Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Handgun options for wife?

My wife has a permit to carry but has not yet figured out what she would like to carry. She has some physical/medical issues that are making the choice more difficult and I could use some advice.

She recently had carpal tunnel surgery on her left wrist as well as a nerve impingement surgery at her left elbow. Her hands were not strong before the surgery and we are not sure how strong they will be when she is all healed up. She has difficulty pulling a trigger that has a long and heavy pull. Her hand tends to tremor or shake some as she exerts effort to pull heavy triggers. She also has difficulty working some (perhaps all) slides on pistols. We have not had a chance to try lots of guns for trigger pull or ease of slide racking but we know that these are areas of concern.

So I wonder are there some good pistols out there (preferably 9mm) that are smallish and concealable but are not too difficult to pull the trigger or work the slide? Or revolvers that have an easier double action trigger pull (38 Spcl)?

We do have a sweet S&W Model 66 357 Mag with 2.5" barrel and the trigger on it has been worked over such that it is easy for her to pull double action (but likely still quite safe). Problem is it is fairly bulky and heavy. Still I am kind of thinking that it might just be the best overall option for her to carry regularly. We could stoke it with milder loads (maybe 38 Spcl +P level) and figure out a purse that she could use for it.

Anyway looking for some suggestions. Thanks so much.

Is she right handed? If so, sounds like the revolver might be her best choice, at least for now. If you are going to run a semi, you've gotta be able to manipulate it, sounds like that might be an issue.

Let her get some range time with what you have, but do avoid hot loads as you stated. I think a good setup for a wheelgunner is an alloy-framed J-frame for daily carry, and a steel framed gun for the bulk of practice. My personal pick is the S&W Bodyguard with the shrouded hammer that can still be manually cocked. Some like the completely enclosed Centennial.

I want to add a word of caution and encouragement to her not to blow off phys therapy and the stretches. I've got my 51yo wife powercleaning a barbell, and she went through carpal tunnel release many years ago. She never thought she'd have the strength she does now.

Yes, she is right handed. I agree that it does seem best to have her using a revolver but still many of the revolvers I and she have looked at recently have quite heavy pulls. My Model 66 is quite the exception. I will have her practice with it more.

I think she is continuing with the physical therapy but will double check. Thanks for the advice and encouragement!

One trick on racking a slide is to have the lady hold both arms straight as she grasps frame and slide, then twist the shoulders. This may give her more leverage, than by trying to do it purely by arm strength; a couple of women I've taught found it helpful.

Have her check out a Ruger LCR. It has a nice DA trigger pull.

I'd have her look at a S&W short barreled 38 spl revolver

So how about a single action carry pistol that you load for her, carried cocked and locked?

I agree the best DA revolver trigger is on an LCR
Another option might be a j frame with a shrouded or bobbed hammer. Then she has the option of SA. Let her try every possible gun she can get her paws on, let HER decide. I bet she surprises you with her pick. If she has a issue with recoil an alloy gun might not be wise. Ruger SP 101 might even be something to look at.

The technique that tex_n_cal makes a huge difference. My wife is strong and still struggled occasionally racking the slide on one firearm we have...but when doing it with locked arms and using the torso she has no problem. Heck, it's the technique I use and I'm blessed with strength.

The 66 you have sounds like a good fit as long as she shoots it well. Many revolver's have tough trigger pulls, especially some j-frames...and the small hammers on j-frames can be pretty stout to cock as well....

I've heard good things about Ruger's LCR trigger pull, but haven't used one. It might be worth looking at...and laser's are very nice if available.

This is not a typical recommendation, but especially if recoil is severe on her wrist/hands....you might consider Ruger's 22/45 Lite. If the slide is like the regular 22/45 is should be easy to rack...should be light (though a little large)...easy recoil...accurate... but it is a .22(?)...

I'd rather have a S&W Bodyguard that's been slicked up by someone who knows how. Like you, I really like being able to cock it manually. Problem is, those who know how are backed up for months, and your likely talking twice the money of an LCR by the time you're done.

