Gun for wife

[gatech33]

I am looking at a Bersa 380 for my wife to carry. Do you have any experience with this gun and/or do you have any suggestions?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[stumpjumper]

I've had 3 over the years-2 Duotones and 1 380cc model. They were all great guns- never had any issues- and made money on everyone I sold. The only reason I don't have one now, is I have an LCP- and I liked the grip on the 380cc better.

[cardinalfan]

Gun for wife. Boy this has been hashed out many times. I was in the same place 6 months ago. What you think a good gun for her is and what she wants/shoots well are two different guns. My suggestion, go to a range that has guns for rent (most around here, one price rents every gun on the wall) and let her shoot several. I thought a revolver would be perfect for my wife. Guess what, she decided on a Glock 19 and carries it regularly, then she shot my 45 Colt Defender and now likes it even better (and shoots it better than I do). I ended up getting her a Defender in 9mm, but she still prefers the 45.
It all comes down to what SHE likes, if you force a gun on her, she won't like it or carry it.

[gatech33]

Gun for wife. Boy this has been hashed out many times. I was in the same place 6 months ago. What you think a good gun for her is and what she wants/shoots well are two different guns. My suggestion, go to a range that has guns for rent (most around here, one price rents every gun on the wall) and let her shoot several. I thought a revolver would be perfect for my wife. Guess what, she decided on a Glock 19 and carries it regularly, then she shot my 45 Colt Defender and now likes it even better (and shoots it better than I do). I ended up getting her a Defender in 9mm, but she still prefers the 45.
It all comes down to what SHE likes, if you force a gun on her, she won't like it or carry it.

That's good advice...never thought about that! I have a range around the corner that does rent guns; we'll go there!

[gatech33]

I've had 3 over the years-2 Duotones and 1 380cc model. They were all great guns- never had any issues- and made money on everyone I sold. The only reason I don't have one now, is I have an LCP- and I liked the grip on the 380cc better.

Thanks! I don't know much about the Bersa so it's good to know they are quality guns.

[SIXTO]

The Bersa 380's are one of the best values out there. But, you need to let her choose. Don't fall into the stupid trap of "she needs a small gun" or limit her to a 380. Those are common, but huge mistakes. If that is what she chooses, that's one thing. But don't pigeon hole her into one or two choices. Let her do the research and shopping, keep your nose out of it as much as possible.

[jwhite75]

Agree with Sixto on this one. My wife shoots a .40 and a .45 with no issues. Her carry gun is a G26, because the 9 is what she feels most comfortable with overall and at speed. I let her handle every semi auto she could get her little hands on and/or shoot. She just kept coming back to the 26. The one she picks will be the one she sticks with the most reliably.

[F350]

Every time I see this topic posted my mind goes to one of my favorite one liners....


I just got a new gun for my wife............Best trade I ever made!!!

[miklcolt45]

Without a pic of your wife, and knowing which gun, it is hard to evaluate this deal.

ETA: Sorry, just read your actual post.

[mj40p]

I am looking at a Bersa 380 for my wife to carry. Do you have any experience with this gun and/or do you have any suggestions?

Is your wife looking at the Bersa? If she isn't don't buy it for her. Let her choose what she wants even if you don't like what she picks.

[Paladin3840]

She wants a gun that fits her hand in a caliber she can control. She will need to handle them for herself, but will probably eliminate all the double stacks including those with interchangeable back straps. FWIW the baby GLOCK and XD, frequently recommended for the little lady, are quite snappy and very susceptible to malfunctions with slightest amount of limp-wristing.

To check fit, align the gun with the forearm and check trigger reach. For a single action she needs enough trigger finger to reach the center of the pad of the first joint. For a traditional double action or DA/SA she needs enough trigger finger to reach the outside edge of the trigger with the crease of the first joint (power crease) in order to have enough leverage to pull it. Don't cheat on a DA/SA and thumb cock the hammer for the first shot.

If you are looking at .380 ACP semi's look at something around 25 ounces and 3" + of barrel. The Bersa is good. If the budget permits, look at a Sig P238.

The Kahr K9 should be given a serious look. It's single stack 9mm with surprisingly soft recoil. Kahr will cost more than Bersa, but 9mm ammo for practice is more available and cheaper than .380.

As to the .45 1911, that is not a far fetched as one may think if she starts with mild loads and light bullets - think 185 grain SWC. The gun is heavy, grip circumference reasonably small and the trigger reach short. I had a 5'0" lady on my pistol team in the 90's who shot one with aplomb.

It's her quest so let her lead, but stay close enough she don't get hornswoggled by some fast talking salesman.

Best wishes!

[Tegan]

I'm a woman. When looking for my first gun all the guys around me tried to get me to get the gun THEY thought would be best for me. It was annoying and extremely unhelpful. One friend of mine didn't though...and took me around and had me hold EVERYTHING, rack the slide on EVERYTHING, dry fire EVERYTHING. (There's no range that rents around here.) I finally picked out a Taurus 709 slim. It fit my hand, I could rack the slide, and the trigger pull didn't throw me off. I'm extremely happy with this gun. Will it be the last gun I buy ever ever?? No. But for my first one I'm very comfortable with it.

My suggestion is get her hands on anything and everything! I fired a Kimber .45 1911 for the first time this weekend. I thought the kick of a .45 would be way too much for me. But I LIKED shooting that gun. I wouldn't choose it for a carry gun, it's way too big to conceal, but for a fun gun it was just that. Fun! I also shot a LCP for the first time....HATED IT! Too small to hold on to and I have TINY hands. I'd carry it if it was one of my only options, but I wouldn't like to rely on it every day.

[stevem174]

I am looking at a Bersa 380 for my wife to carry. Do you have any experience with this gun and/or do you have any suggestions?

The first time that my wife (then my girlfriend) and I went shooting, she brought out her Bersa 380. She could barely hit a B27 target at 7 yards. Thinking her gun was at fault, she handed to me to fire. I put a mag full into the head of the target.

Now she was embarrassed. I gave her a full size steel 1911 .45, she proceeded to fire a group that you could cover with a tennis ball.

No longer embarrassed, she was mad. She wanted to buy a FireStar 9mm but her dad talked out of it because "girls can't handle big guns"

She wasn't experienced enough to get a proper grip on the smaller gun. She needed to have a larger platform.

Lessons learned.
1) The Bersa is a nice little gun.
2) Don't pick a gun for a woman.

[gatech33]

Thanks everyone! I have learned a valuable lesson here; which is....Let her pick her own gun! We are going to the range this weekend (had my 9 year old nephew this weekend). It will be interesting to see which one she WANTS to fire!

[Pioneer]

GAtech,
Good advice above. Smaller guns are more difficult to shoot, mainly because of the shorter sight radius, but also lighter smaller guns tend to have harsher recoil.

Another thing to consider; do not try to teach your wife to shoot. Hire a professional, or urge her to enroll in a basic shooting class and do not go with her. That will remove the marital pressure to perform for you, instead of learning from a pro, and it lessens the chance of passing along any bad habits that you might not even be aware that you have. That way, the next time the two of you go shooting together, she will be excited to show you what she learned and will make it a more positive experience.