For my wife and I

[Emartinez]

Hello All!

Me and my wife were looking into getting our concealed handgun license and protection. just recently a man was seen at our apartment complex breaking into an apartment. we have a son, and i dont want to be left in the dark.

so my questions are simple..

what would be a good firearm for my wife, something simple, something with stopping power so if im not around or at work, she can handle whoever might try to hurt her or my son.

what would be some good places to look into for AFFORDABLE firearms. i dont need a 500 dollar gun. but i dont want a 20 dollar POS either.

im looking into Hi-point myself.. im just not sure what she would need.

thanks all!

 

[hammerklavier]

There are a lot of variables to consider. First, it sounds like you could start off with a "Home Defense" (HD) gun for your immediate need. That could be a 12 or 20 gauge pump action shotgun which can be had for $300. A medium sized revolver in .38 special might be a good choice also.

Another thing to consider is keeping the HD gun out of reach of your child and yet quickly accessible. As an added barrier I store my HD weapons with no shell in the chamber, although you should carry a fully loaded gun for conceal carry.

For conceal carry, you should visit a range and rent several guns, as the question of what fits you is much more complex.

 

[Emartinez]

no need for shotgun

ill look into those guns, i live about 2 minutes outside of fort hood so everyone is a bit edgy with all the stuff going on here. ill have to goto the store and look around a bit.

i was looking for amore of a reccomendation on good affordable companys

 

[MachIVshooter]

i dont want to be left in the dark.

Flashlights work better than guns for illumintion

Joking aside, a 9mm or .357/.38 revolver would be the way to go. If it is to be carried, smaller will be more agreeable, but felt recoil increases as weight/size decrease.

I'd look at the S&W 6906's CDNN is selling for $299. Originally a $700+ gun, it's one helluva bargain. Small and light enough for carry, but big enough to enjoy on the range:



Or a Glock 19, which can be had for ~$350 as a trade-in:

For a new gun in the $350 range, a S&W Sigma or Ruger P-95 (both full size):

Sigma (17+1 9mm):

P95 (15+1 9mm):

For the .38 Option, S&W 442, followed by Charter small frames (about $350 new):

442:

Charter Undercover:

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

For both of you in this situation, I would get firearms that you would be comfortable carrying all the time, or most of the time, even at home. A lot of the time, people just assume if someone breaks in they'll run and get the gun--often in a locked box or safe. That's not realistic. You also don't want to leave one lying around if you have a son. The logical place for a handgun to protect your family is on your body. The same applies to your wife. On your body at home, all the time and any time away from home that it is practical and legal.

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

How much experience do you have with firearms? Your wife? I find myself assuming there to be not much experience since you don't already own any. If that's the case, I might suggest:

Wife: A .38 special revolver. You can get them pretty cheap, should be able to find one for under $300. VERY simple, can come in stainless, black, or pink (yay! LOL), and can come in very small sizes to larger sizes... light weight to heavier.

You: A 9mm pistol. I cannot recommend Hi-Point. If you cannot afford one for your wife AND one for you at this point (understandable!), then just get one for your wife, like I said above, that she will always carry while at home. Then, you can save up for something for yourself. The Smith and Wesson Sigma shown above can also be bought for under $300. There are things about them that people haven't liked (trigger), but they are very reliable. The Ruger SR9 you can get for under $400 as well as the Kahr CW9 and many, many others for around $400. Saving up for something better than Hi-Point, assuming you can get one for your wife now, is the best course of action.

 

[Thompsoncustom]

ummm you can get a lot of good used guns in that price range, would be best if you and the wife went to a range that rented guns and tired them out.

 

[Byrd666]

Being in Texas and wanting CHL for both you and your wife I'd definitely recommend a semi auto in at least .380 or 9mm. The reason I say that is because the way Texas does it CHL qualifying. If you qual. with a revolver, that's ALL you can carry, if you qual. with a semi auto, you can carry either or both. And also note Texas CHL requires you to qual. with a .32 or larger caliber.

That being said, take a look into the Kel-Tec line. They are inexpensive reliable and comfortable. I also know of at least a dozen people that carry one as a main, and quite a few that carry one as a backup. Cops and deputies included. Link below.

http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/.

