My wife and I want our first gun, advice wanted please

Hello everyone. My wife and I both want handguns for edc and home protection. I have passed my cc class and she has not taken hers yet. My wife has her heart set on a pink gun, I am open to whatever. I would prefer guns that are made in the USA. I am unsure about caliber. We both want a jack of all trades handgun with a balance of stopping power, recoil, and does not cost a fortune to shoot and practice at the range. I am more interested in performance over looks and I do not care what brand it is. I would like a good value for the money, and I want two guns, one for each of us. Thanks for the help.

UPDATE:

I want to add that my wife has small hands. She shot the full size 1911 and it was too large for her, the same is true of the Springfield XD 45acp. She did like my cousins Taurus 85 snubby revolver and it fit her hand well. She says she wants something small and pocketable to keep on her.....not in her purse. She says she wants something small but powerful. I am trying to explain to her that a small gun with something like a 45acp or 257 mag in it would rip your wrist off. She understands that so then she says she still wants something small and pocketable but enough power to do its job should she have to use it.

Are you looking at revolvers or semi autos? Price range ?

Comments:
1. "Stopping power" is a myth. Accuracy is what's important. If you hit something very vital, the fight will stop; but if you don't, you remain in jeopardy. Any pistol, even a .380 ACP, will cause a fight to stop, if you shoot it quickly, accurately, and effectively. However, peripheral hits (or close misses) from a .44 Magnum will not stop fights.
2. What, exactly, do you mean by "performance"? Any properly manufactured pistol you might buy will be accurate enough for defensive purposes. However, Taurus guns, for instance, seem to have quality-control problems that affect reliability. Perhaps you might wish to substitute "reliability" for "performance."

The very best thing to do is to go somewhere where they rent time on many different kinds of pistols, and try as many as you can afford to rent and shoot. Then buy for hand-fit and shooting comfort. Don't worry about accuracy, since all the guns you will rent will be more accurate than you are.
Next, spend at least a third of the gun's price on a good holster, belt, and reload pouch. Then buy a whole lot of practice ammunition, of power and recoil similar to that which you intend to carry for self defense.
Finally, start practicing daily. Dry-fire for at least 10 minutes a day, being careful not to practice any bad habits. Once a week, do live-fire exercises too. Practice control and accuracy, not speed. Speed comes with practice time, and if you try to "learn" speed, you will fumble. Be smooth, not fast.

Another good idea: Take as many shooting-and-tactics classes as you can afford, but only from well-recognized trainers and teachers. Try to find teachers whose style "clicks" with yours.

I would like to stay under $750 for both guns if that is realistic, if not then up to $1000 for both. I like the idea of a revolver because it is simple, no jams, it can sit loaded without any issues such as a spring going bad because the mag was left with ammo in it, etc. I am more interested in tried and true compared to newest and marketing hype. I want to know that the gun is reliable and you can count on it. I want a quality gun that just works out of the box rather than gamble on it being made right, does that make sense?

First, your mag springs won't go bad, because you leave them loaded....second, take the advice above...third, forget about the "pink", unless she just cannot live without it....that being said, you might want to look at the Ruger SR9 or SR40...my wife is happy with her SR40. Lots of safety functions, and well priced. Just my 2 cents.

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Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

I would like to stay under $750 for both guns if that is realistic, if not then up to $1000 for both. I like the idea of a revolver because it is simple, no jams, it can sit loaded without any issues such as a spring going bad because the mag was left with ammo in it, etc. I am more interested in tried and true compared to newest and marketing hype.

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In that price range I would suggest charter arms. They make a nice line of revolvers in the same frame sizes as smith and wesson J frames. They are very good quaility guns and have pink versions. I would suggest buying a 38 special.Most gun shops have a display of them where you can look them over and handle them.I would use 158 grian hollow point ammo personaly but there are different views on grain or bullet styles. I would practice with standard velocity ammo and buy some +P ammo for carry. It has a little more power. Charter arms also makes a model called trhe bull dog that is very well known but is chambered for the 44 special that is very effective. Any shop selling charter arms revolvers should have a bulldog to show you as well.
I would agree with the above post on taurus and rossi revolvers.

In that price range I would suggest charter arms. They make a nice line of revolvers in the same frame sizes as smith and wesson J frames. They are very good quaility guns and have pink versions. I would suggest buying a 38 special.Most gun shops have a display of them where you can look them over and handle them.I would use 158 grian hollow point ammo.

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Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

Hello everyone. My wife and I both want handguns for edc and home protection. I have passed my cc class and she has not taken hers yet. My wife has her heart set on a pink gun, I am open to whatever. I would prefer guns that are made in the USA. I am unsure about caliber. We both want a jack of all trades handgun with a balance of stopping power, recoil, and does not cost a fortune to shoot and practice at the range. I am more interested in performance over looks and I do not care what brand it is. I would like a good value for the money, and I want two guns, one for each of us. Thanks for the help.

