women advice.....

WizeGuy_ · July 10, 2002, 05:42 PM

My girlfiend of 4 years just got her ccw permit. I want to get her a handgun small enough for her purse or to be carried under a blouse yet i really don't want something in .22 or .25.
She is a decent shot and shoots regularly but i would be more comfortable with a larger round. what do you guys suggest...i already had her handle the p-32 and she didn't like it. I need help, any of you have some experience in this situation.

burrhead · July 10, 2002, 05:45 PM

S&W m38 or Colt agent with hammer shroud.

Dave R · July 10, 2002, 05:50 PM

FWIW, my wife (small hands) likes my PPK clone best out of the 5-6 firearms she has handled. Seems to be the best blend of size, power and controllability for her. Its the one she shoots, best, too. PPK clones include Makarov, Bersa Thunder, FEG APK, PA-63, etc.

You should have your GF shoot 5-6 pistols/revolvers before you make any permanent decisions. Find out what she likes. She will definitely develop some preferences as she goes.

C.R.Sam · July 10, 2002, 05:53 PM

Her gun....her choice
As long as it's an informed choice.
Must be something she will enjoy shooting. Else she will neither practice with it nor carry it all the time.

Just cause she is a mere girl, doesn't mean she might not like a full sized gun.

Purse gun needs to be in a proper holster.

Sam.....duckin.

WizeGuy_ · July 10, 2002, 06:08 PM

i thought about the bersa....I will have my GF go with me to the gun show thats in town this weekend and have her handle one. Are they reliable guns?...i like the price on them

Blackhawk · July 10, 2002, 06:13 PM

Take her shopping. She doesn't like the obvious choice, so the next step is to find all the others she doesn't like just in case you happen on one she does!

Then you can work out the details while providing some wise counsel....

She knows, of course, that finding one that looks and feels great may not be great on the range, right? So, a range that rents guns may be a good place to include when shopping.

TangledWeb · July 10, 2002, 06:18 PM

She welcome to shoot my pistols if you would like.

Noticed the "Gun show this weekend" and the "GA"

I have the sweetest Colt 38. Everybody likes it.

Blackhorse · July 10, 2002, 07:14 PM

Beretta 84FS Cheetah .380, the wife loves it.

kalibear45 · July 10, 2002, 07:18 PM

S&W 3913LS "Lady Smith"

Nice, easy to shoot, lightweight, single stack 9...

Betty · July 10, 2002, 07:49 PM

Hi Wiseguy!

Definitely take her shopping. A lady does like to choose her own "accessories".

Be sure to show her different holster options - when I started carrying I thought I couldn't conceal anything bigger than a Seecamp. Not thinking I could carry anything bigger on my small frame was quite frustrating; it was the holster type and position that mattered most.

I now carry a USPc in .45 comfortably. She may worry about having to shift her wardrobe to conceal - but let her know it's not necessary to look like a walking garbage bag to conceal a larger gun. (We ladies have to pack in style, y'know.) I wear tighter clothes and concealment is not a problem. See pic below.

Personally, I am wary about keeping a gun in a purse - purses are sometimes not close by all the time (work, etc) and can be snatched. (Tamara, on the other hand, makes sure THAT doesn't happen!) If she does choose a concealment purse, please advise her to stay away from the ones that have the obvious zipper. Many purses have the hidden velcro that can't be detected.

The following are guns I would suggest she try; most are ones I've concealed.

Taurus 617, if she'd like a wheel gun, and it's good on the budget
Kahr P9, K9 or even K40, P40
I also enjoy my CZ75 Compact 9mm. Great ergonomics. Hard to find magazines.
Any of the smaller Glocks
HK USPc

A USPc in a bellyband. Since wardrobe can be important to a lady, show her this pic so she knows she doesn't necessarily have to have a small gun to conceal well! When that shirt's down, you don't see a lump!

A concealment purse in action:

agtman · July 10, 2002, 07:49 PM

Armed & female ...

... always an interesting combo.

Actually, I agree with Blackhawk.

Rather than forcing a gun on her that she won't enjoy practicing with, which then makes owning one pointless, take her "shopping" at a range so she can see, handle and shoot pistols in different makes, shapes and, within reason, calibers.

Rovert · July 10, 2002, 10:09 PM

Uh.... it depends on where under her blouse, no?

