Ladies CCW Choice!

[NU9MM]

I know it's very subjective but just curious which 9mm do women gravitate to. Trying to helping my wife pick one. Several years ago she shot my 1.0 M&P full size 9mm lights out. That was her first time shooting a semiautomatic pistol. I have a Glock 43X she hadn't shot it yet. I've got a few in mind for her but it comes down to what she prefers. Maybe a .380 is more to her liking, I've personally never shot one. This would be her first CCW. I know we've got to go to a range and rent several so she can get the feel of the many options. So if you gals don't mind chiming in on which you prefer and maybe why. I would like to hear from y'all. Thank you.

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[JRuby]

Ask her what.she thinks and then have her try one - it's her decision. I bought my wife a walther ppks turns out she could not manually cycle the slide - she decided she liked my J Frame for carry and my lew Horton 624 for her home gun. Not trying to be a smart Alec but ask her.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Not trying to be a smart Alec but ask her.

This! I started our daughter out with a S&W 642, she could throw it more accurately than she could shoot it. We went shooting with a buddy and his wife, our daughter tried her S&W Shield and nailed the target at 15 yards!

I kind of miss the 642, but in the end the pistol was for her, so what I want/like was irrelevant

 

[pizzamike]

When my wife carries it's a G19.

 

[NU9MM]

This! I started our daughter out with a S&W 642, she could throw it more accurately than she could shoot it. We went shooting with a buddy and his wife, our daughter tried her S&W Shield and nailed the target at 15 yards!

I kind of miss the 642, but in the end the pistol was for her, so what I want/like was irrelevant

Well I know she shot my full size M&P extremely well. I know that's a big different shooting a full size compared to a micro 9. But if I put my two cents and I would lean her towards the shield, but again that's her choice to make. an indoor range I go to has what they called date day and you and your spouse or significant other can go shoot for I think at 20% discount so I figured there you go perfect time to put several different pistols in her hand.

 

[NU9MM]

When my wife carries it's a G19.

Fantastic pistol!

 

[CD Smith]

I'm certainly no gal, however I've been through this with my wife... We started with a full size all metal 22lr. Not for carry but learning, teaching fundamentals... Absolutely a must do first!
Now if you've done all that, great... She started in on the carry piece, Walther pp in 32acp, then CZ82/Bersa style in 9x18 Mak. Revolvers were tried but the double action proved to be too much to overcome. Then we went with a Glock 43, nice for carry but just too much snap! She's on the smaller side... Long story short, after trying many, many platforms, she went down on her own and picked up a Glock 42.
Some people and even trainers think 9mm is the best and only thing one should go with. Complete crap in my opinion...
Whatever she can effectively hit accurately with and carry is the one, if it's a 22 then so be it...
Now reliability and other things come into play but it's basically finding the largest (preferably center fire) cartridge she can hit with...
For her it's a Glock 42 with a magazine finger rest plate in Lavender of course!

 

[pizzamike]

Fantastic pistol!

She's normally with me and I always carry. But when she goes out she dresses around he gun. She does not shoot subcompacts well at all. So she carries what she is efficient with and I stand behind her 100%.

 

[NU9MM]

She's normally with me and I always carry. But when she goes out she dresses around he gun. She does not shoot subcompacts well at all. So she carries what she is efficient with and I stand behind her 100%.

Yeah maybe my wife won't subs well either. You made a great point.

 

[Nosferatu]

My spousal unit prefers her 9mm be a .357 Magnum. S&W 686+, specifically.

 

[dangerranger60]

You just need to get her behind a few guns and see what makes her smile! And know when it comes to every day carry it may be yet another gun.
My own HD gun is not what I carry every day. DR

 

[NU9MM]

I'm certainly no gal, however I've been through this with my wife... We started with a full size all metal 22lr. Not for carry but learning, teaching fundamentals... Absolutely a must do first!
Now if you've done all that, great... She started in on the carry piece, Walther pp in 32acp, then CZ82/Bersa style in 9x18 Mak. Revolvers were tried but the double action proved to be too much to overcome. Then we went with a Glock 43, nice for carry but just too much snap! She's on the smaller side... Long story short, after trying many, many platforms, she went down on her own and picked up a Glock 42.
Some people and even trainers think 9mm is the best and only thing one should go with. Complete crap in my opinion...
Whatever she can effectively hit accurately with and carry is the one, if it's a 22 then so be it...
Now reliability and other things come into play but it's basically finding the largest (preferably center fire) cartridge she can hit with...
For her it's a Glock 42 with a magazine finger rest plate in Lavender of course.

