rammerjammer

I am personally a fan of .45's, but I am helping family friends pick out their first pistol to be used for home defense. I don't think that he will want or need to carry concealed but may decide to later. I am asking for peoples' advice on what would best suit his needs.

.45 or 9mm? or maybe .40S&W

There are some basic considerations that the man of the house will be the primary shooter, but his wife may also need to be able to fire it. Recoil should not be much of an issue with him, but she is very little and may have troubles with the recoil of a .45

Any recommendations and advice would be appreciated, and if you have a good idea for not only caliber but also gun manufacturer and model, please send it my way.

For a final note, not to say that cost is not an issue (he doesn't need a custom 1911) but he is willing to spend good money for a good gun so he doesn't need to go cheap.

NC Buckeye

How much is planning on shooting? Why is a 12ga not a consideration? Why not .38 or .357? How big are her hands? How often does she plan on shooting? Too many questions left unanswered.

xXxplosive

What kind of experience does each family member have in handling and shooting a pistol...?

gottabkiddin

If he wants a .45, I'd recommend the Glock 36. Very nice .45 caliber and with a slimmer grip for the ladies over the normal Glock. For a 9mm, The Glock19 is another quality pistol. You can't go wrong with a Glock.

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Glock 36, Kahr CW9, Glock 23, Taurus 24 7 Pro DS, Ruger LCP, S&W 642...ect

rammerjammer

He is not planning on shooting often, and she will rarely shoot more than just trying the gun out at the range. A 12ga could be a good solution with the possibility of a backup pistol. I don't know exactly how big her hands are but lets just say small.

I am not against a .357, but the recoil may be to great for her to handle. A .38 is just not powerfull enough in my opinion.

A combination of 12ga, larger caliber for him and smaller caliber for her could be a good solution.

nosights

Sorry, this is just plain not good advise. The Glock 36 is a great "carry" gun, it is small, light and thin. It is also a low capacity gun, that will kick lick a mule in the wrong hands (like a small woman with poor shooting skills)...this makes it a poor home defense weapon when compared to other/larger weapons of similar caliber. *edit* I should add, I have personally carried a g36 for a few years (no longer do) and it made a good carry weapon. **

I would be a BIG advocate of a shotgun for them if they are open to it. I would consider a 20 gauge if she can not handle the size/weight of a 12 gauge. Or check out Junior size 12 ga.

As for choosing 9mm, .40, .45, ... They MUST go to a gun shop and at least hold different models...most preferably they should each shoot multiple models and calibers.

nosights

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Nosights

varob

I think the answer is the same for every new shooter. Go to the range and rent a couple of guns in each caliber and let them make their own decision.

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jwhite75

Remington 870, in 12ga, or 20 ga for the lady HD, and a backup pistol as youcalled, I would go for a Glock 19, in 9mm. Both are the over all best deals in their IMHO.

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TX-JB

My wife's is also very small. She isn't comfortable with my G19 or G26. The width of the grip makes it necessary for her to turn her hand in order to reach the trigger, causing a bad shooting grip. The only guns she has been happy with so far are a S&W 642 and a Kahr CW9. She has no problem handling the 642 with +P loads. She'll shoot mostly std. .38's for practice and end the session with a cylinder full of +P's. She says they hurt her hand, but if someone's trying to hurt her, she won't even notice it.

As for shotguns, she is able to handle a youth model 20ga. 870, better than the 12ga.

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rammerjammer

I forgot to mention that I will be taking them to the range and letting them fire my .45, .380 and 22lr and renting a 9mm from the range to give them a chance to feel the various recoils.

I will also have them try out many models in gun stores and get a feel for various models in their hands.

Thanks for all the advice so far and keep it coming.