Bought it thinking about the wife...but..

[elm_creek_smith]

My late wife appropriated my S&W Model 681 after I put a Crimson Trace grip on it. She kept it loaded with Remington .38 Spl +P 125 gr SJHPs & used it to kill 2 coyotes in the back yard.

Sent with some arcane communications device.

 

[waffles]

I wouldn't know, I'm not married, furthest I ever got was an engagement which I ultimately broke off, and never looked back since.

I don't understand what the problem is with a husband selecting a gun as a gift for his wife. Sure, it would probably turn out better if he asked her to pick one out for herself, but that would defeat the purpose of it being a surprise, and it doesn't excuse being so unnecessary rude about it.

Admittedly, I have some rather strong feelings on the subject, which can be summed up as distaste towards wives whose actions I interpret as disrespectful or otherwise inconsiderate, such as rejecting an otherwise thoughtful gift, nitpicking a term of endearment by treating it as an insult in context.

Furthermore, I strongly dislike women who make outrageous demands of their husbands, such as demanding their husband to relinquish a firearm which their husband enjoys shooting just because it isn't as enjoyable for them to shoot. That isn't respectful, it isn't considerate, and it most certainly the behavior of a loving, supportive, or worthwhile romantic companion.
So yeah, if husbands like their wives to treat them in that manner, then more power to them, but I find it distinctively undesirable.

I think you might be projecting a bit into the OPs post than is there. Dude bought a gun for his wife, she didn't want it, no problem. Bought an ex a fishing rod she didn't like much either. Homer bought Marge a bowling ball. In all cases it worked out great.

 

[ladder13]

Sig P250 subcompact in 380 is a good bet, but good luck finding one. After that, 380EZ or the new Ruger Security 380 come to mind.

Looked over hill and dale for a SIG 250 in 380, nada.

 

[LVSteve]

Looked over hill and dale for a SIG 250 in 380, nada.

Yeah, I think my wife and I scored the last of the NOS ones before COVID. They rarely appear on the secondary market. Sig was dumping the mags at fire sale prices over a year ago.

 

[CelticSire]

How do you hold the diamonds on the pistol? Super glue?

Can be done.

 

[AJ]

Can be done.

Looks like a pieces from the El Chapo collection!

 

[FlyTyinFool]

Me too, but...

I loved reading the OP's post!
I have a very similar story, except for a few details. Here it is...

The weekend before Christmas is the wife's birthday.
I went to town to shop for a present.

I needed to stop at the farm supply store for some de-icer.
I had no idea there was a firearms department there!
Whelp, I wandered in there to have a look (since I was there anyway, right?).

Right on the counter was a mat advertising the Hellcat Pro, in a Tac Pack.
Laser, 5 mags, and a range bag included.

I am not a fan of ultra-compacts. If I can't get my pinky around the grip, then it's a no-go.
As others have stated, you have to be able to control it or you're not going to use it.
I'm also usually a .45 ACP guy, but only because that's what I know well.
I've carried a S&W E-1911 for over 10 years. And yes, I shoot others calibers, but I don't carry them.
I believe everyone that carries, should carry what they can use well. I'm no snob.

Anyway... (I'm getting there!)
The counterman said, "Here. Why not just check it out."
Ohhh... That rat already knew!

Whoops!
The Pro has a full-length and slim (1') grip, with no pinky wag. Perfect fit for my hands!
It's optics ready, and I've been slowly switching over to red dots for close range stuff in my rifles and pistols.
My eyes aren't as good as they used to be and red dots work really well for me.
I wasn't looking for a laser, but they have their benefits. And hey! it's in the Tac-Pack, so why not?
And 5 magazines?! What's not to like?

So I bought it, right then and there!

Okay, now the rest of the story (I said I was getting there!)...
I'm driving home and realized, "Uh oh! I never got my bride her birthday present!!"
So I get this brilliant idea. I tell myself, "I'll just say that I saw it, held it, and it seemed like a great pistol for you sweetie. If you don't like it, then we'll just go get the one you want. And I'll keep this one. I kinda' like it, anyway."

Now, she's been a full-size Glock 9mm girl her whole life (we're not young). And yes, she carries it.
She also likes shooting with me and she'll pull the trigger on anything (pretty well, I might add!).
So this was a really weak idea, but I came home empty-handed so I had to go with it!

So she opens her present, Surprise!
I give her the line I came up with on the way home, while she's opening the box.
She didn't even blink an eye at by BS line.
I'm sure I've got this in the bag!

Um, oops!
She says, "Put the laser on it, dear." Not one sign of approval or disapproval on her face.
So I mounted the laser (took about 4-5 minutes) and handed it back to her.
She drops the mag, checks the chamber, re-inserts the empty mag, then grips it (she has good technique), pokes the laser button with her off-hand trigger finger, snaps to low-ready, then up and looks down the slide and notices the great iron sights that line up with the green dot on the wall (perfectly, I might add)...

This isn't going well for me, at all!
She stands up and repeats the low-ready followed by putting the green laser dot on various "targets" in the room.
"Ooh! That laser is Neat! Ya' know... This actually fits my hands really well..."
A smile comes to her face and she said, "Gee hon', this is really great! Thank you!"
And at that moment, I lost the Hellcat. sigh...

But there's a happy (short) ending!
Christmas Eve I went back the the farm supply store.
And yep! I purchased one for myself!
So, now we have his & hers Hellcats. She stayed with the laser and I added a red dot to mine ( I have a spare pistol laser now).
Range day was wonderful! Both of them were reliable and accurate.

Merry Christmas to us!! (or happy birthday, since mine is right at Christmas too)

 

[Smoke]

I got lucky, I was taught early on not to pick out a gun for my wife. She hasn't bought a gun for a while but I got into the habit of dropping her off at the Gun store and walking down to the Used Bookstore and letting her do her thing.

 

[GerSan69]

Don't want to brag too much, but my wife has loved every gun I've given her over the years. Revolvers, semis, shotguns, didn't matter. Her favorite, though, is her 3" Model 36-1, blue with those pink Hogue grips.
She likes those "racy" nicknames like Hellcat, too. Someone recently described her as "very spicy."
That she is.