What kind of gun should I get my wife?

na ^ | 8/19/04 | Me

[Callahan]

My wife of a whole month and a half is interested in getting a firearm for personal protection, as she works in an unsavory part of Philadelphia. She has limited experience with guns (her dad was a cop), but could use some advice--and many Freepers are much more knowledgable than her new husband. I joined the NRA on principle a few years ago, but shoot mostly my friend's stuff. She is barely five feet and has small hands. What's the best choice, considering cost? Also, any tips on getting a permit in the Tri-state area. Can you carry across state lines?

[BipolarBob]

Go with her and pick one out together and make her part of the decision process. She will be more comfortable with the choice and hopefully will practice with it enough to be effective if the need ever arises.

[Darksheare]

One that fits in her hands and isn't going to twist her wrist off when she fires it.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ruger SP101 hammerless in .38 Special. Lightweight, fits a woman's hand well, and goes right into the purse.

A fine gun. ....and it'll shoot full-power .357 mag loads all day if one can handle it. Those things are built like tanks.

[Rammer]

I gotta second the hammerless revolver. Revolvers do not jam, plus a little snub nose .38 is perfect size for a purse or pocket. Ruger makes extremely durable products, and it's an American company.

[Armedanddangerous]

For small handed ladies I often recommend the Kahr 9mm and 40 caliber handguns www.kahrarms.com

They really aren't any bigger than the Walther PPK/s and are very reliable. The MK9 and P9 models are so good they are approved off duty guns for the NYPD.

[Billthedrill]

You run the usual narrow course between concealability on the one hand and shootability (is that a word?) on the other. Little, concealable guns can be noisy and intimidating for the novice to practice with, and they NEED practice! Larger ones that are more pleasant to shoot may not fit a purse.

I'd recommend against a semi-auto in this case. There are more bells and whistles involved in the safe tactical employment of these things from concealment than with a wheelgun.

What I'd do for her is to purchase a .38 cal 2-in barrel snubnose such as the Charter Arms I have about 10 feet from me. Have her practice with low-recoil wadcutters and load the thing with +P semijacketed hollowpoints for carry. If she really needs it she won't notice the difference in recoil or even hear it go off. The advantages are small size and manageability during practice; the disadvantages are only five shots and a longer time to reload if (heaven help us) a reload is necessary. It also does not require anything more than a "point and pull" user interface. In high-adrenaline self-defense situations that's a big deal, especially for somebody who has minimal training.

Just my $0.02. You're going to get a hundred different opinions from the other gun buffs on FR. Don't listen to any of them. ;-)

[cripplecreek]

Right off the top I would suggest that you don't buy her a gun till she's VERY familiar with one. Till then I would suggest pepper spray and good self defense training.

When you do get her a gun get something small and simple. something between a .22 and a .38 with a clip beats a revolver for simplicity and ease of use.

My wife and I don't own any handguns, just rifles and shotguns. we go to the shooting range a couple of times a month.

[Slings and Arrows]

I respectfully disagree. I am a male with small hands, and was never quite comfortable shooting a Ruger. S&W small-frame revolvers, OTOH, fit my hands perfectly, had good triggers, and were very accurate.

BTW, Gun Tests magazine has excellent firearms reviews and comparisons. They have a website, but I think you have to be a subscriber to read the reviews.

[hiredhand]

You're probably going to get a lot of replies on this. This is ONLY my opinion.

Unless she's an enthusiast, buy her a DA (double action) revolver chambered for the .38 SPCL. You might want to be sure that it's stressed for +P ammo for more stopping power. Teach her to fire it double action, and don't ever even tell her that cocking the hammer is an option untill she's VERY comfortable with it.

I would say go with one of the newer DA semi-autos chambered for something like .40 S&W, but there's NOTHING quite like a jam when you don't need one!...and a wheel gun won't (generally) jam.

If she can handle the additional weight, buy a revolver chambered for the .357 magnum. You can teach her to shoot with regular ole .38 SPCL, ammo... and if it turns out that .357 ammo is too much for her, keep .38 SPCL +P ammo in it.

...just my .02 from teaching some women in my family to shoot, and observing them.

[Slings and Arrows]

I thought the Penn. was a shall-issue state.. Are you telling us that the issuing authority is breaking the law?

[JesseHousman]

What kind of gun should I get my wife?

In the case she might point it in your direction, get her a cap gun.

If you want her to have a real gun that will stop bad guys, buy her a Taurus .38 Special.

[RISU]

Get her a shotgun. You can't shoot yourself easily with one when you are "all shook up".

[Conspiracy Guy]

I'd recommend this. Charter Arms 38 Special, it's small yet very lethal. Then spend some time at the range.




My wife has one of these Ruger P97 DC in 9mm, but Autos require more experience.

[Lockbar]

I strongly suggest this revolver. Smith and Wesson Model 36. 2 inch barrel in .38 Special cal. Five shots. I have one, and its a good self defense revolver. Can be found in used, very good condition for between $250 - $300. Since the new Smith & Wesson management told the Klinton administration to go "screw" the previous British owners anti-gun agreements, I have no problem recommending it.

[NonValueAdded]

...although I always liked the look of the Derringer in the garter belt look! :-)

Oh yeah, like in the introduction video for the series "Silk Stalkings."

[inkling]

Effective, but inconvenient.

[anonymous_user]

S&W 642 point-and-click interface.

[NJ_gent]

"Also, any tips on getting a permit in the Tri-state area. Can you carry across state lines?"

Well, you can forget a carry permit if she's going through NJ. If she's transporting the weapon through New Jersey, she needs to unload it, place it in a lockable container, lock the container, and place that in her trunk. She's also not supposed to make any unnecessary stops while she's transporting the gun. NJ's firearm laws are insane. If she's going to be going to places in New Jersey, I'd have to recommend pepper spray. At the very least, do some research into NJ's gun laws. If you're really trying to be careful, consult an attorney in New Jersey about what can and cannot be done.

[stevio]

I like what S&W has in the snub nose styles myself. A .357 can be loaded down to a .38 special or .38 if she is not comfortable with such a powerful round. With small hands she might have a hard time chambering a round, my wife does.
It's not hard to get a CCW permit in Pa., but Philly is a different story.
One major point that I have gone over repeatedly with my wife when we were first married; Is she prepared to take someones life? If she needs to pull a gun on someone she must be ready to use it without second guessing herself.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

I'm glad you posted this because I have a question about guns and I've been waiting for a thread like this.

I would like to buy a gun for home defense. Several people have recommended shotguns. My husband says that would be a bad idea for me because the recoil would knock me on my backside. He thinks a handgun would be better for me.

Any opinions would be appreciated.