9MM pistol

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I kind of made a mistake and took my wife with me to the range. I usually just take revolvers but this time I took my Ruger Mark One .22 with me. She likes the pistol better than a revolver. What 9MM pistol do you guys recommend for concealed carrry. I know there are a bunch of choices but I was mainly wondering what to stay away from. I live 6 blocks from Springfield Armory but they don't sell direct from the factory so you might as well live 6 states away.

[Trey45]

CZ P01 is my number one choice for 9mm CCW gun. It just fits, it's reliable, accurate and easy to shoot. I have a DPM buffer system in mine which helps eat up some of the recoil if I'm using +P. If you want to have a look at one, http://www.dpmsystems.com/en/products/ . I bought the gun used from a retired cop, he had the buffer system installed in it and I have never taken it out except to clean.

[Firebricker]

I recently shot a Ruger SR-9C 9mm and think it would be a good choice. It comes with two magazines one ten shot that fits flush and a seventeen shot with a plastic sleeve that makes it feel like a full size SR-9. FB

[donjose]

Glock G-26 have had one for myself and wife for years
They just keep on shooting


Jason

[exile]

Glock 26.

exile

[GabbyM]

Smith & Wesson

Take a look at this bodygaurd 380. Not a 9x19mm but it's also half the weight.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_765772_-1_757677_757677_757677_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

Stay away from silly gun hollow point bullets with a 380 and they'll punch plenty deep holes. I use truncated cone flat points. 380's may be short on offensive power as in windshield penetration but the fact is they have more power than Wild Bill's 36 cap and ball.

As for 9x19 compacts. CZ makes nice ones or you can stay home and Get a S&W M&P compact. She'd just need to hold a few to see which ones fit. If her hands are at all small a single stack magazine will give better grip fit.

[ReloaderFred]

My wife "stole" one of my Springfield XD Sub Compacts in 9x19, as it was the only semi-auto pistol she ever shot that she liked. It fits her hand and she has several purses made specifically for carrying concealed.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Changeling]

I kind of made a mistake and took my wife with me to the range. I usually just take revolvers but this time I took my Ruger Mark One .22 with me. She likes the pistol better than a revolver. What 9MM pistol do you guys recommend for concealed carrry. I know there are a bunch of choices but I was mainly wondering what to stay away from. I live 6 blocks from Springfield Armory but they don't sell direct from the factory so you might as well live 6 states away.

Hi Charlie, since this is for your wife, and I assume she has little experience with handguns, It might be better to get her a well fitting wheel gun rather than a pistol. At least till she has some experience with firearms, just my opinion, please don't take offense.

[wrench]

This pistol is for your wife, Charley?
My favorite carry 9mm's include Glock 19 and 26, and the 3rd gen S&W autopistols 3913 and CS9. Great pistols, all, and fit my rather small, women's hands perfectly.
Good luck, let her hold and shoot as many different guns as you can.

[Frosty Boolit]

Something double action. I like a decocker instead of a manual safety cause it comes out of the holster ready to fire. Newer pistols also have firing pin block safetys. I hate magazine disconnect safetys. I have a CZ75D compact.

[HeavyMetal]

Not a fan of DA guns, particularly auto pistols, not a fan of Glocks or any of the other plastic guns.

I firmly believe that the 1911 Colt, or those pistols that use this design, made all other pistols obsolete for self defense in 1911!

Thats the up side! The down side is the 1911 platform size! These guns can be veery hard for persons of slight build to conceal.

Yes I know that several companies make "compact" 1911 pistols. The down side of the MINI 1911 is they get real finicky the smaller they get! Add a 4 digit price tag to a finicky gun and I loose interest real fast.

So I will make a suggestion: go find a Star Firestar in 9mm or 40 S&W! Not the high cap mag gun because the grip is much bigger on that than the "standard" Firestar.

You'll find this is the same size as most 380's, has an ambi safety, single stack 7 round mag and nice easy to see sights. It will be much flatter in profile than a J frame smith and give her 3 more rounds, and a faster reload to boot!

Price is gonna be in the 300 to 350 range maybe less if you do some searching.

