Wife surprised me, wanting CC class - need gun

So...manageable recoil, reasonable weight, comfortable narrow grip (probably single stack), good sights, a safety that's easy to understand and manage. For me, a rail to attach a laser sight or light.
Click to expand...
I recommend the Ruger SR9c...

HPIM7193.jpg



It's a 9mm, which is plenty enough for self defense IMHO.
And Rugers can handle 9mm+P and +P+ loads just fine if you want a little more "thump".

The recoil is easily managed.

It weighs only 23.40 oz. empty.

The sights are metal and the rear sight is adjustable.

It has a simple ambidexterous manual safety that is easy to see and operate.

The loaded chamber indicator is easily seen (even if it's not the most elegant).

And while it is a double-stack 9mm, it is rather slim in the hand.
And the backstrap is adjustable too.

There are 3 magazine options:
A 10-round mag. with a flush bottom, a 10-round mag. with a finger extention (as seen in my picture), and a 17-round mag. with a sleeve.

The trigger on the SR9c is exceptionally nice.
Very short and very crisp for a striker-fired pistol, with virtually no slop or extra travel.

It's a very accurate shooter.

And best of all, it's not too expensive.


Here's a link to Ruger's website...

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr9c/models.html
 
Thanks Peaceful, I will definitely add that to my must-see gun list. That might be just the thing to keep the wife happy and shooting.
 
For a ccw pistol it is hard to beat a walther PPS. Good size, very thin, very light, available in 9x19 or .40 cal. Very dependable.

My PPS was the first pistol I purchased for CCW. I have never looked for another.
 
Just got back from the big gun store. Wife and I looked at many semi-autos but have more to check out later. Her favorite was the Ruger P9s, though it was a bit small for my hand. Any 1911 is just too big for her. I've still got Walthers and CZ's to look at, and the possible choices from S&W look like too many to count. If I could just find a 45 ACP that fit us both, I'd be happy. I saw a new Taurus 45 that looked about right, but I haven't heard much good on this forum about Taurus semi's.
 
entry level handguns; striker fired vs hammer fired DA only...

I'd suggest a hammer fired compact DA only pistol over a striker type design because she can learn to keep her thumb on the hammer as she re-holsters.
She also can learn to shoot & aim spending time on marksmanship know each and every fired round has the exact same trigger pull.
A DA only semi auto pistol also lowers the chance of any false or bogus claims by a criminal investigator or lawyer that she "fired by accident" or due to stress or panic fired "recklessly".
A arguement could be made for some striker fired models like the Glock or S-A XDm but in fairness, sworn LE officers(like FBI special agents) spend hours shooting these issue sidearms & are required to pass strict qualifications too.
Even with these standards, ADs & NDs occur.
A training instructor I had met a few years ago told our class how a high ranking state trooper told him that every police barracks or troop office in the state had at least 1 bullet hole in the ceiling, ;) .
In closing, if you are looking at 9mm/.40S&W striker pistols, the new Smith & Wesson SD series with the home defense kits could be a good choice.
Clyde
 
ccw

I've only been into semi-autos for about three years and have tried quite a few and found that the Ruger P95 works fine for me for everyday carry plus you can get fairly light weight and carry 15+1 9mm at a pretty fair price for ammo. Handle one and you too might like it. Ed Taylor, S Ms. I am not a sales person as i have .38's, .357 Colt and my wife says too many more.
 
The wife and I are going shopping again (different city) on Friday and I'll visit a couple of gun stores that I know about. I did look at the Ruger P95 yesterday, but didn't think it was quite what we needed, though I will take another look. Having 16 or 17 rounds might be a bit more than we need, though I suppose that's better than having one round LESS than I need. The Smith Home Defense pistol (or pistols) appear to be worth a look, so I'll see if they have a couple of them to handle. One of the places I'm going tomorrow is a big pawn shop that is mostly gun-focused. They should have many used semi-autos. I'll see what they have and what their prices look like.
 
The 36 is a snappy little gun. You may look at 9mms as the first choice. There are more options for pistol size, weight, and muzzle energy than any other common defense caliber in an auto. With a heavily built gun, there is the +P+, and that's nothing to sneeze at. At the bottom end, standard (american) pressure rounds with a good bullet design are still better than a .380. The ammo is cheaper than any other center fire ammo. For her, you might look at the smaller sigs, the Glock 19 and 26, the Ruger SR9, the Ruger LC9, and the M&P series, to name a few. I've had good luck with the M&P and Glocks, but I'm not a Sig fan. Some love them.
 
