Suggestions for a female first time carrying?

[Jordan]

My wife is in the process of getting her lifetime license and so will obviously be needing a carry piece once that is taken care of.

Her experience with handguns is very limited. On a range day with my father and I she shot a FNP 45, .380 Llama, and a .22 SA revolver. Of all, she preferred the revolver. She seemed somewhat afraid of the slide action. But I don't want to her stuffing a Heritage Arms cowboy plinker into her purse either.

I have considered several little .38s but I think the DA trigger would turn her off due to its stiffness.

All of that leads me to small caliber autos. My dad wrote a piece on the P32 a few years ago and liked it well enough and that seems to me to be a perfect fit, but I am worried .32acp just isn't enough. I just want her to feel like she can shoot it accurately and comfortably and not develop a fear of it that leads to not ever carrying it.

Your thoughts?

 

[Classic]

5 shot, 38 special, DA revolver if she already doesn't like the slide operation. Nothing to think about except "pull the trigger". Safe, simple and effective.

 

[Jordan]

5 shot, 38 special, DA revolver if she already doesn't like the slide operation. Nothing to think about except "pull the trigger". Safe, simple and effective.

Still concerned about the stiff trigger. She only shot a SA only revolver and so hasn't felt the pull on a DA. She did not like the DA trigger on my FNP 45 which leads me to believe a snubby 38 would turn her off.

Anyone shot a Ruger LCR? Is the trigger system on that as good as they claim, that would probably be the only option for a .38

 

[Reality]

Only a revolver...

 

[Six Forty-Two]

Find a revolver that fits her hand and dry fire it. See if she has trouble. The right grips make a difference for trigger pull. I took my daughter to the range and she didn't have trouble with DA pull, but had trouble reaching the trigger well with a couple of my revolvers. She found one that fit her hand better and stuck with that one the rest of the day.

 

[Sonick]

Take her to a gun range and rent a few different size caliber and frame pistols. Have her actually fire them. The last thing you want to do is spend $300-$500 on a pistol she isnt comfortable with.

Revolvers ofcourse you get less rounds while SA's you have the chance of ftf/fte.

 

[DestructionDan]

My wife packs around a LC9 or a Charter 38SPL undercover hammerless
I hate the LC9 I do like the Charter for CC. And am looking for the 9mm Charter when I can find it. If I could find 2 at a fair price, i'd sale the 38SPL and remove that round from the collection.
Make sure she can hide whatever gun she likes before you buy it. My wife loved shooting my Glocks so I got her a G26 and she didn't like to carry it.
Best bet take her to the gun shop, and let her pick her fav 4. Then ask around the forums if anyone in your area has one your wife could test. Then let her pick the one she can hide best, can draw fast, and can hit what she points at.
I said points at, not aims at. You will most likely not have time to aim when defending your life.

 

[Jordan]

@Dan

What makes you hate the LC9? I was looking at that for myself recently (though a PF-9 seems to be the current direction).

 

[DestructionDan]

Trigger is crap. You pull and pull and pull, no real clean break.
I don't like a safety on a carry gun, and the loaded chamber flag is not needed.
It's a CA gun more than a American gun.
They function great, if you can overlook that trigger.

 

[csm47362]

My wife started with a Colt DS 38 spl.

 

[mrjarrell]

Take her to the range to try out a few different revolvers or semi's. Your opinion doesn't count for squat in the matter. It's all about her. Try a nice small frame in .357. Or even a .38. No sense in buying yourself a gun that she won't use. It's her decision, help her to find the right piece for her.

In the meantime here's Collene Barnette. She has plenty of videos targeted for women, by a woman.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU4Q_h6671UqyJR8rBxsiNxw&feature=plcp

 

[IndyDave1776]

I would not get too concerned about trigger pull with the revolver. As long as it is not truly oppressive (which any competent smith can lighten within reason) it is amazing what adrenaline will do to overcome a stiff trigger!

 

[voodoo304]

I carry a LCR and love it. Best DAO trigger I've pulled. The .38 version is only 13.5oz so it would be comfortable to carry.

 

[ForceTA308]

Definitely agree with those who say to have her get some range time in on as much as possible so she really knows what she likes. And I wouldn't worry a whole lot about smaller caliber. With the defense ammo available now, even the smaller calibers can pack a punch and still be controllable, concealable, etc...

 

[00Buck]

Revolver in 38 or 357, open cylinder, load, close cylinder, pull trigger 5 times, repeat.
Range time a must, then move on to the small autos if she wants

Most all of my S&W's have a smoother double action pull than the small compact DAO Semi autos do.

 

[Lep36]

Just went through this with my wife. Like everybody else is saying, get her to the range and let her decide, it's going to be her gun, so it has to be her decision!

 

[Zoub]

My Mom is 78 and can pull the trigger just fine on a Ruger hammerless .38 SP101 DAO. The key was of course practice. Also, the gun has some weight and that helps. Light weight revolvers suck for extended practice.

 

[Lawn Racer]

I agree she should try the lcr which is a great little gun. You could have her shoot one of the small .380s or 9mms now on the market to see if she liked them having a slide.

 

[voodoo304]

I have a pocket .380, the LCR, and a Glock 19. If you'd like to meet at a range she can try all three. You'd need to supply the .380 ammo as I don't have much.

PM if interested.

 

[45acp223]

I have shot my friends S&W 642 AirWeight, it was in .38 Spl./+P. It's very tiny and super light (alum frame/ss cyl/barrel). It's a bit to small for me, but his wife carries it and it fits her hand perfectly. She doesn't mind shooting it. You definately feel a decent amount of recoil but it's manageable.

I've not shot, but have handled the LCR, the weight of the .357 felt better to me than the .38 spl, but I can't imagine that you could handle shooting many .357 rounds out of it, it's still a very light gun. I'm sure it would not be pleasant For that matter, you'll feel any 1-7/8 or 2" barrel, but she should be able to handle 5 shots out it. They are pricey but you can get Crimson Laser Grips for it, which is a pretty cool setup. Let us know what she ends up deciding on.