Next to and including the previous I am including a link to BUDSGUNSHOP police trade in page. This is an excellent place to look for a lightly used police or law enforcement firearm at a fantastic price.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/654_910/gunbar

On another note, while the Hipoint might be inexpensive, it also weighs like a boat anchor. Even in your wife's purse, I think it would be awfully uncomfortable for you or her to carry it for 16 to 24 hours everyday

 

[harmon rabb]

le sigh

 

[g.willikers]

Maybe some serious training on surviving a home invasion, with the possibility of facing a life threatening situation, is called for?

 

[WinThePennant]

Whenever anyone asks me about the best value for the dollar, I always recommend these two.

Sig P250 (modular gun available in a lot of different assortments).

Sig SP2022.

Both can be had for less than $400 NIB. A Sig for less than $400?!?!?! Everyone should own one!

 

[Emartinez]

That's very good information. She was looking at 38 specials today. She's liking them more and more.

Ill def look into the keltec line..

Yes we will be carrying all the time.

I'm looking into a 9mm and glocks. I'm about 6'2 300 so I'm no little guy.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Ill def look into the keltec line..

I love Kel-Tec, own 5 at present. But....

They are very thin, very small and VERY lightweight-none of these things are desirable in a first autoloader. The PF9 is a fantastic pistol, but most find the recoil impulse of a 12-1/2 ounce 9mm objectionable; Many cannot control it adequately in one-handed operation, which results in jams (limp wristing).

The KT's and other featherweight subcompact autos are not for the beginner.

She may not like the recoil of a lightweight .38, either, but not managing the recoil well won't affect function of the firearm.

If you go the autoloader route, get something larger and heavier until there is a level of comfort and proficiency with handguns that allows you/her to move into something more specialized (read: more challenging to use well)

 

[OARNGESI]

the first gun i purchase was a hi-point 40 then a 45 the are heavy and ugly but reliable at least mine were, but in all honesty i never noticed how big and heavy they really were till i moved on to better more expensive guns.

 

[miles1]

Ruger P95 are sellig under $300.Rugged and dependable.Well worth your money.Ammo is failry cheap but its a bit heavy.If you can afford around $500 then theres a whole lot more option but i wouldnt feel deprived by any means with a Ruger.

 

[Milamber]

Handguns are all in the feel. Go to your LGS and handle them. Sign up for a local gun class. Don't forget the type of rounds you carry. You live in an apartment. So look into different rounds for home and CC. We live in a remote rural area and have had some interesting visitors. They can see hear a shotgun easier than a handgun, something to bear in mind.

 

[3KillerBs]

As a woman I can't emphasize strongly enough that your wife should choose her own gun, preferably after renting and firing a number of different models.

The lightweight, snubby revolvers are hard to shoot accurately, generally have a fairly painful kick, and many women with smaller hands find the heavy, double-action triggers difficult.

The first resource for any woman should be Kathy Jackson's www.corneredcat.com. Lots of practical information there about choosing the gun that best meets your needs, concealing it on a woman's figure, the necessary mindset for self-defense, safety (especially when you have kids around), and more.

My first carry gun was a Taurus 709 Slim 9mm but I recently downsized to an MPA Protector .380. The latter, and similar ultra-compacts, are not likely to be good choices for inexperienced shooters because they have poor sights, stiff springs that make it hard to rack the slide, and uncomfortable recoil.

If a woman has difficulty finding a gun she can operate successfully it may be that she needs a bigger gun rather than a smaller one. My husband's Smith and Wesson's M&P9 is as easy to run as a revolver, has fairly soft recoil, and comes with a set of interchangeable backstraps to adapt it to different hands so that, despite it being a double-stack, our teenage daughter can shoot it. The trade-off is that its difficult to conceal due to its bulk.

For me the ultimate in easy handling is the huge Beretta/Taurus 92 -- but they are far too large to conceal unless you customarily wear a parka.

 

[wild cat mccane]

think like a burglar before you make a gun purchase for home defense.

First thing *I* would do if I robbed someone is do it when they weren't home. Next I would over turn the bed, night stand, and areas around the bed. People hide guns there. Guns are extremely liquid assets. Everyone knows guns are in the bedroom. If you were robbing where else would you go that would give you an immediate $400 dollar steal? No where that I can think of. Bathroom? living room? nope.

If you aren't going to carry it all the time this is a problem to me. If it isn't locked up, I believe the possibilities of coming home during a robbery with the burglar having immediate access to 'protection' in his hand is significant and raises your threat of being killed in the situation. Most robberies do not end in a shooting. Placing a gun in immediate use makes it usable to you and the other guy.

