Newly Single, 40+ female, Home Alone - What Would You Recommend (story)?

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DonNikmare

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A friend of mine at work(hospital) is getting devorced and children have or are about to 'fly away from the nest' so she'll be home alone in a big house with two dogs and a sock full of marbles. Dogs are great but, as I and several other co-workers convinced her today, not enough.

It was pretty funny. I work with mostly Nurses and therapists and it turns out most of them have a gun or two at home for self-defense :what: One after the other said stuff like: "Oh yeah, I have a ...357, .22, .380, .38, etc." But hey, it's Texas :D One Nurse said: "Well, you know, I really don't like guns but we have to have one for..., you know, defending my family."

A former army guy, who is partially responsible for getting me into guns, started it all off by saying "You have to get a gun now. It's what they call "the great equalizer."
My friend, a meek catholic Nurse, responded by declaring: "Oh, a gun?!? I would never have a gun in my house! I have a sock full of marbles under my bed. I got that idea from watching Oprah one time...I'll just swing it like this over my head." Priceless! :rolleyes:
After she endured a couple of hours of marble and CSI related jokes and some more exegesis on "the great equalizer" concept she started to come around, got this really serious thoughtful look on her face as if she was imagining all the horrible things that could happen to her and finally said: "Well, I'll have to think and pray about it some more but what gun do you think I should get...and will you show me how to shoot it?"

I recommeded a .357 revolver loaded with .38 ammo and pointed out the benefits of the set up but promised that I would ask here so that if she continues to want one she gets the best possible set up for her.

She would not be able to comfortably pull the slide of a semi so let's stick with revolvers. She will not CCW so it'll stricktly be a home gun.

What would you recommend?

Please give me some ideas of what brand/model, barrel length, and related pricing info if you know it.

Nik
 
I gave my mom a S&W Model 36. I think they call it the "lady smith" now. It's a little 5-shot .38. It's as simple as any revolver, and it fits the lady's hand better than a larger pistol.
 
Ruger GP100 .357Magnum in Stainless, with a 4-inch barrel.

That's what my wife chose after trying several different revolvers and semi-auto pistols. She keeps it loaded with .38Special +P hollowpoints. (She doesn't like the recoil or noise of the Magnum rounds.)

It's a big gun, she's only 5'4" and 130lb., I thought it would be too heavy for her. But she is scary accurate with it.
 
Recommend for her?

1. An NRA Basic Pistol course.

2. That she then go several times to the range and practice with rented/borrowed guns in .22 and .38 or 9mm.

3. An NRA Personal Protection in the Home course.

4. More practice with rented/borrowed guns.

5. Let HER decide what she wants.
 
Hmm.
Even though she asked about what type to get, it doesn't sound like she gets it. I would suggest taking her to the dojo with her sock of marbles and letting her try to fend off a really big guy with it. Or even a determined 13 year old. This should cause the point to sink in.
After that,
1. An NRA Basic Pistol course.

2. That she then go several times to the range and practice with rented/borrowed guns in .22 and .38 or 9mm.

3. An NRA Personal Protection in the Home course.

4. More practice with rented/borrowed guns.

5. Let HER decide what she wants.
Click to expand...
 
A shotgun would be a great advice. My suggestion would be a 20 ga. pump shotgun, such as the Remington 870.

If she wants something more compact, revolver wise, My recommendation would be the S&W 66 (K frame).

Its lighter than the L frame, and since she'll be mostly shooting .38 spl outta it, that gun would be more than adequate enough.

Snub nose revolvers can pack a punch for the shooter, since this gun isn't going to be used for CCW, I'd recommend something more full size, or in my recommendation... compact.
 
I thought Infidel had a very good idea. There are some good ranges with good selections of rental pistols in your area (Bullet Trap and DFW Gun Range come to mind). Let us know how it turns out.
 
Buy her a copy of _Women and Guns_ magazine. It's often available on the magazine stands at larger bookstores, or see http://womenandguns.com/ . Seeing other women confidently discussing various aspects of gun ownership and shooting can be a big help, and the information in each issue is useful as well. This is a big step for lots of women and may take some time, too much chiding/picking on is not necessarily a good idea in advancing the process as it can foster resentment and resistance.

