Your suggestions on a handgun for my wife?

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  • beafly.cakes

    Active Member
    Glocks have 3 safeties. Only the trigger safety is externally visible.

    Women don't need smaller guns. Just like men, they need guns that are comfortable in their hands and lethal. My wife for example has decided that the glock 17 is right for her. She likes the 19 fine as well, but according to her... "Why would I want a pistol that hold less ammo?"

    I've seen a couple of women at IDPA matches tearing it up with full sized 1911s.

    My suggestion would be a major caliber striker fired polymer framed service pistol. Light, simple to use, effective. 9mm, because its cheaper to practice with. Practicing with it is probably more important than what caliber or make you choose.

    That means: Glock 17 or 19, Springfield XD 9mm, Walther P99, S&W M&P 9, etc. find one that feels comfy in her hands, and make sure she swaps the backstraps.
     

    USN24

    DoubleO7
    Oct 21, 2010
    48
    Washington County
    It's a simplex lock that you can set yourself (5 button, you can even use combos like button 1, button 4, button 2+5). It would be next to impossible for a young child to accidentally enter the combo in the right order (without hitting the wrong button before or after the sequence, which kills it) and subsequently turning the knob.

    As an extra layer of security, I press one of the "wrong" buttons after closing it. That means I have to turn the knob counterclockwise before entering the code when I have to open it. I do this for the .000000000000000000001% chance that someone stumbled upon it, entered the right code and turned the knob. I practice getting out of bed and opening the safe regularly and it doesn't add any measurable amount of time to the process.

    Simplex locks are perfect for HD safes. Extremely reliable, no electronics... they always work. The one I linked to is the best one on the market. 10 gauge steel, lifetime warranty. Just put four lag bolts through the bottom and you're set!

    Thank you! I think this is the best way to go. Now to get her to try out some handguns
     

    navycraig

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 3, 2009
    1,359
    St. Mary's
    Glocks have 3 safeties. Only the trigger safety is externally visible.

    Women don't need smaller guns. Just like men, they need guns that are comfortable in their hands and lethal. My wife for example has decided that the glock 17 is right for her. She likes the 19 fine as well, but according to her... "Why would I want a pistol that hold less ammo?"

    I've seen a couple of women at IDPA matches tearing it up with full sized 1911s.

    My suggestion would be a major caliber striker fired polymer framed service pistol. Light, simple to use, effective. 9mm, because its cheaper to practice with. Practicing with it is probably more important than what caliber or make you choose.

    That means: Glock 17 or 19, Springfield XD 9mm, Walther P99, S&W M&P 9, etc. find one that feels comfy in her hands, and make sure she swaps the backstraps.


    I'm in the same boat as the OP so rather than start a new thread, I'll add to his so that we may both learn something.

    I took my wife to shoot my Bersa .380, my Kahr P9 and my SW M&P .40C. She did fine with all of them, but...

    The Bersa: Too many moving parts. She just wants to pick it up and fire it.
    The Kahr: Backstrap is really rough so practice is literally...a pain.
    The M&P: A bit more than she wants to shoot often.
    All Three: She HATED the long trigger pulls on them. Way too much take up. I explained the reason for it, which she understood, but she wants to point the gun, pull the trigger and it go bang.

    So, I hear a lot of talk about the Glocks. How is the trigger take up on those?

    Anything else without a long take up that we should consider?

    Thanks.
     

    ChannelCat

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    1) Get her trained and familiar with various guns (some ranges have rentals).

    2) Let HER pick the gun. WITHOUT any "helpful" advice. Set a minimum caliber, and let her shop. You would not want her to buy you a gun without your input, so DO NOT try to do the same to her.
     
    When we were in your situation this is the path we took:
    My wife preferred the operation of the revolver over the semi auto. I invested in two Smith and Wesson revolvers, a 686p (.357 magnum, 7 round cylinder) and a 617 (.22lr, 10 round cylinder). Both of these firearms are the same frame, grip, weight, length and so forth.
    She was able to train with the 22lr and get used to the operation and philosophy of use. During training she was able to work up to the larger caliber revolver, at first 38 special target rounds, then 38+p defensive loads. She now feel confident with both handguns.

    I do enjoy range time with the 617, it is cheap to shoot and get in plenty of practice.

