.22 Mag for the wife??

I took my wife shopping to buy an handgun and she picked out a Colt Gov't model .380 - not the smaller mustang (this was a feeew yrs ago).

I think SIg? makes a small single action all metal .380 that is similar in size - that might be an option.

But I also think a .22 magnum rimfire in a 7 shot S&W or an 8 shot ruger is ok.

Its better to shoot and hit than miss because of recoil.

 

I agree with messer454 about a lighter gauge shotgun. I think a nice Mossberg® 510 Mini Super Bantam .410 Gauge w/18-1/2'' would be perfect for your situation. It is a great home defense gun that just about anyone can handle, is adjustable for smaller folks, and is cheaper than most handgun options. There are a lot of really cool .410 defensive loads out right now due to the Taurus Judge. But your average 00 buck .410 load will handle just about anything.

If you are hell bent on a handgun option I would recommend one of you .38/.357 revolvers loaded with a standard pressure .38 special load over any .22/.22 magnum. If you get a heavy S&W 686 or Ruger GP100 loaded with standard pressure (not +P) like a 38 Special Remington 110gr Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point or 38 Special Hornady Critical Defense 110gr. FTX Ammo the recoil is comparable to a .22 magnum and has much more stopping power. And if you do not have a heavier .38/.357 revolver it is a good excuse to add one to your arsenal.

I have also found that centerfire revolvers usually have lighter trigger pulls than their rimfire counterparts. More pressure is required to strike the rimfire cartridge.

If you go with that option and she practices regularly (which every gun owner should) there is a good chance that she will get comfortable enough to work her way up to +P and maybe even magnum loads.

My wife used to only like shooting my Ruger MKII 5” BBL (great .22 choice by the way) because it has no recoil. With time and practice she has become comfortable and proficient with my Sig 9mm and Glock .40. I can even coax her into shooting my S&W 629 4” every once in awhile. Bragging: she can put 6 240gr. Winchester White Box .44 magnums center mass at 7 yards with my 629 and that thing kicks like a mule.

Good luck with your search Bolt.

Here are those Hornady .38 special standard pressure round:
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/produ...r-ftx-ammo/cName/38-special-hollow-point-ammo

 

True story, my Dad bought my Mom a 22LR, well a fews years later she put 4 bullets in him, if it had been a 22 Magnum he might not be here today!

 

Don't have her use a shotgun if you have small children. She might need a hand free for carrying a child.

 

Best advice I can give is to take your beloved to a gun range that rents guns and try out some until she finds one that she can shoot and hit with no problem... Best of luck to you !!

 

in that case best to get her a bb gun

 

A detective once told me there is nothing worse than a pissed off woman with a .22 LR automatic pistol. It boils down to bullet placement. If she cant hit the broadside of a barn with a.38 because of recoil but can put multiple rounds of a lesser caliber in a six inch circle, I think you might get my drift. Of course one other caliber you might to consider is one of the .32 magnum rounds .32 h&r mag or the federal round.

 

This. Also, a collection of friends with sizable gun collections along for the ride.

Myself and a couple of friends recently did this with a 30-something couple that had grown up in Chicago. Between myself and a couple of others, about 30 handguns were represented. .22LR, .380, 9x18, 9x19, .40S&W, .45 ACP, .38SP and .357. SA, TDA, DAO; striker and hammer fired. After a couple hour safety briefing at my house, off to the range.

Surprise? She liked the .40 XD best. He liked the 226. They ended up buying a 229 in 9mm for him/her and are still evaluating further while investing in some training.

Buying a gun for a novice shooter without getting some experience is like buying a first car without ever driving anything.

Newsflash: No one WANTS to be shot by anything. True. It is a laughably moot point where a defensive firearm discussion is concerned though. Letting someone's lack of desire to be shot by a BB gun should have no bearing on a discussion about buying a defensive firearm. A deployable, controllable gun with reasonable accuracy and excellent reliability is the best you can hope for with a central-nervous-system-interrupting solution from a handgun. Handguns just aren't that effective under the best of circumstances. They're dang-sure no Willy-Wonka-Golden-Ticket to ending a bad situation.

Start with the largest capacity, largest caliber handgun you can.

Can she grip it effectively and perform the manual of arms? If not, go back to the top and start over.
Can she make rapid, combat-accurate followup shots? If not, go back to the top and start over.
If a carry gun, can effectively carry and deploy it? WILL she carry it or neglect to based on size? If not, go back to the top and start over.
Is it reliable? If not, go back to the top and start over.

Yeah, high capacity is always better. More mass penetrating a target with the necessary velocity is better. She MUST be able to effectively manipulate it, shoot it reasonably well and be a platform she will adapt to carrying.

Is a .22 mag revolver effective? It may be the most effective solution for her after evaluation but I sure wouldn't start with that choice without working my way "down" to it.

 

Go for it, get her shooting, then see where it leads

 

Going back to the shotgun comments, didn't I read recently where Ithaca was making shotguns specially designed or modified for female shooters? Perhaps something about the stock is configured?

 

it may not be the best but a kel tec pmr30 is a hell of a option. my wife loves it. 30 rounds of 22 mag is nothing to scoff at. and extra mag and your at 60 rounds thats a damn fine start. It was less than a pound fully loaded, decent fiber optic sights on it and very minimal recoil

 

I bought a S&W revolver in .22 magnum and really enjoy it. Not a lot of recoil and it is a zingy little gun. The fun factor is definately there and it still shows increased power over the .22 long rifle even in the pistol length barrels.

 

If you know a reloader friend, get up a 4" .38 Special Smith & Wesson, and some softball reloads ( for example, say, a 120 grain LRN @ 6 or 700 fps). ANY reloader worth a hoot can make soft kicking lead bulleted ammo that can be modulated all the way down to .22 rimfire performance. After a few confidence building shooting sessions, you can bump up the power level till you have achieved exalted 148 grain Target Wadcutter levels.

I never took a girlfriend or any female out shooting who couldn't easily shoot a 4" Model 19 accurately, with standard pressure lead .38 ammo.

However,
If any recoil at all is going to be a non-starter, then you may want a Ruger Mk II w/ 5" bull barrel. This pistol is a dandy, which any scared, angry woman could easily make good use of.

The angrier my Sis gets, the better she shoots a .22! I've seen this w/ my own eyes several times

 

Thats the Sig P232. I had one and It's a great gun for a woman, light but large enough to control. The only downside is that the guns are relatively expensive.

 

The choices are fairly limited in a good 22 mag revolver. I personally would buy my wife a S&W Model 63 with the 3" barrel and load it with CCI Velocitors. The magnum IS more powerful than a 22LR in a handgun, but the sound and ammo cost makes the choice less attractive to me especially if she is going to be out "plinking".

In a magnum, I might try to find a Smith M48 or 4" Colt Trooper Mark III in 22 mag for a house gun.

 

I was able to play with one last weekend. On the example I tried the magazines were 100% plastic and impossible to load with more then 15 rounds. The rider simply would not depress beyond that point. I has potential, but the cheap plastic components simply take away from what could have been a very nice gun.

n2s

 

Ruger now makes the SP101 in 22 lr. It's an 8 shot DA revolver with 4" barrel.

The frame size is just right, weight is 30 oz which is just enough heft but not heavy. I might get this gun for my daughter.