The time she shot the full-size M&P very well we were at arrange with a friend of mine. He said let me work with your wife because sometimes husband and wife training sessions don't go well. Lol. Anyways he started out on a 22. then he worked her up to the 380 and then up to the 9mm. We were there for about three hours.

 

[bradsteen]

Just my $0.02, but many smaller-frame guns in 9mm are unpleasant even for experienced gun owners to shoot. IMO it's probably a good idea to keep options open for smaller calibers, especially 380.

 

[NU9MM]

Just my $0.02, but many smaller-frame guns in 9mm are unpleasant even for experienced gun owners to shoot. IMO it's probably a good idea to keep options open for smaller calibers, especially 380.

Absolutely.

 

[bradsteen]

Absolutely.

My list of semi-auto handguns for female / small framed / recoil sensitive / limited mobility shooters to try are:
S&W Shield EZ
Walther CCP and PK380
Ruger Security series (9 or 380)
Ruger MAX series (LCP MAX and MAX 9)
Sig 365 series (9mm and 380)
Sig 238 or 938
Glock 19, 26, 43, 43x (9mm)
Glock 25, 28, and 42 (380)
Bersa Thunder, Thunder Plus, and Thunder CC
Pistols with tip-up barrels (Girsan MC14, Beretta 86, Beretta Bobcat & Tomcat, etc)

There are a bunch more options out there, but this would be a good starting point. Lots of options in terms of safety vs no safety, striker vs hammer fired, magazine capacity, types of sights, etc.

 

[K-22]

I know it's very subjective but just curious which 9mm do women gravitate to. Trying to helping my wife pick one. Several years ago she shot my 1.0 M&P full size 9mm lights out. That was her first time shooting a semiautomatic pistol. I have a Glock 43X she hadn't shot it yet. I've got a few in mind for her but it comes down to what she prefers. Maybe a .380 is more to her liking, I've personally never shot one. This would be her first CCW. I know we've got to go to a range and rent several so she can get the feel of the many options. So if you gals don't mind chiming in on which you prefer and maybe why. I would like to hear from y'all. Thank you.

First questions would be about the woman's size, lifestyle, and physical abilities.

 

[NU9MM]

First questions would be about the woman's size, lifestyle, and physical abilities.

My wife is 5'6" average build stay at home foster mom, not real physical active but always on the go for appointments with the kids.

 

[CD Smith]

My wife is 5'6" average build stay at home foster mom, not real physical active but always on the go for appointments with the kids.

Mine is about the same, Lol... Like almost exactly!
Anyways we've tried 15-20 different types and everything taken into account... Ended up with the Glock 42

 

[OldBroad44]

She's normally with me and I always carry. But when she goes out she dresses around he gun. She does not shoot subcompacts well at all. So she carries what she is efficient with and I stand behind her 100%.

You aren't with her in the Ladies room. If she gets attacked in a restaurant or store its more likely to be there than elsewhere. If you and wife are driving somewhere and stop for gas she can be attacked in the ladies room. Or attacked in the car while you are in the men's room. And if attackers are multiple bad guys with guns it would be better if both of you were armed.

 

[NU9MM]

Mine is about the same, Lol... Like almost exactly!
Anyways we've tried 15-20 different types and everything taken into account... Ended up with the Glock 42

As I said in one of my earlier posts, my wife has shot a full-size 9 mm which she did pretty gosh darn well and she also shot a 380. I don't know if the somewhat snappy recoil of a subcompact would bother her. I don't know that's why I said we need to get her down to range or we can rent several different options and go from there even let her shoot a 380. but for now the choice she has is a Glock 43X because I don't mind carrying my MP 2.0 compact.