Are there any ranges that allow you to rent a gun to try? I let my wife shoot my LCP 380 once and she immediately handed it back to me, some of these little guns are extremely unpleasant to shoot.

I know you said you want a safety, I did also on my first Carry gun. I would recommend going and handling a gun with no safety, I think you may be surprised at how firm/long the trigger pull is, combined with a good holster you'll quickly understand why most small carry guns don't have a safety, to make some of these designed carry guns go off really takes an intentional act.

Ruger does make an LCP max with a safety that comes in right at your budget, a regular LCP is around $200 so under budget but no safety and rough on the hands but incredibly easy to carry. That Max 9 Wolfie posted looks good but the 9mm is gonna rock a bit in that I imagine?

If wolfie can handle it I have no doubt Angela can shoot it without issue.

HolsterIng is definitely the biggest concern when carrying a pistol with no safety, especially when carrying AIWB. My wife, who I mentioned carries a P365 and my daughter, who carries a Springfield Hellcat and myself practice draw, double tap, re-holster drills a lot. We all carry AIWB.

I have always stressed the importance of making sure your finger is not on the trigger and the holster is clear of clothing/fabric before holstering.

I like your idea of pulling the holster, putting it on the pistol and then putting the whole rig back in your pants.

Look into the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380. I believe mine was just over $400.00.

I'll recommend something like this






https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/the-best-concealed-carry-revolvers/

I would run the 9mm over the 380

my son was shooting the LC9 at age 9 , he was a big kid but anyone who can set a 1.75 with their hands has the hand strength for a small 9

the Max 9 is a bit bigger yet.

always start with 1 round in the gun on your first try that way it is pre unloaded if you do something bad after it goes off. after you have done 1 a few times and are comfortable make it 2 or 3 and when you are happy with that load up.

the think with manual safeties on small guns is you need them off as part of your draw stroke but they have small controls also I also thought I wanted one on my first carry gun , no longer feel that way.

I saw what you describe at rural king.
For something different, look up lady smith.

I'm going to ask. Why a mechanical safety

Here's one that meets your budget

Safe and reliable







https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/the-best-concealed-carry-revolvers/

worn out 2 of them the metal on the hand and the extractor must be soft they come out of time with use.

during the 22lr ammo shortage I was making cast 38spl for around 4 cents a round with 2.2 cent primers back then

if you are carrying a gun to get you out of a bad situation spend some $$ on it really you get a lot more for a little more money.

Looked at some today. I really liked the size of the .380s compared to the 9 or 40s... they look much smaller.

Does anyone know anything about this gun??

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...inless-steel-pistol-101-rounds/p/1895840

As a conceal carry ? .......how many thugs did you shoot ? .......dang !

Price ammo 380 vs 9mm. Then look at performance. I have a few 380s got them befor all the small 9mms came out. Amm ncost more and an 85gr bullet at 800is fps vs 115 at 1100 in 9mm some peope say to use fmj insted of hp ammo since hollow points may not get deep enough to hit vitals.

I wont buy a 380 again with all the 9mm options available.

Call me crazy, i carried a taurus pt111 gen 2 for years. Never once did i have any issues with it. Did i shoot 1000 rounds through it? No but did shoot a few hundred with 0 issues. It carried nice, fit my hands good, was fairly accurate, and reliable enough i would trust my life with it

Palmetto State armory has the SW shield plus on sale right now $360. My wife carries that pistol and I do really like it. Just a little small for my hands. But excellent trigger and grip texture. She had to have a manual safety as well. I’d also look at the Canik tp9 sc. it’s a little blockier than the shield but fits bigger hands a little better in my opinion. As stated earlier. See what feels good in the hand, points naturally and has a trigger you like.

My 2 cents worth: Look at a Taurus 85 in 38 special. Ammo is affordable and readily available. A quality revolver ALWAYS works. No fumbling with safeties, no magazine safety where the gun won't work without the mag in it, etc. Auto's need to be kept clean. You need to "familiarize" yourself with the safety periodically. Many people (especially the ladies) struggle to pull the slide back on an auto. That is just my 2 cents worth.
You want something light to carry, cheap to shoot and accurate at 10 feet.

My wife got one for her first handgun, it was hands down the worst gun we have ever shot. She couldn't hit anything with it because the trigger pull was so heavy that by the time she had the trigger pulled the gun was being pilled all over. Horrible gun highly advise against it.

Yote I don't have a good recommendation in your price range but I will say that I absolutely love my colt mustang .380 if you are willing to up your budget to get quality. Its my go to hole punch and fits nicely into a pocket.

Yep

Yote, you should look at the Mossberg Shockwave. I think it'd be just the ticket for you.