Defensive handguns: Did I give good advice?

[bestseller92]

A lady on a non-gun, local community board posted this on a thread about firearms started by someone else:

"My Lorcin 330 auto jams on me once in a while. I sure wouldn't want it to jam if I was having to protect myself or family.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this?"


This was my reply to her:

"Yes. Ditch the Lorcin and get a Glock or a Ruger. I don't mean to impugn your equipment, but Lorcins are not well though of, so far as reliability goes.

I'd recommend, if you want a reliable semi auto at the best possible price, a Ruger P95 9mm. You can get a new one for around $320, and they are STONE COLD reliable. Glocks are also stone reliable, but they go for around $480.

Of course, you could also go with a revolver. Ruger, Smith and Wesson and Taurus make great ones. For a home defense piece, I'd suggest a four inch barrelled .357. You can shoot .38 Specials in a .357 if you're uncomfortable with full Magnums."

What do you think of the advice I gave her? It tempting not to say more about the Lorcin, but I didn't want to be too negative about her weapon and piss her off.

Just in case she decides to keep the Lorcin, I added this in a second reply:

"If you do decide to keep the Lorcin and not get another weapon, I'd make sure to keep it very clean and well lubed. Don't get me wrong -- you don't want it swimming in oil, but it must be well lubed to function at all. Use a good quality gun oil like Hoppes or Rem Oil. WD 40 is not a good gun lube. It's a great detergent and rust preventative, but it's not meant as a long term lube -- it evaporates."

And then I felt so strongly about this lady's need to upgrade her weaponry that I went back and added this comment:

"I cannot stress strongly enough, though, the vital need for absolute reliability in a defensive weapon. Hopefully you'll never need any gun for defense, but if you do, you'll need it REALLY BADLY, and you'll need it RIGHT THEN. There won't be time to clear a jam -- what's annoying when you're shooting for fun or practice is flat out deadly when you're shooting for your life. So (and again, not meaning to impugn what you already have) I would strongly urge you, if you can afford it at all, to consider an upgrade in weaponry.

Just my 2 cents."


I think I did all I could do. The rest is up to her and her family.

 

[bestseller92]

Just to note, I recommended the Glock or Ruger (as opposed to some other quality brand) because I have a lot of personal experience with those brands of autos.

 

[357wheelgunner]

"I'd recommend, if you want a reliable semi auto at the best possible price, a Ruger P95 9mm. You can get a new one for around $320, and they are STONE COLD reliable. Glocks are also stone reliable, but they go for around $480.

Of course, you could also go with a revolver. Ruger, Smith and Wesson and Taurus make great ones. For a home defense piece, I'd suggest a four inch barrelled .357. You can shoot .38 Specials in a .357 if you're uncomfortable with full Magnums.""

I say the exact thing for new shooters, except I never mention Taurus because of their hit or miss quality control.

 

[FieroCDSP]

I had a lady in looking for an HD shotgun, but all I carry are full-length barreled Mossbergs and Remys. After finally getting the details of what she wanted it for (HD+maybe just wasting cans) I recommended the Remington 870 HD, because it was around the same price and more suited for what she was looking to use it for. I also told her where she could find one, since my company only carries specific models per district. Everyone should have a weapon suited for the task, at least until they come up with the 1K yard accurate, concealable, semi-auto, hi-cap mag fed, night-sighted, integral supressed, caseless shotgun. But then those would be evil because they're SBG's and subsequently banned.

 

[lee n. field]

What do you think of the advice I gave her? It tempting not to say more about the Lorcin, but I didn't want to be too negative about her weapon and piss her off.

Pretty well stated, IMHO.

She may have the Lorcin because of it's price. If so, I feel for her. I remember, back in the day it took me literally years to pull together the spare $200 my Taurus wheelgun cost me then.

 

[MikePGS]

Good job, you get a gold star.

 

[Old Fuff]

Ditching the Lorcin was good advice, but after that I'm not too sure.

If I understand correctly you have never met this lady, and know nothing about her background, training (if any) or experience. While I agree the Ruger pistols are outstanding buys, the double-column magazine sized handle is sometimes a bit too large for a lady to get a good grip on. Given its design, I would never recommend the Glock pistol to an inexperienced person. Of all of the available options this one requires a high degree of training and practice.

