Im looking to buy my wife a small pistol for Xmas. She has wanted one for a while. I have a few questions.

What are the best compact pistols out there?
Is there an age requirement for pistols?
Where is the best place to buy a pistol?

When i give her the gun, we plan on her taking the proper gun safety courses and then try to take the proper courses for concealed carrying.

What all is involved with pistol safety and concealed carrying?

Now here is the kicker, the gun has to be pink.... she wants a pink gun. Ive seen a pink taurus and she kinda likes the looks of it.

If a pink gun becomes hard to come by is there some where i can get the gun refinished in pink?

Thanks in advance.

I have a problem with pink guns, I do not belive a gun should ever be considered "cute".

Well thank you for your opinion and condescending tone. Other than that you have been no help.

quote Originally posted by MonteC: Well thank you for your opinion and condescending tone. Other than that you have been no help.

Well what do you expect when she wants a frikken pink WEAPON! It's a weapon, not a fashion statement! You ask if there's an age requirement. She's apparently very young and even more apparent, very immature.

Pink frikken gun. You want dignified responses to that? LMAO!

Pink gun? I think Hasbro has some very nice squirt guns in lovely shades of pink

[This message has been edited by aceman (edited 06-18-2008).]

I second the Glock, we have two Glock 17’s but they do make a subcompact version in any caliber you want.

As far as the pink goes, just how old is she?

You have to be 21 to buy a pistol at a dealer.

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

wasnt there a picture of a pink ar15 somewhere? or was that the "hello kitty" assault rifle.flipping through my latest issue of american rifleman, i see the ruger lcp, very compact.
pink? aside from the fact that it might make a weapon look like a toy, there's Duracoat, 125 colors. i dont know if pink is an option, but there's the url. www.lauerweaponry.com

edit-fixed url

#66 - pink lady. yup, it's pink.

[This message has been edited by lurker (edited 06-19-2008).]

the LCP is just a Kel-Tek 380 with a higher price tag.

MonteC
are you prepared to spend $300~500?
how big is your wife physically... height, weight, dress size.
is she big boned with muscle, or is most of her size/weight fat?

answer these questions honestly.
so we can suggest how large of a pistol, how light of a pistol, and how large of a caliber she can carry and control.

If she has a smaller frame you may want to look at composite body pistols like the Sig Sauer SigPro 9MM.

Here you go, you can pick any gun you want and then this guy in Wisconson will make it any shade of pink you want.
Personnaly I think it would be dangerous to have a real gun that looks that much like a toy.

http://www.lilsugar.com/1056703

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg: the LCP is just a Kel-Tek 380 with a higher price tag. MonteC are you prepared to spend $300~500? how big is your wife physically... height, weight, dress size. is she big boned with muscle, or is most of her size/weight fat? answer these questions honestly. so we can suggest how large of a pistol, how light of a pistol, and how large of a caliber she can carry and control.

A scrawney lil' 80 lb friend of mine bought a 44 Magnum Blackhawk. It was way too big a gun, for him. After firing, he'd have to pick the gun up off the ground. It was a good 10 ft behind him.
I've got 300 lbs, of shear rippling muscle on a 5' 9" frame, with some beef behind any gun.
I could pick the gun up off the ground, and still keep my feet in position.LOL

quote Originally posted by MonteC: Well thank you for your opinion and condescending tone. Other than that you have been no help.

I don't think anyone was trying to be hateful but it brings up legitimate questions. When aceman and 84fiero agree on any issue then there is some validity.

First off most guns are either blued or stainless steel. Blued guns are perfectly fine if taken care of properly but they can rust. Stainless is more expensive but won't rust. If the deciding factor in your gun purchase is the color then a serious firearm is probably not the best option. There are several other options for protection; mace, stun guns, knives and a good self defense class come to mind.

Secondly, in most states that I know of you need to be 21 to purchase a hand gun. Think its 18 for a rifle or shot gun. If she is home alone a 16 gauge shotgun is very effective for close quarters. If she is really worried about safety I would suggest a personal self defense class. Most criminals seek out women who the seem as weak or off guard. The last thing they expect is someone to kick them in the crotch, punch them in the nose and stomp on their face.

Choose wisely.

