Wife needs a gun, What to buy?

[Jross1]

The .38 special is a good choice for concealed carry. I read earlier that someone recommended a Taurus. I'd check them out first and go from there.

 

[dice dealer]

A used taurus would make a fine choice .

I would try to find a Hammerless for the simple fact It wont snag on anything as it is being pulled out of her Purse , Pocket , Or where ever .

To lower the recoil as joe said go with a wadcutter type ammo , or just a stock .38 special ,....
however the .38 +P (being the best choice ) will produce a bit much recoil .


It is going to be kinda difficult to find this within your budget ,I have seen them come through the shop I work in for this kinda budget , but not a common thing .


No offence, but I personally cant put a budget on my wifes safety ,
Knowing that most gun shop have a lay away program ..


Good luck.

 

[eddbrowne]

Don't rush into anything. And be sure she has some range time with a model before purchase.

 

[ljadayton]

Not even with the "push the frame instead of pull the slide" method? That's one stiff spring.

I have the same problem with my Taurus 22...Tried it..doesn't go. My ex, who's much stronger then I am, couldn't even work that slide. I have NO trouble at all out of my Bersa 380

 

[teresal2]

I too have a few problems with the slides. I am fighting a little of carpel tunnel. I want something that will protect me, not **** someone off! I haven't shot a lot of handguns, but I shoot several shotguns during hunting season so I am not afraid of guns. Keep looking at the Taurus Model 85 hammerless but I am not sure. I won't carry in my purse, can't find my keys half of the time in my purse!! LOL! Any suggestions?

 

[JB75]

eaa windicator 357 mag its not pretty and is heavy but is a small revolver and loaded with 38's is not bad on recoil account the weight of the gun and can be found new for $250 to about $285.

 

[stilllearning09]

I too have a few problems with the slides. I am fighting a little of carpel tunnel. I want something that will protect me, not **** someone off! I haven't shot a lot of handguns, but I shoot several shotguns during hunting season so I am not afraid of guns. Keep looking at the Taurus Model 85 hammerless but I am not sure. I won't carry in my purse, can't find my keys half of the time in my purse!! LOL! Any suggestions?

Meet up with some shooting friends or a range that rents guns and try out as many guns as you can before you make a decision. I bought my first gun based on a suggestion from a family member and ended up trading it. What feels good in the store doesn't always translate into what feels good when you shoot it.
I have a little arthritis in my hands, but I found a semi automatic that I love to shoot and the slide is not a problem. Good luck and have fun shopping around for something you will like to shoot.
Welcome to INGO!!

 

[VERT]

I too have a few problems with the slides. I am fighting a little of carpel tunnel. I want something that will protect me, not **** someone off! I haven't shot a lot of handguns, but I shoot several shotguns during hunting season so I am not afraid of guns. Keep looking at the Taurus Model 85 hammerless but I am not sure. I won't carry in my purse, can't find my keys half of the time in my purse!! LOL! Any suggestions?

I have one of the Taurus 850s. They are pretty decent guns. No complaints with mine. The trigger is heavy. If you are fighting carpel tunnel this might be an issue. For the money the Taurus is a good buy, but for just a bit more I would recommend a Ruger LCR or Smith & Wesson 642.

 

[gunsrfun]

I was thinking about a 3 inch barrell. With ammo I could go around $300. Yes she is dead set on a revolver, because that's what both her grandma and mother carry.

Has she shot these guns to see what they are like?

 

[JetGirl]

She might want to choose what feels right to her and not necessarily what others carry.

This ^.

See below:

This is strictly my opinion, and has worked in many years of firearms training, and for men and ladies alike. Buy a handgun just like you would buy a pair of shoes. If Ol' Joe over here says he likes Charlie China tennis shoes, and you're looking for a new pair of shoes, do you run out and buy Joe's pick, just because HE likes 'em? Probably not. If a new shooter is asking what to buy for a carry gun, it doesn't matter what works for me, or anyone else. I suggest telling that new shooter to go to many gun shops, and/or gun shows, and handle all the guns they can get hold of. Just like they would try on shoes. Before long they'll be able to make a list of guns that feel ok, pretty good, real good, and "that really feels great in my hands". The last two are the ones to pursue, and here's why I say that....
If a given handgun doesn't feel "right" in your hands, you'll not shoot it enough to become proficient with it, because it's not comfortable, and you won't like shooting it. Just like you rarely wear shoes that are UNcomfortable. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, save your money, and buy a ball bat to carry. With proper fundamentals, he/she can learn to shoot almost any handgun, or any caliber. Very few folks can re-train their hands to make just any handgun feel comfortable. The last suggestion.........proper shooting techinques, practiced slowly, but proficiently, will breed speed. Do it slowly, and do it the right way, every time.......If you practice speed first, and introduce less efficient techniques into your training, you'll have to do it all over again to get it right.

