re: Opinions on 9mm models for women?

My wife loves her Glock 19 but also enjoys my Beretta cougar and my Sig. Don't buy it for her, buy it with her. Her input on feel is extremely important.

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Her input on feel is extremely important.

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This is what most people are referring to when they say "small" gun for women. Granted, some are talking about getting them the little snapper that is the LCP, but for the most part "small" refers to the width of the grip, which is the single most important dimension for a gun to feel comfortable to a shooter.

This is why some say women don't like Glocks and prefer others, which is why I suggest the S&W M&P as a good starter. You can change the grip to fit the exact hands of the shooter. I think that feature is great.

One thing women like to do that I suggest you try to prevent is her getting a gun because it's "pretty." Granted, this is a blanket statement, I think there are a lot of women who think this way. Be sure to stress comfort and go to the store with her. See what she likes and roll with it.

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Seems to me it'd be easier for someone to get discouraged with handguns they're already discounting, whether correctly or otherwise.

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Can't argue with this. Women = women.

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I see no ignorance in her starting off with a smaller gun that won't intimidate her.

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There's no "ignorance" involved. Anyone who has had a lot of "trigger time" (I'm referring to the pros of the world, not to myself) will tell you that a little gun is generally harder to control (follow-up shots) than a "full sized" gun (assuming the "full size" gun isn't too big to grasp).

When I say "full size" I'm not referring to caliber, but rather referring to the physical dimensions of the frame & barrel.

There's a point of diminishing returns in downsizing a handgun. A frame that's really small is hard to control. And short barrels (say 2") generally generate a lot more muzzle flip than a 4" or 5" barrel. And that "little gun" will probably have a lot more felt recoil than a larger gun in the same caliber.

I'd be leery of blanket acceptance of advice to "get her a small gun." She may need one - or really want one. If so, get her one. Just understand that, in exchange for a smaller, cuter, easier to conceal gun, you've accepted the trade-off of its being less reliable (than a "regular sized" M&P, or H-K, or Glock, etc.) less controllable, and probably more recoil.

I have never counseled a family member or a student to accept a less reliable gun just for the convenience of concealment, the comfort level of carrying a smaller gun, or the cuteness factor. Reliability should be the #1 criterion -- everything else is secondary.

Clint Smith (Thunder Ranch) will tell you that way too many people mistakenly buy a smaller gun instead of buying a "normal sized" gun and then making a reasonable accommodation to conceal it. He will also tell you that if the gun you are carrying is really comfortable, you've probably picked the wrong gun.

I realize the foregoing is not going to alter the opinions of some folks on this board. That's fine with me. That's why the gun manufacturers make so many different models -- not because they are equally good, but because somebody will buy them.

Starting your wife on a .40 or .45 is usually not a good idea, irrespective of the physical size of the weapon. A .22 is usually a great starting caliber -- especially if it's a "normal" sized gun.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

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The Walther P99 or the Walther PPQ

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I second the P99 (more specifically the P99 AS). It is SA/DA with a decocker. Feels great in the hand too. They are actually hard to find but I got on the 'alert' list a Bud's and it only took 2 weeks until they had one available.

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dawg23

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DAMN! powned him hard. He doesn't even want to respond.

I'm curious... Do you do any tactical handgun, shotgun, or rifle courses? I know you teach CCW classes but I would love to take a fast-paced more experienced shooter course.

Stickly, the PPQ has one of the best triggers of any striker-fired handgun out there. If the OP gets one, he'll love it.

And Nascar, I own an SR9c and I still continue to surprise myself with how well I shoot it every time I take it out. I love that damn thing.

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she's not afraid of rifles anymore

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This is what turns off new shooters, the "kick." You always hear the same questions, "Does it kick?", "Will it hurt?". My dad had me shoot a 20 gauge a little too early and it made me scared of shotguns for a while. I look back now and can't see what it was I was fearing. I love shooting, even if it beats me up a little bit. It's a lot more devastating on the other end of the barrel!