Tactical Jackalope
New member
Let her choose her own gun. Especially with the preferences she has.
Handgun for the very recoil sensitive girlfriend
- Thread starter Kvon2
- Start date
Definitely nothing wrong with the .22, I just dont want to limit her options. I will say if she gets a target .22lr pistol, my personal bias will push her towards a buckmark 
..
I agree she needs to find something that fits but if she felt the recoil on the 659, a relatively heavy gun, I don't see her being open to 9mm or larger.
Walther makes a pink .22 semi auto that I think she has her eye on for now.
..I agree she needs to find something that fits but if she felt the recoil on the 659, a relatively heavy gun, I don't see her being open to 9mm or larger.
Walther makes a pink .22 semi auto that I think she has her eye on for now.
Tactical Jackalope
New member
I'd rethink that one Tex.. If you said just for the range, sure. But you said it'll make her feel safer in her apartment. Which leads me to believe it'll be a home defense gun as well.
.22 can kill but it's a lot less likely to incapacitate aka "stop the threat" effectively unless you hit where you need to hit. Won't bet my life on that.
Sounds to me like a .22 LR caliber semi-auto is what you need. Remember, we want her to have fun shooting and if just having the firearm makes her feel a little safer, so much better. I don't see anyone volunteering to get shot with a .22. Plus the ammo is the same as her rifle.
The Ruger Mk III (or a used Mk II or Standard) has been around forever and a day and is a proven, accurate and durable piece - but difficult to clean (understatement).
The Ruger SR22 functions and looks much more like a modern semi-auto pistol but not likely to be quite as accurate as the Mk III.
There are several 1911 style .22's on the market. These should be big and heavy (which may be an issue for her) and thus very light on the recoil.
If you want to go up-caliber for self defense, look at the EAA Witness Pavona in .380 ACP. It was designed with the female market in mind and may suit her recoil sensitivities.
Have her handle a few in a store, or maybe take her to a range where you can rent guns and actually try a few out (best). No sense spending many hundreds of dollars on a gun only to have her hand it back and say "I don't like it".
The Ruger Mk III (or a used Mk II or Standard) has been around forever and a day and is a proven, accurate and durable piece - but difficult to clean (understatement).
The Ruger SR22 functions and looks much more like a modern semi-auto pistol but not likely to be quite as accurate as the Mk III.
There are several 1911 style .22's on the market. These should be big and heavy (which may be an issue for her) and thus very light on the recoil.
If you want to go up-caliber for self defense, look at the EAA Witness Pavona in .380 ACP. It was designed with the female market in mind and may suit her recoil sensitivities.
Have her handle a few in a store, or maybe take her to a range where you can rent guns and actually try a few out (best). No sense spending many hundreds of dollars on a gun only to have her hand it back and say "I don't like it".
.38SPL enthusiast
New member
A lot of times what people interpret as recoil is actually their physical response to the sound impulse of the gunshot. Using plugs and ear muffs can make guns seem much softer shooting during practice. You said she has a preference for an automatic, but auto recoil can seem a little sharper than a revolver of the same general weight and power.
Go with a ruger 22/45 or a Mk2 or mk3. A Browning buckmark is also a good option. They have barely any recoil, and you can ammo share with the rifle. Plus a box of .22 will be about 5x more ammo than the larger calibers in the same price point.
Have fun! As she gets more comfortable and learns more about firearms (class is a good idea!) She will probably want to get a soft shooting 9mm also. But start with the .22 if she is that recoil sensitive.
testuser79
New member
A 1911 chambered in .380, like a Colt Mustang or Browning. Perfect for small hands, easy recoil, easy to rack, lightweight and in a useful caliber. I bet you could even fine pink grips.
http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/pistols/1911-380.html
http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/pistols/1911-380.html
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Some form of 32 revolver. That is what my wife and daughter shoot. My daughter has been shooting them since she was nine years old. 32 H&R magnum or 327 magnum revolvers are viable for self defense and can also shoot 32 S&W long, which has virtually no recoil. Here are two that they can both use that are currently manufactured and not too expensive.
Charter Arms 32 H&R magnum snub. This is what I leave loaded for my damaged-wristed wife if I am out of town.
