Getting my girlfriend her first gun...

[Guest D.B. Cooper]

Okay, so this is harder than I thought it would be. We're getting my girlfriend her first handgun. She's indecisive, so that doesn't help matters much, so I'm looking for a little help in what direction to go next from those of you who have already been through this process.

So far we've been out to the range a couple of times and she's shot my guns. She likes my Rossi .38 special +P revolver the best. She's okay with my Glock 22 (.40), but doesn't feel as accurate with it. She hates my KelTec P3AT. She hasn't fired any of my other weapons (well, except my Ruger 10/22, but that's not a handgun). I've also taken her to a couple of gun stores and she really likes the look and feel of the Walther PK380 (not PPK.. the PK380 is around the size of a Bersa Thunder 380. If you've never seen a PK380, [url="http://www.gunblast.com/Walther-PK380.htm"]here is an excellent review[/url]).

Here's where it gets difficult. She thought the Glock was harder to load (I had to help her with rounds 11 - 15)... but she likes the idea of the thinner profile of a semi-automatic and that the Rossi was a little "big".

She's also held a Bersa Thunder .380 and some .22LR pistols. She doesn't really want a .22lr pistol though. Is there anything else I should be looking at? I don't *really* want to start stocking another caliber, so here's what I have in handgun: .22lr, .38spc, .380, .40S&W, and .45 Colt

Taking her to a range and renting guns for her to shoot is probably not a good idea.... as I mentioned, she's indecisive and with all the money I would spend in renting guns for her I could probably buy two or three. So, I'm open to suggestions... anyone?

[lshel]

Most women I've known feel more at easy with a J-frame type revolver. My wife has trouble loading pistol mags and pulling the slide back.
She shoots pistol good after it is loaded. With a revolver she has no problem. She likes the Ruger LCR and the SW 640 with 38 spec loads.
These revolvers are slim and light and can be had with a laser.

Good luck.

[Guest Razz]

I am indecisive so I understand the frustration. I decided a while back that this decision is not one that needs to be made "right this minute." (I am speaking of my own choice. Ironically, my wife picked out her pistol the first trip we took to our LGS)

If your GF is into it, have her watch as many YouTube vids as possible. Make a pros and cons list and include YOUR pros and cons on that list, as well.

As far as the hard time with the magazines, a cheap mag loader might do the trick.

[mikegideon]

I think you may be missing the one caliber that girls tend to like most, 9mm. For example, my girlfriend...

Ruger LCP - Hated it
CZ75 P01 - Loved it
G23 - Hated it (too snappy)
M&P9 - Loved it

Her daughter loved the G19. The loading problem is easy. Get her an UpLula. Those cheesy Glock mag loaders might as well be thrown away. Edited November 16, 2012 by mikegideon

[Guest Razz]

[quote name='mikegideon' timestamp='1353080553' post='846553']
Those cheesy Glock mag loaders might as well be thrown away.
[/quote]
Good to know.

[mikegideon]

[quote name='Razz' timestamp='1353080700' post='846557']
Good to know.
[/quote]

I've seen people use them. Mine live on top of my safe, and never get used. I use an Uplula for all my pistols.

[Guest D.B. Cooper]

[quote name='mikegideon' timestamp='1353080553' post='846553']
I think you may be missing the one caliber that girls tend to like most
[/quote]

I figured this would come up sooner or later. I've heard this before. As I mentioned, I don't *really* want to start stocking another caliber... but if I was to go this route, I'd have to sell the P3AT and get out of the .380 caliber altogether.

[quote name='mikegideon' timestamp='1353080553' post='846553']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Get her an UpLula. Those cheesy Glock mag loaders might as well be thrown away. [/font][/color]
[/quote]

I have an UpLula and that's what she was using on my G22 mags. I still have my cheesy Glock mag loaders, they live in the bottom of a range bag... somewhere...

[mikegideon]

[quote name='lshel' timestamp='1353080370' post='846548']
Most women I've known feel more at easy with a J-frame type revolver. My wife has trouble loading pistol mags and pulling the slide back.
She shoots pistol good after it is loaded. With a revolver she has no problem. She likes the Ruger LCR and the SW 640 with 38 spec loads.
These revolvers are slim and light and can be had with a laser.

Good luck.
[/quote]

I won't let my girfriend shoot my 637, and she handles a 1911 without flinching. Most uncomfortable shooter I own. I carry it every once in awhile because it's small and light. I never shoot it at the range because it kicks harder than my compact .45's.

