Glock 31

The recoil is more than a .40, but less than a 10mm. It is pushing high velocities, and for someone who (I'm assuming) doesn't shoot powerful calibers often, I wouldn't recommended it. Also, a 31 is very big for anyone to carry, much less a female. It's the same size as the 17, 22, and the 37. Personally, if she just really wants this caliber, I would suggest trying the 32 (compact .357) or even the 33 (sub compact .357) to carry. The 32 is the same size as the 19, 23, and the 38, and the 33 is the size of the 26, 27, and 39. I would just recommend checking out different size frames and calibers and seeing which she is the most comfortable with.

I had her looking at a 19 but then her brother told her a story about a guy that took 16 shots from a 9mm and has her convinced it is not a good round.

I love the 19 personally and feel that it's a good cc gun.

tnmoondog said:

I had her looking at a 19 but then her brother told her a story about a guy that took 16 shots from a 9mm and has her convinced it is not a good round.

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My assumption...that guy had some "out of body, probably drug induced state." But you know what they say about assuming!

The 19 is a great gun. See if you can get her to shoot both the .357 sig and the 9mm to find which one she is more comfortable with. I agree with G29sf, that the .357 may be a bit big (in terms of recoil) for someone that doesn't shoot often. Then again, she may love it!

A noob starting out with a .357 Sig is an epically bad idea. 9mm all day long for this application.

Study here. This person is probably the Nations foremost active authority on this subject (terminal ballistics).

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887

Thanks for the info guys. She has shot my g21 and loves it. She also shot a smith and Wesson .38 and liked it .

If she likes a .45, why not show her the 37-39? It's the .45GAP platform, and it's not as bulky in size as the ACP versions.

357 sig is not for everyone. Plus the ammo isn't cheap. 9mm is plenty fine as a man stopper with the right ammo. 357 is just a hopped up 9mm after all. You can get +p+ ammo for 9mm that is very close to 357. I believe the key is to find what the shooter is competant with and likes to shoot often. Shot placement is key for stopping with a handgun anyways. We all know it isn't like in the movies!

+1 on what brutusvk just wrote.

IMO a person's first carry gun, should be as small and easy to always carry as that person's dedication will allow. I am not persuaded by arguments against 5 shot Smith and Wesson revolvers because they're so hard to shoot. They aren't that hard to shoot center mass at 5 feet! And several women I've known who've chosen them have no desire whatsoever to build the skill to shut down an active shooter event. They want to be able to peel some smell cretin off of them at near contact ranges and to do that they need a gun. A full size G17 or 31 in the car if they aren't in the car won't help.

I am dedicated to carrying the semiauto combat pistol from G19 size upwards but if someone isn't, and they buy big, they likely won't have it on them always.

JHC said:

+1 on what brutusvk just wrote.

IMO a person's first carry gun, should be as small and easy to always carry as that person's dedication will allow. I am not persuaded by arguments against 5 shot Smith and Wesson revolvers because they're so hard to shoot. They aren't that hard to shoot center mass at 5 feet! And several women I've known who've chosen them have no desire whatsoever to build the skill to shut down an active shooter event. They want to be able to peel some smell cretin off of them at near contact ranges and to do that they need a gun. A full size G17 or 31 in the car if they aren't in the car won't help.

I am dedicated to carrying the semiauto combat pistol from G19 size upwards but if someone isn't, and they buy big, they likely won't have it on them always.

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I agree completely. Though personally, working in the emergency room, I have seen too many 9mm shooting victims live. Yes, some are in drugs that keep them going, but most of them aren't. I've seen center of mass shots that you just knew had to end it, and they make it through. I believe a .40 is perfect for SD applications, though it isn't for everyone. Just see what she is comfortable with. Like I said, if she likes the .45, go with the .45, but let her try the GAP along with the ACP. Most females have smaller hands and even with the SF versions, still have difficulty holding on to it. The Glock 38 is the same dimensions as the Glock 19, but chambered in .45GAP, and is much easier for females to get a grip on.