What to get the girlfriend for concealed carry?

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codybrown

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Well I had originally thought about getting a Kahr .40 but I am not rethinking it. She's 5'6" and 140lbs, and not really experienced in shooting pistols/revolvers. She has shot around 4-500 rounds through my Ruger SP101 (using 38sp) and my M&P40c. She can shoot them both pretty well, and doesn't have any problem with the recoil. I don't want to get her a pistol that is going to have a ton of snap to it, and I'd prefer that she enjoyed shooting it. I don't want her to have a pistol that she doesn't enjoy shooting, or she won't ever get comfortable with it. What do you all suggest? We're looking at spending $600 at most.
 
buy

her the karh cw9, what a super handgun and what a real pleasure to shoot to. You can get it under $400 and 9mm ammo is about half the price of 40 cal. Any 40 cal is snappy but in a kahr polymer version even snappier.

The 40 would not be the caliber of my choice but hr 9mm sure would be..

no button or other crap on the kahrs either, just a very loooong and smooth trigger that is desinged that way.
 
Best thing to do is take her to a range that rents and have her find out for herself what she is comfortable shooting. She'll feel much more confident shooting something that she can handle rather than what you 'think' she can handle.

Good luck!
 
Let HER decide.
She will find the one that calls out to her from the crowd.
Let her handle all of the pistols that she wants.
Make note of the ones that fit her hand best.
Make sure she can operate the slide properly on the semi autos.
Make sure she can reach the trigger and operate the guns double action.
When you have a list of pistols that she likes the feel of, and can properly operate... take her to a rental range and let her fire all of them.
Buy her the one that she wont let go of.


Jim
 
Before I spout on the internet, I should say I have never fired this weapon. I'm recommending you look into it, not get it outright. But it was one of the front runners when I was looking to make a purchase myself.

Check out the Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact. Its kinda got everything.

* small size for CCW (though of course there are smaller out there)
* metal fame for reduced recoil
* both a decocker and a safety (ambidextrous)
* DA/SA action
* 13+1 capacity with standard magazine in 9mm, high cap mags available
* very reasonable price!

Like I said, I haven't shot it myself, but its got great curb appeal.
 
skeptic and foMoGo, both of you'se hit the nail right ont he head.

let her decide, not push your wants on to her. I just personally feel a 40 cal in a kahr is very very snappy for a woman. If there is pain then it will not get used much..
 
Yeah...let her decide, but make sure her decision is well-reasoned and that she is aware of the positives/negatives of either semi-autos or revolvers and the various calibers thereof. Just because she may find something thats "fun to shoot" doesnt necessarily mean it would be an effective personal defense weapon. Personally, I might recommend a revolver (for conceal carry) as it is generally lower maintenance vs a semi-auto, isnt as affected by dust/dirt or anything that might be found in a purse, and it can be "reliably" shot through a handbag or purse whereas a semi-auto, in this situation, would most likely jam. This is unless, of course, she plans on wearing a holster. Then a semi-auto would probably be just as well. Just something to consider...among many other factors.

Either way, all things considered, I would recommend a revolver for conceal carry purposes (in this situation).
 
No offence intended but I assume she has expressed an interest in actually carrying the piece. I bring that up because I have a few friends who thought their significant others should have and carry a gun and purchased them one only to have it left at home because the spouse/girlfriend didn't really want it in the first place.

If it is indeed her idea, I second what Jocko said previously...the Kahr CW9 or a K9 would be a great choice. Easy to carry, smallish grip, light sweet trigger, and compact for CCW.
 
Go RENT a bunch of guns at your local range. It's always fun to see their eyes light up when they find THEIR gun.
 
as has been said before, LET HER DECIDE.......

you wouldn't want her picking out YOUR gun, would you?

Have her rent as many types as she can, find the one that works best for her and go with it - the peace at home is worth it, trust me on that!
 
Women sometimes have trouble pulling the slide back on a Semi-Auto and may feel more comfortable with a revolver. The SP101 is a good piece but somewhat heavier than most. If she wants a revolver think about a .357 magnum chambering. She can shoot practice and/or carry with .38 Special ammo but the .357 always there as an option later on. If she likes a semi-auto fine, in any case she might benefit reading the info posted here specifically for women:
http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx#Practical
 
above all let her choose as has been noted. that said it is a old gun (early '80 vintage) but my wife loves my S&W Model 39-2. Single stack 9mm so it is very thin, and has a very gentile recoil. the down side parts are getting harder to find (mags excluded.)
 
If she wants a revolver think about a .357 magnum chambering. She can shoot practice and/or carry with .38 Special ammo but the .357 always there as an option later on.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. Im STILL trying to convince my wife of this fact.

As an interesting side-note, I bought my wife a Sig P239 9mm (for home defense..NOT conceal carry) based on her "love" for the gun and yet she now prefers my Sig P220 .45 ACP due to being able to hit tighter groups with it. Weird...