A mid-frame .38 Special revolver would have a lot to recommend it, but the .357 Magnum cartridge is a poor choice for home protection because of the potential for excessive penetration, and would add to the basic cost of the revolver.

Beyond that, your advise was helpful - but it may have been somewhat overwhelming too.

 

[bakert]

I agree with Old Fuff. I really like the Ruger P95 but like he said the grip is fairly large as are those of other double stack autos.There's a lot of good both new and used .38 Sp. revolvers out there. Simple, pretty much idiot proof and easy to shoot. Many women, like my own wife just seem to do better with the revolver, especially at first.

 

[fattsgalore]

You put her on the right path. Good job, pat your self on the back and get a cookie.
But don't scare her into beliving the guns worthless, something is better then nothing I've always been told. I'd take a .22 over a stick or knife anyday, you know what I'm saying.

 

[bestseller92]

Apparently what I said resonated with her, because I logged on to the forum this morning to find this reply:

"Best.......your the......BEST!! I also have an old .38 police special that belonged to my dad.

I will spend the extra money and get the Glock. Heck, I would like a bazooka, but you know how that goes!!

I never intend to use it, but if I ever had to, I want to be sure that I don't have to worry about it jamming! I want the mere visual aspect of the weapon to do most of the work!

I remember as a kid, sitting and watching my papa clean and care for all of his guns. He was an avid hunter, as was my dad and my brother and nephew are as well. I can still remember the smell and hear that cleaning rod as he rammed it through the barrel. I miss my papa!!"

 

[bestseller92]

Also, though I believe any intelligent person who can safely handle a Lorcin (CAN Lorcins be safely handled ? ) can safely handle a Glock, I did, in my reply to her, recommend that she at least handle the gun before she buys it (to see if it fits her hand) and that she get someone she can trust to show her its slightly unique manual of arms before she uses it. Failing that, I suggested she take a course at a local gun range (she lives in St. Louis, and visits the local Oklahoma community board because she was from here originally).

I also recommended that she get Massad Ayoob's "In the Gravest Extreme".

 

[NavyLCDR]

You know, there was a guy on another gun board who gave a lady just like this the exact same advice

 

[bestseller92]

I posted this on three of the gun boards that I frequent. Never hurts to get lots of good advice when you're trying to give good advice.

 

[oldrifleman]

bestseller92,

Great advice, but please heed what 357wheelgunner had to say. Back in Missouri, I worked for a gunshop, and folks would come in not knowing what they wanted. One day, an elderly couple, in their late sixties, came in. The gentleman was about 6'7" tall, and about 200lbs. His wife was about 5'2" tall, probably no more than 95lbs. He wanted a .22LR, as he felt he, and his wife, could safely use it for HD/SD. They'd had their home burgled while away for a few days, and were justifiably concerned. I took the gentleman aside, and asked him if the .22LR was his choice, or his wife's. It was his. I took the wife aside, and asked her to give me the strongest handshake she could, to really try and hurt me. After assuring her that she couldn't, and no man has to date, she did. Her grip was stronger than her husbands. I asked her what kind of gun she wanted, and got surprised. She wanted a S&W .44 magnum just like Dirty Harry. Hmmmm.

She's in her late sixties, has a great grip, and has more guts than her husband. I took her over to the gun case, and she immediately spoted a Model 629, and said, "I'll take it." What are ya gonna do?

I asked her if she'd ever shot a gun... Yep, her Daddy's 20ga shotgun, many years before. She wanted to know how to shoot the gun, and what ammo to use... Well, when they left, both knew the Weaver stance (I'm old fashioned, I guess), and a hundred rounds of Silvertips in .44 Special.

A week later, they come back, the wife all smiles, and the husband embarassed. She handed me two paper targets, shot at 25yards. Her grouping was in the black, and no more than 3" edge to edge. His? It looked like a shotgun with a very wide pattern- not one round through the black. I suggested that he see a vision specialist, and leave the combat handgunnery to his wife, until he was able to shoot better... THREE weeks later, they returned, him with glasses, and he was almost as good as his wife... When I last saw them four years ago, and into their early seventies, they were still shooting, every week, and both had "Dirty Harry" guns...

oldrifleman, out...