A gun for my fiancee

[HistoryGuy]

We've been looking at a few guns for my fiancee and have narrowed it down to the top three picks.

1) Rugar LC9s
2) Glock 42
3) Walther P99

Any thoughts on these guns for a female shooter?

 

[jwh20]

#1 factor is that it's a gun SHE feels comfortable with. Meaning it feels right in her hand and is something that she'll shoot well. My biggest concern with .380 ACP guns is that the .380 round is really "snappy" in most pistols and can be uncomfortable to shoot. 9mm guns are virtually the same size anymore, in fact many really nice 9mm's are smaller than the Glock 42.

A couple you might want to have her try are the Beretta Nano, which is my favorite EDC. Another good choice is the Springfield XDs 9mm. Both are great guns in my opinion and are easy for just about anyone to handle.

My own youngest daughter, just turned 21, really likes my .45 ACP Glock 36. So don't rule out that either. The 36 is a good gun as is the XDs .45.

Another gun you might want to consider is the Springfield XD MOD.2 in 9mm. It's a bit larger and heavier than some of the other guns but handles easily and is a great shooter.
I don't own one but the S &W M&P Shield is popular among many women.

By the way, I'm not a fan of the Ruger LC9. I have only one data point but a friend bought one new and it came broken from the factory. I have high regard for Ruger revolvers and own several, but I just don't think they quite have the pistol thing down.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

My wife just got her first gun; an M&P Shield 9. She handled it multiple times in stores before I bought it used from an individual. She has put a little over 100 rounds through it and loves it. The two different mags make it great for shooting at the range and for carrying. I shot it a bit, and I will mention that you notice the thin-ness. It has more felt recoil than my M&P9C due to the thin-ness, but it isn't bad by any means. The slide is easier to operate for a female as well.

 

[Ballstater98]

My wife picked out the LC9s as her 1st hand gun. She loves shooting it. She has fired all of my firearms and prefers the 9mm round. The feel of the LC9s in her hand coupled with the 9mm rounds sold it. After going to the store and handling many firearms, I asked her if she wanted to sleep on it. She did, but I could pretty much tell she had made up her mind. The next day I asked her if she wanted to go to the gun shop. She made her purchase and we hit the range.

 

[actaeon277]

#1 factor is that it's a gun SHE feels comfortable with.
...

This.
It's going to be her gun.

 

[Bfish]

Like these guys are saying, let her make the choice or she won't be all about it... However, it doesn't mean that you can't guide her decision making before ultimately letting her decide.

Vert posted a killer thread the other day found here, https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/374272-choosing-your-first-handgun.html
I would check it out and use that as a starting point. I would maybe let her read it too before she picks. Thats what I did with my girlfriend on top of saying I think these 3-4 guns would be good choices for x-number of reasons. And then she picked 2 she thought she liked. And then shot them to make her choice. We found out she might like to have 2 guns but chose the one that would see the most use to start. And she made GREAT choice IMO so I would say if you have access to a few be it buddies guns and your own like I did I would strongly encourage this!

 

[45fan]

The first carry gun my wife ever picked out was the Walther PK380. Its a good gun, easy to operate, and light on the recoil. She has ran through just about any other size/style/caliber that most would consider "normal" for EDC.

She liked the PK380 she started with. She loves the BG380 that she switched to after getting comfortable with handguns, and wanted something smaller ans easier to conceal. She decided to go with a revolver after shooting one of my J-frames. (she now has an LCR and Service Six she carries on occasion) She has a PF-9 and a XDs 45 that she likes, but hasnt carried since she adopted my MK9. Beyond the regular EDC pistols, she has also been known to carry her PT-92, or even a 44 Mag revolver.

As expensive as it sounds, let her pick what fits her, and let her shoot as many as she can before making the decision. Only a few of the guns my wife has have I influenced her decision on, most she found all on her own, and from her own experiences. If its something that she picks out on her own, and likes, she is more likely to enjoy (and carry) on a regular basis.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/women-firearms/12684-buying-gun-women-your-life.html

I'm assuming you've seen this sticky.

 

[HistoryGuy]

She's handled a lot of different firearms so she knows what she's looking for. Her dad has already taught her how to shoot a 1911. The only reason we didn't go with that is because she wanted a lighter gun. And I wanted to stay under $650.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Damn. I read the thread title and I thought... hmmm. I have a few extra guns I can spare. I wonder which one he'll take in trade for her.

Seriously though , since you are up in turtleville, Stop by Tomlinsons and have a chat with INGO's favorite monkey. She will fix you two right up.

Just tell her that you heard she could recommend a Glock for you. She LOVES that line. (and the bruises are healing nicely from that interaction, thank you.)

