New carry gun for the wife

Y

Yankee Traveler

New member
Little background;
She has VERY little experience with handguns. But she wants her carry permit and she wants a 9mm small enough to carry.
Got it narrowed down to two which she likes, Glock 43 and S&W M&P Shield.
We went to the range yesterday and shot them both. She was pretty much set on the Glock and said she felt more comfortable with it.
I was not trying to sway her either way but the more she shot the Shield the more she realized she shot better with it.
While she was pretty much centered left to right with both guns at 3, 5 and 7 yards, she was definitely more consistent up and down with the M&P out to 7 yards. All but 1 of 200 shots sent downrange were center of mass.
She's torn want's the Glock, say's it fits her hand better but knows she really shoots the M&P better.

So I said, no decision today, we'll come back and rent them again and she can shoot some more. I think she was biased on the Glock before going and was surprised with the results with the Smith, either way... I go to the range more, never a bad thing.

So, that said, I get home and look at the M&P online and they now have a Performance Center version with fiber optic sights, enhanced trigger and ported barrel for like $80 more. I may try to steer her this way if she shows more love for the none PC M&P.
Any one have any range time or experience with this new ported Shield?
Any advice on it, pro's cons or other general remarks? Any and all comments welcome.
 
Just my 2 cents here but if she shoots the same the next time she shoots them I'd say that maybe the glock isn't actually fitting her hand as well as she thinks. Of course it could also be that because the shield is not as comfortable as the glock she is paying more attention to her shooting form while shooting it. Ported barrels seem to be much louder to most shooters and sometimes make newer shooters less happy with the pistol, the fiber optics and better trigger for a carry gun are both things I like personally. But in the end it all has to boil down to what she likes the best.
 
New carry gun for the wife
Click to expand...
Sounds like a fair trade.
But seriously, the more she shoots and the more experience she gets with shooting, the less the type of gun will matter.
Has she had any training with a real instructor?
That can go a long way to enable her to shoot just about anything better.
Gun choices after acquiring more skill can change quite a lot.
 
I second the G42. It fits small to medium hands, recoil is controllable and it is just plain fun to shoot. The G43 is my next recommendation and for similar reasons.

I also recommend Hornady 90 gr FTX for carrying in the G42.
 
How a gun feels has very little to do with how you shoot it.
Inexperienced people put way too much emphasis on "feel"-when they really don't have any idea how it should feel.
 
CWP and the wife

Please take her to a range that rents guns and have her try as many as possible over several days.

Has she tried the Walther CCP or PPK/s?

Why is she locked into a 9mm? Has she fired anything in a .380? Especially .380+P?

There as so many concealed carry guns out there, don't have her rush into anything.

My daughter is very slight and absolutely loves carrying her Walther PPK stainless in .380. Though somewhat heavy, the recoil is greatly reduced.
 
I personally don't see a ton of gain in porting a 3" barrel. You're reducing muzzle flip (though to be honest I don't find the Shield to be that difficult to shoot) but at the same time you're getting a lot more blast and flash closer to your face. On a concealed carry pistol where you might not be able to get the pistol to a full extension and have to fire the pistol from your side or nearer to your chest I'm not sure it's a trade I'd make. Personally I think S&W is just looking for new ideas to market.
 
Last edited:
I like the two finalists of the 9mm Shield and the G43. There's no reason to look for others. I believe the firearm price is the least important as two 1,000-round-cases of ammo will exceed the price of the firearm and a holster.

With that in mind, usually the issuing agency for the permit (not that we should need a government's ok) will typically allow more than one firearm. I say get both. If money is a bit tight, get one for now, but plan on the other in the near future.

I've got the G43, which I use for a backup gun and an investment of accessories: 4 holsters; 3,000 rounds of ammo through it; steel sights; and a Ghost "Edge" connector.

Now for marriage advice. Get what she wants. If it really mattered to her, she'd be the one asking the questions on this forum instead of you. It'll be her gun. Why hasn't SHE bought it yet? Do you not let her have any money before locking her back up in the basement?
 
How a gun feels has very little to do with how you shoot it.
Inexperienced people put way too much emphasis on "feel"-when they really don't have any idea how it should feel.
Click to expand...

Repeated for truth.

Also, agree with no porting. You're not gaining much, and in a self defense gun (which may need to be fired in very close quarters), porting is undesirable.

pax
 
Not really, might reduce some muzzle flip but that is different
Click to expand...

I'd argue muzzle flip and recoil are related and hard to completely separate from each other. Few firearms achieve a barrel that is exactly in line with the part of the body the shooter is using to absorb the recoil (hand or shoulder). This leads to the rotational force being muzzle flip. But still, you're right that muzzle flip is the main target of porting (though some manufacturers will also mention recoil). I'll edit the post.
 
Last edited:
BTW,
"pax", aka Kathy J., above, is really the expert/authority/best-person for this question. I generally refer anyone to her website.
 
Not related to your specific choice between the weapons, but I'll throw this out there...
It's been impossible to get my wife to the range. Excuses all the time, guess she just doesn't enjoy shooting like we do.

She gets a FB message from friends, asking her, to ask me, for recommendations for CC handguns because they want to get their permits. Now, I'm certainly no expert on SD handgun choices; told her I'd need to talk with them in depth before I could begin to make a suggestion. But, I've always felt that if the gun owner isn't going to train, and practice at least a fair amount with a semi- they'd be better served with a revolver for self-defense.

Now, we all know that failures with a SD handgun are unforgivable- and if they happen it's likely time for repair at minimum or replacement. But I do feel that one needs to be able to react instinctively in the event of a stovepipe of other malfunction to clear the weapon should it be necessary.

I know my wife has long since forgotten how to "tap, rap, bang" instinctively- and would rather she switch to a revolver. Sounds like your wife might have very little interest in range time after purchase; if that's the case, it's worth considering if a revolver should be part of this decision process.
 
Have you checked out the Ruger LC9? That might be an option too.

Is she opposed to a revolver? If not, those might be worth considering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top