Pistol for the Wife

[Runner]

I would like to find a pistol that my wife would be comfortable with for CCW use. She currently uses a .38 revolver, enjoys shooting a Ruger MKII, and qualified for her CHL with my Glock 27. Her problem with pistols (other than MKII) is working the slide. She has tried my Glock 27, Kahr MK9, and KelTec P32 but all seem to be difficult for her to work the slide.

Are there any other small pistol options that might work or should she just stick with a revolver for CCW?

[Tamara]

If she's bound and determined to have a self-shucker, then a tip-up barrel gun like the Beretta 3032 Tomcat might be in order as the slide may need racking once every February 29th.

There's certainly nothing wrong with sticking with the wheelgun, though.

[windknot]

Runner,

I'm in the same market and was considering a revolver for the wife. She's not real familiar with hand guns and figured a revolver would be a better starter for her. What's your feelings? Just curious since your wife seems to be leaving the revolver for the semi auto. Is it just her personal preferance or are there some real disadvantages with the revolver that I would be interested in hearing for helping in my selection? Just curious. Thanks for any help! Ron

[Runner]

Tamara, I just checked out the Beretta web site. The Tomcat looks like a good option, we will check one out in person soon.

Any recomendations for something in 9mm?

[Runner]

windknot, The revolver currently limits her to 5 and soon 6 rounds w/o a complicated reload. However, more significantly, the longer double action pull seems to lower accuracy and makes for shortened practice sessions due to fingers (finger) getting worn out from pulling.

The revolver was a great way to start and after upgrading/upsizing to a M65 Ladysmith it will be kept. However, it is time to try some other options especially with the 3" revolver making carry more complicated. In the end she may decide to stick w/ the revolver but she will have explored some other options in the mean time.

[bastiat]

I went looking for a kel tec p11 today. Although I didn't find one, I also took a look at a taurus pt-111. I found the slide to be extremely easy to work. Unfortunately, the trigger felt like it took two days to pull.

[4DIR]

Runner,
I had the same problem with my wife ( who weighs 100 lbs) and heres what I did: I got her a Stainless Sig P232 .380 and have not looked back. She was always intimidated by large auto's and had a wise distrust of small pocket autos. The .38 revolvers were adequate at in your face distances but really hurt her fingers on recoil and she had a tendency to jerk the trigger. The recoil of the revolver hurt the web of her hand. In short, I didn't feel confident in her ability, no matter how she felt about it. The Sig takes care of the problems. With stopping power roughly equivilent to a .38 snubnose, and a firing drill thats easy to make from revolvers, its a natural. The semi auto action dampens felt recoil and the slide can be worked easily with minimul practice. Its also a sexy looking pistol and we all know that looks count with the ladys. Now she enjoys shooting "her" gun and shoots it very well. Now if I could just get her to clean it herself!:D

[Kobra]

I went totally thru the store with my wife and she settled on a Glock 26 so if she did good with a 27 then that is what I would suggest. A little practice I bet she can rack the slide because my wife wasn't fanastic at it right from the start.

[coz]

I posted to this site the same question a few weeks back.
My bride ended up with a Ruger p95. I could not believe how much easier the slide is than my p90. The price is right. It shoots 10 9 mm's and has a decent safety. It's light since it half Polymer and the recoil is MUCH LESS than the .38 smith Airweight she was trying to learn on. She put her first 4 clips of 9mm in the 5 x on the short range silhouette with it. She is so confident we're taking our CHL course on the 17th

Now loading the clip with long fingernails....well thank God for the little clip helper that comes with em.

Cheers and Good shooting.

[PropellerHead]

Runner,

My wife is also petite and had trouble working the slide on her Colt Combat Commander. We were at a range and one of the RO's saw the trouble that she was having. He suggested two things. First on a pistol that has an exposed hammer, the hammer can be cocked first to reduce the amount of strength needed to cycle the slide. Second, use good body mechanics when cycling the slide. While keeping the barrel pointed in a safe direction, have your wife try keeping the gun directly in front of her and with one hand on the grip and the other on the slide, pushing her hands together. Kind of like a "clap" with the gun in her hands and close to her body.

This has helped my wife a lot with loading and cycling her pistol. Hope this helps.

PropellerHead

[bountyh]

I've got a 9mm 1911 which comes with a 12# recoil spring. A grasshopper could rack that slide.

