• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Help with a purchase...

C

chakragod

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
100
Location
St. Joseph, MO
I'm currently looking for a 9mm pistol for my wife. Mostly wanted to ask to see if anyone knows of a low recoil 9mm for under $500? She's new to shooting so she's very timid about handguns and how powerful it might be.

I would go with a .380, but I don't want to buy 2 different kinds of ammo when we go to shoot lol.
 
stickbow95

stickbow95

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
99
Location
Eagle River, WI
My Wife loves my SA XDm 3.8 9mm. The standard XD can be had for less. However, I got my XDm for $479.00. Add the shipping and transfer, it came to around $520.

Personally I'm not a big fan of 9mm or .40 S&W, but I really like the XDm 9mm. I have big hands, and the grip is excellent IMO. My wife has fairly small hands, and she likes the grip as well.

Simply put, the heavier the pistol the lower the felt recoil. This will vary slightly based on grip design and the barrel centerline in relation to grip position.

I understand that the S&W M&P seems to have low felt recoil. I've never shot one so don't take my word for it.

If possible find several different models to rent or borrow. Let her try 'em all. Low recoil won't make her happy if she hates the way the gun feels, or even looks. In other words, if she don't like it, she won't want to shoot it.;)
 
Last edited:
B

Blk97F150

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
1,179
Location
Virginia
Take a look at the S&W SD9, the M&P, or the Ruger SR9. Gallery of Guns 'Gun Genie' has all of them for under $500.

Btw, recoil isn't as connected to caliber size as much you might think. In other words, there are .380's that seem to 'kick' much more then a .45. Generally speaking, shorter barrel length, heavier bullet weight, & lighter gun equals more felt recoil.... longer barrel, lighter bullet, & heavier gun, equals less felt recoil. (there are other factors as well.... but thats the jist)
 
C

chakragod

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
100
Location
St. Joseph, MO
Gotcha. Maybe I should just get her one of the Beretta .22s lol. Or actually...she did like the look of an OD green walther P22, and it was pretty cheap.

Then again...the shop we go to just got a Barrett .50 cal in....
 
Last edited:
B

Blk97F150

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
1,179
Location
Virginia
chakragod said:
Gotcha. Maybe I should just get her one of the Beretta .22s lol. Or actually...she did like the look of an OD green walther P22, and it was pretty cheap.

Then again...the shop we go to just got a Barrett .50 cal in....
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a 'carry gun'.... or just something that she can shoot at the range with you? If its just a 'fun' range gun... look at the SW 22A, or maybe a Ruger Mark III. Both are .22LR... low cost, recoil is pretty much nil, ammo is cheap. Later you can 'upgrade' her to a 9mm (and you have a reason to buy another gun... LOL!)
 
C

chakragod

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
100
Location
St. Joseph, MO
Blk97F150 said:
Are you looking for a 'carry gun'.... or just something that she can shoot at the range with you? If its just a 'fun' range gun... look at the SW 22A, or maybe a Ruger Mark III. Both are .22LR... low cost, recoil is pretty much nil, ammo is cheap. Later you can 'upgrade' her to a 9mm (and you have a reason to buy another gun... LOL!)
Click to expand...

Yeah I got to thinking, if I buy another 9mm, I'll end up wanting to shoot it more lol. At the moment she's not really interested in carrying, although I'm slowly turning her on to it. I think once she shoots some more, she'll be more open to it. I guess all in all, I'll need to ninja some info from her...let her hold some of the guns at the shop and see what she says.
 
D

Dieselcrawler

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2010
Messages
41
Location
New Martinsville, WV
The P22 is a great pinking gun, cheap to shoot... I really like mine, shoots great, and fits my hand nicely.

I also have a Glock 17 (fullsize) in 9mm, and a Glock 26 (compact for CC) in 9mm. The 26 has noticeably more recoil, but it's to be understood, the 17 is about an inch larger in hight and lenth... and is much more stable to shoot. The P22 and the G17 are about the same for me and how well I shoot them, and the G26 will take more practice, but I've also only had it a few months... and I've only put about 200 rounds thru each 9mm. I've put at least 500 rounds thru the P22, and only had one or 2 jams, fail to eject. And I blame that on the ammo, it was old.
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
Messages
154
Location
Fairfield County, CT
chakragod said:
I'm currently looking for a 9mm pistol for my wife. Mostly wanted to ask to see if anyone knows of a low recoil 9mm for under $500? She's new to shooting so she's very timid about handguns and how powerful it might be.

I would go with a .380, but I don't want to buy 2 different kinds of ammo when we go to shoot lol.
Click to expand...

