Should I stop trying to get my wife to consider a semi-auto?

[frankmako]

Look at it this way. Would you buy shoes for her? Let her pick out the gun she likes to shoot. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[Erik88]

I agree with the others but I've had the exact opposite experience. My GF hated shooting my LCR and ended up picking out a Sig p238 for herself. She loves it. We just took a defensive pistol class last weekend and she did better than I did.

 

When we first met, she had no interest in getting a carry permit. 3.5 years later her permit just arrived in the mail.

 

Don't force anything on her, but give her time and try to find a semi auto that's more enjoyable than the LCP. I think the LCP is one of the least enjoyable pistols I've ever shot. the p238 is quite pleasant.

[peejman]

Why not take a beginner level defense class together?   I have a suspicion (unconfirmed) that (many of) the "for women" classes are somehow a gimmick.  Self defense is self defense and if any good is not about brute force.  If it was "self defense using the techniques of the WWF"  maybe it would be a poor choice for your wife, but the bulk of these classes are how to carry, draw, reload, and fire a gun at an attacker effectively.  A few include a bit of physical, such as shoving the attacker before taking a step back to draw, but most beginner level classes are not going to have tons of martial arts mixed in and even if they do, 99% of the moves are gender neutral.   

 

Shooting is supposed to be fun.  It is serious too, esp when talking defense, but if you can both enjoy it together, that is a very good thing.

 

 

She might be more comfortable in an all women class.  I've considered going together, but that means baby sitter and I don't want her to feel intimidated just because I'm there.  She was very apprehensive about the first class I sent her to, but came back all charged up.  We'll see. 

 

 

 

 

I hope that means "Valentine's Day" and not an apology for something... :P

 

 

:P    I like using that acronym for that very reason. 

[JReedEsq]

I tend agree with you guys. She may just be the sort of person who wants to have one pistol she feels comfortable with and has no desire for more than one. Just wanted more opinions. I've got no problem at all with her LCR. I picked it out after she had such disdain for loading and unloading a semi-auto. I have a hard time accepting that she can't rack the slide of a semi-auto, upon some reflection, I can accept that she doesn't want to. Edited January 23, 2014 by JReedEsq

[tnhandgun57]

I wouldn't pressure anything on her. My wife shoots a Bersa thunder .380 that I can't hit anything with, but she shoots it as good as I shoot my 1911. Let her do what she is comfortable with. JTM We the People of the United States, in order to form a more Perfect Union......

 

This is what my wife wound up with, after starting with a Rossi 38 snubbie, and then an LCR. Sold the Rossi, LCR now mine!  :pleased:

 

Whatever they are comfortable with(shooting). IMHO

[Wheelgunner]

Like Erik88 said, have her try to shoot some larger semi-autos.  If I'm trying to convince a firearms novice that semi autos are fun, I'm gonna have them shoot a full size semi auto (think Beretta 92F) with mild ammo and spare mags preloaded.  Once they have a good experience with a big semi auto then I've overcome this myth that semi autos are categorically bad, and down the road I can help them transition to a compact, single stack, carry anywhere semi auto.

 

The truth, though, is that few women have enough interest in firearms to fire a huge variety, choose a favorite, learn its mechanics, learn safe handling, invest in enough range time to instill good marksmanship habits, etc.  If your wife knows how to safely use a J-frame, trains at least occasionally with it, and carries it, then she's way ahead of the curve.