Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting 9mm or 40 for the wife

[Grumpy John 4x4]

spouse's firearm

Got my wife a hammerless S&W lady smith 38, good for the purse or pocket book!

 

[AH64ID]

While you are entitled to your opinion, you are most certainly uninformed. With modern hollow-point ammunition, a 9mm Parabellum is a quite formidable cartridge. My personal carry weapons of choice are . 45APC, but I would in no way feel undergunned with a 9mmP with good hollow points. British SAS, etc. carry Browning HPs in 9mm. Defensive caliber pistols (9mmP, 38SPL, 357, 40SW, . 45ACP) are weapons you carry when you can't carry a long arm. None of them is exceptionally great at instant incapacitation. Being first to put rounds center of mass wins the fight.



For the record, I go with the . 38 SPL revolver. When the adrenaline is pumping, the last thing the wife needs is to have to rely on fine motor coordination to switch off the safety, or remember how to clear the weapons when it jams. I'm going to pre-emptively dismiss any argument about needing more than 6 rounds as superfluous, since most gunfights are at close range and involve 3-5 rounds fired.

A 9mm just doesn't have the energy I want for a self defense round. . I would rather have 13 . 40 cals than 17 or 19 9mm. . More is not always better... There is a reason cops went from 9mm back to . 45 or . 40.



I also get issued a 9mm, and I think it's a JOKE... 9mm Ball ammo. . yeah really scary with that. .



If your going to only have 1 gun, I don't think a 9mm is the best choice. .



Now personally I carry either a 10mm, . 45, or a . 380 Kel-Tec. .

 

[jtisdale]

She isnt going to be carrying it with her, just something to have at the home. After some research I am leaning toward the 9. I am sure the best thing to do is have her try both. After we get her comfortable with one, then it will be my turn to get one. Perhaps a wheel gun may suit her better.

I had a p95 hammerless and a 44 red hawk, but that was back in the early '90's. I wish I had kept them. My mom has a cool little (old) 32 centerfire that somewhat resembles a 1911 which would be almost perfect, but mom still uses it.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

Jim

 

[AH64ID]

For a home gun I prefer the auto's because you can put a light on the rail. . The light is better than a laser for home use because the light will blind the intruder, and anything in the beam is fair game. . With a laser you still have to be able to see what your pointing it at.

 

[jray]

Jtisdale, I think you are on the right track by allowing her to shoot both a 9mm and a . 40 cal. Based on my own experience of teaching thousands of shooters and many of them women, I believe she will probably lean toward the 9mm due to it having less recoil.



Many of my students start off with a 9mm and want to graduate to a 45acp before they have mastered shooting with the 9mm. I always try to explain to them, it's better to shoot a small caliber handgun that you can control, than to graduate to a large caliber handgun and be out of control.



The 9mm is a great caliber when paired with the right ammo. I'm very familiar with Winchester Ranger SXT 147 grn. It tends to open up reliably and on impact they shred. No matter what gun you chose, go with a quality round.



If she learns to shoot the 9mm, and you use a quality round, it will be more than adequate as a home defense gun.

 

[AMink]

If it is for home use, the biggest caliber she can handle COMFORTABLY will be the best. Some people are very recoil sensitive, some not. Women are the same. A . 40 with a 165 grain will have a little less perceived recoil than the 180 grainers. Also, different models in the same caliber will feel different. The bonus with a . 357 is you can practice with lower powered . 38's.



As a suggestion, if this is for home defense, you may want to look at a 20 gauge shotgun. Bigger pattern, less chance of wall penetration. Loaded with bb size shot, it will ruin someone's day inside of 20 feet.

 

[AH64ID]

One other option is to get a larger caliber and shoot light loads. . then put heavy hard hitting loads in it for defense. . and never fire them. . . in the heat of the moment recoil won't be an issue.

 

[NevadaBackroader]

My wife doesn't shoot much. She is very confident with her S&W Model 19. She is not recoil shy, she even qualified for her CCW with a 38 special derringer. She doesn't like my Springfield XD 9mm Compact. She can't reliably rack the slide and doesn't like the idea of the slide coming back at her. An auto loader takes more skill and training to employ. I would advise you to get her one of the Lady Smith wheelguns unless she is willing to put in the time and training to become proficient with the autoloader.

