Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and if you’ve been wondering what to get for the woman in your life, we have a suggestion: guns. And ammo. Because everyone needs ammo; guns have to eat. To help you along your way we’d like to give you a look at the top five pistols for the woman in your life.

Beretta Nano

The Beretta Nano was Beretta’s first-ever striker-fired pistol, and it quickly gained an avid following. It really is small at just 5.6” long, 4.17” tall, and a mere .9” wide, and that size means it has a single stack magazine and holds 6 +1. The gun is designed to be snag-free and has no external mechanisms – no external safety or slide release – and there certainly are benefits to its sleek appearance beyond aesthetics. It does, however, feature a teardrop-shaped indentation forward of the trigger guard, an addition meant to encourage the user to rest their trigger finger there when not shooting. The gun comes with basic white three-dot sights. Adjusting the sights is as simple as using a hex wrench. The idea behind the Nano was to create the consummate concealed carry gun, one with a thin, flat profile, and it seems Beretta did exactly what they aimed for in this little gun. The Nano comes chambered in 9mm, which is a capable defense caliber and one that has maintained its popularity for years. If you’re looking for good carry gun, the Beretta Nano is a solid choice.

Smith and Wesson M and P

The Smith and Wesson M and P has gotten quite a bit of attention lately due in part to its being considered as the Army’s replacement for the M9. This is also a striker-fired pistol and has a polymer frame as well. It also comes chambered in a fairly wide range of calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, and .357 SIG, so if you already have a personal preference, there are options. For the purposes of this summary, we’ll go with the 9mm features. The 9mm barrel is 4.25” long and 1.2” wide, so it’s a bit thicker than the aforementioned Nano. M and Ps are often compared to Glocks, but they really are not the same guns. They’re a bit heavier and also larger, and the trigger pull is also on the heavier side. One nice thing about the M and P is its Picatinny rail under the muzzle, which enables the user to attach accessories with ease. And for safety’s sake the gun has a loaded chamber indicator; you can see the round simply by looking in the small chamber. The M and P has a trigger safety, so if you prefer handguns with external safeties, this may not be the gun for you. But it is a fun gun to shoot and has proven itself reliable. Yet another good choice for self-defense.

Glock 19

A bit of an oldie but a goodie, although the Gen 4 is still somewhat new. This is a popular gun and is chambered in 9mm. As with all Glocks this gun has a polymer frame. The Gen 4 Glock 19 has a 4.02” barrel and weighs in at 23.65 ounces. And, as with all Glocks, there is no external safety, just a trigger safety. But there is another safety feature on this gun; when there is a round chambered in the Gen 4 Glock 19, there is a slightly raised area on the extractor. One issue some have with Glocks, aside from the safety, is the sights. The gun comes with white 3-dot sights, and many Glock aficionados – myself included – make replacing said sights one of their first actions upon making a new Glock purchase. As for the gun itself, it’s Glock’s best-seller and comes in at a shade smaller than the full-size 17 while being larger than Glock’s true compact models. It fits average-sized hands nicely and delivers fairly minimal muzzle flip. Glocks have a reputation as being reliable guns, and the Glock 19’s popularity gives truth to those claims.

H&K VP9

H&K VP-9

Heckler and Koch’s VP9 was met with a fair amount of excitement due to its being striker fired, polymer frame pistol (yes, it’s going around). It’s chambered in 9mm and has a 4.09” long barrel, is 7.34” long overall and 1.32” wide. Of the many features that have served to make the VP9 popular is the fact that it’s entirely ambidextrous, and a somewhat unique one is the paddle-shaped magazine release located behind the trigger guard. The VP9 performs reliably, round after round, and has minimal muzzle flip. It’s no wonder this gun is so popular; it really is a pleasure to shoot. The trigger pull is 5.4 pounds and the reset is short; H and K has made claims there is no better striker-fired pistol trigger on the market, and there are many who would agree. And while this model is only available in 9mm right now, an H and K rep at SHOT Show said we can expect to see a .40 S&W version by summer.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

The fifth gun is a long gun, because both new shooters and seasoned alike tend to enjoy the Ruger 10/22 Takedown. .22LR is an understandably popular cartridge, and so is this gun: it’s been on the market since 1964, and the Takedown is the newest version. Putting the gun together is simple (which is good, since it comes in two pieces in the box), you simply push and twist, and the gun pops together, springing back into position. This gun has standard flip-up rear sights and barrelbrand front sights. It performs exactly as it should: consistently cycling round after round, no matter how much lead you sling down-range. The great thing about the .22LR is its almost nonexistent recoil and quiet report, and when you add in the affordable price, it’s even better. It’s a great caliber for teaching new shooters, it can be used for pest control, and it’s a lot of fun for plinking. You just cannot go wrong with this gun.

Extras

Don’t forget to get ammunition to go with whatever gun you choose, and don’t forget to take the personal tastes of your particular significant other into consideration. Remember, some girls do like pink (as in pink guns) and some do not. Some like larger calibers, and some are more comfortable with smaller ones. After all, it’s better to carry a gun in a smaller caliber than to carry no gun at all. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show the gun-loving woman in your life you care, and this year, instead of doing it with flowers and candy, do it with guns, ammo, holsters, and related gear. If she’s anything like me, she’ll be thrilled and you’ll have won some serious brownie points. So get thee to the gun store. Right now. What are you waiting for?