Charter Arms 32 H&R magnum snub. This is what I leave loaded for my damaged-wristed wife if I am out of town.
Here is a Ruger SP101 4" in 327 magnum. Shooting 32 S&W long feels about like a 22 out of it. It will also shoot 32 H&R, which is still quite mild. 327 has more oomph, but still not like a 38 or something. I have taught many women and kids to shoot handguns. 32 revolvers are a wonderful teaching tool, fun to shoot, and WAY better for SD than any 22.
larryh1108
New member
If she's leaning towards a semi and a .22LR then have her find one that is the color she wants and fits her hand very well.
I'd bet that within a year she'll feel confident enough to ask for a "bigger" gun. Let her decide when she's ready and I bet she'll be shooting the big boys in a few years.
I'd bet that within a year she'll feel confident enough to ask for a "bigger" gun. Let her decide when she's ready and I bet she'll be shooting the big boys in a few years.
Another vote for the .22LR. Two main reasons, one, light recoil, #2, she already KNOWS the round.
ANY .22lr she is comfortable with will do fine. Forget about getting her a defense gun. It's too soon. And don't sneer at the .22LR for defense. A .22 she knows and is comfortable with is better than a bigger gun she is scared of.
The Ruger .22 Semis are good guns.
I think "difficult to clean" is a drastic OVERSTATEMENT. What they are is difficult to take apart and put back together. Cleaning them isn't difficult, and I have 33+ years of personal experience with a Ruger Mk 1, that says there is no need to take them apart to clean them. Everything you need to do to keep them running, and running well can be done without ever taking the gun apart.
Now, if the gun gets dunked under water, that's a different matter, but normal cleaning doesn't require disassembly.
Another option to consider (and I know you said she was leaning towards and auto) is the revolver, specifical the Single Action revolver. Forget, for now, a concealed carry pistol, the small DA guns can be very difficult to shoot well.
See if she might consider something like a Ruger Single Six or even a Super Bearcat (which is smaller). Simple to operate, accurate, and you have the added advantage that you can shoot shorts or even CB caps which are the lightest recoiling rounds out there.
This should be a pistol she is, or could get comfortable with. Something to learn to shoot with. Because it is a gun, it does have real world defensive use, even if not as well suited as larger calibers. Save those for later. IF you do, eventually she might come to use them too. Too much gun, too soon, ruins people, often for life.
My mother, at 4'10 (and a half!)" 100lbs who wore a size 3.5 ring loved her Super BEARCAT .22, and she was such a good shot with it, her nickname was "Annie Oakley".
have her get the gun she likes, no matter if its not the "best one" or not the "right one" for this or that. A semi auto "sport" pistol like a Ruger or Browning that she can, and will shoot is a good choice.
Save the "serious" guns for later down the road, when she has both experience and confidence, and you might find her a willing student. On the other hand, she might also just want to stick to "her" pistol, and really, there's nothing wrong with that, either. A lady with a gun, any gun she can, and will use confidently is better off than one without, I think.
Don't force her into your, or anyone's idea of the "best gun". Patience will pay dividends in the long run.
Good Luck!
ANY .22lr she is comfortable with will do fine. Forget about getting her a defense gun. It's too soon. And don't sneer at the .22LR for defense. A .22 she knows and is comfortable with is better than a bigger gun she is scared of.
The Ruger .22 Semis are good guns.
I think "difficult to clean" is a drastic OVERSTATEMENT. What they are is difficult to take apart and put back together. Cleaning them isn't difficult, and I have 33+ years of personal experience with a Ruger Mk 1, that says there is no need to take them apart to clean them. Everything you need to do to keep them running, and running well can be done without ever taking the gun apart.
Now, if the gun gets dunked under water, that's a different matter, but normal cleaning doesn't require disassembly.
Another option to consider (and I know you said she was leaning towards and auto) is the revolver, specifical the Single Action revolver. Forget, for now, a concealed carry pistol, the small DA guns can be very difficult to shoot well.
