M&P Shield for wife...and my CC when we travel

Why a laser on a CC gun? It's just going to add more weight and bulk and add little to no utility. I would reconsider. As for an IWB holster, I have an alien gear that I like. There's also been several threads on holsters for the shield lately with some good suggestions, so you might try searching for those.

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She wanted to get a holster for it while it's in her purse

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Know that there are some serious downsides to purse carry that may not outweigh the upsides:

1. The gun isn't physically on you
2. The purse will likely be the first thing a snatcher wants to grab
3. Purse snatchings are very violent since the snatcher does not care about the victim and only wants the purse
4. The chances of a child digging into a purse and causing a negligent discharge are higher with a gun in there (a story in Missouri a couple years ago explained how a mother was shot in the head by her baby with a purse-carried handgun)
5. Having a gun in the purse may be better than not having a gun at all, but given these risks, that's something you'll have to weigh yourself.

It is much smarter to have her carry on her body. While the female body and female clothing styles make it trickier, there are plenty of resources online. Girl's Guide to Guns, Cornered Cat, The Well-Armed Woman, and others give a good resource for armed women to smartly carry concealed. Have her digest information from those resources before purse carrying.

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Also she wanted to get a laser sight on it.

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Agreed with the previous poster that it isn't really necessary to put a laser on it. While the laser allows you to keep your eyes on a threat more easily, those who get a laser tend to depend on it for putting accurate rounds on target. If you cannot instinctively use your firearm with the factory sights, you need more practice.

That being said, if you think having a laser will be an added benefit, I don't think anyone will discourage that decision. We're simply here to let you know it isn't entirely necessary.

EDIT:

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So no recommendations on laser manufacturer then? Other than the weight/bulk and you're against it?

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If you get one, purchase from Crimson Trace or Viridian.

Thank you Bapple. Well written and thought out post.
I think the real reason for the laser is when I'm on travel and she's home alone.

As I've told her before if we get invaded at home...just empty the magazine if you fear for your life. I'll deal with the legal system later. I'd rather her be in lock up than dead if it comes to that.

Totally agree with the comments 1-3 and 5. 4 is not an issue because we can't have children. Mostly the weapon will be on me rather than my 1911. Her CC is expired and we are waiting on Alabama's ruling on CC permits...it's in the State Senate today. But I know she'd be able to get one just fine.

If we got broken into...that means the criminal REALLY wanted something...with the ADT sign, the 2 80 pound dogs, and the other security measures...at that point...the guy must be near radical/stupid/on drugs to do something.

I truly think just getting about a 100 rounds of trigger pulling will get her comfortable with the weapon and this talk of laser will go by the wayside. As far as the carrying...likely me. But when she's home alone...it's all hers.

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As I've told her before if we get invaded at home...just empty the magazine if you fear for your life

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Well, not the most thorough advice but I get what you're mainly saying - if you're justified in using force, you can use a higher level of force than your attacker, i.e. it doesn't matter how many rounds are fired. But I wouldn't advise her completely empty the gun simply from being scared, especially with a mag capacity as low as the shield, which brings me to...

Why are you wanting this gun to serve double duty of carry gun and home defense gun? Why not have a dedicated full sized gun for home defense that's easier to shoot and holds more ammo? My girlfriend has a VP9 and I haven't met a single person who isn't able to shoot it easily. A full sized gun will always be exponentially easier to shoot than a subcompact. If you aren't having to carry it on you, there's no reason to limit yourself to a subcompact.

Or you can also go with a long gun as I do in my home. An AR15 is about the best home defense weapon you can use since the light, high-velocity projectile is more likely to break up when striking walls.

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If you think your wife is too small to shoot a fullsize I promise she is not, my 5'1 girlfriend says my 19 is her favorite gun to shoot.

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This would also raise the question - if you don't think your wife could handle a full sized gun, how would she be able to handle a subcompact? The full sized gun will be easier to handle in every regard except for concealing and carrying.

It sounds like you've been to the range already so I'm not questioning your wife's ability to handle the shield. If she's capable of handling the shield well, she will be shocked at how much easier a full sized gun is to handle and manipulate.

I understand your arguments for the long gun/full size pistol and I agree. But in the end it's her that has to be comfortable using the weapon as a tool.

She's comfortable with her shotgun and my AR-15 just fine. The only gun she won't touch is my .308, but that's overkill and not for home defense in this topic (it's not an AR weapon). Problem is, most of the time those weapons are locked in the liberty gun safe, so the time to get the weapon out could cause crucial time loss. She has handled the Shield before (her father has one that we shot a few magazines through) and she loved it. She's scared of my 1911 as well as the Ruger 9mm I have (she has small hands and doesn't feel as if she has a good grip on those weapons...and she doesn't like the muzzle jump of the .45). Historically it's been her shotgun she's requested I take out for her...and that's always a possibility again.

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She's scared of my 1911 as well as the Ruger 9mm I have (she has small hands and doesn't feel as if she has a good grip on those weapons

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She is severely limiting herself by not even trying other options.

What you need to focus on is grip width/taper. There are plenty double stack guns that have a thin grip (or adjustable sizes) for shooters with smaller hands.

Also explain to her that if she can handle the shield she will likely handle a full sized gun much better. If I need to list the pros of full sized guns, I have a saved post for that.

In the meantime, I'll paste another saved post I made a while back about grip taper:

_____________________

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And finally if she has really small hands she may have trouble with many double stack designs.

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Honestly, most grips that are tapered make it easy for women to shoot. I've seen this numerous times in my classes. The most well-liked guns that women shoot in my classes are my M&P full size, and my girlfriend's VP9. Guns like a Glock 19/17, FN FNS9, FNX45, Springfield XD, or any gun without a grip taper will feel 2x4ish. The "grip taper" I'm referring to is that the width of the grip increases as you get father from the slide. So it will be slimmer closer to the slide than at the magwell. Here's what I mean (notice the VP9 is slimmer at the top and the Glock has the same width throughout the grip):

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This is just not correct.

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Good correction. Should've specified the deadly force part.

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Typically I've noticed I get a lot of opinions without information from internet "bad asses" who stalk forums as a means to justify their existence...but not in this thread.

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Now I'm offended -- I thought I qualified as an internet bad arse.

I do not like a laser on a gun. That tells the perp and his friend exactly where you are. I like it to be a surprise when he hears the big boom. But that's just me.