Red Lion

I have a couple pistols that I sometimes shoot, such as a S&W .357, but was looking to purchase a pistol, preferably an auto, that my wife could learn to shoot comfortably, yet have some snort behind it to drop a man if necessary without emptying a magazine. The primary purpose of the pistol will be for protection.
Due to circumstance my wife has yet to learn to shoot, as I have barely had time to shoot and hunt myself the past 5 years of so. We plan to take some time soon to get her aquanted to shooting, but thinking longer term as well.
Any suggestions for pistols would be fantastic. Also, I would prefer that the pistol not brake the bank as well. Thanks ahead of time.

hunterdeneugene

Mini Glocks are nice but if concerned about recoil, the 9mm would probably be the best bet. I would also recommend the AMT backup Series in .380. With the right loads it would be a good self defense carry gun. They also make it in 9mm, 40 S&W, and even 45 ACP. Beretta makes a Tomcat in 32 auto, the Bobcat in 25 ACP, and Cheetah in either .380 or 32 auto.Kahr also make the MK 9 in 9mm which can fire 2 in groups from a rest at 50 feet. Any of these would be worthy to look at as they are small, easily concealable in a handbag, and able to take a man down if needed for self defense situations.

James B

I would get a small light 38 special revolver. Many women can't pull the slide back on small auto's. If you do get one, take her in the store and see if she can work the slide in a way that would work under pressure.

Red Lion

So your saying that I should take her to a store, and while she is handling the pistol, yell at her, call her stupid and get her angry enough to want to shoot me?!

ruger357w

380 auto

James B

When I had my gun store it was common for guys to buy guns that they liked for their wives. Many girls cannot work the slide because the springs are to stiff and the small auto's don,t give you much to grab hold of.

98Redline

James B hit it right on the money.

For the occasional shooter or for home defense purposes, a wheel gun can't be beat.

No feed jams
No forgetting to rack the slide
No forgetting to turn the saftey off

Just a simple point and click interface.

I would look into one of the S&W models like a LadySmith 38 or other small framed 38.

A 38 +P load has more than enough "snot" to knock down even the most aggressive opponent certainly as well as a 9mm. Any more than that and you start crossing into the territory where the recoil becomes a detriment to her aiming. If you really need more power, a .357 with the first 2 shots being .38s and the follow up ones being .357 is an option. If your attacker is still coming after a couple of rounds of .38 the .357 follow ups should put an end to that.

Also don't fall into the "gotta have an auto" mindset. I have shot IPSC competition for years and can deal with my autos without thinking, however my home defense gun is a Ruger SP-101 .357. My concern is not that I would not be able to operate the auto, but could my wife do it if somebody were actually breaking into our home.

spencer0071

Ruger SP101in 38/357.

MichaelT.

There are a couple of issues I found when I was contemplating a home defense gun for my, now, ex-wife. There were children in the house, and I did not want anything penetrating through walls , and having a chance of striking the children. I looked at some of the fast frag. rounds, but wound up with a charter arms .38 special revolver, and I loaded it with 38 cal. shotshells and ball ammo. I let her take it outside and shoot the gun into a large piece of cardboard target, and the shotshell blew a nice little hole in it. But I also thought of the one guy who would keep on coming. On that thought I decided to go with 2 shotshells , 1 .38 ball , 1 shotshell , 1 ball. That gave her some piece of mind, and still would be safe to use in the house. If all else failed , and the perp. didn't run, she had the deadly stuff behind the shotshells. And before you discount the shotshell ammo, get some and try it out first. It packs more of a punch than you might think.

And BTW, she really liked the gun and still has it, she got it in the divorce, and it is still loaded the same way.

God Bless

Michael

biscuit jake

Perhaps a CZ in 9mm Luger for a semi auto. I would take her shooting somewhere to rent/borrow some pieces to see how she likes them. Appearance & feel can be a big difference for the ladies. I would have bought Mrs Biscuit anything she wanted, and she handled many different weapons after shooting mine, but she chose a Smith & Wesson hammerless snubby over all. And the 3 little biscuit daughters shoot it, too. Very popular with 'em. My oldest girl's preference was for a Ruger SA in .32 H&R Magnum, which is out of production for now. Glad I helped her get it last year.