[mikegideon]

[quote name='TheBisch' timestamp='1353081094' post='846564']
I figured this would come up sooner or later. I've heard this before. As I mentioned, I don't *really* want to start stocking another caliber... but if I was to go this route, I'd have to sell the P3AT and get out of the .380 caliber altogether.

[/quote]

I think 9mm is a must-have caliber. Ammo is dirt cheap, and it's a true defensive caliber. I'm pretty much a .45 guy these days, but will never get rid of my 9's. I have an LCP (P3AT knock-off), but don't really consider 380 one of my main calibers. I rarely shoot it, and keep a little ammo for it. Same with the .38's.

[Jonnin]

you can't beat a sig p238 for a slim, small, managable 380. It comes in the 9mm as well but the 9 is ammo picky and has moderately harsh recoil.

A makarov is a great pistol that is very inexpensive, very accurate, and the ammo is less than 380. I carried one for years. Its like the bersa but better made and costs less --- mil surplus gun. If you would rather pay more for ammo, it does come in 380.

If she likes a revolver, a 9 shot taurus snubbie 22 mag is an interesting option. Its smaller and no fatter than a glock. My wife carries one of these that had an action job. Like most small revolvers the DA pull is stout.

Glock is fine. you do NOT load mags in combat, you carry extra mags. At the range, they make a mag loader for that. Get a loader and its easy to do. I cannot force in the last few rounds in several of my guns, some mag springs are just stout.

I strongly advise trying the p238 and makarov though. She has not as far as you listed it tried a single action pistol so the p238 is a good idea to see what that is like. The mak is just a cheaper and better gun than stuff she already likes. Edited November 16, 2012 by Jonnin

[LCPfraTN]

Well, no one has talked about the PK380 that the OP said his GF liked, so I'll add my . The PK380 is a sweet shootin', very accurate pistol. My son used it when he took his carry permit class since his pocket .380 is harder to shoot at some of the longer distances required in the class. Anyway, he was so impressed with it that he'd love to have one ....he just wished they made it in 9mm since he is wanting a range gun.

[RichardR]

If she liked the look & feel of the Walther PK380 why not get her a Walther PK380? they are great little pistols.

[JReedEsq]

Good luck. I'll just be happy when I can get my Wife to the range again. The only gun she has enjoyed is a Glock with a .22lr slide on it.

[MississippiBoy]

My wife has a PK380. It is a great gun, but doesn't like some ammo. The flat nosed FMJ can have some ftf issues. She started with the p22 then moved to the PK380.

[DaveTN]

She needs to narrow this down. Is this a range/ home defense gun or a carry gun?

If it’s a range/home defense gun let’s throw out all these little “belly guns”. If it’s a carry gun, is she going to carry a full size duty gun? concealability and caliber are critical for a carry gun.

[dats82]

Have her shoot the pk380 before you buy it. I bought my wife a Bersa 380 and she really liked to feel of it. However, it was just too snappy for her. In my non-scientific opinion, many of those compact 380s have just as violent, if not worse, recoil of a 9 in a similar size. I have talked to several others who feel the same way. Either way, all I'm saying is have her shoot it. As is turns out, my wife did not enjoy shooting the Bersa and could not hit worth a damn, likely because she was scared of the recoil. She now has a Ruger sr22. I know a .22 is not the best defense round, but anything you hit with beats the hell out of anything you miss with. Edited November 17, 2012 by dats82

[mikegideon]

[quote name='Tactical11' timestamp='1353137961' post='847075']
I like the p22 walther small enough for even the tiniest hands. 22lr is a great starting point for a beginner as well. course it comes in various colors like urban camo and pink. I have one (not pink) lol I got mine because its one of the few that come standard with a threaded barrell. Works well with my yhm yankee hill mite silencer.
[/quote]

I've started two female shooters in the last few years. Started both of them on a P22 because neither had ever shot a pistol. After a few mags, we moved on to 9mm. I'm pretty sure the 9 would have scared them if it was the first thing they shot.

[mikegideon]

[quote name='DaveTN' timestamp='1353161729' post='847133']
She needs to narrow this down. Is this a range/ home defense gun or a carry gun?

If it’s a range/home defense gun let’s throw out all these little “belly guns”. If it’s a carry gun, is she going to carry a full size duty gun? concealability and caliber are critical for a carry gun.
[/quote]

Nothing to narrow down. All women need a pink 380 .

