ranger56528

Most good CCW classes the instructor(s) should have several handguns there for you and your wifeto look at and handle and shoot if possible.The guy that gives classes out were I live has about 15-20 differant handguns,he passes them around while class is going on so everyone can check them out and if he is in a good mood he wont charge you for the ammo you shootup.Plus alot of people bring thier own for qualification,and will let you look at them also.
2nd amendment at its best.......

Red Lion

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions, I really do appreciate them.

Wolf651

Kel-Tec PT9 or P11 they are both 9mm. I use to have a PT9 but sold it and bought the P11 because it holds more rounds. Very reliable gun, I use it as my C&C gun. It has never jammed on me, fired lots of rounds at the range just to see if it jamed andit has work flawlessly.

ipscshooter

I second this choice. Simple, rugged, accurate. A revolver is probably a better choice unless she is going to be going to the range quite a bit to become proficient with the more complex workings of a semi-auto.

HEAD0001

J-Frame S&W all the way. Or any other small frame revolver. Semi-auto is a bad idea for beginners. Most people for their first firearm go the inexpensive way. I would say that an inexpensive revolver is ten times more reliable than an inexpensive semi-auot. Do not worry about getting yelled at, worry about your wife's protection. Tom.

eldeguello

IF you insist on a semi-auto, I would have her begin with a .22 LR semiauto like a Ruger, and let her shoot alot until she acquires some marksmanship skill. But even more important, if you are going to equip her with a semi-auto, is for her to developINSTINCTIVE safe handling habits. It is a serious mistake to equip a beginner with a semi-auto without making ABSOLUTELY SURE the person learns to handle it safely and effectively! Otherwise, it is more dangerous to her and the rest of the family than to the bad guys!! Believe me. I've seen this happen, even in the Army, by people who had been given the "required training!!"

Once she gets to the point where she can safely and effectively employ the Ruger 22, get her a small version of the Kimber 1911-types in .40 S&W, or better yet, .45 ACP. My wife is 5'3" tall, and will not shoot any handgun except for "my .45", as she calls it!!

Avoid all the pipsqueak "pocket pistols" and their pipsqueak cartridges - the .22 LR hollowpoint is A MORE EFFECTIVE DEFENSE roundthan the .25, .32 ACP or .380!

If you don't want to spring for a .22 semiauto, start her off with your .357 revolver, shooting .38 Special wadcutter target ammo. It has about the same recoil as the .22, is very accurate, and not too loud. Make sure she has real good ear protection -I've seen more beginners scared away from handguns by the NOISE they make than by recoil!

[email protected]

The 22lr is more effective than the 25 acp, but not so with the others. Good hp ammo will outpreform a 22 rimfire any day by a large margin in the 32 or the 380. The Kel Tec 380 is often hard to find because so many police officers are buying them for backup, and by the way I think they can still be had for around $250 when you can find them. The Beretta models with the tip up barrel solve the problem of racking the slide,and also simplify unloading. I'm not trying to distract from the benefits of the revolver but only to give credit where credit is due. It's like learning to drive a car, everyone should have to learn in a stick shift, then they would be able to drive anything in an emergency!

ranger56528

Wolf.
I just bought the Kahr CW9.Ive got about 420 round thru it with no problems(put away my Ruger P95DC).Its a very nice CW,fits way better then the Ruger.
I was at the sport shop today and bought a electric ice auger and while there ordered the KAHR CW40.Got it for 420.00 bucks.Will be in nxt week cant wait.its the same as the CW9.
When they say shoot at least 200-300 rounds thru it before you use it as a CW,do it.It makes a big differance.the 1st few rounds I was getting second thoughts, but buy the time I got into the 150-200 it started to group way way better and got better the more I shot it....It needs a good break in.I carried the Ruger so long I had to adjust to the smaller frame and grip.

geoffh

I know of a guy who supposedly knew guns real well and one day while going to clean his 25 auto was interrupted by the phone. Lets just say he swears the gun was empty when he missed a main artery in his leg by a fraction of an inch. No, they are not very complex but-and don't ask why the idiot dropped the hammer while the gun was pointed at his leg-but a revolver is easier to clear and a double action is pretty hard to accidentally pull through.
One other thing about autos that people don't think about too much is the matching of the power of a load to the recoil spring of the gun. If you fire an auto without enough resistance to recoil provided by the shooting hand you've got a failure to feed guaranteed. My buddy and I once loaded up some 'cheapy' lead reloads for his 9mm. We had no problems at all with feeding until we let his wife take a turn, every other shot didn't cycle the gun fully. If you decide on the auto route I'd definitely practice different holds on the gun while firing. No, I'm not saying women are limp wristed, that's just a gun design thing that doesn't take into account that people are different.
I think basically the .38 special double action revolver is the wayto go, especially when your talking about a self defense gun

strob2

I am real surprised on all the different choices that were mentioned, some of which I would shy away from, and some that I would go for.

RedLion asked about a pistol that has stopping power and not break the bank. Personaly in a semi autoI would not go with anything less than a 9mm and the 9mm would be a conditional buy for me. They are nice because of the size of the cartrage and you can carry more. I would look into a 40s&w or a 45acp for the real stopping power.
In a revolver I would go with a 357 mag due to the fact that it can be shot with 38's for learning and practice and not break the bank on a box of ammo.

As far as making a suggestion I would suggest going to a gun shop and looking at several diffrent handguns and see what feels best in her hands. Lets face it the gun that fits her best is going to be the most enjoyable for her shooting.

Shane