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Whats your wife's/GF handgun of choice?

5K views 82 replies 50 participants last post by  SmallGame2100 
#1 ·
Took the wife shooting yesterday for the first time. Until now she had been pretty hard headed about it but finally, after many years, she came around. Turns out that now she says she likes shooting.../images/smilies/smiley_abused.gif

She's very petite though, and my Glock 17 was a tad too big for her hands.

She really liked my P7 and did ok enough with my MR73. (like a K frame, but nicer :D:)



So whats your wife/GF shooting? What does she enjoy the most or shoots the best with?
 
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#2 ·
My daughter owns a Ruger MK3 but does not carry. I bought the Princess the Ruger. She and her husband shoot a little together. The Queen does not 'own' her own. There are several pistols that she has shot, will shoot, and can shoot in the armory. At our home and to the Lady's, buying them guns = me buying me new guns. Both will go shooting if it's convenient and it's a family activity. Mall shopping or nail spa's are among their favorite activities. My son's girlfriend included.

None of the colleen cabal care as much about shooting and prepping as I do. A few years ago, I could not understand why they didn't embrace guns and prepping when they enjoyed shooting and were good shots right out-of-the-box. Come to find out, they enjoy hanging out with the men folk shooting, but it's not their favorite activity. Now, I'm cool with that.
 
#5 ·
yeah the 4" K frame is a good staple gun for women or people that want to keep it simple. Of course women can shoot anything a man can, but the revolver even if not as good as a modern autoloader for high speed tactical stuff is a proven way to go.
Some women (my wife included ) arent that strong and it would take a lot of practice for them to rack the slide easily and do so as second nature under stress.
Revolvers have no empty chambers and no slide to work. And they still pack a punch. Revolvers can and do fail, in my experience most more so than autos, but a quality well kept revolver is still a solid choice for beginners or people that simply arent interested in investing that much time in shooting.
I'll make sure my wife keeps practicing now that she enjoys it. Nothing too tactical or too intense, but making it fun while praticing the basics.
 
#6 ·
My wife wanted a revolver initially and bought a J frame S&W .38. I think she made a mistake buying the air weight because the recoil was probably stiffer for her than an all steel model would have been.
I picked up a little Ruger LCP in.380 for her. She loves it and shoots it well. That's what she carries.
Better than nothing.
 
#15 ·
Yes, a bit of weight helps. For keeping at home a nice medium size 4" helps control recoil better. Even a 5 or 6" would be a good suggestion if it means she can control it better.

Nothing wrong with a good revolver, other than they run dry to quick. :)

I think its a good thing for anyone who shoots, to be able to pick up anything and at least be reasonably familiar and proficient with it. Good practice makes better.

I never understood the thinking that women cant shoot what men shoot, nor can they shoot as well. If thats the case, its because they were never taught to shoot, and not given the opportunity or allowed to become proficient.

I think a lot of macho feelings get hurt, and it all stops there. :)

I also always get a kick out of the "man" knowing whats best for the girls to choose and shoot. And personally, I think the absolute worst advice, is the J frame Airweights, and all the little .380's. Give them an opportunity to shoot something realistic, and let them choose the one they like. Then watch out! Your macho is about to be tested! :thumb:
Its not that they cant shoot anything a man can, they can.
It boils down to three points:
1)Skill, doesnt matter if its a man or woman
2)Size, small frame, small hands, petite. Some men are like that too, women in general tend to be smaller
3)Strength. Women in general are not as strong as men. Yes, there are some weak men too, or mn with certian disabilities.

All this means that while women (and men) can shoot anything they want with enough practice, some technical aspects are preferable.

For new shooters and in particular shooters that wont spend much time traning my go to recoommedation is a revolver. Not ideal, but less things to confuse/mess up and a more intuitive UI.
For people that are not strong, not having to deal with a slide is an advantage.
A fat double stack pistol can be bit too much for people with small hands. Can be done, but it may be harder and require more training to get used to getting a good grip.
 
#7 ·
Nothing wrong with a good revolver, other than they run dry to quick. :)

I think its a good thing for anyone who shoots, to be able to pick up anything and at least be reasonably familiar and proficient with it. Good practice makes better.

I never understood the thinking that women cant shoot what men shoot, nor can they shoot as well. If thats the case, its because they were never taught to shoot, and not given the opportunity or allowed to become proficient.

I think a lot of macho feelings get hurt, and it all stops there. :)

I also always get a kick out of the "man" knowing whats best for the girls to choose and shoot. And personally, I think the absolute worst advice, is the J frame Airweights, and all the little .380's. Give them an opportunity to shoot something realistic, and let them choose the one they like. Then watch out! Your macho is about to be tested! :thumb:
 
#9 ·
Mine picked out a Ruger SR40c. She used to love shooting my G23 & G27, but when she decided she was ready for her own EDC, she said she didn't want a Glock. She said they were too ugly. I told her that she shouldn't let looks put her off of a good weapon. Then she decided the Glocks were uncomfortable for her to hold, which is odd as she shot them very well & never complained about the grips before. I think her original answer is that it was too ugly to be part of her wardrobe was the truth, but was just fine to shoot at the range. Women. :rolleyes:
 
#10 ·
My wife has smaller hands/grip.
Her handgun of choice is a S&W M&P22C, Fun plinker and accurate as heck with it. Can shoot all day.

