Looked at a Ruger American today. It is a striker fire and had a nice trigger pull and felt good. Only $435.00 new.

What do you think of that pistol?


BH63

Ruger makes good hand guns.

The Ruger LCP2 is really nice, small, reliable, and very inexpensive. But it’s a .380. Nice choice for a lady.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I am thinking about a new pistol in 9mm for the wife to use at home for self-defense.


We currently have a Sig Sauer .40 S&W. She handles it okay, but it's grip is a little large for her hands (she's very petite).

Any suggestions?

BH63

Hard to beat a Ruger LC9 in price & reliability & accuracy.

I am petite also and have fired MANY different 9MM without much luck until I tried the Glock 17. It needs a little higher hold than my Sig (.380), but I loved it. The size and weight are perfect for me. Even if you spend a couple hundred dollars (spread out), renting is a nice way to try them. Good luck!
Shannon

Shannon, are you Charlie's daughter? If so I met you + your mom at McDonald's in Georgetown a couple of years ago when Gato wanted my Hi-Power + I knew when his daughter got her hands on it I would never see it again. If so I hope you are enjoying it.

Most ladies today like the mild recoiling .380 and with todays ammo its a capable round..My daughter, and daughters in law like the S&W h380 its small and comes in several colors!! I kinda like them myself as they pack easy and if a guns to large you seldom carry it after the new wears off..A 25 auto beats a switch blade all to hell..

Ive always felt a small 22 L.R. had merit as a undercover gun, or concealed weapon, in that you can fire on a clip full in no time flat..I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of 10 22 L.Rs.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I am thinking about a new pistol in 9mm for the wife to use at home for self-defense.


We currently have a Sig Sauer .40 S&W. She handles it okay, but it's grip is a little large for her hands (she's very petite).

Any suggestions?

BH63

If you are looking for a good quality 9mm pistol that has a little more extra punch than a standard 9mm luger, i would say pick up a CZ 9mm makarov if you can find one..

CZ 82 9mm

quote:

Originally posted by Ram Rod:

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I am thinking about a new pistol in 9mm for the wife to use at home for self-defense.


We currently have a Sig Sauer .40 S&W. She handles it okay, but it's grip is a little large for her hands (she's very petite).

Any suggestions?

BH63

If you are looking for a good quality 9mm pistol that has a little more extra punch than a standard 9mm luger, i would say pick up a CZ 9mm makarov if you can find one..

CZ 82 9mm

The 9mm Makarov is akin to a 380 instead of a 9mm luger power wise.

X2, I always thought it rather anemic.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I am thinking about a new pistol in 9mm for the wife to use at home for self-defense.


We currently have a Sig Sauer .40 S&W. She handles it okay, but it's grip is a little large for her hands (she's very petite).

Any suggestions?

BH63

Not sure what state/local you are in - that said, take your lovely wife to a local gun store having a good variety of handguns, and/or a local gun show, and have her handle every semi-auto handgun they have until she identifies the handgun or handguns that fit her hands and is/are comfortable for her to use.

Then find a range that has that handgun, or handguns, for rent so that you can ensure she’s comfortable and accurate with the selected handgun(s), then make your purchase.

I bought my wife a Walther PPKs 380. Great little well made pistol. We shoot underwood ammo through it to maximize its effectiveness.
The issue is she cannot rack the slide as she is pretty small so if she carries it , it has to have a round in the chamber. It is always in a sleeve to keep the trigger from being engaged.It is fun to shoot.
I will say she shoots my hi cap CZ 75 compact 9MM just as well. Just a bit to heavy to carry around in a purse..

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
I have always been of the old mindset myself that 9mm is a minimum, however, as the 380s used to be quite anemic they have some good loads today, + it's hard to beat a Walther. It's small + light enough that she will carry it in her purse + is easy to control with smaller hands.

Just one more beautiful feature by Walther; the drop hammer safety.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Just one more beautiful feature by Walther; the drop hammer safety.

Along with many others that have that feature.

My CZ 75 has that feature. It is a great one.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Just one more beautiful feature by Walther; the drop hammer safety.