------------------
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” -Henry Ford

quote Originally posted by aceman: Well what do you expect when she wants a frikken pink WEAPON! It's a weapon, not a fashion statement! You ask if there's an age requirement. She's apparently very young and even more apparent, very immature. Pink frikken gun. You want dignified responses to that? LMAO! Pink gun? I think Hasbro has some very nice squirt guns in lovely shades of pink

Another ignorant post from you. Thanks, it was also no help.

quote Originally posted by MonteC: she just wants to enjoy shooting and just to have it. Whats wrong with that?

nothing at all. many of us have guns simply to shoot and own.
there are stainless guns, blued guns, parkerized guns, case hardened guns. there are black polymer guns. there are many shades of camo guns. looking at the duracoat site, there are obviously people who want guns in any number of odd colors.
i think the concern is that the color pink is not very macho, and makes the gun look "cute", which could be a problem if there are small children around.
if you and she keep the gun properly secured, it's no more a hazard than any other gun. do what you want, and be safe.

Perhaps they are so down on colour because it will look like a toy. Hmmm maybe a kid will think that, as they shoot their little friend with it. Sounds like she is after a fashion statement, not a weapon. If that is the case buy her a toy one.

umm.. we dont leave guns laying around the house. We actually have respect for deadly weapons and treat them as such.

So could i get more answers for my questions and less ridicule and speculation?

quote Originally posted by MonteC: She wants a pink gun. She doesnt want it for protection. She wants to go to the range and have fun shooting, and i thought it would be a good idea to take the concealed weapons courses. Just so she is extra educated. Why are you guys so stuck on color?

Why? Because it'd be similar to someone coming on here and saying.... "I want a pink car. I don't care about anything else. I want a pink car.."

I'd probably offer up a pink Hot Wheels.

It's a weapon, not a toy. Sorry, I've fired .38, 9mm, .45, 5.56mm, 7.62mm. I carry one daily at least 1 week a month. 22 years in the Army. I think I'm an expert. By now I know that pistol isn't a "gun", IT'S A WEAPON. There's nothing pretty, cute or glamourus about a weapon.

You basically asked for opinions and advice from gun experts. Giving her a pink pistol and then sending her off to a conceal carry course....My opinion and advice from how you have presented your idea... That pink pistol will go from sitting in the closet to use at a firing range to sitting in a purse showing it off to her girlfriends as "cute".

Has she ever fired a pistol? Maybe she'll be scared of the kick or the backflash and never want to fire a pistol again. Good luck trying to sell a pick pistol. Maybe you could carry it around.

Didn't like my answers? There's probably another dozen members that really wanted to say the same thing, but were worried about their ratings bar and/or didn't know how to nicely say "Pink gun? Are you kidding me?".

[This message has been edited by aceman (edited 06-19-2008).]

Melanie and I have been around guns all our lives. I got my first .22 when I was 14. Her dad took her bird hunting with his 12 gauge when she was 6 years old.

She is 46 and I am 53.

The 12 gauge knocked her on her ass, she had a bruised shoulder for a month. Her dad died a few years ago and we now have that same win-lite 12 gauge 2 ¾, it has a fiberglass barrel. Yes a fiberglass barrel with a thin steel liner in it. It still knocks her back and she is an accomplished shooter.

With long guns, rifles with iron sights she can out shoot me. I am better with a scoped rifle than her, but that is just us. Pistols I am a better shot all around. Although I have never liked the way Ace answers people on here, he is quite abrasive. He has a valid point. These are not toys by any stretch. It can be fun to target shoot. I do it all the time, Melanie not as much, hence the reason I am a better pistol marksman.

If I were you I would rethink the shotgun size, being of small stature the shotgun should be a smaller gauge pump action. The sound of a pump action shotgun is a universally recognizable sound. It doesn’t matter what gauge it is the sound of racking a round into a pump action shotgun will send chills down any intruders spine. All gauges when racked sound so similar that I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 12 gauge, 16, 20, or even a 410 pump if it was dark.

A 410 is what I would recommend for home protection for your wife. Small. Light, easy to handle for anyone. Penetration of a 410 slug at close range is similar to a 357, at least that is what I have read.

As far as the color,

Melanie even said,

“They are going to laugh at her at the range. Get her a pink holster, it is not a toy.”

Oh ya calibers, have her try a few from the same manufacturer in different calibers, I think the Glock even come in a .380.

Different calibers of the same pistol will give you a different feel, not to mention will give a different KICK when fired.

Now that we know the size of your wife. I would recommend a 22 caliber target pistol. Good to learn on, most manufacturers make them, except Glock, although I do think there is a 22 conversion available for the 17. But the Glock’s have a large frame she may not be comfortable with having such small hands.

Any smaller caliber, 9mm or under should be great.

http://www.glock.com/english/index.htm

http://www.advantagearms.com/conversion_kit.html

have fun and shoot safe.

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

Unfortunately, your initial post shows a complete lack of maturity regarding the ownership and use of any weapon. You have done no research, no practical training and have no knowledge of any of the myriad of calibers, brands, operating characteristics, concealability pros and cons or anything else.

