I need a gun recommendation

[DoubleJ]

I, personally, think the Glock 17 is an excellent choice for her. One thing to consider, also, is that the heavier a gun, the harder for someone to hold it level (someone without a lot of practice, that is), so they may not be as accurate. I'm sure with the proper amount of practice, she'd build up the necessary upper body strength, but I think we're looking for now, not later.

I think the Beretta idea is a good one, and I will add to the Bersa Thunder .380 line that it is a bit snappy. I bought one, and I couldn't shoot it fer nuthin'! the "tang" on that thing would hit me in the webbing of my thumb/index finger and was rather uncomfortable. On the other side though, my gf, at the time, could shoot lights out with that thing. she was smaller framed than I, and it fit her hand better.

as mentioned, the best thing to do is to have her try a few and see what works for her, and not "our" concept of what works for her.

I like TAM's idea of the PMR. I may pick one of those up some time just for grins! looks fun!

[karder]

I would agree with the suggestion to take your friend shooting a few times and get her used to the sport. Unless she has medical issues, such as arthritis, she can probably overcome the recoil sensitivity to some degree. I think the .410 shotgun is the best suggestion. Personally, I think a rifle in .223 might also be worthy of consideration. A shoulder mounted weapon is going to help her tolerate the recoil and fire a much more potent cartridge. A beretta cx4 storm will be outside your price range, but something similar may be just the ticket. If your friend has her heart set on a small caliber handgun, the Walther PPK .32 shoots straight and accurate and it gets good stylish points. For a home defense weapon, I would join those who recommend a shotgun though. Good luck.

[alvins]

if she is so sensitive to recoil all these plastic guns people are recommending isnt going to help one bit.

how about a 1911 with some slim grips?

[function12]

I still say #9 shot inside the house at inside the house ranges, 15 feet or less, the threat is not going to keep advancing. We are talking about inside the house home defence aren't we??
just my 2 cents.

[pbwalker]

I still say #9 shot inside the house at inside the house ranges, 15 feet or less, the threat is not going to keep advancing. We are talking about inside the house home defence aren't we??
just my 2 cents.

just be careful...the bad guy might find out you shot at him. and if he does, he's likely to get mad.

[slinco]

.38 may kick a bit for her but they are foolproof-no learning curve with a wheel gun.

[Katygunnut]

First off, this board is amazing. I have been swamped at work all day and just had a chance to revisit this thread. A ton of very valid, well thought out responses. Thank you all.

I actually like the idea of the PMR-30. Looks aside, it seems to fit the bill nicely. She will have to hit the BG multiple times, but she does have 30 rounds so that should be fine. Recoil should definitely not be an issue with that gun, which also means that she will practice with it so that she gets comfortable. However, after reading all the responses here and thinking about it sokme more, I will probably start her with some training and then move on to the actual gun selection.

As far as recoil, she is a bit weird. I have taken her shooting twice (the only two times she has ever been). The first time out, we shot rifles (at Americal Shooting Center in Houston). I brought a 10/22 knowing that she had never fired any gun before that time. She got bored with that and ended up shooting a couple mags from my AR-15 (.223) with no problem.

The second time, I took her to an indoor gun range with an assortment of handguns (as I mentioned in the OP). I think she was a bit spooked by the handguns for some reason. While I was laying the guns out in the stall, the guy next to us fired a .45 and she literally jumped 2 feet and let out a loud yelp. The poor guy thought he had hit her with the ejected casing or something. She was VERY nervous about handing and shooting the handguns (revolver or semi) and I think this nervousness may have exacerbated the recoil reaction. So hopefully it would get better with time and familiarity.

That brings me to the excellent suggestion of getting her some training. That same indoor range has a monthly class called "Women's intro to defensive pistol". I think I will start her there, and possibly also get her into a defensive shotgun class. I just bought a gun from a guy who teaches a defensive shotgun class and I still have his card. Maybe I'll give him a call.

The funny thing is that she is no stranger to guns, just had never fired one until about a year ago. Her (soon to be ex) husband has a gun safe full and goes shooting on a weekly basis, and her Dad actually bought her a gun as a birthday present when she was in her early 20's (it's currently on extended loan to a family member, but she thinks it is a revolver).

[maverick2076]

If we are going to throw long guns into the mix, I would heartily recommend a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 in 9mm (Glock mags) as well. I bought one last month and promptly took it and my wife to the range. My wife had never fired a rifle before, although she isa decent pistol shot. I gave her about a two minute block of instruction on how to load and charge the Sub 2K and how the sights work. She took it away from me, loaded a mag, chambered a round, and promptly emptied a 17 round mag, offhand, into an 8 inch circle at 15 yards as fast as she could acquire a good sight picture, which was about 1 round every 2 seconds. She lowered the muzzle, grinned, and told me to hand her another mag. She promptly emptied another hundred rounds of mixed Tula, WWB, UMC JHP's, and Federal Hydrashoks into the same circle. When she was done, she turned to me, still grinning, and said, "this is my rifle, right?" She has since done the same thing at 30 yards, and I'm looking for another Sub2K for myself...

