Welcome aboard.

Hang on to your hat. Your about to get a truck load of info.

First and best advice will be to get yourself and your wife to a range to test fire as many different handguns as they will rent to you, in as many different calibers (but stay away from .50's for now).

.22 seems to be easy to shoot, and a good place to start, especially if you know it will only be your first gun.

If you are looking at semiautos:

Bersa .380 seems to be real popular, inexpensive gun that most women can handle, and is a little better in the self-defense arena.

Anything 9mm is a step up in terms of self-defense and recoil. It is probably the cheapest ammo (aside from .22's) to buy, and something to consider if you plan on practicinig a lot and getting good.

.40 caliber is popular with police agencies right now. It has a bit more "snap" and recoil.

Don't be afraid to try shooting .45 ACP.

Some will point you toward revolvers, as well. Revolvers tend to be easy to understand, easy to maintain, and very reliable.

I would stay away from a snub-nosed for now, because they can have a lot of recoil.

Lots more to come.

Good luck, and enjoy the hunt!

WM

if self defense is a prerequisite, don't go below a 9mm. for target shooting only, a 22lr is cheap, but you will become bored with it soon. there are many good, solid, reliable manufacturers out there but alot of your decision should be based on what you like the most when you try them out (the general suggestion here). try before you buy. your price range cuts a few from the options but there are plenty others that still fall inside your budget (xd, m&p, p99, 92fs.......) i personally like the beretta 92fs because i've had great success with it as a 9mm target/plinking gun. for 40 cal. the xd or m&p might do good for you. bottom line is that you need to try them out to see what really works for you AND take youe wife along for her opinion as well. good luck!

This topic comes up all the time and I think it is one of the most important question for new user coming to the forum who never owned a gun. This should have a sticky on it.

mthorn you should also look back a number of months and find this topic. This has been asked a lot of time and your in the right place to find help and do your home work. I would listen to the people who tell you how to go about finding the right one than the person who tells you that you should buy only this one model pistol. Guys like the Wandering Man and big dutchman will send you in the right direction.

Welcome from down in the the swamp. I'll just parrot what the others have said. Good luck. Ask all the question you want here and sombody will help you.

The best way to control recoil is to find a gun that fits your and your wife's hand. When you are fighting just to grip the gun, you have no chance of controlling recoil. Spend as much time as possible holding, if not firing, as many handguns as you can. Find one that fits your hand comfortably and half the battle is won.

Originally Posted by john1911

The best way to control recoil is to find a gun that fits your and your wife's hand. When you are fighting just to grip the gun, you have no chance of controlling recoil. Spend as much time as possible holding, if not firing, as many handguns as you can. Find one that fits your hand comfortably and half the battle is won.

In case you're counting, that would be TWO guns, not ONE. Don't get hung up on finding the ONE PERFECT gun.

It doesn't exist.

Multiple guns that are ideal for different purposes do exist.

BTW: if your wife is kinda iffy about shooting, make sure she wears double hearing protection (you too). Ear plugs coupled with a a head set will make her (and you) more comfortable at the range when your next to someone shooting a large caliber gun. Remind her to remove her earrings (you too?).

WM

I would say get a .22 if you want one to be plinking only. The other I'd go with a .40. Unless you want them both to be the same caliber which would make sense. Then I'd get either two 9mm's or two .40's. The gun I own is a very inexpensive gun and works very well for both me and the wife. It is a Stoeger Cougar, $319 NIB 9mm. I haven't shot it much but the thing has been absolutely flawless so far.

Originally Posted by Anxiety.

Stoeger Cougar, $319 NIB 9mm. I haven't shot it much but the thing has been absolutely flawless so far.

I don't know why I haven't heard or knew much about the Stoeger Cougar. I love the looks and it's half the price of the Berretta version in the mid 90's. I want one and going to keep an eye out for one. Could not find it on buds or mags at cdnn. What do you think of it Anxiety? and do you know where to get extra mags?

spacedoggy, I've inquired about the Stoeger Couger, also. According to the local dealer who carries them, they weren't selling, so that's why Beretta dropped them. They also seem to have a lot of parts which makes cleaning a "bear".
Here's the web site: http://www.stoegerindustries.com/fir...cougar8000.tpl It seems the Couger was designed around the .40 S&W, then retrofitted for the 9mm.
On another topic, I too, am (was in the 70's) a card carrying Bozo # 077-51. We were a group in college, who mostly ragged on the jocks. We also held a fundraiser for a local charity. Remember this line? "We're All Bozos On This Bus". (Firesign Theater)
Anyway, if I ever decide to get into the .40 S&W, I would consider the Couger, but only as a range gun. It's rotating bbl design suposedly helps to reduce the felt recoil of that round.