Need Help Finding a Gun for my Wife.

[scarville]

I need help finding a proper handgun for my wife. She hasn't expressed any desire to CCW but wants to learns to shoot well enough to defend herself at home so I'm looking for a full sized handgun. She is not in prime physical condition any more and has mild arthritis in her wrists. She is not interested in becoming an expert and probably will not spend a lot of time shooting.

She is left handed and left eyed.

She doesn't like autoloaders much. She compares them to driving a car with a stick shift which she can do it but prefers not to. She has shot one of my 1911's but doesn't like the recoil from the 45 ACP and kept forgetting to take off the thumb safety. She says the recoil from a 686 loaded with 38 spl (158 gr +P) doesn't bother her at all but she has trouble the the DA trigger. That could be because she has long fingers (think pianist) and cannot get a good pull with the grips I have on the gun now.

I figured that a Glock would be a good compromise between a DA and a SA so I rented one at the range last weekend. I loaded the magazine for her and helped her rack the slide. It worked OK for the first five shots and then damned thing went "click". It had a light strike and the primer did go off. Now she doesn't trust Glocks to be reliable. Under the same circumstances I might think that too.

I'm kind of at a loss as to where to go from here. I can afford to buy just about any CA legal handgun and have it customized if necessary.

Suggestions?

[missiondude]

S&W M&P are ambedextrous to the extent that you can swap the mag release for left handed shooters. The 3 different palm swell grips would let her pick the one that fits the best. If an auto is out of the question, there is always a revolver with an action job. I shoot factory out of mine with the trigger pull reduced to around 8 lbs. Have her try a bunch of guns and pick the one that fits best...

[Steyrlp10]

Please don't take this as a discouragement, but if the Mrs. intends to use the firearm she finally chooses for herself for HD, she should reconsider practicing... and practicing. It's not about being an "expert," but being very familiar with the weapon she intends to save herself/the family with.

I'm "decent" in what I do with a firearm, but there's always room for improvement. I remind myself that I may be woken up in the middle of the night, it's dark, and I suddenly have to get the lint out of my brain. It's just not squeezing the trigger, but what happens when I have to reload, shoot on the move, etc? Stuff like that.

There are numerous past posts in this forum about renting various guns for her to try. That would help her understand what weights, trigger pulls, etc. will work for her during a high-stress situation. It's especially crucial to test out a variety since she knows she doesn't have the usual hand strength to manipulate say a 1911. (Makes me suggest a revolver for her.)

Best of luck to you in your search

[tylerderdan]

I am purchasing a ruger lcr with the laser for my wife. Small compact and very easy to operate. My wife has shot dozens of guns with me and she likes the simplicity and ease of use of the lcr.

[Sajedene]

Totally agree with Steyrlp10

I wouldn't base reliability of a gun based on range guns as all the guns there will only be as good as how they are maintained/cleaned/kept.

And have her try them all - not just once either. Best of luck!

[scarville]

Totally agree with Steyrlp10

I wouldn't base reliability of a gun based on range guns as all the guns there will only be as good as how they are maintained/cleaned/kept.

I have to take some of the blame for that. I can't shoot a Glock near well enough to waste money on one for me. I simply passed on what I've read about them and what others have told me about their experience.

[Steyrlp10]

I have to take some of the blame for that. I can't shoot a Glock near well enough to waste money on one for me. I simply passed on what I've read about them and what others have told me about their experience.

I look at shopping for the "ideal" gun like taking cars for a test drive. The research is very similar in that you're trying to see what the standards and options are, including the prices. I think the best thing to do is to keep an open mind and try not to put too much pressure on yourself or her while you're looking at different makes and models.

I own a Glock in the .40 and think it's a reliable gun. However, I much prefer all the 1911s I have just because... I also own a Sig in the .45 and it's also very reliable. Again, I go back to the 1911s. But that's me.

You and the Mrs. will eventually be able to come to a decision -- or end up with a great collection like many Calgunners have done on here

The other option you may want to try is to get together with a few Calgunners. Most people on here are very generous with letting new shooters try their guns.

I'm looking at a Colt revolver in .22 this weekend for that very reason. A few women in my area have approached me, wanting to learn the basics, so I'm shopping for something simple. A person can always work his/her way up from a .177/.22 to a CF pistol once they become comfortable and confident in handling a gun.

[scarville]

Please don't take this as a discouragement, but if the Mrs. intends to use the firearm she finally chooses for herself for HD, she should reconsider practicing... and practicing. It's not about being an "expert," but being very familiar with the weapon she intends to save herself/the family with.

I don't find that at all discouraging. Once upon a time, I was taught that

1. hits count more than misses.
2. good hits count more than bad hits.
3. the first hit is the most important.
4. the first to make a hit is most likely to win.

I think that the Probability of Success varies directly with Speed and Accuracy. Therefore I hope that if we can find the right gun for her she will want to practice more.

Besides, looking for a new woman at my age would be too much of a chore.

OTOH, I read this on the Internet:
So maybe I'm just full of it...

[Steyrlp10]

Besides, looking for a new woman at my age would be too much of a chore.

So maybe I'm just full of it...

Nah, I think you're on the right track, and she's lucky that you're trying to help her. That's the great thing about CGN -- plenty of information and assistance 24/7

[Sunday]

A model 10 type revolver or a J frame size. Try a Ruger SP101 or a Smith 60-15 with a 3 inch barrel. I used to hang around my friends gun shop years ago and the men always wanted to buy their women autos when the women couldn't rack the slide. Women don't think tacical commando like the men do. TRY revolver it is a better defensive option for men and women.