Looking for 9mm range pistol for the Lady

[Beat Trash]

My wife fell in love with a Sig 320c in 9mm. Once I bought a small sized frame for it, it was "Perfect" as she said.

If it's just for shooting at the range, a 22lr is the way to go. If it's going to double as a home defense weapon, then I'd look at a Sig 320 or an M&P9.

[peterb]

There's also a lightweight version of the Ruger Mk III.

I've got a Mk II with a red dot. Just shot my first Steel Challenge with it and it made me look good.

For a casual range gun, you've got a lot more options than the "duty" types popular here. The S&W SD9 got a positive review here.

A medium-frame revolver with light loads has worked well for a few new shooters I've helped.

[farscott]

Another gun for her to try would be the Beretta 92 as it looks heavier than it is, it is quite reliable, and recoil is extremely low for a 9x19 pistol.

The reality of the matter is she needs to shoot as many guns as it takes for her to find the "right one".

[spinmove_]

Practical? Light? Affordable? Relatively light recoil? Primarily a range gun? Doesn't have the be the most precise out there, but can't be a slouch either? 9mm?

Sounds like a used Glock 17 is what you're looking for.

[breakingtime91]

The M&P is fine. Teaching her proper stance and grip control would do a lot. And by "teaching" I mean someone else, a qualified firearms instructor. Teaching your spouse to shoot is fraught with peril

this... My wife is moving into a job where a deployment is possible and I have decided that I need to get her a beretta and some proper training well before that happens. When I try to teach her, we both get pretty upset

[psalms144.1]

Practical? Light? Affordable? Relatively light recoil? Primarily a range gun? Doesn't have the be the most precise out there, but can't be a slouch either? 9mm?

Sounds like a used Glock 17 is what you're looking for.

While Glock 9mms are my default recommendations for most people looking for affordable 9mm options, given the implied limitations of the spouse's injuries, I'd be concerned that a Glock might have a lot of (legitimately) shooter-induced malfunctions. Even my GOOD female shooters, when they transition from Sig to Glock, tend to have to be reminded to maintain a firm grip on the pistol and keep their shooting stance solid. I watched one agent, who is a very good shooter with her issued P229 (but looking for something smaller/lighter) turn my previously impeccable Gen4 G26 into a choking, puking nightmare (BTF, failures to return to battery, FTEject, you name it). She can shoot my P2000 like a champion, and had no reliability issues with another shooter's G27, but the G26 just did NOT work for her.

Again - low-experience, low-volume shooter looking for a fun range pistol that doesn't weigh a lot or recoil a lot is THE recipe for a .22, IMHO.

[ubervic]

The M&P is fine. Teaching her proper stance and grip control would do a lot. And by "teaching" I mean someone else, a qualified firearms instructor. Teaching your spouse to shoot is fraught with peril

This right here.

M&P offers simple and easy-to-operate controls, it is a good size to learn and develop experience with, it points naturally for a wide range of folks---not everyone, but many---and it is one of the softest-shooting pistols I've ever fired.

[spinmove_]

While Glock 9mms are my default recommendations for most people looking for affordable 9mm options, given the implied limitations of the spouse's injuries, I'd be concerned that a Glock might have a lot of (legitimately) shooter-induced malfunctions. Even my GOOD female shooters, when they transition from Sig to Glock, tend to have to be reminded to maintain a firm grip on the pistol and keep their shooting stance solid. I watched one agent, who is a very good shooter with her issued P229 (but looking for something smaller/lighter) turn my previously impeccable Gen4 G26 into a choking, puking nightmare (BTF, failures to return to battery, FTEject, you name it). She can shoot my P2000 like a champion, and had no reliability issues with another shooter's G27, but the G26 just did NOT work for her.

Again - low-experience, low-volume shooter looking for a fun range pistol that doesn't weigh a lot or recoil a lot is THE recipe for a .22, IMHO.

If that's the case, then I'd say it's hard to go wrong with a Ruger 22/45. If 9mm is still wanted, then perhaps a CZ-75B w/safety might be the way to go? That would prevent her from having to use the DA first shot and give her something comfortable to shoot while also having a metal frame to help her support the cycling slide.

[rsa-otc]

I haven't seen the Walther PPQ MK2 mentioned. It has a nice trigger and is quite ergonomic. There is a young lady on the smaller side who shoots one in IDPA with me and it works quite well for her.

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Thanks for all the replies guys... definitely lots to consider.

A wealth of information! Cheers!