My wife has always mildly enjoyed my shooting passion and has participated with me a little. She generally sticks to the 22lr and occasionally shoots an old S&W model 10 38special. I am wanting to introduce her to a fun Simi auto handgun and want it to be a good experience and something she can manage recoil. First and foremost I want it to be a range gun/home defense tool but something that could be carried if she gets into it. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Right now I'm thinking of 380auto or possibly 9mm.

This is what I have looked at so far.
Ruger security 380
Ruger security 9
Glock 43x
Sig 365xl
Sig 365 Xmacro
S&W shield plus in 380 or 9.
S&W EZ380

For a hd/range gun, a 9mm 1911, double stack 1911, or hi power/sa-35 is hard to beat. Not the best for carry though, unless you just want to haul 3lb of steel with you

My main carry gun is a g43x with the palmetto or shield arms 15 round mags. I don’t think there’s a better combo out there for someone with the physical ability to operate it.

I definitely like the 43x idea and saw those shield arms 15 round mags. Once you change out the mag catch, can you still use Glock mags or are you only able to use the shield arms mags? How do you think the recoil management would be for a small woman? I know a lot would depend on the loads she is shooting so I can play around with that.

You may want to look at the S&W Equalizer 9mm. It’s very similar to the EZ as far as how easy the slide operates. Unlike the EZ it is double stacked for up to 15 rounds depending on which magazine you use. It is also single action like the EZ giving it a better trigger than many in its class. I’m not 100% sold on it, and actually like the Sig 365 a little better, but the 365 is smaller and can be snappy to a shooter not used to handling such a gun. The Equalizer has been reliable and accurate.



The price on this gun is another plus for it, they can be had right at $400.

https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/285308

Walther PDP-F might be another one to consider.

Some really good choices already. I will add two more that fit your parameters and are pretty sweet.
Beretta Cheetah 380
Browning 1911 380

The 380 EZ was perfect for the wife, except for her not agreeing. Very easy to load the mag and work the slide. All good but the grip safety, which was often a problem for the ladies that shot it, so I sold it. The wife settled on a S&W Bodyguard 38 that has the red laser. The good thing about it is that it’s SIMPLE. No levers, safeties, or slides. She isn’t going to practice much, so simple really is the way to go, for her.

She might also like my newest, the Sig P365 X Macro 9mm. The recoil isn’t snappy, and the trigger is decent. The sights are also good. She might have problems with the slide and with putting rounds in the mag, which has a stiff spring.

If my wife decided she wanted another semi auto, and if she was gonna load and shoot it herself (without my help), I’d look for a 9mm with a not so stiff slide and a mag she could load. Definitely would have a manual safety.

There are many great pistols on the market these days, but difficulty in racking the slide sure does make it tricky to find one that a woman likes 100%. Especially the smaller, lighter, and most concealable pistols.

Sig P238 in .380...my wife loves hers. Very easy to manipulate.

I had given my wife a P938 about ten years ago as a Christmas gift (which justified my own acquisition of same---I know how to work these things! LOL) and she loved it. Same thing as the P238 except in 9mm and only very, very slightly larger. I drilled her repeatedly on operating the safety, but one day a couple of years ago I dug it out of her purse just to inspect it. The safety was no longer engaged. I immediately confiscated it and sold it. Some women just won't take concealed carry seriously enough to make anything except a pistol that operates like a Glock or a DA revolver a sensible choice. That's why she's now carrying a CZ P10C and I have to tolerate her bitching about the weight of it. That's okay, though...the more she bitches the worse my hearing gets.

One other piece of advice I learned the hard way is take your wife with you when you go to pick one out. I ended up with a nice little Glock 380 pocket pistol. When I went back to the LGS she picked out a little snub nose SA/DA S&W .38.

Tactical Cowboy is right. For a range gun, your best bet is a full size 9mm. But, that would not be practical for carry...especially for a female. My wife carries a p365. It's a pretty nice shooting pistol.