    We do use gunvault safes, I decided to not use the biometric option just the safe with the punch in code. I have heard about sweat, lotion etc. affecting the finger pads. My wife puts lotion on her hands at night and that is the reason we went with a push button code model.
     

    pilgrim

    Active Member
    My wife went is still shopping. Handling and test firing everything she can try out. She thought she wanted a 9mm. She tried Glock, Sig, SW, Walther, CZ, even a .380 Sig. The Sig P226 won out. Now she tried my SR1911, guess what up, yup she loves it. So now a friend going to loan out a couple of Kimbers for tryouts. Yes she must decide what she wants and likes to shoot.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Why does she only have to pick ONE? :)

    I lost out buying a sweet Browning .410 over and under, because it was not MY TURN.
     

    smores

    Creepy-Ass Cracker
    Feb 27, 2007
    13,493
    Falls Church
    So, I hear a lot of talk about the Glocks. How is the trigger take up on those?

    Anything else without a long take up that we should consider?

    Thanks.

    Glock triggers are excellent. Look how many Glocks are used in IDPA and USPSA and you will see both practical and sport shooters love them.

    Glocks require very little training to use safely, which is why you see them in the holsters of so many LEOs.

    And don't listen to the garbage about them not having safeties, you can take a loaded Glock and throw it down the stairs and it won't fire. It takes a deliberate trigger pull to discharge the weapon.

    In addition to all that they are extremely reliable, durable and accurate. They are the best guns on the market at that price point. Even in this market, you will still be able to find spare magazines if you look.

    Sent from my SCH-I535 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
     

    Trogdor

    Active Member
    Nov 13, 2011
    149
    My girlfriend's dad gave her a SP101 and she hates it. She is very comfortable and proficient with my full size m&p9. She hates the trigger on the SP101, not a fan of the SA DA. I have a hard sear in the m&p and she loves it. I have seen her shoots AWESOME groups at 25 yards. It sits on my nightstand in a kydex holster condition 1.

    I think you should take her to hold a few. If she is trained with an auto there is no reason to give her a wheel gun. If something ever happens she should have the biggest advantage possible. 18>6.
     

    NickZac

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 12, 2007
    3,412
    Baltimore, MD
    If there is something that 'feels' best to her or she likes, then it is the one for her. There is definitely something to say for larger-framed wheel guns like the 686+ and GP100. While you rarely hear people speaking to the 'tactical advantage' of a revolver, there are without a doubt at least a few major advantages over a semi. A 4 inch GP100 with with a fiber optic front sight and the proper .38 +p or .357 loadings is a great home defense gun and a pleasant and accurate target shooter. When I worked at a store, I found that some women lean towards the 2-3 inch revolvers as they find them to look less intimidating...but they recoil like the world is going to end (.357 mag I shot once one time, and then unloaded the remaining 4 and never did it again). Additionally, they often fail to propel a hollow-point to the speed it is needed to function as designed and penetration depths of bullets fired through 2 inch barrels rarely meets FBI standards (that is, they do not penetrate deep enough and they do not expand with predictable consistency). The heavier weight of the full-framed 4 inch guns adds controllability and a significantly higher velocity to the JHPs, increasing the chance that they will work as intended. Also, there is a lot to say of the .357 magnum loaded with a common defense load proven through actual shootings for it such as the Gold Dot (the .357 isn't terrible recoil-wise in the larger guns). IMO a 4 inch revolver in the .38/.357 flavor is one hell of a great all-around shooter.

    As far as the modern guns go, such as Glock, they all have 'safeties' in them, such as drop safeties or firing pin safeties, for example. The main difference is that these safeties are disengaged when the user pulls the trigger rather than activate a switch. Most LE-grade service weapons will have no external safety that the user themselves activate, with the exception of certain single-action semiautomatic pistols. Many hammer guns, such as most of the Sigs, have a decocker in which you chamber a round, de-cock, and store/carry so that the first pull is a heavier double action pull and then successive pulls are lighter single action. There are also double-action only offerings from many makers as well, such as Sig and HK. IMO no single way is best...it's more personal preference. Glocks are often depicted as being dangerous due to the lack of an external safety and that in order to disassemble you must dry fire the gun...this is untrue...really, it just demands competency in safe handling and usage as there is less room for error. A few LEOs at the place I used to work at had carried Glocks and Sigs without external safeties for literally decades of reliable usage and they swear by them having seen how durable the modern service-grade pistols are. So while I love the revolver, I equally like the semiautomatic and there are surely also advantages of semiautomatics over revolvers.