The strange thing about this particular thread is this last weekend I participated in the same discussion on a public shooting range in Nevada. Gentlemans wife was trying to get used to a J frame Smith they'd "borrowed". It was not shooting to point of aim, nor were the "laser aim" grips worth a hoot because she couldn't find the "dot" for a repeat shot after she pulled the trigger because it bounced around to much. This was at 10 yards!

During a line break they came over to my bench and asked me how "comfortable" I was with the ".380" I had with me.

Suffice it to say they were shocked the little Star was a 9!

I offered to let the wife and husband fire the Star after the line break.

After 100 rounds they pretty much decided several things:

They were not as impressed by the Smith & Wesson name as they had been the previous day.

They were both going to be on the lookout for a Firestar.

They think "Laser's" still belong in StarWars movies.

The big plus is they don't think all Californians are liberal jerks!

[John 242]

9mm pistols to stay away from?
Beretta 92FS -Why? IMO the grip is huge and uncomfortable. I can't reach the safety with my thumb unless I shift the gun out of firing position. I figure that a gun that big must be a pain for a woman... but there are plenty of women out there using them.

My recommendation...
Depends on how she's going to carry it and how heavy a gun she wants to lug around.
There are a few really small and light 9mm pistols on the market.
I think a officer's size 1911 with a aluminum frame chambered in 9mm Luger would be pretty sweet... ;-)

[whitetailsniper]

Just my opion,but if it were me getting my wife a 9mm,,, id get her a stohger cougar 9mm,,,, 15 rounds,chrome lined barrel, rotating locking lug. And for the price,,you cant do better. Not to mmention the cougar will fit nicley in her hands,and its size is nice for carry. With the market flooded with 9mm i think in my humble opion this gun is the one. I like it so much, im getting myself one,my daughter in law,sister,and mother one as well.

[wrench]

Another thought, if she likes the Beretta...hunt down a Beretta 92 compact type 'M'.
Slightly shorter slide and barrel, slightly shorter grip, and single stack magazine, so the grip is smaller than the big Beretta.
Smooth as silk, accurate, reliable.
And did I mention, beautiful?:mrgreen:

[John 242]

Another thought, if she likes the Beretta...hunt down a Beretta 92 compact type 'M'.
Slightly shorter slide and barrel, slightly shorter grip, and single stack magazine, so the grip is smaller than the big Beretta.
Smooth as silk, accurate, reliable.
And did I mention, beautiful?:mrgreen:

Very nice looking gun.
I didn't know Beretta made a single stack 92 series.

[Jimlakeside]

Glock 26. My wife loves hers. Shoot as many different pistols as you can. The Glock is reasonabaly priced and totally reliable.

[sagamore-one]

Heavy Metal is right on about the Star Firestar. I like mine so much I went out and got 2 more just in case I ever lose the first one. All three of mine are 40 cal.
My son put away his S & W Chief in favor of a Firestar in 40.
Only thing ever to go wrong was the recoil spring in one got weak. . But the good folks at Wolff have plenty.
The Starvel finish is some type of electro - nickel and is almost indestructable, even up against my caustic skin. The 9 and 40 appear to be on the same frame and the 45 Firestar appears to be on a larger frame.
Plus one on the Firestar !!

[azrednek]

Plus one on the Firestar !!

I agree with the two previous posters. I love my 45 Firestar. The trigger pull on mine was terrible out of the box. After removing the mag safety it made a remarkable improvement. My Firestar was my constant companion back when cell phones were larger and fanny packs were in style. With the Firestar's hefty weight it is a bit cumbersome for concealed carry and it has been re-assigned as my official car gun, riding along in my center console loaded with Winchester Silver-Tips and an extended 10 round mag.

I now carry a lightweight Taurus Titanium 38 snubby. Just can't bring myself to rely on Tupperware framed pistol. In the very few weeks of cold weather here in Phoenix I occasionally carry my Firestar.

The big downside to buying a Firestar is I hear Star has folded up, no longer in business and if parts are ever needed it might be difficult if not impossible to find. It might just be internet chatter but I've heard somewhere the Spanish govt destroyed and melted down the surplus parts after Star folded.