Need a Gun Recommendation

I was going to rebut -


And argue that Mrs. Astro, while stylish, feminine, and a great cook, is anything but a sissy.

She keeps a Beretta 92 nearby. She still has battle rattle from her time deployed. She was a Commanding Officer, as well as Chief of Staff to a 2 star Admiral. She is a retired Captain, USN.

She is quite definite on what she wants.

Woman? You bet.

Sissy? Not a chance!
Beretta usually finds its way to many Sailors. Great for long distance shot and quite accurate. Never cared for a duty pistol as I run the train of thought if I can cover more of it with a smaller size then I can keep control of it somewhat better.

Glad you have Mrs.Astro! It's like owning anything that can cause damage whether it be a Doberman or anything else, you don't know the importance of having it until you need it. Got my daughter Leathernecking it out on the east coast as a Marine on active duty.
 
Nothing in .25ACP. It’s a terrible caliber. .22LR is actually superior for defense over .25ACP.

If it’s a carry gun, the key word is “carry”. This takes training and skills and ability. The gun is the hardware. The brain is the software. Just like a computer is useless without software, so is a gun. It’s useless without a trained and determined person behind it. Just having a gun, without a willingness and know how to use it, is more dangerous for the person carrying.

Is she actually willing to take some classes? Is she willing to make sacrifices so that she is carrying all the time? It takes years of learning HOW to effectively carry to become proficient.

For CARRY, it’s better to have something always than something sometimes. So for most people , a smaller weapon makes sense since they are more likely to carry it. Look at the NAA mini revolver in 22 magnum, Ruger LCP, and snub nose revolver in 22 mag or 32 mag or 38 special.

If she is willing to carry a slightly larger firearm look at the P365-380, Smith EZ 380.

If it’s strictly for home defense , a long gun PCC is preferred, like the Ruger PC9, Beretta CX4 storm carbine, or Smith Wesson FPC. Backed up by a full-size handgun, like the new Beretta 80X or newly released in America Glock 25 .380.

(I didn’t recommend any 9mm or larger pistols based on the extreme smalls stature of the wife , sub 5 ft tall)
 
Seems like Beretta is reintroducing the Cheetah.

 
Seems like Beretta is reintroducing the Cheetah.

Why would one buy such a comparative monstrosity-seeing its a .380?
 
13+1 and reduced recoil
And a decent sight radius.

A Cheetah and the Bersa Thunder mentioned are basically the same size... I don't love everything they have done to the 80X vs the old 84/85 but it would be worth a look for her.

I may have to pick up the bling model for grins one day...

 
And a decent sight radius.

A Cheetah and the Bersa Thunder mentioned are basically the same size... I don't love everything they have done to the 80X vs the old 84/85 but it would be worth a look for her.

I may have to pick up the bling model for grins one day...
Why?? Way more expensive, heavier, bigger, less capacity, less reliable Compared to a Glock 19.
Now if you have shot a 19 and feel this is better..obviously your call. I have never shot a Cheetah so I am ignorant. But I can judge the things I said about it. And the thing is, I am not looking for a self defense pistol. If I wanted a plinker and wanted to spend that money after I shot it, that's another story.

The guy in the Youtube was obviously paid for his endorsement.
 

Why what?

The guy in the Youtube was obviously paid for his endorsement.

But he touched on nearly every one of your earlier questions about why.

I'm not a Glock guy, but this is not bigger than a 19, is only about 1.4OZ heavier which is a small price to pay for metal. yeah its probably 200 is dollars more but not every one weighs price heavily into a decision like this, some do.

I'm not really a Beretta guy either but I've owned Glocks and Berettas including a 85 and I'd ask you to back up your statement that it's less reliable than a Glock 19.

As for the less capacity, Id actually prefer they brought back the 85, because it is thinner...

Not that it really matters to me but the lady should put it on her list to try if she can. Although on review i see she thinks a P365 is too heavy and its a pretty light pistol... is essentially the same size as the LC380.

 
Last edited:
I bought a Sig P365 for my wife and it was too heavy and the recoil was punishing. My wife is less than five feet tall and we want
a caliber to carry and have a little stopping power. How is the Ruger LC in .380? Thank you
Weight and recoil are inversely related.
The more the firearm weighs, the less felt recoil. And vice-versa.
Getting a lighter gun will not help her feel less perceived recoil.
 
Last edited:
Why what?



But he touched on nearly every one of your earlier questions about why.