 

[BigPapa]

She can't reliably rack the slide... .

That was my wife's concern with an auto also. Just a little too complicated. Not so with the revolver.



Scott

 

[The patriot]

Get a bunch of guns in different calibers and see which she likes best.

My wife would only shoot my 357 if I loaded it with "mild 38spl" loads.

I loaded some 357's on her one day. I asked her what was different when she touched them off. She said "it was louder". :-laf

BTW she has a rep at my gun club as "the hedashot redhead". :-laf:-laf

 

[Little Bill]

My wife prefers shooting her Glock 26. She has small, bony hands and the 9mm doesn't beat her up after 50-100 rounds. She can shoot a clip through my 27 and 36 equally well, but 1 clip is all she wants.

Why not buy her 2, a 9 to train with and a 40 to carry?

 

[Wingate]

My wife and I just went thru the same ordeal. After MUCH debate and indecision, I purchased a S&W M&P 40 cal. I ran about 50 rounds thru it, with the intention of letting my wife run some thru it, she only shot it once. The gun just has too much recoil for her to be comfortable with.

My son-in-law brought down his 9mm and she ran about 25 rounds thru it and loved it. So I ended up with the 40, and she ended up with a 9.

 

[kowaliga]

My brother's elfin wife was introduced to a . 32, but considered it too effeminate. She handles a P220 like a pro. Not afraid of a 44mag, but its just too heavy for a purse.

 

[cksh8me]

AH64 you have lots to learn my young dead-eye.



Not everyone is willing to practice enough to be a member of the A team so a revo can make much more sense. Not everyone wants or can afford attatching, lights, lazers, and the kitchen sink so they look menacing at the mall. Not everyone can practice with light loads and then shoot heavy loads and not notice a difference. Some people aren't capable of manipulating the slide on every firearm some need smaller caliber firearms.



If you aren't afraid of standing in front of somebody pointing a 9mm hand gun at you then I bet you came from the shallow end of the gene pool.



A good friend of mine is working in IRAQ I asked him if he wanted me to send him any hollow points for his model 19 9mm Glock. His reply "Naw ball kills and I don't shoot anybody once. " Here is a professional that is happy with 9mm and ball to boot.

 

[AH64ID]

AH64 you have lots to learn my young dead-eye.



Not everyone is willing to practice enough to be a member of the A team so a revo can make much more sense. Not everyone wants or can afford attatching, lights, lazers, and the kitchen sink so they look menacing at the mall. Not everyone can practice with light loads and then shoot heavy loads and not notice a difference. Some people aren't capable of manipulating the slide on every firearm some need smaller caliber firearms.



If you aren't afraid of standing in front of somebody pointing a 9mm hand gun at you then I bet you came from the shallow end of the gene pool.



A good friend of mine is working in IRAQ I asked him if he wanted me to send him any hollow points for his model 19 9mm Glock. His reply "Naw ball kills and I don't shoot anybody once. " Here is a professional that is happy with 9mm and ball to boot.

Lets see... 1 solider who is happy with the 9mm. . that makes 1... We carried them in combat because we had no other choice. . It would have been a joke to E&E with it. . The reason he didn't want hollow point is becuase its jail time for having them, even if you don't use them. . welcome to the laws of war.



How many people actually shoot someone in their home? So how often are you going to shoot heavy loads if you only use them for defense? You shoot the lighter loads. . whether its in a 40, 9mm, or . 357. . Then you load the gun with heavy loads for in the house. . guess what you'll most likly never shoot them and if you do you won't even be thinking recoil. . if you are then the circumstances don't warrant killing someone.



Yes a revolver is easy. . but I think the OP was asking for preferences... My preference on a home gun is an auto so you can throw a light on it. . Its very handy in the home... Currently my wife carries a S&W Sigma . 40 (she has a Glock 23 . 40, but shoots the Sigma better, and its run the slide). . but she will eventually end up with a . 357 wheel gun for her carry gun.



The . 40 has other benefits, if you are an outdoorsman and want a gun that can also be carried in the woods the . 40 is a better choice as well, more power against critters. (which is why I have a 10mm, its not the best people round, but its great on animals: thou I just got a . 45 as a truck gun). .



