[mainestategop]

My advice is when the time comes to turn it over, claim you already did and hide it in the woods.

[novemberslady]

bkmking for what I’m sure will be great advice

[Graybeard58]

My advice is......you’re going to get lots of advice.

[Tarpon]

Go to a range that rents guns and try them out. Don’t forget to take the wife ^_^

For years my wife liked her S&W 36, then she went to the rent range and tried a Glock 19. Now she uses the Glock. The point and shoot style guns, like Glocks have really caught on. The only problem my wife has is with the slide, so use high capacity magazines.

[bamahead]

I have a PX4 Storm in .40 cal. I absolutely love it. I’ve also shot the 9mm model. I can’t say anything bad about either of them. They’re great pistols.

[HospiceNurse]

Autos are pretty, but revolvers don't jam. My first handgun would be a single action .22 revolver like a Ruger Single Six. It won't scare your wife. You can afford to burn thousands of practice rounds at the range, and once you are competent, get whatever you want.

[bamahead]

OH, and as many here will also likely tell you - if there is a range in your area that will let you rent some pistols and try them out...highly encourage you to do so.

[lacrew]

Some indoor ranges let you rent a gun for an hour - a good way to try one out. Everybody has an opinion on what is better. You have to find out what you like best.

Me, I like the Army issue 9mm (Colt)....but, if I were to get a conceal carry license, I would have to go smaller. It is just a little ‘bulky’.

If you are just into target shooting, I strongly recommend a 0.22, purely for ammo economics.

...but, they all go boom, its just a matter of what you like best.

[RKV]

Buy a .22 first. Learn to shoot. Then go to a commercial range and rent several different kinds to try before you buy. Guns in general, and handguns in particular reward practice, so buying a pistol and putting it in a drawer doesn’t help you that much. And if you want home protection that goes double because you’ll be using it under stress. It’d be better to get an inexpensive home defense shotgun - because if you miss, the rounds won’t go through walls to kill someone else in your home.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/first_handgun.htm

[Mr. K]

Stick with a revolver- I am qualtified from the military police and having an automatic in the house still scares me.

[thefactor]

go to a good range. rent a number of guns. make your decision that way.

my gun may not good for you for any number of reasons: hand size, arm strength, dexterity, any number of features of the gun, personal preference.

there is nothing like a good 1911, but .45 is a big round. i carry 9mm's and i like them a lot.

[Sudetenland]

Glock has the best reputation for reliability, but any of the 9's you mention is a good choice...in the end, it is not the weapon but the skill of the user that matters most.

Get good, comprehensive instructions from a skilled individual...that matters much more than your choice of weapon.

Practice, practice, practice. If you get an automatic, you want the operation of it to be completely subconscious. If you get a revolver then operation is simple.

[Concho]

You need to take a little road trip to a gun friendly state and then try out the different guns. Pick one up, try the fit. At the price of guns today, it is foolish to spend that money for something that you cant hit anything with. How big of a guy are you? How large are your hands? How good is your grip—that is very important to accuracy with a semi auto. If you limp wrist an auto, it is going to jam, guarenteed. There are lots of things to consider other than the brand name. You want the one that goes bang every time.

There is no romance with a .40. It is a compromise for those who want something more than a 9 but arent big enough to handle a .45. Ammo is difficult to find and extremely expensive. Go to a good range and handle the guns and get some range time with different ones. 9mm and .45 ammo is commonly available. It works. The revolver for your wife is a wise choice. You are going to have almost equal recoil from either the 9 or the 45, as the 9 is a much higher pressure load than the 45 and kicks back more, so go try them and then make your own decision based upon the range instructors advice.

