[Bowdenknxvll]

My wife has decided that she wants to get her carry permit. We have guns around the house and she is comfortable shooting them at the range but she has decided that she wants "her" gun so she can get really comfortable with it. She wants a subcompact so she can carry it IWB, but nothing that won't be fun to shoot. Of course she is going to go rent everything and find one that points well for her, but I have come up with a few to try.
1. Glock 26
2. XDsc9
3. CZ Rami
4. Kahr Mk9 or PM9
5. Walther PPS

We have four young children who have been taught the gun rules, but we both would feel more safe with an auto carried without one in the chamber which is why we have ruled out a 1911 variant. Any more recommendations? Oh, she wants a 9mm.

 

[RETSUPT99]

#1 = Bingo!

My wife also has a Glock-26...first it was a S&W 637, then a KelTec P-3AT, but now...the Glock-26.:image035:

 

[Rugergirl]

Whatever she likes:yup:
For me that's a revolver most of the time, come summer, with lighter weight clothing I do carry a bottom feeder(Kimber Pro Crimson Carry) simply because it hides better. Come cooler weather you'll most often find me carrying a S&W 686+.

 

[PastorPack]

My wife has decided that she wants to get her carry permit. We have guns around the house and she is comfortable shooting them at the range but she has decided that she wants "her" gun so she can get really comfortable with it. She wants a subcompact so she can carry it IWB, but nothing that won't be fun to shoot. Of course she is going to go rent everything and find one that points well for her, but I have come up with a few to try.
1. Glock 26
2. XDsc9
3. CZ Rami
4. Kahr Mk9 or PM9
5. Walther PPS

We have four young children who have been taught the gun rules, but we both would feel more safe with an auto carried without one in the chamber which is why we have ruled out a 1911 variant. Any more recommendations? Oh, she wants a 9mm.

#2 all the way. The grip safety might be a nice upgrade over the Glock. But what she likes will matter way more than my opinion. Sounds like it's time for some rental fun at the range. :image035:

 

[GHFLRLTD]

Go and rent. Get her which ever one fits her hand the best.

 

[gunshrink]

Purchase

Take her to the store you trust, connect her with a trusted sales person and then get the hell out of there for 30 minutes or so. I am an instructor and advise people on guns all the time but with my wife I am not an instructor but husband and that is totally different. Worked out much better that way.

But as you can see from my signature I am an XD person but either 1 or 2 would be my choice with #2 the first one. From my experience the others are not as comfortable to shoot - but that is just my 2 cents

 

[gasmitty]

All good choices, BUT - please disabuse yourself of the notion that carrying an auto with an empty chamber is a good idea. Under stress, simply remembering to chamber a round is something easily forgotten, or even bobbled. In an emergency situation which requires the presence of a firearm, that firearm needs to be ready to fire.

The other thing I'll mention is that the sub-compact guns you've mentioned are just that much harder to handle and hit with than the 'compact' models of the same series. Do give some consideration to the Glock 19, for example, as well as the G26.

I'm familiar with the Glocks and the Kahrs, and I have a CZ75. Of those I would say the longest, most deliberate trigger pull is on the Kahr, and the Rami has an external safety which I think would help ease some of your unauthorized-user fears. The Springfield XD you note has a grip safety, which might be a desirable safety feature.

Another compact 9mm worth looking at include the Smith & Wesson M&P 9c, with 12-round capacity and a manual safety.

 

[Slim_45]

My wife is 5'9 @ 120 lbs & absolutely loves her Kahr PM9 which she carries IWB
in a CompTac C-Tac :yup:

 

[Ghuqu2]

All good choices, BUT - please disabuse yourself of the notion that carrying an auto with an empty chamber is a good idea. Under stress, simply remembering to chamber a round is something easily forgotten, or even bobbled. In an emergency situation which requires the presence of a firearm, that firearm needs to be ready to fire.

The other thing I'll mention is that the sub-compact guns you've mentioned are just that much harder to handle and hit with than the 'compact' models of the same series. ...

Another compact 9mm worth looking at include the Smith & Wesson M&P 9c, with 12-round capacity and a manual safety.

+1 on these suggestions.

I find the subcompacts very snappy (I own several on your list). My wife doesn't like my pm9, she prefers her Lcp, or Taurus 850 TI revolver. Defiantly shoot before you buy, and look at the slightly larger guns like the SW mp9c or the Kahr cw9 or Kahr p9.

