My wife has asked more than once to go to the range so I guess she is serious. She has never fired a gun of any sort so I am looking for recommendations on a hand gun for her. I was thinking a .380 like the Ruger LCP or maybe a 9mm like a Kahr CW9. She has also mentioned going for the CWP so looking for something on the smaller side.
http://www.atpguns.com/ladies-night
When my wife started to get interested in shooting she went with her friends to ladies night. I believe they started them off with .22’s and the fundamentals. It really helped progress her shooting. My wife has trouble working the action on her semi-auto 9mm. So she ended up with a .38 special revolver shooting the light loads.
Take her to the range and rent a few guns before buying it would have saved me a couple hundred bucks.
Sabalo 21 150 Yamaha
Key West Stealth 150 V-max (SOLD)
Revolver in .38spc. Something in a J or L frame Smith, maybe a Ladysmith if she has smaller hands.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
Got my wife a smith and Wesson .38 air-weight lady pink. It’s a double action so trigger pull is a bit heavy, but super relible and simple to use. It will handle +P loads.
quote:
Originally posted by SteelwillMy wife has asked more than once to go to the range so I guess she is serious. She has never fired a gun of any sort so I am looking for recommendations on a hand gun for her. I was thinking a .380 like the Ruger LCP or maybe a 9mm like a Kahr CW9. She has also mentioned going for the CWP so looking for something on the smaller side.
If you start her with something like a LCP, either you hate her or she will hate you. For new shooters, the most important thing is learning the fundamentals of basic firearms safety and operation and getting comfortable shooting. Start her out with something that’s fun and easy to shoot. This will build her confidence and level of comfort. Small handguns like the LCP are no fun to shoot. Too many pay attention to the small caliber but the frame is small and there’s not much to hang on to. That little gun is snappy and she will not like it, at least not to learn with. Handguns like the LCP are designed to be carried a lot and shot a little. To start her out, she’s going to want something that’s just the opposite.
The best thing you could do is take her to a range that has rentals and instruction. I don’t know where you live but I’m a PSA fan so I would suggest going to them. Let her shoot a couple different models/styles so she can pick the one she likes best, as opposed to the one you think she will like. Also, make sure she gets some instruction and comfortable with her firearm/shooting BEFORE taking the CWP test. Most CWP classes don’t include firearms instruction. They are there to teach you the ins and outs of the legalities of carrying a concealed weapon, not how to shoot and use your firearm.
God bless the “ignore” function.
Start off with a small caliber for fundamentals but something comfortable to shoot. I have instructed a few folks and started with a S&W 422 to get them comfortable and somewhat proficient with the fundamentals. Grip, sighting (sight alignment/sight picture) and trigger control are what she needs to get comfortable with. Once she has gotten the hang of them, I would graduate up to whatever she might carry. I agree with bangstick, if there is a range that rents various makes/models I’d go with that as she would have the opportunity to shoot lots of different handguns. Shooting wheel guns and semis are vastly different so consider that as well.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
quote:
Originally posted by DFreedomStart off with a small caliber for fundamentals but something comfortable to shoot. I have instructed a few folks and started with a S&W 422 to get them comfortable and somewhat proficient with the fundamentals. Grip, sighting (sight alignment/sight picture) and trigger control are what she needs to get comfortable with. Once she has gotten the hang of them, I would graduate up to whatever she might carry. I agree with bangstick, if there is a range that rents various makes/models I’d go with that as she would have the opportunity to shoot lots of different handguns. Shooting wheel guns and semis are vastly different so consider that as well.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
What this guy posted. I thought my wife would enjoy a nice auto, she didn’t have the grip or confidence to breach it after a reload and she hated loading a clip. I got her the revolver and she would actually target practice with it and likes it(the lady pink).
LCR
Easy to operate, can shoot light loads, doesn’t pinch like an airweight and has a crazy smooth ratcheting trigger.
The Mrs. Could get anything she wanted and this was the one. She started out with a .22 for her CWP though.
Bottom line is to let her pick it out or she likely won’t shoot it.
“Wailord”
1979 17’ Montauk
90 Johnson
Wilderness Ride 115
Another piece of advice is if you pan to “instruct” your wife, I’d suggest letting someone else (preferably a certified instructor) do it. I’ve found that husbands, while they may be great husbands, don’t always make great teachers/instructors to their wives.
I also would echo what Geronimo said, “…let her pick it out or she likely won’t shoot it.” If she picks it, that means she likes it and is comfortable with it. The more comfortable she is with it, the more she’ll shoot it. The more she shoots, the better she’ll become. The better she becomes, the more confident she’ll be. The more confident she is, the less likely she’ll be to hesitate if, God forbid, she ever needs to use it in a self defense situation.
God bless the “ignore” function.
my wife loves her walther pk380
Proline 201WA
Aloha 24ft pontoon (LooneyToon)
Old Town stern with 7.5 johnson
My wife likes her Remington 380
Double D.
I think Bangstick hit the nail on the head with having some one rather than you instruct her! My wife had the cwp instructor give her the run thru and she shot 50 for 50 on the range during the exam! She loves her Ruger 22 Mark II. She likes a 12 ga pump in the closet and a Sig 380 in her car!
quote:
Originally posted by boatpoorShe loves her Ruger 22 Mark II. She likes a 12 ga pump in the closet and a Sig 380 in her car!
I’ve got a mark III and dislike it(sort of). All crap aside a ruger Mark II is probably the best user friendly and accurate pistol ever made. I’ve killed more flicker tail goffers than most would ever believe with that model pistol. Not as many as he 10/22 but close.
the mark II ruger is probably the most accurate pistol I’ve ever shot. no crap.
edit: sight alignment is fabulous.
Couldn’t agree more with the comments on having someone other than myself teach her. I learned that lesson a long time ago 
Thank you all for the great information. We will be going to the range on date night so that she can get some instruction and shoot a few different models and while I get to shoot as well.