Since you indicate this gun will be carried in a purse, rather than on the body, try a Taurus 85 or the hammerless 850 version. Small, lightweight, and .38 caliber. From what you have posted about your wife's physical condition I'd advise against her shooting +P rounds, and stick with wad cutters to reduce recoil as much as possible. You might also want to consider the same model Taurus in .22, which will have virtually no recoil, and the added bouns of nine shots. Regardless of what you buy, it sounds like the gun is going to require a trigger job for your wife to be able to comfortably deploy it.

My local gunpusher 'forced' me to try the Ruger LCR (Sorry but the thought of a plastic revolver gags me! What atrocity is next?) alongside a smith J-frame. The LCR's trigger was much lighter/smoother as I recall... avail. in .22 as well as 38 I believe.

The Kahr semi-auto's trigger is double-action like, but MUCH smother/lighter than any revolver... but racking the slide could be a problem. If you were to go the Kahr route I would recommend the 'CW' series as it has more grip to hold onto (for racking the slide) than the 'CM' pistols which leave my little finger hanging off the bottom.

Jerry

She did try the Ruger LCR yesterday (at a gun shop) and still found it too stiff. She could do it but not very easily and her hand was kind of shaky.

Kevin- what single action auto would you recommend that would be small enough and light enough for her to carry in her purse (that is really the most likely place that she would carry). Sure I can load it for her and I know that she would not likely need to reload a second magazine (in a defensive confrontation) but I am not so sure it is a good idea to send her out with something she cannot fully, functionally use.

There�s also the Beretta Tomcat in .32 ACP. Certainly not an optimal cartridge, but you really don�t have to operate the slide on it unless it malfunctions; and that�s a rare event with those. Tip up barrel for easy chambering. And the Model 85 which is essentially the same pistol just scaled up to handle a .380.

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I could suggest the old Astra A70 single action, compact 9mm. http://shootersjournal.net/the-astra-a-70-quite-possibly-the-best-defense-pistol-for-a-woman/

It�s heavy for a sub-compact being all steel, but one of the things I like about it most is now easy it is to draw the slide back to chamber a round. When my little boy was 8 years old, he had no trouble doing it when show how to do it right. He�s getting ready to turn 10 and he can�t pull the slide back on any of my other pistols, which ought to tell you the A70 is easy. And when you find them, they�re cheap.

One gun that I have not seen mentioned is the sig p238 Built like a tiny 1911 , Can be carried cocked and locked has a great trigger. The slide is very easy to manipulate also.The only downfall is the safety. The kahr p380 also has an easy slide, but a long but smooth trigger and no safety.

I bought a S&W 60 .38Spec. for my wife and had the hammer bobbed, put a Hogue grip on it and had a police armorer put the sweetest trigger job on it I've ever seen. Pure magic and very very light yet reliable primer strikes. My wife loved it but as she started shooting it more noticed, surprise sweetie!!, that it only had 5 "holes" in the "round thingy". She went shooting with me a couple of times and then noticed a Glock 19 that wasn't getting much action in our safe and claimed it as her new shooter. I worked on the trigger and now it's silk and she like having all those "extra bullets so she can hit stuff"

When we go shooting she actually hits a lot of stuff and turning out to be an excellent shot and will, if she takes enough time and believe me she does, out shoot me at distance.

She does have an injury in her left thumb that is compounded by arthritis and that was a problem with racking the slide. I lube the crap out of it and then attached a series of pieces of rubber nonslip stair material to in front of and behind the rear slide grooves on both sides of the slide. This provides for a more sure grip on the slide to rack it but she also carries it with one in the tube. Also showing her how to push/pull to rack the slide helped.

Since then a couple other ladies in the neighborhood have bought G19's and they all found out the local indoor pistol range has free shooting lanes for ladies on Tuesday mornings. Sisters packing heat.....I love it.

Whatever you get her, be sure to have or do a trigger job for her to lower the poundage required.