Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Help me choose something to arm my better half

My wife and I both have held CHLs since about 2005 or '06. The first guns we bought for the purpose were XD40s. They're great pistols, but neither of us cares for the size and weight of them when fully loaded.

The next move was to Kahr CW40s. I like mine well enough, but the limited capacity is a bit off-putting in my own opinion, and I think it's probably a bit too snappy for her.

So, we stepped down to 9mm when I found a pair of Sig P938s after they first came out. I really liked the features of that one myself, but again I think it was too snappy for the wife. To be honest I gave her one so I could have one myself without all the nonsense we often go through when we want a new gun. I never could get her to go out to shoot the thing and I let her get by with that for way too long. I asked her to show me her pistol a while back, and the safety was not even engaged. I confiscated it and sold both of them.

I found a Kahr K9 which I thought would be a good choice since it's not as big as the XD, has a bit more mass to tame recoil, and can hold a few more rounds than the Sig P938. I took it out and shot it, and I think it's a great pistol. Perfect. But NOT perfect---she can't rack the damned slide. I even put an Wolff 18-pound reduced power spring set in it and asked her to try it this evening and she still can't manipulate it. So now I am frustrated.

I think 9mm is the right way to go. I want something with a little capacity (10 or more would be my choice---and it IS my choice, but I don't think 18 rounds is necessary) and I want it to be a little on the heavy side, say about 21 ounces or thereabouts (a little more is okay) to keep recoil very tame. I also want it to be easy for her to rack the slide, and I want it to have enough grip length that she can wrap all three non-trigger fingers around the grip...this is important.

I do not keep up with all the new pistol introductions these days, and frankly I don't know how anyone possibly could keep up with it...that business seems to be going warp speed.

So how about a little help here? I've looked around on the web and I am overwhelmed and totally bewildered. Suggestions, please!

I settled on a Sig P365XL. It's small enough to carry but the grip is big enough that it's comfortable to shoot. I'm sure you'll get a lot of good suggestions.

It doesn’t make your round count. But, the S&W EZ 9 appears to meet your other criteria:


Wifey’s is set up with an XS Tritium Big Dot and a light:
Chose the version without the thumb safety for a simple point and pull felon interface.

It shoots so well that I have one on back order for myself, anticipating more age related issues developing before too long.

Thank you.

Haven't I read a lot of bellyaching about the 365? I know one of the recent Sig offerings has not been as well received as they usually are but I have no idea how valid the complaints are. How hard or easy is it to rack the slide? I need it to be really easy (she had a hand injury and a surgery years ago that still affect her grip).

I want to reiterate one particular thing: I want NO safety levers...I want something as simple as possible).

I just looked at the Springfield Hellcat Pro on the web. It looks like it checks all the boxes, but I think I'd have to handle one to see how easy it is to rack the slide.

8+1 ain't bad...maybe.

Thank you.

Our local indoor range keeps a couple EZs on hand for rental. If there’s one of those near you, you could maybe drag your wifey down there for a test drive.

Two points:

1. Let her pick based on comfort, grip size, weight, etc.

2. Women generally do better not trying to pull the slide back, but to strongly hold the slide and push the gun into the slide.

Start at 1:45

It sounds like your wife has ZERO interest in handguns beyond just having one "around". That is not at all uncommon and no matter how much the better half wants them to become proficient with a certain type, the chances of it happening are highly unlikely. The chances of them using a semi auto proficiently under stress or handling any type of malfunction when they are not really interested in the first place are even less so.

If you cannot get her into a rental range and have her actually choose for herself something that SHE wants and SHE is comfortable with, I would strongly recommend simply going with a good double action revolver. Something with a good 2.5" 3" barrel would be great.

A 2.5" Model 15, Model 19, etc. Or a 3" Ruger GP100. Or a 3" Model 60. Something that she will actually carry with her and have with her if and when she needs it.

I'm familiar with the technique and it was no help with the K9. Thanks anyway.

A Smith & Wesson M60 with the 3" barrel and adjustable sights is a terrific choice as Mackay Sagebrush said. They weigh right at 25 ounces. Now days they come only in .357 Magnum but of course they fire all .38 Special through +P. Recoil is not a problem even with +P loads. And being a revolver are simple to operate. The ones I have are the earlier models for .38 Special ( early 1990's ) and a 1996 model in .357 Mag. I have never fired any .357 ammo in it nor do I want to. The newer ones are identical except for being built on the Magnum J-Frame which is about a tenth of an inch longer frame wise. Another possibility is the S&W CSX 9mm auto. Mine has been 100% reliable and weighs right at 21 ounces which helps a lot with recoil but then you are back to the more complex manual of arms with an auto. My wife definitely prefers revolvers... YMMV

How about a Beretta 92X Compact. Just got one and like it. Seems to fit what you're looking for. Even really easy to rack the slide on, due to not being a Browning tilting barrel design. Capacity is 16 rounds.

It's roughly Glock 19 sized. Aluminum frame, so fairly light. Grip is adjustable for smaller hands. I've got the larger grips on this one.

Revolvers and semis with manual safeties are a no go. Thanks anyhow.

The Beretta 92X Compact is available absent safety, i.e., decocker only. Mine is a decocker only model.

Glock 19

Women often find racking the slide on those to be difficult. Berettas are known for being very easy to rack the slides on due to no tilting barrel.

I really like my Springfield Hellcat for a “small” carry sized 9mm. Even better than my Sig P-365 I bought first.

Most of the small 9mm’s are going to have the same problem for her, though, if she can’t pull back the slide.

The S&W EZ 9mm or the 380 version might be worth taking a look at, though.

You said she doesn't go shooting very often? How about a S&W Ladysmith, loaded with light bullets (110 grain)??

Why?

IME with a similar situation a couple of options work:

1) a Sig P-365 for someone who takes the time to train and practice. The slide can be easily worked by an average woman
2) a 2”-3” DA revolver loaded with 125 gn short-barrel +P 38 Spl hollow points works well for someone who won’t practice enough to learn the more complicated manual of arms of a semi auto. The S&W M-60 3” has enough weight to tame recoil.

5 rounds in a revolver a woman can use and has at hand is better than 12 rounds in a semiauto she can’t manipulate.

Just my 2 cents but asking the person to make her own choice is the best way to go.

No revolver because I want her to have capacity.

I like the Beretta but SA/DA feature is just a little questionable for the same reasons I nix any kind of manual safety. She won't go shooting enough to become intimately familiar with anything. It's not like she can't shoot...she's actually a pretty good shot, but she's just not going to to develop competence with anything more complicated than something like a Glock. And after having considered it a little further, she'll never develop competence in changing magazines quickly for the same reasons and that makes racking the slide a moot point for the most part (but I would like her to be able to do that anyway so that she'll enjoy shooting the gun a little more)...and that brings me back to capacity.

Was there not some noise about a safety issue with the Sig P-365, or am I confusing it with another model?

Right now, the models on my radar are the Sig P-365, the Hellcat Pro, and the Shield EZ. It's been a while since I handled a Glock 19, but as I recall they're rather chunky. I'm kinda leaning toward the EZ because she may like it enough to actually want to go shooting now and then. The 8+1 capacity is not so attractive...too bad it's not available with a 13-rounder.

Still nowhere near a decision.

Reading this thread caused me to think of an old saying, "I want my cake and eat it too." The search for the Holy Grail, the Unicorn of CCW... and that doesn't exist. If your wife won't/can't put some work in and show some interest in developing her skills, despite what you want for her, the revolver sounds like the perfect choice. A 2.5" - 3" .38 Special or 9mm revolver should be about right.