Looking for recommendations/ advice on a small caliber handgun for the mrs!

[Life in smoke]

hello brothers

My better half has recently been more serious about purchasing a firearm for personal protection. She wanted something smaller that could fit in her purse with out being obvious. Ive heard very good things about the Ruger LCP and the S&W bodyguard and want to lead her in a good direction. Also, any input on a .410 would be appreciated because I do not shoot this round and it is more foreign to me. She is a novice shooter been to the range with me a couple of times so i don't want to scare her away. thanks !

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

can't go wrong with the Pink Lady

 

[Monsterdg]

A few months ago I got a Taurus for my wife with the poly frame: MODEL 85 - 2' MATTE STAINLESS POLYMER FRAME +P RATED.

We've been very happy with it for the price point.

 

[vperlman]

She needs to test drive a bunch of guns before she makes any decisions, and she needs to understand that most grips can be changed. Remember: the smaller and lighter the gun, the more she will feel the recoil, compared to larger and heavier guns in the same caliber. I have both the LCP and the Kel-tec P3AT (the gun that the LCP copied) and like them both. My wife, however, will carry only wheelguns and right now has a couple of S&W steel J-frames that were her late father's, although she might get a new one in the near future. She doesn't trust pistols and hates having empty casings flying around near her head. The only way your wife can find out about such likes and dislikes is by trying a wide variety.

I wouldn't go any smaller than .38 or .380, no matter what. If she can handle a 9mm comfortably, even better.

 

[mdwest]

I wouldn't go any smaller than .38 or .380, no matter what. If she can handle a 9mm comfortably, even better.

+1 to this...

My wife is tiny... 5'3"... very small hands.. etc...

she carries a G19....

Let your better half test drive a couple of things before you make a decision.. but do not automatically assume she needs a sub caliber mouse gun (.32, .380, .22, .25 etc..)...

My recommendation is to set the bar with a 9mm... and keep the loads soft... keep the bullet weight and the velocity low.. this will reduce both felt recoil and the volume of the "bang"... you'd be surprised how "soft" you can make a compact 9 feel if you try...

then work her up to better self defense loads as her confidence and capability improves...

a weak 9mm still trumps a hot .380 any day in a self defense situation...

 

[Life in smoke]

I originally liked the idea of an LC9 and you guys have confirmed my attitude toward the .380 so, i will have her try that model as well , thanks !

 

[YodisMatt]

Haven't handled many smaller fire arms, but I thought the G 26 wasn't bad.

 

[Mickeymorris626]

I originally liked the idea of an LC9 and you guys have confirmed my attitude toward the .380 so, i will have her try that model as well , thanks !

I have no personal time with the LC9, but i hear few things but bad reviews. I like my LCP for a mousegun, but i would not carry it as my primary firearm. That being said, if she is comfortable with it over a 9mm, something is better than nothing!

 

[Pappy]

Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to sample the Federal .327 Magnum round in a Ruger SP101. The SP101 with .357 rounds is a handful, but the .327 was not unpleasant to shoot at all. This round is marketed as a viable defensive round for someone sensitive to the recoil of the other typical combat loads. I know the Ruger SP101 was the original handgun in which this round was available. Perhaps, by now, there are others. I know revolvers are not in vogue, but they possess much merit, in particular with a novice operator. Ammunition availability could be an issue, especially if this round doesn't gain popularity. Just thought I'd toss out another option.

 

[abomb60]

I wouldn't go any smaller than .38 or .380, no matter what. If she can handle a 9mm comfortably, even better.

+1 to this...

My wife is tiny... 5'3"... very small hands.. etc...

she carries a G19....

Let your better half test drive a couple of things before you make a decision.. but do not automatically assume she needs a sub caliber mouse gun (.32, .380, .22, .25 etc..)...

My recommendation is to set the bar with a 9mm... and keep the loads soft... keep the bullet weight and the velocity low.. this will reduce both felt recoil and the volume of the "bang"... you'd be surprised how "soft" you can make a compact 9 feel if you try...

then work her up to better self defense loads as her confidence and capability improves...

a weak 9mm still trumps a hot .380 any day in a self defense situation...

I agree with mdwest's assessment 100%. I also agree with the others that you should find a handgun that she not only feels comfortable carrying but also can shoot accurately and feels good shooting. While I sometimes do find myself carrying a .380 (SIG P238) I don't personally like carrying anything sub 9mm. There are times for it but that's an entirely different discussion. From what i've seen the .410 hasn't been proven as an effective stopper for anything more than snakes but there is a plethora of personal defense ammunition for the .410 now and I personally don't know enough about them to provide any real opinion.

Anyway i'd say for her any handgun of any caliber is better than nothing. I'd find a range with rental options and see what works best for her.

Also I was thinking women have carry options that we don't have such as purse carry so the physical size of the handgun might not be an issue. Of course there are the issues of retention and that she would need to keep the purse with the handgun in it under close control but it might be an option if she finds something she likes that she might not be able to conceal otherwise.

 

[Lipher]

beretta px4

 

[Quikstryke]

Ruger lcr in 357 for a revolver so she can shoot 38 and 357, light packs easy and u can get it with laser grips.. or a s&w shield in 9mm.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4

 

[JGIORD]

She definitely at a bear minimum needs to handle several models to see if she is comfortable with the feel. Some people prefer revolvers and others semi. She also needs to be comfortable with the specific way each pistol works.

I can say that the Sig P238 is very small and light and has the lightest recoil of any 380 auto i've encountered. But she would need to be comfortable with the 1911 style mechanics of the pistol.

Me personally, I can't shoot revolvers well.

Don't worry about caliber. Shot placement is more important.

 

[smokem94]

My wife carries the Sig P238 and after a little range time is very comfortable with it and loves it. I have one for a back up gun as well.

 

[Sheepdog1394]

Smith and Wesson j frame. 442,642 or such

 

[Jesse]

I have a Lady Smith 32 revolver that my dad had forever. It's a perfect little gun for my wife, she's only 4,11 100lbs and can fire it no problem.

 

[vperlman]

She really needs to handle and fire a number of options. Also, remember that the smaller and lighter the gun is, the easier it is to carry and conceal, but the more it will kick. OTOH, she is carrying this for self-defense, not target shooting or plinking, so as long as she can control the gun, the kick is fairly irrelevant, since she presumably isn't going to be firing any more rounds than she needs to stay competent with it.

 

[smokem94]

Just got a Glock 42 and now the wife and daughter love it more than the Sig P238

 

[NCost]

I agree w/ the others saying she needs to fire a bunch of different models and pick the one that feels right to her.

I have a LCP and while it might not have the biggest baddest round available, pull a gun and bad guys think twice...they don't consider what caliber it is. First rule is to try and avoid bad situations, second is to get away from them when they do occur. Last is to engage. For comfort the SW Bodyguard feels much better in the hand than the LCP but the LCP is a bit more concealable and therefore I went that direction. It kicks like a mad mule though due to its thinness.

Look at the SW M&P Shield, single stack 9mm.

 

[bauhaus]

I originally liked the idea of an LC9 and you guys have confirmed my attitude toward the .380 so, i will have her try that model as well , thanks !

LC9 is my conceal carry. I'd recommend an add on rubber grip and bump up to the heavier aftermarket 20lb spring.