What is the best caliber and gun for a woman? - Page 2

McBrideGuns · January 31, 2006, 05:55 PM

i dont know about most other ladies but personally my wife is fond of the bersa thunder 380. but as you said some ladies are fond of the bigger things so its really up to the choice of the lady shooting it

riverkeeper · January 31, 2006, 09:35 PM

Been married happily for 20 yrs and would not even try to tell MY woman what the best gun is. She can and has figured it out for herself.

After shooting the 44 mag with 44 spl AND MAG rounds, the 44 spl snub with 44 spl rounds and the 38 snub with both +P and regular she chose the 4" 44 mag with 44 spl rounds and big Pachymar grips.

After learning to shoot and handle (from me) she took some self defense shooting classes and with the Big Thumper proceeded to shoot the crap out of all targets' COM much to the delight of the female instructors and me.

JJB2 · January 31, 2006, 10:32 PM

my wife thinks the best handgun to use for self defense is the 2" colt .38 spl. det spl her dad carried for yrs as a town cop here... i reload 150 gr. swcs over 3.2 grs of bullseye for her... she's a pretty good shot with it too (for a female)

GlocksRfun · February 1, 2006, 02:48 AM

I've taken some girls shooting in the past, they all love my CZ83, it's a .380. Most only disliked the Glock cause it will shoot the shell casing back at ur face from time to time.. lol... the Glock was 9mil....So, I'm gonna say some form of 9 mil for women,... Unless she's a big girl, then who knows.

OBIWAN · February 1, 2006, 08:21 AM

Saw this on another board

"As i have been saying for 15 years now, most males in our society believe that they can do 3 things without training

1. Drive a car
2. Have sex (with someone else in the room)

3. Shoot guns "

and now we can add to the list..............

"Make decisions for Women"

pax · February 1, 2006, 12:00 PM

Obiwan ~

Nothin' to be done about it though. Some people never will get it.

pax

About as sharp as a bag of wet mice. -- Foghorn T. Leghorn

Shorts · February 1, 2006, 01:10 PM

Let the lady choose what she wants. If you were my hunny, I don't want a revolver

Really though, just get her exposed to a variety and let her choose.

I would carry a fullsize 1911 if I could conceal it. I carry a Beretta 86 and am tuning up an Oacp for the future.

Half-Price Assassin · February 1, 2006, 08:14 PM

9mm, why you ask......

well one crazy lady used it at her former job, and killed 5 people with it. she went "Postal", you could say. my point, caliber is only about 5% of it, 95% of it is mindset, and if she feels comfortable with a 9mm or even smaller she will be fine.

a confident .32acp beats a scared .45acp in the game of life

Webleymkv · February 1, 2006, 09:23 PM

A K-Frame .357 Magnum with a 3-4" barrel. Start them out with mild .38's and slowly work your way up from there. My mom was taught this way and can now handle full house Magnum loads from her SP101 as well as my Dad's .44 Magnum.

Gazpacho · February 2, 2006, 02:28 AM

My wife likes 38sp snubbies with the Federal 110gr PD load. If bulk were not a issue, I say a S&W 327 with a bobbed hammer. 8 shots with moon clips, and not a lot to fiddle with makes a good package. Even though its a scandium, it still weighs 21oz, and it has a full grip, so a recoil intollerant shooter might still be able to shoot a cartridge with some pep to it.

Glenn E. Meyer · February 2, 2006, 10:18 AM

I think female trainers have demonstrated that woman of normal health can handle all the usual handguns. Grip size and training are issues that are easily dealt with.

Trying to buy a gun based on male opinion of stopping power for women is silly. Vicki Farnham, Gila Hayes-Roth and others have written extensively and are well worth reading.

The best solution - if you are serious, is to have the woman train with someone cognizant of the issues and let them pick the gun.

If the question is to buy a gun for the nonshooter who will never practice, take it out only dire emergency, etc. - the standard answer is a 38 SPL revolver like a SW Model 10.

