Pistol for my girlfriend

I'm wanting to get my girl a pistol to keep for personal defense, preferably a small revolver. I'm gonna teach her how to use it and how to be safe (not that she don't already know). On a budget so I'd like to stay under $350. Any suggestions?

 

.357 mag! oh wait... you said small. Best bet would be to take her to the local gun store and see what fits her hand and go from there.

Bacon

 

442S&W .38+P. Simple hammerless design, if it dosent go bang pull it again, once again simple, reliable, concealable. Also Tarus, and Charter Arms make similar models, I'm just partial to S&W. The smith has a little better trigger than the other two, but not expecting much, after all it is a dao revolver.

 

Good idea. I'd say a 9mm at the most. Your price eliminates a lot of pistols, but if you're willing to spend a little more, something "like" a Glock is the easiest pistol to learn on.

 

I have a nice rossi .38 special 5 shot revolver. 2" barrel. Very accurate for being so small. I carry it in my 4runner at all times. I will sell it for the right price. if you are interested let me know.

 

I'm really liking the ruger.

Matt- I'm gonna do some research on that rossi and I'll pm u sometime.

 

i bought mine the ruger .380 lcp with the crimson trace laser on it. she shoots it well and LOVES the laser... Make sure she wears plugs when you teah her because the .380 is extremely loud.

 

Stay with a revolver, the best choice for a woman would be a revolver, you can tell it's loaded by seeing the ammo in the cylinder when it's staring you in the face. The semi- auto you can't tell. They will think twice before messing with her.

The S&W would be my choice

 

Just be careful with the "woman=small gun" thing. A little 2 inch 38 revolver is one of the more difficult guns to shoot well. Is she going to be carrying it? If so, maybe try to find a 3 inch S&W and put some rubber grips on it. That's a good compromise between carry and shootability. Also, is it her first gun? If yes, I'd stay away from an auto. Same with if its going to be a 'purse gun'.

 

Best post in this thread!

 

another vote on a revolver .38special to get use to shooting and she could step up to 357 if she ever wanted to. To me its easier to aim with revolvers than semi autos.

 

agree on this... I like the hammerless design...hard to misfire.

 

Careful here. Is this her idea or yours? The best gun for somebody who doesn't want one is none at all. Also, what she wants is important here, not what you want. Let her rent guns at the range and find a caliber and style that suits her. Don't assume she'll want a revolver, either... my girlfriend hates .38 special revolvers, but really likes .380 and 9mm semiautos. How a gun fits a person is very specific, so bring her to a gun store, let her handle various guns, and bring her to the range, if you haven't already. I would never choose what gun somebody else is going to carry. By all means, pay for it if its gonna be a gift, and shop with her, but let her pick it out.

 

Whatever you get her, don't piss her off.

 

if you're wanting something really thin, The ruger lcp and keltec pf-9 are great options. I personally chose the keltec cause i feel more comfortable with the 9mm. However, neither are fun to shoot....by any means.

 

I like the Lady Smith from S&W. She can use wad cutters for target practice and either .38+p or .357 for defense. My friend has one for a backup weapon and it's pretty nice. Personally I would stick with the +p. less big fire ball and about the same performance.

 

Agreed.
Stay with revolver.
Practical, effective, foolproof.
The difference between 38+P and 357mag in a 2 inch airweight is only felt on the person holding the gun.
More flash and bang....not so much improvement in ballistics.
BTW, there are 9mm revolvers making a comeback and I'm seriously tempted myself.
SW 442/642/LadySmith is where I'd focus.

 

Most certainly agree. And if you don't want to have to re-cycle your (her) first choice, go more than once, and check out more guns. Do not fall into the small gun trap- they tend to kick more and bark louder just because they're small. My wife demanded a Sig, and a 9mm, because that's what she'd fired before. Several sessions with the Sig and ONE with my Kimber (.45ACP), and gee.... I was trading in the 9mm.

 

It's been said but I'd look at small framed, hammer-less revolvers.

 

My first recommendation is range time. Safety, safety and more safety is key, you don’t get many second chances when mistakes are made with gun safety.
My recommendation to someone new to shooting especially a new CCW holder would be a revolver. Much easier to learn to load, unload and shoot. Easy to tell when it’s loaded and even though it should never be considered unloaded, it is easier to tell.
Unless you are a avid experienced shooter I would also recommend a gun safety class.
My .02 cents.
Did I mention safety?