[viscero]

First and foremost this needs to be HER gun and HER decision. If you ever feel that you are having to press her for the answers to these questions then I would back away from the situation. Stocking another caliber shouldn't be a concern as this is someone else's gun and caliber choice. I understand about wanting to keep things simple but If it winds up being another caliber then that is just part of it.

If she earnestly wants to get a handgun then the first question that should be very easy for her to answer is, "What is it's intended purpose"? Most of the time this will be self defense. Once you both know the intended application the next best thing to do is take a Saturday or Sunday and go to a gun show - one of the larger ones in your metro area that will be sure to attract lots of handgun dealers and not the ones trying to sell some old rusted junk along with their collection of bottle caps from the '40s. Take your time and let her go table to table and pick up/examine every possible choice there is. Ergonomics, weight, trigger length, overall feel of the gun will be of the upmost importance and should be considered first. Most makers design a certain action or style of gun and then fit it to at least three or more calibers. Find the ones that "feel" the best in her hand first then worry about caliber. Once you have the list narrowed down to the ones she likes the best call around to the local ranges and see if anyone has any of those in their rental rack. Alternatively you could try meeting up with folks here from the board at a local range that may not care to let her test fire a magazine or two if they happen to own some on that short list. Whatever you do, do not buy before you try either the same model in a similar caliber or the exact caliber in a similar gun. Otherwise you end up with something you will have to resell or worse, something that she hates that will not get the job done if needed. Edited November 17, 2012 by viscero

[mikegideon]

[quote name='viscero' timestamp='1353168014' post='847186']
First and foremost this needs to be HER gun and HER decision.
[/quote]

In a nutshell...

[mk19]

You got some really good advices here specially from Mike, Dave and Viscero, I am just going to add a little on those. First let her choose whatever she feels comfortable with (and she can manipulate with ease i.e. pull the back, remove/load mag...) , but before doing so you guys need to figure out what is the main purpose for this handgun. If it is going to be a range only gun, I suggest you guys should look at some 22LR's, I've seen more females have more fun just plinking with a 22 than any other caliber. If it is to be dual purpose -range + defense- then I'd suggest 9mm, as said by others, 9mm is a must have in any household since ammo is decently priced and available, plus it is a bit more friendly to shoot by the gentler of the sexes than 40 or 45. One huge misconception lots of poeple have is smaller gun = to less of a recoil, which is mostly wrong, so I'd suggest a fullsize pistol for her for ease of shooting. There are many well made full size 9mm pistols which would do(and have smaller grips), like XD, M&P,FN, Walter P99 (these are decently priced)(side note since she likes the PK380 have her try the P99AS she'd like that). I usually don't recommens Glock to females for 2 reasons, one harder to load mags and two it is abit more unforgiving to limp wristing than other polymer frame handguns, which result in stove pipes. Good luck.
addred later: Beretta PX4 is nice as well. Edited November 18, 2012 by mk19

[Ruprect]

Kahr.

My wife picked out a Kahr MK9 after shooting the plastic version (PM9?). I barely knew anything about Kahr at the time, let alone that they made steel models. Exceptionally accurate, perfect for her size, Glock like reliability, tuned revolver like trigger, I really can't say enough how pleased we are with it.

It / they are relatively expensive and heavy though (steel models).

I liked her pistol so much I purchased a Kahr T9.

[Louisb]

See how an M&P or M&P Compact fit her hand.

Comfortable fit is the starting point

[Guest D.B. Cooper]

[quote name='RichardR' timestamp='1353133499' post='847061']
If she liked the look & feel of the Walther PK380 why not get her a Walther PK380? they are great little pistols.
[/quote]

Well, my real concern here is her ability to load her own magazines. I'm also not sure if her accuracy issue with my G22 was a result of the larger caliber or the fact that it's not a revolver (less moving parts). She also didn't seem as comfortable about holding the G22 as opposed to the Rossi revolver.

[Guest D.B. Cooper]

Boy, I've gotten a lot of good information while I was away for the weekend... let me reply to everyone in this one big message....

[quote name='DaveTN' timestamp='1353161729' post='847133']
She needs to narrow this down. Is this a range/ home defense gun or a carry gun?