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Bear in mind, in a home defense scenario you may not have the luxury of you using your gun or her using her gun, so you need a gun that you both can handle and shoot accurately. (With EDC this is obviously not the case.) Everyone's different but .45 and .40 were too much for my wife and I'm a 9mm believer anyway so 9mm it was. Of all the 9s that we tried out together, the HK P30 was the winner. It'll set you back $800-$1000 but it is one darn fine firearm. I appreciate that people are on a budget, but firearms are one area where I am definitely biased towards paying more to get more if you can. Some close runner-ups for us were the CZ P-01, the CZ P-07 and the Ruger SR9c. If your wife has biggish hands for a lady try the FNX-9, it's a soft shooting affordable firearm from a reputable company. Good luck.

USA made....you stated in your post
Sig makes a highly thought of 9mm semi auto (SP2022) and its price is more than reasonable for what you get, it has changeable grips for different size hands, very accurate and lifetime warranty. Made in NH although the company is Swiss. Another good pistol is the S&W M&P series, USA company and made with changeable back straps and fits different size hands, lifetime warranty as well. Ruger another USA manufacturer makes excellent firearms as well. Hope this helps....

I made the comment about the mag spring based on my step dad and cousin talking about changing out mags so the spring does not get weak. I really do not know, lol. So Rugar and Charter Arms make a quality reliable gun? What about S&W? The J frame or bodyguard 380? I plan on going to a local shop soon.

Further Thoughts:
1. For a beginner, a full-size, full-weight pistol is the very best learning tool. Smaller carry guns are very difficult to shoot accurately and well. It is sufficiently convenient to conceal and to carry a full-size, full-weight pistol, if thought is given to the process, to make it entirely practical. As a wise man said, "Your carry gun should be comforting, not comfortable."
2. The Charter Arms revolver we inherited from Jean's dance mentor suffered from a quality-control problem, albeit one that was very easy and inexpensive to fix. Also, it was an older Charter Arms gun, and more recent ones seem better made.
3. All small revolvers are very hard to shoot well. They twist in your hand with recoil. Jean is an experienced pistol shooter, and owns both the Charter Arms and a S&W J-frame .38 Special, and she likes neither because of the discomfort that this twisting motion causes.
4. Springs die from repeated compression and release cycles—that is, metal fatigue—and not from being left in a fully-compressed state. You can leave a fully-loaded magazine alone for years, and when you try to use it you will find that it works "as good as new."
5. Revolvers have a short learning curve, but they are difficult to shoot accurately, and they are thick and bulky and hard to conceal. Single-action semi-autos are much harder to learn to use, but much easier to shoot accurately than any other form of pistol. "Traditional"-double-action semi-autos are difficult to shoot well because you have to transition from a double-action, long trigger press to a short, single-action one immediately after firing the first shot. Double-action-only semi-autos are the easiest to learn to use, like a revolver, and easy to conceal, but they are difficult to shoot accurately without lots of practice.

It is not enough to merely try a pistol "dry" in a store. You can only make a wise choice after firing a sample.

Smith and wessons have nicer finishes and smoother triggers than a charter arms.But they cost a lot more.Ruger builds stong guns accurate guns that are heavier and the triggers are rough. If you have the money and live near a city where you can rent handguns it is good advice to go try any you take a liking to.
As far as choices between revolvers and semi autos. Thats a argument that goes between revolver and semi auto fans endlessly.
Calibers are a argueing point also.My advice based on your price range and preference was the charter arms and a 38 being a very common choice and carried by thousands.
Moving your interest to semi autos There are a lot more choices in brands calibers etc.
I have fired rounds from magazines loaded in the fities and they fired just fine. Metal fatigue comes from flexing many many times and the molecules eventualy lining up and getting weaker and finaly britle. I operate heavy equipment for a living and it is a common problem on older equipment.
You may want to hit up the above poster about selling the j frames his wife dont like because of the twisting action he describes.At age 55 I have been shooting revolvers since I was a kid and have never expereinced a twisting motion nor ever heard of it.
The snub nose revolvers due take more time to learn to shoot accurately but I assure you are just as accurate if not more than a semi auto and learning to shoot one in double action is a also something that takes time to master. But in the long run you will be able to pick up a semi auto and shoot better than the person who has never mastered a double action snub. Barrel length has no bearing on accuracy. But a snub has a very short sight radious and takes more time to learn to hold a sight picture with.
The double action of a revolver is heavy pull that requires a difffrent technique to keep from pulling the whole gun out of sight picture.
But it is not a major obstacle to learn just practice. You will definately learn a semi auto faster and easier i have no doubt if you choose that route.