All kidding aside, you can see that as usual, the advice here on TFL is sound. Her gun, her choice, buy what she can shoot safely, well, and practice with often. It's all for nothing if she can't hit what she needs to.

Consider the MK9 as a possibility. Size of a Tomcat, more punch.

Ala Dan · July 10, 2002, 10:41 PM

Nice pair there, Blackhorse; but I would have to agree with
taking her shopping. Prices and quality of firearms will vary,
some of the considerations I would want my female friends
to consider would be:

Smith & Wesson's
337PD, 360PD, or 386PD

Sig-Sauer's
P220, P225, P228, P229, P239, or P245

Colt's
Detective Special, Cobra, Agent (old models only)

Glock's
19, 23, 26, 27, 30, or 36

As you can see, there are some excellent choices here. But
ultimately, the final choice must be left up to her.

Good Luck & Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

WizeGuy_ · July 10, 2002, 11:04 PM

Thanx for all the info everyone....I do appreciate it. I love this forum. I will post an update on what she decides on.
I hope to get her to find one this weekend at the gun show....by the looks of it, i might see some of you local posters there....

Thanx,
Wizeguy_

Warm Bore · July 10, 2002, 11:27 PM

I sell guns for a living and actually spend more time undoing a husband/boyfriend's brainwashing than anything else. There is a single bottom line for most women and that is the grip. It's there with men too but men having generally bigger mits have more options.

I almost always laugh out loud when the first gun a guy wants to show his lady is a Glock (Sigs too). "See... here's what you need, Honey." I generally let her get a feel for the Glock and then hand her a Kimber or BHP in semi-auto and LadySmith revolver. Instantly her eyes light up and in a few short seconds she's forgotton about the Glock much to the dismay of the boyfriend.

Get EVERY gun into her hand that is available. Do NOT worry about the caliber, the action, or the color. They are immaterial. She will shoot it well if only TWO criteria are met.

1. The gun MUST fit her hand for her to control it.

2. She must practice with it well and often (goes for both sexes).

Good luck and good hunting.

Regards,

WB

Wilson2 · July 11, 2002, 10:11 AM

Wizeguy,

I didn't see your question about Bersa's reliability answered. I have an older one I bought back in '93 or '94. It has never malfunctioned in any way. Keep in mind that I don't shoot it a lot though as I have many other larger caliber pistols I prefer. However, I have probably put at least a couple hundred rounds through it. It came with good sights and shoots well.

I agree with the other advice you have been given here, but just wanted to let you know the Bersa seems to be a nice pistol for the price. Your girlfriend's reaction to holding a Bersa will be most important.

Good luck. You are lucky to have her with her positive attitude towards guns and being able to share your interests.

Wilson2

spacemanspiff · July 11, 2002, 12:31 PM

its been 12 hours, and no one has come up with a caption to runts picture?

new meaning to 'baby got back........up'.

CheapSeats · July 11, 2002, 12:53 PM

Have her shoot different weapons at a local indoor range (They often have weapons to rent & try out.) and find the one that she is most comfortable with.

Also, make sure that she takes a good female defense course. The best defense is often made before a weapon even appears.

I can't tell you the number of times that I made a perp think twice just by the way I acted.

90% of those kind of people won't bother you if you send the right signals.

They might look ugly at you...but just walk off cursing you for having the guts to stand up to them.

If she doesn't learn that then she's a prime target no matter what she has.

She'd just be another statistic of where her own gun was used against her.

Lennyjoe · July 11, 2002, 12:54 PM

spacemanspiff, have you seen some of the weapons runt has been holding in some of Olegs photos? Think we're kinda skiddish to get on her bad side by making bad remarks about a beautiful, armed young lady.

spacemanspiff · July 11, 2002, 01:03 PM

yes i have seen them. and i can only hope that mr. volk's sig other has as good a sense of humor as her sense of personal safety.

besides, its not like runt's going to track my IP and hunt me down over making a juvenile joke, right? right? umm, for the record, i do NOT post from ip 206.113.xxx.xx

Betty · July 11, 2002, 01:14 PM

Did someone imply that I have a fat a$s?

(soft sound of a safety clicking off)

Zundfolge · July 11, 2002, 01:19 PM

It would seem to me that if she's going to carry in her purse it doesn't need to be a mousegun ... hell my mom carries a big enough purse to carry an MP5

So what has she shot that she likes?

