Pistol for my wife 9mm compact or 380

[TeacherMan]

For valentines day I want to get my wife a pistol for her purse. She doesn't carry a large purse and is only about 120 pounds. Which one would you pick. I know the 9mm has more power but the 380 would be more concealable in her purse. Which would you get, and what model.

thanks

[Huntbear]

I would look at the Walther's and the mini Glocks.  Both are great guns, in either caliber, for her.

[docsven]

Get a compact .45 and buy her a bigger purse...or the 9mm

[markts]

Mywifes purse is 120lbs too Mark

[Huntbear]

Mywifes purse is 120lbs too Mark

Now that is funny!!!!!   

[rasbo]

none of those for my wife,38 air weight no thumb...wont fail.no thinking involved in a fight or flight situation,point and pull....... good luck,love to see the women packing...

[Hunterman]

I like the .380. Thats what my carries. On her hip and NOT in her purse. If some punk comes up and steals her purse,,they also have her gun..Not good..Teach her to keep the gun out of her purse,not a good idea..

Hunterman(Tony)

[Shootmoore]

Rule #1  ~ Get what she will carry the most often.

Rule #2  ~ Get the one that she will enjoy using which ='s becoming proficient in its use.  One must practice with a carry gun, because under stress one will fall back on training.  No training ='s who knows what will happen.

That being said, I would suggest the G26.  For the size difference it is minimal.  Accuracy is much greater, it also handles better in my opinion and more enjoyable to shoot.  While it is heavier G26 about 26.7 oz loaded vs about 11.7 oz loaded it is holding a better round. 

Here is a couple of visual comparisons to size.







Shootmoore

[runamuk]

......I figure any pistol is better than nothing.....maybe I am wrong...but I am not thinking I would enjoy shooting a .45 just watching people shoot them makes me wince....I don't want to carry something I wont practice with...I'd rather learn to shoot something small well 

Mywifes purse is 120lbs too Mark

Now that is funny!!!!!   

you two are funny 

[Shootmoore]

I like the .380. Thats what my carries. On her hip and NOT in her purse. If some punk comes up and steals her purse,,they also have her gun..Not good..Teach her to keep the gun out of her purse,not a good idea..

Hunterman(Tony)

This is also good advise right here.  What is the target of a thief towards a female?  Now I am talking a thief not a perv or something else.  Its the purse, why keep your self defense on something that can be taken away?  Learn to carry on your person if at all possible.

Shootmoore

[ICEMAN]

none of those for my wife,38 air weight no thumb...wont fail.no thinking involved in a fight or flight situation,point and pull....... good luck,love to see the women packing...

I agree. Get a smith airweight, no muss no fuss. Aim and shoot.

[TeacherMan]

It all started when a lady my wife knows got held up at one of her favorite coffee stands and the lady pulled out her 9mm and put it in the kids face. Made Krem 2 in Spokane. The kid took off and the cops got him. She really likes the look of a semi auto. I have the M&P 40 and she likes it but its to big for her. She has a 4.5 ring size to let you know how small her hands are, lol. She got a new ring for Valentiens also  Any way I like the 9mm better but I want her to carry it, I know she would always have the little 380 on her. She doesn't like a revolver, looks, but what ever, I just want her to carry it.

[huntnphool]

My wife carries a .380 and loves it.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=156317802

[Buckmark]

If small, concealable, carry and .380 are what it needs to be then the Ruger LCP or even the Kel-Tec P-3AT fit the bill.
But rember, these guns are designed to be carried with the chamber empty, especially if carried inside a purse.
If you can talk to her about it the small frame revolvers (j-frames, air weights) are really the easiest to carry and use for most women, easy to load, unload and fire...
There could be a time that you may only have 1 free hand and only be able to pull and shoot.
The small frame type .380's are designed as backup guns, that can be drawn if needed and racked for use.

[hillbilli]

well if your woman doesnt like the revolvers, then the .38's are out. would like to recommend a 9mm, ammo availability, practice ammo price, more power than .380, etc. -but the choice of gun is more important for her in those two calibers than the choice of caliber. if you get a kel or ruger lcp (10 oz /.380) she'll barely be able to get 2 fingers on the gun, and it will kick. A mid size .380 like the bersa thunder- wont kick much and she'll be able to get all her fingers on it. if you get a superlight very small 9.. like the smallest kahr, kel-tec, or the new walther- again it may be so small and light for a 9- that the recoil and her grip on it arent user friendly. a slightly larger, but still compact 9-(i have a kahr k-9) is a good middle ground. the glock 26, or the springfield xd sub- are the same length and height as the kahr, but thicker, and she may have to put the little grip extension on the mag to get her whole hand on it. (not neccisarily a bad thing) both are pretty user friendly. Ideally go someplace where she can handle and shoot the different one, and see what she likes and shoots well- as thts the reall deciding factor, or should be. if you were out towards whidbey island she could shoot my xd sub or k9 to see what she thought.  

[C-Money]

My wife carries a Beretta in 25auto. It is easy to use, and easy to load. Very dependable. I know it is small, but it works well for her. Maybe look at the 32auto if you want one bigger!

[Mudeater]

none of those for my wife,38 air weight no thumb...wont fail.no thinking involved in a fight or flight situation,point and pull....... good luck,love to see the women packing...

I agree. Get a smith airweight, no muss no fuss. Aim and shoot.

