New gun for wife?
- Thread starter coyotewsm
- Start date
Cosmodragoon
New member
coyotewsm, I know some people are going to poo-poo this advice but just consider what I've got to say. Right now, your wife's body is essentially building a new human being. That developing life is very fragile and what your wife is exposed to now can matter for your child's whole life. The doctor will probably talk to you about concussive noise but that's not the whole picture.
We've got to be honest with ourselves that shooting is a dirty hobby. Most primers contain lead styphnate and inhaling it while shooting is the primary avenue for a lot of our lead exposure. While this is obviously worse when shooting indoors, outdoors on a still day, or when shooting a lot of rounds or with a group of shooters; it always is an issue. Handling spent cases is another place where we pick it up. Also, cleaning guns can be a source of exposure and not just to lead. A lot of cleaning and other maintenance chemicals are straight-up toxic. Remember that our adult bodies can take a lot more abuse than the little ones and we aren't trying to develop critical structures!
Yeah, we all know people whose mothers smoked while pregnant, or who played with mercury from a broken thermometer as kids and will say "but I'm fine". They might be. Health and development are probabilistic. Even if you dodge the bullet on the big stuff, what if your choices today could mean your kid is 5 points smarter, can run 5 seconds faster, doesn't end up with minor health complaints, or is just generally healthier? Isn't that worth it?
I'm just one guy on a forum, but I recommend that she takes a break. Keep up with your shooting. Remember to keep your shooting clothes separate, wash your hands, and clean your guns in the other room. Be the protector. Once you've got that smiling baby in your arms and your wife is wrapping up the breast-feeding, she can come back to this. Then, she'll have something to protect. I don't know if this is your first but let me tell you, nothing motivates my wife like the safety of our kids.
redhologram
New member
This momma agrees with Cosmodragoon. And congrats on the new addition!
First, congrats on the little one on the way! I'm gonna have to side with the previous two posters and suggest shooting might not be the best activity. Of course, I'm not a medical professional, but I'd be concerned about the noise. How are you gonna get the ear muffs on the baby? 
couldbeanyone
New member
My wife loves her new Sig p250 in 380 auto. It is double action only with no safety. Super nice trigger pull, with the easiest slide to rack you have ever seen. It has a locked breech and a 12 round double stack magazine. It has fed everything we have tried in it over the course of about a thousand rounds. It is just a really nice gun to shoot all day long due to the super light recoil from the 380 spread out over a nicely shaped wider double stack magazine grip. Check one out if you get a chance.
I would definitely recommend the p250 too, simple, reliable and probably the most accurate semi out. Modular too... Interchangeable calibers too. I carry the 45 myself, as a daily and field weapon. Takes about 500 rounds to wear in. The 2sum offer is under $500 includes a full size and compact. I would recommend one for anyone... The gun will make you a better shot.
I bought my wife three semi-auto nines when we started shooting. she loved how cute they were and recoil didn't bother her. after about a half-dozen times going shooting she started getting really discouraged because she could barely stay on paper. I tried to get her to practice more and more but it just wasn't clicking. I sold the third gun and got a 357 revolver. first time she shot it, she put five .38s in the red and refuses to touch a semi-auto to this day. she is a better shot than me with it. I am not making an uninformed and sexist comment like "all women should get .38 revolvers", I am just sharing my experience with teaching my wife to shoot with "carry size" pistols. I am sure if we had started with a mid-sized hammered 9mm like a CZ compact, the results could have been different, but I didn't and now she likes revolvers, which is great by the way. so, at least get her to try a couple out at the range anyways.
Cosmodragoon
New member
Yes, but nothing recent. The PPK and its clones are fun guns. That's probably because they are big and heavy for what they are and have a classic cool going for them. Of course, they take up a lot of real estate for a .32 and even there that round leaves a lot to be desired. It isn't necessarily bad. I'd reason that it is better than a .25 and far better than a .22, which some people carry for self defense. It just falls too far behind .380 or 9mm in performance.
I used to carry a .32 with some outfits, mostly because I liked the gun and didn't worry too much about caliber distinction. I know it could do the job and I was confident in my skill with it. The day I stopped is when I was out shooting some junk with a few friends. (I like that so much better than punching holes in paper.) We had some old beat-up steel frying pans and stuck them in the snow handle-first. Whereas 9mm punched through easily and .380 still got through, my .32s were bouncing off with a dent too small for comfort.
I know you can get expensive boutique ammo that is supposed to be better and some modern guns are made for it. When you need extreme concealment or an emergency back-up, a micro .32 might be worth it. In most cases, you will be better served with .380 or 9mm. Do the research, handle some guns, and shoot them if able. Find the balance between power, concealment, and shooting control that works best for individual circumstances.
Limnophile
New member
The CZ 83 in .32 Auto is a nice gun. Not a convenient pocket pistol, but a compact suitable for holster or purse carry. The Beretta Tomcat is a shootable pocket pistol. Unfortunately, both of these guns are no longer made.
Limnophile
New member
The CZ and Beretta are both very reliable in general, although each firearm, regardless of make and model, needs to be assessed individually. One caution about .32 Auto for self defense: JHPs that expand tend to not penetrate enough, and JHPs that penetrate enough tend not to expand; thus, it makes sense to use FMJ ammo, which will meet IWBA penetration criteria, even from a short-barreled pocket gun.