[BeenThere1]

I need help understanding gun terminology and in finding a good concealable gun. I am legal, waiting on my license to arrive. I have a AMT 380 but have never fired it. Tomorrow will be my first day at the firing range. I have been told thar revolvers are best for women.

What does "single-action" and "double-action" mean?
What different types of ammonition do I need for the range? for when I am carrying?
What items do I need to clean my gun? and how ofter should I clean it?
Where do most women carry their gun? is there a bra holster?

[bensdad]

Welcome to THR!

1. SA means that squeezing the trigger does one thing - releases hammer
DA means that squeezing the trigger also spring-loads the hammer

Any DA/SA can be fired both ways. SA revolvers have to be manually cocked with a thumb (or if you're a hot-shot, the butt of your off-hand:D). Your AMT is a DAO (double-action-only) semi-auto. That means every time you pull the trigger, you load a spring, then release it. Makes for a little heavier trigger pull than SA, but no big deal.

2. Practice ammo should be the cheapest that your gun feeds reliably. Carry ammo should be the BEST that your gun feeds reliably. You need to practice with enough of your carry ammo that you feel confident with it in your gun.

3. A rag and some gun oil. Clean it whenever you shoot it. Learn to take it apart for cleaning as per the manufacturer's instructions.

4. Where to carry? Take a class or get some help from a reliable, friendly person in your area who can work with you on that. I would recommend a female.

Welcome to the firearms community. We are a friendly lot, and much better looking that other people.

[XavierBreath]

First, welcome to the High Road.
What does "single-action" and "double-action" mean?
Single action means you must manually cock the weapon prior to pulling the trigger. A double action handgun is cocked with the pulling of the trigger.

What different types of ammonition do I need for the range? for when I am carrying?Target ammo usually consists of jacketed or lead round or flat nosed rounds. These are the least expensive on the shelf.

Defensive ammunition usually consists of jacketed hollow points, of which there are several brands in each defensive caliber. It's recommended that you shoot at least 50 trouble free rounds of your carry ammunition through your carry gun prior to using it for carry, just to make certain your handgun will feed and extract it reliably. Not all guns will feed and extract all ammunition reliably, and some choke up on some defensive ammunition.

What items do I need to clean my gun? and how ofter should I clean it?A basic cleaning kit, along with a properly sized bore snake. Different handguns have different cleaning procedures, so the how becomes gun specific.

Frequency is each time the gun is used, and for a carry gun at least once a week, depending on finish, sweat, mode of carry, and other factors.

A carry gun should be kept scrupulously clean. By definition, it is a defensive device, and if it is used for self defense, there is a fair chance ballistics testing will be done. You only want the powder residue and such from the self defense event to be present, not grunge from the last twenty times it was used......

Where do most women carry their gun? is there a bra holster?The best way (IMHMO) for a woman to carry a gun is the same as a man, in a holster on a belt, under a cover garment. Some women use a SmartCarry (http://www.smartcarry.com/) holster, others prefer a handbag or pocket carry. There are deep cover Tshirt style holsters that would be similar to "bra" carry, but remember the deeper you carry, the less accessible the gun is if you need it. Each mode of carry has advantages and disadvantages. Being able to use several modes of carry to suit the demands of what you would like to wear is also an advantage. Here's more info (http://www.corneredcat.com/Holster/howhide.aspx).

FWIW, I want to be the first to recommend The Cornered Cat (http://www.corneredcat.com/) to you. It's a website written by a very knowledgeable shooter and it will answer many of your questions. The best part is the author is a woman, and she gives great advice that is female specific. For example, on a revolver being the best gun for a woman....... (http://www.corneredcat.com/Men/gunforwoman.aspx)

Which Gun For Me? (http://www.corneredcat.com/FirstGun/which.aspx)
and
Gun Cleaning 101 (http://www.corneredcat.com/GunCare/cleaning101.aspx)

Enjoy!

[CypherNinja]

If you're looking for ammo recommendations, searching this site is a really good idea.

But, if you want my opinion, Winchester USA Brand aka Winchester White Box aka WWB (http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?contentID=productDetail&ammoGroup=2&brand=WN&prodID=WNQ4206) and CCI Blazer Brass (http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?contentID=productDetail&ammoGroup=2&brand=CC&prodID=CC5202) are two very good ideas for practice. Both can be had at WalMart for less than my links. You'll probably want to stick with Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammo because it's cheaper.