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

I still think that the shotgun (.410) is best since she is a beginner. However, if she is looking for a pistol I will agree with the others above. The heavier the pistol the less the felt recoil is. I think a 1911 would be great for her. You can also get 1911s in 9mm. A heavy pistol in 9mm, felt recoil would hardly exist. With a little training she would have no problem shooting it.

My wife is about 5'2"ish and 110lbs soaking wet. She loves to shoot my 1911 (.45) and she shoots it great and doesn't mind the recoil.

[danpaw]

What about a Beretta 92? Not much recoil there. I think a lot of inexperienced female shooters just have a thing in their head about recoil. When my wife weighed about 110 lb she could shoot my S&W Mod 58, .41 mag with 4" . I'm not saying she could hit anything with it but she wasn't scared of it either. I believe that recoil phobia goes away with some range time. She needs that anyway.

[PeteCamp]

My suggestion is to steer away from a .410. Even with buckshot, it is a marginal defense weapon. 12" penetration (the FBI standard) is possible out of a long barrel, but why hoble her chances of survival? A 20 gauge is about the same recoil-wise as a 12 ga with low recoil Federal LE 132 00 buck loads. Most women have problems with long guns due to the LOP of the stock. A Hogue stock in the 12" variety on a Mossberg 500 12ga might be just the thing.

You might even find something like a Mossberg 930SPX in your price range. It is more soft-shooting than a pump. Note that sadly the short LOP stock will not work on the 930. An AR-15 would be a good choice, but way more money. Some other good suggestions made here.

However, I would make the suggestion that she attend a defensive shotgun class (or even a defensive handgun class) and do a lot of shooting before you consider just going out and buying a weapon for her. First, she needs the training more than she needs the gun, and she just might learn to handle recoil and then make your choice somewhat easier - not to mention much more effective. Good luck.

[Pyrat]

How about a Sig P226 Classic in .22LR using Stinger ammo with Sig Power modified magazines so it ups the mag capacity from 10 to 16? Low recoil and not a lot of noise. It also comes with a caliber conversion coupon which would allow her to upgrade to 9mm, .40S&W, or even .357SIG for $300 later on if she found the recoil was not as much of a factor once she was familiar with shooting. The P226 is also one of those pistols that can "take a lickin' and keep on tickin' ", so-to-speak, so even if she mistreats it it should function when needed.



As to the suggestion regarding a PPK in .32ACP, if that is the direction she decides to go, you might consider the PPK/s instead since the grip is just a bit bigger and would help to reduce felt recoil slightly.

One other thing to consider is the .22 would be more inexpensive to shoot and might lead to more practice time if finances are an issue.

[Smallestbodyman]

IMO. I would let her try the bersa thunder 380. They are a good size for smaller hands and don't have alot of recoil. I wouldn't be trying to get her a 22lr with sub sonic ammo to reduce noise. If there's enough noise for naighbors to hear then help could be closer then waiting on pd! I understand the not wanting a long gun. It could be hard to check around corners and slower getting up to use. But for starters I would stick with a 380 and not anything smaller then bersa size. You could go with something larger frame to even cut recoil that much more. But yes take her shooting and let her give input on what she likes just use your knolage as a guide.

[terryg]

I have been pondering a similar dilemma as well. But I am really nervous about the lack of stopping power of the .22. I am surprised to see so many are willing to consider it.

What about the new S&W Model 632 in .327? Probably too much recoil although American Rifleman reviewed it this month and described it as mild when using low-recoil "Hydra-Shok".

[bigred90gt]

A comfortable, relatively compact, .380 is the Walther PK380. The trigger has some slack, but it's easy to shoot and felt recoil is fairly low. It does have a couple of quirky "features". There is no external slide lock - the slide can only be locked back with an empty magazine. Secondly, the trigger actuates the hammer when the gun is on safety - the safety is not a decocker and it's takes getting use to pulling the trigger with the gun on safety and having the hammer fall. Also, it does not have a magazine safety - not a big deal, but the "sister" gun P22 has an external slide lock and a magazine safety. The P22 has the same "feature" of allowing the trigger to cause the hammer to fall when the safety is "on".

I bought my wife a Walther PK380, and have to agree with you on the recommendation. It really is a great shooting handgun. The felt recoil is almost non-existent, and it is as accurate as you can shoot it.