I know everyone has an opinion..but what is best concealed carry weapon for the wife? Thanks

One she is comfortable with. I know that is a generic answer but lots of guys try to push a pistol on their wife. If she isn't comfortable with it, it won't do her any good. She needs to spend lots of time shooting it and becoming very familiar with it. Now, with that said, a very good pistol is the S&W 642 Airweight, hammer less .38. Very easy to shoot, no hammer to get snagged on. No fear of misfire. Very easy to load/reload.

something that is light and comfortable enough that she'll actually keep in her purse or carry on her.

for mine, it's a small .380...Taurus, Ruger, etc.

At first I thought you were about to do her in and collect the life insurance. Keltec .380. It is the lightest, smallest .380 made. It shoots six rounds and easily slips into the pocket with decent man-stopping power for about $300.

Thats a bad choice.most women can't pull the trigger work the slide or operate the magazine release. On top of that those little 380's are harder to shoot accurately and have more recoil than a slightly larger 9mm

My choice would be one of the smith and Wesson 38's lady smith 642 etc or the 9mm glock 42 or 43 can't remember what the model number is.

My wife carries a compact SIG 1911 .45


I thought it was a little big for her but she wanted it and shoots it just fine.

Ruger LCR

If she is comfortable with it and shoots it well, anything from about .38 special up would be fine.

If she is a country girl with a lot of shooting time and good safety skills, the training that must be ongoing will be easier and less tedious. If you have to start from scratch - use it as a set of test driving sessions. Rent a lot of different pistols at various ranges and let her shoot them and decide which type and later which model she likes.

Very important - start with a rimfire pistol and move up slowly from one caliber to the next. My wife started with a .22 revolver, moved to a .38 revolver and settled on a 9mm auto with specific mods she wanted after shooting everything I could lay my hands on. I have never mentioned or discussed recoil or muzzle blast. I have had extensive discussions with her about velocity and energy. She routinely puts ten rounds from my .357 sig into 1" at 75 feet without realizing that most people won't even fire that pistol due to perceived recoil/blast.

My wife has a slightly modded glock 26. Not so awful trigger (glock competition trigger package + 25 cent trigger job) and a +2 mag extension.

as the op mentioned, everyone has an opinion and generally not a one size fits all discussion.

my wife has no probs actuating the slide on the ruger .380 and probably wouldn't tote anything much bigger. I also like a heavier trigger for something she's going to carry in her purse. if you're buying for accuracy, the 380 prob isn't the best choice. im generally more interested in it firing repeatedly and scaring off a perp if the situation were too arise vs. her being able to hit a silver dollar at 20yds.

might be worth having her handle a few and see what she's most comfortable with. may check out hoover tactical or similar and let her try a few.

The ruger isn't so bad my mom carries one but the keltec is bad

LCR with Crimson Trace Grip. No hammer to snag and a really smooth crisp trigger. Recoil is surprisingly low.

Stop now and take her and give her 4 options you approve of, but let her choose,because if you pick it out later she will resent it and say she would of picked differently. I tell you this from experience and by purchasing my wife 2 guns for personal defense, 2 because of me picking the 1st one.

My wife chose the Sig P238

.38 Revolver.

.38 Special revolver. The one mine carries has a set of CTC grips on them. Women seem to definitely grasp the concept of "whatever that little red dot is on is where the bullet is going" better than men. We tend to over-think stuff.

Pull trigger. Will not fail

I bought my mom a LCP 380 last year for christmas. She hasnt shot more than a box through it just learning how it works and what to expect, but she is very capable. The gun shoots great to be so small, but is very snappy.
My fiance carries a S&W 642 .38 special. Great gun, fool proof, cant hit the broad side of a barn more than 10 ft away.
I carry a S&W M&P Shield 9mm that shoots great.

The 642 is a great gun for beginners IMO, but i personally like having more than 5 shots, and also i like something more accurate. Her sister carries a LCR that handles well and shoots great.

The LCP is very small, can fit in my pocket. Hold 6+1, which is still not much, but gets the job done. Much more accurate that i thought. The gun is as much, or more snappy than my 9mm is.

My shield has never let me down. Goes bang every time i pull the trigger, has a flush mag that holds 7, or the extended mag that holds 8. With the extended, it has a long enough grip to get your entire hand on, as long as you dont have huge hands of course.

Sister in laws boyfriend carries a KelTec P3AT that has had multiple issues. Would not trust it with my life.

If it were me, I would buy her a M&P Shield or LC9 if she has the know how. If she has never handled a gun, the 642 or LCR is a great gun. If she needs a smaller gun, the LCP fits the bill.

LCR, light, reliable, simple. Perfect if she's like my wife and doesn't want to practice often.

Vote for lcp here.