[paratwa]

If you can find one you should consider the Lady Kahr. Very good size and designed so a lady can work the slide.

[OkieGentleman]

The one and only time I bought the wife a pistol, I almost had to eat the blasted thing. I thought it was a good birthday present, but did I get any thanks for such careful shopping? NOOOOOOoooooooooo way !!!!:rolleyes:

[blades67]

My Boss Lady likes the Glock 19. It's worth a look even if it doesn't work out for your lady.

[Rebeldon]

Take a look at the Taurus PT111 9mm. It's small, lightweight, and holds 10+1 rounds. It's also a double-action-only pistol. And it isn't very expensive :D

[Pilot]

If she can rack the slide, a Makarov in the softer shooting .380 is a nice gun. The felt recoil is less than the 9MM Mak caliber and its a safe and reliable pistol.

[coz]

A quick comment on a Glock for a woman: Imagine it in her purse.
No safety.
A nice lipstick tube slides into the trigger guard.
She reaches to move the pistol to get at her wallet and....

Well, I just think a gun with a "true" safety might be a better choice for "purse carry".

Just my .02 cents:cool:

[milcaztra]

Even though most of the people on this board can rack a slide while upside-down, asleep, and whistling Dixie; "new comers" sometimes find the motion of racking a slide a little difficult. I'd let her become more familiar with the Glock 27, and see if she still has trouble in a week or so. Another thing to keep in mind is that subcompact, major caliber handguns often have stiff springs to prevent battering, especially with their lighter slides. Example -- the now defunct Lady Kahr, which had springs so stiff that most of the gun's target market couldn't rack its slide.

That said, a revolver's never a bad choice.

[H&K compact]

I got a gun for my wife.....best trade I ever made!

[Hal]

OkieGentleman,
ROTFLMAO! BELIEVE me I'm not laughing at you I'm laughing WITH you.
I made the same mistake once..note the once..at Christmas.

[pax]

Okie, RAE, please please please don't tell those stories to my husband. I'm lobbying for a Glock 36 for Christmas! :)

Runner, somewhere around here there was a thread on how to teach someone to rack a slide. Might be worth looking for it: the consensus was teach her to push with her gun hand while holding (not necessarily pulling) with her slide hand. And make sure that she uses a jerking motion rather than trying to slide the slide. Might help. FWIW, I had a hard time racking a slide until someone taught me how. Now it's easy. It is not an intuitive motion!

Coz, not all women are going to carry in a purse. Those women who want to carry a weapon in a purse usually will buy a purse designed for it, with a separate compartment for the gun and perhaps some velcro to hold the gun in place.

pax

[adept]

runner, have you looked at the "personal" sized SIGs?? we got the wife a p232, she's got small hands and this was perfect for her. good luck and shoot well.


Adept

[Shootin' Shane]

My wife simply loves her Sig Sauer P239 in 9mm. It is compact, reliable and racking the slide is smooth as butter. She shot a perfect 100 at her CCW course with it. Shane

[coz]

Pax,

I, of course, was thinking of my bride...high maintenance, had to buy two guns (darn, guess I'll have to buy a ankle holster for the S&W airweight) before figuring out she likes the Ruger p95.
Can't load her clip w/out the loader helper....but once she's locked and loaded...Look out!

Having just "trained" my bride and son to shoot, I shudder to think of them with a pistol that has "no" real safety.

I think glocks are very well made weapons, I just have this safety problem with em...though I mentioned to Ms. Santa Claus how cool a 33 or a 36 would look under the tree this year...I mean, I don't wear lipstick.....and heck, I don't carry a purse, now that you mention it....

:D

[7th Fleet]

Your wife is very well armed with a quality snub nosed .38, they are reliable, relatively powerful and safer than semiautos in hwat may be semitrained hands.

7th

[Runner]

How does the SIG 239 compare to a Kahr MK9?

[t-man]

Hey!
I haven't heard any plugs for the Kel-tec p32 yet. It's a fantastic little pistol. Although, with a .32 caliber, I think you should think about what it's being used for - especially when weighing it agains the 9mm or .40 (i.e. do I live in South Central L.A., do I carry a lot of cash, etc). I have the Kel-tec and am getting ready to purchase the Glock 26 or 27 (haven't decided yet).

any way you slice it, something is better than nothing, this is what is so nice about the Kel Tec. You really almost forget that it's even there, and it's so unobtrusive, that carring it is no big deal.

cheers!
t-man