Recs for a 9mm for wife that could be used for CCW.

Shield
LC9s

Sig p938


If you don't mind 380 the sig p238 is a nice CCW.

I doubt she will actually conceal carry but have in the car. I'm thinking CCW size so she feels more comfortable with it. Granted what ever I get her she will have to goto the range and get comfortable with the weapon but a smaller size would fit her better. Just looking for what to start her with looking at and what to avoid. Looks like I need to avoid Taurus.

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I doubt she will actually conceal carry but have in the car.

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If that's the case, go full size. See below for explanation.

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I'm thinking CCW size so she feels more comfortable with it.. but a smaller size would fit her better.

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You've got two different trains of thought going on here:
1. She'll be more comfortable w/ a smaller gun.
2. A smaller gun will "fit" her better.
Neither one are necessarily true. Generally speaking, a smaller/lighter version of a gun is more difficult to shoot and handle well than the larger/heavier version of the same gun. Most smaller versions of a standard size gun just have a shorter grip and barrel (e.g Glock Model 17, 19 and 26). Start her off on a model 26 because it's "smaller" and she probably won't like it. When dealing w/ guns, lighter means more recoil. More recoil is not well-received by a lot of shooters, especially new ones.

The reason for a CCW size gun is to facilitate carrying it concealed. Since she has a car in which to "conceal" her gun, there's no need to make the gun "small." Instead, look at a full size gun that fits her hand well enough that she'll be able to handle it well. If she can handle a full size double stack magazine gun like the Glock model 17 or the slightly smaller (shorter grip and short barrel) model 19, that's great for her. If here grip is better suited for a single stack magazine gun (e.g. 1911's, Shield, Kahr's, Springfield XDs, a number of Sig Sauers, et al), then go that direction. Let her handle and shoot as many guns as she can. Point her the right direction, but let HER make the final decision. A pocket sized 380 might feet her grip well, but lots of women don't like it's "snappy" recoil. Get the BIGGEST gun she can easily handle.

There's some good info specific to women in this article. LINK /

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TigerOnThe Hill

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A solid voice to back me up!

I don't know a single girl that would rather shoot a pocket pistol than a full-sized gun. They all hate them and only shoot one mag. I hate pocket pistols also

1. Listen to TigerOnTheHill. The only modification I'd suggest to his list would be to delete the guns that have external safeties (e.g. the 1911). That may seem counterintuitive for a person who probably won't practice a lot. But she might forget, under the stress of a carjacking, to deactivate a safety. (Remember -- safeties don't make a gun safe, any more than the Affordable Care Act is making health care affordable).

2. Pay for a lesson with an NRA certified instructor. Shouldn't cost much, and will pay dividends. Most wives learn better from someone other than a spouse.

3. Stick with the 9mm. Ammo is cheaper and more plentiful than some of the other calibers people have suggested.

4. If you get a Glock 19 or 17 (the "gold standard" for reliability), try to find a Gen 3 version. Then you'll have the option of buying an Advantage Arms Conversion Kit (AACK) which will let her practice with .22LR ammo (inexpensive, low recoil, low noise).

5. If you live near Baton Rouge, Precision indoor range has guns to rent. This would let her "test drive" 2 or 3 guns before you plunk down a few hundred $$ on a purchase.

She's going to hold it with both hands so get a full sized.