The best thing to do is have her rent/fire (if possible) a bunch of different guns at the range to see what her preference is. My wife hated alot of the light weight .380 pistols as they had a lot of perceived "snap" to them (she actually prefers a heavier, mid size .45 acp to a small, lightweight .380).

Have her try the following in 9mm (someone will add to this surely): Glock 19/26 (what I carry), Springfield EMP 9mm (this is double what you want to spend, but she may like it as it's heavier and has a softer recoil-I wish I had some extra money, I would buy one of these just for the looks alone-money is better spent on a Glock however), Springfield XDs (great guns!), Kahr MK9 (a tad expensive, but heavier, lower perceived recoil), Sig Sauer P239 (old school, but awesome gun-heavy though when compared to Glock!).
 
KansasKraut

KansasKraut

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
116
Location
Verona, WI
chakragod said:
Yeah I got to thinking, if I buy another 9mm, I'll end up wanting to shoot it more lol. At the moment she's not really interested in carrying, although I'm slowly turning her on to it. I think once she shoots some more, she'll be more open to it. I guess all in all, I'll need to ninja some info from her...let her hold some of the guns at the shop and see what she says.
Click to expand...

Have you considered a revolver? Most of the ladies with an interest in firearms that I've talked to said that they were more comfortable with a revolver than with an automatic when they were first starting out. Finding one in a 9mm, however...

Hey, I noticed you're from St. Jo. I grew up in Leavenworth and used to hit the range over at Pigeon Hill off of County DD. I live in WI now, but miss that (free! public!) range.
 
J

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
Why a 9mm, specifically?:banghead:
A common mis-conception -especially with new shooters- is that 9mm is going to be less recoil than, say, a .45..,when in fact, it's usually a sharper, recoil.

If she's not fired either before, I'd say take her to a range and have her try one of each 1st. -without saying which is which. Then let her decide which she feels better about.

Apart form recoil, there are a ton of documented reasons why almost every Law Enforcement dept. and most Military branches/units are running as fast and as far from 9mm as they can..

19+ rounds of caliber X, sounds great on paper...until the time comes when you've emptied the mag into someone and realize you are still going to have to beat the bad guy to death or run for your life.
 
HvyMtl

HvyMtl

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2010
Messages
271
Location
Tennessee
Do make sure she is in full charge of what firearm she buys, if she is not happy with it, she will never carry it.

Bersa High Cap or Ultra Compact 9 - get the matte, they are reliable, but the finish is not the best...
 
R

Ruby

Regular Member
Joined
May 5, 2010
Messages
1,201
Location
Renton, Washington, USA
If she's ever going to carry it, then it has to be her choice. She can upgrade later. She should at least hold several different guns by differenct manufacturers until she finds the grip she likes and can shoot well. A lot of women do not like Glocks because of the thick, bulky grip; women as a rule have smaller hands and don't like the feel of something that thick. If they can't get a good grip on it, you can forget being able to control it. I started out shooting a little Walther .22 (rented). Once I got comfortable with that, I moved up to a nine (I had never shot a pistol before) and eventually bought a S & W M&P 9 compact. Good gun, but I will never buy another gun with a polymer frame. When I moved up to a .45, I knew I wanted stainless steel. I had the money at the time and bought a Dan Wesson Bobtail Commander. I love that gun and that is what I carry and I carry it the way a 1911 was meant to be carried, cocked and locked. A 1911 is comfortable to grip in just about everyone's hands; the recoil is offset by the weight of the gun. My 9 mil is actually "snappier" than my .45. Just a woman's opinion, take it for what it's worth.:D
 
C

chakragod

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
100
Location
St. Joseph, MO
j4l said:
Why a 9mm, specifically?:banghead:
Click to expand...

I mentioned because I didn't want to have to buy 2 different types of ammo when we went to the range lol. (Except .22 for our rifle, but that's different since I already have a box of 500+ rounds) Since she won't be open or CC yet, I just wanted something for her to practice on at the range.

BUT, I ended up doing a devilish deed and getting one myself lol. (XDm 9mm) However, she's more inclinced to shoot my hi-point now, so I'll let her use that until we get her a carry gun. She still wants the Walther p22, even though I said the object isn't to tickle the BGs. (Yes, I know, .22 can still be deadly, but in a life or death situation, I would want a larger caliber, especially if she's backing me up in a situation =P) But who knows, once she starts shooting my handgun maybe she'll be more open to other calibers.

As to the person a few posts back, she actually has showed interest in revolvers, I think she just likes the look of them better than most polymer guns of today. As far as revolvers go, I know jack squat. What's a good caliber for a lady and who makes decent revolvers? (besides Colt...)

