Delford
Member
I'd like to reiterate what several wise and knowledgable posters have said: LET HER CHOOSE HER OWN GUN!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Advice: HD lady gun
- Thread starter RPRNY
- Start date
- Status
My wife & I are slowly going through this process. When we married she had a Taurus morel 85 snubnosed .38. It was her gun & she was not open to change though she had never shot it. I got her to shoot it. Some years went by & I got her to shoot it again. She has now realized she does not like how snappy it is. I let her shoot my little Taurus 9mm PT 111 Millenium G2 she did not like how snappy it is either. I loaded up my 4" barreled old Dan Wesson model 15 .357 with .38's & she likes it. The next step I have in mind is getting her to try a mid sized 9mm. My wife wants to carry & she wants to use a belly band type set up so I am trying to move her toward something with a harder trigger pull or a safety. Right now we are looking at either the Ruger 9E (budget version of a SR9) or a S&W SD9 VE. That may not be where we end up but that is what I would like her to try next.
Edited to add: In all honesty I am trying to get her something she will like using but I also kinda want my .357 back.
Edited to add: In all honesty I am trying to get her something she will like using but I also kinda want my .357 back.
Tallball
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,803
"Most every shooter I work with starts off with a Browning Buck Mark (fantastic piece). We work upward from there."
Yeah. I have taught at least a dozen new shooters, probably more than that. Almost all of them have been women or young people. I prefer to start with a Ruger Single Six 22, then a Browning Buck Mark 22. After that a Ruger Single Six 32 (loaded with gentle 32 S&W long), then a Colt 1903 32acp. Almost everyone can handle a Colt Government Model 380 after that, and most are okay with a K frame and mild 38's. Then they just keep moving up 'til they get past their comfort zone and move back down.
If everything is comfortable and not intimidating and they start off with a 22, it will always turn out well.
Yeah. I have taught at least a dozen new shooters, probably more than that. Almost all of them have been women or young people. I prefer to start with a Ruger Single Six 22, then a Browning Buck Mark 22. After that a Ruger Single Six 32 (loaded with gentle 32 S&W long), then a Colt 1903 32acp. Almost everyone can handle a Colt Government Model 380 after that, and most are okay with a K frame and mild 38's. Then they just keep moving up 'til they get past their comfort zone and move back down.
If everything is comfortable and not intimidating and they start off with a 22, it will always turn out well.
He can do this and still talk to people here about it. Let's stop telling him to let her choose or cornered cat. Everyone knows by now. Where is that beating a dead horse smilie?
lefteyedom
Member
Let HER pick the gun she likes.
You will have a happier life.
That said, this is a perfect example of why the M1 carbine ( and other pistol caliber carbine) is such a better weapon for HD than many pistols.
Granted not so good for carring in a purse to church socials
You will have a happier life.
That said, this is a perfect example of why the M1 carbine ( and other pistol caliber carbine) is such a better weapon for HD than many pistols.
Granted not so good for carring in a purse to church socials
Lost Sheep
Member
My recommendation
Most of the foregoing are spot-on. Long gun and revolver recomendations especially for someone reluctant to do a lot of training.
By the way, a firearm (especially handguns) will encourage training only if they can produce good groups. Good groups are VERY encouraging to the practitioner to continue practicing. Random hits with little ability to control the points of impact are very discouraging (in my opinion and experience).
I will start off-topic and bring it around to your original question towards the end.
First, non-gun alternatives might be your friend's best alternative. (I don't recommend pepper spray inside a home, although the decontamination -no matter how expensive- would be cheaper than any lawsuit wrongfully brought to your doorstep.) The prior suggestions of .38 Special revolver are good. Not too large and not too muych recoil, but the .38 has a long history of discouraging intruders and wrongdoers.
However, for anyone interested in defending a home, start where the efforts produce the most effect. Prevention.
First, create defensible space around your home. No hiding places, good lighting secure windows and doors that cannot be breached with anything less than the "jaws of life". There's more you can do with passive defense, but you get the idea. Preparation is key.
