Joined Feb 2008
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Forum Thread
Women and Smalller or whimpy men of SD. whats a good carry gun for my wife?
August 22, 2016 at
09:40 AM
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I'm looking at either Revolver or Semi, but won't know for sure until after we go and hold both to see what she's more comfortable with.
She's gone shooting with me multiple times and is a pretty decent shot.
So, what do the women of this forum have and how do you like it? Do you just carry it in your purse/car/house?
Looking at S&W BodyGuard, Shield, Glock 43.....something along those lines.
She's gone shooting with me multiple times and is a pretty decent shot.
So, what do the women of this forum have and how do you like it? Do you just carry it in your purse/car/house?
Looking at S&W BodyGuard, Shield, Glock 43.....something along those lines.
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When you say carry and by your examples I say you are going for concealed. My top recommendations would be
$$$$Springfield XDS 9 mm
$$$$Glock 43
$$$$$Sig Sauer P238 which has SAS Sig Anti Snag. All the corners on the gun that would normally be sharp are rounded out to help prevent it from getting caught on clothing or purses. (If you search P238 you will see about 30 different models. They are all the same gun, only difference is the colors.)
$$$Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380
$$$Smith & Wesson Shield (comes in 2 version, one with thumb safety and one without.)
$$$Walther PPS (Do not confuse with PPQ, PPQ is a full sized model)
These guns all have great reviews and hold their value well if she ever wanted to trade for something different later.
$$$$$HK P30SK
Do not get a 1911 compact. John Browning never intended the design to work in anything other than 45 ACP. They usually have cycling issues.
I also recommend against revolvers. They are a bit bulkier. Yes they have the advantage of being able to fire every time the trigger is pulled. But they also have the disadvantage of having a much heavier trigger pull, and since many people don't practice enough they never learn to fully control the gun and the extra trigger pull decreases their accuracy.
Please do not get her a Taurus or Ruger. They do have some popular guns and do have proven reliability, but in a life or death situation I would NOT trust my life with those brands. They have the biggest recall and quality issues.
I say dont worry about a laser. They are the most useless tool. Your eyes should always be on the front sight. People who get lasers often train using that as their point of aim and often never develop the proper shooting technique and gain a false sense of confidence. If she is going to hit the range regularly then it's a different story.
all that said: i know people who swear by their LCP, and it's a must-try for anyone looking for a pocket pistol. it was the lightest .380 on the market at one point, it's crazy small, and every pistol fits everyone's hands differently, so it might be a pleasure to shoot for some.
I love my LCP Custom, but it is a bear to shoot. Really digs into my hand like you mention. But the feel, trigger pull, size, all great. I would suggest shooting a Custom model if you get the chance. Agreed that it is Not a gun for the weak, like OP mentions though.
There are a bunch of really nice single stack 9mm carry models out now. The XDS has been my favorite, but it's mostly personal preference.
Most of the women I know that carry have revolvers, they are tough to beat when it comes to simplicity. I know one of the ladies carries a revolver because a shoulder injury makes it difficult for her to rack the slide on a semi-auto.
100% agree on trying different ones out at the range (especially when someone hasn't settled on a caliber yet), having the external safety discussion, and staying away from compact 1911s, but i'm not nearly as quick to dismiss small revolvers; a heavy trigger is an issue, but i've seen just as many people in this situation struggle to pull the slide on a compact semi, and unless it's going to be carried in a proper holster, it shouldn't have one in the chamber during EDC.
100% agree on trying different ones out at the range (especially when someone hasn't settled on a caliber yet), having the external safety discussion, and staying away from compact 1911s, but i'm not nearly as quick to dismiss small revolvers; a heavy trigger is an issue, but i've seen just as many people in this situation struggle to pull the slide on a compact semi, and unless it's going to be carried in a proper holster, it shouldn't have one in the chamber during EDC.
Every gun needs a good holster so there's no reason not to carry loaded in the chamber.
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with this reality, i think it's worth mentioning that one in the chamber isn't a good idea unless the gun's in a proper holster so anyone reading this can avoid the practice.
i agree, but based on the most-advertised carry options, there are many that only offer relatively soft containers in purses, and (much to my consternation) i know some women who simply carry in pockets in their purses because their wardrobes don't allow for traditional body holsters and they don't like the specialized purse options.
with this reality, i think it's worth mentioning that one in the chamber isn't a good idea unless the gun's in a proper holster so anyone reading this can avoid the practice.
Agreed. Just sad to see so many people more worried about their wardrobe than their personal safety.