[RobO-excop]

I pick up my PF9 Wednesday, and after watching several youtube videos on the PF9 and P3AT today, I am concerned about the recoil level of the PF9 in my wifes hands. I plan on starting her on std power loads in my P95 and working her up to hotter loads in the PF9.
She has fired my Ruger with std power 115 gr fmj's and did just fine. I think the PF9 just may a little too "snappy" for her. I have a P3AT on my " wish list " , but I wonder if it may be a bit "snappy " , too. Any suggestions from out in KTOG land? She has expressed a real interest in getting her own CCW permit, which I very much support. Should I consider a P3AT or even a P32 for her? With all the nuttiness going on , I would rather she carry a P32 that she handles well, instead of a P3AT or a PF9 the she is reluctant to pull the trigger on, due to recoil. [smiley=undecided.gif]

 

[joje]

cant speak for the pf9 but the p3at is pretty manageable recoil wise, at least with the standard range loads.

 

[billjohnso20]

My wife carries an XD SC in 40S&W. She has shot both my P3AT and my PF-9 and doesn't like the felt recoil on either one. She can handle them but she'd rather shoot her 40 than either of my KTs.

 

[RobO-excop]

I was afraid that might be the situation with my wife , too. Your wife carries a .40 and has a problem with recoil in the P3AT and PF9??????? [smiley=shocked.gif]

 

[billjohnso20]

I know is sounds crazy but the heft of the XD really does eat a lot of the recoil. My XD SC 40 also has less recoil than my PF-9.

 

[RobO-excop]

Maybe I should take a different approach to this? I may have to revise my " wish list " and consider a revolver for her. I have considered a Charter Arms 32 Magnum for her, that would negate the " limp-wristing" issue too. I guess we'll just have to try more options for her. Me, I care more about reliability and concealability. Recoil isn't a big deal to me, at least in 9mm or 380. Or even when I had my Airweight S&W M38 loaded with the FBI load.

 

[billjohnso20]

The wives of two of my deacons both carry Bersa .380s. The Bersa is the same size as the XD SC but it's not quite as thick or heavy. However, they don't have much recoil. The Bersa comes in two models---standard and Concealed Carry that is a bit trimmer.

 

[RobO-excop]

I can see this is going to take some time and effort. Another suggestion was to add a "handall" grip sleeve to my PF9. I hadn't considered the Bersa ,though. More time at the range for the wife and me, not a bad thing if we leave the teenagers at home! [smiley=wink.gif]

 

[Cascadedad]

Recoil has never really bothered me. I had heard some say the recoil of the P3AT was more than the PF9 and others say exactly the opposite. For me with these two guns, I don't really think the recoil bothers me too much, but the P3AT is much more unpleasant to shoot. I have big hands and pulling the trigger all the way back is just too far. Then when I finally get it there and the gun fires, my finger gets smacked. I really don't have a problem with the PF9. Both of these guns are a lot more snappy than my Glock 23.

 

[fatman]

When I had my daughter, daughter in law and female friend try both the KT .32 and the P3AT 380 shooting with one hand or with limited time and some shouting to add to the pressure I found that the P3AT frequently jammed probably due to limp wristing while the .32 did not.

Since I was getting them guns for self defense not just range guns they all got the KT P32 with Armalaser. They could shoot the P3AT reliably under range conditions but not under stress.

 

[CJP32]

I have the PF9, P3AT and P32. My wife shoots on a semi-regular basis and she loves her Ruger P95. She has shot the PF9 but wanted nothing to do with it after one magazine, she hasen't shot the P3AT due to the ammo situation. The one she carries is the P32 which she enjoys to shoot. I can't blame you or thinking about the 32 mag wheelgun I was thinking about the same one for my step-mother but I wonder if ammo can be found for it.

YMMV
CJ

 

[Hoopster]

My wife likes the P3at even more than the .40 glock23. It is snappier but I think she prefers it because it's lighter. I would recommend the finger grip extension to allow a better grip. Takes some of the snap out of it. Before the extension I noticed the little sucker would try to "walk up" on me during rapid fire. That said, if I was buying for her I'd get a P32 and stoke it with fmj's.

 

[diamond_jim]

My wife tried my 3AT, and it hurt her wrists, she tried the P32, and limb wristed it, (2 or 3 in each mag) So she went back to her pt 22, but she can shoot her S&W K 38, 4in barrel all day with no problem. She does have weak wrists, and a small lady. She loves her pt22 and 38 and can load and shoot them all by herself. Shoots very well, I might add. Jim <><

 

[risabee]

I know I have harped on this lately, but for women with wrist issues -- I have arthritis, for example -- ammunition may be the key to lightweight mousegunning. Until I found the Hornady CD (which, alas, we may never see again? : ), my 380 was too hot for me. Now it's not.