Find yourself a local "friend" to introduce you to the shooting world. Go to a certified/safe range with your "friend" and your wife and shoot .22 rifles! When you get knowledgeable and proficient shooting, carrying, transporting and cleaning, graduate to .22 pistols and learn the same. Know the difference in a pistol and a revolver. As Aceman says - neither one are GUNS! Get proficient with both. Once you feel comfortable with the .22, graduate to the .380 or 9mm caliber and heavier weapons.

Read and learn. After you and you wife have each have burned up about 2000 rounds of .22 and 1000 rounds of something a bit heavier, you both will be knowledgeable enough to make a rational decision - right now YOU AREN'T!

BTW - S & W makes a perfectly nice .38 revolver in pink called the "Lady Smith".

quote Originally posted by MonteC: Well thank you for your opinion and condescending tone. Other than that you have been no help.

JohnF, I saved him the time to post this.

quote Originally posted by aceman: There's probably another dozen members that really wanted to say the same thing, but were worried about their ratings bar and/or didn't know how to nicely say "Pink gun? Are you kidding me?".

Oh, oh, I'll say it.....Pink gun? Are you kidding me?

To "help" with your questions...

Best compacts...matter of personal choice,serously
Age requirement....in Missouri, 21
Best place to buy..........gun store
Involved with gun safety...knowing the gun
Conceal and carry......in Missouri, safety course, approx 125 dollars and up, then more money for deep background check(s) through the highway patrol, and county Sherrifs dept, then possibly more money.

As for pink, get a can of spray paint. Hopefully it won't work afterwards, saving you the humiliation of being seen anywhere near a pink gun...

Kevin

quote Originally posted by aceman: JohnF, I saved him the time to post this.

ROTFLMAO - I just spewed coffee on my keyboard!

Maggie Cavanaugh: Just remember, when you pull the trigger, the bullets come out going very, very fast. So make sure to keep the weapon pointing away from you. Now that's about it. You are now armed... guards. God help us all.

It doesn't matter what color it is.
------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 06-19-2008).]

quote Originally posted by MonteC: What are the best compact pistols out there? Is there an age requirement for pistols? Where is the best place to buy a pistol? When i give her the gun, we plan on her taking the proper gun safety courses and then try to take the proper courses for concealed carrying. What all is involved with pistol safety and concealed carrying? Now here is the kicker, the gun has to be pink.... she wants a pink gun. Ive seen a pink taurus and she kinda likes the looks of it. If a pink gun becomes hard to come by is there some where i can get the gun refinished in pink? Thanks in advance.

Whew, I have so much I want to say.

Let's start with why she wants a concealed weapon? Is it for self defense? If so why does it have to be pink? I mean this is not a cell phone where you change face plates and show off to your friends.

A concealed permit is not easy to get. You usually have to prove eminent danger. Also, if she does manage to get one and then shoots someone, she is going to wish to God she had never had the stupid idea of painting it Pink because the prosecuter (yes, she WILL be prosecuted) will ream her as someone seeking to inflict harm be virtue of such a casual regard for a concealed gun as to want to make it designer in nature.

FORGET PINK!

IF...she actually needs a gun for self defense and needs to carry it I recommend a .25 cailber pistol. There are many good brands out there that are small enough to carry in most purses.

Before considering a pistol I would also look at non-lethal weapons like tasers, pepper spray, etc.

First this.... It SCREAMS immaturity, lack of any background and "it'd be cool to conceal carry a pink designer weapon".

quote Originally posted by MonteC: Im looking to buy my wife a small pistol for Xmas. She has wanted one for a while. I have a few questions. What are the best compact pistols out there? Is there an age requirement for pistols? Where is the best place to buy a pistol? When i give her the gun, we plan on her taking the proper gun safety courses and then try to take the proper courses for concealed carrying. What all is involved with pistol safety and concealed carrying? Now here is the kicker, the gun has to be pink.... she wants a pink gun. Ive seen a pink taurus and she kinda likes the looks of it. If a pink gun becomes hard to come by is there some where i can get the gun refinished in pink? Thanks in advance.

To this.... It SCREAMS defensiveness on your part because we read through what your wife really wants it for. Good idea for a concealed carry course for extra education? C'mon. My 19 year old stepson can come up with a better smoke screen than you did.

quote Originally posted by MonteC: She wants a pink gun. She doesnt want it for protection. She wants to go to the range and have fun shooting, and i thought it would be a good idea to take the concealed weapons courses. Just so she is extra educated. Why are you guys so stuck on color? Im going to have a 12 gauge pump action in the house, so her gun is not for any type of protection, she just wants to enjoy shooting and just to have it. Whats wrong with that?

