[WyattEarp]

My wife wants to get her CCW license so she can carry a gun (bless her heart!) She is a petite 5'3 110 lbs, what do you guys & girls think i should get her? I was thinking maybe a small .38 cal revolver. Any suggestions would be very appreciated, thx!

 

[armoredman]

Actually, don't just buy her one. Let HER pick it out. I went through 4 revolvers with my wife before we realized a wheelie was not her cup of tea, and four autos before she found her CZ2075 RAMI 9mm.. Also, snubs are harder for newbies to shoot, regardless of how easy they are to carry. An auto may be easier, but the easist way to find out is hit the local indoor range, and rent different pistols. Size can really be immaterial, as I knew a small woman who easily concealed a Taurus 44 Spl.
Is she a shooter, or a beginner? Since you have the Hk logo in your avatar, maybe a nice P7.....if you have an extra $1,500 laying about....
Don't forget to spend 1/4 the purchase price on good leather = garbage holsters hold like garbage.....

 

[CLASS3NH]

I areee with Armored.. Let HER pick it out.........see what she thinks about it's weight, feel a,d how it's going to handle in her hands. Personally, I LOVE the P7, and so does my wife. very easy to get into a cocked position <squeze away> and de-cock it as easily. You can find the Police trades being imported now, for cheaper money, and they're as good as a new one too. One added Benifit to the P7 is the fact of being able to disarm the weapon, by removing the firing pin assy from the rear <you need the tool> but this also serves as a defense against "having a unsecured weapon around the house" You can leave a round in the chamber, full mag in the weapon, and sueeze til the cows come home, and nothing will happen.
Like K&K says "In a World of Compromise, some don't" I have a few P7's and a lot of other stuff also.........BUT SHE has to make the decision. If she doesn't like what you get for her, she'll not carry it.

 

[WyattEarp]

Thanks for the info. Yep, she's a shooter, she's gone with me to the range & has shot my AR, .45, 9mm & my friends AK. She needs more shooting time, but she knows the basics. I'm going to take her to the range so she can test out some toys.

 

[CLASS3NH]

How about a Lightweight SA 4" Compact? or a Kimber CDP.or 4" compact ?? in a lightweight frame? If she's shot a 45, then she's preety good with a weapon.. my wife shoots my MAC, UZI, MP5's and the Colt 16's and a few other goodies too. She's shot most everything I have.

 

[craig45]

be careful about what she tries out. my wife seems to like every gun she tries. the major problem with that is, some of them are mine . i then have to buy her one like it so i can use mine. the best advice has been given. let HER pick out the one she likes

 

[The Tourist]

Class3 makes a good point. If she has smaller hands, why not take avantage of some recent technology and let her fire a slimmed down Glock in .45 GAP.

I hate to sound sexist (yeah, right) but women love those Glocks. My wife thinks it's the non-metallic feel, the ease of take-down and the fact that the polymer grip blunts some recoil.

I personally have a Glock 27 with a grip extender. My wife has no qualms about picking that up, despite her dislike for most automatics.

Your wife has to live with her choice. Let her pick, help her with the details and encourage her to practice.

 

[JT]

My wife started out with a Ruger P89. She later switched to a Glock 19. As soon as she tried a Glock she liked it a lot more than the Ruger. And this was even trying a Glock 23 (40 cal) versus the Ruger in 9mm. I sold the P89 and bought her a model 19.

 

[CLASS3NH]

Tourist is right on the money
The Glock 45 GAP might be just the ticket for her. Good stopping power, yet not as hot as the others. The smaller 1911 frames might be a good choice too. Gotta get her out there and see what she likes. Touble is, women are VERY visual, and it HAS to APPEAL to HER LOL......

 

[Euclidean]

A little off topic, and I'm not picking on you Wyatt, but where did this stereotype of women liking .38 snubnose revolvers start? I only know one woman that likes revolvers period.

If anything .22 caliber semiautomatics such as the Ruger Mark II, compact service pistols, and 1911s seem to be the stereotypical guns.

 

[WyattEarp]

A little off topic, and I'm not picking on you Wyatt, but where did this stereotype of women liking .38 snubnose revolvers start? I only know one woman that likes revolvers period.

If anything .22 caliber semiautomatics such as the Ruger Mark II, compact service pistols, and 1911s seem to be the stereotypical guns.

No reason, i just thought of it because she's a small girl & she thinks that my H&K 9mm comp is a "too big for my hands.." as she puts it. So if that's too big, i gotta find something else.

 

[CLASS3NH]

Maybe a 3913 Ladysmith might be the setup for her.......9MM and smaller grip frame for a woman.....hence "Lady Smith"

 

[APachon]

my wife got introducted to pistols via a .22 and abotu tenminutes later stole one of my 1911's and has never looked back. She stands 5'3 113lbs. She loves all 1911's and now has several of her own.

~A

 

[Bumper]

I agree with those that have said to let her pick it out. I would sit her down and try to get a good idea what her preferences were, if you don't already and then take around to several different gun shops, ranges, etc and let her pick up, inspect, feel and maybe shoot some that she likes. She will then have the information she needs to make the right choice.

