.380 vs 9mm

Carry as much gun as possible and she is comfortable with. The gun is no good if it's too big and doesn't get carried or used.
I'd go with 9mm but my own choice is a S&W J frame. I've also used a Sig 239, Sig 232 and a 1911. Most of the time it's a 340PD or a 342.

John Sobieski said:

My wife used to carry a .380 PPK/S because it was small, flat and easy to conceal. However, the gun was never particularly reliable or enjoyable to shoot and the double action pull was terrible.

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IMO, the PPK is an unpleasant shooting gun that beats up the shooters hand. As a result, casual shooters don't want to practice - and I don't blame them.
Try to find a range that rents guns. Let your wife rent some different guns and she'll tell you what she wants. If she likes it, she will be far more likely to practice with it.
Just my $.02

What everyone else says The only real way is for her to check some out and find what feels right to her, and then shoot comparable guns if not the exact one and see how she hangles it.

I'd look long and hard at the M&P9c or 442 if they fit the above criteria. 380 is at its best in the ultra-compacts like Kel-Tec P3AT or Ruger LCP, much bigger than that and it really pays to go 9MM.

Also, good advice for everyone, don't always assume you need to stick with the small calibers when shopping for a woman. I'm hitting the range tomorrow with a friend whose very partial to a Glock 30 .45! I'm trying to get her to come back from the dark side and get an M&P45c. Just had to add my $.02

With all the comments on recoil on the .380 Walthers might be another reason why most countries adopted them in .32!

CD

Combat_Diver said:

With all the comments on recoil on the .380 Walthers might be another reason why most countries adopted them in .32!

CD

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Funny...
IMO, .32 only pisses a big guy off JK

(not tryin to start a caliber war)

AITG said:

IMO, the PPK is an unpleasant shooting gun that beats up the shooters hand. As a result, casual shooters don't want to practice - and I don't blame them.

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This is where hand loading is an amazing advantage, I load LIGHTER full power loads for my girl to practice, and show her waht box to carry from(after I made sure they function reliably).

In the heat of things you don't notice the noise let alone the recoil.

Combat_Diver said:

With all the comments on recoil on the .380 Walthers might be another reason why most countries adopted them in .32!

CD

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Doesn't mean they don't have a purpose, just that they aren't as friendly to shoot as a lot of people might think. I think a lot of people who don't think it through are attracted to the small size and slim grip, not knowing that blowback guns flat out kick harder than recoil operated ones. If a 9mm were blowback you'd hear the same complaints.

Take her to a range and let her shoot some rental guns. Then let her decide.

Don't overlook the Walther PPS, which is 9mm and very ergonomic and controllable to shoot and the magazine is big enough to easily get the ammunition in. Also, there are no safeties and decocker levers to fumble with. It's easy to take down to clean and reassemble.

http://usera.imagecave.com/BarbC/Guns/IMG_1798_1_1_1.JPG


PS - This month's American Rifleman has a section on .380 guns popular for concealed carry that you might want to look at.

Barb!!! You went over to the dark side??!!??!!

of my 5 sisters one is an anti CCW but doesn't mind hunting (maybe because of the meat my dad and I brought in and my mom tastefully prepared) she refuses to consider getting a gun - lives inside a gated community.
another is a middle of the roader, owns a 20ga but doesn't feel the need for a pistol.
other 3 are fine with pistols after I got them hooked on plinking with my .22 revolver. 2 have .380's, one has a .32 S&W revolver. the .380's are Bersas that I thoroughly checked over and function fired. good pistols. none of them liked my 9mm S&W, Makarov 9mm or GP .357.

Joni_Lynn said:

Barb!!! You went over to the dark side??!!??!!

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I wear my shame deeply concealed.

Recently received the latest American Rifleman with a special article on 380 ACP pistols. Of the eight they reviewed, only two were blowback. We recently purchased a Sig P238 and love it. It is basically a minature 1911 and is really sweet to shoot. My wife has had some stovepipes but I have not. My wifes hands are really small and she needs some work on her wrist. We have heard from others who have the same model that it takes 2 or 300 rounds to break it in. We only have about 75 rounds through the gun. The gun and recoil are well behaved. All-in-all, I really like the gun and have carried it a few times. From the article, energies range from 119 to 217 ft-lbs (probably muzzle) with groupings from 5 to 6 inches at 25 yards. If you are considering buying one my advice is to rent as many as you can to see how they shoot. They will all shoot differently, have different recoils and characters. They do not have the same stopping power as a 9mm but it was good enought for Bond.