[Zeddicus]

I'm a new shooter also so take this "advice" for what it's worth, but here's my take:

First off, I think it's very worthwhile to get an inexpensive .22 pistol for fun and practice - ammo is MUCH cheaper and easier to find than even 9mm. I have both a Ruger MkIII and S&W 22A-1. I like them both. Once you've stripped, cleaned, and reassembled a Ruger .22, any other semi-auto will be cake. :D

My other handgun is a Beretta 92fs (9mm). I love it. Gorgeous, fantastic quality, accurate, eats any ammo, never jams, and is incredibly simple to strip & clean. I can't explain it, but I also seem to just prefer metal-framed guns over the plastic ones.

[JudgemAll]

I like the slim 1911 for concealment.

For high capacity, get a doublestacker Glock or XD40. THey are a bit too fat in 45, so I’d get either a 357 sig if you prefer penetration assurance, or a 40 if you want more lead for the bang and buck.

Think manhood, going for adventure, when choosing a gun.

I liked my HK USP better than the glock which is not so good at handling and too light of a barrel (an also I tend to jerk the glock right when pulling trigger), imo, but I believe the HK is not a double stacker.

IF the Cz52 is still cheap around, get one as a back up beater to keep in glove box.

[skimbell]

Everything you'll need!

[TalonDJ]

As a beginner you really should shoot .22lr to start. And get some good training or instruction. Alternately shoot your wife's gun for a sessions rounds and get the basics going and then move up. There is a pretty noticeable different between the 40 and the 9. All that said, you CAN get good starting with a larger caliber, but you have to do your homework and practice.

If she is looking at the PPK, consider a Bersa Thunder. It is nearly identical, cheaper and gets better reviews. My wife and I both enjoy shooting ours. Of course my wife likes shooting her XD9 Tactical even more.

If you like how the ‘baby eagle’ fits your hand take a look at the CZ75 and the rest of the CZ family. FYI, the CZs and the Jericho are all based off the original Browning HiPower.
If you are looking to maybe carry your gun with a permit sometime go with the Storm or (*bleh*) Glock for the lighter polymer frame. If not the all steel frame might make learning easier (more mass damps recoil and muzzle rise’). It might not though (polymer can dampen vibration and shock to your palm).

It is impossible for someone that does not know you to say what you will like best. Gun handling ‘feel’ is extremely subjective and what bothers one person might not be noticed at all by another. Anyone that tells you different is to be taken with a grain of salt. If at all possible get your hands one one or more of these so you can try them yourself.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

As a rank amateur, the .40 is a damn good round from what I’ve read & shot, but it is also an aggressive, snappy, and expensive round that probably isn’t the best to start with. It’s good to rent, though, because it will show defects in your grip because (at least as I found it) it’s very “torquey”. IMHO, you’re better off developing superior technique with lighter, cheaper ammo before you commit to a particular model. Rent and practice a fair amount before you pick one (or two) out.

[PapaBear3625]

As others have noted, your best bet is to go to a range that rents guns, try a variety, and see which one is most comfortable to actually shoot. Regarding your wife's desire for .357, have her actually shoot some .357 and make sure she can deal with the recoil.

Regarding recoil, it is generally inversely proportional to the weight of the gun. In other words, a very light gun will produce more felt recoil than a heavier gun shooting the same ammo. Many women who buy very light revolvers discover they are uncomfortable to actually shoot. Recoil can be controlled by gripping the gun FIRMLY (some instructors advise to hold it like you are trying to crush the grip).

[Tijeras_Slim]

The small frame .357’s from Smith are difficult to manage, particularly the light ones. If you go that route, look at the model 60 with a 3” barrel. Still pretty small, but has some heft. The PPK has a crap trigger, and a case can be made for the .380 round being marginal (if you can even find any ammo these days) Get her to look at the Kahr 9 mm’s just for grins.

Of the autos you mentioned the G17 is probably the most available and reliable, but many dislike the way they fit the hand (I can’t abide by the grip shape). I’ve heard the Baby eagle has reliability problems. The Sigma? Ok for the price, but nothing to do cartwheels about. Take a look at the Springfield XD and XDM models, and possibly the S&W M&P.

The best approach once you’ve narrowed it down is to find a range that rents and try them.