 

[Tom357]

A little off topic, and I'm not picking on you Wyatt, but where did this stereotype of women liking .38 snubnose revolvers start? I only know one woman that likes revolvers period.

If anything .22 caliber semiautomatics such as the Ruger Mark II, compact service pistols, and 1911s seem to be the stereotypical guns.

The bit about .38 snubs may be a stereotype, but in the case of my wife, it is also true. I had her try .38 spl, .357 Mag, 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, and we shot a .22LR conversion on a CZ-75 frame. She loves wheel guns. She hates semi-autos. She loves a J-frame revolver in .38 spl. What she would really love is a J-frame revolver with a 3" barrel and the smooth action of a particular Ladysmith she once handled. I'm doing my best to set her up with one.

 

[Gideon]

I'd HIGHLY recommend you show her a Kahr P9. It's designed from top to bottom for concealed carry and it's ideal for smaller/petite hands. The grip is fantastic and the 9mm recoil is very modest. The weapon is less than an inch wide. The trigger is DAO only so it operates like a revolver, i.e., pull shoot pull shoot. No magazine disconnect. Good sights, etc.

Mine is EXTREMELY accurate with exceptionally smooth trigger pull. It'll carry 7+1 or 8+1 with the extended 2nd mag it comes with. They are one of the best built, most reliable autos out there. I waited and ordered one with the tungsten coated stainless slide and night sights and simply love it!

They make a Kahr P40 but it has quite a bit of muzzle flip and is a little sharp on the recoil.

The offer a Kahr PM9 which is the same weapon but shortens the grip reducing it to a two finger grip unless there's a grip on the mag. I think the P9 is best because it just allows for a three finger grip.

I can't say enough and although each person has to ultimately settle on what they'd like, I think more expreienced shooters can/should suggest quality arms tha have the characteristics we know they should be looking for.

Let's face it, a petite lady can shoot and carry a full size 1911, but for practical day to day use and carry, there isn't a real comparison. I think the Kahr P9 is perhaps one of the best concealed carry weapons currently on the market.

I've simply never had any malfunction with mine, of any kind.

Now I have a J frame S&W .38. It's nice but the double action pull is terrible and the cylndar bulk makes it as hard, if not harder to conceal than the Kahr.

About the only thing I could think about with the Kahr would be the strength needed to rack the slide. Now I don't think it would be a problem and if a person really couldn't rack the slide on a P9 then they're likely to have fits with the trigger pull on a J frame unless the pull the hammer back.

Just some thoughts.... :smile:

Gideon

 

[ExSoldier]

I agree with armored and Class3NH....let her pick it out. What a GREAT excuse to go to a gunshow! I've often made mention that picking a personal defense weapon is like finding a spouse: Sometimes you've ummmmm gotta "fondle" them a bit to see which one fits right. Make no mistake, she'll pick one and it might NOT be the one you expect, but it'll feel just as "right" to her as Excalibur did to the Boy King! Your challenge then is not to try and dissuade her to choose another gun YOU feel is easier to carry or shoot. So if she picks a 1911 Government Model, get it and THEN start looking for carry methods. That's what my wife chose....in fact she disavowed the Beretta M84 .380 her dad got her as soon as she fired my "Betsy!" I had to scramble to get her a Combat Commander .45 before we got into a "custody" battle over MY dang gun!

 

[Bud White]

let her pick it out but dont overlook the springfield xd subcompact when your looking..


Ohh and most the ladys i know do prefer to shoot a wheelie in 38 or 357

 

[K-Man]

I wholeheartedly agree with letting her pick it out. Being in the biz that I am, I get to handle a bunch of guns of various sizes and styles. So when my wife said, "I want to get my CCW permit and carry my own gun," I started pulling out the guns. She wanted something small and easy to hold. After going through a number of guns, she ended up choosing the Kel-Tec P32 and P3AT.

 

[ExSoldier]

One Caveat...

I wholeheartedly agree with letting her pick it out. Being in the biz that I am, I get to handle a bunch of guns of various sizes and styles. So when my wife said, "I want to get my CCW permit and carry my own gun," I started pulling out the guns. She wanted something small and easy to hold. After going through a number of guns, she ended up choosing the Kel-Tec P32 and P3AT.

Okay, I just thought of this: There is, IMHO a caveat to "letting HER choose HER gun" and that is that in my experience as an instructor (I'm NOT being sexist here) the ladies have a tendency to go for what's "cute" and "small." That usually means an ineffective gun in a mouse sized caliber. Can't let her do that, because a mouse caliber requires super accuracy under extreme stress. The minimum caliber has go to be a 9mm. You can make up for a lot of the power factor in bullet configuration. So if she likes the Kel-Tec 32 try and steer to a Kel-Tec 9mm. I personally HATE the Kel-Tec line except for the sub-2000 folding carbine in .40 S&W. But it's not a bad product all in all.