Looking for handgun recommendations

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My wife is looking for a handgun she can carry while hiking alone and one I can carry when going on trips alone, mostly for peace of mind. Any suggestions for caliber and model? Once again, its just for "peace of mind" and not hunting/bear protection and would like to stay $300 +/-
 

colonel00

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Hmm, lots of options and variables here. Does she currently shoot and can she shoot bigger calibers? Are you looking for a concealed option or open carry? Auto or revolver? Peace of mind from what? A .22 would be a fun plinker but only offer peace of mind from those pesky hooligan chipmunks and the like.
 

Browtine

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Lot of good options in 9x19. You need to take your wife on a date to the gun store and let her fondle a lot of pistols. If you want her to feel comfortable with it, she needs to pick it out.
 

WestDan

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agree with colonel00, lots of options/questions. if not worrying about bears and your wife can handle a little bigger caliber, a glock 22 40cal is pretty nice and probably can be found slightly used for that price, new ~$500 I think.
 
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Hard to beat a light weight 38 for your needs.
Simple to operate, reliable, and "just enough" stopping power.
Maybe one of the hammerless S&W laser Bodyguards or the equivalent Ruger LCR model.
Hunt'nFish
 

n2horns

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Take her to the store, she need to find something that fits her hands. Let her try out a variety of calibers and styles, without influence from you. Have the store rep do the talking and into the range.
 
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My wife has the GLock 42. Very small and very concealable. I will say, it is MUCH snappier than we expected. It took her some time to get used to it but still feels like it was the right choice.
 

cody6510

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I would suggest looking into a glock 17, 19, or s&w m&p 9. Used they could all be found in your price range. I've shot a 9mm and 40s&w extensively and firmly believe the 9mm is a better option, as shot placement is key. IMO a 9mm can be fired much quicker and more accurately then a 40s&w. If a revolver is what your looking for I would suggest an air light or j frame.
 

avodude

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If she is new to guns I think a revolver would be the way to go. Lot of stuff to explain and understand with an auto and a lot can go wrong for a person new to guns. Revolvers are pretty easy to understand and a 38 special lightweight would be a good start IMO.
 
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I'm going to disagree with some of the thoughts on here.

As far as "fitting her hand", we're not talking a shotgun here. It's a handgun, fit is not that big of an issue. I train people to use handguns. By and large, the number one issue women have with handguns is that they are too big. So, bottom line is don't buy her a Glock 21 and think all is well. She should be able to shoot it fine, and many women can. However, they run into the issue of the grip size being too big and they cannot get enough of their trigger finger on the trigger to shoot it comfortably.

That said, a Glock 17, or any subcompact 9mm is going to be just fine as far as grip size. Grip ergonomics can easily be overthought also. She's not shooting a competition, she just needs to be able to grip the gun and press the trigger.

Revolvers are fine, but I don't really agree that a revolver is all that much more simple relative to today's semi auto pistols. A Glock or a Springfield XDS does not have a manual/external safety, and can be fired if the magazine is disengaged. They are very foolproof, hence the reason many cops use and carry them. Also, a Glock is going to have a nicer trigger pull relative to many of the more inexpensive revolvers.

Revolvers MAY be somewhat more reliable. All things considered, if you take reloads out of the equation (speed reloads with pistol will be much easier than revolver), there are pros and cons to each that when weighed out don't really amount to a very negligible difference.

Shooting a pistol is not as difficult as we make it out to be. Learn a proper grip, learn proper sight alignment, and learn a proper trigger press. If she is merely carrying it for protection then that's not really a high bar to clear.

Good luck!
 
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I would suggest looking into a glock 17, 19, or s&w m&p 9. Used they could all be found in your price range. I've shot a 9mm and 40s&w extensively and firmly believe the 9mm is a better option, as shot placement is key. IMO a 9mm can be fired much quicker and more accurately then a 40s&w. If a revolver is what your looking for I would suggest an air light or j frame.

Yes, a 9mm is much easier to shoot than a 40SW, particularly in smaller framed pistols and/or polymer framed pistols.

Some of the very small compacts will have a pretty snappy kick to them. I had a Kahr CM40 that had a pretty good kick to it, and my XDS .45 is no cream puff either. However, I wouldn't say either one is difficult to shoot.
 

Browtine

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I train people to use handguns.

Shooting a pistol is not as difficult as we make it out to be. Learn a proper grip, learn proper sight alignment, and learn a proper trigger press. If she is merely carrying it for protection then that's not really a high bar to clear.

Good luck!

Hmmm....I've never heard a trainer state that defensive handgun training isn't as hard as we make it out to be and that merely carrying for protection is a pretty low bar.

Couldn't disagree more. Not really a Rokslide topic so I'll leave it at that.
 

2ski

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Hmmm....I've never heard a trainer state that defensive handgun training isn't as hard as we make it out to be and that merely carrying for protection is a pretty low bar.

Couldn't disagree more. Not really a Rokslide topic so I'll leave it at that.
I think he meant that the choice of gun wasn't going to be difficult if all she wanted it for was piece of mind. Not a lot of thought process. Pretty much get something she likes to shoot and feels good in her hand. Caliber being least important to a degree.
 
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Hmmm....I've never heard a trainer state that defensive handgun training isn't as hard as we make it out to be and that merely carrying for protection is a pretty low bar.

Couldn't disagree more. Not really a Rokslide topic so I'll leave it at that.

You're welcome to disagree.

It's all about fundamentals, and perfect practice. Most defensive shooting situations are going to be very close range and in low light. None of the three fundamentals that I listed are complex physical skills, in fact they are quite simple. It's the perfect practice repetitions that are going to dictate how well you perform under stress.

It's been my observation that someone who is taught how to do something correctly the first time, and then practices those techniques will have a relatively easy time compared to someone that just shoots to shoot, reinforcing bad habits the whole time they are doing it.

In reality, I personally think that for self defense carry one doesn't need a whole lot of time on the range to meet proficiency levels of where they should be. Where most folks need training (cops included) is relative to WHEN they should be utilizing lethal force.
 
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