I'm shopping for a CC gun for my wife. She is going to carry this one on her person, not in a purse. She is 4' 11" and 97 lbs, so this will be a challenge in itself.
She currently has a S & W mdl 10 and a Kel Tec P11. The revolver is difficult to conceal on her body w/o producing a bulge. The Kel Tec 9mm is getting difficult for her to work the action (as we age we lose muscle mass). I am considering a 380 as my fingers are too fat to reload 32 ACP brass.
Ruger and KelTec are high on the list, but what other 380s should I look at? It needs to be light, tiny and easy to operate (both mentally and physically).
Your ideas?

My idea is you need to go bigger and more quality. Any of the 380's are just going to be harder to manipulate due to their size. A larger pistol will give you more to grip to work the slide. There are plenty of autos that are flatter and easier to conceal than old service revolvers. IIRC, Wyoming is a Constitutional Carry state, so if you inadvertently print, it's not a big deal, right? I like the SIG 938 personally. It gives you a much better caliber mainly due to the fact that there are a lot more loads available in the 9 than the 380. It is not much bigger than the 380 but is not hard to manipulate. Very concealable, shootable and easy to manage.

If she is REALLY having difficulty manipulating things, get her a model 60 Chief's Special. It worked in the seventies and still does. Significantly smaller than the model 10, yet easy to manipulate. Rugger makes some good guns...like the Blackhawk and model 77.

LCR.




Travis

That

As to working the slide, what I have found with some women, is if they keep the arms straight, and twist the shoulders, they have an easier time working a typical auto slide.

I have not handled one, but Glock has a .380 now, IIRC.

Always avoiding COCKS...

Dick Special or Cobra....in 32 Long.

I just got the glock single stack 380. Love it. Very similar to the LCR in size. Glock 42. It's worth checking out

Kahr makes a .380. Otherwise, LCR.

A 3" J frame .38 with adjustable sights may be just the ticket. Easy to conceal, and with a real set of sights, much easier to shoot well in practice, thus encouraging it.

Bart:

Are there any female pistol instructors - of good repute - in your area that specialize in shooting courses for women?

If there are, a useful thing you could do is drive your wife over there, drop her, and go get some lunch.

A good female instructor knows what works for women and what won't.

Glock makes a fairly ideal little .380 ACP single stack you should check out.

IMO, for a woman, it would be hard to beat either the Ruger LCR or the S&W Bodyguard 38 sp. with the factory laser.
It's a little lighter than the LCR and also has a great trigger. Also about the same price as the Ruger, but the S&W has the Laser included.

the Ruger LCR or LCRx in .38 Special, stoked with +P rounds.

if she doesn't mind the extra weight, the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum, stoked with .38 Special +P rounds.


my supposition only, but i believe that in most cases, if a woman is going to be attacked, it will usually be one adversary--so high capacity is less of an issue.

gals need a rig they can employ right now--on demand--and the revolver is the better choice for most of them...no slide to struggle with, no safety to manipulate, no de-cock to be remember, etc., etc...

Beretta Tomcat or similar?

Ya see, this is what happens when you get old!! I went from memory and said she had a S&W M 10. Turns out it is a mdl 36 (5 shot J frame 38 Spl). With her short rib cage and small waist, this gun is hard for her to carry w/o the butt or cylinder sticking out. Yes WY is Constitutional carry, but we are 2 miles from the next state and go there often.
The SP 101 is too heavy for her to carry (but I carry one in the winter), and most other revolvers will have the same problem as the M 36. I'll look into the Glock, SIG, and see what S&W/Taurus is offering. I've handled an LCR in the fun store but have never shot one. After handling it, I opted for the SP 101 for me.
The nearest class would be 75 miles away, and while I don't know if they have a "women only" class, she might be able to fire a few different guns and see what she likes. Then we will have to see if it will fit her body.
One of her friends has a Kahr 9mm and my wife can not operate that slide. I don't know if the 380 is easier or not. My dad has a Tomcat (if that is the blowback 32 ACP from Beretta - again, my memory), while my wife likes the size to carry - the trigger is horrendous!!

The reason the Tomcat is so often recommended in cases like your wife's is that you need never work the slide, due to the tilt up barrel which allows loading the chamber without working the slide. Pretty innovative.

Take, actually have her take a look and handle a Ruger LC9-S, not a bad little 9mm package IMHO. Slide is pretty easy seeming to my arthritic old hands.

My wife had the j frame for years, I had the trigger worked and it was not bad. She just did not handle it all that well she is 5 foot tall as well. She has been very happy with the Kahr p380 she has now. She can shoot faster and with better accuracy with this pistol. Further it is more compact easier to carry. I have the glock 380 and a Kahr CW380 as well. Of the three the glock is the biggest and easiest for me to shoot, my wife prefers the P380, I got the CW380 in case we ever stay at a motel 6 and need two of the same small 380's

And a much improved trigger on the new versions also. I'm carrying a Glock 43 9mm as a BUG right now. But I'd have no problem carrying the Ruger or recommending one to someone for a CCW. I've had several women in my CHL Class quailify with the LC9, and like the fact that the LC9-S has a Safety.

Bond Arms Backup and a rape whistle might work.

YUP

My youngest turned 21 last March and she wanted a pistol for her Bday.
She is 5'3" and maybe #125 soaking wet. We fired and also concealed carried pretty much every popular hand gun on the planet but her final choice was a Smith 442 J frame. I paid $375 for a used like new model.

Have you thought about a pocket holster for the J frame?

I'm leaving for the road Monday and am heading to Minn/St Paul instead of Seattle this week. There is a Cabella's and Gander Mtn on I-94 in MN (I think near Rogers). I'll stop in and compare some side by side. Hopefully I can eliminate some and then take my wife to the fun store for the final decision.