Has she tried those choices yet? That's the best way to do it because one can never pick one for another shooter. Lots of options out there and I like those, but there are some inexpensive options in the market now as well. And lots of us in here are moving some of these choices in here (though some of us can't do the images). Caliber isn't so important, but you mentioned recoil, so don't go small and lightweight.

I think it will come down to feel , how it feels in her hand. You list several great choices. Personally I love the P365x macro - it feels right and has large capacity mag

The NEW S&W Bodyguard 2.0 is an awesome pistol as well as the FN Reflex (best trigger of all of them).

Take her to a range that has a variety of pistols to rent and let her choose which one she likes.

I'm with Paul... find a range that has firearms that you can rent or see if any of your friends have something that you are considering and arrange to meet up and try it.

Based on your description that includes home defense and also carried, you are most likely looking at some variant of a Sig P365 or S&W Shield. There is marginal difference in the size of pistol made to handle 380 or 9mm. I would go with 9mm for the selection / availability of ammo as well as the lower cost (more popular so less expensive).

I have shot the Beretta Cheetah and that was a fun gun. I am wanting to make this a fun range experience first and foremost as she will not touch anything she is not comfortable with. If she enjoys something at the range she is much more likely to grab it at the house if she needs it and is already familiar with it. The Beretta may be a great option

This looks like a great option, keeps us with 1 caliber to share and looks like a fun shooter. I will take a look.

I have not been able to have her try to much, i have a few friends that have a lot of different guns we will go shooting with hopefully soon.

I think getting her to shoot some of them will be the best option. Range and home defense are my main focus so a larger frame pistol will probably be the direction we head to help with recoil management and shooting enjoyment. It will take a long time to convince her to carry anything and that is fine.

Buzz, I really wanted an FN Reflex, because of the trigger, but they didn’t offer a manual safety, so that’s what pushed me to the Sig P365X Macro. If and when the FN Reflex is offered with a manual safety, I’ll have a look, but might just stay with the Sig. the trigger is Ok, and I shoot the Sig quite well. And, the larger size of the Sig X Macro fits my hand. After this, the FN Reflex might feel too small.

Manual safety is probably a good idea for my main intention of this. I like FN but have never shot one.

I have a bunch of firearms. But when I leave town or go on a 4 wheeler ride on my property. the Judge goes along. Interspersed .45 and .410

I’ve spent considerable time with sidearms and don’t like the idea of wondering, in a dangerous situation, whether a semi automatic is in battery or on safety. No problem with a revolver.

43x or PDP F
The F will have a much better trigger that is easier for chicks

I will take a look at the Walther. I carry a PPS M1 daily and absolutely love shooting that thing. Just wish is had a larger capacity. A P99 is probably one of my favorite guns.

PDP pro is probably my favorite factory gun

I have a Taurus 856 for a back up but often carry it depending on where i am going. it carries well in the pocket and is just easier at times. I don't think my wife could handle it anytime soon though without significant practice.

Yes. Take her to gun store with biggest selection. Let her put them in her hands. She will know which one is for her.

KLR360; start her out with a 22 revolver and work up to a bigger slug.

Smith and Wesson CSX. sturdy, light, accurate. almost like an 1911.

I only need half an excuse to pick up a Ruger Wrangler revolver. My wife and the kids would enjoy that,

I was not familiar with that model but that is a nice looking gun. it shows to be a single action only and i have a hard time being comfortable with that. If it was a DA/SA with a decocker, i would be sold.

Got my wife a Walther PK380 a few years back. It's a nice little gun. Very manageable recoil, pretty accurate, cycles reliably, and even comes in pink or purple. I like that it's more of a id-size handgun, not as big as a 1911 or highpower, but not as small as most compacts. When we picked it out, that was the determining factor for her, it just felt better in her hand than any of the others we'd looked at.

Went through this over the past 1.5 years. Owned most of the ones you are asking about. Wife didn't care for them. Ended up with a Sig P239 that she likes to use and shoots well.

I have carried gen 1 LCPs and now a LCP Max daily everywhere for years. Love them. If my wife was interested in something for her bedside or her purse, I would recommend the Ruger security 380. First on your list. They have a very easy slide to action and light recoil.