Legionnaire · July 11, 2002, 01:21 PM

spacemanspiff, I'll play:

"Uh, sure you can have my wallet; just a sec ..."

(Nice pic, Runt/Oleg).

36fan · July 11, 2002, 01:50 PM

I bought my wife a FireStorm .380, a clone to the bersa thunder .380. We both like the size, weight, accuracy, price, and reliability of it. We haven't had any problems out of it.
If only I could convice her to get a ccw now...

Sarge · July 11, 2002, 07:36 PM

I am fortunate enough to be married to a petite, lovely little creature who can handle a 1911 or Sig 220 like a big .22- but you know which of my handguns she just HAD to have, after shooting it? ? A 3" Ruger SP-101 in .357 magnum, which I had bought as a deep-cover insurance policy for extracting myself from unpleasant locales. The day she tried it, I was shooting full-bore Federal 125 Mag JHP's to check the sights, and after two cylinder-fulls and a palm-of-your-hand sized group she made at 25 yards with it, it was all over. Her gun now.

I also let a slightly-built male co-worker with small hands shoot it on another occasion, and he was digging for a checkbook after 18 rounds of medium-power 125 grain reloads. I said 'Look Sport, the Missus has already claimed this one so you'll have to find your own."

While the SP-101 is not a thing of beauty, or 'light as a feather', I think it has one of the best-designed grips for folks with smaller hands. Sure seems to be easy for them to shoot well too, and I'd recommend that you let her at least try one before you decide.

Good luck with your search-

July 10, 2002, 05:42 PM	#1
WizeGuy_ Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2002 Location: Middle GA Posts: 118	women advice..... My girlfiend of 4 years just got her ccw permit. I want to get her a handgun small enough for her purse or to be carried under a blouse yet i really don't want something in .22 or .25. She is a decent shot and shoots regularly but i would be more comfortable with a larger round. what do you guys suggest...i already had her handle the p-32 and she didn't like it. I need help, any of you have some experience in this situation.

July 10, 2002, 05:45 PM	#2
burrhead Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 1999 Location: Chihuahuan desert, Texas Posts: 1,149	S&W m38 or Colt agent with hammer shroud. __________________ Join the GOA, SAF and the TSRA I'm offended by people that are easily offended.

July 10, 2002, 06:08 PM	#5
WizeGuy_ Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2002 Location: Middle GA Posts: 118	ya i thought about the bersa....I will have my GF go with me to the gun show thats in town this weekend and have her handle one. Are they reliable guns?...i like the price on them

July 10, 2002, 10:41 PM	#13
Ala Dan Member in memoriam Join Date: August 14, 1999 Location: In The HOT, Humid, and Mu Posts: 6,116	Besides Training- Nice pair there, Blackhorse; but I would have to agree with taking her shopping. Prices and quality of firearms will vary, some of the considerations I would want my female friends to consider would be: Smith & Wesson's 337PD, 360PD, or 386PD Sig-Sauer's P220, P225, P228, P229, P239, or P245 Colt's Detective Special, Cobra, Agent (old models only) Glock's 19, 23, 26, 27, 30, or 36 As you can see, there are some excellent choices here. But ultimately, the final choice must be left up to her. Good Luck & Best Wishes, Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

July 10, 2002, 11:04 PM	#14
WizeGuy_ Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2002 Location: Middle GA Posts: 118	thank you Thanx for all the info everyone....I do appreciate it. I love this forum. I will post an update on what she decides on. I hope to get her to find one this weekend at the gun show....by the looks of it, i might see some of you local posters there.... Thanx, Wizeguy_

July 10, 2002, 05:50 PM	#3
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	FWIW, my wife (small hands) likes my PPK clone best out of the 5-6 firearms she has handled. Seems to be the best blend of size, power and controllability for her. Its the one she shoots, best, too. PPK clones include Makarov, Bersa Thunder, FEG APK, PA-63, etc. You should have your GF shoot 5-6 pistols/revolvers before you make any permanent decisions. Find out what she likes. She will definitely develop some preferences as she goes.

July 10, 2002, 05:53 PM	#4
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Her gun....her choice As long as it's an informed choice. Must be something she will enjoy shooting. Else she will neither practice with it nor carry it all the time. Just cause she is a mere girl, doesn't mean she might not like a full sized gun. Purse gun needs to be in a proper holster. Sam.....duckin.

