Glock Talk banner

What type of pistol for those with no training?

3K views 76 replies 57 participants last post by  jp3975 
#1 ·
Greetings. I have a bit of extra funds burning a hole in my pocket and want a new pistol. Something I've been considering is which of my pistols I'd put in my wifes hand if the need ever came up. She doesn't like to shoot, this isn't going to change.

I prefer striker fired pistols. This also isn't going to change. However, I've wondered if this type of pistol is what I'd want to hand my wife if needed. More specifically I've wondered if a DA/ SA would be better suited for someone like her. We all know that training is key, but what about those that won't train -- would something with a long/ heavy trigger pull be better for her than my Glocks?

Thanks!
 
#69 ·
So off the original question, I think it's a little too vague.

This sounds like a home defense scenario. As such I would recommend something like a 20ga semi-auto shotgun or an AR/ak style of rifle with a sed dot sight.. once the safety is off all they have to do is put red on target. Maybe a light and laser instead, but you get the idea.

Handing a pistol to someone without them being overly familiar with them is not a good idea in most situations.

The only thing I can think of outside the home where firearms are used would involve my wife running away as fast as possible while I cover her. I don't think if I was to carry a back up gun it would go to her unless we were trapped in a room with no exit and barricaded in, in which case she would get whatever my back up is. Currently I don't carry one as I don't go anywhere too high risk, and my job doesn't carry any significant risk either.

A double action revolver with a weaker cartridge might be in order, whether it is 38 special or a 9mm with moon clips. Either one should be easy enough to handle, and moon clips can make reloads easier.

no matter what it is she'll need some sort of familiarization with it. I have a .40 laserlyte laser module I use with my glock. It seems more like a game than training when using it to shoot bad guys/zombies on the TV while doing dry fire practice, and gives some feedback on how your aim is. It's a little harder with a gun that doesn't have second strike capabilities, re racking the slide every shot gets tiring. Other than that it does help with some of the basics without the noise and smoke of the range (not that the smoke smells bad to most of us, but some people do complain).

As for a long/heavy trigger pull, you can easily swap in a NY-1 trigger spring to add a little more weight. You can even go to the NY-2, but that seems too much and even detrimental to me.

My wife started out on my ruger mk-II target pistol. Heavy bull barrel in .22 means almost no felt recoil and little muzzle blast. Her first gun of her own was a mossberg 500C shotgun (20 gauge) as it's light enough for her to hold (under 6 lbs) and small enough for her frame (she's from the philippines). After that I had her buy an AR-15 as she wanted a rifle. She loves her AR-15 and shoots it whenever she can get me to take her out to the range. Little recoil, not that heavy, adjustable stock, and relatively simple controls make it her go-to gun if she needs a weapon at home. The most recent gun for her is finally a handgun. She now has a walther CCP. controls are simple, it's a striker fired with a relatively small external safety that's easy to turn off with your thumb, comfortable in the hand, 9mm. Due to the design it's easier to rack than most semi-auto pistols. Downsides are 8 round magazines even though the grip is big enough to allow for more, and that it's a little finicky so far on ammo it will feed reliably. being able to rack the slide easily was one of the main requirements.

an ar-15 pistol with a sig brace might also be in order, it's sort of a compromise between all of the things I mentioned earlier, and possibly do it in something like .300blk. easy to control, easy to point and shoot, large capacity, add a red dot sight and maybe a light to it and you're all good.
On the other hand you can't get much more simple than a good old double barrel shotgun.
 
#72 ·
I taught my ex how to shoot a .32 Seecamp in about a half an hour. It lacks sights, so it is specifically an emergency survival tool. It will do in a pinch. She's smart, and she has the will to use the thing, which is the most important part. I'd take that pistol over a can of pepper spray or a knife any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

And I wouldn't wanna be the guy that convinced her it was GO time. She has a keen tactical sensibility and a streak of viciousness that trumped even my cop friend, as we found out when they got into a fight with water pistols. She punked him without stretching a limb. I'm not worried about her level of "training" at all. She knows how to take care of herself.

My mother on the other hand... She probably shouldn't have a gun, and especially not the one my dad got her. She can't even rack the thing, and has little idea how it functions. She's not clueless, but I think she'd be better off with a civilian Taser. Everybody's different.
 
#76 · (Edited)
My wife had similar reservations. She witnessed a ND while married to her first husband. When she shot it was .45ACP and he laughed and teased her apprhension. She became very anti gun.

I bribed her with cash, just to get her to the range. It worked and now I have comfort in her ability to shoot a revolver.

Over several sessions, we started with .22LR shooting autos and revolvers. Ruger Beretta and my S+W Model 18.

Stepped up to .38 Special shooting a friends 686, then a K frame, then a J Frame. She's balked at the Jframe and stuck to a K frame.

Introduced he to Glocks 9mm which she handled okay but didn't like flying brass.

Today she packs a S+W Model 15 snub. She's got a Ruger .22 airweight (?) revolver.

My advice is not to force anything onto her. Thru renting, borrowing, and what you own let her choose.

I agree with another post in finding her somebody other than the husband to give instruction. I thought it was a positive benefit finding a range that would give her instruction. My job was to simply load magazines and rent/borrow handguns.

Make it fun and take it slow and bribe her with money to shop.
 
#77 ·
Does it HAVE to be a pistol? Pistols are the most dangerous guns for a beginner to have. Easier to be careless with where they are pointed, and harder to shoot.

Id recommend an fn ps90. Compact. Ergonomic as it gets. 50 round capacity. Super easy to shoot and be accurite with.

Its cool enough that if she would take interest in any gun, that would be it.

If you want to go cheaper you could get a cz scorpion and add a sig brace or sbr it. But id go with the fn.

I wouldnt go with a pistol at all.

But if you insist... fn five seven or kel tech pmr 30.

Revolvers arent a terrible choice either.

Cz p01 or sp01 if you want a pistol in 9mm. You say you like striker fired guns...this could be something new for you to enjoy if she never touches it, and if she does, in my opinion they are softer shooting.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top