suggestions for a female friend of mine?

[pbkid6974 1]

Not really sure where to post this.

 

So i took a female friend of mine to the range today. Being her first time ever being up close and actually handling a firearm she was scared, nervous and excited. obviously, she coundn't hit the broad side of a barn being all of those things, but she did enjoy herself. I know my guns aren't suited for a first time shooter being a Colt rail gun in .45 and a SA EMP in .40 but she did enjoy shooting and now wants to get her FID card and buy her own.

 

So I'm looking for suggestions from other females (or guys for what the women they know like to shoot) to kinda point her in the right direction. something good for the range, HD , and eventually carry as she want to get her FL/UT non resident somewhere down the line. She liked the size and feel of the EMP so I told here she should look into it in 9mm. however, I have no experience with that particular caliber yet so I couldn't really give accurate advice.

[NJReloader 0]

Was she okay with loading magazines and racking the slide? My wife has problems with both tasks, so I got her a revolver. It's a heavy .357 with a shorter barrel which really soaks up the recoil of .38spl, and she no longer has to worry about magazines or slides.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[Sandy 44]

Well , I started with a .45 1911 , then got a .40 cal , a revolver , just got my 1st 9mm so I guess I went backwards lol

 

If she has small hands ( or even if she doesn't) the S&W MP in 9mm is a great choice. Of all the handguns my husband and I have this one is by far the easiest to rack and it comes with a small , medium , and large backstrap that changes instantly so you can both use it comfortably. Cant go wrong with it. I also have 2 revolvers. Have not tried my model 19 yet , but I tried my husbands. My other one is a model 60. The model 19 in a 4" barrel shoots .38s nice and soft , and I did not feel the magnums. My model 60 is a bit ..uh..kickish with .357s in it , but fine with 38s. I also have a CZ ( as does my husband) ..they are known for ergonomics and for being great for smaller hands.

 

But my snap recommendation for any woman would be the M&P in a nice 9mm. I went with Pro Series. I like the trigger and it does not have the magazine disconnect safety option. I have it in .40 cal and find it very nice to shoot. I have handed it to a few women who have never shot before and they were fine with it.

[Arbelest 29]

My girlfriend really enjoyed shooting my .22 but for HD and CCW a larger caliber will be of better choice. IrishPetesWife should chime in at somepoint on this subject... beat...

[Sandy 44]

Also , for women who have trouble racking the slide , try pushing forward with the strong hand while the weak hand is pulling the slide the back. That way the weak hand is not doing all the work. Just remind them to keep it pointed down range while they try it that way

[checko 180]

She started with a .45 now everything will be easy for her.

 

HD you can go with .357 mag and .38 for plinking.

9mm will be nothing for her.

 

You can really go anywhere from here.

[pbkid6974 1]

She had problems racking the slide of the EMP. It has a really tight spring as it still has less than 300 rounds through it. But, with a little bit more time and getting familiar with it I don't think she would have a problem. she got the 5 in. slide racked no problem.

 

i will definitely check out the M&P at some point. and although, I'm not really a fan of wheel guns, it is a viable option because it isn't for me. I know they go boom every time, but I just don't like the feel of them. I couldn't/didn't suggest any because i have no experience with them. are the model 19 and 60 s&w? its worth looking into. I did try to teach her that little push/pull method of racking the EMP, but she was just too far out of her element to comprehend... I will work with her on that one though.

 

I know for CCW you should carry what you're most comfortable shooting. However, I would not feel comfortable putting a .22 in her hands without trying the larger calibers first for a carry weapon. It is a fantastic idea for the range and training with the fundamentals , and on my list for the near future.

 

It wasn't really about the caliber. Its more the perceived recoil. She liked the .45 better than the .40 because the larger gun had less perceived recoil. She was still nervous to squeeze the trigger being her first time ever shooting.

[vortex0178 3]

Not sure what the fuss is about over the slide being hard to rack. Assuming your handgun is DA/SA or SAO, if it's hard to rack, just cock the hammer then rack it - cocking the hammer probably accounts for more than half of the strength required to rack a slide.

[tony357 386]

my daughter likes my 686 out of all my pistols she shoots 38's out of it..

For plinking or target shooting you cannot go wrong with a 22 rimfire keep it on the larger side it is easier to handle when loading and racking, no compacts..