Oh, and you can get a nice Ruger 1911 for just a few dollars more than your high limit. They all get great reviews.

 

[blkrifle]

ruger lcr in 9mm or 38 special.

no slide to rack, no safeties to manipulate....lightweight

wife and daughter love theirs

 

[Cameramonkey]

ruger lcr in 9mm or 38 special.

no slide to rack, no safeties to manipulate....lightweight

wife and daughter love theirs

But do they enjoy shooing it? A lot of people complain that the featherweight pistols are brutal to fire.

 

[45fan]

But do they enjoy shooing it? A lot of people complain that the featherweight pistols are brutal to fire.

Flyweight 38s can be a bit brutal, but I can honestly say that compared to my J-frames, my wife's LCR in 38 +P is more comparable to my 60 than my 442, and that is without the big grips on her LCR. With wadcutter loads, its nearly as soft as a 22. Feed it a standard pressure hollowpoint, and it warms up a bit, but still very manageable. Even with the Remington 125 gr +Ps that we both carry, its not too bad to shoot, though I would not want to run a box through it in one sitting.
My wife has had several of her lady friends over to shoot her guns, and of the ones that my wife and I have, the LCR tends to be one of the top picks for all of the obvious reasons, and because its not too difficult to control in the recoil department.

 

[KittySlayer]

She's handled a lot of different firearms so she knows what she's looking for. Her dad has already taught her how to shoot a 1911. The only reason we didn't go with that is because she wanted a lighter gun. And I wanted to stay under $650.

Have you looked at the Sig P238? My wife handled a bunch of guns. She really wanted to like the Walther being a 007 fan but kept coming back to the Sig. It is a pleasure to shoot and I have one now as my EDC. Son has a p938 which is just a little larger but shoots just as well. With extra mags, night sites and a holster it is a nice package close to your price range especially if she likes the 1911 platform.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

We tried a multitude of .380 & 9mm. We went to one of INGO's advertisers and rented several firearms over a couple shooting sessions.
It was a close call on the lc9 and lc9s. She went with the lc9s. ymmv

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

She's handled a lot of different firearms so she knows what she's looking for. Her dad has already taught her how to shoot a 1911. The only reason we didn't go with that is because she wanted a lighter gun. And I wanted to stay under $650.

ruger lcr in 9mm or 38 special.

no slide to rack, no safeties to manipulate....lightweight

wife and daughter love theirs

Even after the OP stated the guns they are interested in people still want to assume women should gravitate towards revolvers. That's the best way to make my wife HATE going into a particular gun store or booth at a show.



All three are in a popular category for male and female shooters alike. All three should function just fine for her so find out which she likes best and go for it.

I find it interesting that you have both .380 and 9mm on your list. Personally, if she is comfortable with 9mm I'd recommend that for the cheaper ammo and slightly better performance. However, my wife started with a Bersa Thunder in .380 so get whatever she wants.

 

[Bennettjh]

It's all what feels good to her. If it's uncomfortable, she won't carry it or shoot it, IMHO.

If she likes all three listed, I would go Ruger. That's my preference. No knock against Glock or Walther.

 

[rgrimm01]

When My Lady was looking for one of her own, we went anywhere so she could see and touch different types and models. The firearm first had to pass the visual critique. She was leaning towards the autos. The feel came next and then the cull, racking the slide.

She could only rack 2, the SW MPs and Berettas. She chose the Shield to start. After shooting my MP fs, she decided the larger frame was not intimidating and decided she wanted the Beretta 92 INOX. She loves it and it is quite the shooter.

 

[ModernGunner]

Even after the OP stated the guns they are interested in people still want to assume women should gravitate towards revolvers...

For me, it's 'presumed' any newbie shooter would be better served if they gravitated towards DA (or SA/DA) revolvers. That's female OR male.

Generally speaking, the newbie can focus on handgun handling (safety rules, loading / unloading, managing recoil, etc.) and shooting basics (grip, sight alignment, trigger press, etc.). That's plenty of information to remember.

With autos, one absolutely must (if carrying, anyway) master malfunction drills, and malfunction drills under high stress. This can be a challenge even for experienced shooters.

Yes, revolvers CAN have malfunctions, but nowadays that's even more rare than with autos. And unlike any auto, if a round fails to fire (dud round), with a revolver one simply pulls the trigger to fire on a new round.

For teaching handgun defense to the novice, 'simpler is better'.

 

[blkrifle]

But do they enjoy shooing it? A lot of people complain that the featherweight pistols are brutal to fire.

use some lighter handloads for most of practice session then finish up with carry loads. no all day sessions so I haven't heard any complaining