 

[mathewsman]

what ever fits her hand well out of them all

 

[SlyBevel]

If she's recoil shy, I'd say to skip the Walther PPS.

I have a PPS .40, and I love it, but it's such a slim little gun that there isn't much mass there to temper the recoil. A 9mm wouldn't hit her quite so hard, but it may still be enough to discourage her.

Ditto for a Keltec PF-9, which will beat the hell out of your hands even in 9mm. I'm glad to see that one isn't on your list.

 

[MinisterMalice]

#2 FTW! I dig my XD9sc. Fun to shoot.

 

[LawyerDagget]

I got my wife a G26, it seemed smart at the time. However in hindsight I should have taken her and tried many different ones. In further hindsight I should have gotten her the G19. Had I taken her shopping I would have figured that out.

The good thing is that it was a great excuse to buy another pistol and the G26 is a great gun, it just wasn't the right one for her.

That has cured me of buying pistols for other people without letting them handle/shoot them first.

 

[shooterX]

Whatever fits her hand and she is comfortable shooting would be my vote. Don't overlook revolvers either, might be a good choice since you aren't comfortable carrying in condition one or two.

 

[gilraen]

I have small hands and short fingers, and the Sig P239 in 9mm fits very well. No external safety, though.

+1 to going to the range and trying out a bunch. That's what I did, and couldn't be happier with my choice.

 

[Sand86]

The weight of the MK9 makes it entirely different from its polymer counterparts.

 

[deadcenter]

Take her to the store you trust, connect her with a trusted sales person and then get the hell out of there for 30 minutes or so...

Good advice. My wife is partial to the SR9 and the 9 mm Baby Eagle sub-compact. Both have slimmer grips for smaller hands and shoot relatively comfortably.

 

[10thmtn]

+1 on letting her try and decide.

If you don't already, get a good gun safe - I have a GunVault (with pushbuttons - I don't trust the biometric fingerprint reader version) to keep the handguns away from the kids.

I keep my flashlight holster on top of the safe - it goes on my belt only after the safe door is closed. If my light is on my belt, I know the door is locked.

As to your list - Glock 26 and XD 9 SC are good. The G26 has a lower bore axis, and may therefore have less muzzle flip for her. The XD has the grip safety, which is both good and bad. Of the two, I like the G26 better - some folks have reported not being able to engage the grip safety on the XD in certain circumstances. Just my preference for simpler guns - less to go wrong.

The PPS has the weird mag release in the trigger guard - different than most guns, which means more training. It is thin, but not much smaller than my Glock 19.

I would proceed with extreme caution on the polymer Kahrs. Do a search.

Good luck!

 

[Keltyke]

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of:

1. Fit - It should fit in your hand like you were born with it there.
2. Reliability - It should go BANG about 99.8% of the time you pull the trigger.
3. Accuracy - In YOUR hand. It's how well YOU shoot it.
4. Concealability - It should be comfortable enough to wear and easy enough to conceal so you won't leave it laying on the dresser at home.
5. Cost - You don't want to scrimp on your "life protector" weapon, but you probably don't need a $1,000 Kimber, either.

All that being said, the XD9SC gets my vote.

 

[SC Tiger]

My wife has decided that she wants to get her carry permit. We have guns around the house and she is comfortable shooting them at the range but she has decided that she wants "her" gun so she can get really comfortable with it. She wants a subcompact so she can carry it IWB, but nothing that won't be fun to shoot. Of course she is going to go rent everything and find one that points well for her, but I have come up with a few to try.
1. Glock 26
2. XDsc9
3. CZ Rami
4. Kahr Mk9 or PM9
5. Walther PPS

We have four young children who have been taught the gun rules, but we both would feel more safe with an auto carried without one in the chamber which is why we have ruled out a 1911 variant. Any more recommendations? Oh, she wants a 9mm.

Why would carrying the gun with an empty chamber rule out a 1911 variant? It would eliminate the Kahr from my list because of the strange way they have to be chambered - either off the slide stop or by slingshotting the slide. This isn't an issue for me since I carry with a loaded chamber. I've gotten in the habit of slingshotting mine when I chamber a round just to get used to it so it will be second nature.

Other than that Kahr makes a fine and almost disturbingly accurate weapon.

That said, I agree with the ones who say to let her decide. Take her to the gun store and work with a good trustworthy salesperson. A lot of this will be determined by what fits her hand. Renting an example of each weapon would be an even better idea if you can pare the list down to two or three guns (trying to save you some rental fees here).

Also, add a J-frame Smith and Wesson to the list.