Think about this and plan accordingly.

 

[wild cat mccane]

Honest to god, a can of bear spray is a great home defense item.
30 foot range. Affects everyone in the house/apartment almost instantly. The cloud/spray is so strong that there is a warning of death from pressure within 15 feet if pointed at an eye. Not going to get sued or have to live with having killed someone. Not going to get stolen. Not going to accidentally kill someone you love.

Doesn't always have to be a gun.

 

[Shadow 7D]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=564531
So you want to buy a gun for your wife

Talk to her about what she wants and then let her choose
you might consider getting something that uses the same/similar magazines and caliber
EVEN if it's buying a 59 series S&W and a Keltec P11 (mags are interchangeable)
or glock family

Point is, she needs something she is comfortable with
and for HD there really isn't much to rival the power and ease of use that a shotgun provides. It doesn't have to be a $20 dollar special, it can be your hunting gun, or Old West reenactment gun,

See it isn't the GUN, it YOU and the AMMO.

 

[KodiakBeer]

no need for shotgun

????? Do you have any idea how difficult and expensive it is to become proficient with a handgun? Think thousands of rounds, at $20 a box. If you're willing to get the training and spend the time and money, then get a handgun.

If not, then get a shotgun. A shotgun requires some training also, but it's much easier to master (for home defense at least) than a handgun.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Do you have any idea how difficult and expensive it is to become proficient with a handgun? Think thousands of rounds, at $20 a box. If you're willing to get the training and spend the time and money, then get a handgun.

While I agree that it is much easier to be effective with a scattergun, I don't think it's necessary to train at operator level for a handgun to be an effective SD/HD tool.

A basic pistol course, followed by a more in-depth defensive course, and frequent (read, at least monthly) range vists to maintain proficiency is plenty.

And even at that, how often do we read of people (especially old timers) who basically removed their gun from mothballs to repel an attacker in the home? I'm not saying it's ok to buy a pistol and never or practice or get training, but one needn't be ready for S.W.A.T. quals to effectively employ a pistol defensively.

 

[Psa1m144]

Gunbroker.com almost always has better prices than any gun store or sports store. If you plan on using your purchase for self defense get something reliable... I would say get a Glock but using a handgun in an apartment complex is extremely dangerous due to over penetration. A bullet from a handgun WILL go through multiple walls. Shotgun will be your best bet IMO.

NRA offers "Personal protection in the home" classes. If you plan on owning a firearm, no matter what it is, do NOT skimp on training and practice. PLEASE.

http://www.nrainstructors.org/CourseCatalog.aspx

 

[Hondo 60]

Looking into a High Point?
I thought you said you didn't want a $20 POS?

$500 is too much?
Ask yourself, "What is my life, my wife's life or my son's life worth?"

You can get a good Ruger, Beretta, Smith & Wesson or Glock
for about $400-$500.

If you go too much cheaper you run the risk of a malfunction at the critical moment.

If you're new to guns, think about a revolver.
a 6 shot .357 magnum is easier for a lot of women than trying to rack a slide on a semi-auto

 

[iron horse]

We know of a lady in our area that lived through a forced entry from an unknown scumbag. When she noticed him staring at her from her kitchen window, she ran as fast as she could to get her 5 shot S&W revolver from the bedroom. She said that by the time she grabbed the gun from the nightstand and turned around to close/lock the bedroom door, the scumbag had already broken the patio door and was running down the hallway to her bedroom. She pointed and began to pull the trigger until he grabbed at his leg and turned around and ran off. She had fired all 5shots. He was never caught.

She said that she wished she had a heavier gun with more rounds. But, she also said she was thankful that she did not have to rack a slide or flip a safety or cock the hammer before firing the first shot (she also said she should have had an alarm system or a dog for even a few seconds warning). She still keeps the S&W 5 shot ready, but her primary home defense weapon is now a 6 shot Ruger GP 100 (and she has a dog in the yard).

Securing any gun with children in the home is another critical issue (as we know 2 families over the years, that have had in home accidental shooting deaths of children by children).

Our current home defense handguns are the Ruger GP 100 and Ruger SP101. I am currently searching for a medium and compact semi autos that I can use for carry and backup that use the same mags AND if either are left at home, my wife can use if needed (with extended mags). For my requirements (all metal, no slide mounted safety, no 9mm) I am looking at the Sig P220/Carry and Compact .45 combo or the Jericho Subcompact and Compact .40 combo.