trying to get my wife a handgun for self defense when I travel. Thoughts on what would be good for her. She has never shot, she has had a wrist injury to her off hand so I want something that is easily controlled with mostly one had and the other had just for minimal support. I love Glocks and have stuck to 40 S&W but I think that would be a bit much for her.
TIA
Smith and Wesson 442-2 is something to consider.
Thought about the Sig P238? I love mine. 
Wrist injury, never shot…no.
Do a search, this has been discussed before.
A 9mm she likes would be a place to start. G19, S&W M&P9c…
Due to the wrist injury, she’ll need something of reasonable grip length and size in order to keep the pistol under control and the felt recoil down. I advise that you stay away from tiny pistols like the jumpy Ruger LCP. She’ll also want a pistol of decent weight…but not too heavy otherwise she won’t want to carry it. Revolvers are not the most user friendly handguns and I would not recommend it for her.
A striker fired semi auto is good like a Glock, M&P, or Walther, but the again a woman doesn’t like to carry around a bulky holster all the time either to ensure safe carry. I’ve tried a number of pistols with my wife and I’ve heard a lot of excuses as to why she doesn’t like to carry one. Finally, I found one that she liked…my Sig P232 .380acp. It was large enough for an ideal grip, heavy enough to make recoil comfortable, and had a smooth DA/SA trigger in case she wanted a safe condition to carry it outside of a holster. The pistol is accurate and reliable…just remember that Sigs like oil though. I had to replace my P232 with another one after my wife stole it. :rolleyes:
.380acp ammo is a little hard to find now days, but here’s a great source for finding what you need:
http://www.ammoengine.com/find/ammo/.380_ACP
Hornady 90gr XTP or TAP is probably the best overall defensive load as it comes much closer to the 12" penetration FBI protocol standard in ballistic gel:
http://www.ammoengine.com/find/store_frame/2911387?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cabelas.com%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Ftemplates%2Fproduct%2Fstandard-item.jsp%3B%3Fid%3D0031359215809a%26amp%3BnavCount%3D1%26amp%3BpodId%3D0031359%26amp%3BparentId%3Dcat20837%26amp%3Bmasterpathid%3D%26amp%3BnavAction%3Djump%26amp%3BcmCat%3DMainCatcat20712-cat20837%26amp%3BcatalogCode%3D9IS%26amp%3Brid%3D%26amp%3Bparent
M&P 9 compact with the crimson laser. My sister in law was in the same boat other than the wrist injury and is now in love with her little pistol. Identical story, never shot ever and hubby is a cop that works all night. A few range trips with us coppers and a CCDW class and you got yourself a happy woman that is comfortable with the weapon. She has since nicknamed her gun the “noisy cricket”. Go figure. I think we created a animal…;), sigh.
Ky Cop
I bought my wife a G32 for home defense. I trust my life to a glock so I trust that hers will not let us down. I would say a G26 for your wife, or a G17. Good luck!
I had to relace a G19 after my wife shot it. I told her we would get her one just like it and she looked at me in the way I knew she had her gun and I was now looking for a new one. Such is life but she loves it.
I’d recommend an M&P-9 as well. They are comfortable and easy to control. I’d personally suggest a full size though. The compact model is only designed for better concealment. The full size is easier to grip regardless of hand size, and will shoot softer than the compact due to the added mass.
Either way, choosing the handgun is nowhere near as important as making sure she can use it. Most ranges rent guns…I’d say try a few out and see what SHE likes and is most comfortable shooting. Then buy her one and make her shoot the hell out of it!
Another vote for the M&P9c. My Wife assimilated mine the day she first shot it, and she has occasional issues with her wrist, but she’s fine with the 9mm.
She should be, her other guns are a GP100 and a Python! 
M&P 9c.
My wife has had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, and she has smaller hands as well. She prefers the Kahr 9mms, she has a PM9 and a CW9 for carry.
Another vote foe the M&P9c (or G19).
…and here I thought this was a different kind of thread about getting a gun for the wife.
“I got a gun for my wife.”
“Good trade!”
XD40 sub compact. alot of safety features and mine shoots AWESOMe. Not hard to handle either
Here’s my thinking, based on lessons I’ve learned the hard way introducing my wife to the world of handgun shooting.
Because of your wife’s hand strength issue, a revolver might be a better choice than an auto. There’s no slide on a revolver to have to rack.
Even if she can manipulate the slide, many women also have grip size issues with double-stack auto pistols. This negatively affects gun handling and recoil management. A single-stack auto like a Kahr TP9/T9 or SIG 239 might work well for small hands.