Sun Tzu · February 3, 2006, 01:59 AM

Brothers,

I taught my girl w/my S&W 686, 4" barrel, loaded w/38's. Then we graduated to all 3 9mm Glocks. The G19 is her favorite of the trio. Each woman is unique. So let them try a few sizes & calibers before YOU commit. Then practice, practice, and more practice... Hope this helped.

Late, S Tzu

NRA life member
CRPA member
A whole s**tload of weapons since '89

spooner · February 3, 2006, 05:09 AM

Welllll .... some of us women are stronger than usual. I'm a serious metalsmith and have a very heavy hand with my hammer when I'm forging metal. I've got more upper body strength than usual thanks to my profession. I tend to prefer heavier tools when working. That goes for guns as well. I'm new to shooting, but love doing target-shooting. What I am finding when I rent or borrow guns for target-shooting is that I do better with a heavier gun. As for recoil, years of tenditis ( yes, I've got chronic injuries from hammering too much), a gun with a big recoil does bother me, but I try to work my way through the recoil and live with it. So far, I'm aiming for a .22 Ruger for I like the feel and weight of it, but still have a long way to go before finding a gun with a large handgrip that works for me. None of these small guns for me. I find them just too small for me.
There's a lot of guns to try out before I buy one!

XavierBreath · February 3, 2006, 07:31 AM

X and Y chromosomes have very little to do with gun selection.

If she is not interested in shooting, and simply wants a house gun, a K framed S&W .357 revolver with a 4 inch barrel is my recommendation.

If she is interested in shooting and carry, then my suggestion is to nudge her gradually to a 1911 in .45ACP. I would advise her to build up to it over time though.

These are my standard suggestions for all shooters, male or female.

I have found the fixed barreled blowback guns such as PPKs and Maks to be a little stiff in the slide for many women to easily chamber the first round. True, it's a matter of body mechanics, but they seem to get frustrated with it and want to give up to soon.

FWIW, my wife carries a Kahr K40.

Hamjack · February 3, 2006, 11:07 AM

My wife enjoys shooting a S&W 686 with .38 Specials in it. I'm going to get her some form of snub .38 for her birthday this year.

My wife doesn't have the strength to easily load the magazine or rack the P220, so I think you should see how comfortable loading and racking any semi auto is for your intended recipient before purchase.

newworldCurmudgeon · February 5, 2006, 07:18 AM

No really Pax is right on every level, I read her posts, on both forums

"You are probably not the right person to teach her how to shoot the gun you just bought her." from pax at another board.....and MEN she is right (unless you want the big D) I want to stay married, so I understand I am not the best to train her) and I already found the best time to take her to the range is when no one else is there (range master and one or two of his friends will give her "pointers" just like mine but she listens to them)

Pax you make me wish my next duty station would be Ft Lewis (but it isn't)...I would pay you to train my wife. I am already saving to send her somewhere by herself when I get back stateside (I just hope she wants to go to a shooting school) I figure she earned time away from the kids since I have been gone....

MEN... I really like "my" springy sub compact .45 I bought it for my wife (she really liked the way it looked) now she has my glock 30, and I have the springy (not sure who got the better deal on that one).

bottom line.... the right gun for a woman, man, anyone.... is one they will practice with, and carry at all times legal otherwise it is just another weapon in the safe/closet/where ever

trigger happy · February 5, 2006, 01:17 PM

my wife has a Glock 26 9mm

Marlboro Man · February 5, 2006, 01:33 PM

Personally, I don't think that you can match a gun to the sex of a person. You need to match the weapon to the individual.

Alex_L · February 5, 2006, 01:50 PM

What is the best caliber and gun for a woman?
The same as for a man, but you should shoot her precisely

tom650604 · February 5, 2006, 02:51 PM

Give here a 45 acp and 500 rounds. After 500 rounds at the range she shoot it better than you.

45ACP FOR SURE, EVERY WOMAN NEEDS MAXIMUN FIREPOWER.

tom650604 · February 5, 2006, 02:53 PM

Give her a 45 acp and 500 rounds. After 500 rounds at the range she might shoot better than you.