 

[toddmog]

My wife is not a fan of my P3AT! However, she loves her Kahr CW9. It's pretty close in size to the PF9, although a little heavier. Personally I think the little extra weight helps absorb some of the recoil.

 

[RobO-excop]

Based on KTOG'ers replies, I will have Mrs. RobO try a P32 and a Charter Arms Patriot 327 Fed Mag if she has a problem with my PF9. As for the ammo situation, I saw about 6 boxes of 327 Fed Mag at Cabela's a few days ago, even less 9mm, and no 380 ammo. I am beginning to wonder if we are ever see ammo on the shelves again! [smiley=sad.gif]

 

[billjohnso20]

The important thing for us men to remember is that any gun is better than no gun in a SD situation. I'm glad my wife can carry and shoot the 40S&W. If it were a situation that I was unresponsive to her needs and tried to force the PF-9 or P3AT on her, she would go unarmed. As with the two deacons wives I mentioned, one of them has a weak wrist due to a car accident in which the car rolled over and crushed her arm. She can handle the Bersa only because it has enough weight to eat up the recoil. Her husband is like me, let her find what works for her. That is why my wife carries the XD SC 40. The weight really does eat up a whole bunch of the recoil. She even did the revolver portion of our CCW qualification with my Ruger 6 inch GP100 with .357 mag loads not 38 Special loads. Why and how was she able to due it? The weight took care of the recoil.

I know there area lot "he men" on other forums who decry any caliber smaller than a .45 as fit for SD. Those guys are idiots. For years I was counted among their ranks until I woke up one day. My wife insisted on carrying an SP101 38 Special for years. I thought it was too wimpy to do any good. I felt that way until she came home from work one day shaking all over. She had had to draw her gun to defend herself. She never fired a single round. The mere sight of the gun sent the BG packin'. I learned from that situation that had she not had that gun on her because I was insistent on her carrying a hog leg of a gun that was too big for her to carry and shoot comfortably, I would have been a widower at 25 raising a 3 year old by myself.

I learned a valuable lesson and I share that lesson with any man who will listen. Let the women in your life (wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, etc.) find the gun she is comfortable with. When she does the choosing, she will most likely carry it wherever she goes. If you pick it, it will stay at home or in the glove box. Then, she won't have it when she needs it. That simply means that if a .22LR is all she can handle, let her carry the .22 with the best ammo for SD you can find in the caliber that will cycle in the gun. After all, according to the stats I've read over the short years of my life, more cattle and more people have been killed with a .22LR than with any other caliber out there. And for the "he men" out there on other forums who decry the .22, the .32, and the .380 as too wimpy to do any good, do a web search or go to the local newspaper and look through the microfilm archives and count the number of fatal shooting with those three calibers over the past 100-150 years. You'll be taken by surprise at what you will find. All three are more than capable of doing the job, especially when you consider that in most SD situations it is the mere sight of a gun that sends a BG packin'.

That's my $.02. YMMV.

 

[fatman]

A GREAT BIG + 1

 

[risabee]

I think the .327 is terrific, and think of all the various loads you can put though it in practice!

Remember, too, guys, that your woman armed, is your woman BUG, in a unique position to protect her investment. If you drop the magazine of your .50 Desert Eagle and she covers the BG with her pink Bersa while you scoop it up, your chances may improve by as much as 100 percent. ;D

As for the weight of the Ruger and what it can do for a girl's bad wrists, I offer the following, in .357 158 grain Hornady:

... edited to mention that in Heinlien somewhere (The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, maybe?) our hero asks his beloved to cover the BG while he finds something to immobilize him with. She demurely obliges; later he asks "By the way, what did you cover him with?" "A ball point pen." "...You're better than I thought!" or something to that effect.

 

[RobO-excop]

Thanks, I needed to hear this. I will let her try as many guns as she needs to find whatever she feels comfortable enough to carry with her . If it is a .22, so be it . At least it will be a gun! I think I let my ego got in the way a little bit. It's just that it's so crazy out there now and I want (and pray ) for her to be safe. She works in the public school system and volunteers in the church office, and there have been so many shootings in churches and schools, I worry about her. I know she can't carry in the schools, but we'll figure something out. [smiley=dankk2.gif]