An XDm won't limpwrist like a Glock would. Give it a go, I bet she would love the XDm.
Neither a semi auto's mag release nor a revolver's cylinder release are required to operate the firearm, provided that it starts out loaded, which is probably how an HD handgun is going to be kept. But in point of fact, you can load a semi auto without ever using the mag release...you may not be able to load a revolver without using the cylinder release (this assumes you don't for some reason keep your HD handgun with an empty mag in it for some weird reason)
I have yet to find the manual safety or decocker on any of my semi automatic handguns. If you pick a gun that has both a safety and a decocker and expect a non-shooter who is not familiar with it to know how to use those under stress, that is a failure in your part, not the gun's
Small shotgun such as a pump .410 loaded with large birdshot.
While MattyT's wife may find it easier to hit a target with what you suggest, terminal ballistic effect on an attacker may be far less satisfactory than a single bullet from a .38Spec. I think if you do some checking you will find the majority opinion is that birdshot is a bad idea for a self-defense load.
If you MUST get her a handgun, definitely a .38 revolver. After some fairly intense training from me, my wife qualified for CHL using my Colt Series 70 45 ACP scoring 247 out of 250. She was very proficient with it and knew how to use it. But when it came time to buy her a carry handgun, I bought her a lightweight 2" 38. VERY simple top use and after some instruction she's very handy with it.
Good for her! That is however the exact opposite of what my wife did. My wife with just 100 rounds expend in two trips to the range went to a CCW class and qualification taught by a Maricopa County Sherif Department Range Master and qualified on her first try. Granted the marksmanship requirements were rather easy (all shots in the torso of the target from 10 yards). This motivated her to eventually move up to the complexity, power, and recoil of a Glock G22 after some more range sessions and reach a level of proficiency with the Glock that both of us are comfortable with. She still loves the S&W M10 and as indicated in an earlier post I can never sell it and have a hard time getting to shoot it myself. MattyT sounds like we have a similar situation with regard to guns as my primary use full size pistols are now Glock 40s and 10mms. Both of those were not the right thing to start my wife out with if I wanted her to quickly be able to learn enough to use a reasonably powerful pistol for self-defense. Someone earlier suggested a used S&W 10 from J&G Sales of Prescott, Arizona. That coincidentally was were I bought the French National Police Trade-in 3" S&W M10 my wife still likes so much.
This is all understood and at this point you're arguing just to be arguing because you prefer semis. But since none of your semis have de-cockers or safeties, surely you don't think they don't exist, do you? I think your assertion may point to a limited exposure on your part to different brands and types of semis.
Like I said, my opinion is based on what I've seen time and again on my private range and years ago when I still used public ranges. As I mentioned in a previous post, my wife is very proficient and likely can outshoot most men here with a full size Colt 45 ACP. But she and I are far more comfortable with her carrying a revolver because of the revolvers inherent simplicity.
35W
I choose not to buy defensive pistols that have manual safeties and decockers because why would I want additional controls to manipulate? You are selectively comparing in order to make the revolver appear superior by dictating that all semi autos have a manual safety and a decocker.
I like both semi auto and revolver, I have and carry both, my wife's is a semi and my mother's is a revolver, both assisted by me in the selection process. I just want fair representation which I feel you were intentionally not providing. I mean, if you want simplicity of operation, why you are picking a semi with a manual safety and a decocker?
Thanks again everyone for the replies and time taken to write them. I have gotten a lot of good advice. I had another thought earlier. When I think about her past Glock malfunctions, possibly from limp wristing, I am curious if a hammer fired semi auto would have the problems... Are hammer fired handguns, such as CZ or Sig, able to have limp wristing failures? The thought behind this is to give her more rounds in case she needs them. I do not own a centerfire hammer fired gun but it seems to me that this would take away the reliability issues she had before. Am I wrong?
I don't know why you don't want additional controls.
While MattyT's wife may find it easier to hit a target with what you suggest, terminal ballistic effect on an attacker may be far less satisfactory than a single bullet from a .38Spec. I think if you do some checking you will find the majority opinion is that birdshot is a bad idea for a self-defense load.
