is the time it takes to reload.With some training IMO a compact auto would work great,6 shots from a revolver vs 15+ from a compact do the math. </div></div>

If you're teaching future CCW holders that 15 shots are necessary to defend your life, you could stand to learn an awful lot more about shootings involving CCW holders. </div></div>

X2, someone needing 15 shots to stop a CCW fight needs to be reintroduced to a different part of the pistol than the trigger, Perhaps the front sight is where their attention should be focused.

My $.02
 
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