I'm not a Glock guy, but this is not bigger than a 19, is only about 1.4OZ heavier which is a small price to pay for metal. yeah its probably 200 is dollars more but not every one weighs price heavily into a decision like this, some do.

I'm not really a Beretta guy either but I've owned Glocks and Berettas including a 85 and I'd ask you to back up your statement that it's less reliable than a Glock 19.

As for the less capacity, Id actually prefer they brought back the 85, because it is thinner...

Not that it really matters to me but the lady should put it on her list to try if she can.

Why buy the .380?
Considering all 4 dimensions weight, wdth, height, length they are equal AND the 19 is 9x19.
Most knowledgeable folks (not me or you)..people like the elite militaries, and police all over the world would say nothing equals the 19's reliability. So that's not me saying it.

I paid $470 for my 19. So thats 260$ cheaper and with tax $275. Since Cheetah comes with only two mags and the G19 comes with 3 we are over $300 more expensive. And the Cheetah mags have only 13 rounds compared to 15 for the G19
But again if you are happy..go for it. Just not for me. And I don't think its a very good deal.
 
Why buy the .380?
Considering all 4 dimensions weight, wdth, height, length they are equal AND the 19 is 9x19.

Why buy the 9?
Considering a Colt Defender is smaller and is a .45. :D

As for why buy the 380 in relation to the original question - stated recoil sensitivity, but in light of the P365 being too heavy I'm not sure what the OP bride will end up with...
 
Everything is a compromise. Light weight means heavy(ier) recoil. Small size means less grip area and control. Shorter barrel means less accuracy. Smaller caliber means less stopping power. All those things have to be poured in and shaken up to come up with the correct choice for each individual. For the user in question 9mm is probably the largest caliber to be considered. And that's in something medium size/weight or above. Similar (same?) for a 380. Going down to Ruger LCP or similar size/weight is going to create a heavy recoil unpleasant monster. Going smaller than 380, with the exception possibly of 30 Super Carry, is going to be an underpowered choice that will do the job but take too long doing it. Yes, a 32 is better than waiting on 911, but not all that great.

So maybe look into the 30 Super Carry, supposedly similar power to 9mm and similar lower recoil like 380. The SW Shield EZ in 30SC has both with and without thumb safety options and 10+1 capacity. Yeah, it's not 15+1 like a Glock 19 and it's also sized to be not overwhelming to a smaller shooter. Keep us posted on this adventure.
 
Most knowledgeable folks (not me or you)..people like the elite militaries, and police all over the world would say nothing equals the 19's reliability. So that's not me saying it.
While, indeed, the G19 (and most Glocks) are indeed ultra-reliable (I carried the Glock 23 as my primary choice for civilian carry for at least a decade), and the Navy SEALS and Special Operations community have gravitated toward the Glock platform (almost certainly due to cost and weight beating the P226), that does not mean that it's the best choice for a low-skill civilian. I like striker and fired about equally well, depending on platforms and scenarios. I carry both with total confidence.

I have a very large assortment of roughly a 50/50 collection of striker and hammer guns, have significant personal and professional shooting experience/training, and have trained many people on shooting. I rarely steer new shooters to striker guns because I think they require a higher skill set to avoid having AD/ND. I strongly urge people toward hammer fired guns because of their inherently safer designs with more intuitive features.

Yes Glock is an absolute beast of reliability. I don't think I've ever seen a malfunction. Having said that, I could say the same for others makers, including CZ and Sig Sauer, and only seen 1 HK malfunction. So there's 3 hammer fired options (the Sig P226 was the Special Ops sidearm of choice for decades), that are ultra reliable and durable.

Why buy the .380?
I generally think the 9x19 is the minimum ideal caliber for self defense, but having said that there are situations where 9x18 (Makarov), or 9x17 (.380) or even .22LR is sufficient and better than nothing. It's not my preference, but hey, I'm generally just happy if someone finds something that works for them. I've met folks that confidently carry a Walther PPK, Bersa Thunder, or Sig P232 in .380. To each their own. I have handguns in .22LR, .380, 9mm Mak, 9mm Lugar, .40 cal, .45 acp, 7.62 Tok, .38, .357 mag, .44 mag, and probably others. They'll all get the job done, ultimately, if the shooter is trained and does his part. I have my preferences (power vs. capacity vs. size, ease of use, reliability, etc.), but I'd carry almost anything with confidence it would defend my life pretty well. People tend to not like getting extra holes put in them, regardless of size.
 
Leadcouncel..agree. But I have had 6 glocks and have seen non ammo failures for 5 of them. Have not seen a failure on the 19
 
Back
Top