Oh and thanks Ruby. I had her look at the Cornered Cat website as well to get the woman's perspective on things. She just has to get over her initial fear of shooting a handgun and then I think she'll be fine with shooting whatever.
 
Last edited:
~*'Phoenix'*~

~*'Phoenix'*~

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2011
Messages
538
Location
Florida
Sorry, I kinda digress

chakragod said:
As to the person a few posts back, she actually has showed interest in revolvers, I think she just likes the look of them better than most polymer guns of today. As far as revolvers go, I know jack squat. What's a good caliber for a lady and who makes decent revolvers? (besides Colt...)
Click to expand...

I completed empathize with her revolver-loving. My first handgun was a S&W M&P .38sp with a 5 1/3" barrel last summer. It was just the prettiest thing in the three stores I'd shopped and fit my hand right. I got it before I got my CC lisence, so I wasn't really thinking of carrying at the time, just look, feel, caliber, accuracy. And it hasn't disappointed me in any of those. I can carry it, off-side, grips forward under t-shirt + overshirt, however, so I'm kinda happy with that, but only do this very rarely.
I've finally warmed up to semi-autos, but still I have a vendetta against anything polymer. I see plastic on a gun, I don't want it. I don't care how cheap, how small, how light, how accurate it is, I don't want it.
I want something that I'll enjoy and be proud of carrying and I just can't feel that with any of the modern/tactical/polymer guns. So I tend to go for good quality used, and as far as I'm concerned, the older it is while still being in reliable functioning condition, the better. It's got class and history to it. I'm in a beretta phase and love the styles and features, but can't argue with old-school colts and the like.

Try to find a range that has gun rentals where she could try actually firing a few different models she'd consider, that might help. It's better to waste $20 and decide you don't like something than waste $400 and decide the same thing.

Revolvers, well, if you're plinking, 22lr. If you're carrying, I'd say .38sp. A 357 or 44 mag might overwhelm her and discourage practice, and usually come in heavier frames to accomodate. (anything in between, usually .32, is horribly expensive and generally considered an inadequate defensive caliber). Smith's the only one I can vouch for from experience, but taurus and ruger seem to have some nice mid-sized carry revolvers, so I'd recommend giving them a try.
 
Badger Johnson

Badger Johnson

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
1,213
Location
USA
My S&W 9mm is actually easier to handle and shoot and lower recoil than my BUG.

Agree - try out various guns. One reason is the trigger pull. It can make or break a gun (though it can be adjusted by a gunsmith later)
 
J

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
chakragod said:
I mentioned because I didn't want to have to buy 2 different types of ammo when we went to the range lol. (Except .22 for our rifle, but that's different since I already have a box of 500+ rounds) Since she won't be open or CC yet, I just wanted something for her to practice on at the range.

BUT, I ended up doing a devilish deed and getting one myself lol. (XDm 9mm) However, she's more inclinced to shoot my hi-point now, so I'll let her use that until we get her a carry gun. She still wants the Walther p22, even though I said the object isn't to tickle the BGs. (Yes, I know, .22 can still be deadly, but in a life or death situation, I would want a larger caliber, especially if she's backing me up in a situation =P) But who knows, once she starts shooting my handgun maybe she'll be more open to other calibers.


Well, that opens the door for a couple of other options-and still viable as a defensive arm, in a pinch.Kel Tec PMR-30. 30 rounds of .22 Magnum (instead of LR). No, it's not one of the ultimate man-stoppers, but I'd certainly take it over a moth-ball (9mm) that one might not shoot as well with (recoil) or a round which may not perform as advertised (typical of 9's).
With the -30, she'd have almost no recoil issues, and likely become a very deadly shot (placement-wise) with practice.-and, with 30 rounds on-hand..cant say I'd want to take 30 rounds of .22 Mag to anything vital,myself..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CTizq4NCto

Option #2-(and ya,even as a die-hard .45 guy,I know to expect a flaming for this one)
.25 ACP in the Taurus PT25 poly. (9+1). Before anyone laughs, check the statistics on how many folks have been put down with the .25 vs. almost any other round used for SD. Or, just check with any urban emergency room. Lot of un-documented 1-shot stops, seen more than a few for myself in an ER I worked in yrs. ago.
Even if not hit someplace vital or lethal- I can attest to the down-road effects, having been shot with one myself over 25 yrs ago. It is currently causing me all manner of nerve and tendon problems to my right hand-thus ending my days of packing 1911's (grip safety operation).
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top