Then an early warning system. The only thing better at sounding an alarm at a stranger's approach than a good, protective dog is a couple of geese. They honk at everything new. And you can't bribe a goose with a hamburger. Unfortunately, you can't housebreak a goose, either.
However, a dog has other advantages.
As a tool for home defense (and even away from home, too), a dog in the 75-150 lb range is great. The right species (of which there are many), will be good with kids, protective of the home (whether you are home or not), intimidating to evildoers even on the street or in a parking lot, yet not so alarming to anti-gun types. They make good burglar alarms that never need batteries. They also have other benefits, like; They enable good exercise, are excellent psychiatrists, and allow the children to learn about raising a being who is dependent on them, unselfishness, responsibility, loyalty, and a different kind of love than family bonds. Just remember, that the amount you practice with your handgun, you should also invest in training with your dog. They will love you for it.
One more thing. You can warm your toes under a sleeping dog. Not a good idea under a gun.
In firarms, generally, the most effective gun choice is a short barrelled long gun. Something two-handed with a stock is MUCH easier to hit with. If you are (your friend) is taking a stationary defensive position (see "safe room" below) mobility is not an issue. For the recoil-sensitive, a 20 gauge (or the much ignored, so-called "sweet sixteen") 16 gauge shotgun is an excellent choice. Both are lighter than a 12-gauge and less recoil, but the action is the same as 12-gauge, so familiarity is transferable between arms.
For home defense, get yourself and your family into a "safe room" where you will be keeping a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. There is only one thing more compelling toward a hasty exit than the sound of a pump shotgun's closing bolt. If that sound comes from behind a closed door, no sane criminal will ever open that door. And if he does, an 18" shotgun is a lot easier to shoot straight and true than any handgun. The right loads can also be selected that won't penetrate your exterior walls to endanger your neighbors.
It has been said many times (so much so that I do not know the original author) that a handgun is what you use to fight your way back to your REAL weapon. Remember, a short-barrelled long gun with a stock (none of those pistol grips) is MUCH easier to hit with.
I will steal a line from someone else I have seen on these forums. Sorry, I don't have the name handy to give full credit. "If you find yourself in a fair fight, then your tactics suck." Prepare beforehand, so you will never have to be in a fight at all, much less give your opponent a fair one.
Right to self-defense generates an obligation to train enough to be responsible in its use and careful consideration of one's willingness to use that force. And remember, even a dog brings responsibility to your doorstep. What brings more responsibiity? A gun or a dog?
Thanks for reading.
Lost Sheep
Most of the foregoing are spot-on. Long gun and revolver recomendations especially for someone reluctant to do a lot of training.
By the way, a firearm (especially handguns) will encourage training only if they can produce good groups. Good groups are VERY encouraging to the practitioner to continue practicing. Random hits with little ability to control the points of impact are very discouraging (in my opinion and experience).
I will start off-topic and bring it around to your original question towards the end.
First, non-gun alternatives might be your friend's best alternative. (I don't recommend pepper spray inside a home, although the decontamination -no matter how expensive- would be cheaper than any lawsuit wrongfully brought to your doorstep.) The prior suggestions of .38 Special revolver are good. Not too large and not too muych recoil, but the .38 has a long history of discouraging intruders and wrongdoers.
However, for anyone interested in defending a home, start where the efforts produce the most effect. Prevention.
First, create defensible space around your home. No hiding places, good lighting secure windows and doors that cannot be breached with anything less than the "jaws of life". There's more you can do with passive defense, but you get the idea. Preparation is key.
Then an early warning system. The only thing better at sounding an alarm at a stranger's approach than a good, protective dog is a couple of geese. They honk at everything new. And you can't bribe a goose with a hamburger. Unfortunately, you can't housebreak a goose, either.
However, a dog has other advantages.
As a tool for home defense (and even away from home, too), a dog in the 75-150 lb range is great. The right species (of which there are many), will be good with kids, protective of the home (whether you are home or not), intimidating to evildoers even on the street or in a parking lot, yet not so alarming to anti-gun types. They make good burglar alarms that never need batteries. They also have other benefits, like; They enable good exercise, are excellent psychiatrists, and allow the children to learn about raising a being who is dependent on them, unselfishness, responsibility, loyalty, and a different kind of love than family bonds. Just remember, that the amount you practice with your handgun, you should also invest in training with your dog. They will love you for it.
