What are the best guns for women?

[Stubob]

My wife has problems with the semi-auto's of any size and she carrying a Smith and Wesson 637 Airweight. It is a nice little .38 with a laser. It also comes with out one.

Any suggestions for women ?

[VegasGeorge]

Stubob, does you wife have any difficulty pulling the trigger through, or cocking the hammer? Do you happen to know the the trigger pull weight?

[Genghis77]

I would generally recommend a Walther PPK/S in the 9mm kurtz (.380 auto) Often women suffer from a condition called hoplophobia. They jump, flinch and often close their eyes before discharge. The way to cure this is get some snap caps and have her practice lots of dry firing. When the condition stops, load up with the real stuff without her knowing. And always use ear protection because noise rather than recoil is responsible for most shooting problems.

I don't even know what they were called back then but I used shooting ear plugs in Viet Nam that were very much like today's Decidamps. Made me a lot more accurate without loss of ability to hear. I may even owe my life to them.

Ammendment: Sorry! Caught myself being a bit sexist. Men often suffer from the same shooting problems. And the .380 is a good starting point for anyone. In fact many men elect to get more powerful handguns than they will ever be accurate with. You may see more ammendments as I reconsider issues or things said.

[pioneer461]

Depends on the woman. Some prefer an ultra light .38, and I know many others that carry full size 1911's.

[HairyEyeball]

My suggestion to anyone, male or female, I offer is to go to gun shops and gun shows, handle as many firearms as possible, and eliminate anything that isn't comfortable in your hand - regardless of caliber, mechanism or design. Everyone will have a preference, a comfortable 'feel' for size, shape or balance. A target .22 revolver built on a 'full-size' frame may have minimal felt recoil, but be too heavy to be 'practical' - to many, after all, perception is reality.

Once the person has a 'reasonable' list, rent or borrow as many of those as possible and fire them, starting with the smaller calibers, and work your way up in power - there will be a point where you get to 'too much' (it may change with experience). Some might find a 1911 their 'top end' but a .45 revolver 'entirely too much', some might be comfortable with a .357 wheelgun but not a 9mm pistol. Firing will eliminate much of the original list (often after only one round), and the resulting 'short list' can be evaluated on price, availability of ammunition, concealability, or whatever other criteria may be relevant.

That's my 'suggestion' - YMMV.

[CA CCWInstructor]

Sh needs a gun that fits her hand. After that, does the center of gravity shift on a slide cycling bother her.

[ColtM1911A1]

Whatever platform she can carry well, handle well, one that's reliable, and one that hits where it's aimed -- there is no pat answer and no advise one can give without knowing the level of training your wife has and is willing to remain at with continued practice on a regular weekly/monthly basis...

[nodaywithout]

I think this falls into that catagory
http://www.jimsgunsupply.com/DuraCoat/dc/DuraCoat_Glock_PinkLady.jpg

[VegasGeorge]

Oh man! Lady Di, did you see this picture? :shock:

[larryarnold]

Often women suffer from a condition called hoplophobia.

Not quite. Hopolophobia is a fear of weapons. The fact this woman is still trying demonstrates she doesn't have it.

They jump, flinch and often close their eyes before discharge. The way to cure this is get some snap caps and have her practice lots of dry firing. When the condition stops, load up with the real stuff without her knowing.

I strongly disagree with the "without her knowing" part. You really want to piss off a woman with a gun?

A much better technique is Ball and Dummy. Load the magazine with live rounds interspersed in no particular order with snap caps. Tell her what you've done and explain it will help her see what she's doing wrong. Let her shoot. The first time she hits a snap cap and the gun jerks she'll have all she needs to know to fix the problem.

And always use ear protection because noise rather than recoil is responsible for most shooting problems.

Always use ear protection. Period. It does help sometimes to use earmuffs and plugs.

My main suggestion for husbands is don't teach your wife to shoot. Send her to a professional. I've been teaching for 25 years, and that's what I'd do with my own wife. Much safer and more effective.

[Tanzer]

I don't feel that guns are gender-specific. My wife handled a zillion guns. She's never liked any of mine, so she shopped around (as girls do), then chose a Glock 34. I can't stand it, but she loves it. Go figure....

[Outlaw]

My wife weighs 100 lb and shoots a Smith .357 like a sniper. I also gave her a Smith .38 w/a 3" barrel. Can't hit a barn with it. She shoots my Glock 19 fairly well. You figure them out. I got brain damage from it. Take the advice and send her to an instructor.

P.S. I will not let my wife see the pic of the pink gun. She'll have to have one whether she can shoot it or not :roll:

[duc_fan]

+1 on the "guns aren't gender-specific" sentiment.

I've seen some women who can't handle more than a mid-size .22 revolver. I've personally known (and been beaten in target shooting by) a woman with a Colt 1911 Gold Cup (.45ACP). I've watched women at the local range who can't keep a .38 special on the paper at 5 yards, and others with Glocks who are out-shooting me with my SIG at 15 yards. My observations are all over the board, and hence I couldn't say there's any trend in which guns work better for women in general.

So, recomendation is the same as it would be for a male handgun buyer: try as many different ones out as you can, and pick the biggest caliber handgun that fits best and you can shoot accurately.

[molonlabetn]

My wife prefers the 1911 platform.

Low recoil loads, and light recoil & hammer springs make it very manageable.

[BrianDeschenes]

When my wife and I got together she onwned a S&W Sigma .40 (that her brother recommended she get). She sold it off because she didn't like to shoot it. She is also not a fan of my Sig P226 in .357 Sig, but she is very pleased with my Glock 26. It's a good fit for her hand and (more importantly) she can hit a man sized target with it at decent ranges. During my latest trip to Iraq I left all my weapons in storage except the Glock, which she kept for protection while I was away. My wife is ex military and has already had guns of her own, so I was very confident that she'd be fine with it, which she was.

[jlc]

My wife carries a Taurus Ultra-lite 32 H & R Magnum 6 shot and does quite well with it. Had trouble with racking the autos.

[ExSniper]

Whatever she can handle and feels comfortable shooting. I have taught many women to shoot and almost always start with a .22 pistol. Work on all the basics there and build skill and confidence. Then we move up to .38/9mm, and repeat the process. Then we try out heavier recoiling rounds through heavy guns first. Using this system I have helped many women get comfortable shooting .357 Magnum, .45 Colt and ACP, and .41 and .44 Magnum. I don't even like shooting handguns bigger than that.
A woman without physical defects or ailments, can learn to shoot well with any handgun that a man can shoot, as long as the ergonomics of the pistol allow them to get a proper hold. I could say the same about men with small hands/short fingers. For example, many people of both genders cannot handle a Desert Eagle or S&W X Frame well.

[jlc]

ExSniper,

Thats pretty much how the Taurus came to be. She started with a 22 cal and after trying my Sp101 (W/38spec. ammo) she said it physically was too big for her hand, hence the Taurus Ultra-Lite. She & I are now retired so strength in her hands with arthritic condition forces the selection with which she is happy and confident. :)

[BikerRN]

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