Hancock7WSM Report post Posted January 12, 2010 I am thinking about getting my wife some sort of small concealable pistol that she would be able to carry easily. I really dont know much about this topic so im just looking for ideas or places to start. Thanks in advance. Jake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted January 12, 2010 I carry this amongst others. Will shoot .38 special if the .357 is too stout. Very comfortable to carry all day long and very easy to conceal. http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/sto...amp;isFirearm=Y You can check out the specs by clicking on the tabs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultra300mag Report post Posted January 12, 2010 Glock 26. It is the 9mm baby Glock. I am in law enforcement and own several Glocks. I carry the Glock 27 under my pants leg. It is the baby Glock version in 40. At first when I was shooting a SigSauer I was not very happy about our department switching to the Glock but have been very pleased since then. For my regular carry it is a full size Glock 40. Good luck just make sure she practices with whatever you choose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted January 12, 2010 whatever you get her, get a double action revolver. .22, .38, .357, whatever. no single action revolver, no semi auto. auto's are ok for guys. they shoot all the time, know how to work one, are more able to make it go bang under duress. women don't have that kind of personallity and can, and have on many occasions, gotten screwed up trying to make an auto work, with really bad results. with a double action revolver all you do is start pulling the trigger. when the gun starts going bang, the bad guys leave. the bad guys are chicken little punks, every time, and if someone fights back, with something that can hurt them, they quit the fight. they make all kindsa double actions. airweights, hammerless, all kindsa colors, etc. you only need one hand to shoot them, either hand, and they always work. ruger makes a new one with a polymer frame, hammerless and it will take +p ammo and i think they make it in a .357 also. smith makes the lady smith in a buncha varietys. taurus, colt, etc, they all make something that will work. and it don't have to be a dirty harry cannon or be 'spensive. it just needs to be able to hit accurately anywhere from touching the bad guy to about 10 feet at his butt while he's runnin' away. personally, i would got for the hammerless gun. the bad guy can't stop it from shooting by getting his hand between hammer and the firing pin. if you're going to get someone a gun for personal protection, get them something that is the best thing to kill somebody with, if they have too. i know a guy who bought his daughter a nice little auto when she went away to college. while she was trying to get a shell in the barrel, the puke took it away and killed her with it. he got the needle awhile back, but that doesn't do her much good. if she would have had a double action revolver, he'da been in the dirt a lot sooner and she'd still he around. aim for the guts first and then finish em off while they're doin' the chicken spin on the ground. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted January 12, 2010 whatever you get her, get a double action revolver. .22, .38, .357, +1 on the double action revolver, for the reasons already stated. Just a lot easier and less intimidating than a semi auto for somebody not that familiar with firearms. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAM Report post Posted January 12, 2010 My wife carries a Ruger LCP in .380 ACP caliber. I know a lot of people will say to get the larger calibers because they deliver more punch. However we found in my wifes case that she just didn't have the control of the larger calibers to shoot accuratly. We actually bought her a Glock 26, but after several trips to the range with it we realized she needed something designed for a womans hands. After shooting the Ruger LCP we were convinced we made the right decision. Her groups got smaller and her confidence grew. We realize that there are better calibers for self protection, but if your wife can't shoot it accuratly then it's nothing more than a worthless chunck of metal and plastic. We try to get out and shoot often so she maintains her confidence and keeps herself familiar with the gun. I personally can't stand it! It feels horrible in my hand and the recoil hurts my fingers. Now I know how she felt when she would shoot a gun designed to be shot by men. She loves it and carries it in her purse EVERYWHERE! Good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
More D Report post Posted January 12, 2010 S&W 642 Airweight for about half the cost of Chef's recommendation. I had one for years as my pocket carry and I really want another. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted January 12, 2010 S&W 642 Airweight for about half the cost of Chef's recommendation. I had one for years as my pocket carry and I really want another. This is what I would recommend as well, I have one that I carry while trail running and mountain biking. They are very light but also very capable, it will handle +P loads. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
youngbuck Report post Posted January 12, 2010 I haul a smith 638 alot of places, my old man hauls a 642. Both go bang all the time. The handle is pretty small, especially for +P loads. The trigger is a hard pull, but softens up w/ time or dryfire. Have her shoot one with some week loads. I also have an XD compact that i conceal on ocasion but its still bigger than I want to haul all the time. I figured 5 rounds of 38 +p in my pocket was better than 10 or 13 round of 45acp at home. If you want an airweght to try out i live almost next door to rio salado and could meet you there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted January 12, 2010 ...The trigger is a hard pull... X2 on that. Mine came with a New York City trigger pull. I had a smith cut the poundage in half. I recommend doing the same for your wife and her pistol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted January 12, 2010 Lark hit the nail on the head. Every single word of it. Double action, hammerless. I used to sell the chit out of them when I worked at Sportsmans. So many guys came in looking for a 1911, 5" .45 ACP for their wife for home defense. One of the first things I brought up was how many walls between where your wife sleeps, to where the kids sleep. The average was 1, some being two. As soon as I brought up the guarantee that the .45 will penetrate that wall EVERYTIME, their mind changed, and was completely open to suggestions. I converted about 95% of those people over to a double action, hammerless .38 special. Some guys were stuck on having a auto, even though most of the time their wives' werent able to work the slide at a less than perfect group. They were just set on them beaing able to crank off 10+ rounds in just a few seconds. Most did go to .380, or a 9mm, though. Everyting Lark said is 100% true about his reccomendation! Anyone who trys to get to my mom when my dad and I are gone will get 6 shots to the chest from my moms 38, I can promise that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted January 12, 2010 Check out the beretta tomcat. It's only.32, but you can get some pretty hot Hornady personal defense rounds for it. Its semi auto BUT you don't have to work the slide to chamber the first round. The barrel pops up. Bought one for my wife and she loves it. It's much lower profile than the hammerless revolvers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