Let's call a spade a spade here.... She wants a pink handgun because she thinks it'd be cool to carry it in her purse and show her friends. You'll go to the range MAYBE twice and then that gun will be tucked in her purse or collect dust in a drawer.

Everyone else has called it a spade and called you out on it.

Go buy a Ruger .22 pistol and see how she enjoys it, cares for it and where she "goes" with a plain Ruger .22. Then maybe after all of that, your Pink Handgun idea for her might be a decent, fun gift.

Toddster, only in california does what you said apply. For the rest of this country that have CCW, for the most part the law states that when applied for the CCW "Shall" be issued as long as you meet all requirements. 1 state actually has it right in that a resident of that state can carry conceled at anytime and the state doesnot require any permit. ( That state, by the way, has the lowest crime rate in the country) And a 25 cal would be useless in any confrontation .

[This message has been edited by ron768 (edited 06-19-2008).]

My wife last weekend practicing with her 9mm Taurus concealed carry gun. She burned over 1000 rounds of 9mm just "getting ready" for her Concealed Handgun course here in the state of Texas and shot a 247 out of a possible 250 on the final test. She likes the "shiny" effect of the firearm because she says she wants any possible adversary to KNOW she has a weapon in her hand even if it is night.




My grandson (age 11) in the background exercising his .22 Ruger and learning!

Pink is fine just diffucult to fine it would be easy to paint ,,a .22 is not suitable for defence unless carried by a cool customer ,, the .380 and .32 are heavy enough for defense.. the gun is a deterent often just showing a weapon is a good defense..
this is a weapon that will probably not be used much ,I have much much experience with fire arms and have been an instructor ,,our court system has failed us and thier are many evil people who you may encounter at any time ..
Borrow a friends .22 to practice with or use one from a shooting range,try both automatic and revolver just loading both weapons is a new experience .. watch how she reacts she should load her own weapons..of course an auto is better for purse carry..There is nothing wrong with showing her friends her pink pistol...a new accessory
make her happy , make the trip to the range fun, take a gun safety course. We live in a violent world and tho it may never happen she could defend herself .. the problem normally is you are not prepared when the one time you need the gun happens and often the gun is not produced because fear overcomes your normal thought process !!
My former wife Ms. Tender Vittles saved my butt when confronted by 3 esteemed citizens,, members of a motorcycle club ,she cooly pulled her VHT red .380 from her purse and diffused the verbal discourse..I let her service my pistol extra long that nite
In your area of S. C. there must be many wooded areas to practice
I found nothing wrong with your post,,,,have fun and do not worry about the flac here

[This message has been edited by uhlanstan (edited 06-19-2008).]

quote Originally posted by Toddster: A concealed permit is not easy to get. You usually have to prove eminent danger. Also, if she does manage to get one and then shoots someone, she is going to wish to God she had never had the stupid idea of painting it Pink because the prosecuter (yes, she WILL be prosecuted) will ream her as someone seeking to inflict harm be virtue of such a casual regard for a concealed gun as to want to make it designer in nature. IF...she actually needs a gun for self defense and needs to carry it I recommend a .25 cailber pistol. Before considering a pistol I would also look at non-lethal weapons like tasers, pepper spray, etc.

WOW! So many misstatements for the state of Texas (and the South Carolina poster who started this thread) I don't know where to start.

A concealed carry permit IS easy to get in most rational states! And NO you DO NOT have to prove anything to any one to justify having one. And NO, a person with or without a concealed carry permit WILL NOT be prosecuted for killing another if the rules for the lethal force in that state are followed.

Further, a .25 cal!!!!! In a self-defense shooting you don't want to ANGER the assailant, you want to KILL them!

The non-lethal suggestions may be a good for the original poster's wife considering the obvious lack of any knowledge at all of firearms and their use. Only problem, tasers don't come in PINK!

I have the Kel-Tek .380. Its tiny.
Bought it for $300 new 2 years ago.

------------------
87 coupe resoration project.

But she doesn't want it for self defense. Just target practice!

The conceal carry course is more education.

Here's the Concealed Carry Course in a nutshell. You have a weapon. Leave it on safe. Do not chamber a round in a semi auto weapon. Do not draw the weapon unless you intend to shoot it. Do not fire that weapon sideways, one handed or from the hip. Now that the instruction is over, here is 40 rounds.. Show me how to safely load and fire your weapon. Class dismissed. Please pay the $250 on your way out.