Ok...been shopping and examined a lot of semi-autos (Sig, Beretta, Springfield, Ruger, S&W, and Colt). The wife and I were both very impressed with the Beretta PX4 Storm, F series. Haven't bought it yet, but will do so soon, and in 9 MM, after I do some price comparisons. I'd prefer the 45 ACP, but will settle for the 9 MM.
 
Yes, this version does have the rotating somethingorother. Is it the whole barrel that rotates or is it just a rotating bolt? I didn't ask for clarification on that. I was impressed by most everything about the pistol, including the double action trigger pull, which was long but smooth and consistent. It appears to be just exactly what I was looking for in a semi-auto, though like I said, personally I'd prefer the 45. The wife will be very pleased with the recoil of the 9 mm. She's getting into this whole issue and was vocal on what pistols she liked and which that she didn't, and why she didn't. She isn't a shrinking violet.

And, one of the local guys that gives the CC permit classes had bought a couple of these pistols for range use and said that there were a couple thousand round through them by now without a hiccup of any sort. That's good news.
 
I am not an expert gunsmith, but it is my understanding that the entire barrel rotates in the full-size and compact versions of the PX-4, but not in the subcompact version.

I have not had opportunity to shoot one, but those who have report that they are very soft on recoil, due in part to the fact that the rotation absorbs some of the energy of the recoil. I asked because of your mention that your wife was a bit more sensitive to recoil than you. I would be interested in hearing more feedback from you and your wife in the coming days and weeks, because I am considering the PX-4 for my daughter.
 
Concure, let the wife pick it out. She needs to make sure it fits her, It points properly, and she is comfortable with it.

The only thing you are there for is to make sure that some salesman doen't sell her something which is totally wrong for her.

I once watched a saleman almost con a lady into buying an name brand pistol which she could not reach the trigger.

When he turned his back I recommended she go to a different store. The clerk/owner helped her select a pistol that met her criteria for about half the
price of the one being foisted on her.

I under stand that she resolved a domestic siuation later.
 
Tailgator, I guess we'll go actually buy the PX4 in a couple of weeks. We plan to shoot it a lot, and those are words from the wife. She wants the CC course, and it's important to her that she shoots good when she's around other folks. Once we've had some time with the pistol, I'll give a report on it. As for letting her pick the gun, I just made sure that she saw pretty much all the types and makers and let her choose. I showed her 1911's (too big for her hands) and little Walthers and almost everything in between. Her definite favorite as for feel and ergonomics was the Beretta PX4. Second place was the Ruger P9s, and I agreed with her. Either would do just fine, but the Beretta was just a little better. Of course, I say all this never having shot either one of them, so our research isn't quite complete.
 
The PX4 has a separate block that fits in under the barrel, which has a diagonal groove. A stud on the barrel fits into the groove during assembly. Rearward movement of slide and block rotates the barrel.

Make sure to lube the block when you clean the gun.

And no, the sub barrel doesn't rotate, it tilts a la Browning. Compact and full size barrels rotate. The compact is quite concealable.
 
Bernie, if his wife likes the PX4 better, why recommend the SR40 (which she didn't like quite as much)?

PX4 .40 Compacts hadn't hit the shops yet, when last I checked, but they are supposed to be coming out. Still, for a new shooter, the 9 probably makes more sense. Less recoil, and less cost - which is critical for people who are learning to shoot a new weapon.
 
Yes, she's found the gun she wants and I'm not going to do anything now to confuse the issue. What's funny to me is that the gun and bullets aren't the full cost of this exercise. Like I mentioned, she wants to be shooting good when she takes the class. In addition, I promise you that she will have bought a new outfit, got a hair trim, and tried to lose yet a few more pounds. There might even be some concern about how she can 'coordinate' her outfit to match the gun, and that probably means new shoes too, and maybe new sunglasses. She's a 'girlie girl' so all this stuff matters. I'll keep my mouth shut through it all. And I should mention that she can really shoot. This will all be very interesting, and fun.:)
 
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