The Bersa Thunder Pro UC 9mm is a very underrated gun. I fired one not too long ago and was impressed. Plus you can google it and see what the reviews are. trust me it will be difficult to find anyone with anything bad to say about it. And with a NIB price of around $350.00 you cant beat it.

Good Luck

I'm a newby here and a proud Sigma 9mm owner. I wanted to pipe in on this one, because I went through the same process. I did a ton of research and decided the 380 just wasn't for me. It may be a competent round in the right hands, but it has so many drawbacks that don't have anything to do with competency. Around here, 380 defensive rounds, provided you can find any, run around $50 a box. Range loads run around $35 and are just as difficult to find. That turned me off about the 380 altogether, since my money is rather special to me.

I researched a CCW pocket pistol for a while and finally decided the Kahr PM9 would fit my needs well and, since I already owned a 9mm, ammo wasn't a negative factor, either. Then, I hit upon an article talking about the KelTek PF9 and discovered it was a competent firearm at about half the price of the Kahr. Took me a while to find one, which also re-enforced the fact that's it's a pretty decent firearm. When I finally did find one for purchase, I couldn't be happier.

I know this is a S&W board and I certainly wouldn't advertise anything else, because I've always enjoyed and respected S&W products, but they don't have any models to compete with this gun. I consider my Sigma to be every bit the product I've come to expect from S&W, but I'm afraid I've fallen in love with my little PF9. Plenty of firepower, IMHO, and fits like a glove in a pocket holster in my Levis. Is it a S&W? Well, no, but it's a well made firearm that does a great job of performing my personal protection needs. If S&W made one, I'm sure I'd own it, but until they do, I'm extremely pleased with the alternative I found.

The gun will fit anywhere and weighs around 18oz loaded with 7 rounds. As I said, it fits my jeans with no print whatsoever and would fit a ladies purse nicely. Before buying another mouse gun, you really should take a look at this one. Research it a bit, because, like the Sigma, it has a little bit of a negative history, but, like the Sigma, most of the bugs have been worked out. Mine has been about as fail safe as my Sigma and that's saying a lot. Both guns have performed flawlessly for me. Sure hope I didn't ruffle any feathers posting this. If S&W had a viable alternative, I'm sure I would be touting it instead.

rmcky,

Smith does

SKU: 103887
Model: CS9
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 7+1 Rounds
Barrel Length: 3"
Front Sight: Dot Front Sight
Rear Sight: Novak Lo Mount Carry
Grip: Rubber Grips
External Safety: N/A
Frame: Small
Finish: Matte
Overall Length: 6 1/4"
Material: Alloy
Weight Empty: 20 oz


CD

I would shy away from semi-autos unless the little wifey is an experienced gunman. Too many problems can pop up in a life threatening situation. The .38 special hammerless wheel gun is my all time favorite for the new shooter. If it doesn't go bang when you pull the trigger, simply pull the trigger again. With +P and +P+ ammo, along with the franagibles available, the .38 special is a formable close quarter self defense weapon for any man or woman.

For a 9mm have her shoot a Ruger SR9c -- my sister has one and luvs it.

Bersa Thunder .380 is nice and easy to conceal.

For a smaller pocket/purse type gun look at the Kel-Tec P-32
It has less recoil than a .380 and at close range will do the job.

My wife is becoming an experienced shooter. During controlled range shooting she does very well indeed with large caliber weapons including the .357 magnum, .44 S&W Special and .45ACP in guns with barrels of at least four inches. She also shoots .380 and 9MM pistols to a decent level of proficiency, however, no mater how much she practices she is terrible with a snub nose revolver!

Her carry guns are now either a Taurus TCP .380 ACP, a Kel Tec PF-9 9MM or when weight isn't as much of a concern, her 3 inch all steel Lady Smith Model 60 .38 SPL. If she could carry a full sized auto, she is right wicked with my CZ-75 9MM.

The key is to find a CCW gun you can actually hit something with all the time. Never assume a certain type of firearm will be ideal for someone else, unless you have observed them actually shooting one. If I went by my wife's ability with a full sized 4 inch plus revolver, I would have assumed a snub .38 would suit her as a CCW. Wrong.

Had a Ruger LCP, gun is way too light. Recoil was evil. Take down pin fell out the first time I shot it. Not a comfortable gun to shoot. Gave it way can't count on it. Got a S&W 380 Bodyguard. Just larger and heavier that the LCP to make a difference. the 380 is my back up gun and the M&P 9c and the Shield are my main carry guns. Also got a gun for my Wife. Best trade I ever made!

You guys realize the original post is about 2.5 years old, right? I am guessing he isn't still trying to make a decision, and it appears he hasn't posted anything in over 2 years.