Or she can get a .357 and shoot less-expensive .38s out of it, and when she wants to "graduate" to a bigger caliber, she doesn't have to buy a second weapon.

Hi,

     What do you want the handgun for?  If your answer is NOT self defense then I would agree with Rollingupon and lean towards a .22 with all the reasons he mentioned except the single action revolver.  22's are cheap to shoot so for the same budget you can do a LOT more practicing; something very important for a beginner.  22's are very accurate and you can start dabbling in Bullseye and other rimfire competitions.  You'll learn a lot that way.

     Just my .02, your mileage may vary.  Important thing is to get what YOU want.

                                                                                         Happy shooting,

                                                                                              gunstuff

Allot advice given, What has been said about revolers being a good place to start I agree with, plus a 38 usally is resonable for protection, though if just for fun a 22 is easyer place to start, also don't buy the cheapest, you get what you pay for in general.

 

Be safe

I JUST RECENTLY ASSISTED MY EX WIFE IN IN PREPAIRING TO TAKE HER CCW CLASS. WE PRACTICED FOR SEVERAL WEEKENDS WITH VARIOUS FIREARMS. I AM A DIE HARD 1911 FAN, AND A .45ACP FAN. BUT SHE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH A SMALL FRAME REVOLVER. I HAVE A TAURUS 650 C.I.A. IN .357MAG. WHICH IS DOUBLE ACTION ONLY. THE MAGNUM ROUNDS IN THE TWO INCH REVOLVER PRODUCED MORE RECOIL THAN SHE LIKED BUT FAIR VERY WELL WITH .38SPL ROUNDS. SHE PURCHASED A TAURUS Model: 85SS . ATTENDED THE COURSE. IN TN. AND I MUST ADMIT DID VERY WELL. 48 ROUNDS ALL WITHIN THE 8 RING ON THE TARGET. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A SALES MAN FOR TAURUS. HOWEVER, IT IS AT A FAIR PRICE, WITH A KEY LOCKING FEATURE, AND A LIFETIME WARRENTY.  HOPE THIS WAS OF SO HELP.

I like the Makarov, I like the S7W 357,I like the Ruger Mark II..My wife does well with the Ruger . She is a small woman, 98 pounds ,when I bought her the ruger.I thought ifshe could take out the black dot on at 20 yards,she could stop anything on two legs, with ten tries. I put a thing that puts a red dot where you want the bullet to go, on it .. The only confusion she has now is wether to grab a wooden spoon or the Ruger. I remind her ,wooden spoons are only for beating the kids, and they have been gone and married twenty years now.

If you are looking for a pistol to carry around, I would suggest going to a gun shop and looking at all the various kinds of guns offered.

 

If you are just looking for something to keep in the house/apartment, you can't go wrong with a Remington 870 shotgun. 

 

If you want something to use for hunting, the 870 is a good all around gun and can be used for anything out to about 100 yds or so.

 

Your best bet would be to go find a gun club in your local area and ask around.

 

Good luck on your search.

first things first, it has to fit your hand.  Then, go with something you can handle the recoil of, a lot of the guys suggest a .38/.357, and that is a good choice, and they can be had in a variety of grip and frame sizes.  The Rossi revolvers are a good choice, reasonable priced and of good quality, as are the Taurus guns.

My wife has a Glock 27, which is their subcompact .40 cal.   It is about the same size as a snubby .38 and holds 10 rounds of a much more powerful caliber.  She had a stainless .38 snubby first and when she got her CCW permit, I got her the Glock along with a nice purse with a holster built into it.  She said the Glock was ugly, but once she shot it, she really liked it.  The Glock is about as simple as an auto can get as far as operation.  Just be sure it is in some form of holster if  you drop it in a purse, because there is an odd chance a tube of lipstick or pen could get in the trigger and set it off.  As far as a revolver goes, any Smith and Wesson, Ruger or Taurus is ok, and I would recomend stainless steel and go with a .357 because you can still use .38 special ammo in it, but use the more powerful .357 mag ammo for defense.  The Glock will offer a more pleasant trigger pull than any revolver.  If you get the little Glock, get the dealer to install a Pearce grip adapter on the bottom of the magazines so you can get your pinky finger on the grip.  The Makarovs I have shot had horrible stiff triggers and safeties, so I don't recommend them.  The best advice I can offer is look at several guns before you buy and get what is comfortable to you as far as operation, grip fit to your hand, and trigger pull.  A gun with a trigger that is too stiff for you to pull comfortably will be impossible to shoot accurately.  As far as caliber, if you are buying a handgun for defense, I recommend at least a .40 cal in an auto or .357 in a revolver if it is to be your only gun.  I would stay away from the 9mm and .38 special as a primary defense caliber.  I carry a Kimber .45 with a 4 inch barrel and officers length (shorter) grip in a Milt Sparks IWB holster, and my other carry gun is a Walther PPK .380 in an ankle holster.  I only carry the .380 when it is impossible to conceal the .45 on my person and it is loaded with Golden Saber hollow points and Corbon BeeSafe ammo alternating in the mag, but somehow I still don't get the warm fuzzy feeling I get when that .45 is on my hip. 

Personally, I think 22's are underrated.  Practice is the key and a 22 is a great and economical way to practice.  I like the 22 revolvers but find it difficult to beat a couple 22 autos, and if you intend on moving up to 9mm/40/45,  these would be a good start Ruger Mark II, and walther P-22. 

 

The right caliber weapon can be crucial for self defense but the right choice of ammo can bring a smaller caliber up to par, (ex-I'd rather shoot a 9mm with the right bullet than a 44 with a 'bad' one).  Don't be fooled by bigger is better.  Comfort/ familiarity are best.  Go through the gun store, pick them all up, make a list of what feels best.  Then search the web for problems, failures, reliability issues.  In the store aim at a stuffed animal in the place and see what you hold steadiest.  I found a heavy pistol w/ most the weight in my palm I hold best, a glock or other composite I just couldn't steady so well.  Price doesn't always mean better.  Kind of like a purse, a coat, or a car, get what you like, fits well and suits your needs.  Then Practice, practice practice...