Pistol recommendations for the woman

[8mpg]

Looking to get a pistol for when my woman gets her CHL. We went shooting the XD40 this weekend and she did well but it kicks a bit much for her. Im thinking possibly a .380 or similar. A compact gun to fit in her purse.

Any suggestions?

[Dawkins]

xd9 compact or glock 19

[5.0_CJ]

Looking to get a pistol for when my woman gets her CHL. We went shooting the XD40 this weekend and she did well but it kicks a bit much for her. Im thinking possibly a .380 or similar. A compact gun to fit in her purse.

Any suggestions?

how about a small .38 snub nose revolver, or a 9mm auto.

[8mpg]

how about a small .38 snub nose revolver, or a 9mm auto.

Does the 9mm have less of a kick? Ammo is cheap as hell..so that is a plus

[Trip McNeely]

9mm has hardly any kick. Thats what I would start her with. Its a decent self defense round with a +p and a good gun to grow into a .40 later on.
As far as brands look at Glock, Springfield, and Sig Sauer.

[5.0_CJ]

Does the 9mm have less of a kick? Ammo is cheap as hell..so that is a plus

Yes, it will have less kick than a .40 and a .38. It also depends on the pistol though too.

For a woman, i'd recommend a .38 snubnose personally, they will never jam, little recoil, and easy to work, small, and cheap.

[8mpg]

9mm has hardly any kick. Thats what I would start her with. Its a decent self defense round with a +p and a good gun to grow into a .40 later on.
As far as brands look at Glock, Springfield, and Sig Sauer.

My cousin has a 9mm Glock...I will have to try it out when we go shooting this week.

[5.0_CJ]

My cousin has a 9mm Glock...I will have to try it out when we go shooting this week.

I've shot a 9mm glock and it was actually a little unpleasant. After firing it a few times I had to check the magazine to verify it was in fact 9mm, just a really damn uncomfortable gun in my opinion (I hate glocks myself). But if you life depended on it, they are a good choice, they always go bang.

[helosailor]

My sister has one of these...

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=309&category=Revolver

I took her shooting a while back and she had never fired a weapon of any kind. She shot well enough with it to qualify for a CHL. Her comments we're along the lines of "that's not bad at all" regarding recoil.

[01YZ2NV]

What about one of those khar pm9's ?

[GT Dan]

You should let her shoot the XD-9. It doesnt have the snap of the XD-40.

[mopar63]

I bought my wife a XD-9, she will be taking the CHL class soon also. Only trouble she has is racking the slide, but we have only put 1 box through it. It should loosen up a bit.

[Pokulski-Blatz]

Looking to get a pistol for when my woman gets her CHL. We went shooting the XD40 this weekend and she did well but it kicks a bit much for her. Im thinking possibly a .380 or similar. A compact gun to fit in her purse.

Any suggestions?

Keep in mind the smaller the pistol the worse the recoil (most of the time)

She would prooly be best off with a .38 snub or a 9mm that she can pull the slide back on. I wouldnt go with anything that is smaller than a G19 Just because of the recoil factor. The .38 snub is prolly gonna be your best bet with a recoil sensitive woman, my bet is she cant or has a hard time pulling the slide back on a auto. If she cant pull a slide back than she shouldnt be carrying a auto because she cant really clear a malfunction should it arise.

Also if your woman changes her grip on a pistol and how she stands than the recoil would be more manageable. She should be gripping it kinda like this.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics_training/HGgrip_0925F.jpg

I prefer to have my right hand thumb on top of my left hand thumb as opposed to under the left hand thumb. I also like to slide my left hand a little farther around the front of the pistol to combat the recoil a little better. Here is a couple videos on grip. (wont let me embed)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQgLmQl1zDw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yohikhl9_c

[Yale]

Walther PPK's are crazy accurate, reliable, and so sweet.

[Pokulski-Blatz]

Walther PPK's are crazy accurate, reliable, and so sweet.

They also have some pretty stout recoil for a .380

[CJ-95GT]

how about a small .38 snub nose revolver, or a 9mm auto.