    In terms of trigger flexibility, the H&K USP is the winner hands down. They offer everything from 1911-style cocked-and-locked, to cocked and locked plus decock plus decock safety, to a de-cock only, to a double action only, to a modified double action called the LEM (I'm a big fan of this), to a 'tactical' (actual term is "match grade adjustable") trigger with different properties than their standard one...with all of the above available in left, right, and ambidextrous configurations. The variant one USP has the capability to be carried/stored in the cocked-and-locked format , as well as de-cocked with the safety on or safety off (all right handed). Some people dislike 1911s...I personally love them and it is partially why I like the USP because they designed it to have the 1911's cocked-and-locked capability and with the USP45C, a single-stack magazine=a thinner grip. All just my take, of course.
     

    Goateggs

    Active Member
    Jan 27, 2013
    411
    Annapolis
    I think all the advice about "take her shopping" is spot on. And just don't be surprised if she doesn't prefer the 'ladylike' option. I'm 5'2" and have the hands the size of your average 11 year old, and my first home defense gun, almost 30 years ago now, was a Ruger .357 Security Six with a 4" barrel. And that's what's in the gun vault under my side of the bed now. (Not the original Ruger...sadly, that was collateral damage in a divorce long ago. Damn, I miss that gun.)
     

    USN24

    DoubleO7
    Oct 21, 2010
    48
    Washington County
    Thanks for all the advice! I think the best route to take is letting her shoot several different handguns. Then, let her pick the gun she is most comfortable with. If I help her choose, it may end up being a desert eagle...lol!
     
    Feb 28, 2013
    28,953
    1) Get her trained and familiar with various guns (some ranges have rentals)

    YES!! Very important point. Take her to a range that rents. Let her handle what they have. Then let her shoot different calibers.

    Now here's where opinions will vary greatly. I'd say get her something in the biggest caliber she can handle comfortably without her feeling like she just grabbed hold of a power line. If she can handle what you got, then that way you only have to buy one type of ammo.
     

    EPCuco

    Active Member
    Mar 7, 2013
    256
    Wifes Gun

    Also, what are your thoughts about keeping it loaded in a gun case? And where should I put it?

    Buy a GunVault quick access safe. Dicks carries them for the cheapest Ive seen $130 most dealers $150-$175. I just got my wife a Kahr CW.40. Its a concealed carry weapon so its tiny at 4.62" tall and .94" wide and 6.36" long with a 3.6" barrel. Single stack 7 round mag so easy to grip. She loves it. They also make a .380,9mm and .45 in the same model though the specs vary a bit between models. My wifes first gun is a S&W SD.40 VE.... Just like a Glock( price is better). Im a big .40 fan so thats what I promote but they also have a 9mm as well. It holds 14 in a double stack mag. If your wife could protect what needs protecting with 7 rounds , that Kahr would be the way to go for her IMO. Check out the website www.kahr.com. Hope i was a help.
     

    NickZac

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 12, 2007
    3,412
    Baltimore, MD
    Buy a GunVault quick access safe. Dicks carries them for the cheapest Ive seen $130 most dealers $150-$175. I just got my wife a Kahr CW.40. Its a concealed carry weapon so its tiny at 4.62" tall and .94" wide and 6.36" long with a 3.6" barrel. Single stack 7 round mag so easy to grip. She loves it. They also make a .380,9mm and .45 in the same model though the specs vary a bit between models. My wifes first gun is a S&W SD.40 VE.... Just like a Glock( price is better). Im a big .40 fan so thats what I promote but they also have a 9mm as well. It holds 14 in a double stack mag. If your wife could protect what needs protecting with 7 rounds , that Kahr would be the way to go for her IMO. Check out the website www.kahr.com. Hope i was a help.

    The Stack On models are also of reasonable quality for that type of safe. They have one model you can get for about $30 that does the job. Fort Knox, FireKing, Gaurdall, and IIRC Sturdy and AmSec make single-gun fast-access safes that are a little higher up, some of which use true manual keypads that some argue as a huge advantage over electronic. Of course with this type of safe, you want to hide it if you are going to store the gun in it during the day. Some of these safes are designed to sit at the bottom of a drawer and be covered by other things to make them harder to find. One of my favorites though is the 'Globe Safe' and the lockable 'book safe' given they are so deceiving. Some people will also literally take the entire safe and place it in their main safe when they are not going to be home for an extended period, for obvious reasons.
     

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