Best carry piece for female new to CCW

Take her shopping and let her handle everything. The one that fits her hand the best will be the best one for her.

 

Best for her to go to a gun store and see what she likes. What feels good in her hands. And finding out which ones she can rack the slide on.

 

Thats the best thing to do. First my wife wanted a Glock so i bought her that. Now she carries a Jframe that I bought her. Well now she wants a 1911 to carry so we will be going shopping for yet another firearm. Its different for everyone, I carry her Glock right now because it fits and I can conseal it well. But I have carried her Jframe in my pocket a couple times. She may like to carry a Desert Eagle you never know untill she handles a couple. Just remember what ever she wants you get to shoot it also. Thats the way I look at it.

 

How will she be carrying? My wife is going to start carrying in her purse. I'm going to git her a hammerless revolver in .357. No hammer to git snagged. And it will not jam. Going with a powerful round to replace the capacity. I know it's going to be a lot of recoil so she will start with .38s at the range. After all when your life is on the line recoil is the last thing you are worried about.

 

Like has been said, have her handle a bunch of handguns. Narrow it down and then see if you can rent or borrow as many as you can and have her shoot them all. She has to be happy with how it feels to carry and to shoot. Then make sure she practices regularly.

If she hasn't been to a concealed carry/defensive pistol class yet, encourage her to go to at least one. There are some classes that are put on by women these days and that would probably be a good way to go.

 

take her shopping! women love to shop! if she likes shooting, then shopping for a pistol will be no different. let her handle as many as possible and let her choose what fits her the best. the pistol that fits her hand is the one she will shoot the best and have the most confidence in. if the pistol is for CC and SD, she needs to have that level of confidence in that pistol.

also what she likes may even suprise you. let her ask questions and then answer her questions as best you can. only offer suggestions if she asks for them so as not to seem to be pushing her in a particular direction. the person carrying the pistol is the one who needs to make the choice. no sense in getting one she won't carry because she doesn't like it.

get her into some classes or lots of practice once she's made a choice. tell her she needs to practice regularly to stay proficient with her pistol. good way to have some quality time together.

 

What is she a good shooter with? Is it concealable? Is it adequate for self-defense?

 

Revolvers can and will jam especially with odd little parts and pieces from carrying in a purse. Get her a carry purse that has a separate compartment for the pistol. When a revolver jams it will take a while to get it running again.
I had a primer back out on a factory load and it locked up the cylinder. It took over 20 minutes for the range master and I to get it open. I could not leave the range with it loaded. (Kalifornistan) Another time a tiny bit of debris got behind the ejector star on a reload and the cylinder would not close.

 

The best handgun for your girlfriend is the one she picks after a thorough immersion in the available options.

http://www.corneredcat.com/article/for-the-men/what-gun-for-a-woman/

 

Look up the Flashbang holster for women.

 

My wife uses a belly band holster a lot. She actually has more holsters than I do. I have never bought a gun for my wife. She just uses one of my guns. She did buy a SP101 chambered in 357mag. Since I inherited an old Charter the SP 101 has turned into a dust catcher.

A lot of posters have mentioned debris getting into a revolver. A pocket holster works just as well in a purse as in your pocket. She can slip the gun into a pocket in her purse so she can draw the gun with one hand.

Men can not fathom a woman's needs in a holster. Women can not get by with a IWB holster. In fact, your wife can seldom use a IWB holster. How many outfits does she own that have a large enough belt to support any holster? Concealed carry is something you have to let your wife grow into. At first a gun in the console or glove box is all she might be able to manage.

 

When my wife is doing plain clothes details for the PD, she will wear my belly band holster for her duty G22 and it works great for her.

 

an IWB holster doesn't work well with a dress or skirt. women have much different concealment issues than men.

 

I agree that purse carry is a bad idea. A firearms instructor asked a woman friend of mine the crucial question: "Will your purse be in your hand or slung on your shoulder all the time?" I'd worry about her even carrying in a conventional fanny pack. A thief could cut the strap and be gone in a flash, like a purse snatcher, and get a nice gun out of the deal.

The Uncle Mike's pocket holster works very well for ridiculously little money and can be carried in pants or jacket pockets. It covers the trigger and is good at keeping crap out of the action (a problem that makes me glad I carry a concealed-hammer snubby). If the gun is in a pocket, it should be the only thing in that pocket.

I'm not a woman and have never tried a belly band holster, but I gather it works well for many women. Whatever she chooses, I believe very firmly that the gun should be on her person all the time.