Advice / Suggestions....CCW Pistol for my wife.

[Mom Calls me Rambo]

Hi All:

I'm having a hard time deciding what kind of small pistol to get my wife for carrying purposes.

We looked at the Kel-Tec P3AT, which just doesn't seem to look up to standards to me...I mean, I've seen toy guns that look more reliably built, but the minute the wife seen it, her decision was made...."But it's SOO CUTE"

Trying to explain to her that reliability, functionality, stopping power, etc are more important than a gun's "cute" factor was like trying to convince a 20-something college kid why Obama is simply a disastorous choice for this country...nontheless.

I like the Bersa .380. Owned one many years ago, and was satisfied with it, of course I didn't shoot it that much, and never considered carrying it. So, looking at things in that light, can anyone make suggestions as to a decent carry pistol ? I'd love to hear any / all suggestions.

Thanks !

[BimmerJon]

The problem here that I see is that you keep saying "I dont like this or I like that"

If the gun is for your wife, she needs to make the decision. Not by looks, but by FEEL. Have her shoot a half dozen guns or so until she finds one that is comfortable in her hands...

Also, "Stopping power" is not a real thing, this isn't the movies. :>

[violinjim]

Walther PPK/S. easily shot, nice looking gun. And you can call her Mrs. Bond...

Jim

[Mom Calls me Rambo]

Originally Posted by violinjim

Walther PPK/S. easily shot, nice looking gun. And you can call her Mrs. Bond...

Jim

Anything to that "bites your hand" I've head about with these ? Never shot one, like to try one out.

[Carnes]

I don't really know your exact situation, so I am going to make some generalizations that are not directed toward you or anyone in particular... Just what I feel may be some good advice.

I recommend that anyone give their wife as much freedom as possible in selecting something that she will be comfortable with.

There are many debates as to what gun is better than another, but truthfully, the biggest influencing factor in the effectiveness of any weapon is the user's comfort with the weapon. A person who genuinely feels that a 'junker' is best, will find better results with said junker than with a 'top-of-the-line' pistol. Confidence is a psychological factor that can make the best gun in the world miss every time. (and vice versa)

The best thing is to encourage the person to be informed... And this requires interest. If she is not really interested in getting a gun, but you have decided she needs one... Just get the cheapest thing you can find, she will not use it anyway.

However, if she is actually interested, tell her to get an account here and to ask questions. She should research different weapons, and seek out what she feels most comfortable with. This is a very serious thing... Life and death, and all that. If she does not take it that seriously, she likely is not really interested.

Take her to the range, let her try some different weapons. Encourage her to go to the range on her own, so that she does not have any 'outside pressures' that you may inadvertently introduce.

Have her get a LTCF and a loaner that she can take to a basic pistol course, so she can learn about what her strengths and weakness' are. This will help her decide what she feels most comfortable with.

If she is really interested in protecting herself, there will likely be a post here in the future that will created by her, and will be directed specifically toward her interests/questions.

Best of luck, but don't forget that thing about leading a horse to water... You can give a person a gun, but you cannot make them defend them-self.

Regards

[normanvin]

Take her some place that has guns. Have her try the fit of several. Go from there. As you say the gun is for her.

[Exbiker]

The indoor range in Whitehall above the Lehigh Valley mall used to have loaner/rentals. How about a nice ultra light revolver? They generally go bang every time. Not much worry about failure to feed or clearing a failure to fire.

[TonyF]

Originally Posted by Mom Calls me Rambo

Anything to that "bites your hand" I've head about with these ?

Yes there is but it depends on how you grip the pistol and how "fleshy" your hands are.

Look at the new Walther PPS. It's a very slim, striker fired pistol. The compact XD's and S&W M&P's are also worth a look. Remind her that the smaller the pistol, the more difficult it will be to shoot accurately.

Lightweight revolvers will hurt her hand and DA/SA autoloaders like the Bersa have difficult triggers to master.

I've been wanting to take a look at the PPS myself.

[Shawn.L]

we went through a few pistols trying to find one my wife would actually carry.

we found there was a big diff between the ones she liked, the ones she liked to shoot, the ones she shot well, and the one she would ACTUALLY CARRY.

My wife is very concerned about printing, and as far as where they will carry females are shaped different then men. In case you didnt notice

In the end she has a seecamp 32 now, loves it. Its pretty, stainless, hard to find, expensive, easy to conceal, she loves it for carry. Its not the best pistol for SD, but its a hell of alot better than whats sitting in the safe !

Dont know how close to PGH you are, but if you come to a PMSC/PAFOA group shoot PM me and we will bring it for your wife to check out. We also have a Kel-Tec PF-9 currently (might be trading it). Great gun, has had no problems of any kind, worked suprisingly well, super thin and light 9mm. Kicks like a fuckin mule! Was still too big for the wifey to carry.

[CommonHighrise]

My girlfriend ,of diminutive hand size, loves her S&W K22, but has been eyeballing the Sig Mosquito .22. Didnt say your wifes shooting experience, but the 'cute' comment is generally reserved for those of lesser. .22LR is universally agreed upon as the 'beginner's' choice of ammo, as its gentle enough to avoid flinch development, and so cheap she could shoot it to her hearts content. Let her do that, get some skill and experience, then start looking at defensive guns.

Another thing you might try; lots of guys on this forum, and a good amount have wives that share their hobby. See if you can get your wife together with them, and let them go shopping with her. Just a thought.