My girlfriend wants to purchase a pistol, what is ideal?

[csmith]

My girlfriend wants a pistol. I was thinking a .380 at first then I started to think maybe a 9mm. She is about 5'2'' and deffinately wants a semi-auto and needs something small for her tiny hands. What do you recomend for her?

 

[Sam1911]

Please read this sticky.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=564531

Then come back here with any questions or requests for clarifications.

 

[dogmush]

In addition to the sticky (which is great advice), point her at http://www.corneredcat.com/ and let her do some research on her own.

 

[jfrey]

After SHE goes to the LGS and tries a few, suggest she look very carefully at the Kahr CW9.

 

[Brian Williams]

You take her to the LGS and watch the process making sure the person behind the counter is not leading her off in weird ways, then you pay for what SHE wants.
A 1911 with thin grips is a nice gun for small hands but I prefer a BHP.

 

[Nushif]

This:

You take her to the LGS and watch the process making sure the person behind the counter is not leading her off in weird ways, then you pay for what SHE wants.

Yup. This.

 

[BCRider]

You're not giving us much info to work with. What guns and in what calibers has she shot already? Without knowing this no one could make any sort of decently educated suggestions.

If she has not had a chance to try some different guns then it's time to find some Rent-A-Gun ranges and let her try out some options so she can make up her own mind.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Buy her a .22 Buckmark or Ruger. After she's shot several thousand rounds and is competent and comfortable, start shopping for a "real" gun.

 

[PcolaDawg]

As a threshold matter, make sure she fires a few before you decide. If she is not comfortable shooting it, she won't. Some ladies don't mind recoil and heavy trigger pulls one bit, some can't stand them.

As for my wife, she would've been fine with the Smith 642 but hated the trigger pull. She could stand the trigger pull of a Kel Tec P3at, but hated the recoil. She found the perfect little gun for her in the Kel Tec P32. She likes to shoot it, and she's very accurate with it.

My sister, on the other hand, tried a bunch of different guns and settled on a Makarov that she dearly loves.

So you never know, until she tries some out, what she's going to like/tolerate.

Regardless, good luck and keep us updated on your search.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

Two logical choices here:

Ruger - MKIII
or
S&W - Model 500

Again, those are the only two logical choices.

 

[easyg]

My girlfriend wants a pistol. I was thinking a .380 at first then I started to think maybe a 9mm. She is about 5'2'' and deffinately wants a semi-auto and needs something small for her tiny hands. What do you recomend for her?

I see that you're in Charlotte NC....
Shooter's Express in Belmont has a decent selection of range rentals she could try.
Another good range rental place is the Carolina Sportsman in Newport SC (just outside of Rock Hill SC).

Good luck,
Easy

 

[Strahley]

She needs to select the gun, not you

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

.


Pick a few guns and try them out at the range.




I have smaller so it's hard to conceal a gun also. I just bought a SW Bodyguard .380 semi-automatic. You might also want to look at the new Ruger LC9. One thing about the 9mm is if you are going to shoot a lot is that ammo for it is cheaper then the .380.


Since I don't plan on shooting my pocket pistol much it won't matter.

.

 

[JohnBiltz]

The "Ideal" one is the one she wants that she can control and shoot well and will want to continue practicing with. Your ideal or another's ideal will probably not be her ideal gun. If you asked here what every member's ideal carry gun was there would be no consensus. You would see everything from 10mm to .380 in all different makes and models.

 

[Damon555]

No doubt about it, a 22 lr. She needs to learn the sight picture and trigger control.

 

[W.E.G.]

What is she going to use it for?

Think of a handgun like shoes.
Then go look in her closet.

Everything for the proper purpose.

 

[Loosedhorse]

My girlfriend wants to purchase a pistol, what is ideal

I think you meant: My girlfriend wants to purchase a pistol; now, that is ideal.

Or possibly: My girlfriend wants to purchase a pistol, what a deal!

Unless she wants something for self-defense immediately, it should be a .22. And it should still be one she really likes.

 

[Remo223]

Keep in mind, girls like sparkly things.

 

[kozak6]

What is the intended purpose? I'd recommend entirely different guns for plinking, home defense, concealed carry, and purse carry.

A small .380 can have painful recoil.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Might I recommend the Bersa Thunder .380....I havn't found a woman that didn't like it. Light with light recoil. Accurate. attiquate for self defence with a good 95 grain HP.

 

[45Fan]

Get her exposed to as many guns as you can before taking her to a gun store to find what she wants. The more she shoots, the more informed she will be when she is finding the one that she wants.

My wife loves shooting her Buckmark, but who doesnt enjoy an afternoon shooting tin cans with a .22? She also shoots my Blackhawk in .44 Mag quite well, and has started to look for her own, because she doesnt care for the longer barrel that I prefer. Her carry gun is a PF-9, but has tried many times to sneak off with my 1911 officers model. Neither of those are particularly "girly guns", but she likes them, and is quite proficient with both.

 

[Armed 24/7]

I can't decide what is right for YOUR girlfriend, but my wife chose a Walther PK380 and loves it. It has small grips and light recoil, and she is very good with it because of those two things. But she did start out with a Ruger 22/45

 

[jad0110]

Keep in mind, girls like sparkly things.

Not all of them do. My sister's two favorite guns are her Bulgarian AK-74 (home protection) and her S&W Bodyguard .38 Spl (CCW), both of them are quite drab and ugly.

For small hands, your girlfriend's biggest hurtle won't be the cartridge/recoil, but trigger reach. Others are correct that she should choose for herself, but you can provide input. Chunky double stack autos like Glocks and Ruger P Series are probably out of the question. Single stack autos like the Kahr series or 1911s are likely more doable, or even thinner double stack autos like the Ruger SR9. The trigger reach on 1911s is particularly short, shorter even than the smaller Walter PPK.

But again, let her try for herself with your guidance.

I'd also recommend at least considering a 22. Great starter gun, and though not ideal for self defense, they are far better than TV remote or harsh words. Depending on her budget and the final price of the guns she narrows down to, she may even be able to buy a .22 and a centerfire.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

My girlfriend wants to purchase a pistol, what is ideal?

A girlfriend who wants to purchase a pistol.

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

A makarov PM is good for small hands, cheap too. Just get work 9mm makarov and be sure to let her know not to try 9x19/luger/parabellum in it.