Along with many others that have that feature.

Before my retirement from Drug Enforcement I saw two bad guy shot and killed, both with a PPKS and silver tip hollow point .380s as I recall, ONe of them was dead when I arrived at the scene to investigate the shooting, both chest shots and a second shot was not needed, One died at the shot in the heart, the other lung shot lived until the Amubulance arrived then died but was total incapasitated…

This new 32 and 380 ammo is much better than the .380 and 32 ammo of yesterday, not the best but most UC officer carry one for concealment purposes..

Some of you might just be buying yourself a pistol like you want, and the con job is on mama thinking its a gift..Its the oldest trick in the book, and I plead guilty back in the day like a new 44 magnum 6" for honey to protect herself!!!..

Never overlook a chief special lt. weight 38 special. teach her to cock it and fire, they are very safe in the hands of folks that don't shoot much..I still carry one, but I shoot it straight double action and cut the hammer spur off, and did a double action trigger job. the new 125 gr. bullets are pretty deadly "for a hand gun"..

You are so ri9ght Ray. I have had several in the safe + passed them out to women I know who were concerned for personal safety; No Charge! But only after they came onto my range + showed me that they knew how to operate the revolver. That was a start but in truth its anyone guess how someone will deal under stress. Mox-Nix, I still feel a responsibility to arm women against potential rapists, or criminals in general. I don't feel this to be an act of kindness, but an act of obligation!

I can't imagine anything more deadly than a women with an automatic!! and in any direction We had some female agents in DEA, they all carried 380s to start with then went to the lt. wt. cheif specials in 38 special..Most never qualified, so they made a provision of some sort to justify that!! bothersome to some of my group, but Id tell them "what the hay!!get over it"

I know a number of women who either carry CCW or have a handgun for personal protection. I’m think nearly every one is a Glock 19.

Id recomend a glock, but only to my worst friend! too much like a matel toy..

Ray, I agree. After a lifetime with a 1911 I can't see going to the dark side. I admit that the Glock has the advantage of no safety (easy for the novice) just point + shoot; but so do dbl. action revolvers.

The best firearm.

The one you have at the time it is needed.

It goes bang when you pull then trigger.

Can hit minute of bad guy at the range you need to.

Many fit the above requirements.

Yes sir, spot on, just remember their is no second place in a gun fight. shoot straight and often..

quote:

Originally posted by Ram Rod:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by BuffHunter63:
I am thinking about a new pistol in 9mm for the wife to use at home for self-defense.


We currently have a Sig Sauer .40 S&W. She handles it okay, but it's grip is a little large for her hands (she's very petite).

Any suggestions?

BH63

Walther PPKS in a 9mm or 380…

I guess it would be nice to know what handgun was decided on. It id going to be 3 years this August

The most overlooked home defense caliber is the 22 L.R. hollow point, The baby 1911 Browning with a full clip, and emptying it on a perp is about as effective as a 44 mag, and its easy to empty a clip in a hurry..I saw the effect of a properly use 22 many times in my law enforcement career in the streets of El Paso and Juarez Mexico..

I carry one the little Ruger 380s thats not much bigger than a postage stamp, hold 5 Hollow points, and would fit a small hand, recoil is much less than a 9mm imo..the best thing about it is you tend to put it in pocket or purse and its there, larger pistols seem to spend more time under the seat or in the jockey box..

DEA after qualifications allowed female agents that were unable to qualify use a 380, usually a Walthar PPK-S in hot hollow point ammo, at the time that was Core bonds..and they qualified. As a matter of fact undercover agents normally packed the walthar PPK-S..I normally carried it for undercover buys..It wasn't a great stopper or killer but it incapacitated the perp and never failed with head shot up close as I recall..

The only caliber I recall as totally unrelieable was the time honored 38 special that police were required to carry with lead bullets, lost a lot ofo good men with that one. Blame the brass for that one..Later on they lifted that order and allowed the use of hot loads and the 357 depending on location..DEA, US Customs, always allowed an agent to carry whatever he could qualify with and that worked out great..Both agencys issued seized weapons to be checked out.