I would most definitely not recommend a lightweight/airweight (aluminum/scandium frame) revolver in .38 or .357(such as S&W 442/642/340/342/37 or Ruger LCR) because of recoil issues. If you put one of these in her hands and she fires it she may never want to shoot anything you recommend again.
A good choice might be a S&W all stainless j-frame (640/649/60) or a Ruger SP-101. All of these weigh about 23-25 oz unloaded, and soak up recoil better than a 16 oz airweight S&W 642 or a Ruger LCR. This heavier weight makes for a much more pleasant shooting experience which means she might be more willing to train with the gun. If hand size is an issue you can find lots of grips for the 649/640/60 to acommodate small hands. Crimson Trace makes a number of types of lasergrips for these guns. My wife has a 649 with Crimson Trace LG-305s on it, and she likes it very much. The biggest drawback on these guns IMO is limited capacity, only 5 rds.
And I’d recommend .38 ammo versus .357, even if they’re so chambered. In .38 +P the Speer 135 +P Gold Dot short barrel load is a pretty good one as is Corbon’s DPX +P load.
If .38 +P loads give too much recoil for her, then there are various standard pressure .38 loads available. With them you may sacrifice either consistent expansion or sufficient penetration, but you’ll get lower recoil and blast than with +P loads. Even if she keeps the gun loaded with +P loads she could train primarily with standard pressure loads which are cheaper and more pleasant to shoot than +P loads.
A carbon steel or stainless S&W K-frame revolver in .38 or .357(Models 10/13/15/19/64/65/66/67) might work too. Here you’re looking at unloaded weights of about 30-35 oz(more weight = less recoil) and a 6 rd capacity. These would be easier to shoot than even the all-stainless J-frames or SP-101, but their weight may cause her to fatigue easily too. Crimson Trace makes lasergrips for them too. Same comments as above on ammo apply here.
Does she have any female friends who shoot handguns regularly? In my experience a woman can often help another woman pick a gun better than a man can.
Is there a clean shooting range in your area that rents a good variety of handguns? If so go there with your wife (and her female shooting friend) and encourage her to shoot whatever she likes.
A basic handgun training course (preferably with a female-friendly instructor) might be a very good thing for her to attend prior to buying a gun. Her experiences gained during the class could then inform her choice of a handgun.
The most important lesson for me in the process of helping my wife pick a gun was that it’s got to be her choice of gun not mine. I have a strong personality and probably unknowingly exerted too much influence on my wife’s choices. This lengthened the process and cost us extra money as we went through a series of guns for her.
Amen, brother!!
I second this philosophy. I taught my wife to shoot using my friends Beretta Cougar 8000f. She fell in love with the pistol, and so I hunted one down for her. She also has carpal tunnel, but that has not stopped her one bit.
One thing to keep in mind is many women have trouble racking the slide of some semi’s. My wife could not operate the slide of a S&W 659, nor 1911, but can do the cougar and my 96. A revolver is better from an operation stand point.
Take her to a gun show, and let her pick up, and handle different guns. Let her decide what she wants, and is comfortable with. Make sure she can operate all the controls. Then make sure to take her out and practice, practice, practice.
This is a good conversation for me too
my wife did not grow up around guns like I did and it was a challenge at first, she has come around and is 100% behind me having guns, now it’s just a question of getting her comfortable with them
I bought her a few years ago and older steel frame j frame 3" barrel 38 with a DAO, bobbed hammer. Someone had done an action job on it and it is smooth as butter and very accurate.
She has never shot it though
last year I bought her an M&P9c
she hasn’t shot it yet either
part of the issue is we have little kids and the closes range is an indoor one.
the WORST place to take a new shooter
I need to get her to an outdoor range with both pistols and let her shoot both and she uses the one she is more comforatable with more accurate with.
I also think I may get her to an instructor, so it’s not her husband telling her how to do it…
Started looking @ the same decision.
My wife is not “a gun girl”, but is not anti.
(especially after we intervened in a daytime assault - gang banger, who was on federal parole, & dragging his GF across a parking lot. - Held him, til PD hooked him up----NOW, she’s all for my CCW!!!)
Since “CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY” went into effect, in AZ…She was willing to consider a car gun (School Teacher, can’t pack in purse, on campus—unless we move to TX!)
Got her to go to NSSF - First Shots Class
*GREAT CLASS-to get her educated w/ safety & hear things from someone, other than me (which affirm our range discussions).
Since she’s not really interested in getting heavy into shooting/competitions, we opted for a revolver. Traded my G27 for her a S&W 640-1 (pre-lock) / .357
It’s Loaded w/ .38 +P
(more comfy for her)
*And we still keep a stainless S&W 6" - full lug, stashed @ home, if she needs one there.