Wife taking CHL - Needs gun too.

[Broge5]

Wife is taking her CHL class. Would like to hear what the ladies prefer. My wife is very small with small hands. She hates to shoot my P3AT.

Two that caught our eye due to size and feel were the new Bersa Thunder for carry (the slimmed down version) and the Sig 232.

For purse carry, but hate to go smaller than 380.

Don't mean to insult the Sig - it's obviously a finer piece.

Anyone fired both?

Ladies, your opinions? Maybe something different?

[Doug.38PR]

My mother selected a S&W M-10 2 inch .38 Special for herself. That would fit fine into a purse, be heavy enough to absorb more of the recoil than a J frame gun and have a 6ths shot instead of the 5 shot out of a J frame. It's a lot more simple than a semi-automatic too.

.38 Special is more powerful than a .380 and .38 Spl+P LSWCHP is MUCH more effective than standard .38 Spl. rounds.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=81906369
here are some pictures of a 2 inch M10

NOTE: if you do select a ^ gun, be sure she qualifies her CHL course with a semi auto. That way she has the option of carrying both a semi auto and a revolver and if say your semi auto is left in the car and she goes to the store, she doesn't get in trouble if stopped by a policeman.

[seamusTX]

NOTE: if you do select a [revolver], be sure she qualifies her CHL course with a semi auto. That way she has the option of carrying both a semi auto and a revolver and if say your semi auto is left in the car and she goes to the store, she doesn't get in trouble if stopped by a policeman.

I agree with using a pistol for the CHL test. You can use a big, heavy 9 mm or .45 and pass easily, then carry whatever you like.

Having a handgun in the car is no longer an issue. It never really was. The police have very little justification for "stopping" a parked car.

- Jim

[razoraggie]

Not to stray from your question too much, but as the above mentioned post suggests: You may want to consider a small frame revolver. Taurus makes some FINE carry revolvers that are some of the easiest handguns in the world to both fire and maintain. My wife is...shall we say..a very small individual (she flirts with 5') and carries a Taurus Model 85 in .38 spl. It is easy to conceal in just about any setup and onyl weighs about 14 oz. It does kick a little because of the lack of weight, but she can group them at 15 yds just as easy as I can with my Glock 31. And to top everything off, the .38 spl is a round that will pack A LOT of stopping power. See the link I've placed here for their full product line including suggested prices. If you let her hold one, she'll want one!
http://www.taurususa.com/products/gunse ... cfm?page=2

[Moonpie]

S&W J-frame in .32 magnum.

[barres]

I have always heard that the lockup design of most .380's makes felt recoil as bad or worse than some 9mm's. I wouldn't know from personal experience, though, as I've never shot a .380.

My wife is somewhat diminutive at somewhere between 5' and 5' 1", and her pistol of choice is a Glock model 19 in 9mm. Probably a little too big for her for on-the-body carry, but since her purses tend to be larger than average, it would be acceptable for purse carry for her. But my wife is not ready to get her CHL, yet, so it is a house gun for her for now.

It's good to get opinions from your friends here at the TexasCHLForum, but let that only be a starting point. Help your wife pick out her pistol, don't try to pick one out for her. Just my opinion, of course.

[MrsFosforos]

Do you live near a range that rents guns? I've found that looking at a gun and holding it at a gun shop is a lot different than shooting it IRL.

I have the regular sized Bersa T380 and my husband has the Bersa 380 conceal carry version. I haven't handled a Sig, so can't base any comparison there. As for the Bersas, the recoil is not that bad and even the regular sized one conceals easily.

There's a great website for women called the CorneredCat.com. It has loads of great information & tips which could be applicable to anyone, but is mainly specific for women. This page on the site, Trying on a Handgun - provides information and great pics for demonstrating how to make sure a gun "fits".

I hope she finds one she likes, and THEN she may find out that guns are like shoes and purses -- got to have more than one to carry depending on the situation!

[Thane]

Between the Bersa and the Sig, I'd be inclined to go with the 232. Just personal preference, based on handling them both at the gun store. They're both decent guns.

