Picking a handgun for the girlfriend?

Go back and read post #2 by MLeake.
The cornered cat website is a great resource--ignore it at your peril.
The over-riding lesson is....LET HER PICK WHAT IS RIGHT FOR HER!!!
--Most women who walk into gun shops receive advice which reflects the ego/ preference of the gun shop employee (which, truth be told, is the same advice a man would receive, but the female will receive an extra measure of condescension... )
--Most women who ask their SO for advice receive advice which reflects the ego/ preference of the SO. Well-meaning, but unproductive in the long run..
 
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you want a females point of view?? Get her to pick her own.
I grew up shooting and I'm pretty comfortable around guns and other shooters. going by your post I'm going to guess she is not too experienced. But I personally like my Taurus 24 7 compact, it's a .40 and quite nice to shoot. I also have a beretta Storm in a .45 (helps with the changeable grips) point is I've always had people try and tell me it's not normal for girls to have anything more than a .380 or 9, I always like to ask how many women have shot at them for them to know.... LOL

get her to rent different ones, and find something she can use and that she likes, a gun is an investment. last thing you want to do is drop a bundle of cash on something you (or she) wont like... JMO
 
Quote PX_QtPi: "you want a females point of view?? Get her to pick her own.
I grew up shooting and I'm pretty comfortable around guns and other shooters. going by your post I'm going to guess she is not too experienced. But I personally like my Taurus 24 7 compact, it's a .40 and quite nice to shoot. I also have a beretta Storm in a .45 (helps with the changeable grips) point is I've always had people try and tell me it's not normal for girls to have anything more than a .380 or 9, I always like to ask how many women have shot at them for them to know.... LOL

get her to rent different ones, and find something she can use and that she likes, a gun is an investment. last thing you want to do is drop a bundle of cash on something you (or she) wont like... JMO"

That's the best answer Along with M Leake. Also make sure she can pull the slide all the way back if it is a Semi-auto.
 
Pulling the slide back...

... is also addressed by Kathy Jackson (TFL's Pax) in http://corneredcat.com.

Realize that technique can, in most cases, make up for relative lack of strength. Kathy talks about how to get maximum mechanical advantage over the slide/recoil spring/mainspring.

Personally, I think of it more as pushing the grip forward, than pulling the slide back - not unlike pushing the bow forward, as opposed to just pulling on the bowstring.

Slingshot or overhand grip each have advantages and disadvantages, too.

I think the biggest factor, while figuring out how to work the slide, is watching like a hawk to make sure the new shooter A) keeps the muzzle downrange throughout, and B) does not allow any body part (typically the weak forearm and elbow) from getting in front of the muzzle.

People have shot themselves while manipulating slides. There was a thread about a new shooter who killed himself at a CCW class while trying to work his HiPower's slide.
 
Shes shot several times with me at various ranges so shes not an absolute beginner, ive given her tips and helped her with stance etc, and shes a pretty good shot (seems to do best with the g26). She plans on going to concealed carry classes as well. Yes im going to let her pick her own.......the point of all this was since im fairly knowledgeable about guns and cc, i would help round up as many guns that would work in her situation, then shes going to shoot and pick the one she likes best. Thats why my post was "help me pick a gun for my girlfriend" not "hows the best way to go about finding my girlfriend a gun". So any more "gun" recommendations would be great and thanks for the ones so far.
 
First of all she should choose the weapon. I suggest that she should hit the range and rent/shoot what ever type gun(s) she thinks she would like and then let her decide on the one. My wife went thru the purchase of five weapons before she found hers, an LCR-CT .38. I now have four additional auto loaders in my collection. If she decides to replace her LCR I am going to suggest she try a Colt 1911 for her EDC.:D
 
Echoing the usual "let her pick her own" chorus (which is correct.)

The important thing is to prevent novice mistakes from simple lack of knowledge, like choosing a crappy brand, or a caliber that's much too big or too small. In every other way it needs to be their choice based on what fits them. This really applies to every new shooter, but women are more likely to be bullied into a "choice" they don't actually want.

As a side note, all else being equal a lighter gun is more unpleasant to shoot, and a big part of getting a new shooter hooked is having them like the experience of shooting their first gun. Air-weight snub-nose revolvers are a terrible novice gun for that reason.
 
scottycoyote,

Given the long history and significant numbers of concealed carry purses on the market, I would say that the fears about product liability are, um... well, it would be good to see a specific court case or three that found that carrying in one's purse isn't an action that a "reasonable" woman carrying a gun would take. Lots of good female LEOs have carried in purses for many years, and plenty of us on the regular citizen side of things too.

Yes, she does have to be careful etc etc (and shameless plug here, do have her check out the purse carry pages on Cornered Cat for some perspective). But that doesn't mean she shouldn't make that choice if that's what she really wants to do. As long as she understands that she does have other options, and isn't just choosing that one because she hasn't looked at the choices yet, it's all good.

Gun recommendations:

Given that she liked the Glock 26, be sure to get a Glock 19 into her hands for comparison's sake. Since she'll be carrying in a purse, the size difference makes no real difference on the carry side, but might make her happier on the shooting side of the ledger. (Um, remember that she'll need to choose an appropriate sized purse; some of them aren't designed for anything but little snubbies. Always order purses via phone so you can ask that kind of question of the seller.) Also have her try the G26 with & without grip extensions, as that can make a difference in how she feels about the gun.

Also try: XD9 subcompact, S&W M&P 9c, Kahr P9 (not PM9 unless she's already an experienced & confident shooter), Ruger SR9c.

Hope this helps. Oh, one more thing... tell her to come by here and ask a few questions herself. We don't (usually) bite new members, and it is a little easier to make recommendations that are on target with more direct feedback.

pax
 
All you probably really need to do , is go along and bring the credit card or some cash, and stay out of her way.... as well as let her know when someone is feeding her BS. And, encourage her to try them at the range before buying them.

When they ask us questions and for our advice, they are really only trying to feed our egos and make us think we're important in the process, when really .... we aren't.

The Army taught my Ex, she didn't need my advice. She could shoot better than any of us as well.
 
+ 1 for getting a ccw

-1 for knocking parasites suggestion of a revolver. As she is clearly unfamiliar with firearms so her not wanting a revolver is an uneducated decision.

-1 for thinking she's ready for ccw after being at a range several times.

P250SC is a good choice, long and smooth DAO
I prefer the S&W BG .380 for pocket carry.
Good luck
 
parisite meant well. But a lightweight, compact revolver is an expert's gun.

There are excellent beginner's guns available in both semi-auto & revolver types. There are also awful guns for beginners in both types. A superlightweight tiny gun of either type is an awful gun for a new shooter.

Is a revolver the "best" gun for a new shooter who doesn't want one? Nope. The best gun for a new shooter is the one that encourages them to learn more. If they hate the gun they start with, that will never happen.

pax
 
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