what to buy/small automatic for wife

[capnbo]

What would be a good choice for a small concealled carry automatic for my wife ? one that has a safety device as we have small grandchildren. Thanks for your recommendations.

[Lloyd Smale]

Personaly id say go for the lcp ruger. It doesnt have a safety but unless shes going to train alot a safety is something that you dont want or need. If you have children or grandchildren a lock box for when its in the house will make it completely safe.

[keith44]

The best safety device for handguns is training.  Teach the little ones both how to shoot, and not to touch without an adult present.  So what caliber? What price range?


Walther PPK is always a good choice, but so is the Ruger lcp, The NAA Guardian, Bersa, Kel-tek...Some have had good luck with Taurus, I have not, Beretta makes some good ones, Sig-Sauer, Glocks...


I take mine to the local dealer when I go and have her hold and manipulate several, she's picked out some good ones for herself that way.

[jcn59]

I have a Kel Tec PF-9  (9mm parabellum).  No safety but if you leave the chamber empty, little kids (& some women) can't pull the slide back to chamber a round.  Weighs about a pound.  Probably the smallest 9mm on the market, plus made in the USA.

[Empty Quiver]

The small tip up barrel Berettas are a pretty good place to start if you are talking .32ACP type small auto. Kahr makes some wonderful compact autos run a couple hundred rounds through them to insure they have broken in nicely.

[tobster]

I bought my wife a Ruger LC9. I really like ...er....I mean she really likes the ergonomics and the trigger pull is quite manageable. Makes me wonder why they can't put a decent trigger on their rifles. I would recommend it as one of the better choices.

[Mikey]

capnbo:  take your wife shopping for a pistol, don't buy her something you think she might like.  She needs to be comfortable with whatever it is she finally winds up with.
 
One thing I would suggest is not to get her something that 'experienced' handgunners and shooters might consider.  If she has neither the experience of shooting and carrying a centerfire pistol then i would most strongly suggest not getting her something a well trained man would or might perfer. 
 
I can tell you for a fact that the smaller 380s and 9mms are not fun to shoot and many of the men I know who own them shoot them very little but carry them a lot.  The problem here is that when and if they are ever called on to use them they have a limited number of shots and almost as much limited practice withplacing those shots where it will count. 
 
Of all the 380s out there I would recommend it would be the Walther Pk380.  8 shots in the mag and one up the snout gives you 9, and the pistol is easy to shoot and learn on.  It also has a ambidexterous safety.  I bought one of those rather than a PPK due to improved ergonomics, sights and controls on the Pk380.  For ammo, plain ball is the best 380 ammo you can use in those smaller pistols, imo.

[Brett]

What Mikey said.  The only thing I would ad is if she is set on having a .380acp have her consider  the Bersa Thunder.  It has a steel frame and is a little heavier and a little bigger than even some 9mm pistols but that is what makes it easier to shoot than a lot of the 'Tupperware' guns in either .380acp or 9mm. 

[Hairy Chest]

What would be a good choice for a small concealled carry automatic for my wife ? one that has a safety device as we have small grandchildren. Thanks for your recommendations.

I don't know what kind of 'safety device' you are talking about.  Are you referring to a gun safety?  The best safety from grandchildren is a gun safe.     

[SHOOTALL]

I would ask has your wife got experince with a small auto ? Most women I have let shoot one find them not the best choice. Best to take the wife to a well stocked gun store and let her handle a few in the price range you want to stay in. Racking the slide on smoe small autos can be a pain and a woman will tell you if she dosen't feel comfortable doing so. My wife did not care for small  autos instead likes a small revolver . She says its easier to load and shoot. She does not worry about grip and FTF caused by a poor grip or limp wrist either which could occure in a fight. She will shoot a LC-9 some though. Two other ladies both find the LC-9 OK. Not enough to base fact on but what I have seen . BTW most women I know like Glock for some reason.

[evidrine]

Bought my wife the Taurus pt709 slim 9mm. Its small, light, and very accurate with little recoil. I went through a lot of guns to find one that had the features that we both wanted. It has a low profile safety that is easy to work and will not snag on anything causing it to switch off. There is no hammer to deal with and the slide action is one of the lighter ones on the market. Trigger pull is not bad either. I really like this little gun. We were both very impressed with it.

[capnbo]

Thank you all for the great advice and recommendations. I will take her to a gunshop and she how
the guns feel to her and if she is comfortable pulling back a slide on a compact auto. She has shot my S&W chief special .38 and handled it well. I agree with the comments about a gun safety. Thank you
again for the input.

[hillbill]

my mom recently purchased a colt mustang 380.i thought
 it was a really nice lil gun but she didnt like it even before she shot it. i took her to a gunshow and when i wasnt looking somehow she sold it for more than she bought it new for. then she found a little smith snubby 38 that she really likes.just felt better to her and was more simple. no saftey tho.

[1911crazy]

The CZ82 in 9mm mak or the CZ83's in 380acp or 32acp are awesome pistols with the DA first shot.  For smaller the CZ50 or CZ70 which have the DA first shot too.  This is all i own so far in smaller auto's but there flawless.

[DDZ]

If she is dead set on a semi check out the Smith M&P Shield. Its very similar in size to the LC9, has a better trigger, and has a safety. Its a bit more money than the LC9, but not much more. It also is made in 40s&w. Its not quite pocket size, but I can carry it just stuck in my waistband.
I agree if she is not familiar with handling/shooting a semi, a revolver is best.