July 10, 2002, 06:13 PM	#6
Blackhawk Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 5,040	Take her shopping. She doesn't like the obvious choice, so the next step is to find all the others she doesn't like just in case you happen on one she does! Then you can work out the details while providing some wise counsel.... She knows, of course, that finding one that looks and feels great may not be great on the range, right? So, a range that rents guns may be a good place to include when shopping.

July 10, 2002, 06:18 PM	#7
TangledWeb Member Join Date: May 6, 2002 Location: GA. Posts: 33	She welcome to shoot my pistols if you would like. Noticed the "Gun show this weekend" and the "GA" I have the sweetest Colt 38. Everybody likes it.

July 10, 2002, 07:18 PM	#9
kalibear45 Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2001 Location: PRK North Posts: 246	S&W 3913LS "Lady Smith" Nice, easy to shoot, lightweight, single stack 9...

July 10, 2002, 07:49 PM	#10
Betty Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2000 Location: southern U.S. Posts: 1,807	Hi Wiseguy! Definitely take her shopping. A lady does like to choose her own "accessories". Be sure to show her different holster options - when I started carrying I thought I couldn't conceal anything bigger than a Seecamp. Not thinking I could carry anything bigger on my small frame was quite frustrating; it was the holster type and position that mattered most. I now carry a USPc in .45 comfortably. She may worry about having to shift her wardrobe to conceal - but let her know it's not necessary to look like a walking garbage bag to conceal a larger gun. (We ladies have to pack in style, y'know.) I wear tighter clothes and concealment is not a problem. See pic below. Personally, I am wary about keeping a gun in a purse - purses are sometimes not close by all the time (work, etc) and can be snatched. (Tamara, on the other hand, makes sure THAT doesn't happen!) If she does choose a concealment purse, please advise her to stay away from the ones that have the obvious zipper. Many purses have the hidden velcro that can't be detected. The following are guns I would suggest she try; most are ones I've concealed. Taurus 617, if she'd like a wheel gun, and it's good on the budget Kahr P9, K9 or even K40, P40 I also enjoy my CZ75 Compact 9mm. Great ergonomics. Hard to find magazines. Any of the smaller Glocks HK USPc A USPc in a bellyband. Since wardrobe can be important to a lady, show her this pic so she knows she doesn't necessarily have to have a small gun to conceal well! When that shirt's down, you don't see a lump! A concealment purse in action:

July 10, 2002, 07:49 PM	#11
agtman Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2001 Location: midwest Posts: 2,374	Armed & female ... ... always an interesting combo. Actually, I agree with Blackhawk. Rather than forcing a gun on her that she won't enjoy practicing with, which then makes owning one pointless, take her "shopping" at a range so she can see, handle and shoot pistols in different makes, shapes and, within reason, calibers.

July 10, 2002, 10:09 PM	#12
Rovert Senior Member Join Date: October 6, 2001 Posts: 824	Uh.... it depends on where under her blouse, no? All kidding aside, you can see that as usual, the advice here on TFL is sound. Her gun, her choice, buy what she can shoot safely, well, and practice with often. It's all for nothing if she can't hit what she needs to. Consider the MK9 as a possibility. Size of a Tomcat, more punch.

July 10, 2002, 11:27 PM	#15
Warm Bore Senior Member Join Date: November 27, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 170	I sell guns for a living and actually spend more time undoing a husband/boyfriend's brainwashing than anything else. There is a single bottom line for most women and that is the grip. It's there with men too but men having generally bigger mits have more options. I almost always laugh out loud when the first gun a guy wants to show his lady is a Glock (Sigs too). "See... here's what you need, Honey." I generally let her get a feel for the Glock and then hand her a Kimber or BHP in semi-auto and LadySmith revolver. Instantly her eyes light up and in a few short seconds she's forgotton about the Glock much to the dismay of the boyfriend. Get EVERY gun into her hand that is available. Do NOT worry about the caliber, the action, or the color. They are immaterial. She will shoot it well if only TWO criteria are met. 1. The gun MUST fit her hand for her to control it. 2. She must practice with it well and often (goes for both sexes). Good luck and good hunting. Regards, WB

