hand guns for women

mikesblue

Currently my daughter is shopping for a hand gun, I cant physically help her as she lives in another state.
Aside from the gun fitting her hand what can I tell her to look for.
This is vague I know, but thanks for all help & comments 

Grasshopper

 My wife carries a Beretta 21 and a Beretta model 20. Small hands with the tip up barrel she can load unload herself. Small calibers but shoot all six in someone they will notice. IMO.

SCOUT5

Home gun or carry gun?

Ricci.Wright

I have taught hundreds of folks how to shoot many of them women in  one on one classes as well as a ladies night we did each week at our indoor range for 15 years. You will get many recommendations and the best thing I can tell you is you might just as well be asking which pair of shoes to buy for your daughter. Your daughter needs to find someone she can trust who understands how to shoot a handgun and how to successfully convey that information to a student. They also need access to a variety of different weapons as well as a proper place to fire them. A good range would be the best place to start. I have had girls who have fallen in love with .45 acp. 1911's or 9mm Glocks or some like .22 autos or .38 revolvers. Just like us they are all different and can make their own minds given the proper information. Good luck!!

charliemeyer007

9mm/38special is as small as I recommend.  J frame S&W or one of the small autoloaders.  My Sis went from a LadySmith to a S&W Shield 9 with a laser.  Her daughter has one too.  I think the grand daughter has one too.

Go to a rental range, and try some for hand fit and functionality with their grip strength.  Invest in some d_ummy ammo for practice drills - really helps with technique and strength if they are marginal. 

Wow D_ummy is in the filter, sad just frigging sad.

ruger41

The best advice is if possible go to an indoor range and take a class and try many different guns as possible. Our range let’s you try as many Guns as you want for $50 plus ammo. Well worth it if you ask me. In the old days of my youth I’d say like many others and go J frame .38 but honestly those are not great guns for first time gun owners. They recoil hard for the size and aren’t as easy to make good hits with. But she just might like one. The new Shield EZ is a big hit with ladies around here. My coworker has one and she loves it.

SCOUT5

My line of thought on a carry gun is a Ruger LCR in 327 federal.   Several different power levels of ammo available, 6 rounds vs the the 5 in a j-frame 38(which is what I have carried for decades).   Order some 327 federals, 32 H&R mag, and some 32 S&W.

But like others have posted, going to a range that can let her try several different firearms in different cartridges would be the best way to go.

Mr. Perfect

Ricci.Wright said:

I have taught hundreds of folks how to shoot many of them women in  one on one classes as well as a ladies night we did each week at our indoor range for 15 years. You will get many recommendations and the best thing I can tell you is you might just as well be asking which pair of shoes to buy for your daughter. Your daughter needs to find someone she can trust who understands how to shoot a handgun and how to successfully convey that information to a student. They also need access to a variety of different weapons as well as a proper place to fire them. A good range would be the best place to start. I have had girls who have fallen in love with .45 acp. 1911's or 9mm Glocks or some like .22 autos or .38 revolvers. Just like us they are all different and can make their own minds given the proper information. Good luck!!

This!

Locust Fork

The possibilities are endless......but still.....I'd put money on it being left at home more than its carried unless she makes a conscious effort to get in the habit of carrying it.   
Revolvers are suggested to women because a lot of women cannot pull the slide back on a semi auto....its intimidating, difficult, and if they can pull the slide back there is a chance they may not hold it steady enough to prevent it from jamming.      .....but.....     Revolvers are bulky, even the lightweight ones are like carrying a soda can....so they get left home, in the car, MAYBE in their purses....but if they are in their purse its going to be swimming around in the junk since it will not fit in the little pockets inside her purse.

I settled on a Sig 380.....it fits nicely in the cell phone sized pocket of my purse, so its up at the top where I can get to it.   I have it in a holster that I can slip into my pocket if I feel like it without a lot of hassle.    Still, Larry will ask me if I have my gun and I'll have my cell phone and my keys.     I need to work on getting back in the habit of carrying it.   Since I am home all the time I've been slipping.

Mr. Perfect

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

navc130

A family member is very satisfied with the SCCY .380.  SIG is always a good choice.  The small 9mm was just too much recoil and muzzle blast for her to handle, and she is not a small woman.

mohawk600

Mr. Perfect said:

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

But.....on the other hand.....it is better to have a gun in a purse than need it and not have it.

savage170

My wife can grab anything out of the safe  that she wants. She carries a S&W 315NG the most a light weight version of the Model 15. She does have a problem racking the striker fired semi autos  but does good with the Ruger P95 and the 3rd gen Smiths and the 1911's

montanajoe

Ricci Wright was first to nail it.  
My wife has several guns of her own to choose from.  Her EDC is a SIG P238 with manual safety carried condition one in her CCW purse from gun totin momma.  ymmv

sharpshooter039

Your gonna get alot of opinions so here is mine,, I carried my new daughter in law to the range,, she is small 5 ‘ if you stretch her. I emptied the safe. Everything from .22 revolvers to desert eagle 44 magnum .. her absolute favorite was a M&P EZ in 380,, it's easy to load, rack and operate.. cost about $50 more than comparable little 380’s but if it made her comfortable it worth it. I gave it too her and she took her carry class and got her concealed license with it. She carries it everyday,, even bought a bra that has a built in holster for it,,