[Gun Guy in NJ 10]

All the woman I have taught to shoot have really liked the Glock 19

[Smokin .50 1,907]

In reality there is not ONE gun that perfect for target range, carry and home defense. So it's either more than one gun or some sort of compromise......

 

If a person can't rack a slide with the weak hand to clear a jam, then they shouldn't be carrying that gun CCW!

 

My suggestion is to figure-out what grip size she needs, and then go from there. She's brand new to shooting and shouldn't even consider carrying at this point since as you put it, "she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn"! In my 44+ years of shooting I've taught a lot of different folks to shoot all sorts of firearms. A 4" tubed revolver in sigle-action mode will give greater accuracy to a new shooter than ANY auto. It was fun for her just shooting your .45, since it's recoil and blast felt cool, but for the next trip to the range, she'll WANT to at least hit the target. Learning trigger control and breathing in single action mode will get her in the black. IF she just loves a 1911 frame, may I suggest a STI Spartan in 9mm. Relatively economical to purchase & shoot and has a single-action trigger pull. Otherwise the revolver in .357 loaded with .38+P's will do just fine for HD......

 

Dave

NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

Competitive Shooter w/ Pistols-Rifles-Shotguns

[mcbethr 42]

All the woman I have taught to shoot have really liked the Glock 19

^^^^^^^^^^^^ This.

I hate Glocks, but I won't let my bias influence my suggestions. It's the Goldilocks of guns.

 

I would also look into the M&P Compact and the PX4 Compact. Here's why: All 3 guns fall into this sweet spot of size where they are concealable under the proper cover garment, but also work well as range and HD guns. IMHO, the PX4 Compact is the ideal gun if you like DA/SA triggers and cream-puff recoil. If you are near the Cherry Hill area, you are welcome to come to the range with me sometime and see for yourself.

 

If she has smaller hands, I would suggest looking into the Kahr line of firearms, since those are mainly single-stack and could fit her well if she has smaller hands.

 

Whatever you do. don't steer her toward a .38 snub. My blood boils when I see gun store owners shoveling first time shooters Ladysmitths.

 

Thanks for introducing a new shooter. Best of luck to her.

[MsM&P9 0]

Hi. This is a great post. I can relate to your woman friend. I too was taken to a range with a friend having never picked up a gun in my life. I was a nervous wreck and obviously a terrible shot having never used a gun. I did however end up thoroughly enjoying myself. I shot a few of my friend's guns at that time and then picked up a handgun belonging to his friend who was with us and shot it. It was an M&P9 (9mm). I loved the way it felt in my hand, I obviously wasn't a great shot with that one either, but had the best experience with that one. Later on the friend who took me to the range came across a YouTube channel he shared with me and a couple of videos in particular. This one (http://www.youtube.c...eature=g-user-u) by Faliaphotography. If for any reason you cannot get the link to work, search for it's title "Smith & Wesson M&P9c - Full Review of An Exceptional Pistol". I subscribe to this woman's channel on YouTube. Pass this link onto your friend, she might find it useful. So, I researched the M&Pc compact and rented it to try on a trip to an indoor range. And, I absoutely love it. It is a perfect first handgun for a woman. There are interchangeable grips and it is an extremely comfortable handgun for a woman with small hands. And I can proudly say I loved it and shooting so much that I went through the FID process and got my permit -- I now own the M&P9c! Check out my other posts.

 

Good Luck to your woman friend. Have her come back here and share when she buys her first gun -- she can then proudly state she's among the proud female gun owners in NJ!

[RubberBullets 65]

My wife enjoyed shooting my .40 p226, however racking the slide was near impossible (even with the tips for racking for women) I bought her an M&P40 to use with a 9mm conversion and she loves it. adjustable backstraps are great to allow comfort between her hands and mine, and she was able to rack it right out of the box unfired.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

My wife likes my full size M&P with the small backstrap as well. Its still a little big for her though and i bet a M&Pc would be perfect.

[pbkid6974 1]

Well she told me she didn't really like the look if the plastic wonder guns (glock m&p xd etc...) but I will take her up to heritage guild in Easton maybe or somewhere else to rent some guns and try them out before she buys one. I will let her read this thread next time I see her.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

Kahr makes single stack all metal guns. How about a 1911?

