Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Light recoiling personal/ home defense weapon

I have a Kel-tec Pll that is my carry gun and a Ruger P345 for home defense. Mt wife has expressed interest in having a gun for defense and possibly getting her CCW as well. The problem is that she finds the recoil a bit much in both guns, although she can shoot them both pretty well, so it looks like a reason to go shopping. Any suggestions?

Take her to a range and let her rent/test a bunch of different stuff.

My wife hated the recoil of the 642 S&W, the Kel-Tec P3AT, and the S&W 19-3.

She LOVED the 1911, the Glock 20, and got herself a Kimber Ultra (shot that incredibly well). She now carries a .44Special.

Let her choose; don't try to guess for her.

What VA said. I've seen women that could shoot nothing more than a .22 rimfire as well as one that could put all of the hardball rounds in my 1911, .45 in the black at 25 yds. the first time she tried it. E

Sounds like a trip to a range that has rentals and/or visiting friends who have different firearms for her to try. A training class often changes one's perception of recoil and allows one to try different firearms. Fear and discomfort with recoil are often overcome with experience in dealing with recoil hence allowing one to be much more comfortable shooting without fear that they're going to get hit in the face by the pistol.

Back in the 70's my wife wrote the firearms training procedures for the LAPD. No stranger to handgunning, I asked her opinion about recoil. Without a moment's hesitation she said that it was all a matter of how well the grips fit one's hand-- and that in her opinion a .38 caliber J-frame Smith or similar with small Pachmayr-style grips was just about the easiest handgun for those with small hands to live with. Her preferred defensive round in J-frames is either the 80 grain Glaser Blue (not +P) or a factory loaded semi-wadcutter or wadcutter bullet. She also opined that unless someone was willing to go to the range every month and shoot a minimum of 25 rounds through their handgun, they are better off with a revolver than an automatic for both concealed carry and home defense.

The bottom line (she says) is let your wife go to the local gun shop and pick out something she likes the looks of, and that is comfortable in her hand. Don't try to steer her to what you like, let her make up her own mind, and tell her she's made a good choice-- this will instill confidence, rather than undermine it. And, when the chips are down, a confident shooter is a good shooter.

Isn't amazing how we all seem to make these suggestions when someone is asking about their wife or daughter or girlfriend, but never when they are asking about the same thing for themselves or their son?

I think a full size 38 special is the best, security six, gp 100 M10,15,19 etc.

That's because their sons are male.

Left to their own devices, 90% of women will select a pink Raven .25 auto.

My Wife shoots a Model 85 (.38 Special) VERY well!

Then she's a 10%'er

Ma Barker shot Tommy Guns.

My wife has three to chose from, depending on whats happening.
Model 60 S&W. Three inch barrel, DAO. Load is a 140 grain Sierra JHP.

.30 Carbine. Load is a Federal 110 grain SP

20 GA Mossberg 500C, with #3 Buck

you do NOT want to be in front of her, if you were the cause of her concern about her safety.

Nothing beats a 20ga pump shotgun loaded up with BB's & #2-Buckshot!!!

Reading comprehension...

Maybe she likes trench coats...

My youngest daughter has the Astra A-70, a small single action 9mm that�s all steel and has the most outstanding ergonomics. Quality is outstanding, the slide is easy to draw back, recoil is light and this gun is very reliable. Only catch, they�re very tough to find, but cheap when you do find them. The youngest daughter is 12 and she shoots lights out with this pistol.

The oldest daughter likes the Springfield XD Compact in 9mm (she�s 21). Again, this fits her hand well, trigger is good, slide is easy to draw back, and it�s reliable.

The all steel Kahr P9 is an excellent choice.

9mm 1911�s are a good choice, usually best if you outfit them with a flat mainspring housing and short trigger.

Any 2.5� to 4� S&W K frame in .38 Special with a round butt grip frame and a the Pachmayr Compac Professional grips (the ones with the open backstrap).

Don�t discount some of the older, larger .380�s. The Browning 1922, Walther PP or PPK/s, Remington 51, Beretta 84 or 85, Astra Constable�

Uber-cheap, but darned good: CZ-83 in 9mm Mak, or a Makarov.

Try to steer her in the direction of a full sized 9mm. Something S&W M&Pish. Don't buy into the 9mm is to much recoil especially in a full sized gun. My wife is 100 lbs and runs it like a champ. I'd stay away from the small frame .38s. Hard for a beginner to shoot well and they bark.JMO

Kevin - I'm surprised you didn't mention the Hi-Power!

Of the centerfire semi-autos that my wife has tried (Firestar, K9, 1911, Glock, HP), the only one she actually likes is the Hi-Power in 9mm.

VAnimRod, you want to run that by me one more time! Nothing wrong with my reading comprehension sir, the shotgun is much better for a women who does not know how to shoot a pistol in the first place.

Now a pistol is great if she can shoot the frigging thing and the most important part is getting her hand to fit that pistol first off before we go into brands or styles of actions.

Yes, those GLOCKS are easy on the recoil if she can work the slide! The 9mm Luger was a piece of cake for my wife, until she moved up to the .40cal sub-compact model 27 Glock. It only took her something like 5000 rounds at the range and over a year of shooting on a regular basis. Now my wife can not shoot my 10mm Glock but is hell on wheels with those Kimber 1911's in the vault! She just doesn't have hands like a lumber Jack being only 132 pounds and 5'7" tall.