Looking for a handgun for my lady.

[odyssey731]

My girlfriend has become interested in shooting lately and doesn't have much experience. I'm trying to think of a good handgun for her to learn with. I know she likes my Smith and wesson M&P shield but I feel like it might not be a good gun for her since she doesn't plan on carrying and something a bit bigger would be easier to shoot. Anybody have any recommendations or have any insight?

Thanks guys!

[HoneyBadger]

Walther P22. great for training, cheap to shoot. Ladies arent afraid of the recoil!

[jackthewall81]

Walther P22. great for training, cheap to shoot. Ladies arent afraid of the recoil!
And they come in girlie colors!

[AirbornePathogen]

P22's a good choice. Or a SIG Mosquito for most of the same reasons.

[sjl6102]

My wife's favorite guns are her Colt defender, Springfield XD9 tactical, and her AR. Her CCW gun is a Sig p938. My wife loves her 1911 because it has the power she wants, has a good weight to it, and is super smooth and easy to control for her. I'd try to get her into a full size gun and once she becomes super comfy with it, maybe she'll want to carry....

[wadero]

And they come in girlie colors!

My wife loves her P22, and its great for trasining young ones. Little picky about ammo though, works best with CCI and the like. Then if she wants something bigger there great guns like the PK380 with the same feel and controls.

[jackthewall81]

I just started talking to my girlfriend about what she might be interested in buying for her first handgun and so she can get more used to handling and being around her own gun. She dislikes the .22 because it isn't "fun" enough, and likes the pink p380 but only if it has a bright green zombie laser light bayonet attached...
[dig]

Women are freakin weirdos. But, at least I understand who might be the market for those silly handgun bayonets....

[BushMasterBoy]

You could go with a S&W Sigma. They got a bad rap in the beginning, but the later SW9VE and SW40VE are way improved over the earlier versions. I read they they are so similar to Glock, that S&W had to pay Glock for patent right infringement. Some guys hate the triggers, but my g/f likes hers.

[Byte Stryke]

My 4 year old shoots a Walther P22

now if I could just get him to clean it and buy his own ammo!
[ROFL1]

[lex137]

Wife has an xd9 and her ccw is a s&w 642? revolver. She likes the kick of a firearm though, and she's only 4'10" and maybe 90lbs.

[TheGrey]

Personally, I favor the .45 ACP Magnum Research Baby Eagle. It's got a nice heft to it, snugs right up in my hand and it's accurate. It has a reasonable recoil.

A 1911 is also very nice.

I also like a gun to go "BANG!" Makes me feel like I've had the last word on the topic.

[J]

Wow... half the people in this thread seemed to ignore the use she will be using it for. A P22 is awesome, I have one and my wife likes to shoot it. Great for fundamentals, but terrible for learning to manage real recoil.

If she likes the shield, I think a full size M&P9 is an obvious candidate to try out. Might be too bulky compared to the shield, but a good shot. If we can work out an agreeable time, I would be happy to meet up and bring a few 9mm, including a full-size M&P9 for her to try out.

[Clint45]

A .38 Special revolver is the easiest handgun to learn to shoot, especially if it is double-action with a steel frame and 4" barrel. Simple to load, fire, and unload. Will not jam, no safeties to mess with, no mags to load. Start on wadcutters and move up to full power loads.

[cofi]

A .38 Special revolver is the easiest handgun to learn to shoot, especially if it is double-action with a steel frame and 4" barrel. Simple to load, fire, and unload. Will not jam, no safeties to mess with, no mags to load. Start on wadcutters and move up to full power loads.
this

[Kraven251]

Glock 19 or Glock 17, Sig p229 or p226, M&P as stated by others. It really depends on what feels comfortable in her hand, but most women actually shoot better with the larger frames because of grip circumference.

Personally would stay away from wheel guns as a first gun for anyone, unless you were going with a .22LR, way too easy to develop some really bad habits.

[Clint45]

Personally would stay away from wheel guns as a first gun for anyone, unless you were going with a .22LR, way too easy to develop some really bad habits.

If a novice wants a gun for protection and, realistically, will not be getting professional training and putting in a lot of range time, a .38 revolver is probably the most practical choice. Pretty much idiot-proof as long as the basic safety rules are followed. Glocks and 1911s are not a good choice for a novice. If she insists on a pistol, a Makarov is a good bet . . . sufficient power, moderate recoil, safe DA/SA action with decocker, and they don't jam. I have heard far too many stories of novices having NDs with Glocks to recommend that brand to an inexperienced shooter.

[vossman]

My wife's likes her Shield. I do too, I ankle carry it when I don't feel like/can't carry IWB. Fits a small hand great and mine has behaved well with my light reloads.

[dwalker460]

I have a Sigma with a reworked trigger. Great gun, excellent shooter and would be a good choice to manage recoil on.

[Eggysrun]

Got my wife a Ruger LCP, didn't like it cause of the grip. Got her a Glock 26 and she loves it.

My advice would be to take her to a range you can rent guns and let her try some out. My wife held the ruger and liked it, but shooting it hurt her hand.

[Blockhead]

A .38 Special revolver is the easiest handgun to learn to shoot, especially if it is double-action with a steel frame and 4" barrel. Simple to load, fire, and unload. Will not jam, no safeties to mess with, no mags to load. Start on wadcutters and move up to full power loads.