If it’s a range/home defense gun let’s throw out all these little “belly guns”. If it’s a carry gun, is she going to carry a full size duty gun? concealability and caliber are critical for a carry gun.
[/quote]


[quote name='viscero' timestamp='1353168014' post='847186']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]If she earnestly wants to get a handgun then the first question that should be very easy for her to answer is, "What is it's intended purpose"? Most of the time this will be self defense.[/font][/color]
[/quote]

I think initially it would be a range gun, but she has talked about getting her HCP... She sees the appeal in the ability to defend herself and her son (and me, if I can't defend myself). Chances are good that she wants something that she can put in her purse. Yeah, yeah, I know, we'll work on that later.

[quote name='viscero' timestamp='1353168014' post='847186']
First and foremost this needs to be HER gun and HER decision. If you ever feel that you are having to press her for the answers to these questions then I would back away from the situation.
[/quote]

If I leave this completely up to her, we'll be discussing this 20 years from now and we'll have a range of guns to choose from that would rival Ted Nugent's collection. She's indecisive. She needs me to help her decide what to make for dinner, how do you think she's going to decide on a gun on her own?

[quote name='viscero' timestamp='1353168014' post='847186']
Stocking another caliber shouldn't be a concern as this is someone else's gun and caliber choice. I understand about wanting to keep things simple but If it winds up being another caliber then that is just part of it.
[/quote]

But it is a concern... I already stock enough calibers for all my other weapons. I don't have to tell you that ammo is getting expensive. It's not only a budget issue, but a space issue. I just don't have the money or the space to stock yet another cache of ammo. I either need to sell my P3AT and get out of .380 altogether or buy her a gun in an existing caliber. If given this choice, which would you do?

[quote name='viscero' timestamp='1353168014' post='847186']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Once you both know the intended application the next best thing to do is take a Saturday or Sunday and go to a gun show - one of the larger ones in your metro area that will be sure to attract lots of handgun dealers and not the ones trying to sell some old rusted junk along with their collection of bottle caps from the '40s. Take your time and let her go table to table and pick up/examine every possible choice there is. Ergonomics, weight, trigger length, overall feel of the gun will be of the upmost importance and should be considered first. Most makers design a certain action or style of gun and then fit it to at least three or more calibers. Find the ones that "feel" the best in her hand first then worry about caliber.[/font][/color]
[/quote]

[quote name='mk19' timestamp='1353173325' post='847229']
First let her choose whatever she feels comfortable with (and she can manipulate with ease i.e. pull the back, remove/load mag...) , but before doing so you guys need to figure out what is the main purpose for this handgun. If it is going to be a range only gun,
[/quote]

Since I'm in Chattanooga, I don't have a lot of shows to choose from, but we have gone to my LGS and held some guns here. She really did like the Walther PK380. Guess I need to find someone who rents one to see if she likes it. She was able to manipulate the PK380 very easily in the LGS (rack it, and remove/load mag), but I don't know about loading magazines with additional ammo.

[quote name='mk19' timestamp='1353173325' post='847229']
I suggest you guys should look at some 22LR's, I've seen more females have more fun just plinking with a 22 than any other caliber. If it is to be dual purpose -range + defense- then I'd suggest 9mm, as said by others, 9mm is a must have in any household since ammo is decently priced and available, plus it is a bit more friendly to shoot by the gentler of the sexes than 40 or 45. One huge misconception lots of poeple have is smaller gun = to less of a recoil, which is mostly wrong, so I'd suggest a fullsize pistol for her for ease of shooting. There are many well made full size 9mm pistols which would do(and have smaller grips), like XD, M&P,FN, Walter P99 (these are decently priced)(side note since she likes the PK380 have her try the P99AS she'd like that)
[/quote]

She's shot my Ruger 10/22, so she's familiar with 22LR, but I think because she's interested in something geared towards self-defense, she's not as interested in the caliber for her handgun.

[quote name='dats82' timestamp='1353161788' post='847134']
Have her shoot the pk380 before you buy it. I bought my wife a Bersa 380 and she really liked to feel of it. However, it was just too snappy for her. In my non-scientific opinion, many of those compact 380s have just as violent, if not worse, recoil of a 9 in a similar size. I have talked to several others who feel the same way. Either way, all I'm saying is have her shoot it. As is turns out, my wife did not enjoy shooting the Bersa and could not hit worth a damn, likely because she was scared of the recoil.[/quote]

Great information, thanks! We did look at the Bersa 380, and she thought it was "okay", but didn't like it as much as the PK380.

Edited November 18, 2012 by TheBisch