45ACP FOR SURE, EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A CALIBER THAT WON'T DISAPPOINT.

guntotin_fool · February 6, 2006, 03:14 AM

My sentiment only. DAD's can teach their daughters, but should never teach their wives. creates bad karma somehow. (not that some can not do this. but from my experience, not many do it well.)

My Wife started shooting with me and still does, but for the teaching part, she went and asked a very good friend of mine to train her more intensiviely. We still shoot together a lot, but unless she asks I just load her mags and stay out of the way.

My wife has her own commander and a ruger mk1, She also shoots my BHP and 6903 S&W and will do some work with a superblackhawk before canoe or camping season.

My daughter shoots a P13 Para and LOVES it, She tried to claim my match target woodsman(2nd model) for her 16th birthday last year, but i had to say that one was off limits so she chose the P13. She started out shooting a old model bearcat when she was 7 or 8. One of her proudest moments as a kid was shooting the head off a grouse when she was maybe 9. She really is good with a single action but prefers her P 13.

Basically i get asked about once a year to teach a woman to shoot. I go to a local range that will let me shoot a half hour or so before posted times in order to let the first time shooter get some range time ALONE without being given all sorts of free advice from range guru's. I always start every woman with a 22. either the Colt MT or a S&W 17. That way we go over the basics of hold, grip, trigger, with something very nonthreatening. From then on, i will not stop her from shooting anything i bring with or anything in the rental rack. I have been surprised a few times with a very small asian woman chosing an old 645 S&W which surprised me because it never felt right in my hands but she loved theway it felt. Another who is a pro basketball WNBA player really liked the kahr PM9. A lot of women do like (shudder) my Glock 23 or 17. I think they like the two button feature. One to drop the mag, one to make it go bang. I never push anything, I will try to encourage buying quality, but it is funny, none have ever picked a SIG.

IM_Lugger · February 6, 2006, 02:20 PM

that's like asking whats the best calibre for a man

what fits a 6ft 250lbs woman won't work for a 5ft 90lb woman

ppiglett · February 9, 2006, 08:17 PM

I went with the Glock 23C. A .40 in the size of a 9mm with barrel ports that face out and exhaust through two vents cut into the top of each slide.

Works great for me. However everyone should shoot with what feels comfortable for them.

tipoc · February 10, 2006, 12:44 PM

Doug,

Several folks here have already provided the only answer that is truthful and the only one that works.

It is the same for a man as a woman.

The gun that works for them. A round that they can shoot accurately out a gun that they can handle. A gun that is appropriate for their mode of carry or storage.

There are many to choose from. You can't choose for them. You can make proposals. Your proposals may be wrong.

Experience has taught me, by the way, to never assume that a woman has 50% less upper body strength than a man.

Upper body strength has little to do with shooting a handgun fast and accurately. Many champion female shooters, who can outshoot you and I, can tell you that.

I have known and know women steel workers, women coal miners, female meatpackers, and female machinists, along with nurses, teachers, waitresses and computer techs. I'd no more tell them what gun to shoot and carry than I'd tell my male partners what shoes to wear or what size pants will fit them best.

Real men respect women for the humans they are.

tipoc

January 31, 2006, 05:55 PM	#26
McBrideGuns Member Join Date: January 6, 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 77	what ever they can handle i dont know about most other ladies but personally my wife is fond of the bersa thunder 380. but as you said some ladies are fond of the bigger things so its really up to the choice of the lady shooting it

January 31, 2006, 09:35 PM	#27
riverkeeper Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2004 Location: Tacoma, Washington Posts: 214	Been married happily for 20 yrs and would not even try to tell MY woman what the best gun is. She can and has figured it out for herself. After shooting the 44 mag with 44 spl AND MAG rounds, the 44 spl snub with 44 spl rounds and the 38 snub with both +P and regular she chose the 4" 44 mag with 44 spl rounds and big Pachymar grips. After learning to shoot and handle (from me) she took some self defense shooting classes and with the Big Thumper proceeded to shoot the crap out of all targets' COM much to the delight of the female instructors and me. __________________ "A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." -- Bertrand de Jouvenel ........ 'All the wooly-headed thinking explains the happy howling.' -- r

