purchasing a couple of hand guns, concealed carry....Recs?

I had a .40 sub compact for years. Shot great but it wasn’t easily concealable. So I bought a Ruger LCP .380. That was when those had just come out. Then all the small single stack 9mms started getting popular. I got rid of the LCP and now have an XDs. Perfect size for carry and still has a decent size magazine. Look at those and other similar 9mm for carry. I wouldn’t get another .380.

Find a gun store that has a shooting range. They rent a variety of guns. Try several, more importantly let your wife try those.
I have a Ruger LCP, a 9mm Shield snd a Sig 365, and I carry one of these daily. Mostly the LCP in 380 because it fits in a pants pocket with virtually no printing. The others fit nicely also but are larger and heavier. They’re also much more powerful being 9mm. I find the Shield more comfortable to shoot.
Whatever you end up with, practice, practice, and practice.

M&P shield is what I carry 99% of the time.

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No. Tiny .38s suck. Less capacity, harder to reload, harder to control.

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Unless a woman is really interested in hand guns most do not like dealing with semi-autos. 5 rounds in a small frame 38 are still way better than zero, the odds of anyone getting into a gunfight and needing to reload are infinitesimally small, most women, or men can control one effectively enough to hit someone 10-15 feet away in center body with no problem.

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Pull the trigger, and it goes bang. It's not that hard of a concept

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Once its loaded with one in the chamber, and the safety off (Glock excluded), three things most of the women I have taken shooting cant remember from one session to the next.

I pocket carry the Sig P238, it's perfect for concealed carry. Self defense ammo provides adequate protection and the gun itself is a great shooter. You'll actually want to carry this piece.

Everything you have stated against women using a semi auto can be negated with proper training.

Almost every CC class I’ve taught with a woman in it, one inevitably brings the “cute” 38 her husband got her. I insist that they bring some 9mm ammo to try in my full sized semi auto guns. I have yet to find one who prefers to shoot her revolver over a 9mm semi auto. Tiny 38s are small, snappy, usually have heavy and long triggers, have very minimal sights, and are a pain to reload. Yes, semi automatics can fail but I’ve seen just as many revolvers lock up as I’ve seen semi autos have temporary malfunctions (respected ones, that is). The key is to shoot them hundreds or thousands of times to build confidence in the gun that it is reliable. This is true for any defensive firearm.

As for the OP, if you are not skilled in handgun shooting I would look to get a full sized or mid sized 9mm first, especially for the wife. They are exponentially easier to shoot and provide a solid platform to learn hangun shooting before you buy a subcompact for carry. The suggestions Chat made are solid and there are a few others out there.

Once again....pull the trigger, and it goes bang. I don't walk around with an empty chamber.


One thing that I did remember after taking my gf shooting last time was that most girls like single or 1.5 stack guns. She could barely reach the trigger on a P226, but loved how the Mk2 felt. She said the Shield even felt a little fat.

When SHTF, she would be able to shoot any of my guns easily. You just pull the trigger. She does not like training with them though.

I'm thinking about getting a Buckmark for her to get comfortable shooting, and when I'm comfortable, buying a single stack to keep with her while she's in the city.

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a couple of hand guns

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