One more thing. You can warm your toes under a sleeping dog. Not a good idea under a gun.
In firarms, generally, the most effective gun choice is a short barrelled long gun. Something two-handed with a stock is MUCH easier to hit with. If you are (your friend) is taking a stationary defensive position (see "safe room" below) mobility is not an issue. For the recoil-sensitive, a 20 gauge (or the much ignored, so-called "sweet sixteen") 16 gauge shotgun is an excellent choice. Both are lighter than a 12-gauge and less recoil, but the action is the same as 12-gauge, so familiarity is transferable between arms.
For home defense, get yourself and your family into a "safe room" where you will be keeping a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. There is only one thing more compelling toward a hasty exit than the sound of a pump shotgun's closing bolt. If that sound comes from behind a closed door, no sane criminal will ever open that door. And if he does, an 18" shotgun is a lot easier to shoot straight and true than any handgun. The right loads can also be selected that won't penetrate your exterior walls to endanger your neighbors.
It has been said many times (so much so that I do not know the original author) that a handgun is what you use to fight your way back to your REAL weapon. Remember, a short-barrelled long gun with a stock (none of those pistol grips) is MUCH easier to hit with.
I will steal a line from someone else I have seen on these forums. Sorry, I don't have the name handy to give full credit. "If you find yourself in a fair fight, then your tactics suck." Prepare beforehand, so you will never have to be in a fight at all, much less give your opponent a fair one.
Right to self-defense generates an obligation to train enough to be responsible in its use and careful consideration of one's willingness to use that force. And remember, even a dog brings responsibility to your doorstep. What brings more responsibiity? A gun or a dog?
Thanks for reading.
Lost Sheep
Last edited:
Lost Sheep
Member
Last edited:
old lady new shooter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2015
- Messages
- 30,597
A carbine is difficult for many women to shoot unrested, it is very heavy for the support arm. That was my experience in the rifle class I recently took. I liked shooting the AR-15, but I didn't like having to put it down to rest after every 3 shots.
TimSr
Member
I think way too much thought goes into selecting the perfect defensive weapon for a beginning or inexperienced shooter. Today you look for the most enjoyable shooting gun at the range so she can develop an interest and enjoyment from shooting. If you get that part right, it will evolve into picking more suitable defense weapons tomorrow. Carry weapons tend to be less enjoyable to shoot at the range than "range toys".
I'm much more motivated to walk a trail than a treadmill. One is enjoyment, the other is work. Don't turn enjoyable range time into "work", especially for somebody who is obviously so averse to recoil. I light recoil target gun with a sight plain for target shooting is fun and builds confidence. Combat training can wait.
I'm much more motivated to walk a trail than a treadmill. One is enjoyment, the other is work. Don't turn enjoyable range time into "work", especially for somebody who is obviously so averse to recoil. I light recoil target gun with a sight plain for target shooting is fun and builds confidence. Combat training can wait.
My wife chose her first gun without my help. A smith and Wesson 5 shot revolver in357. She shoots it very well in both .38 and hot 357 loads. When she decided it was to heavy and bulky to carry all the time she bought a Berretta 32 Tomcat. Nice little gun!
I took my sister in law out to shoot pistols for the first time ever a few weeks ago because she wants something for HD. On top of the fridge so the grands can't get to it HD. We shot a plethora of guns from 22, 380, 38, 9mm, Mak and one 45. She eventually settled on the Ruger P-85. I was surprised because it is a big frame gun but she found the operation and recoil to her liking.
Maybe yours would like a Bersa Thunder in 380. Very manageable gun that most women seem to like.
I am not scared to offer the PMR30 as an HD alternative. It's big and loud but virtually no recoil and 30 rounds of 22 mag.
Maybe yours would like a Bersa Thunder in 380. Very manageable gun that most women seem to like.
I am not scared to offer the PMR30 as an HD alternative. It's big and loud but virtually no recoil and 30 rounds of 22 mag.
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