For carry, Corbon DPX (http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?contentID=productDetail&ammoGroup=2&brand=CB&prodID=CBDPX38080) and Gold Dots (http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?contentID=productDetail&ammoGroup=2&brand=CC&prodID=CC23606) are very good choices. You might want to shop around online a bit for these.

[spiroxlii]

+1

Check out www.corneredcat.com for some really excellent info for women regarding handguns and self defense. It has step-by-step guides that will answer many of your questions.

As for what gun is "better for women," many people suggest revolvers because of the common perception that a woman can't rack the slide on a semiautomatic pistol. Almost any man, woman, or child can rack a semiauto slide. It's just a matter of leverage, and once you get used to it, you may realize that it takes a lot less strength than you thought.

Don't get me wrong. Revolvers ARE nice, because the relative simplicity of their design makes them very rugged. There are certain malfunction procedures you'd have to learn about semiautomatic pistols that would not apply to revolvers. This is mainly because a semiautomatic pistol depends on energy from each fired round to function, so a semiauto depends on its ammo to function properly. If you happen to get a bad batch of ammo, you could have to manually clear a round that failed to fire before you can continue shooting. With a revolver, the weapon advances to the next round without using energy harvested from the last round fired. You provide all the mechanical energy to advance a revolver to the next round, either by pulling the trigger in the case of a double action revolver or by cocking the hammer with your thumb in the case of a single action revolver.

[REPOMAN]

Q's already answered but welcome to THR :)

[Thernlund]

Welcome!

I'll chime in on the cleaning frequency. I don't always clean after every use. I clean...

a) after every few uses, or...
b) at the point where the gun is more "dirty" than I'm comfortable with, or...
c) right away if the gun is very valuable or precious to me, or...
d) eventually if the gun has sat "dirty" for some time, like a month maybe.

That said, it may be important to note that I usually only shoot jacketed, fairly clean firing ammo. If I went through a box or two of very dirty ammo or non-jacketed ammo, I'll likely clean immediately after the range trip.

And of course, a carry gun should always be clean.


-T.

[Pa.Bill]

Great information above..............................

Let me add: you will need eye and ear protection at the range.
Prices on these vary, $25 and up for each.
Tell the range people you are new, I am sure they will be happy to help you.

~Good Luck - Happy Shooting~

[2nd 41]

FULLY understand how the gun functions before loading it. Use plastic snap caps. I have a friend that discharged his semi accidentally while showing it to someone. He had no idea how the gun operated. He thought it went off by itself. It was cocked and obviously he touch the trigger.

BTW. Revolvers are for anyone. I concealed one for twenty five years. They are possibly more reliable and less confusing to operate.

[doc2rn]

Welcome aboard! The Q's have been answerred already but if you get stuck trying to disassemble it for cleaning give us a shout we would be happy to walk you through it. Old Fuff probably has it on video, he is a fountain of knowledge. Welcome and feel free to chime in.

[rantingredneck]

Welcome to the High Road.

And let me chime in another recommendation for www.corneredcat.com

[foghornl]

Single-action revolver...must be manually cocked before each shot...Think of "Old West Cowboy Revolvers." Cocked by either thumb of shooting hand, or by supporting hand/thumb.

Double-action revolver...usually fired by the trigger squeeze, which cocks and then releases the hammer, but CAN be operated like a Single-Action.

The corneredcat.com website is published by another THR member "Pax"..very well written and highly informative site, primarily from a woman's point of view.

Don't forget your "eyes-n-ears" when going to the range. Basic hearing/vision protection is inexpensive, but if not used, will extract a huge toll on you. I constantly have what sounds like a 747 airliner circling my right ear, due in part to shooting unprotected, and part from a "home invasion fanny-smacking"...You would be amazed how much damage can be inflicted with a sock of wet sand...

[lance22]

Welcome! +1 on http://www.corneredcat.com/

[tegemu]

I presume you are a woman and I see you are in Jax, I'm in Orange Park. Hi neighbor, and welcome aboard. The very best recommendation has already been given for all your issues and that is the website www.corneredcat.com , It is written by a VERY knowledgeable woman for women about guns. Her reading is also very entertaining and commmon sense. Have you tried www.floridashootersnetwork.com , a website just for us Gunshine staters. Feel free to email me if you have other questions and I'll give you my phone number so you can call direct. I would be glad to meet you at a range and explain many of your questions and let you do a bit of shooting with my guns.

[Eyesac]

Welcome to THR, happy shooting!