February 1, 2006, 08:14 PM	#33
Half-Price Assassin Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Oh Posts: 602	9mm 9mm, why you ask...... well one crazy lady used it at her former job, and killed 5 people with it. she went "Postal", you could say. my point, caliber is only about 5% of it, 95% of it is mindset, and if she feels comfortable with a 9mm or even smaller she will be fine. a confident .32acp beats a scared .45acp in the game of life __________________ Bernhard Goetz Real American Hero HK Marketing Department's new slogan "HK. Because you suck. And we HATE you"

February 2, 2006, 10:18 AM	#36
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	I think female trainers have demonstrated that woman of normal health can handle all the usual handguns. Grip size and training are issues that are easily dealt with. Trying to buy a gun based on male opinion of stopping power for women is silly. Vicki Farnham, Gila Hayes-Roth and others have written extensively and are well worth reading. The best solution - if you are serious, is to have the woman train with someone cognizant of the issues and let them pick the gun. If the question is to buy a gun for the nonshooter who will never practice, take it out only dire emergency, etc. - the standard answer is a 38 SPL revolver like a SW Model 10. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

February 3, 2006, 01:59 AM	#37
Sun Tzu Member Join Date: January 11, 2006 Location: The Golden State Posts: 88	Revolvers to autos Brothers, I taught my girl w/my S&W 686, 4" barrel, loaded w/38's. Then we graduated to all 3 9mm Glocks. The G19 is her favorite of the trio. Each woman is unique. So let them try a few sizes & calibers before YOU commit. Then practice, practice, and more practice... Hope this helped. Late, S Tzu NRA life member CRPA member A whole s**tload of weapons since '89

January 31, 2006, 10:32 PM	#28
JJB2 Junior member Join Date: December 14, 2005 Posts: 558	my wife thinks the best handgun to use for self defense is the 2" colt .38 spl. det spl her dad carried for yrs as a town cop here... i reload 150 gr. swcs over 3.2 grs of bullseye for her... she's a pretty good shot with it too (for a female)

February 1, 2006, 02:48 AM	#29
GlocksRfun Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 423	I've taken some girls shooting in the past, they all love my CZ83, it's a .380. Most only disliked the Glock cause it will shoot the shell casing back at ur face from time to time.. lol... the Glock was 9mil....So, I'm gonna say some form of 9 mil for women,... Unless she's a big girl, then who knows.

February 1, 2006, 08:21 AM	#30
OBIWAN Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 1999 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,340	Saw this on another board "As i have been saying for 15 years now, most males in our society believe that they can do 3 things without training 1. Drive a car 2. Have sex (with someone else in the room) 3. Shoot guns " and now we can add to the list.............. "Make decisions for Women"

February 1, 2006, 12:00 PM	#31
pax Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2000 Location: In a state of flux Posts: 7,520	Obiwan ~ Nothin' to be done about it though. Some people never will get it. pax About as sharp as a bag of wet mice. -- Foghorn T. Leghorn

February 1, 2006, 01:10 PM	#32
Shorts Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2004 Posts: 1,484	Let the lady choose what she wants. If you were my hunny, I don't want a revolver Really though, just get her exposed to a variety and let her choose. I would carry a fullsize 1911 if I could conceal it. I carry a Beretta 86 and am tuning up an Oacp for the future.

February 1, 2006, 09:23 PM	#34
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	A K-Frame .357 Magnum with a 3-4" barrel. Start them out with mild .38's and slowly work your way up from there. My mom was taught this way and can now handle full house Magnum loads from her SP101 as well as my Dad's .44 Magnum.

February 2, 2006, 02:28 AM	#35
Gazpacho Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2004 Posts: 592	My wife likes 38sp snubbies with the Federal 110gr PD load. If bulk were not a issue, I say a S&W 327 with a bobbed hammer. 8 shots with moon clips, and not a lot to fiddle with makes a good package. Even though its a scandium, it still weighs 21oz, and it has a full grip, so a recoil intollerant shooter might still be able to shoot a cartridge with some pep to it.

