Dragging the wife into the mess.

[katsu]

My wife recently expressed interest in buying her first firearm, and her birthday is around the corner so I thought I'd put my feelers out there, but she has different interests than me and I thought it'd be nice to see what some of your opinions would be since I am not even sure where to start.

The requirements I'm looking at are:

• Under $400 after all is said and done
• Chambered in a pistol caliber
• California Legal
• Use for target/competition over hunting or defense (California)

She likes target shooting with the 22lr bolt action our range has to rent, but is looking for something a bit bigger but doesn't need it to be a dollar-per-shot cannon. I was thinking something in 9mm just so we can buy bulk, but something bigger might be a more enjoyable step-up over 22lr since she doesn't shoot as frequently as me, but it'd need to be a comfortable shooter. Any insight would be appreciated!

[armoredman]

That California requirement just slays a lot of great options. I understand a lot of handguns on The List get more expensive because of companies not renewing them on The List. Can you get any surplus, because on that jumps to mind is the Star BM, but a little small for a target pistol.

[armoredman]

Oddly enough, just for grins, my wife and I wear the same size, and she bought a pair of low boots that drove her nuts. They are mine now. Seriously.

[katsu]

That California requirement just slays a lot of great options. I understand a lot of handguns on The List get more expensive because of companies not renewing them on The List. Can you get any surplus, because on that jumps to mind is the Star BM, but a little small for a target pistol.

Mostly looking at rifles. She likes them more than pistols, but I do know it means I have to stay away from pistol grips, folding stocks, and foregrips. Which is fine, she liked the feel of the grip stock anyways.

Does your wife enjoy if you pick out shoes for her?

I would think not.

So, my suggestion is, let her pick out her own gun too.

For the record, she does like me to pick out shoes or boots for her, especially when it's a gift for a birthday or Christmas, and asks me to do so specifically.

I don't need the marriage advice. She asked me to explore some options for her.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

That California requirement just slays a lot of great options. I understand a lot of handguns on The List get more expensive because of companies not renewing them on The List. Can you get any surplus, because on that jumps to mind is the Star BM, but a little small for a target pistol.

Mostly looking at rifles. She likes them more than pistols, but I do know it means I have to stay away from pistol grips, folding stocks, and foregrips. Which is fine, she liked the feel of the grip stock anyways.

Does your wife enjoy if you pick out shoes for her?

I would think not.

So, my suggestion is, let her pick out her own gun too.

For the record, she does like me to pick out shoes or boots for her, especially when it's a gift for a birthday or Christmas, and asks me to do so specifically.

I don't need the marriage advice. She asked me to explore some options for her.

I don't think John A. was giving you marriage advice so lets put it this way. Take her to some gun shops and let her handle some guns because what feels good to you may not work for her at all.
Lots of good options are available as far as rifles go such as lever actions from Marlin and Henry both making many models handgun calibers.

[Earl Keese]

I think the advice here comes from all or at least most of us picking out guns for our wives, only to have them inexplicably not appreciate our great taste. I think under $400 for a pistol caliber rifle will leave few options. Off the top of my head, all I can think of is a High Point carbine. Not sure if they are Cali legal though. Maybe a rifle in 22MAG or 17HMR would satisfy her desire to step up.

[AZ_CZ]

Had a couple of hipoint 9 mm carbines. Wife and girls enjoyed shooting them. Never a problem with them.

If you have a Glock or 1911 you could look at a Mech Tech rifle upper and multitask the pistol. Wife likes that too. Knowing CA thinking they a probably illegal.

The way AR prices are dropping a 9mm carbine might be doable..... Forgot CA.

[Tanners Owner]

I?ll echo others in having the wife try several guns to see what fits her. Using the shoe analogy, what may fit me, may not be comfortable for you even though we have the same size.

In my case, I offered several options for my wife to try based on my research, letting her decide what fits her best. This way we stay away from the gun store commandos attempting to sell her something that was not appropriate for her. I know her hand strength, her dedication to practice, etc.; this help me narrow down several choices for her to try and choose from.

She ended up choosing my M&P full size 9mm w/ apex trigger. Works well for her.

[katsu]

My advice wasn't marital advice.

She needs to pick out what she likes.  Based on how it feels in her hand to her.  And based on how well she can shoot it, and cock it.

