handgun for female

[Pooh]

About 2 weeks ago my wife said something about wanting to take the conceal and carry class. Not only for the ability to carry but the knowledge. She will probly never carry the weapon around, it will probably stay in the house. This being said, I would like to find her a pistol to take the class, be able to handle, and be comfortable shooting.

After looking around the last day or so I think I want to stick with a 9mm. I would also like to stay around $350. Whats out there for that kind of money.. I looked locally yesterday and the shop I stopped at reccomended the S&W SD9. Need some ideas guys, I dont know much about handguns, fired and handle a few and shot a .22 pistol league one winter. what am I missing and what should I look for?

[reinhard1]

my wife has a 380 S@W. nice little handgun. good luck.

[SmilinBob]

I carry a Kel-Tec PF9, it's light, big enough to shoot for fun, but small enough to make an all day carry gun at the same time, and right in your price range.

[Archerysniper]

Bersa .380 is a nice small framed auto.

[Brad B]

look for a .380 or a 9MM or 38Special. A few models to consider around you price range is :

Walther PK380 (.380)

Ruger LC9 (9MM)

Ruger LCP (.380)

Taurus Mill Pro (.380, 9MM, .40S&W, .45 ACP)(these are $50.00 higher then your range but are still close and the quality is good)

Taurus 85UL (.38 Special)

[Tom7227]

A five shot hammerless revolver in 38 caliber is a nice light gun. No hammer to get hung up if it's in a purse, not a lot of recoil, it won't jam. Check out the Ruger line and see if she likes it.

[Pooh]

any of you guys know anything about the S&W SW9VE Simga? looks like a alright gun, but know nothing about it.

[Tator2k]

My wife hated her 85UL. Even with standard .38 Sp it hurt to shoot. I also hate the price of .380 ammo, so I wouldn't carry one of those either.

I'd recommend most of the others listed on here:

Keltec PF-9

Ruger LC9

XD 9mm SC There's been sales on these as the new 'XD-M' model came out. Glen's in Grand Rapids had a large volume they were trying hard to push out the door. I picked one up for $375. It's my new favorite carry.

I'd also look for an old fashion 4" J or K frame S&W revolver to try out before going smaller.

[SmilinBob]

steer clear of the sigma if you can. These are all good suggestions, if you can, take her to a store that has a good selection and have her handle a few, but take your time and make a good selection, don't rush into what a sales person needs to move off the floor.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Most women will HATE shooting the Kel-Tec PF9 because it is so light and incredibly snappy even for experienced shooters. The Sigma has a very stiff DAO trigger, so make sure she can pull the trigger first.

Other than that, a Ruger LC9 is probably a good option. Similar to the Kel-Tec PF9 but with a little more weight to absorb the recoil. Still not a fun gun to shoot really though. If you want a good $300 range full size 9mm, check out the Ruger P95.

[lawdog]

I've been looking at the Bersa Thunder .380. I am really liking what I've seen/felt/read about it so far. I just won a Weatherby pump shotgun at a NWTF banquet and I think I'm going to trade it for this Bersa.

[Tator2k]

Most women will HATE shooting the Kel-Tec PF9 because it is so light and incredibly snappy even for experienced shooters. The Sigma has a very stiff DAO trigger, so make sure she can pull the trigger first.

And that's the reason most should also stay away from the little J-frame and similar snubbies.

I was at the range with a new female shooter the other day and she brought her husband's guns to try to see what she wanted to use for her carry class.

Her choices were: 6" 686, a 9mm Sigma, LCR, and a S&W Mod 10.

686 was too big and heavy, the Sigma trigger is a brick, one shot and she was done with the LCR and plain didn't like the Mod 10.

We then tried what I brought with: 4" Python, 9mm XD SC, PF9, and Steyr M40.

In this case the Python was better than the other revolvers but still heavy for carrying (Although, I still do occasionally) One shot and the PF9 was done. Came down to M40 and XD. In the end the .40 had too much pop for a med framed, poly gun. The XD balanced out the weight, size and recoil nicely without being harsh.

My .02

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Yep, and unfortunately most the of the handguns that women will be able to tolerate or maybe even enjoy are going to be on the biggest side for a petite woman to carry on their body. You really need to jump up into the size of the subcompact Glock, XD subcompact, SR9c, etc. The little, lightweight single stack .380's and 9mm's and the little, lightweight snubnose revolvers in .38 special are usually what guys get for their significant others but they usually end up being sold back to the gun shop.

[boatfixer]

I'll put in another plug for the Bersa .380. I bought one for my wife a year ago. Very nice, comfortable gun. Shoots nice and a box of .380's won't break the bank.

[gooseisland]

Seeing you're from Wadena, bring your wife to the Reeds Gun Fair at Rice Creek Game and Rec by Little Falls in a couple weeks. Let her try a bunch of different handguns from the different company reps. They usually have really good prices on stuff too.

[Pooh]

Update....I bought her a SCCY CPX1. I looked at one at a local shop did some research and didn't find many ban comments on them. SCCY makes a KelTec PF 9(?) copy. I took her back to look n she picked the SCCY. So far so good. 100 rounds no problems n she's shooting better with every mag.