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I'm late to the party, but IMO, 3 to look at are:

1.) HK P30L which you might go P30 depending on your needs, L means long, slightly longer barrel.
http://www.hk-usa.com/military_products/p30l_general.asp

2.) CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Line
http://www.czub.cz/en/catalog/79-pistols-cz/PST/CZ_75_SP-01_SHADOW_LINE.aspx

If you can get into the trigger and safety style of a Glock, a Glock 19.
http://us.glock.com/products/model/g19

I would look at 9mm considering what you said earlier about 45.

Sports shooting people tend to prefer the CZ, more PCC etc people like the HK. Glock people love Glock. 1 or 2 would be my choice.

You will like the 9mm. A Glock 19 is a great starter pistol.

But you cant go wrong with a good ol' 45

Chicago...can you even own guns there?

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Chicago area suburbs

I second the snubnose .38 for the ladies.
Pull the trigger and it will go bang.
I've tought 2 women and 3 girls how to shoot, and they all preferred the revolver over semi-autos for self defense.

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Chrono Avenger M1, Ti- yellow dial, on Pro II Ti bracelet.
Avenger Code Yellow LE, on Diver Pro II strap, w/arabic dial.

Golly, you must be expecting some unpleasant people... Carrying guns like that would hardly be legal here... Except when in uniform with a marching order.

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

Yes, its a warzone over here...

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I would recommend you to let her try a medium frame to full frame 9mm. Those sizes would help with recoil and targeting. Its a powerful round and usually the ammo is fairly cheap. I owned a full frame Beretta 92F and loved it. It shot great and had minimal recoil. The size may not be small enough for concealed carry, but as long as you keep it oiled up and shoot jacketed rounds, it will shoot forever! Sure wish I hadn't had to sell it a log time ago when we were struggling.

The current 9mm is a SigSauer (a 223 I think) and it's a medium frame and a fantastic shooter. Low recoil and very accurate.

The advise to rent different guns at a range and let her try them is a good one. Don't scare her off by starting her out on a 45 or larger. Work up to it and she will "know" when she shoots the right one. Good Luck.

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Breitling Steelfish(black)
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Steinhart BreitlingSource LE #5/15

I'll agree with a medium frame 9mm, and the Glock 19 would be a great choice. My wife likes ours.

My best suggestion, though, is for her to put her hands on LOTS of different hand guns. In the store, yes, but as much as possible, try them out on the range, too. This is one of the best things we did for my wife. We borrowed about 25 different guns from all sorts of friends, of all calibers from the .22 to a .45, and let her try them out in one big day at the range. Even if you like how a gun feels in the store, it may shoot very different than you expect in operation. So she got to see which items worked best for her hand size, strength level, grip, etc.

And yes, by all means, do NOT start with a .45. Go with the smallest caliber and then work up.

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Chris
Club Member #0070
2009 TT Chrono Evo w/Rose gold, blue face
2009 Airwolf w/black face, Co-Pilot module
2009 TT Lady Cockpit w/Mother-of-Pearl, Diamond face for the wife

mrcheatle,

What did you decide to do? I was in a very similar situation 5+ years ago. Since then: 7 pistols, 4 courses (including a 1 week academy style training program), hours + hours on the Beretta Forum, untold magazine articles, lots of accepted advice, and I'm still learning.

It's very hard to answer your question without answers to other questions:
> Will this be your only pistol? Size matters here if it is.
> Will you also get a concealed carry pistol?
> Are you and your wife both interested in learning and practicing the mechanics of a pistol's mission critical operations? Revolvers are easier to learn and use.
> Is cost a factor in selection of the firearm? Don't forget the cost of ammunition - it can (and should be) significant if you practice enough to be competent & safe in a stressful self defense situation.
> Will it also be used for recreational shooting?
> To what extent will recoil, the BANG, the pistol's weight, and the strength needed to work the slide (on a semi-automatic) constrain your decision.


Some other things to think about -
> As a firearm gets lighter, it results in more recoil for a given caliber, so don't select pistol weight and caliber independently.
> Stay away from snubbies and small frames if it's strictly home & range practice, and not for concealed carry. Longer barrels and larger frames (to a point) give more stability, better sighting and therefore better on-target results.
> Practice, practice, practice. Stressful situations are not the time to learn or try to remember technique.
> You AND your wife should take the NRA Basic Pistol course - consider it mandatory
> Follow the 4 main rules of firearm safety - ALWAYS, NO LAPSES
> Consider taking an 8 hour concealed carry weapons course....even if you don't ever plan to carry. It will teach your State's laws on self defense, and (hopefully) conservative rules of engagement.
> Beretta is my go-to brand, but I also have Kahrs, a Kimber and a Colt on the way. Glocks can be great for starters - inexpensive, reliable, accurate enough, lots of accessories, and virtually every gunsmith can work on them. However they are strictly passive safety (remember Plaxico Burris?) and you must pull the trigger as part of field stripping & cleaning them - this has caused numerous NEGLIGENT discharges and some deaths. Shop around but stay with popular brands for service and accessories.
> As others have said, shoot different sizes, calibers and various operating systems before you decide.
> Carefully consider your approach to safely storing your firearms in the home when it's not on active duty directly with you or your wife.

Pistol shooting is a sport with great fun and can add to personal safety. Go for it!!!

{Apologies for the long post, but I didn't have time to write a short one. (Credit to Mark Twain???)}

Desert Hiker

For home defense there is really not much better than 20 inch barrel 12 gauge shotgun. Will not go through multiple walls, can't hardly miss the target and probably one of the most intimidating things to get pointed at somebody. For many years I've owned a Mossberg mariner defender, same as the Marines got issued for assaults.

My personal favorite is ANY HK gun, they are expensive but no doubt one if not the best gun manufacturer in the world. I love my HK USP Tactical...silencer optional if you prefer killing them softly

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You'll miss 100% of the shots you don't take

Ohhhhhhhh... I always cringe seeing pics with fingers on the trigger.

FWIW, in addition to my previous post advocating how to shop for guns, in my own case we just got one for my wife to conceal carry. She and I have both taken the all-day conceal carry class to get our licenses. I thought we were headed towards getting her a mini-compact .380 ACP, but ended up ordering a Springfield XD-9 subcompact. She likes it, and I'm ecstatic that she chose that. I hope she likes it when we get to the range, but even if she doesn't, I'll use it for sure.

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Chris
Club Member #0070
2009 TT Chrono Evo w/Rose gold, blue face
2009 Airwolf w/black face, Co-Pilot module
2009 TT Lady Cockpit w/Mother-of-Pearl, Diamond face for the wife

Rule #1: Always assume every firearm is loaded!
Rule #2: Keep finger off of the trigger and out of the trigger guard until on target!
Rule #3: Never point the firearm at anything that you're not willing to destroy!
Rule #4: Know what is in between you and the target and beyond the target!

Follow the rules for no negligent discharges, and only non-damaging accidental (mechanical failure) discharges.

Be safe everyone!!!

Desert Hiker

glock 19 gen 4 was wifey's v-day gift this year. great for conceal carry and easy to rack.

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