~cough~ bullsh ~cough~ it ~cough~

Kel-Tec also has a 9mm.
I just saw one at Cabella's. Brand new for $265.
http://www.kel-tec-cnc.com/p11.html

------------------
87 coupe resoration project.

The . 22 is sufficient for defence your purpose is defense not to kill....a small person can keep the assailant at a distance of course drugged ,mentally ill,aggressive personality ect may keep comming .just the act of producing a fire arm and showing a willingness to use it is a deterent .. You do not want to ever kill some one unless absolutely demanded.. Killing & shooting people is not so easy for many people.. even with all the blood on T V protect yourselve ,, protect your future sanity .. every day I live with violent things I did in a military situation I am a very shallow person yet I think what may have been ..what I did

Support the right to own towed howizers by private individuals (with a permit of course)

if it gets her out shooting and enjoying the sport, who gives a **** what color it is?

if they treat guns as they should be, and secure them if there are kids around, and teach the kids about guns and what to do with guns, then there shouldn't be a problem. i know i'd teach my kids to treat all guns, real or toys, the same no matter what color they were.

My g/f is 5' 2" and about 130lbs and she shoots everything from my .22s to my 12 Gauge. she has even shot my .44 mag and didn't drop it. (if you drop it, you're doing it wrong)

both me and my g/f shoot our glock 19s the most (9mm) and love them. i think 9mm is a good round to learn with. it's cheap and very little recoil. and it'll help get her used to a gun that fires a round that she may one day choose to carry for self defense. .22s are fun and nice to help teach the fundamentals with, but if there may be the chance that she'll one day carry, having the trigger time on a center fire caliber will better benefit her IMO. (she won't be afraid of the recoil and therefor, will shoot better.)

and if she does decide to carry, take a look at Kahr arms and the PM9. My g/f started out with one for her carry gun and later moved to her Glock 19 (she shot it better) and i bought her Kahr PM9 and use it for carry all the time. they are a bit more pricey then some others, but worth it IMO.

as others have stated, if you have a range nearby that allows you rent guns, take her, and let her shoot as many as she can get her hands on, and then get her what she likes. if she winds up with one that she doesn't like, she won't shoot it.

good luck and keep us posted.

quote Originally posted by JohnF: WOW! So many misstatements for the state of Texas (and the South Carolina poster who started this thread) I don't know where to start. A concealed carry permit IS easy to get in most rational states! And NO you DO NOT have to prove anything to any one to justify having one. And NO, a person with or without a concealed carry permit WILL NOT be prosecuted for killing another if the rules for the lethal force in that state are followed. Further, a .25 cal!!!!! In a self-defense shooting you don't want to ANGER the assailant, you want to KILL them! The non-lethal suggestions may be a good for the original poster's wife considering the obvious lack of any knowledge at all of firearms and their use. Only problem, tasers don't come in PINK!

You need more experience with guns.

In the first place 2 states and the DC area do not issue CHLs at all. 9 other states have "may issue" laws which effectively means WON'T issue. I've lived in some of them. Originally from Georgia where they are not too hard to get I live here in California now where "lotsa Luck" is the thought for the day. Of the other 39 states which issue CHLs you STILL must meet rigorous standards (ie no felony record, no alcohol related convictions of any kind, weapon size limitations, etc.) They are not easy to get everywhere just because they are easy to get in Texas. I have no idea about NC.

As for the .25, He said she wanted to carry it on her person so if you can find a Glock that will fit in a woman's handbag with the rest of her stuff then more power to you. Also, I suggest you hit the range more often because if I had a .25 and needed to stop you, one shot, you're dead. GUARANTEED.

And the I already went on record about the PINK thing. Bad idea. There are no style points in self defense.

Todd, he (original poster) stated the Pink Weapon WAS NOT for self-defense nor did he "say" anything about her carrying it concealed.

And, the original poster is in SOUTH Carolina, not North Carolina.

[This message has been edited by aceman (edited 06-19-2008).]

NC is a shall issue state. You must meet the requirements of no felony record, resident of the state, pass an approved CCW course, get finger prints, and photo for the record. There is no size limit or caliber limit on the choice of weapon to be carried. The permit is renewable every 5 years as long as you meet the requirements. Toddster you did your homework on the states as I looked at the same while you posted the info. As for caliber choice, I have a .177 pellet pistol that will kill a person when the pellet is shot in a vital area ( it has more velocity than a .22 long ) , bullet placement is everything. That being said my current CCW is a .45 auto .

A few of you guys have been very helpfull, the rest have not. This is pretty much hopeless, ill go elsewhere for advice, thanks anyway.

PS. i may just get my shot gun done in pink as well.

[This message has been edited by MonteC (edited 06-19-2008).]