She also like's her Ruger SR9 for a full sized 9mm because of the slim grip and 17 rnd magazine.

For concealed carry. That falls to the Ruger EC9S.

Shooting the M&P22C


SR9


Handling my DB9FS
 
#11 ·
I not sure what to think if the ladies in my family shot handguns that pushed the limit of average male recoil tolerance. Seems like some would be happy. I would think a chromosome test might be needed. I love the my 90 pound girlfriend shoots 700 Nitro and 500 S&W posts. God Bless them. I let the ladies pick what they want. They are not sponsored shooters. Just women who will shoot if they have to.
 
#12 ·
I think thats just it, they need to make the choice and pick what they are comfortable with and can shoot well with.

I just love it when youre in a shop, and either the guy behind the counter, and/or the guy there with them, are telling some woman, that 2" .38 Airweight is the gun for them. :rolleyes:

Take them to the range with a bunch of different guns, and let them figure it out. You might be surprised by their choices when they actually get to shoot some realistic guns.
 
#16 ·
It really depends. a 2" snubby is without a doubt one of the harder guns to master. VERY hard to shoot accurately with that short sight radius and long DA trigger. Then again, for a man or woman living in a small condo, that will NOT shoot other than the mandatory first trip to the range, and saving half the box "for defense", then yes, a snubby is simple and instinctive to use. I'd go maybe with a 4" medium size, for a bit more weight and better control as said before.
A woman that asks about shooting, taking classes, shooting at least once a month, Id say go with a Glock 19.
I understnad your point about letting people try what they like, but that person doesnt know anything about guns and may like a gun you know to be of inferior quality, less reliable or complicated to use. Fitting the hand nicely should not be the single most important requirement.
 
#14 ·
Mrs. AZ_HighCountry routinely carries a S&W Sigma 9 and is VERY good with it. 25 yards; she can keep them all on a standard dinner plate. That would be all in the chest for those here who don't eat off dinner plates.

Her other favorite is her Walther PPK. Same thing. She's not a fan of my .45s but does somewhat like my G19 because it's almost identical to her Sigma.
 
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#17 ·
I was getting at what they felt the most comfortable with and shot well with. I think thats what should make the decision.

If someone isnt willing to gain reasonable proficiency with whatever they choose, and to practice at least somewhat regularly, then maybe they should choose something else other than a gun.

Then again, every now and then, a blind squirrel will find a nut. :D:
 
#18 ·
When I asked my wife what she wanted to shoot with she said you tell me, youre the expert. :rolleyes::D:

But she does have a point. A good idea is to present them with a few options, say a couple revolvers, a couple autos, medium or small or large depending on their hand size, double and single stack and then have them try what they like the most from within a selection of quality, reliable firearms.
 
#20 ·
My wife has a Walther PK380 and she loves it. Heck, I liked it enough that I picked one up too and sometimes carry it even, although not often.
But, she doesnt carry it with her..we're working on that. But for range and general purpose it is her go-to. Here are some pros and cons

Pros:
*Full size grip without being too big or bulky.
*Very accurate for a .380, longer sight radius than most of same caliber.
*Easy to rack slide. Very common issue for women is not being able to chamber a round or otherwise rack the slide
*Light recoil.
*Still lightweight

Cons:
*Capacity is not terrible but is 8+1
*Mag release is a lever not a button. Good for limiting accidentally hitting the mag release while shooting but makes mag changes a little different.
*Take down requires a special tool

Really I think that the first two Cons could be looked at as Pros in a way. The takedown will be a deal breaker for some people but not us.

I highly recommend giving the PK380 a look over or better yet a test shoot if you can.
P.S. the wife shoots my full size FNS-9 very well also but the Sig SP2022 is a little to bulky for her, but the Walther is her first choice.
 
#21 ·
Although my wife doesn't carry often because we live in a very very low crime area she keeps my customized Kimber 1911 in the center console.. When she does carry it's usually purse carry and a Hi-Point C9. I leave the choices up to her as long as it goes bang every time and she like to shoot it I figure she is ahead of having something she doesn't like and doesn't shoot well.
 
#27 ·
You and me both, girl! :D: I'm so glad I have a husband (and men who I shot with) who didn't limit me. If I had a nickel for every time I heard the "little lady speech" at the gun range I'd be a wealthy woman. :rolleyes:
 
#32 ·
The wife carries an LCP daily. She also has an XD9 compact that lives in her car. She has a service size XD9 that is her night stand gun. I would not want to be on the business end of any of them if she were protecting what is hers.
My oldest daughter (college student) has a Taurus G2 that she really likes and shoots well too.
 
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