July 11, 2002, 10:11 AM	#16
Wilson2 Junior Member Join Date: February 14, 2002 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 10	Wizeguy, I didn't see your question about Bersa's reliability answered. I have an older one I bought back in '93 or '94. It has never malfunctioned in any way. Keep in mind that I don't shoot it a lot though as I have many other larger caliber pistols I prefer. However, I have probably put at least a couple hundred rounds through it. It came with good sights and shoots well. I agree with the other advice you have been given here, but just wanted to let you know the Bersa seems to be a nice pistol for the price. Your girlfriend's reaction to holding a Bersa will be most important. Good luck. You are lucky to have her with her positive attitude towards guns and being able to share your interests. Wilson2

July 11, 2002, 12:31 PM	#17
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	its been 12 hours, and no one has come up with a caption to runts picture? new meaning to 'baby got back........up'. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

July 11, 2002, 12:53 PM	#18
CheapSeats Member Join Date: July 3, 2002 Location: USA - The Land of Gun-Grabbers. Posts: 65	Have her shoot different weapons at a local indoor range (They often have weapons to rent & try out.) and find the one that she is most comfortable with. Also, make sure that she takes a good female defense course. The best defense is often made before a weapon even appears. I can't tell you the number of times that I made a perp think twice just by the way I acted. 90% of those kind of people won't bother you if you send the right signals. They might look ugly at you...but just walk off cursing you for having the guts to stand up to them. If she doesn't learn that then she's a prime target no matter what she has. She'd just be another statistic of where her own gun was used against her.

July 11, 2002, 12:54 PM	#19
Lennyjoe Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2001 Location: Southwest Ohio Posts: 1,150	spacemanspiff, have you seen some of the weapons runt has been holding in some of Olegs photos? Think we're kinda skiddish to get on her bad side by making bad remarks about a beautiful, armed young lady. __________________ If you see a Military man or a Vet, stop him and say "Thanks".

July 11, 2002, 01:03 PM	#20
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	yes i have seen them. and i can only hope that mr. volk's sig other has as good a sense of humor as her sense of personal safety. besides, its not like runt's going to track my IP and hunt me down over making a juvenile joke, right? right? umm, for the record, i do NOT post from ip 206.113.xxx.xx __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

July 11, 2002, 01:14 PM	#21
Betty Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2000 Location: southern U.S. Posts: 1,807	Did someone imply that I have a fat a$s? (soft sound of a safety clicking off)

July 11, 2002, 01:19 PM	#22
Zundfolge Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2001 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 1,749	It would seem to me that if she's going to carry in her purse it doesn't need to be a mousegun ... hell my mom carries a big enough purse to carry an MP5 So what has she shot that she likes?

July 11, 2002, 01:21 PM	#23
Legionnaire Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2000 Location: Central TX Posts: 1,503	spacemanspiff, I'll play: "Uh, sure you can have my wallet; just a sec ..." (Nice pic, Runt/Oleg). __________________ Cogito, ergo armatus sum.

July 11, 2002, 01:50 PM	#24
36fan Member Join Date: April 10, 2002 Location: Indy Posts: 45	I bought my wife a FireStorm .380, a clone to the bersa thunder .380. We both like the size, weight, accuracy, price, and reliability of it. We haven't had any problems out of it. If only I could convice her to get a ccw now...

July 11, 2002, 07:36 PM	#25
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,495	Ladies handgun... I am fortunate enough to be married to a petite, lovely little creature who can handle a 1911 or Sig 220 like a big .22- but you know which of my handguns she just HAD to have, after shooting it? ? A 3" Ruger SP-101 in .357 magnum, which I had bought as a deep-cover insurance policy for extracting myself from unpleasant locales. The day she tried it, I was shooting full-bore Federal 125 Mag JHP's to check the sights, and after two cylinder-fulls and a palm-of-your-hand sized group she made at 25 yards with it, it was all over. Her gun now. I also let a slightly-built male co-worker with small hands shoot it on another occasion, and he was digging for a checkbook after 18 rounds of medium-power 125 grain reloads. I said 'Look Sport, the Missus has already claimed this one so you'll have to find your own." While the SP-101 is not a thing of beauty, or 'light as a feather', I think it has one of the best-designed grips for folks with smaller hands. Sure seems to be easy for them to shoot well too, and I'd recommend that you let her at least try one before you decide. Good luck with your search-