[BigHayden 77]

All the woman I have taught to shoot have really liked the Glock 19

 

I took my Mother-In-Law shooting for the first time for her birthday this year. She hated the Glock 19. Thought the trigger was too gritty. She loved my 9mm EMP. Thought the trigger was great on that. Made me proud.

 

As an aside, she also thought the SR22 trigger was a little gritty, but she did well with it. Next time I'll take my Buckmark for her to try, since that has a decent single action trigger too.

[Sandy 44]

If she does not like plastic , definitely start trying CZs. They are notoriously good for smaller hands , women usually love them. I have a CZ75BD 9mm and my husband a CZ75 SP01 tactical in .40. Both are heavy and have very low perceived recoil , and are definitely fit for smaller hands. They do seem to have a stiffer rack though.

 

A 1911 in 9mm would also probably be good ( never shot one myself) . I have one in .45 , and wound up having the trigger shortened and the slim grips put on for trigger reach issues , and it fits my hand like a glove now . I love shooting it.

 

I also hated the Glock 19. Did not fit my hand at all.

[lunker 274]

I just applied for my change of address and my wife applied for her first NJ FID. I have a feeling she is going to be making me transfer my Browning BuckMark UDX over to her with her first permit.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

If she does not like plastic , definitely start trying CZs. They are notoriously good for smaller hands , women usually love them. I have a CZ75BD 9mm and my husband a CZ75 SP01 tactical in .40. Both are heavy and have very low perceived recoil , and are definitely fit for smaller hands. They do seem to have a stiffer rack though.

 

A 1911 in 9mm would also probably be good ( never shot one myself) . I have one in .45 , and wound up having the trigger shortened and the slim grips put on for trigger reach issues , and it fits my hand like a glove now . I love shooting it.

 

I also hated the Glock 19. Did not fit my hand at all.

 

Isnt the CZ75 a plastic gun too? Or you have it in stainless??

[Duppie 73]

Isnt the CZ75 a plastic gun too? Or you have it in stainless??

The CZ 75 is a all steel gun in all of it's configuration and weighs in at over 2 lbs.Actually heavier that most 1911 platforms I understand.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

Oh ok, i didnt realize that... Ill be in the market for a SA/DA all metal pistol soon myself

[lunker 274]

Oh ok, i didnt realize that... Ill be in the market for a SA/DA all metal pistol soon myself

 

I feeli like most folks really like the CZ pistols. I love my 85 Combat.

[Duppie 73]

Oh ok, i didnt realize that... Ill be in the market for a SA/DA all metal pistol soon myself

If you're interested in the CZ start looking now,they have gained in popularity and is getting harder to come by to the point that CZ USA claimed not to be able to keep up with the demand even after ramping up production by a third. but then again that seems to be the case with all manufactures.

[mcbethr 42]

Oh ok, i didnt realize that... Ill be in the market for a SA/DA all metal pistol soon myself

 

Nothing wrong with the Beretta 92FS or Sig P226 if you are looking for yourself.

 

My wife actually likes the Beretta 92FS more than the lighter weight PX4. Hey, I don't judge. That's why they make different guns.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

thanks fellas

[302w 83]

Bring her to a range like RTSP (anywhere that rents) and have her try various firearms.

 

I'm going to reccomend a S&W Model 10(blued) or 64(stainless). K Frame (medium) revolvers in .38 +P that one can beat the snot out of. Weak target loads are effortless, and a lot of various +P rounds are out there. I like the Remington JHP 125gr +P's, because I can buy a 100 round box for $30 at Walmart. Pick your barrel length of 2", 3", or 4".

 

I paid $300 for my 64 4".

 

If you're really interested in a "hot" defensive load, Buffalo Bore makes some GREAT .38 spl. I would carry (if I could) a good 158gr LSWC +P.

[Sandy 44]

The CZ 75 compact version , which I have ( my husband has the all steel full size )does have some alloy parts I believe , but it still has the look and heft of an all metal gun. The full size is all steel. I do find I like a heavy gun

[609thomasm 0]

When shopping for my wifes gun she had problems with many models to the point the gun shops where recommending a revolver. She did not want a revolver so we kept looking until a shop showed her the smith & wesson M&P in .40 cal. She had no problems with any of the functions including firing. She bought the m&p in 9mm. She loves it, it's been a good gun