Need to get a gun for my Girlfriend

[Wrangler]

She fired my 9mm. Didnt like the kick. She fired my Bersa Thunder 380. Didnt like the kick. She fired my 38. Didnt like it. She did fire and like (how could you not) my P22. I am wanting to move her up to a 32 I think but being that I have never shot one, I dont know how the kick is. And recommendations?

[Guest HexHead]

.32 is going to be a small pistol and will feel pretty much like the .380 to her.

Don't try and reinvent the wheel, she likes the P22, let her have it. Put Stingers in it for self defense.

That 6' 4" security guard killed at the Holocaust museum a week or so ago was killed with a .22LR. So while not a first choice for a self defense round, it can get the job done.

Once you get her where she really is comfortable with the P22, you might be able to move her along down the road to a 9mm.

The path of least resistance is often the best.

[Good_Steward]

Good advice, Hex. When she shoots the P22 enough, she'll probably start wanting to try other guns. Don't try to push too much on her, it'll come with time. Same exact scenario with my wife. She started with the P22 (also the handgun I started my son with, as evidenced by my avatar), as well, and now I very rarely get to shoot my Beretta M9.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Good_Steward

[billkill]

As strange as it sounds, my wife prefers shooting my G22 (.40 S&W) over her .38, you might want to take her to a range that rents guns and let her try out several.

[Guest ar15m4guy]

Have you thought about maybe a .25 You can pick em up at a pretty good price and they are not to bad. My girlfreind has one and that is what she started out on along with my beretta .22. She has graduated up to my rossi .357 mag 6"bbl but shooting .38's because she says the .357's are to much. Just be patient with her if she really likes to shoot it will grow on her.

[Guest Dan762]

try a .32 Beretta Tomcat. Very nice gun and it has a flip up barrel so she doesn't have to pull back the slide to chamber a round. Easily concealable, and comfortable to shoot.

[TGO David]

It's been my experience that a person's like or dislike of a handgun often stems from the way it feels in their hands moreso than the "kick" of the recoil. If you can find a handgun of a more potent caliber than .22LR that she likes the feel of, you might be surprised to hear that she doesn't hate those larger calibers after all.

I'd really suggest attending the July Meet & Shoot down in Spring Hill and let her try a variety of different handguns.

[Wrangler]

Thanks. for the input so far. I was going to bring her down in July but she will be at her parents. Thankfully I dont have to go with her... They could be my future in laws:shake:

Edited June 25, 2009 by Wrangler

[Guest eyebedam]

Walther has a PK.380 coming out very soon. If you can wait just a bit it may be what you want to look at. It's almost identical in size & looks just like the P22.

[nightrunner]

try a S&W j-frame revolver with larger grips in .32S&W this is what my mother has in a 3" barrel version and recoil is next to nothing. the frame is small so it fits womens hands better.

[Ghooge2008]

I bought my wife a taurus pt22 she likes it alot, she had a hard time with racking a slide...either it was too stiff, or she didnt go back far enough or tried to snatch it off the gun...the pt22 has a tip-up barrel so there is no need to rack the slide just load the mag, put one in the barrel, and the DA trigger will do the rest! I got a blued with NICE wood grips for 200 used.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Ghooge2008
spelling

[mousegunner]

Placement is what counts. If she likes the .22, great! As others have said, she may work up to something stronger later on.

[Motasyco]

My wife had a KelTec P3AT and didn't like to shoot it. She now has a KelTec P32 and loves it. It fits great in a pocket or purse.

[Guest FiddleDog]

this is going to sound really random...but my wife absolutely LOVES shooting my 1911. The slower projectile, the heavier frame, and the fairly low-to-the-hand slide makes the recoil less snappy and more pushy. Just thought I'd put it out there.

[Motasyco]

this is going to sound really random...but my wife absolutely LOVES shooting my 1911. The slower projectile, the heavier frame, and the fairly low-to-the-hand slide makes the recoil less snappy and more pushy. Just thought I'd put it out there.

My wife likes my 1911 too but she hasn't asked for one. Shhhhhhh...... Don't be a trouble maker.

[56FordGuy]

If she likes the P22, go with it...for now. Like the rest, I'd say she may not be so bothered by the calibers, but by the specific guns. A female friend of mine shot both my Glock 36 (in .45) and my full size 1911. She hated the Glock, but fell in love with the 1911. Same cartridge, but the difference in the specific guns made a huge difference.

I actually looked at two Walthers today, the PPS and a P99 at Guns For America, right off Harding Place and I-65. They feel very similar to the P22, but both are in 9mm. You might have her try one of those?

