good gun for the wife

My wife could not rack the slide on my sig 225 thought it was "too complicated"(go figure?) & was unhappy with the recoil, but picked up the Colt Detective Special very quickly. And with 158 gr. wadcutters, doesn't mind the recoil either.

Smith Model 10 or 15 in 4" would do fine as would the Ruger sp101 in .357 with the 3" barrel. .38s out of that would be relatively pleasant.
 
Any of the XD's should work. The slides are easy to retract and the polymer frame absorbs a whole bunch of recoil.
My wife handles my XD 45 easily. I would certainly imagine the XDm9 will be very easy to handle, powerful enough to handle any of her SD needs, and small enough to use for conceal carry.
 
Gun for wife?

Her first gun out, I would not buy her an automatic, (for all the reasons already mentioned ahead of me). I would suggest you let her try out a few different .38 revolvers from 2"" to 4" barrels. Ammo should not be +P because of the recoil factor and her weak wrist you alluded to earlier.
 
As with what everyone else says best is for her to go play. Normally I don't put a whole lot of stock in the whole get a woman a revolver thing(not saying they're wrong I'm just sayin its not an absolute). My wife picked up my smith 9mm and with a little instruction has become a good, safe shot. She shoots 3-4 times a year with me.
As to your dilemma. If she likes the feel of the glock but not the recoil what about a G17c. The ports might reduce recoil enough. If not Taurus makes a pt132 that is a decent sized gun in 32. The problem is that the .32 is questionable for a defense round. Or they make a pt138 that is a 380 in about the same size gun as their pt 111. Good luck with whatever she chooses
 
I was looking for a pistol for my dad who has little hand strength left and has trouble racking the slide on most guns. He liked my Sig P238 (before I sold it) since he could rack the slide and I found the Walther PK380 slide VERY easy to rack. If .380 is ok then you might consider either of these. No matter what you do, however, make darn sure of two things: 1. Get her to the range and proficient at using it, 2. get a good holster so the gun will not go off inadvertently as she is digging through her purse.
 
If your wife has an issue with the recoil of a 9mm, try a 380. Something with a little weight to it. The weight will help tame recoil. There are a number of options in and around the size of a Sig 232. The price will probably help guide the actually manufacturer.

Several posts have recommended a revolver. Again, if you do decide to try a revolver, stay away from the air-weight stuff. Very light revolvers are easier to carry, but will be much less pleasant to shoot. You already know your wife doesn't like the recoil of a 9mm. An airweight revolver will be at least as uncomfortable to shoot, even with 38 specials.

The Ruger sp101 is an example of a small revolver with some weight (all stainless frame).
 
well im getting alot of great advice here and i thank all of you for your input. Now that i have a base to start at its time to shop. Thanks for all the great advice every one this place is a welth of knowledge.
 
get her a cx4 in 9mm if its only gonna be used in HD. its light, easy to handle, no recoil, and the ergonomics allow easier chambering a round (charging handle vs racking a slide)
 
My wife cannot rack a semi. She shoots the hell out of her S&W Model 67.
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I agree with a lot of the posters. Let your wife shoot many types of guns and let her decide. Most of the experience gun testers and ex LE recommend a revolver. I am very small in strature and have small hands and wrists and also I am over 60 years of age. I shoot both revolvers and semi-autos but I prefer revolvers for HD/SD. They are easier to operate and reliable. Also they are accurate but she needs to practice . Same goes for any gun. Out of my nine handguns I have two that are HD. These are a S&W model 10 4 inch heavy barrel and a Ruger Police Service Six 4 inch. These are old school police service type revolvers. I have also included a link from Stephen Camp a respected gun tester and ex LE officer. He has done a good article on what is the best handgun for most people. I wish you and your wife luck.
Regards,
roaddog28
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Best Handgun.htm
model10-14a.jpg

S&W Model 10
RugerServiceSix.jpg

Ruger Police Service Six
 
My wife also has trouble pulling the slide back on autos. We purchased a s&w airweight in 32 h&r.. The grip was a little small so we put the crimson trace laser grip which ends up being perfect for her hand... Also with the h&r you can shoot the 32 s&w long and shorts which minimise recoil alot... It is a very nice shootin gun. And accurate.
 
Gun for Wife

Lots of good comments on the revolver option.

Caliber -- the .327 Federal magnum got some good press when it first came out and as I recall Ruger, S+W and Charter Arms were scheduled to produce weapons in that caliber.

I haven't noticed any .327s in gun stores --- but I've been focused on semi-autos so I don't know if the concept flopped or has been gaining traction.

I think I had a point when I started typing ---> oh yeah, if you reload, then the .327 could be a Win-Win:
A practical choice for your wife
A fun reload for you.
 
OMG, I can't believe the MOST important question has been overlooked, HOW WELL do YOU and your WIFE get along! That right there determines what caliber and capacity gun one may consider!:D Outside of that there are good answers here, my wife carries a S&W model 19 four inch 357, she also has access to my carry semi's a S/A XD sub 9mm, a FNP 40 cal, CZ P-01 9mm. I have quite a few others but those are my daily carry guns depending upon dress and function.

I prefer a revolver for those that have limited firearm knowledge as a revolver is less confusing to empty, I've seen too many times someone racks a slide to empty a semi than drops the magazine and think they have an empty gun.:eek: I feel a woman should be able to EASILY be able to rack the slide of a semi to consider that gun as an option. When people are panicked they tend to nervous, sweat and fumble. With someone who has to struggle to rack a slide that can be disaster. The learning curve is steeper with a semi and if someone can't or won't devote the range time and training the wheel gun is the safer option.
 
My wife's been wanting her own pistol (& to get her CCW), but is very recoil/muzzle blast sensitive & doesn't have the grip strength to rack a semi.

Been considering a Taurus Model 94 for her, as she likes the feel of my S&W 442, but is afraid of lighting off a .38 Spl. I know, not ideal, but a .22 that she'll shoot & carry is better than a .45 left in the nightstand.
 
Same thing with my wife

I just went through the same thing with my wife and her decision after she tried several was the S&W Model 60 in the 3", had the trigger "smoothed" out and she loves it and is on target with it.
 
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