+1, if you aren't in to a 1911,cocked and locked- this is perfection.

[Phantom Gobbler]

My wife has a Colt Cobra .38 special with a custom wood grip......................  any .38 double action will work really well for her.

[h2ofowlr]

I would go with a revolver in the .38.  If she has to fire it from her purse, she could get all 5 or 6 rounds off.  If it's a semi-auto she will probably only get 1 round off as it will hang up on all the crap in the purse.

[Kent Hunter]

I agree with the guys that are suggesting a wheel gun. No jams with them.

[Deep Forks]

  My wife shoots a Lady Smith and loves it.  She likes to shoot it and has become very good with it.  Now she has purchased a Springfield XDM 9mm inserted the small grips and likes it better every practice.  Learning the gun  and safe percedure when practicing safety and personal protection is giving her good training.     

[shaneman153D]

I would go for a G26.  Wouldn't suggest a .380, blowback pistols are not very effective at reducing recoil, it's almost the same as a 9mm.  If you want something smaller check out a Walther PPS.

[ecnclan]

none of those for my wife,38 air weight no thumb...wont fail.no thinking involved in a fight or flight situation,point and pull.......  good luck,love to see the women packing...

 

Another vote for the 38 revolver.  I don't think you can go wrong with choice.

[coop2424]

I personally like the revolver in 38 also but my wife has told me she will not pack one and she does not like shooting it.  With that being said this Walther is the one I think we are going to get for her.  We still need to have her shoot it but she really likes the P22 which she has shot and it is almost the same size.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=13152&storeId=10002&productId=90943&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=60806&isFirearm=Y

[TeacherMan]

Its crazy my wife doesn't like revolvers, don't know why  I'm going to have her take a look at the "Pink Lady" by Charter Arms in 38. Any thoughts on that one??? My only concern is if someone pulled a pink gun on me I would laugh  Besides that I think on Valentines morning we are going to go to the Sharp Shooting indoor range in Spokane so we can test drive a few models.

[thinkingman]

I agree with SW 642 first, 9mm Kahr PM9, second.

[carpsniperg2]

if i had to choose go with the 9mm i don't like the 380 at all but the 9mm isn't the best either but with good ammo it will be fine aslo a 38spl is a great choice and what my wife carrys, if you look at 9mm check out the xd xdm line up i swore i would never carry a auto for personal protection but after many hours shooting xd's they put the xdm out and now i carry that about75% of the time great gun.

[Bofire]

 :)Talk to a Doctor and decide which one you'd rather be shot with.
Carl

[Sneaky]

ruger LCP .380

[rasbo]

Magpul Industries SHOTSHOW 2008 Part 2



getter done

[Skycruiser]

If small, concealable, carry and .380 are what it needs to be then the Ruger LCP or even the Kel-Tec P-3AT fit the bill.
But rember, these guns are designed to be carried with the chamber empty, especially if carried inside a purse.

Not true at all. My daughter and I both carry the Kel-Tecs. Their double-action makes them completely safe for loaded carry. I can't recommend a pistol more highly because of its size, concealability, ease-of-use, low-recoil and incredible value. We both have pocket holsters that make them easy to carry, which makes it MUCH more likely that we'll have it when we need it. Take a look at them before you decide to purchase anything.

[Buckmark]

Huh, well stright from Ruger themselves.
Ruger has received a small number of reports from the field indicating that LCP pistols can discharge when dropped onto a hard surface with a round in the chamber. We are firmly committed to safety and would like to retrofit all older LCP Pistols. The retrofit involves installation of an upgraded hammer mechanism at no charge to the customer.

 
We want to remind gun users that, for maximum safety when carrying any pistol with a loaded magazine in place, the chamber should be empty, and the slide should be closed. Any gun may fire if dropped or struck.

[Skycruiser]

these guns are designed to be carried with the chamber empty

My disagreement lies with the words above. Double-action autos (at least those which aren't defective and requiring a retrofit) are NOT designed to be carried with the chamber empty, any more than double-action revolvers are designed to have an empty chamber under the hammer.

The "for maximum safety" disclaimer keeps the product liability lawyers happy but is not actionable in actual use.

At least not for Kel-Tec owners.

[Buckmark]

I am sorry, i ment they "should" be carried for maximum safety rolling around inside a purse.
I know i said "designed" which was incorrect.
Carried correctly, they are completly safe and easy to operate..
Sorry skycruiser, i typed without thinking..

[Phantom Gobbler]

Was checking out the new SA XDm 3.8 in 9mm at DJs in Bothell, and the action seems fairly stiff for some users.  The gun does feel good and balances well, so I am looking forward to shooting one soon.  Some folks are thinking that the shorter barrel should have resulted in a shorter grip, but it comes with a 19 round clip!      

It's unique shape has resulted in the nick name the "Hairdryer" on some blogs!  

Springfield XDM 3.8 Compact Handgun

[ADAMS]

"It's unique shape has resulted in the nick name the "Hairdryer" on some blogs!"

The XD has a high bore axis compared to its standard bearing competition, Glock.

[mountainman]

I sell more Ruger LCR's to women looking for a defensive handgun. Lightweight, plus-p, great grip, no hammer, and one of the best (lightest) DA trigger pulls out there! Sweet when a Crimson trace is added! You really need to get several different guns in her hands. Fit-important! Functionality (in her hands)-important! Aesthetics-VERY important! LOL