See if she might consider something like a Ruger Single Six or even a Super Bearcat (which is smaller). Simple to operate, accurate, and you have the added advantage that you can shoot shorts or even CB caps which are the lightest recoiling rounds out there.
This should be a pistol she is, or could get comfortable with. Something to learn to shoot with. Because it is a gun, it does have real world defensive use, even if not as well suited as larger calibers. Save those for later. IF you do, eventually she might come to use them too. Too much gun, too soon, ruins people, often for life.
My mother, at 4'10 (and a half!)" 100lbs who wore a size 3.5 ring loved her Super BEARCAT .22, and she was such a good shot with it, her nickname was "Annie Oakley".
have her get the gun she likes, no matter if its not the "best one" or not the "right one" for this or that. A semi auto "sport" pistol like a Ruger or Browning that she can, and will shoot is a good choice.
Save the "serious" guns for later down the road, when she has both experience and confidence, and you might find her a willing student. On the other hand, she might also just want to stick to "her" pistol, and really, there's nothing wrong with that, either. A lady with a gun, any gun she can, and will use confidently is better off than one without, I think.
Don't force her into your, or anyone's idea of the "best gun". Patience will pay dividends in the long run.
Good Luck!
True, but that said, the Beretta Cheetah is NOT a gun for someone who thinks a S&W 659 recoils way too much.
If you want to go .380, you need to look at the largest, heaviest locked breech, .380 pistols you can find. Maybe something like the Browning 1911-380 or the Ruger LC380. Blowback .380 pistols are going to recoil noticeably more than your 659. I'm not sure she'll find anything in .380ACP she'll want to shoot, but you never know, I guess.
In .22LR, the SR22 is a decent choice for a fun gun that's also reliable enough that it might make the list for self-defense with premium ammo that's been thoroughly tested in the gun.
.22LR revolvers have very little recoil, but the DA revolvers tend to have a pretty stiff trigger pull due to the heavier primer strike required for rimfires and the poorer leverage due to smaller parts. My SP101, for example, even after a good bit of shooting and polishing still has a DA trigger pull that's over 13lbs.
Pond James Pond
New member
In another thread someone mentioned 32.cal revolvers (32S&W).
Then there is also 32ACP. In a blowback, it is probably mild (although I know blowback is supposed to accentuate, rather than mitigate, recoil).
PPK? Or even prettier: Sig P232 in 6.35 Browning. Hmmmmm!
Agreed. Once you get used to the routine it is straight forward. Furthermore, if you remove the mag' safety it becomes even easier.
Then there is also 32ACP. In a blowback, it is probably mild (although I know blowback is supposed to accentuate, rather than mitigate, recoil).
PPK? Or even prettier: Sig P232 in 6.35 Browning. Hmmmmm!
Agreed. Once you get used to the routine it is straight forward. Furthermore, if you remove the mag' safety it becomes even easier.
You might want to have a look at the Beretta Neos. Funny looking dude, but small grips that fit the hands of young women with even tiny hands, and heavy enough to make the recoil from a .22LR close to zero. I have daughters in their late 20s, and having taken them and a double handful of their friends shooting, every one of them get a kick out of the Neos.
It is also pretty darn inexpensive, so your gun fund will be less depleted for the moment, hopefully not far off, when she wants something better suited for defense.
One of the above-mentioned daughters picked the PX4 Compact in 9 mm for her first pistol, and it is the softest shooting 9 mm pistol I have encountered, due in large part to its rotating barrel design. I have never shot a Stoeger 9 mm, but they use a similar rotating barrel in a steel frame instead of polymer, and they can routinely be had at Academy for $300. Folks who have shot them say they shoot as softly or perhaps even more softly than the PX4.
It is also pretty darn inexpensive, so your gun fund will be less depleted for the moment, hopefully not far off, when she wants something better suited for defense.
One of the above-mentioned daughters picked the PX4 Compact in 9 mm for her first pistol, and it is the softest shooting 9 mm pistol I have encountered, due in large part to its rotating barrel design. I have never shot a Stoeger 9 mm, but they use a similar rotating barrel in a steel frame instead of polymer, and they can routinely be had at Academy for $300. Folks who have shot them say they shoot as softly or perhaps even more softly than the PX4.