Home defense handgun

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RustyShackelford said:
The late Robert Boatman, www.Boatmanbooks.com made the comment; Intimidation misses 100% of the time. :D
His meaning: a big scary gun is 100% worthless if you(or any family member/spouse) are unable or unwilling to use it.

I agree with taking her out to shoot or try a few brands, as noted too, only hits count. If the woman can use a medium frame DA revolver & shoot .38spl loads, fine. As she practices or trains, then she can move up to .38spl +P or even a .357magnum, then maybe buy a 9x19mm or .40S&W.
You don't need a 10ga shotgun or a .50BMG M-2 to defend yourself. :rolleyes:
Carbines can do okay if the home owner desires a white light or laser system with a pistol caliber.
A 5.56mm - is a bit much IMO for most dwellings. A .38spl K frame or a .357magnum like a SP101 or 686+ with .38spl rounds can do fine to start.
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How so?

Do we need to start yet another "5.56 for home defense" thread in general gun or rifles in order to discuss this (again)?
 
I bought a SP101 for my wife. Problem being she doesn't practice enough to shoot very well DA mode.
Last time at the range I had her try my M&P9. After some modest coaching from our Chief of ranges, she was doing quite well with it.
She doesn't have much hand strength due to a hand injury, so racking the slide didn't go well. Fortunately she was able to shoot with her wrist locked enough to avoid any malfunctions.
 
I would recommend the berretta cx4 storm carbine. At 29 inches, its very easy to carry through tight spaces, and much easier to shoot than a pistol considering the wrist strength issues.
 
Same boat

I've been in the same boat. I bought my wife a G19 thinking it ideal for her small hands. She didn't have issues shooting it, but had trouble with the manual of arms, loading magazines and racking the slide. Racking the slide was the biggest issue since she's tiny and starting to get osteoarthritis. Since she couldn't truly load and manipulate it properly, she was never comfortable with it and it was never 'her gun'.

We tried several guns and found a few she could rack, like the LC380, but she still wasn't comfortable. She finally found a gun she could fully and comfortably manipulate in the 4" GP100.

While she had trouble with the DA trigger on the SP101, the DA trigger pull on the well worn and slick GP100 was fine for her. Recoil with .38 Specials in the heavy GP100 is minimal, particularly with the rubber grips. The size of the stock grips was really the only issue and we ended up with the Hogue 'Tamer' grip. This reduces the distance from the backstrap by about 1/16 inch over the stock grip, and does help a little. Best of all, she can operate it like a pro. It's 'her gun'. She can take it to the range without me and that has bolstered her confidence immensely.
 
geekWithA.45 said:
Sigh.

"What house defense gun for unenthusiastic shooter only willing to put in the bare minimum effort?"

No, not a shotgun. They are creatures of vast noise and recoil, and generally disliked by folks fitting that description.

No, not a handgun, they take more to master than they're willing to put in, and specifically, not a double action revolver with its heavy, nuanced trigger.

This is where the pistol caliber carbine shines, so why do anything else?

Oh, and blame the feds for making PDW form factor guns legally problematic.
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Agreed. During the course of my first marriage we used a 9mm AR15.

Shotgun was out. The problem with the youth model 20 gauge and decent defense ammo is the lighter weight resulted in more recoil than my heavy, 20" 590 loaded with low-recoil 00B. Followup shots and short stroking the pump were also issues.

I've seen many new shooters miss a static target 5 yards away in a controled envrionment. Add stress, movement, lack of practice, being half asleep, it only gets worse.

These same new shooters had no problem hitting a B27 with my 9mm or .22lr AR15 at 25 yards. Sometime groups, sometimes patterns, but they were getting more hits at 5 times the distance.

For a cheap "toss it in the closet just in case gun" I'd look into a HiPoint Carbine or Keltec sub2000. If you want to spend more, you could build an 11.5" 9mm AR with a Sig arm brace.
 
I suggested an XDm 9mm because my wife, too, has had issue racking the slide on many pistols. THe XDm has a better grip than a Glock, but still offers high capacity and a mountable flashlight option.

A little bit of practice, and perhaps a small bit of training (there are youtube videos on how women can better rack a slide) and most all women would be comfortable. My wife's hands are small.
 
RE: Racking a semi auto handgun slide

Make sure the method first used and instructed is to hold the slide overhand (not slingshot) with the support hand, then with the strong hand on the grip use the whole body/hips to shove the grip forward while holding the slide (or pushing the slide back).

For many people, especially healthy women who just aren't very strong but are not handicapped or injured, it is simply a matter of technique and repetition to be good to go

Quick Google image search example

rackslidep-moving.jpg
 
I would suggest a double action revolver in .357. She can always load it with .38s but has the capability for .357s if she ever wants the greater firepower.

My wife shoots both semi-autos and revolvers but prefers the revolver for self defense. She has an older Charter Arms stainless 3" Bulldog in .44 Special loaded with 200 Gr. Gold Dots that she keeps in her vehicle. At home she has a S&W 4" Model 19 with .357 Hornady Home Defense ammo.

Odd as it may seem, she prefers an East German Makarov loaded with Hornady XTPs for carry.
 
A shotgun in 20 gauge sounds like your best bet. Less recoil than a bigger shotgun but very lethal.
She won't have to worry about precise aiming, like with a handgun. Just point and shoot. They even come on junior sizes.
 