February 3, 2006, 05:09 AM	#38
spooner Junior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 3	what is best caliber for a woman Welllll .... some of us women are stronger than usual. I'm a serious metalsmith and have a very heavy hand with my hammer when I'm forging metal. I've got more upper body strength than usual thanks to my profession. I tend to prefer heavier tools when working. That goes for guns as well. I'm new to shooting, but love doing target-shooting. What I am finding when I rent or borrow guns for target-shooting is that I do better with a heavier gun. As for recoil, years of tenditis ( yes, I've got chronic injuries from hammering too much), a gun with a big recoil does bother me, but I try to work my way through the recoil and live with it. So far, I'm aiming for a .22 Ruger for I like the feel and weight of it, but still have a long way to go before finding a gun with a large handgrip that works for me. None of these small guns for me. I find them just too small for me. There's a lot of guns to try out before I buy one!

February 3, 2006, 07:31 AM	#39
XavierBreath Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2002 Location: North Louisiana Posts: 2,800	X and Y chromosomes have very little to do with gun selection. If she is not interested in shooting, and simply wants a house gun, a K framed S&W .357 revolver with a 4 inch barrel is my recommendation. If she is interested in shooting and carry, then my suggestion is to nudge her gradually to a 1911 in .45ACP. I would advise her to build up to it over time though. These are my standard suggestions for all shooters, male or female. I have found the fixed barreled blowback guns such as PPKs and Maks to be a little stiff in the slide for many women to easily chamber the first round. True, it's a matter of body mechanics, but they seem to get frustrated with it and want to give up to soon. FWIW, my wife carries a Kahr K40. __________________ Xavier's Blog

February 3, 2006, 11:07 AM	#40
Hamjack Member Join Date: January 14, 2006 Posts: 26	My wife enjoys shooting a S&W 686 with .38 Specials in it. I'm going to get her some form of snub .38 for her birthday this year. My wife doesn't have the strength to easily load the magazine or rack the P220, so I think you should see how comfortable loading and racking any semi auto is for your intended recipient before purchase.

February 5, 2006, 07:18 AM	#41
newworldCurmudgeon Member Join Date: September 19, 2005 Location: CENLA Posts: 89	PAX is right No really Pax is right on every level, I read her posts, on both forums "You are probably not the right person to teach her how to shoot the gun you just bought her." from pax at another board.....and MEN she is right (unless you want the big D) I want to stay married, so I understand I am not the best to train her) and I already found the best time to take her to the range is when no one else is there (range master and one or two of his friends will give her "pointers" just like mine but she listens to them) Pax you make me wish my next duty station would be Ft Lewis (but it isn't)...I would pay you to train my wife. I am already saving to send her somewhere by herself when I get back stateside (I just hope she wants to go to a shooting school) I figure she earned time away from the kids since I have been gone.... MEN... I really like "my" springy sub compact .45 I bought it for my wife (she really liked the way it looked) now she has my glock 30, and I have the springy (not sure who got the better deal on that one). bottom line.... the right gun for a woman, man, anyone.... is one they will practice with, and carry at all times legal otherwise it is just another weapon in the safe/closet/where ever

February 5, 2006, 01:17 PM	#42
trigger happy Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2006 Location: Pensacola Posts: 759	my wife has a Glock 26 9mm __________________ "You cannot invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass" Admiral Yamamoto "You have enemies ? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life" Winston Churchill

February 5, 2006, 01:33 PM	#43
Marlboro Man Junior member Join Date: January 29, 2006 Location: Good ole USA Posts: 206	Personally, I don't think that you can match a gun to the sex of a person. You need to match the weapon to the individual.