By the way..... anyone who introduces a new shooter to our pastime by having them start with a large-caliber handgun, makes a very poor decision. Yes, some folks do ok starting out with large calibers, but the vast majority will not continue to shoot if their very 1st experience is with .50 S&W. Start with a .22 caliber something, and as your technique/accuracy improves, work up from there.

Again, just my ramblings.... but they work for me...

Shoot Safely....

 

[drobpk]

I tried to buy a small semi-auto for my wife. . . NO GOOD . . she could not pull the slide. No question about it, the only type of gun for her is a revolver. She ended up buying an S&W Airweight 38 special (Model 442) at the Gun show and she loves it. Also, Plainfield Gun had the best prices I saw at the show. Otherwise I agree with previous posts, be sure to handle several types and be sure it is something you can be comfortable with. If you do purchase a revolver, it should be light and hammerless, so you have no snags getting it out of your purse in an emergency.. . . For my wife it was the S&W 442, but then, how can you go wrong with Smith and Wesson.

 

[Fixer]

Smith & Wesson's have great triggers also, and can be made silky smooth for double action pull. I would recommend a laser grip for it especially for self-defense carry. It takes all the thinking out of using it in a high stress situation. The sights on most snubby revolvers are not great either. Being able to shoot from any angle or position and know you can hit the target is invaluable.

 

[WhoDaThunk?RN]

my first gun is a ruger 38 spl, I really like it, it's comfortable in my hand, and I am comfortable shooting it but it's over double your budget. I also though sometimes think about a semiauto for more rounds, quicker reload...God forbid I'd ever need it! just another ladies opinion...

 

[88GT]

I too have a few problems with the slides. I am fighting a little of carpel tunnel. I want something that will protect me, not **** someone off! I haven't shot a lot of handguns, but I shoot several shotguns during hunting season so I am not afraid of guns. Keep looking at the Taurus Model 85 hammerless but I am not sure. I won't carry in my purse, can't find my keys half of the time in my purse!! LOL! Any suggestions?

I can't find my keys in my purse either, which is why they almost always just go into my back pockets of the jeans. (I figure worst case scenario, I still have my keys to get the hell out of dodge. LOL) But my Taurus Model 85 ultra-light has it's own compartment and nothing else goes in there. I will never NOT be able to get to it when I need it, admonitions against saying "never" notwithstanding.

(Other issues inherent to purse carry aside, the purse is nothing more than a modified holster. And choosing one without FIRST considering the purpose of carrying your firearm and access to it in critical incidents is no better than picking a holster off the shelf from Gander Mountain because it says it fits your EDC piece, slapping it on a POS belt, and prancing out the door. )

Back to the Taurus. I don't have a hammerless model. Mine is secured in the purse with a soft-side holster with thumb-break strap that keeps the hammer from being pulled back. I like the hammered version because it gives me the option--if I have the time and enough wits about me--to go to single-action mode instead of having to deal with the long pull of double-action. Realistically, I doubt I'll have that luxury, but it makes me more comfortable with it as an EDC piece and that is very valuable. I practice both modes when at the range too.

My one gripe: the grip in infinitely tiny. I don't have small hands, but the fingers are rather short, and let's just say I wouldn't want to have to hang on to it for any extended period of time. Now, part of that may be because I'm used to carrying full-size 1911s or fat Glock grips.

Oh, and the muzzle flip on the 2" barrel is hellacious. Even ported, it's still one massive kick up, which makes target re-acquisition a bit of an effort. And the ultra-light models only take .38s. I'd prefer the .357 option, but trying to carry the 6" GP100 has its own set of issues.

 

[vwarren]

My wife has a p3at with the pocket clip and she just clips it on her purse she loves the gun and you can find them for around 200

 

[Bullfrog80]

I absolutely love my S.S. Charter arms undercover 2" barrel .38. For such a small gun it is very comfortable to shoot even with self defense rounds like Horandy. My fianance is getting her LTCH and I'm afraid after she does I will have to buy another if I want to carry it. I picked mine up like new (maybe a box through it) with two boxes of ammo for $300.

 

[CaptainMorgan92]

A glock 19 or 26 would be fairly good for a woman I think...

 

[JetGirl]

*sigh*

 

[Hiker1911]

Rule # 12: "When you're stuck with a tight SD budget-buy used."


Legend:

SD = Self Defense

 

[williamnewman1]

+1 on the taurus 85, good one wifey liked it