My wife decided out of the blue that she wanted a gun of her own. After looking at many, she finally decided she wanted a revolver, despite the fact that I wanted her to get an automatic. She ended up with a Ruger SP101 357 and loves it.

[sniper7]

I'd say get something bigger than a .22. the ammo being reliable being the biggest issue.

[Busta Prima]

This is easy . . . Smith M&P 9 Compact. Very much like the shield but a little bit bigger. I didn't read all 3 pages so sorry if this is redundant or if you already decided.

[Walter.mitty]

My mother-in-law has a Lady Smith 38 but doesn't like to shoot it.
We got her on the M&P 22 and she loves it. She doesn't carry just target shooting.
My wife started carrying the M&P 9 but found the Glock 34 was more comfortable. She enjoys shooting both.
My daughter started with a Charter Arms Lavender 38, she likes the grip better than the Lady Smith.
She got an XD9 and a Beretta 92SB but finally settled on a Sig 1911 Nightmare for carry because of the slimmer profile of the single stack.
Like others have said it is all about what feels right in her hand. If you have access borrow/rent a variety.
Most of all have fun, I love shooting with my "girls".

[Byte Stryke]

Wow... half the people in this thread seemed to ignore the use she will be using it for. A P22 is awesome, I have one and my wife likes to shoot it. Great for fundamentals, but terrible for learning to manage real recoil.

If she likes the shield, I think a full size M&P9 is an obvious candidate to try out. Might be too bulky compared to the shield, but a good shot. If we can work out an agreeable time, I would be happy to meet up and bring a few 9mm, including a full-size M&P9 for her to try out.


I was replying to others that had mentioned the Walther. Nowhere in my post did I suggest it for his wife.

I apologize and will no longer make this error

[dwalker460]

Got my wife a Ruger LCP, didn't like it cause of the grip. Got her a Glock 26 and she loves it.

My advice would be to take her to a range you can rent guns and let her try some out. My wife held the ruger and liked it, but shooting it hurt her hand.


Nobody likes shooting an LCP ;) its one of those guns that you fire at the range to confirm function, then use as a carry only. Just brutal guns to shoot, like a Walther PPK. Surprisingly, the AMT 380 Backup is not bad to shoot, mostly because its a good sized chunk of steel, but most women will hate the trigger. The Keltec PF9 and P11 9mm's are great to shoot and have smaller grips, are light, and fit in a purse decently well.
The S&W Sigma is great because it has a very slim grip for a doublestack and once the trigger has been reworked- literally a ten minute job- its a nice gun to shoot.It also makes a great semi-compact carry gun. I think it is slimmer than the glock and it fits smaller hands better. Your welcome to shoot mine and see how you guys like it.
On the other side of that, if she is just shooting at the range and maybe using it as a nightstand gun, its hard to beat a SP101 or similar .357 revolver. Load it with .38 wadcutters for use at the range, load with mild .357mag HP's for nightstand duty. Domt make the mistake of buying a snubnose or liteweight, you want about a 4" barrel and some weight to help the recoil. Be much more concerned with balance of the gun and the grips. Grips make all the difference in a revolver and can usually be easily changed out.
If you like, I would be glad to meet up at the range sometime with a box o'pistols and let you guys try them out.

[dwalker460]

I love my sig sauer .40 S&W p250 sub-compact! :) I just bought 2 more magazines for it...cost me $90 for the pair, but I was glad to have found some.

It's small, fits perfectly in a lady's hands, doesn't haven't much recoil, is very easy to control and aim. it'll be great for her and it has enough punch to put an assailant down on the ground with a well placed round to the torso.

Interesting. .That has not been my experience. 40's tend to be a snappy round and have more felt recoil than a 9mm or even some .45's. Really would not be my first choice as a trainer or first centerfire pistol.

[ChadAmberg]

Buy her whatever she tries and likes, subject to affording it and the gun not being known for being unreliable.

[KS63]

My wife picked up an H&K P30s 9mm as her first firearm. It fit her hands better than anything else(Glocks, Sig, XD,Walther, 1911) and that was a big hurdle. She can shoot .45's without fear of recoil, so the 9mm was the best option for her. I friggen want one for myself.

[drocra]

As a female fairly new to shooting - My first 9mm that I really enjoyed firing was a glock 19. I'd recommend the gen 4 due to the larger mag release and slightly smaller stock grip (I have small hands). I've since transitioned to a glock 26, but for an ordinary day at the range, the 19 is fabulous.


Edit : not to mention it's reliable as hell and extremely easy to field strip and clean.


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[losttrail]

Get her the gun that fits her hand(s) and that she is comfortable with shooting. Each person is different.

Glocks do not fit me well, they just don't feel good in my hands. But my 1911A1 feels like an extension of my hand, as does my XDm and my old S&W 39-2.

Fit & comfort comes first. Then work on caliber.

[odyssey731]

Wow, tons of great feedback! I like thought of a p22 for training but as mentioned, you can develop some bad habits. I think I'm going to just head to a local shop and have her hold a few rigs and see what feels good in the hands. I know I thought my old M&P 9 compact what really comfy and since she's a fan of the shield that may be a good start. I'll make a list of some suggestions and go check em out. Thanks for all the input guys! And I might have to take you up on the offer sometime J.