[warhawke]

I'm new here, I came in by way of Mr. Camp's website which I found through another (Frugals?), anyway I'm currently looking at getting a handgun for the wife.

I myself am a diehard 1911 fan, but the wife is a bit recoil-sensitive and has some handstrength issues due to some physical problems. She does like my .45, but she can not fire many rounds through it without starting to have problems, so I'm looking at getting her something with a little lighter recoil.

She does not like the way most of the Hi-cap ubernines feel or handle (Glock, Taurus, etc.), she hates revolvers because they are not as easy to reload and operate (as opposed to slap in mag, yank slide, point and click), and I'm VERY reluctant to get her a low-cap 9mm like a 1911, if you use little bullets I think you should have a lot of them.

So, thanks to Mr. Camp's site, I'm thinking about a BHP. She's handled them at the gun-shop and has no problem with the slide and say's it feels ok, but I'm not what you would call an expert on the weapon. Therefore I would call upon the experts here;

Do you think the BHP is the way to go?

Are quality mags available at a good price (I won't have a weapon and less than 6 mags for it)?

Modifications?

I have been looking at the FM (Argentina) and some of the other clones (money's a bit tight right now), or should I bite the bullet and get an original?

How easy is self repair (being a survivalist I like weapons I can fix myself)?

Anything else I haven't thought of?


Thanks in advance,
Warhawke

 

[Guest]

Have your wife try a Bersa Thunder 380. The recoil is a little lighter than a Makarov, my second thought, and my Bersa has been 100% reliable. Regards, Richard

 

[warhawke]

No, nothing under 9x19, I took forever to get her away from my Colt 1910 pocket pistol. Thanks for the thought though.

 

[briand]

A 1911 in 9mm is another option. Kimber and Springfield have recently put a couple models each on the market, and in the used arena the old 1991a1 Series Colt is a good value, if you can hunt one up.

 

[Guest]

The Browning / FN Hi-Power is a very good gun. If she likes the feel of it, then a BHP might be just the thing. The guns are very heavy for a 9mm, and as such, have relatively gentle recoil for the caliber. If it's a bit big for her hands, then try some Spegel grips, as they thin the grip down a bit. A trigger job might be in order, but can usually be circumvented with the removal of the magazine safety. A lot of people worry about liability issues, though, so you might end up doing better to send it to a good smith and just have that trigger job done. Have her shoot it, and see if she has a problem with being bitten by the hammer. If so, the hammer can be easily bobbed, or as I prefer, sent to C&S to have a commander-type hammer installed. They can give it a five-pound trigger while they have it, too, and you can kill two birds with one stone. Also, If it's an older model, (Pre-MkII) then the hump will need to come out of the feed ramp. Cylinder and Slide can do that, too.

 

[pgm]

The BHP is an excellent gun, and would probably fit your needs, but you might want to have her shoot one before you drop $600-700. High quality, high capacity mags are no problem, and other than changing the grips and possibly removing the magazine safety, there may not be much else to do in the way of modifications. My only experience is with the Mark III, but I have no complaints so far; I would highly recommend it. Who knows, shoot it yourself and you might convert from the 1911!

 

[warhawke]

PGM, thanks for the info, and I will forgive your blasphemy at the end.
Brian D, as I mentioned in my post I would prefer a hi-cap 9mm if at all possible.
Chubbypigeon, I'm not worried about liability and would take out the disconnector.

Thanks all

 

[oldgranpa]

It's only money, but my Kahr PM9 is a great 9mm. Not too much recoil, good trigger, and mine is reliable with Rem GS and Fed HS. Small enough for even my pocket.
You get what you pay for. Don't consider a KT P11 for her, she would hate the trigger and hate you for giving her a gun that hurts to shoot.
Just my opinion.
Whatever!
og
BTW, my wife likes the Bersa Thunder 380 best of all but you said no to that.

 

[Guest]

The BHP shoots great and in 9mm has a light recoil. With the addition of a good set of grips the control is superb, and should fit your wifes hand well. It's accurate right out of the box and you can shoot it all day with WB ammo and not break the bank.

And the BHP doesn't cost an arm and a leg, you can order one from CDNN for $399.00 plus around $10.00 shipping. So the price savings over a 1911 in 9mm is a valid consideration.

 

[Guest]

If you can find one the CZ-83 is a good choice. All steel frame, 13+1 capacity and a pipsqueak round. Recoil is pretty mild. Pic shows a Bersa, CZ-83 and a quarter for comparison.

ZM