Get a 9mm. The accuracy of a .38 snub nose leaves little to be desired.

[5.0_CJ]

Get a 9mm. The accuracy of a .38 snub nose leaves little to be desired.

I find them to be just as accurate as a comparable automatic at 20ft. She would be happy with either one, but most women prefer automatics because they don't look so "old timey."

[Pokulski-Blatz]

I find them to be just as accurate as a comparable automatic at 20ft. She would be happy with either one, but most women prefer automatics because they don't look so "old timey."

I fine a decent .38 wheelgun to be much more accurate in my hands than a auto. Maybe its just me?

[5.0_CJ]

I fine a decent .38 wheelgun to be much more accurate in my hands than a auto. Maybe its just me?

I think it's just people who haven't fired a .38 wheelgun. Seems like every time I bring up a snubnose people think they are inaccurate and underpowered.

[CJ-95GT]

Well you guys are a lot better shot than me. I doubt I could hit a coke bottle with a snub nose at 20 feet. Correction, I know I can't. I tried yesterday.:disappointed:

[5.0_CJ]

Well you guys are a lot better shot than me. I doubt I could hit a coke bottle with a snub nose at 20 feet. Correction, I know I can't. I tried yesterday.:disappointed:

well unless coke bottles start mugging people at ATM's, you should be just fine with it :)

[Pokulski-Blatz]

I think it's just people who haven't fired a .38 wheelgun. Seems like every time I bring up a snubnose people think they are inaccurate and underpowered.

People are stupid ... true story

[bjtheman1]

I let me wife shoot my Taurus PT111 9MM and it fit her well. Not much kick at all for her

[1fastdem]

IMO there are 3 things to take into consideration

1st - Personal preference - Only she can decide what is best for her. The best gun for her is the one she is most likely to have on her person and feel confident using in an emergency. (Some ranges offer a program for a prospective gun buyer where yu can shot just about everything. I think Winchester in Ft. W charges $100) Also I recommend staying away from any model with a double-stack magazine. Make sure she can firmly grip the pistol. Too big a grip really accents recoil issues.

2nd - How much will she practice? If she has a semi-automatic pistol will she be able to clear a malfunction? Under pressure? If she enjoys shooting she'll practice enough to know how (and with a CHL I would think she does enjoy shooting) But if she doesn't want to 'learn' and just wants a handgun for an emergency then a revolver might be better choice.

3rd - Caliber - Recoil is a fact of life and it seems to matter more to women than men (I know I am steroeotyping, sorry) I do believe most of the impact is mental. The logic I used with my wife is if the round doesn't have enough force to cause the gun to kick it doesn't have enough force to do the job of stopping an attacker. (Recoil = Stopping Power) The physical issue to worry about with recoil is muzzle control and getting off the 2nd round.

[spankustang]

My wife likes to shoot the "bigger" compact pistols also.
BUT, as far as actually carrying one, she prefers her Kel-Tek P3AT.
And considering that if one day she actually has to use it, it can still get the job done in close quarters!

[Pewter Y2K Z28]

2nd - How much will she practice? If she has a semi-automatic pistol will she be able to clear a malfunction? Under pressure?


Tim this is spot on, I got Amber a S&W Model 642 .38 special for her purse, no hammer to get snagged on anything and no worries about jams, just pull the trigger.

She is pretty proficient with semi-auto hanguns but she feels more comfortable with the wheel gun.

[flashstang04]

http://carnival.saysuncle.com/images/Bersa_Thunder_380_L.jpg

Bersa Thunder .380

I just can't say enough about Bersas

[Web Guy]

You can change the spring rate on the XD's to make it easier for them to rack the slide. That was the biggest thing I myself did not like about that gun. I stick with my HK's and have never had any problems.

[Buzzo]

What about one of those khar pm9's ?
that would be my suggestion.

You need to make sure she will use it when it comes down to her having to. Personally I would arm her with mase over a gun.