February 5, 2006, 01:50 PM	#44
Alex_L Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2005 Posts: 144	What is the best caliber and gun for a woman? The same as for a man, but you should shoot her precisely

February 5, 2006, 02:51 PM	#45
tom650604 Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Twin Cities, MN USA Posts: 315	Give here a 45 acp and 500 rounds. After 500 rounds at the range she shoot it better than you. 45ACP FOR SURE, EVERY WOMAN NEEDS MAXIMUN FIREPOWER. __________________ (\__/) (\__/) (\__/) (\__/) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (")_(") (")_(")(")_(") (")_(")

February 5, 2006, 02:53 PM	#46
tom650604 Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Twin Cities, MN USA Posts: 315	Give her a 45 acp and 500 rounds. After 500 rounds at the range she might shoot better than you. 45ACP FOR SURE, EVERY WOMAN NEEDS A CALIBER THAT WON'T DISAPPOINT. __________________ (\__/) (\__/) (\__/) (\__/) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (='.'=) (")_(") (")_(")(")_(") (")_(")

February 6, 2006, 03:14 AM	#47
guntotin_fool Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2004 Posts: 1,446	My sentiment only. DAD's can teach their daughters, but should never teach their wives. creates bad karma somehow. (not that some can not do this. but from my experience, not many do it well.) My Wife started shooting with me and still does, but for the teaching part, she went and asked a very good friend of mine to train her more intensiviely. We still shoot together a lot, but unless she asks I just load her mags and stay out of the way. My wife has her own commander and a ruger mk1, She also shoots my BHP and 6903 S&W and will do some work with a superblackhawk before canoe or camping season. My daughter shoots a P13 Para and LOVES it, She tried to claim my match target woodsman(2nd model) for her 16th birthday last year, but i had to say that one was off limits so she chose the P13. She started out shooting a old model bearcat when she was 7 or 8. One of her proudest moments as a kid was shooting the head off a grouse when she was maybe 9. She really is good with a single action but prefers her P 13. Basically i get asked about once a year to teach a woman to shoot. I go to a local range that will let me shoot a half hour or so before posted times in order to let the first time shooter get some range time ALONE without being given all sorts of free advice from range guru's. I always start every woman with a 22. either the Colt MT or a S&W 17. That way we go over the basics of hold, grip, trigger, with something very nonthreatening. From then on, i will not stop her from shooting anything i bring with or anything in the rental rack. I have been surprised a few times with a very small asian woman chosing an old 645 S&W which surprised me because it never felt right in my hands but she loved theway it felt. Another who is a pro basketball WNBA player really liked the kahr PM9. A lot of women do like (shudder) my Glock 23 or 17. I think they like the two button feature. One to drop the mag, one to make it go bang. I never push anything, I will try to encourage buying quality, but it is funny, none have ever picked a SIG.

February 6, 2006, 02:20 PM	#48
IM_Lugger Senior Member Join Date: June 27, 2004 Posts: 2,011	What is the best caliber and gun for a woman? that's like asking whats the best calibre for a man what fits a 6ft 250lbs woman won't work for a 5ft 90lb woman __________________ "I feel the Beretta is a great character, it's so strong and elegant. The other guns look dumb to me." - John Woo

February 9, 2006, 08:17 PM	#49
ppiglett Member Join Date: January 25, 2006 Location: Washington State Posts: 19	I went with the Glock 23C. A .40 in the size of a 9mm with barrel ports that face out and exhaust through two vents cut into the top of each slide. Works great for me. However everyone should shoot with what feels comfortable for them. __________________ Tara Mom to 3 Wife to 1 "* Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.""

February 10, 2006, 12:44 PM	#50
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	Doug, Several folks here have already provided the only answer that is truthful and the only one that works. It is the same for a man as a woman. The gun that works for them. A round that they can shoot accurately out a gun that they can handle. A gun that is appropriate for their mode of carry or storage. There are many to choose from. You can't choose for them. You can make proposals. Your proposals may be wrong. Experience has taught me, by the way, to never assume that a woman has 50% less upper body strength than a man. Upper body strength has little to do with shooting a handgun fast and accurately. Many champion female shooters, who can outshoot you and I, can tell you that. I have known and know women steel workers, women coal miners, female meatpackers, and female machinists, along with nurses, teachers, waitresses and computer techs. I'd no more tell them what gun to shoot and carry than I'd tell my male partners what shoes to wear or what size pants will fit them best. Real men respect women for the humans they are. tipoc