from my personal experience I looked at alot of guns handled them all and me and my wife both went with the ruger sr9c stainless price was good we got ours for less than 450 each two mags speed loaders and case they are very reliable and 9mm ammo is the most affordable besides the 22lr

If you can afford around $800 the Smith & Wesson Shield would be a good choice. This model comes in 9mm and 40 S&W, is easily concealed, and has a sweet trigger. It is also made in the USA. Recoil is not bad for the size, and both you and your wife should have been no issues with fit. Kind of hard to find but that should improve with time. I agree with the others; once you have your choices down to 3-5 go to the range and rent and shoot them all to narrow down your choice then decide, purchase, and enjoy...!!! Practice is very important to gain proficiency and confidence. Good luck and shoot safe...!!!

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Originally Posted by bigplow

from my personal experience I looked at alot of guns handled them all and me and my wife both went with the ruger sr9c stainless price was good we got ours for less than 450 each two mags speed loaders and case they are very reliable and 9mm ammo is the most affordable besides the 22lr

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Excellent guns. SR9, SR40, SR9c, and SR40c, in black or stainless and black. About $800 a pair. I like them.

A can of duracoat and any gun she likes can be pink. Springfield xd are good guns for the money, a lot depends on how you are planning on carrying. With the right set up you can easily carry most handguns a good belt and quality holster make a huge difference. Hk p30 that's on my bucket list held one once thought they used my hand as the mold for the grip.

I must admit that I do like the 1911 full size that I just shot. I liked it a lot, however it is a large and heavy gun. I am not sure I would like carrying it each day. The gun felt nice in my hand and I know looks do not make or break a gun, but it is one pretty gun.

I carried a full-size, full-weight 1911 concealed, off and on, for several years, always OWB.
It felt heavy and strange at first, but a good holster-and-belt outfit does wonders to solve that.

Steve hit it in one. A GOOD holster AND belt (I vote stronger on the belt) make carrying safe and comfortable.
I carried full weight Officers sized 1911 for years & a J-frame at the same time. When I got a good heavy duty carry designed belt, the difference was very noticeable.

You received good advice on going to a range that rents handguns. Find a gun that fits your hand and that you shoot well. If you know a shooter you can probably get to try several guns or consider joining a club, which also will help keep you in practice. A factory pink gun limits your choices and serves little purpose hidden in a purse or under a cover garment. You are buying a tool for self-protection not to make a fashion statement. If your wife wants a pink gun buy a pink 22, which she should start off with anyway to develop her shooting skills as the ammo is inexpensive.

I would go with a compact 9mm handgun as the 9mm is more economical and comfortable to shoot and as stated it's shot placement and bullet type not the size of the entry hole. I have several full size 1911's and I too like the gun, but when it comes to carry I believe you either carry full time are you really don't carry. A full size handgun is going to be left at home or in the car more than it will be carried. As I tell friends, "If I knew when and where I would need my gun I wouldn't be there in the first place". As far as a good carry gun take a look at the Walther PPS in 9mm. It's very thin (0.9 inch) has 6,7 or 8 round magazines, reliable like a Glock, accurate and can be purchased for $500. The Sig P-938 is even smaller with a 8 round capacity. It too is reliable and accurate, but smaller guns are more difficult to shoot accurately due to the short barrel and short sight radius. What ever handgun you decide on, go to the range regularly to keep your skills up.

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Originally Posted by goNYG

... Of all the 9s that we tried out together, the HK P30 was the winner.... .

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along that line, the Walther PPQ is almost a clone of the H&K P30, but just a little over $500. It's available in DA/SA 9mm or 40 and shoots wonderfully. It is known for it's short trigger reset, which makes some a little nervous for CCW.

Bill's Gun Shop in MN sells an XDM in Duracoat Pink, however, you'd have to get it shipped. My wife LOVES the feel of the Springfield XDS, however, in a .45 it is no bueno for her. She's (im)patiently waiting for it to come out in a 9mm. Rumor has it the gun should hit shelves before the SHOT show in January. Each gun will most likely run around $600. She also loved the LC9, so I'd recommend having her give it a look. Best of luck!

I'll tell you what I tell most folks new to handguns. Go to the NRA website and find an Introduction to Firearms class near you. Some gun clubs offer these classes too.

The advantage of this over renting guns is that you have a certified instructor(s) teaching you the basics and giving you exposure to a wide variety of handguns. This should help you narrow down the caliber and type of guns that work best for you.

Many gun ranges will have rentals to try-the one closest to me actually has a nice selection of rentals.There is a $20 fee to rent,but they let you try as many as you want(one at a time). Also as mentioned above-its understandable to want to fit into a price range,but I wouldnt get one just because its cheaper.Get the one that feels right to you and,if you are able to rent a few,the one you shoot the best. There are several options at least close to your price range.