[SavageSig]

Try a p238. Minimal kick and quite accurate.

[Guest (BH)]

The thing to consider is size. My wife absolutely hated my Kel Tech p32 (.32cal) but absolutely loves to shoot my Walther PPS (9mm) which is a good deal larger. Its all about frame size with the ladies.

The sting from the small frames will almost always drive a woman away from a gun. My wife is 4'11" and her favorite gun is my SIG 226, so dont be worried about the whole small hands thing. They will do better with something a bit larger with less recoil. IME it can be a really bad move to put small frame guns in the hands of women.

If nothing else, let her keep the p22 and load it with the hardest hitting .22 rounds you can find. And chances are, in time she will get the urge to climb the caliber ladder.

PS: My best recommendation is to look into the PPS 9mm. Its similar to the p22 (actually, almost the exact same size) and is a great CCW.

Edited June 26, 2009 by (BH)

[Motasyco]

The thing to consider is size. My wife absolutely hated my Kel Tech p32 (.32cal) but absolutely loves to shoot my Walther PPS (9mm) which is a good deal larger. Its all about frame size with the ladies.

The sting from the small frames will almost always drive a woman away from a gun. My wife is 4'11" and her favorite gun is my SIG 226, so dont be worried about the whole small hands thing. They will do better with something a bit larger with less recoil. IME it can be a really bad move to put small frame guns in the hands of women.

If nothing else, let her keep the p22 and load it with the hardest hitting .22 rounds you can find. And chances are, in time she will get the urge to climb the caliber ladder.

So why does my wife keep telling me size doesn't matter?

[Guest (BH)]

motasyco,

HAHA. Now thats funny.

BTW, I wish my wife would have taken a liking to my p32 instead of my SIG... Sure would have saved me a buck or two.

[alingo2001]

She fired my 9mm. Didnt like the kick. She fired my Bersa Thunder 380. Didnt like the kick. She fired my 38. Didnt like it. She did fire and like (how could you not) my P22. I am wanting to move her up to a 32 I think but being that I have never shot one, I dont know how the kick is. And recommendations?

My wife has a P22 and didn't like my other 9mm's but she shot my XDM and took it. I bought another one to replace it.

[Guest dizzielizzie]

I just gotta smile a little and remind those (who can't even get their lady to put a gun in their hands) that she at least did fire your weapons!

Get / give her the P22. I started off with a Charter Arms .38 special my ex bought me 15 yrs ago to educate me & alleviate my fear of guns. Now that I upgraded (to a Kahr M9 I carry) I honestly don't like it anymore, it defniteally has more kick, and now it's in the safe.

Guess it also depends on why she wants the gun in the first place, wether for security or carry, etc. Maybe it will fill her needs/wants permanently, or just give her something for a starter.

But lately I've been thinking of getting a Glock in .45... decisions, decisions!

[hkusp40cal]

That sounds exactly like my wife. She tried a Glock 17 and hated it. So I got her a S&W 642 , she hated it. Tried a XD, Tomcat, Keltec etc and she hated them all. Put a 9mm 1911 in her hands and she fell in love. She said it was the only one that fit her hand and she is now the owner of a Kimber Ageis II.

[Guest HexHead]

That sounds exactly like my wife. She tried a Glock 17 and hated it. So I got her a S&W 642 , she hated it. Tried a XD, Tomcat, Keltec etc and she hated them all. Put a 9mm 1911 in her hands and she fell in love. She said it was the only one that fit her hand and she is now the owner of a Kimber Ageis II.

Sounds familiar too. My wife shot several guns when we bought our first pistol back in the 80s. Ruger Blackhawk w/ .38s in it and several .380s we were trying to choose from, a Browning BDA, Walther PPK and Colt Mustang. We ended up with the Browning because she liked the way it felt in her hand. I think she fired it a couple of times after that.

Last year, we decided she should get her HCP, so I started taking her to the range with my Browning Hi Power. (I'd traded off the.380 for it) and she really liked it. So now we knew she liked 9mm.

I bought a 442 and she HATED it. So we went on the search for a carry gun for her. She's petite and has short fingers so grip size was a real issue. She liked JMB's designs and 9mm, so we narrowed it down to the EMP and the Para PDA, which is what she ended up with.

If Walther came out with that .380 version of the P22 a year ago, we probably would have gotten her that one. She loved the way the P22 fit her hand.

[Guest ab28]

My p22 is fun to shoot, but with a 3.4" barrel, the thing has the accuracy of a sawed off shotgun. I don't expect cloverleafs at 20 yards, but not 8" groups either.