In the year or so I have been on this site I have noticed a large amount of gun enthusiasts frequent this place. I figured I would ask for help.

The wife and I are looking to get into a couple of semi-auto hand guns for recreational shooting and for protection of our house. I know what I want in a gun, not a problem there. The problem is my wife. She has no idea what she wants other than it needs to be light, and not smack her in the forehead when she puts a round down range. She is a pettite woman with not a lot of upper body strength, though not a weakling, mind you! I have handled a Taurus .45cal semi that was fairly light, and of course a Glock .45, but I fear that a .45 round will be hard for her to control.

Should I be looking at 9mm, .40cal?

Do gun manufacturers chamber for smaller than 9mm in semi auto sidearms?

At what point do I worry about knockdown power for protection versus controllable round size for a smaller statured person?

What brand would those of you recommend that have dealt with lightweight sidearms?

I'm looking at spending around $500 for her gun as one of her x-mas gifts this year so I need to do a little research.

All replies are welcome, thanks for your help in advance.

 

If the gun has too much recoil and makes her apprehensive, she will not be confortable with it, and therefore a bad shot.

I bought my mother a .38 S&W Airweight concealed hammer. She loved the small frame and light weight but at the range it would tear her hands up and she did not like the kick. She then tried out a Glock 19 at the range and loved the less recoil, plus more handle to hold on to.

I would strongly recommend a Glock 19 for a female since it is not a "full size" pistol, and is simple, reliable, and not brutal to shoot. Plus 15 rounds is more comforting than 5. You can snag one for around $500.

 

+1 on the Glock 19. I had one for years and loved it. The .45 ACP isn't really too bad. It's a slow moving bullet and the recoil isn't very "snappy" like the .40 S&W. The Glock .45's are a handful, though, sizewise. I have pretty big hands, and I still think the Glock 21 is too big. The 19 is perfect.

 

H&K is a great gun. It's lightweight and the recoil is significantly less that other handguns of the same caliber. I'd look at the USP or the USP Compact if you're planning on carrying. That's my opinion anyway.

 

45 ACP , there has been a lot of experience & studies , many yrs of both , now for the last 20 yrs there has been all kinds attempts to come up with a better defense round , it hasn't happened .
That should be the measure of what to pick for a defense round , getting something small for that reason [ backup / ??? ] is something els .
A larger heavier gun is more control , resistant to recoil .
A small light gun is less control , more reactive to recoil .
Except for the very large / magnums , they are all controllable with practice , with out training and lots of practice , people have no business thinking of guns for defense , thats a big part of what gives the anti gunners ammo .
I resisted posting because I know egos fight over this issue like religion , but as a pro gunner , instructor , competitor [ over 50,000 rnds a yr for many yrs ] ect... for 45 yrs I feel it has to be said , flame if you have too thats your choice .
$500 for a defense auto , is about a 20 yr ago price , quality is a huge factor in a defense weapon , you can buy used , but then should spend more for it to be gone through by a good !!! gunsmith !!! , there are a lot of hacks out there , think about this like your truck , you do not want 2nd rate or cheap out on your investment [ LIFE ] .
Get 2 guns , a 22 cal. to practice with then after a few bricks [ 500 rnds ] but a case of 45 cal.
AND DO NOT FORGET TO HAVE FUN , join a club , get into competition .

 

I don't see any reason why anyone would want to flame that.

 

For my wife we decided on a wheel gun. Much simpler operation and no chance of a jam. A Ruger Gp101 in ss with high quality 38 rounds instead of 357's worked out real well.
Joe

 

On the Kimber .45s you can buy a .22 caliber slide conversion kit and use the same gun to practice shoot with that you carry. Very well made gun as well.

 

Another vote for the glock 19

 

I am going to vote for a classic, the 1911a1 in any number of configurations, several reasons, proven tough design, a little heavier and easier to control, the great .45acp round, and a decent one can be had for under $500, it won't have all the fancy features for that price, but it will protect your home just the same as a $1500 gun, putting 10 rounds in a quarter isn't essential when you are at point blank range.

 

Tell her to look at the Colt "pony" in 380. Well made little weapon and easy to handle in small hands. Not a powerhouse like the venerable .45 but you don't want to have some one banging away at you with one either

It isn't always about knock down power, especially if you can't shoot it comfortably. You need to find her a weapon that fits her hands, she can shoot comfortably and accurately.

You are much better off with a smaller caliber weapon you can use, than a big one that makes you close your eyes, cringe and jerk the trigger. Who knows, maybe after she shoots the .380 a few years and gets comfortable with it, she will be ready to move up to a better man stopper.

Just my humble opinion as one of those "hack" Gunsmiths out there and Retired Special Forces Weapons Sgt.

 

What Larry says. Find her something she's comfortable shooting. I shoot the Glock the best, unfortunately, I really like the 1911 looks and feel. The Glock it is though because if my life depends on it I want the best advantage I can have.

 

Since I cant get a Glock to point right for me, Im gonna throw out a vote for a "Lady Smith". its small, easy to handle, and makes a really good CCW pistol.
You could also look at a Walther PPK. very accurate.

 

For house protection and not carrying, I'd go with a good sized steel gun in .45acp. The weight will help control recoil. With a limit of $500, i'd look at an all steel 1911. Taurus, Springfield, Paraordince and a few others should have a model around $500.

Here is my personal gun-decision experience with my wife. She wanted a carry gun, so her choice may not be the best in this situation. She tried my Glock 26 first. She felt the recoil was "snappy". I'm sure it's better with a 19 though. She next tried my S&W 2 inch concealed hammer in .38. I thought this would be perfect for her, but there were two problems. First, she felt the recoil was much worse than the Glock. Second, the heavy trigger pull from double action only caused her to have horrible accuracy with it. She ended up with a little KEL-TEC 380. After a little work it runs 100%, and she's very happy with the trigger pull and weight of the gun. But her favorite gun to shoot is my Kimber Pro Carry II in .45acp. As mentioned, the 45 is not "snappy' at all. The recoil is more like a hand shake, if that makes sense. So i'd look for a 1911. Of course you can't go wrong with a Glock 19 either.

 

One word of caution concerning the beloved 1911. It is a single-action auto, meaning to carry with the chamber loaded, she'll need to carry cocked and locked, meaning, hammer cocked, safety on. The trigger pull will be light (4-5 lbs on a box stock 1911, less on a custom 1911). It is imperative that she has the handling skill to keep her finger off the trigger until she is ready to fire. I normally only recommend a 1911 to a shooter who is willing to put in the range time necessary to master the handling of a 1911 or BHP. The 1911 is not a beginners carry gun. However, in the hands of someone that has trained with it, the 1911, IMHO, is the finest combat handgun in the world.
I carry a 1911, but, I have been shooting/carrying a 1911 and have a lot of rounds through them over the years...

As mentioned above, competition shooting through IDPA or USPSA (IPSC) is a great avenue to build her confidence and skill. Plus, it's a lot of fun!

Feel free to flame away!