Favorite Handgun Question (Vanity)

http://www.freerepublic.com/ ^ | March 21, 2006 | Me

[tcostell]

I'm in the market for a pistol for my wife and I was hoping I could solicit opinions and suggestions.

She doesn't have any handgun experience, but she's an excellent rifle shot (better than me in fact) and has no trouble handling the recoil of my 12 gauge Benelli when shooting clay. The weight of it does bother her a little however because she's very small. She's 5'1'' and some change, and weighs about 105 lbs soaking wet.

The firearm will be used for personal self defense, but I'm not really expecting a home invasion, and she won't be using it when concealment would be an issue. I just want her to have something portable that she can slip under her car seat and carry with her if it becomes necessary for her to take our daughter and beat feet from the greater NY area.

I think she can handle a cartridge with some stopping power but a .50 cal would probably be out of the question. A light recoil 9mm or .40 cal would probably be OK, but I specifically need something with a gentle slide spring and a relatively small grip because of her size.

I had the Springfield XD-9 recommended to me, so I picked one up at Cabelas this weekend but it still felt a little large for her hands.

I was wondering if any of the ladies (or knowledgeable gents) could make specific recommendation I could have her take a look at?

Thanks.

[bondjamesbond]

What do you think of the Taurus Model 82 in .38 Special?

[stuartcr]

Excellent choice.

[yarddog]

If the Benelli is the short recoil model then she is a better man than me. I had an M1 super 90 and the kick was awful. I liked it otherwise.

BTW, I am 6'3' and 270.

[Loud Mime]

I liked both the Walther and the Sig, but one was less expensive.

[Postman]

One more thing, Crimson Trace does not make laser grips for this model....nothing that can't be overcome with frequent practice. The Tracker also fires .38's which are cheaper than .357's for practice purposes. Taurus revolvers have a good reputation and tend to be less expensive than others, especially when purchased over the internet. Also, if you live in NJ or NYC, PLEASE be sure that neither you nor your wife carry a loaded weapon or have one in your car. The laws are draconian and heavily weighted against legal gun owners. Good luck.

[agenda_express]

[Vaquero]

" I carried a .32 revolver for years because it was small enough to fit in a trouser pocket without an objectionable bulge.
"

"yatta..yatta..yatta.. or are you just glad to see me."

[absolootezer0]

I'm a little cynical about a .38 because of bullet size

you're cynical about bullet size of a .38 but you mentioned 9mm in your original post. there'e .001" difference between .38 and 9mm, and roughly the same load. difference is you can get heavier bullets for .38sp. and load them heavier. or you can load some low power .357.
my wife (4'10" about 110) loves my p220 in 38super. she thinks its a touch big for her hands but she's much more comfortable shooting it than my 1911 compact .45 due to recoil factors.

[Eagle Eye]

I used to have an old (1985-ish) model 66 Taurus 6" and I loved it.

The 82 looks to be a vastly improved version of the old models.

Taurus used to be an inexpensive knock off of other models but now they are quality firearms in their own right.

I've got another Taurus 911 millineum and love it but the newer ones are better and come in .32, .380, .40 and .45 instead of just 9mm

I'd still go with a .357 just for the versatility....357 or .38. or .38+p.

[from occupied ga]

I know it's an old corny joke, but this thread was crying out for it.

[ronnied]

taurus .22 magnum 8 shot revolver, even though my five kids have calibers up to .44 magnum, they love to shoot my .22 mag. inexpensive ammo & very good handling & accuracy...

[mbynack]

Take her to the range & let her try several. My wife has very small hands & what I thought was good for her, wasn't even close. Also, shot placement is more important than caliber....she needs to be comfortable with what she chooses.

Excellent advice. My wife was working in another town and a guy started stalking her. I went to the gun store and bought her a KelTek P-11 9mm. She hated it. She fired it once and the recoil was too much for her (it weighs about 14 ounces empty).

She eventually selected my favorite pistol as her choice for home defense. It's a Colt Diamondback 38 special with custom grips. It fits her hand well, it has manageable recoil, and she shoots it very well. It's simple to operate and doesn't require a lot of practice.

I could have saved some money (to buy a Glock) if I had let her choose her own weapon.

[Max in Utah]

It's tough to beat a short-barrelled .357 revolver. My favorite is Smith & Wesson but Ruger and Taurus also make good guns. A trigger job is a good investment because she should train by shooting double-action. A better trigger pull will improve accuracy (which helps confidence) and reduce fatigue during practice sessions.

She can practice with .38 specials and keep it loaded with .357 hollowpoints for defense. Some people say you should always train with full-power loads but in an emergency your adrenaline is pumping, you have a kung-fu grip on the gun and muzzle blast and recoil aren't noticed much.

[Tarpon]

S&W model 36 with 3" barrel.

[Puppage]

I could have saved some money (to buy a Glock) if I had let her choose her own weapon

I had the same experience. I thought the Kel Tec P-3AT/.380 would be great for her. It fit her hand, but she didn't like the recoil. So, now I have another gun for my collection, which isn't so bad. :-)

[tcostell]

It's a Montefeltro, and all she was shooting was little #9 2 3/4 inch skeet shells, but she handled it gracefully.

She's a tough little thing... tougher than me pound for pound. Not the hothouse flower you would expect given her considerable beauty.

I'm definitely keeping her.

[CFC__VRWC]

Take her to a gun show or to a knowledgeable gun dealer in your area and let her try a bunch of them out. Pick whichever one she's most comfortable with.

Don't just rule out of hand getting a snub-nose revolver in .38 Special either. A lot of gun writers and gun store commandos sneer at them as not being "real" weapons, but loaded with +P ammo and with good shot placement (which is what really matters with any weapon), they're more than enough to take the fight right out of your average scumbag looking for an easy mark to hit. And they're so small and light and easy to conceal that it's more likely she'll carry it all the time and have it when she really does need it.

Whatever you pick - practice, practice, practice!

[tcostell]

I appreciate your comments and we've already had that discussion. I'm completely convinced that if pressed she will do what she feels is necessary to protect herself and our child including all manner of things that you or I might actually cringe a little about.

If she's going to be carrying this weapon I suspect it will serve her best to be carrying it in plain sight. That's what we're trying to plan for anyway. And in the end she'll be choosing it (as you suggested) I'm just looking for 'Try a blank' sort of suggestions given the size constraints.

Thanks.

[Eagle Eye]

I know...and I'm still trying to get something of value for her!!

[WhirlwindAttack]

I got a hand gun for my wife too,
best trade I ever made.