[uchacker11]

My girlfriend is turning 21 in a month and wants a handgun to conceal carry. She is pretty small and cannot handle much recoil. I was hoping to get her a Glock or HK subcompact, but I dont know which caliber to get. What would be a good pistol and caliber to get for her?

 

[Asylum Keeper]

dont rule out a stubby wheelgun in .38 Spl. recoil is very manageable. Or maybe the new .327 Fed Mag. Almost as much power as .357 mag but with the recoil of .38 spl. But if you are dead set on an auto, I would go .380 or 9mm. Probably 9mm, lots of guns to choose from and tons of ammo choices.

 

[toyrfun]

just because your GF is small doesnt mean she cant LEARN to handle the recoil.

i would find a gun rental range and do some testing. Since this will be HER gun, she will have to choose it for the fit/feel/recoil. If she donesnt like it, she wont shoot it and then it will end up being either a paperweight or handbag weight.

i would try to keep to the more common (read inexpensive) calibers. FYI, if you are thinking of the 327 mag, you should really think of the future of the cartridge. the 45GAP was suppose to be for the small hands ect, but its not looking too great. im not saying it wont stay, but the price of ammo in the future may make it expensive to shoot unless you reload.

also, when it comes to semis, you should have your GF take some SD/CCW/gun handling classes. semis can jam and unless you really train/drill for those malfunctions, you may end up eating that gun.

one last note. most women ive shot w/are better shots the alot of guys i know and they are usually better shots from the start.

 

[uchacker11]

I am going to take her to the range with me and have her shoot a couple guns there. She does NOT like revolvers for some reason, no idea why and she cant tell me. And once she gets her gun we are both going to be taking classes together. I think that the Glock 26 or 33 would be best to start with and then expand once we narrow down a caliber better.

 

[WDBradley]

Going to the range and shoot the rentals is a good start. After that take some training before you buy. Otherwise you will be wasting money on a pistol that might not fit your needs or shooting skill.

A Glock is a common choice but there are several others that are better. First choice would be a S&W M&P, then Sig, Springfield XD and FNH FNP.

In sort there are lots of good pistols out there so take the time to find the one that fits your needs and preforms well.

Good luch and let us know what you decide on.

 

[ColoradoKid]

I will second all the comments regarding women, shooting standard sized pistols and their ability to handle the recoil etal. I no longer train new students and start them out with the .22LR conversion or pistol. One exception might be with a 9 or 10 year old youngster. I have several females who bought .40 &.45 caliber semi automatics, came to the class and had no fears about the noise, flame and recoil after several hours of training and dry practice. Teaching them a solid Weaver stance and a strong aggressive grip system does wonders for their confidence and dampens much of the fear and trepidation comcerning shooting those big nasty semi automatics..!! And yes, most, if not all, shoot much better than their boyfriends or husbands. They also seem to catch on to and pick up the training principles faster than their male counter parts.

 

[uglydog]

Re: re: Caliber and handgun for my girlfriend

And yes, most, if not all, shoot much better than their boyfriends or husbands. They also seem to catch on to and pick up the training principles faster than their male counter parts.

All too true, males believe they were born knowing everything there is to know about how to shoot well and all that is needed to waken this latent skill is to watch John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or other such action movies while women tend to see shooting as an acquired skill where good instruction is a big asset. This openess to learning allows women to learn more and quicker than men as the instructor does not bang their head against brick walls as much, at least not in regards to shooting.
I also agree that women can pick up the basic skills easily using centerfire handguns but I still prefer to start with a 22 LR. The main reason is they are cheap to shoot and when things "click" with women, they tend to want to keep shooting more than anticipated. This can get expensive with the centerfires and some women later have uncomfortable soreness and even swelling of the hands due to the greater recoil of the gun and often the lack of calluses on their hands. It is a minor concern but it can cause a bit more delay between trips to the range along with a little less initial enthusiasm than would otherwise occur.

 

[ColoradoKid]

Ugly,
Understood and we can "professionally" agree to disagree on the .22lr part of the issue. I will maintain, however, that the secret rests with the teaching a female the use of a strong and aggressive grip and stance. If they can master that aspect of shooting....they can handle most any make, model or caliber firearm......Good Luck..

 

[killerb]

Everyone must have a .22 pistol for fun and practice. But for concealed carry purposes, I would take a look at one of the Kahr 9mm pistols. They are very thin, concealable and well made handguns.

http://www.kahr.com/PA-1_9mm.html

 

[kahrpm9]

got to check out the kahr's they make a .380 now and theyre just like glocks but half as thin. double stacks are a pain if your hands are small

 

[Roadkill Bill]

Re: re: Caliber and handgun for my girlfriend

A Glock is a common choice but there are several others that are better.

Yeah, I guess that's why the FBI went with the . . . oh wait! All that testing and they still with Glocks didn't they?!?!?! :mrgreen:
(However, I think they had the best gun when they had the S&W 13, 3" barrel, .357.)

I agree with both of you guys. Stance and technique are very important. Women have fewer things to "unlearn" than us guys. We grew up watching Jimmy Stewart ("Destry Rides Again"), Roy Rogers, and others sling those bullets out of their guns when they fired. We picked up all kinds of bad habits before we ever picked up a gun! The ladies just don't have that problem. They will focus on what you tell them to. So just don't tell them about recoil. It's a guy thing anyway.

However . . . when my wife got bit by the bug, she was a shootin' demon. Had to go to the range every weekend. One time she put five boxes, 250 rounds, of .38+P and .357 through her SP101 in less than 20 minutes. "My gun is hot," she said. Son of a gun, the sucker sure was. She handed to me, and I couldn't believe how hot it was. Didn't want to load it. Today, I can't afford to let her (or me) shoot that much. Ammo is too expensive. Shooting .22s is up to $20 or more a brick if you're lucky. Cheap .38s ain't cheap no more. (Bought a box of Remington 148-gr Match Wadcutters last week -- $29.95!) And I like to shoot .45 ACP, .45 Colt, and my favorite, .44 Specials. Now we're talking $30 for a box of 50. More for the Colt loads. The lowly .22 is sounding better and better!

 

[Roadkill Bill]

Re: re: Caliber and handgun for my girlfriend

Double post.

 

[SmokinTom]

I knew this one would get Bills attention,he`s so smart and he was a dealer too. Wow Bill!!!!!