If you can take her to some place that has the range and rents different ones on the list let her handle several and shoot the ones she likes and pick one or none.

It’s my understanding that you can still run Glock mags but you may wear the catch slot out eventually. I still have the stock catch in it. I figure if I wear it out, I’ll just put another $5 plastic part back in the gun.

But, that’s what I like about the palmetto mags. There’s a strip of plastic on the front edge so there is no metal-to-plastic contact between the mag and gun.

My wife carries the Shield EZ, it's really the only semi she can move the slide. Thinking about getting her a 38-wheel gun

My wife ended up preferring a S&W 37-2 performance center model that’s ported and has a factory trigger job. After I test fired it, I almost kept it for myself it was so nice. She’ll let me shoot it occasionally if I’m especially nice to her.

PC guns will spoil you.

Id get her a Staccato and then you get to shoot it too.

After I bought a Glock 42 for my wife that she described as “a crappy plastic gun”, I went back to the local gun store with her. She picked out a Smith and Wesson 637. An air weight +P SA/DA snub nose .38 5 shooter that weighs 14 ounces. I liked shooting it so much that she stymied me by putting pink grips on it. It is another one your wife might like.

I took my wife to a store that had a slew of handguns and let her fondle each one and figure out what fit her the best. She ultimately picked out the Walther PK380. Easy slide, easy loading, and it shoots well.

No matter what we would like for our wives to carry it is best to let her choose the one SHE wants to carry. If you have access to a range that rent handguns, let her shoot different guns to see which one she likes and will carry.

EZ shield in .380 or 9mm. By far one of the most lady friendly .38 cal out there. Slide is smooth and very easy to lock back without a mag.

If you want more ammo then the Equalizer, it’s easy like the EZ but double stack instead of single.

I dont think my wife will ever carry a gun and that's OK. Her favorite gun to shoot is my ruger 10/22 for obvious reasons. No kick its quiet and she can shoot it well. That being said I have been wanting to buy a few pistols in 22lr ( I say for her but we all know who wants them) like a Ruger SR22, walther ppk, walther p22 and I also like the MarkIVs. However I keep thinking that she needs something here in the bedroom for those nights I am away working. She really has a hard time shooting my bedside gun in 9mm. I really dont think she could handle a gun with that type of kick in a really bad situation. BUT!! I keep thinking of a ruger 10/22 charger pistol that could unleash 30 rounds of 22lr and she will have confidence with it because she already loves the standard size 10/22. Again this is not a carry gun but a home self defense for her since I just dont see her ever carrying a weapon. That is my job. Now I can stick a laser on it and she has something she likes to shoot has confidence with and can shoot multiple rounds very easily and effortlessly. ANd how fun would that be to put together a 10/22 pistol for home defense. It definitely wont be stock.

I have been through the 45 vs 9mm vs 380 vs 22lr carry thought process and my conclusion is that they will all work but in different ways. 22lr will kill you just as dead as 45.

Sorry if I didnt mention your carry caliber you 40/10mm and 357 boys.

When the SHTF, I don’t to worry about whether the auto is in battery or is on safety. I want a revolver that is always ready to go.

Since you are looking at the S&W EZ380, look at the S&W EZ9MM. There are way more options for ammo and the ammo for a 9MM is WAY cheaper than .380.

Old Rabbit speaks the truth about the 9mm, though there is more recoil with the 9mm. And, one other thing about the EZ of either caliber, is the grip safety. It has to be adequately squeezed for the gun to fire. I had several women shooting our 380EZ that couldn’t get it to fire due to their improper grip. I consider that to be a real problem if the wife doesn’t practice with it. I sold the pistol. The wife wouldn’t shoot it. She finally chose a S&W Bodyguard 38 Special with the red dot laser, and she shoots it pretty well.

If the woman, or women, in your life want a simple reliable handgun devoid of levers and switches that they can use in an emergency without having to do much thinking, get a revolver.