[whitetrash]

http://carnival.saysuncle.com/images/Bersa_Thunder_380_L.jpg

Bersa Thunder .380

I just can't say enough about Bersas

x2

thats what we got my girl and she improved with every clip when she went shooting. one or two more practices and i bet she could drive nails with that thing

[PeeWeeC5]

Not a big fan of it but here is the new propsed P238 (.380) I would personally like to give up a little size for a larger caliber.

http://sigforum.com/movedimages/para/SHOT09/image4.jpg

[03trubluGT]

Get a 9mm. The accuracy of a .38 snub nose leaves little to be desired.

I shoot a 98 or better every time I qualify with my .38 snubby. I shoot x ring all day long at the 75' line.....

[PooterWS6]

Tim, if we go shooting sometime ill let her try out my XD9SC.

Id recommend either that, or like they already suggested, a .38 wheelgun.
Point and shoot, pretty simple and hard to mess up. And if the round doesnt go off, pull the trigger once more.

[Pokulski-Blatz]

You can change the spring rate on the XD's to make it easier for them to rack the slide. That was the biggest thing I myself did not like about that gun. I stick with my HK's and have never had any problems.

Changing the strength of the springs isnt the greatest idea on a CCW. It can lead to malfunctions if shot with +p or +p+ ammo

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

The logic I used with my wife is if the round doesn't have enough force to cause the gun to kick it doesn't have enough force to do the job of stopping an attacker. (Recoil = Stopping Power)Yes and no. The weight of the gun has a big impact on recoil; a little .380 can have recoil, but it still doesn't have stopping power. A big, heavy .44 Magnum can be almost recoil-free yet still have stopping power.

[1fastdem]

Yes and no. The weight of the gun has a big impact on recoil; a little .380 can have recoil, but it still doesn't have stopping power. A big, heavy .44 Magnum can be almost recoil-free yet still have stopping power.


You are correct about gun weight and design making a big difference. Especially on big heavy handguns or a .44 Mag with a muzzle break. However, here we are discussing a CCW pistol for a women.

But, I should have added in our case the conversation centered on the recoil from my Ruger SP-101 with .357 mag. compared to a 380, 9 mm, or .32.

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

However, here we are discussing a CCW pistol for a women.Have you seen the size of some of these women's purses? I don't doubt some of them could fit a Howitzer inside.

[8mpg]

Have you seen the size of some of these women's purses? I don't doubt some of them could fit a Howitzer inside.

You must be talking about my girlfriend... Her purse is like a suitcase

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

You must be talking about my girlfriend... Her purse is like a suitcaseI'm talking about women in general.

[fast83]

walther p22 with cci stinger hp's she will feel very confident.

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

walther p22 with cci stinger hp's she will feel very confident.I wouldn't feel remotely confident with someone I care about carrying anything less than a 9mm, but that's just me.

[Chopped54]

This is what I got my mom..
Easy to shoot, nothing to hang up in the purse. Basically is a no thought gun, just point and shoot. Her's is compensated and has less or about the same kick as my wife's 9mm.
http://www.taurususa.com/images/imagesMain/851SSULT.jpg
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=302&category=Revolver

[fast83]

I wouldn't feel remotely confident with someone I care about carrying anything less than a 9mm, but that's just me.

maybe but i bet when that .22hp hits you,you wont want another one.lol

[5.0_CJ]

This is what I got my mom..
Easy to shoot, nothing to hang up in the purse. Basically is a no thought gun, just point and shoot. Her's is compensated and has less or about the same kick as my wife's 9mm.
http://www.taurususa.com/images/imagesMain/851SSULT.jpg
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=302&category=Revolver

yep, exactly what I would recommend, you can fire .38, +P, or .357 out of it - so many options - from easy low recoil, to ultra high magnum power.

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

maybe but i bet when that .22hp hits you,you wont want another one.lolThere's more to it than making them not want another.

[5.0_CJ]

There's more to it than making them not want another.

if they can squeeze their index finger, you're dead. Better make it a .45 JHP.

[Baron]

I really like my Kahr CW40, though I will be the first to say it kicks like a mule. The cw9 is the same size, so she may like it a lot. It is lightweight, and is nice for carry, but may have a bit more recoil than she likes, I haven't shot the 9.