[Nalajr]

Hey all.
I need some info and suggestions from you guys and gals. I’ve got a good friend that needs recommendations on a lightweight carry handgun that his wife will find comfortable to carry and practice with. I don’t stay up with all that’s out there like I used to and because of that, I don’t know nearly as much about what all is available.

I was able to give him a few from Glock, SIG, and a few others. Revolvers are ok too.

if you don’t mind, please add some options in that weight range or close to it.

thank you all for your continued help and advice.
MUHerd

 

[Slapshot]

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/mp-380-shield-ez-0

 

[AlwaysChoosePlinking]

Springfield 911, Smith EZ 9mm or .380
Grand power makes a 380 that's nice.

 

[Whiten]

For not much more money if you like the EZ Shield I would look at this

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-mp-380-shield-ez-m20-black-ported-barrel

 

[WC145]

S&W 442 or 642

 

[asiparks]

Is that empty weight or fully loaded up weight ?
Given the various lockdowns, any chance your friend's wife could try shooting some different options ? There's a few guns in that weight range, but some might be miserable to shoot for her. Is this for on body carry or will it end up in a purse ? Is she already a shooter ?
You may already have mentioned the Sig 365/XL to him. That seems to be the gun of the moment, but what's her comfort level carrying a chambered round ?

 

[TheCollector]

Kimber Sapphire Micro .380 with laser grips is Mrs. C's smallest package.

 

[Joni Lynn]

The issue is that once a firearm becomes light enough to satisfy, it will be unpleasant to fire at the range and then platform familiarity will suffer. For light weight, any of the S&W revolvers with aluminum or scandium enhanced frames should work well enough. The 642 is a good choice. The Sig 365 is nice and the small pistols available from S&W should also work well.
If by chance she should decide that a 642 or 340PD is right for her, then I'd suggest a second J frame in steel. Similar platform and more pleasant to spend time learning with.
Best wishes.

 

[Justin_Pelletier]

Glock 43?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Exhog]

FNX 9

 

[Descartian]

I think 21oz and “Comfortable Training With” do not go hand in hand. Unless it’s a 380 which I would not carry, it’s going to have a good amount of recoil. I do not recommend guns like this for women to train with it can lead to them developing bad habits.

 

[pscipio03]

Very few lightweight guns are fun to practice with. What you gain in ease of carry you give up in comfort of shooting. Those pistols, even .380s, tend to be very snappy and just not very pleasurable past a mag or two. Also, I think too many many assume a smaller gun is better for a woman when in reality something like a 9mm 1911 commander or a Glock 19 is perfect.
What your friend needs to do before buying anything is let her rent a couple different pistols first. If she hates shooting it, she'll not want to practice and find reasons to not carry it.

 

[nmbuzz]

I have introduced 5 women to carry weapons. My wife, two daughters, and two friends wives. All determined that they were much more comfortable with revolvers. My two friends went so far as to purchase small frame 380 pistols for their wives. Neither wife could even rack the slide with any consistent or comfortable effort. All of us swear we will spend enough range time to be safe and competent with the weapons. Semi autos add a number of required skills to that task. Reloading mags, clearing jambs, safeties, etc. The simplicity, safety, and reliability of a revolver made all of them much more comfortable and they could concentrate on proficiency rather than the operation of a pistol. ALL of them were much much more accurate and confident with the revolvers in their hands. Also, when faced with a situation that requires the use of a firearm....... a revolver is much more instinctive.
Light weight and recoil. Everything is a compromise. A lot of the time I CCW a Ruger LCR in 357 mag. It is NOT fun to shoot with magnum loads. My two daughters have the LCR. One in 38+P and one in 9mm. (Not a fan of 9mm for PD)
For my practice and my one daughter and wife. Smith mod 10 was her choice. We shoot a very light target load I shoot in my Smith 52-2s. I highly recommend practice with light loads. You can get in much more practice and have much more fun. Ruger LCR weighs 13.5 oz. Smith Mod 10 weighs 34 oz.
Revolvers work for them ... YMMV

 

[605atthe wheels]

My P938 SAS weighs 20.6oz loaded (7rnds) 15.8 oz MT
Robert Burk (Sig Armorer) 4.5# trigger action job.

George

 

[Dub]

Sig P365 is one that interests me.

 

[FWoo45]

As others have said, the weight savings can be a bad thing. Most of the women shooters that I know can shoot way better than I can. None handicap themselves with an overly snappy carry gun. They all also usually carry 9's.

The trend of micro carry gats makes me scratch my head a bit. You have to be able to shoot it well and enjoy the practice necessary to do so. I'm from the camp that she should shoot a bunch of guns and make the decision herself. Preferably under the eye of a female shooter, not her husband or yourself. I told my mother the same thing, and a cousin and a sister. They all came to different conclusions than each other and myself.

What do I know though, I measure carry guns in pounds not ounces. Hell, never weighed one. Just add mags to the other side till your back doesn't hurt.

 

[Nalajr]

Hey all.
Great points you all make. I never thought to mention the lightweight guns leads to painful shooting like you mentioned.
I would bet that it ends up in a purse if she does carry. She’s NOT a gun person or outdoor enthusiast at all. I do t see her spending a lot of time at the range unless my buddy takes her frequently.

you all pose some good questions and things to watch out for. I’ll be sure to mention what you all are warning about. I can see her going with a revolver too for the reasons you all mentioned. I found the same thing with my sister. She’s hardly ever shot a pistol and a situation popped up last month where she asked me to borrow a handgun to keep in her house. I took my Walther PPK/s and an off brand J frame in 38 special that was perfectly functional it just wasn’t a S&W or Colt. She preferred the revolver right off the bat. She couldn’t manipulate the slide to charge the PPK/s and I admit that sometimes I can’t get a very good grip on those small areas with the slide serrations. It’s definitely NOT a pistol for a female unless they are willing to practice and learn the technique to safely and positively load the chamber and make ready to fire.

So, I’ll pass on all the concerns you all mentioned. I’ll suggest that he take her to rent some different pistols to try.

Thank you ALL for your continued help and advice on my frequent questions and comments.
Have a great week everyone and please stay SAFE!!

larry

 

[GCV]

Is that empty weight or fully loaded up weight ?
Given the various lockdowns, any chance your friend's wife could try shooting some different options ? There's a few guns in that weight range, but some might be miserable to shoot for her. Is this for on body carry or will it end up in a purse ? Is she already a shooter ?
You may already have mentioned the Sig 365/XL to him. That seems to be the gun of the moment, but what's her comfort level carrying a chambered round ?

I second the Sig P365 XL. I carry one and love it (JM Custom AIWB). I just traded in my regular P365 and bought an XL with the Romeo Zero. (She might or might not want the Romeo Zero, her choice.) Yesterday, I just put the 1000th round through it without one hiccup. For a small pistol it is light, thin, easy to shoot and accurate. She doesn't have to carry with one in the chamber.

 

[asiparks]

an out of left field suggestion- Taurus TX .22.
a little over 17oz, by all reports very reliable, very easy to manipulate slide and very easy and quick to shoot with little recoil. No, it's not a 9mm, but I'm not sure I'd like to get hit by 16 rounds of rapid fire .22 either.

Might be something she'd enjoy practicing with too...

 

[Zero1911]

Sig 365XL is all that. Put one of those Romeo Zeros on it and you have just about the best ccw package available.
With that said I still prefer to lug this thang around because I it eats everything not matter how hot and I can consistently hit a 12 circle @ 100 yards
.