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A good choice that is worth mentioning is the S&W "EZ" 9mm. My son who served as an armorer in the USMC worked in a gun store before he moved back from NC, and tells me that not only did they sell a bunch of them, but people really liked them. It's one to add to the list. I'm a Glock believer because of their proven reliability, but they're not for everyone.

Best possible answer is to head to a range like SafeFire where you can rent pistols and let her shoot a few. Better yet, get her the beginners class and let her gain some cockpit time with a solid instructor and shoot a few different guns. After a little training, after some range time, she'll tell you which one is the right one for her. Can't recommend this path enough.
 
I would HIGHLY disagree with the recommendations for a pocket sized gun like the Sig 365. Guns like that are hard to shoot, mitigate recoil poorly and arent even all that accurate. Size isn't everything and just because she's a female doesn't mean she should start out with a mouse gun. Frankly, micro-sized guns should be last on the list for any new shooter.
Just going to throw it out there that my GF shoots the P365 better than the P226. However, I mostly agree with your assertions.

Edit to add, she's only been out shooting with me half a dozen times and is by no means an experienced shooter.
 
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I would HIGHLY disagree with the recommendations for a pocket sized gun like the Sig 365. Guns like that are hard to shoot, mitigate recoil poorly and arent even all that accurate. Size isn't everything and just because she's a female doesn't mean she should start out with a mouse gun. Frankly, micro-sized guns should be last on the list for any new shooter.
Honestly, I have to disagree... My P365 is accurate and recoil isn't like other small pistols, XDs for example, in 9mm had horrible felt recoil... Not the P365...

My horrible accuracy at 30 feet, these were the very first shots (20) through the P365... Yea, started grouping into a jagged hole... :D

DF04C90A-2BD7-4CA4-997A-114021699B47.jpeg
 
A good choice that is worth mentioning is the S&W "EZ" 9mm. My son who served as an armorer in the USMC worked in a gun store before he moved back from NC, and tells me that not only did they sell a bunch of them, but people really liked them. It's one to add to the list. I'm a Glock believer because of their proven reliability, but they're not for everyone.

Best possible answer is to head to a range like SafeFire where you can rent pistols and let her shoot a few. Better yet, get her the beginners class and let her gain some cockpit time with a solid instructor and shoot a few different guns. After a little training, after some range time, she'll tell you which one is the right one for her. Can't recommend this path enough.
Good idea.
 
I would make sure all are empty with a two empty magazines for each. let her handle each one. inserting magazines and racking them, she will develop an opinion based on function for her. Not a beauty contest. A fit and function contest.

I suspect the S&W will be her selection if it does not have a safety. Actually I would just hide the CZ.

Safeties do not make a Noob gunowner safer as they befuddle most.
 
I would make sure all are empty with a two empty magazines for each. let her handle each one. inserting magazines and racking them, she will develop an opinion based on function for her. Not a beauty contest. A fit and function contest.

I suspect the S&W will be her selection if it does not have a safety. Actually I would just hide the CZ.

Safeties do not make a Noob gunowner safer as they befuddle most.
Good idea, maybe have her use some snap caps in them.
 
Make her buy her own.
I completely understand wanting to keep your daughter safe, I really do. I also would consider paying for the gun and going with her to the gun shop. But she needs to see for herself, and experience for herself:

1) Guns are normal and so are gun shops
2) Demand for guns now is cray cray because of the current junk (that she may even support at some level). She needs to see the lines and the wait times for a BGC.
3) Guns are actually really regulated, unlike the crap peddled by anti-gunners that they easier to buy than a water gun or some such nonsense
 
Some of these responses make me dizzy. The OP asked about SPECIFIC firearms he already owns and of course then some members recommend their own favorite EDC. Fine. I post up FACTS that MOST smaller pocket/mouse guns are lousy to shoot, are less accurate and not the best choice for a first time gun owner and everyone gets their feelers hurt and starts posting their "accurate" groups. LOL. Cracks me up. If 6" groups at 10 yards is considered "accurate" I must be a walking laser beam. :rolleyes:
 
Just going to throw it out there that my GF shoots the P365 better than the P226. However, I mostly agree with your assertions.

Edit to add, she's only been out shooting with me half a dozen times and is by no means an experienced shooter.

I'm glad the 365 works for you and others. Really I am. My point is that as an RSO I've seen SO MANY new shooters/female shooters come out and try their pretty little pocket gun and can't hit the broad side of a barn. Let alone the complaining of how "scary" and uncomfortable they are to shoot.

Size, weight, sight radius, poor grip from being new and other factors like caliber make a pocket sized gun a poor choice for MOST new shooters. That's a fact.
 
Some of these responses make me dizzy. The OP asked about SPECIFIC firearms he already owns and of course then some members recommend their own favorite EDC. Fine. I post up FACTS that MOST smaller pocket/mouse guns are lousy to shoot, are less accurate and not the best choice for a first time gun owner and everyone gets their feelers hurt and starts posting their "accurate" groups. LOL. Cracks me up. If 6" groups at 10 yards is considered "accurate" I must be a walking laser beam. :rolleyes:
So what is your "accuracy" definition for a self defense handgun that's carried concealed...