However, when or if she acquires her conceal/carry permit, she has opted to go with a revolver (I take partial credit for convincing her of the merits regarding this choice). She currently wants a .38 +P snubnose revolver. Im trying to convince her, as stated before, of going with a .357 Magnum (3'") as I believe this to be a great compromise between choice of loads/concealability/weight/practicality.
 
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WOW.....let me do a little clarifying. We have talked this over quite a bit. I"m 22 and she'll be 21 in June. I will be buying a pistol for myself, and letting her shoot it. Then come July, I'll probably feel the need to sell it. I have always been attracted to Kahrs due to their size. She is planning on carrying the pistol on her, hence the small size requirement. I know a guy who has the Kahr PM40. He bought it new, never shot it, and is now selling it for $400 to finance an AR. That was why I had asked about that one in particular. As far as shooting different guns, there's nowhere around me that rents them at a range. Pretty much either know someone who has one, or go to the store and hold it. She's not a fan of revolvers, so those are pretty much out. What other brands and models do you all recommend? I'm not really a pistol guy so I'm not familiar with most of them. In the end, she will end up picking what she likes.
 
her choice, let her rent a bunch of stuff. also spend money on a good holster. i went from a 380 in a cheap uncle mike's to a full sized SP-01 19+1 9mm with a good leather IWB with no significant increase in printing.

remember, it could very well save her life one day, so don't cheap out, and let her try EVERYTHING possible to absolutely make sure she gets what's right for her, and not some OTC or internet suggestion. :)
 
My mum picked and carries an Airweight 38spl shrouded hammer (easier to withdraw/shoot from a pocket, she says) with service grips in place of the rubber grips. She loves it for its simplicity and ease of use. fwiw. You should definitely let her decide though. I'm just making a suggestion based on what I know. :)
 
My wife bought me a H&K P7 - took one look at it....thinking I may lose that one to her....nice and thin, no levers to mess with - totally safe with the squeeze cocker - point being, if she likes it, and won't be afraid of it, that's the gun for her
 
She's not a fan of revolvers, so those are pretty much out. What other brands and models do you all recommend?
Click to expand...

That would have been useful info. BTW- Why does she not like revolvers? Sure, they may not be as "cool" as semi-autos, but they have many advantages. Is she planning on keeping this gun in her purse? If so, is she comfortable with the idea of having to pull the weapon completely out of a purse if she desires more than one reliable round? Also, is she comfortable with the idea of carrying a gun which has a round loaded in the chamber or rather, having to pull the weapon out and "racking" the slide in order to chamber such said round?

Im not flaming here or trying to discard semi-autos. I personally would carry a semi-auto if I had a conceal/carry. But, I would be using a holster. Will she? That does change the playing field a bit. If this gun will be going into her purse or handbag, it might be somewhat short-sighted to dismiss a revolver.

If she MUST have a semi-auto, Id suggest going with nothing more than a 4" barrel. I like Sigs or Springfield Armory.. depending on the caliber. A small Glock in 9mm might be good as well. Personally, Id go with a Sig...possibly the P239 (9mm). But, thats out of the price range you listed. For that price range, look at the Glocks or Springfield Armory XDs or XDms.

If going used, look at the Sigs. You just might find one within your price range. Either way, Id personally stick with the 9mm or .45 ACP calibers when dealing with semi-auto. The Sig P220 .45 ACP compacts are nice, but are currently having issues with the internal extractors. If you can find one used, with an external extractor, consider it. Otherwise, for .45 ACP, consider the Springfield Armory. Just my opinion.
 
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Well she will be carrying it on her in a holster the majority of the time. She doesn't like how revolvers shoot, I'm unsure of why, but I'll talk to her about it. My mom has a S&W 38sp with the shrouded hammer and we're going over there tomorrow so she can shoot that. We'll also be shooting her LCP and see how she likes that. It has quite a bit of snap to it due to it's size also. I'm going to take some reloads over also so she can shoot my M&P40c.
 
I have a Ruger SP101 and she doesn't really like shooting it. I don't think it has anything to do with looks, but I may be wrong. She's working all day today, so I'm going to talk to her about it tonight when she gets home.
 
You buy her what fits HER, what SHE perfers and have HER practice with it until SHE'S proficient with it. It it means starting with a .22lr to learn the basics, so be it. I'd much rather have my wife be proficient with something smaller in caliber before handing her something too large and uncomfortable to rely upon.
 
We have a second for Cornered Cat.

Like others are saying, let an individual decide what gun is for them. The HARDEST part of the process for a lot of guys is staying in the advisory role. Make sure you don't snuff out her interest in guns by telling her what's what in HER search for a carry gun.
 
Like others are saying, let an individual decide what gun is for them. The HARDEST part of the process for a lot of guys is staying in the advisory role rather. Make sure you don't snuff out her interest in guns by telling her what's what in HER search for a carry gun.
Click to expand...
Exactly... it took about a year for my wife to find the revolver she wanted... and even then she had to swap grips to make it the "right" feel.
Then it took another year to find the perfect autoloader.


Jim
 
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