SCOUT5

One of my Daughter in Law's favorite large handguns to shoot is a Ruger P85 in 9mm.  I gave it to her to keep by the bed and for a house gun.   All three of my DILs like shooting my Ruger SP 101 4" barrel in 327, of course they like shooting 32 S&W the best but do fine with the hot loads.

mohawk600

I just have to say that my 15 yo daughter's favorite gun ever was a Glock G20 in 10 mm......mind you, she cant own much less carry a handgun. A G20 would not be a carry choice anyway. But the first time I ever took her to the range.......22 pistols both semi and revolvers bored her. She was "meh" with the 9mm. When she got ahold of that 10mm Glock she was on fire. She was also nailing steel plates with an AR pistol in about 5 min. Her favorite though was the PT 91.......she couldn't get enough. Didn't have the FAL that day but am sure it would have been her favorite. Never underestimate or limit a woman shooter.

dok2u

Any time you can trade a woman for a hand gun, it's a great deal!  Take it!

Smitty500mag

Whatever gun you decide on it needs to be as light as possible or else after the new wears off it'll be left at home or in the dash of the car. Women carry a lot of junk in their purses and a heavy gun just takes up space where they could be carrying more junk.

Locust Fork

Mr. Perfect said:

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

You have to keep in mind men's carry and women's carry is MUCH different.    You guys have the same setup no matter what you wear each day.    My pants don't all have belt loops.....some don't have pockets....so, you have to be ready to deal with whatever scenario you might have going on according to whatever clothes you put on.    What I have is a small gun that I can put in my pocket if I need to, but it fits in my purse in a way that its still easy to get to.....the holster its in now is the same holster it is in while not in my purse. 

spasmcreeksrun

charter arms undercoverette 32 H&R magnum revolver....small and lite and easy one hand up and running witn not much blast

Mr. Perfect

mohawk600 said:

Mr. Perfect said:

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

But.....on the other hand.....it is better to have a gun in a purse than need it and not have it.

Carrying in a purse is just as bad as not having it at all. Possibly worse when you consider the opportunity for a purse to be absconded with.

Mr. Perfect

Locust Fork said:

Mr. Perfect said:

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

You have to keep in mind men's carry and women's carry is MUCH different.    You guys have the same setup no matter what you wear each day.    My pants don't all have belt loops.....some don't have pockets....so, you have to be ready to deal with whatever scenario you might have going on according to whatever clothes you put on.    What I have is a small gun that I can put in my pocket if I need to, but it fits in my purse in a way that its still easy to get to.....the holster its in now is the same holster it is in while not in my purse. 

I've kept that in mind. There are all manner of on-body holsters that are appropriate for women and the various outfits they wear.  It surprises me you're not more informed of them.

Ricci.Wright

You need to hire a gun bearer Kasey. Get one of those Germans running around the Mercedes Benz plant there in Vance.   

Locust Fork

Mr. Perfect said:

Locust Fork said:

Mr. Perfect said:

Off body carry is a horrible idea.

You have to keep in mind men's carry and women's carry is MUCH different.    You guys have the same setup no matter what you wear each day.    My pants don't all have belt loops.....some don't have pockets....so, you have to be ready to deal with whatever scenario you might have going on according to whatever clothes you put on.    What I have is a small gun that I can put in my pocket if I need to, but it fits in my purse in a way that its still easy to get to.....the holster its in now is the same holster it is in while not in my purse. 

I've kept that in mind. There are all manner of on-body holsters that are appropriate for women and the various outfits they wear.  It surprises me you're not more informed of them.

Did you look at the picture of where my gun is.   The gun is level with the top of the purse, I have two kinds of purses too.....neither are the type you could just grab easily.   The one shown in the picture has two large handles that you would loop over your arm at the elbow and the purse is close to your torso in the front of your body.    My other purse is what they call a cross-body which means the strap goes over my head and my purse is affixed to me.....never being taken off or sat down in any way.    Both of these purses were purchased with my firearm in mind.    I'm surprised you don't know more about purses.    (ha ha ha....kidding.)    

Seriously......there couldn't be more factors when dealing with whatever a woman chooses to carry.    

Mr. Perfect

https://www.rainierarms.com/blog/one-year-off-body-carry/

Locust Fork

Mr. Perfect said:

https://www.rainierarms.com/blog/one-year-off-body-carry/

Great article.....but in retail sales you see thousands of women and MAYBE, just one out of every thousand will carry their gun every day.     Most people buying are guys.....some guys buy for their wives and a few rare guys buy for their girlfriends.....then there are the few women that buy a gun for themselves.    Most women just want a gun for their home, they aren't going to even imagine dealing with carrying it around.      The easier you can make it for her to have it on her the better.....and the more chance you'll have that she'll carry it.     My purse gun is in a holster that is also a pocket holster.....so its easy to switch things up without any hassle at all.      The article you posted says something about "bags" but no man can ever compare their experience with a bag to a ladies relationship with her purse.    its not the same at all.   I have bags that I carry things in......never in my wildest dreams would I think of tossing a gun in one of those things.    My purse is a part of my clothing more than anything else.    I can get to my gun in my purse as quickly as I can when its in my pocket....if not quicker.