Asking for a friend...
 
Some of these responses make me dizzy. The OP asked about SPECIFIC firearms he already owns and of course then some members recommend their own favorite EDC. Fine. I post up FACTS that MOST smaller pocket/mouse guns are lousy to shoot, are less accurate and not the best choice for a first time gun owner and everyone gets their feelers hurt and starts posting their "accurate" groups. LOL. Cracks me up. If 6" groups at 10 yards is considered "accurate" I must be a walking laser beam. :rolleyes:

Calm down there dude, honestly, the majority of the gun owning population would improve if they could shoot a 6" group with a pistol repeatedly at 30 ft.
 
So what is your "accuracy" definition for a self defense handgun that's carried concealed...

Asking for a friend...

If the new shooter can't hit squat at the range with their little gun, self defense accuracy is meaningless.
 
Calm down there dude, honestly, the majority of the gun owning population would improve if they could shoot a 6" group with a pistol repeatedly at 30 ft.

I am calm, I wasn't the one posting targets and getting my feathers ruffled over one person's statement of accuracy (or lack thereof).
 
Give her a Smith and Wesson Lady Smith revolver in 38 Special. Model 642LS.
Five rounds, not too heavy, easy to learn to use and will definitely do the job.
This one, no cocking and no catching of the hammer on anything. Pull it, and pull the trigger.
You might want to keep the first cylinder on an empty chamber. But the other four will be enough.
View attachment 721871

Most women, especially new shooters, end up not liking these small 38 revolvers.
 
I am calm, I wasn't the one posting targets and getting my feathers ruffled over one person's statement of accuracy (or lack thereof).

The reason I say "calm down" is because tensions seem to be increasing over something that really shouldn't be an issue.

Seriously though the Average American gun owner probably fires less than 200 rounds of ammunition a year. (source?) If all American gun owners could consistently put handgun shots in a 6" circle at 30 feet that would be a major improvement.

The reason why I bring this up is because there seems to be a unreasonable qualification of what "is accurate enough" considering most self defense shootings take place inside of some ridiculous number of like 3 - 10 feet with I thought 3. being more prevalent(source?)

So to insinuate that 6" at 30 feet is equivalent to 'not being able to defend oneself' is just bad logic. That's a 3" group at 15' - or a 1" group at 5 feet. If my wife could shoot a 1" group at 5' - where most self defense encounters take place - I would consider her extremely lethal and just want to work on draw speed at that point. - honestly, I'd be ecstatic.

On the spectrum of gun skill - not everyone who has a gun to defend themselves has to be the most deadly person in the room - it's not realistic compared to the amount of practice people typically do.

Now - all that being said. I think tiny micro semi's and snub revolvers are the absolute worst guns for women to own without a lot of practice - since they aren't particularly fun for most women to shoot - they won't practice a lot anyway. In my experience - a tiny gun is more suited to an experienced shooter than a inexperienced one. Unless a gun is going to be specifically carried - it serves no benefit being small anyway. I shudder at people recommending tiny snubs for women. That's more of an expert gun in my opinion than a basic semi auto.
 
The reason I say "calm down" is because tensions seem to be increasing over something that really shouldn't be an issue.

Seriously though the Average American gun owner probably fires less than 200 rounds of ammunition a year. (source?) If all American gun owners could consistently put handgun shots in a 6" circle at 30 feet that would be a major improvement.

The reason why I bring this up is because there seems to be a unreasonable qualification of what "is accurate enough" considering most self defense shootings take place inside of some ridiculous number of like 3 - 10 feet with I thought 3. being more prevalent(source?)

So to insinuate that 6" at 30 feet is equivalent to 'not being able to defend oneself' is just bad logic. That's a 3" group at 15' - or a 1" group at 5 feet. If my wife could shoot a 1" group at 5' - where most self defense encounters take place - I would consider her extremely lethal and just want to work on draw speed at that point. - honestly, I'd be ecstatic.

On the spectrum of gun skill - not everyone who has a gun to defend themselves has to be the most deadly person in the room - it's not realistic compared to the amount of practice people typically do.

Now - all that being said. I think tiny micro semi's and snub revolvers are the absolute worst guns for women to own without a lot of practice - since they aren't particularly fun for most women to shoot - they won't practice a lot anyway. In my experience - a tiny gun is more suited to an experienced shooter than a inexperienced one. Unless a gun is going to be specifically carried - it serves no benefit being small anyway. I shudder at people recommending tiny snubs for women. That's more of an expert gun in my opinion than a basic semi auto.

LOL so you and I agree completely then. Well, except for the accuracy part. I suppose I could have left that off the list of reasons NOT to buy a mouse gun as a first gun. :D
 

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