Great carrying guns for women!

[Valpal1123]

I'm curious what are some of y'alls favorite small arms to carry.. I would love to carry on my person without having to wear over sized pants and sweaters etc..

 

[Darkhorse]

I got my wife a S&W model 60 (3" barrel, 5-shot) so that she could carry it in a small purse or pocket. It's good, but now she wants an automatic for the higher capacity.

 

[Valpal1123]

I got my wife a S&W model 60 (3" barrel, 5-shot) so that she could carry it in a small purse or pocket. It's good, but now she wants an automatic for the higher capacity.

hmmm ill have to check that out! I did have a 9mm its just to big!!

 

[Darkhorse]

Another possibility is a 380 which holds 5+1. I have one which is 5" long, 3.5" high, and less than 1" thick.

The Model 60 is 38 special, by the way.

 

[Servant68]

In automatics, the smallest, most reliable, and cheapest pistol that is still good quality is the Ruger LCP. They are often on sale for well under $300. They can be found on gunbroker.com for around $240. They just introduced the LCP II which is a slightly improved model and it goes for around $20 more on Gunbroker. The LCPs are in .380 which is the absolute smallest caliber the experts recommend for self-defense.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/632992982

Next up in size is the Ruger LC9. Slightly bigger than the LCP but only in 9mm. They run about $25-$50 more than the LCP but come in a variety of colors and offer a manual safety which many women prefer for purse carry. They are also a very reliable, well-regarded pistol for around $300.

Next up in size is the Glock G43, S&W Shield, Springfield Armory XDS (mine), and the Walther PPS M2. All are great little pistols but just slightly larger than the Rugers and more expensive.

Size comparison of LCP vs. LC9...

The LCP really is a tiny pistol and will have more recoil due to it's diminutive size despite it's smaller .380 caliber...

 

[Servant68]

Also, once you get to 9mm and larger calibers, you can find a pistol in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP in just about any size pistol. Caliber has little to do with size of the pistol. But there will be trade-offs in capacity and recoil.

And there are many, many choices in smaller 9mm auto pistols. I just recommended the LC9 due to it's overall appeal of lower cost, reliability, and fun colors.

 

[PRESIDIO]

North American Arms PUG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heck I want one for myself!

 

[Darkhorse]

Those colors are great!

 

[A3M0N]

I really liked the S&W 9mm Shield. It was too small for my hand, and my wife's really, but was a great handgun. I'd buy it again, but I liked the S&W 9mm Compact, its just a bit bigger than the Shield.

 

[sylverpiano]

I also have a Ruger LCP .380 for times when I am wearing clothing that makes concealing my Colt difficult. As our friend Servant68 points out, its recoil is pretty stout. Mine is just black with a hard chrome slide. When I bought mine, the pretty colors were not available.

 

[ChavaK]

I like the Glock 43 and the Shield, but generally carry a Glock 19. I shoot it better, I like the capacity, and it's not difficult to conceal.

 

[marineimaging]

if you are involved in concealed carry I would recommend not having just one. I have one for different occasions but those who are calling the .380 smaller..., that is the 9mm KURZ or Short. It is still a 9mm bullet but usually only 20 grains or 20/7000's lighter in weight and about 60 fps slower. So, a bad guy shot with a .380 hollow point defensive round at 12 feet is like being shot with a 9mm at 12 feet. He won't be able to tell the difference. Some police in Europe carry what we call .380 but they still call theirs 9mm and report 9mm if they use them.

 

[Servant68]

if you are involved in concealed carry I would recommend not having just one. I have one for different occasions but those who are calling the .380 smaller..., that is the 9mm KURZ or Short. It is still a 9mm bullet but usually only 20 grains or 20/7000's lighter in weight and about 60 fps slower. So, a bad guy shot with a .380 hollow point defensive round at 12 feet is like being shot with a 9mm at 12 feet. He won't be able to tell the difference. Some police in Europe carry what we call .380 but they still call theirs 9mm and report 9mm if they use them.

I respectfully disagree.

The energy levels of the .380 vs the 9mm are huge. And I feel the 9mm is already barely adequate as a defensive round.

To try and equate the .380 to the 9mm in terms of stopping power is intellectually dishonest, at best.

Is the .380 ACP an Adequate Caliber for Defensive Use?

The leading wound ballistic researcher in the world, Dr. Gary Roberts, recently weighed in on the issue in a wound ballistics briefing for the FBI. Here is his advice:

“Many small, easily concealed semi-automatic pistols which are recommended for law enforcement backup or concealed carry use fire .380 ACP or smaller bullets. While these small caliber handgun bullets can produce fatal wounds, they are less likely to produce the rapid incapacitation necessary in law enforcement or self-defense situations.

Handguns chambered in .380 ACP are small, compact, and generally easy to carry. Unfortunately, testing has shown that they offer inadequate performance for self-defense and for law enforcement use whether on duty as a back-up weapon or for off duty carry. The terminal performance of .380 ACP JHP’s is often erratic, with inadequate penetration and inconsistent expansion being common problems, while .380 ACP FMJ’s offer adequate penetration, but no expansion. All of the .380 ACP JHP loads we have tested, including CorBon, Hornady, Federal, Remington, Speer, and Winchester exhibited inconsistent, unacceptable terminal performance for law enforcement back-up and off duty self-defense use due to inadequate penetration or inadequate expansion. Stick with FMJ for .380 ACP or better yet, don’t use it at all. The use of .380 ACP and smaller caliber weapons is really not acceptable for law enforcement use and most savvy agencies prohibit them. While both the .380 ACP and .38 spl can obviously be lethal; the .38 spl is more likely to incapacitate an attacker when used in a BUG role.

 

[marineimaging]

Thanks for your reply. I am treading lightly here. Notice that I didn't actually make an endorsement of the .380. I just stated what I know based on my research before buying one for my wife. My B-I-L is a retired chief of police and he and my sister carry .380's. Our experience with the Hornady Critical Defense round appears to have addressed some of those issues. That said, I recommended having SEVERAL concealed carry's for a reason. I have both, the .380 Bersa and the Springfield XDS .45. We are getting my wife a .38 Spcl +P with similar Critical Defense rounds but she is keeping the .380 for a reason. People who leave their gun home because it is too large or too heavy have been proven worse off than someone with a .380 in their pocket and practiced to insure adequate shot placement. And I HIGHLY recommend practicing shot placement under duress until you are comfortable with hitting a fist size target repeatedly. Practice frequently and practice professionally because even if you miss with a howitzer the bad guy is still coming at you.

 

[Servant68]

That's the main reason I switched from an M&P40 compact to my XDS 40; Having only 6 or 7 rounds of .40 S&W was better than not having any at all. Even though the M&P was compact, the XDS is noticeably smaller and I carry it everywhere I'm allowed to now...