My bad, the wording, especially

Does your wife enjoy if you pick out shoes for her?

sounds more like a crotchety wife, or saying it's not a man's place to tell his wife what to wear. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

To elaborate on where I'm coming from, and to use the shoe analogy, I could buy a pair of shoes for her, have her try them on and as long as she doesn't walk off our carpet with them, can return them if she hates how they feel in practical usage, because there's wood in the sole I didn't see, or X brand makes their shoes narrower than normal. But holding a gun and dry firing it at the counter isn't the same as firing it on the range, which would preclude returning it. And if it ends up falling apart after a year or two, we're out fifty or a hundred bucks. The rental place here has a Ruger 10/22 and a 22 bolt action as the only rifles to rent, so we've never even had a chance to fire a center fire rifle and have no point of comparison on how different calibers might feel in a shouldered gun versus a handgun. And it's a bigger investment, so having some background info beforehand goes a long ways. I was hoping I'd have more options than it seemed like at first glance, and maybe something like "Oh, Y rifle kicks like a mule when you get it chambered in Z ammo." It's this nuance that was a factor in me picking a 586 over a 29 for my revolver. But I think limitations especially from location make this worse than I'd hoped, and dash hopes of finding something fun for her.

I've also had mixed to negative experiences with gun counter clerks at Bass Pro and most small stores, with most being of the ilk "I wouldn't buy anything that wasn't an AR.", and the rest saying: "If it's your wife, she shouldn't be shooting anything bigger than 22 or she might hurt herself."

I didn't know about the High Point. It also has a lot of caliber options which is neat. It's a pistol grip which is a bummer.

It sounds like our options are a 22lr rifle, a lever action, or the High Point and having to get this monstrosity on it:



This is the stressful life of trying to have a fun hobby out west.

[Roger Vick]

Browning Buck Mark Rifle/Carbine/Pistol with a stock. Fun to shoot and if she dont like it you're in luck   .

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Browning-Buck-Mark-Rifle/productDetail/Rifles/prod99999041877/cat100003

[walther white]

Their is a national women's shooting group called "the well armed woman"  perhaps if she attended a meeting or joined, she might get some advice on what other woman like.  If she has smaller hands then something single stack like a 1911 might fit better.  Back to shoes.   The fit is the most important thing.  Just be glad she is interested in shooting.

[copemech]

There is a big difference jumping up to a center fire rifle, and honestly, I do not like pistol calibers in a rifle.  There is nothing wrong with a 22 for target shooting, I love mine in both pistol and rifles.

She may learn to enjoy a precision bolt rifle in a small caliber like 17HMR, and CZ makes some fine ones that have interchangeable barrels with .22 lr and are cheap to shoot.

[rabble_rouser]

Just throwing this in as another option, .22TCM rifle by Armscor/Rock Island. Originally developed as a pistol round:

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/reviews/review-the-22-tcm-cartridge/

[Tyerone]

Bolt action rifle in .243Win.  Now, even though that is settled, there are hundreds of different options.  Some may not "fit" her.  Is she small enough in stature to consider a designed for women or youth gun?  Soft shooting, she'll shoot tighter groups than you at 400yds at the range. Powerful enough for small to midsize game if she ever decides to go afield.  WAIT!  That would be great time for her to pick up a second hunting rifle, perhaps in 6.5 credemoor, assuming California lets its citizens choose those evil sniper rounds, their bullets designed to defy the wind and gravity.

[katsu]

She's like average height, 5'6, and I wouldn't say she's a particularly delicate flower - she seems to be more into classic shooters like the Henry or a hunting rifle.

We went to the store, and we took some of the great insight from here with us. She in particular liked the suggestion of the lever action a lot. After some range time, she's leaning towards something that's a step up from a 22lr, and is leaning towards .357.

There was a Lever 357, a Ruger 77/357 a friend suggested, and a Benelli M1014 12ga that were all "love at first grip" but also way outside the budget. We may have to just wait and save up for something in that realm, rather than settling on a cheap one now.

Actually, a question about the lever guns: Is a Rossi 92 a risky buy? I see a lot of threads in online perusing about Taurus making terrible handguns, and I'm worried if that would spread to a lever gun from Rossi which seems to be related to Taurus.