She thinks an IWB holster would be best. We saw some here: http://thewellarmedwoman.com/

My Wife has an IWB cross draw holster for her Glock 42, and it works well with an non tucked shirt or sweater.

I taught her to pull with one hand, and push with the other to work the slide. Works good for her!


Virgil B.

My 100 lb 5’ tall wife uses a S&W 442 in the glove box with a SOB holster. Puts it in her purse when needed. Has a glock 19 in a ditch bag in the trunk for sh*ts and grins.

Kahr PM9

Try the LCR, or take a look a the Kimber Micro Carry .380. It has the most easily manipulated slide of any semi-auto I've ever encountered; the recoil spring is something like 8#.

Has she tried the "push" "pull" method for "racking" the slide? That may work or it may not. Most semis, especially the smaller ones are difficult to rack? Strength or technique, preferably both are required to operate them.

If she can work a revolver than I would figure a way for her to dress around it, even if she has to carry off the body which is not recommended but that will be her decision and responsibility. Good luck.

Something like this may be an option? http://www.smartcarry.com/

Cowboybart: I just bought a Smith & Wesson Model 642 Ladysmith in 38 Special last week.
This stainless and alloy revolver is of the "hammerless" design with a 1 7/8" barrel.
My Model 642 is NOT rated for 38+P shooting but several other (later?) Models of the 642 ARE rated for 38+P ammo.
I have not shot it yet (and may not as I bought it mostly as an investment) but the more I handle it the more I like the feel and smoothness of its design and its small size and light weight.
I think it would be an excellent choice for a smaller woman to use for "CC".
Best of luck to you both with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Stopped by a Cabella's and got to fondle just about everything. The Ruger LCP, I think has the easiest slide cycle of the DOA guns. The Sig 238 and Kimber 380 are easier yet, but I'm not sure my wife is ready for a single action cocked and locked carry. I'll take her out and let her try my Commander and see if she gets the mechanics of it. With enough training cocked and locked will work - I just don't know if she will put in the training time!
I did not find a Taurus 380 to handle, or a Kahr 380 (found a 9mm). Other than that I think I got the bases covered.
One plus is that she will want the purple is she likes the Ruger. If she likes the Sig it will be the multi colored Ti slide. If the Kimber gets the nod the Sapphire finish! If she wants the Kimber the $1200 price tag is gonna hurt.

If you really care for her, don't let her get the Taurus.

http://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/15/vickers-tactical-slide-racker-for-glock-42/

+10000

Took the wife to the fun store today. To my surprise she couldn't operate and didn't like the Sig or Ruger, even though the Ruger was purple! She did like the S&W Bodygaurd, but had a hard time holding onto the slide. The serrations are very faint on that model and something would have to be done. I was thinking that 2 beads of TIG and a refinish of the slide would solve the problem. The Glock 42 was the most difficult for her to operate but she could do it. One of Supercrewd's links show a wide gizmo to go on the back striker of the 42 to make moving the slide easier, this would be needed for her. It also was the largest and felt the heaviest.
The winner.... The Kimber Micro (in sapphire of course). She could operate it with the hammer cocked and with it de-cocked. The size and weight were right and it is thin enough for her to conceal. She did like the slide and front strap serrations on the Micro Raptor better, the looks of the Sapphire won her over. Story of my life - champagne taste on a beer budget!! GB lists several that do not have the $1200 price tag like the one in the shop.

I'm gonna call Kimber and see if they can do a Sapphire model with the Raptor serrations.

Have yet to lay my hands on a Taurus and based on your recommendations, I won't search one out.

Just about a year later and my wife is tickled with her new toy. Reading my post above - WOW look how things have changed. Turns out she did like the Kimber but settled on the Glock. She didn't want me to spend that much money on a "pretty" gun that she would be afraid to scratch or put wear on.
I did get her the wider striker plate, larger mag release and larger slider release. The gun fits her, she can operate it, and she loves the Cerakote!!

This is what I got my wife, LCR .38 to carry and for practice a LCR .22. Both now have Crimson trace.

two models of ruger
the LC9-s has an external safety and a magazine disconnect.
the LC9-s professional has neither.

I think the Glock 42 is an excellent little .380. Amazingly shootable. And it literally disappears in an appropriate IWB holster.

Always cool to get a follow-up post on what someone got and how it worked out after asking for recommendations on here.

If a person liked purple, you certainly accessorized the Glock nicely.

Is that a 42?

My favorite for women, or anyone, is a Smith 360 in 38 spl. The 38's are much cheaper than the 357's and no one shoots 357's in a 12 oz gun anyway. +P 38's are manageable and the gun is very light weight and simple to use. Put a set of laser grips and a Big Dot Tritium front sight on it, and it's an awesome little carry gun. Not sure if they come on pink or purple but they should.

Yes.

Justin at www.ImperiumArms.com (720) 935-7302 did a flawless job on the CeraKote
The holster came from: http://thewellarmedwoman.com/in-the...m=banner&utm_campaign=Homepage-Waist
And the parts came from: http://www.rockyourglock.com/parts/G42parts.htm

Yes, she likes purple, it all started after we bought our truck.

My favorite color.

My wife has the same problem with semi-autos. Most are to hard for her to rack the slide. After trying several, we went with the Walther CCP. Shoots great right out of the box and the way it is designed it is easy for her to rack the slide. Very slim profile and it is in 9mm but doesn't have an obnoxious recoil. Very easy to do double-tap with. She says it is a joy to shoot with standard and self-defense rounds. They are not very expensive either. IMHO - they are a great value and are a good gun for anyone that needs a CC that is easy to rack and shoot.

I got one and like it.

Nice 'Star. Drove a similar color International, the women loved it.