As for recoil, I'm not one to say "yea" or "nay" to either pistol. I'm a bit of a recoil junkie, and enjoy shooting hot-loaded .45 Colt and .44 Magnum, which makes the little .380 seem like a popgun.

[Lumberjack98]

Definitely consider the snubby revolver. S&W and Taurus make some fine ones.

Between the Sig and the Bersa, that's a tough one, but I'd go with the Bersa. Mine has never failed me.

Again, really give consideration to the revolver over the auto.

[PhilR.]

I've used both, and as one would expect, the Sig is the finer weapon. Kinda like comparing a Rolex to a Seiko. Both work fine, but one has the panache of fine workmanship that the other doesn't.

If you and her just look at handguns as mere tools, then the Bersa will do just fine. The one my wife had was a fine pistol, but she had a FTF every now and then due to limpwristing. It shot 100% for me. She used it as a beginner's training weapon, where it served well. We no longer have it, as she has graduated to a Glock 26 and a 642.

While a blowback action will have a bit more felt recoil, there isn't enough of a difference blowback and locked-breach recoil to make a difference in real life. IOW, if you can't handle a blowback, then you aren't going to be able to handle same-caliber locked-breech either.

As for other options -- for actual carry I would agree with the revolver suggestions, for too many reasons to add in this post. My wife qualified w/a pistol just so she would be able to carry a pistol if she felt like it, but her actual carry is the 642 (a revolver). Other options are the smaller Kahr 9mm's, (especially the MK9), which are smaller than the Bersa or Sig. Advantages of the 9mm are that it's cheaper to shoot but more powerful.

Options for a range/training pistol are the CZ82, and the 9mm auto's that have interchangeable backstraps that will allow you to adjust to a smaller hand size. Some of these come in compact versions as well, so you could use it as both a range/training gun and a carry gun as well.

PhilR.

[longtooth]

My Mom shoots the Sig 232 & loves it. She purse carries, belt, & shoulder.

[Venus Pax]

I have the Bersa Thunder .380 and carry it often. This is the gun I carry when I can't hide the .45.

She needs to go to the gun shops and/or gun shows (either with friends or with you) and pick out one that she likes best, however. What she picks may surprise you.

[WarHawk-AVG]

Wife is taking her CHL class. Would like to hear what the ladies prefer. My wife is very small with small hands. She hates to shoot my P3AT.

Two that caught our eye due to size and feel were the new Bersa Thunder for carry (the slimmed down version) and the Sig 232.

For purse carry, but hate to go smaller than 380.

Don't mean to insult the Sig - it's obviously a finer piece.

Anyone fired both?

Ladies, your opinions? Maybe something different?

Take her to a range where you can rent firearms....

Let her shoot and decide!

I guarantee she will appreciate it more, learn more, and be able to handle a weapon she chose for herself better than one you say..here, this is your new pistol...you can guide her to caliber and such..but ultimately she is the one that is going to be practicing and carrying it.

Heck..my wife LOVES my 1991A1...and can shoot it better than me!

[CompVest]

I have many women that shoot Bersa 9mm's in my class. They have not had any malfunction issues. I have a Kahr 9mm. It shoots great and is very easy to conceal in my purse or on my body.

I reccommend a three step process for buying a gun.
1. go to a gun show and pick up everything until you find about 4-5 guns that feel good in your hand and will fit your needs.
2. take your short list to a range that rents them or find a friend that has them and shoot them.
3. buy the one that you like shooting the best with the best proven reliability track record.

There is a huge selection of fine guns out there. That means that there is at least one that fits your needs and is fun to shoot. What works for one person may not work for you.

[flintknapper]

I have many women that shoot Bersa 9mm's in my class. They have not had any malfunction issues. I have a Kahr 9mm. It shoots great and is very easy to conceal in my purse or on my body.

I reccommend a three step process for buying a gun.
1. go to a gun show and pick up everything until you find about 4-5 guns that feel good in your hand and will fit your needs.
2. take your short list to a range that rents them or find a friend that has them and shoot them.
3. buy the one that you like shooting the best with the best proven reliability track record.

There is a huge selection of fine guns out there. That means that there is at least one that fits your needs and is fun to shoot. What works for one person may not work for you.

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