That's a tough one.

Here's my Beretta 92f with after market grips.




these are rosewood, but I saw red, blue, pink, green grips - a lot available.

My wife & I both love to shoot tis gun, but it's not everyones cup of tea.

I'll watch for some other options for you.

So far my search is leaning toward a CZ P01. A search found several aftermarket grips, not really girlie, but some nice looking wood. I think my local shop even has one she can fondle.

Marschall grips makes grips for many different guns. wood. Perhapos a purple heart wood? of course, be sure the gun fits her etc as i know you have read here. but thought this info may open up some more possibilites for you.

Check out the Stoeger Cougar, it is a metal gun and sells for around $400.

Stoeger Industries is a subsidiary of Beretta. The Stoeger Cougars are made in Turkey using the same machinery that Beretta used to make the original Cougars. It is every bit the quality of the Beretta. The Stoeger 8000 in 9mm is identical to the Beretta Cougar L Type P (Cougar L slide, lighter barrel and beveled slide, but with a full-length magazine).

Just refinish the grips. You can do it yourself with Duracoat or have it done by a proffesional.

This would give you a lot of options. You could make her a really nice gun. Buy a CPO Sig and have the frame/slide/girp panels refinished to whatever colors she wants. I dark blood red would look good for a girly gun.

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

So far my search is leaning toward a CZ P01. A search found several aftermarket grips, not really girlie, but some nice looking wood. I think my local shop even has one she can fondle.

Excellent choice!!!!!!

She will love it and if she doesn't make it too girlie you will be shooting it alot too. That is if you decide on it. The P-01 is my favorite handgun I own and I really like a few of the others alot!

RCG

The "under $500" part makes it harder to suggest, as it tosses out the Browning HP, the CZ 85, H&K P7PSP. The Cougar might be hard to find accessory grips for, although it would be a great choice as a whole.

You might see if the CZ75 can be had in your price range. I know that there are some grip makers who make accessory grips for them.

The pistol for which it's easiest to find grips for is the 1911. I don't know of a new one that can be purchased for under five bills, but you might look for a good used one.

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

So far my search is leaning toward a CZ P01. A search found several aftermarket grips, not really girlie, but some nice looking wood. I think my local shop even has one she can fondle.

That's a very good choice..It is very easy and forgiving to shoot. She will like it. And it is so easy to find customized grips for it.

Ended up getting the CZ P01. We've had it to the range a couple of time and it's a sweet shooter. She's starting to get the feel for it and the accuracy is already there. Now to find some nice "girly" looking wood grips, I think they will just be a nice mahogany or something similar.

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

Ended up getting the CZ P01. We've had it to the range a couple of time and it's a sweet shooter. She's starting to get the feel for it and the accuracy is already there. Now to find some nice "girly" looking wood grips, I think they will just be a nice mahogany or something similar.

Dude I like that pistole. How much was it?

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

Now that I've got my wife hooked on shooting and becoming a pretty good shot she has started shooting different guns in our collection other than her S&W .38 revolver. In the beginning she tried several of my semi-auto (9mm and .45) and it seemed she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, but now that she has learned how to shoot with her revolver she can now shoot about anything. The last few trips to the range she has become fond of my FNP-9 and is now wanting a 9mm of her own. At first I thought I would just get her a FNP-9 in the dark earth color to match the AR-15 (scroll to the bottom) I just built for her to shoot. Then last night she made the comment that she wanted her 9mm to be girlie. She had made the comment in the past that no way would she have a pink gun, so I asked if she had changed her mind and she made it clear she didn't want a PINK gun. She said she wanted a 9mm that she could put some girlie grips on.

So, I started looking aroung last night and there aren't too many 9mm's that aren't polymer that have grip panels that can be changed. The Beretta 92fs and the Taurus pt92 of course come to mind. Me personally, I have always want a nice 1911 in 9mm but that's really more than we want to spend. I'm thinking our budget would be under $500.

Any ideas on a 9mm with grip panels? Keep in mind that there would need to be aftermarket grips available for the gun as well.

Thanks in advance

The only thing I can think of is to get a Bersa Hi Capacity 9mm Pro, Like my avatar, and take the grips off and paint them. It holds 17+1 rounds, light weight aluminum frame and would come in at about 400.00.
You would just have to do your own art work. And then laminate it.

Originally Posted by Freedom1911

Dude I like that pistole. How much was it?

They had it marked $539 but ended up getting it for $500. I also picked up a CZ 452 .22 rifle at the same time so they knocked a little off both prices.

Nice, sounds like the FFL was good to you.

I've not owned one, but hear a lot of good noise about them

Congratulations to you both.

I hope you find your wooden grips - post a picture if you get them

Para GI Expert is a 1911 style, and price right around the $500 mark. I have also seen a few Springfields 1911 on Budsguns for $550...

Ohyeah....the Stoeger Cougar......now thats a fine weapon.

i got a new gun for the wife....... best trade I ever made!!

I got my wooden grips here Nice grips for a CZ

The one in the rear is the P-01 the front one is a 75B



RCG