Decent sidearm for middle aged woman? Question is ammo of course. So revolver? Semi-auto?

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So revolver? Semi-auto?

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When we bought a pistol for my wife we did a lot of research. While a revolver makes a lot of sense on paper(I won't list all the objective aspects) the fact remains that when groups of women new to arms are given many different pistols to shoot, almost none prefer the pistols.

I would suggest any of the many great semis out there, but be careful-my wife had the hardest time racking some of the slides, especially the really small cute models. We ended up with a Walther CCP. It had the easiest slide of all the pistols at Cabela's. I even liked it.

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I would suggest any of the many great semis out there, but be careful-my wife had the hardest time racking some of the slides, especially the really small cute models. We ended up with a Walther CCP. It had the easiest slide of all the pistols at Cabela's. I even liked it.

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Yep. My wife hated the revolver at first. But it was a lightweight snubnose .38 special. So we tried a few semi-autos. We tried a Ruger P95, and she said it was heavy and didn't like the feel of the slide cycling. Tried a .380 the range had, felt too small in her hands. She eventually ended up liking the revolver the best, and she was a pretty good shot with it. She can rack the slide on my XDs just fine now, it is mostly about technique for women that are on the smaller side and they can't just rely on hand/arm strength.

9mm is almost always going to be the most available cartridge (unless there is a medical condition that requires a lighter caliber).

You can buy all you want right now, online, but prices are 2-3 times what they were a year ago. You can buy 9mm at Academy on the days that shipments arrive (2-3 days per week).

The answer re which 9mm to buy, from a pure reliability standpoint, is almost always going to be Glock or M&P. There are plenty of other good quality pistols out there, but don't cut corners by looking for the cheapest one. Reliability is usually directly proportional to cost.

Don't go down the path of "which one feels the best." Get a good pistol and let her get used to the feel.

Try as many as you can afford to try. In BR Precision Indoor Range has several dozen rental guns - they charge $10/ gun and you have to buy their ammo.

P.S. You'll get plenty of personal preference recommendations on this (or any other internet) board. Any gun can malfunction - you want the one that (a) has the lowest liklihood of malfunctions and (b) the one she can shoot the best.

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but be careful-my wife had the hardest time racking some of the slides, especially the really small cute models.

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Ammo physics remain the same, you have force going against resistance. So for a given caliber, the smaller the gun (less mass to the slide), the more resistance the spring will have to offer to keep from beating the gun up. And to keep recoil in line.

If it's small and racks easily, it will kick more, you won't like it as much, and won't shoot it a lot.
If it's a revolver, it will kick more than a pistol because there's no recoil-mitigating springs etc. It will be reliable if loaded, but it won't be shot nearly as often because it's uncomfortable in comparison.

My ex has a couple pistols, and she likes shooting an old steel-framed .32 acp the most. She carries something else for protection, and will occasionally shoot it just to stay familiar with it... but she LIKES the 32. It is the one gun she has, that she can shoot more than a box and still want to shoot more. She will actually call me (we're still friends) and ask if I want to go shooting at the range, so she can shoot it.

So, that's something you want.
Shooting is like anything else, if you like it, you will be more inclined to do it. And get better at it.

*Perhaps the best recommendation I would make, is to get a Beretta 81 in .32 acp, and to either get a complete 84 or a corresponding barrel and magazine in .380.

The .32 will be enjoyable, to the point that she might actually WANT to go shooting on occasion, and thus become proficient with it.
And then she can CARRY the .380 version with SD loads.

My grandma tried a couple different semis and had trouble using them. She eventually landed on a 28 special revolver made by tauras

S&W Shield EZ in 9mm

38spl revolver. Small, easy to handle, easy to shoot, not too much recoil, not expensive.

All ammo is tough to find. Eventually you’ll find some 38spl. Don’t need much really. A box to practice then 5 hollow points to carry.

Make sure it fits her hand well. I would never own a glock. They are good guns but I don't like the handle or how they look.

Walther is one of the best pistols on the market. PPK in 32ACP, P 22, PPS, and a Q4 SF. I should not have had them all on the boat that afternoon.

Awesome, another gun owner in the making.