Have you ever seen a living being shot at close range with a shotgun? It makes a huge wound. Most don't realize that the ballistics of even a .410 shotgun are on par with a .44 Magnum handgun. (218 - 328 grs. @ 1100 - 1200 fps depending on the load) I used to have some pictures of a sheet of plywood I shot with a .410 and #6 shot at 10' and 20'. The pattern was fairly small and the damage was amazing.
35W
Have you ever seen a living being shot at close range with a shotgun? It makes a huge wound. Most don't realize that the ballistics of even a .410 shotgun are on par with a .44 Magnum handgun. (218 - 328 grs. @ 1100 - 1200 fps depending on the load) I used to have some pictures of a sheet of plywood I shot with a .410 and #6 shot at 10' and 20'. The pattern was fairly small and the damage was amazing.
35W
Thanks again everyone for the replies and time taken to write them. I have gotten a lot of good advice. I had another thought earlier. When I think about her past Glock malfunctions, possibly from limp wristing, I am curious if a hammer fired semi auto would have the problems... Are hammer fired handguns, such as CZ or Sig, able to have limp wristing failures? The thought behind this is to give her more rounds in case she needs them. I do not own a centerfire hammer fired gun but it seems to me that this would take away the reliability issues she had before. Am I wrong?
Have you ever seen a living being shot at close range with a shotgun? It makes a huge wound. Most don't realize that the ballistics of even a .410 shotgun are on par with a .44 Magnum handgun. (218 - 328 grs. @ 1100 - 1200 fps depending on the load) I used to have some pictures of a sheet of plywood I shot with a .410 and #6 shot at 10' and 20'. The pattern was fairly small and the damage was amazing.
35W
No, I have never seen a living being shot with a shotgun if you mean a living human being. I have seen photographs of human beings (living and dead) that were shot with a shotgun. Most of the living human beings in those photos were disfigured by birdshot. There is a big difference between "(218 - 328 grs. @ 1100 - 1200 fps depending on the load" of bird shot and a solid bullet. The former is more likely to painfully maim and disfigure, the latter is more likely to inflict a wound that quickly ends your assailants ability to harm you. Birdshot cannot be relied upon to have sufficient penetration. That does not mean it cannot instantly kill, just that it is not as, nor sufficiently, reliable as buckshot, slugs, and bullets. This is all besides the point as MattyT has said he wants a pistol.
Anyhow, lots of internet based opinions here. YAWN...I'm out.
35W
WHAT "bad guys"? At this point, you've ONLY heard a noise.A cellphone call to 911 from a well-armed woman should be enough to wait out the badguys.
WHAT "bad guys"? At this point, you've ONLY heard a noise.
By beings, I meant living beings, animals. I'm glad you've seen pictures, I was basing my experience on animals I have killed at close range with a shotgun. Messy. Anyhow, lots of internet based opinions here. YAWN...I'm out.
35W
She hasn't even got the gun yet and everybody is arguing her best tactics in using it.
Please, just stop.
First, husband, step aside. You don't pick the gun, and you won't be there if and when she needs to use it, right? IT'S ALL ON HER.
So, what you need to do is get her hooked up with the other female shooters in the area who understand they have a newb and who can fill her in - woman to woman.
As a veteran husband of 40 years, I'm going to suggest you can't do that. Neither can anybody responding on the internet. Not happening.
Don't be the micromananger, be the facilitator. Arrange a meeting with friends, and invite other friends who understand they can take the opportunity to discuss and arrange a get together and go have some fun, a girls day at the range. And just don't get the smirky faced when it all works out, because women can spot manipulation at the drop of a hat.
Don't push, shove, or recommend, and most of all, stay out of the way. Let her find her pace and how she wants to do it. Just support - make room in the budget for her purchase of a firearm. Don't go google eyed if she shows up at at home with a wrist brace AR15 in 6.8, or a HK P7, or any other gun you would have never considered.
They sometimes like to do that - a bit in your face - just to assert their identity. Shooting a potential rapist is quite personal, they are getting in touch with who they are, not who you would like to mold them to be. People are not raised in America to think they can go around killing others. It takes being comfortable with the rules first, and being informed about what the real circumstances are all about. And what the potential problems are, even when it's entirely justified.
Don't lose your focus on this, just consider that she will likely appreciate a new gun handed to her about as much as a new outfit from Victoria's Secret. It's a much better deal if she's the one who decides on what to bring home.