Meanwhile get her out to the range in the hands of a patient and competent instructor, preferably another woman. Let her try a variety of firearms and make her own decision based on what she has confidence in after she gets some hands-on experience.

lpl/nc
 
My wifes first gun was a S&W model 60, she loved it and got alot of fun out of it! Now she has upgraded to a Ladysmith 3913 and is looking at Colt defender now! If its the ladys first handgun I would suggest a revolver in .38 or somthing in that area! :D
 
A shotgun would be a great advice. My suggestion would be a 20 ga. pump shotgun, such as the Remington 870.
Click to expand...

yes, exactly, but in the YOUTH CUT: 20" barrel, shorter stock. Easy for the ladies to handle and wield in close quarters. Loaded with birdshot to limit penetration through walls etc...

Of course then there WAS the old Police chief's wife that picked the .357 over the shotgun in a pinch because she didn't want to mess up the new kicthen cabinets... :D
 
If she settles on a shotgun, don't suggest she get a youth model unless she is very small and/or shoots one and makes the decision herself.
 
Many reccomend small handguns for women, but the fact is that small handguns kick harder than bigger ones.

Since many women are big on moisturizers for soft hands, the heavy DA pull of a revolver is something she will have to decide she can live with. Do NOT ger serrated trigger!

I think the previous advice to rent/try out all types is good.
 
You might want to share this information with your friend. It is straight out of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (emphasis added by me)

"2263 The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional killing. "The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the preservation of one's own life; and the killing of the aggressor. . . . The one is intended, the other is not."65

2264 Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow:

If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful. . . . Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one's own life than of another's.66

2265 Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.
 
I recommeded a .357 revolver loaded with .38 ammo and pointed out the benefits of the set up but promised that I would ask here so that if she continues to want one she gets the best possible set up for her.
Click to expand...
I think your advice to her was excellent.

The shotgun is undoubtedly the superior weapon, but a shotgun can be VERY intimidating to a would-be gun owner or someone who is not comfortable with guns, they are somewhat more difficult to secure while you are away due to size, and the handgun would be a LOT easier for her to keep nearby wherever she is in the house. From your description of her, I doubt she'd prop an 870 in the corner when she's in the living room reading a book, but she might keep the .38 handy...
 
I'm a Catholic -- you could show her "Death Wish." There's a scene where Charles Bronson swings a sock full of coins around and it breaks. That might spell it out for her. If she's going to carry, I'd recommend the S&W 649/638 Bodyguards or the model 60 2" that I own. I use it with .38s only and it's a great gun but I'd add a nice Hogue grip on them as the factory ones are awful. Might try it with magnums soon. :)

Laura
 
Just noticed that you don't indicate if she wants to carry or keep it at home. That would make a difference. If just for the home, The S&W 686 4" or 2" would be a good choice, a GP 100 3", SP101 3", model 60 or 65 Lady Smith. Sticking with revolvers would be a wise move. Also, a little weight would help with the recoil. Even a model 10 is a good option. I think once she gets her permit, she needs to spend a little time trying some out on her own.
 
a Ruger SP101 with Wolff spring kit (to ensure the double action pull is not too much). have her practice with .38 mid range loads to her hearts content and gradually work up to the .357s. this is what i did for my girlfriend (she was living alone with no weapon in the house when we met). she is barely 100# and 5'2". the factory Ruger double action pull was too much, but the Wolff spring kit (and an action cleaning/lube job) reduced the pull a lot and still functions 100% with everything that gets stuffed into it. she keeps me busy reloading .38s now.

monty
 
Get her a couple of room mates. There should be some people at the hospital (nursing students, etc.) looking to stay someplace.

Or ...... get her out of the house into a condo situation.
 
20 ga coach gun. Short, easy manual of arms, packs enough whallop, and being 20 ga, not to hard on the shooter.

coach-guns.gif
 
And the winner is:

A shotgun would be a great advice. My suggestion would be a 20 ga. pump shotgun, such as the Remington 870.
Click to expand...

I would add to that a pistol gripped short barrelled IC 20 ga pump is small enough for any woman or youth to handle and distributes the recoil into both hands and arms. SG shells as we all know are bigger and autoindex better in one's hands in the dark and in distress mode than handgun cartridges.

Shot placement and marksmanship are less critical [I didn't say non-critical] with a SG loaded with bird shot.

S-
 
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