Obviously the best choice is to go shoot some. Try to find the same model gun in both calibers. The . 357 sig may not be a bad idea either. (its one of two common auto calibers rated for self defense against bears, the other is 10mm).



Yes the 9mm kills, but the . 22 is often considered more deadly because it penetrates, something the 9mm often doesn't. The 9mm is known to hit bone and deflect, like the guy who took a clip full to the face and it never penetrated his cheek bone and he lived. . never heard of that on a 40... And the reason cops went back to . 40 and . 45 is the 9mm wasn't stopping drugged out perps fast enough. . which is something to consider since most home invasions are people stealing things to buy drugs. . so they are probably strung out. If the people in the profession that have a better chance of shooting someone don't carry 9mm's anymore thats should be enough of a reason right there. (we shot the ballistics shield out the the apache, a 9mm bounced off and the . 22 penetrated the first layer)



But then you get back to the cardinal rule of a gun fight, BRING A GUN!!. . so yes if someone isn't comfortable shooting anything but a 9mm then by god you shoot a 9mm... but that should only be after other calibers don't work.

This is the reason I have a . 380 Kel Tec. . smallest . 380 on the market and its smaller than my wallet and hold 6+1.

 

[cksh8me]

One of the basic rules when choosing a firearm/caliber for self defense is choose the largest caliber you can accurately, and rapidly engage multiple targets.



Lights on your firearm require additional training. Using a flashlight can get you shot.



I don't know anybody with any credentials that would choose a 22 over a 9mm at self defense distances. It's just not going to happen.

 

[Little Bill]

My preference on a home gun is an auto so you can throw a light on it. . Its very handy in the home...

My preference for a home gun is a 12 gauge, double barrel coach gun with 3" buckshot. Short enough to get around corners with way more energy, stopping power and accuracy forgiveness than anything I can put on my hip. It will not only stop them in their tracks, it will put them back in the yard. I keep a couple slugs in the stock cartridge band just in case I need to stop an engine or get the guy shooting from behind the car (slugs will go places that . 45s can't). When that ammo is exhausted, then I'll go for whatever happens to be my carry of the day.

 

[AH64ID]

Something else to consider is glazer rounds, the rounds that have a ton of pellets in them, don't penetrate drywall, but act like a shotgun blast on the intruder... . Something to consider for a house full of kids.

 

[AKaiser]

A 9mm just doesn't have the energy I want for a self defense round. . I would rather have 13 . 40 cals than 17 or 19 9mm. . More is not always better... There is a reason cops went from 9mm back to . 45 or . 40.

I also get issued a 9mm, and I think it's a JOKE... 9mm Ball ammo. . yeah really scary with that. .

If your going to only have 1 gun, I don't think a 9mm is the best choice. .

Now personally I carry either a 10mm, . 45, or a . 380 Kel-Tec. .

Personally, I think you've drank too much Jeff Cooper Koolade. I used to read him religiously, and took alot of what he said as gospel, but I'm past that stage.

First, how bout I shoot at you with an M9 firing ball ammo. I'm sure you wouldn't last long if I hit you COM.

Second, . 380 Kel Tec? You just invalidated your 9mm argument. If you're going to get a . 380 Kel Tec, step up and get a 9mm Kahr. It's a superior weapon firing a full house (superior) 9mm, not a 9mm Kurz. Put some good Hollow Points in it, and it's "enough gun. " Likewise with the . 38 SPL

Now, as for your insistence on bigger is better, even a . 45 ACP with HP ammo is not going to deliver reliable and reasonably rapid stops unless you hit COM or CNS. I love my . 45 Gov't Model, but in a concealment gun, especially in the summer, give me a Kahr or a 38 Airweight. Let's face it, when you're in SHTF mode, hands aren't always steady, and being able to pop off a couple or three shots in rapid sucession with a moderate recoil 9mm is a good thing. One of them is bound to hit an important organ or main artery. Even ball ammo will do in a pinch, just don't know where it might end up. I used to hate that we couldn't use HP in the airport back in 01.

 

[AKaiser]

One other option is to get a larger caliber and shoot light loads. . then put heavy hard hitting loads in it for defense. . and never fire them. . . in the heat of the moment recoil won't be an issue.

At close range, I agree fully, except someone needs to test fire the heavy loads. Some guns get finicky at times, and you wouldn't want a feed jam caused by limp wristing or what have you.