A new semi auto that is impressing the heck out of me to the point that I'm 99% sure I'll be buying one is the HK VP9. Lots of good features that would make it suitable for your wife's use:
-immune to any limp-wristing issues from all reports
-the backstrap and grip panels can be adjusted to fit virtually any hand
-it has little ridges at the rear of the slide to aid in cocking that should really aid anyone of limited hand strength.
-the trigger is excellent, the best by far of any stricken gun and just plain good regardless of trigger type, very crisp release.

Just throwing it out for consideration..
 
I would be very inclined to go PCC for her with a second choice of shotgun. A lot of pistol rounds really change when fired from a 16" barrel rather than a 4" I would probably go with 9mm because there is a plethora of good defense rounds available that will certainly perform at increased velocity. I would not buy a hi point 995 (had one, hated it, sold it) but I would look at the cx4 the new offerings from taurus, or even handgun caliber ARs. I think I would skip the levergun option for .357 I'd she doesn't enjoy shooting because they are not tremendously easy to be proficient with where the AR is as simple as pulling the trigger when the sights line up.
 
I think the OP should keep buying guns for himself until his wife decided she likes one of them. ;)

And I though the question was about home defense. There seem to be a few giving tactical offensive advice.

If I ever think somebody's in the house who may do us harm the wife and I are staying put in the bedroom and heaven help anyone that tries to come through the door.

I've never bothered to pick up a weapon of any kind when I leave the bedroom to investigate "noises".
 
duanebuck.schultz said:
A shotgun in 20 gauge sounds like your best bet. Less recoil than a bigger shotgun but very lethal.
She won't have to worry about precise aiming, like with a handgun. Just point and shoot. They even come on junior sizes.
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Please stop spreading misinformation
 
There is a common misconception that a shotgun doesn't have to be aimed... just point and shoot. At home defense distances the pattern will only be a few inches in diameter. That makes for an easy miss if just pointing it in a stressed situation.

While a shotgun is great for defense I wouldn't recommend one for your wife. First off they're too awkward to handle in close quarters. If she was actually attacked the perp could easily wrestle it from her grip. Try lying in bed with a shotgun and aiming at the bedroom door without getting up. The best thing to do in a home break-in is to either stay in bed and pull your knees up and rest your hand while aiming at the door or, if possible, roll out of bed on the side opposite the door and use the bed for cover and support. Stay quiet, never call out saying, "I've got a gun". Be sure of your target and shoot as soon as you have a clear shot... two rounds. Then stay put and listen. I keep a small light on in the hallway. that way anyone entering is silhouetted while in still in the dark. And for God's sake... always know your target and don't shoot a family member!

I'd stick with a revolver in .357 and start her out with.38s.
 
I am editing my response. You said previously she could care less about guns.... Don't get her a handgun! How about an 18.5" barrel pump shotgun with a telestock , or a bullpup pistol caliber rifle?

I frequently get asked by friends/colleagues what a good HD weapon would be. Then they go on to say all the types of handguns or revolvers they think are cool and have already been researching online. People seem to underestimate the level of training needed to master a handgun, let alone in a high stress situation, potentially at night. Many of these people are firearms novices and this may be their first gun. My response in these situations, almost every time is to ask how often they see themselves using and practicing with this weapon. If that's not well thought out already, or there is little intention to shoot regularly, I suggest put the brakes on running out and buying a handgun, take a few classes to learn local legalities and some basics. And if after that, you feel it's unlikely she will master the platform and practice, then just get her a reliable 12 or 20 Guage pump with some night time capability, consider reduced recoil rounds and call it a day. You probably already have some of this process covered regarding in state legalities and importance of practicing so may be a few steps ahead. Either way, hope she finds a good match for the needs and level of her interest and you guys get to enjoy some rangetime
 
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And if after that, you feel it's unlikely she will master the platform and practice, then just get her a reliable 12 or 20 Guage pump with some night time capability, consider reduced recoil rounds and call it a day.
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Maybe useful, maybe userless. No way to know without knowing the environment.

One thing I do know is, regardless of the environment, it's FAR more likely that an unskilled user will short stroke a pump shotgun than that they'll not be able to squeeze the trigger on a revolver.

During Vietnam, there was a project to develop a mud stupid shotgun for local militias. It was a four barrel, like a Spencer derringer, with a double action trigger mechanism which fired the four barrels successively. Too bad they don't make something similar these days.
 
I'm going to disagree with alot of folks here and argue that a DA revolver is NOT a great choice for a new female shooter.

My wife has a Taurus 85 .38 special 5 shot, and small hands. The problem she has is that small hands (at least in her case) also means short fingers. She can't reach the trigger on the darn thing. Problem got better after we bought after market extra-thin grips. That said we've found that a NON DAO semi-auto fits her best.

So you might want to look at a small single action semi like a Springfield armory EMP or the Colt mustang.

If you like Glock look into the Glock 42 we found that in my wife's case it fit her hands well.

Also .410 shotgun might not be a bad choice maybe a "youth" sized gun? I agree you'd want one with a stock and not just the pistol grip. Another good one to consider is M1 carbine... load it up with hollow points or soft points and it would be a very good choice
 
Also regarding racking the slide, my wife has weaker hands (fibromyalgia if I'm spelling that right) and uses this method:

Step 1: Turn body so your shoulders are perpendicular to the firing ling. If you're right handed turn 90 degrees to the right so you are facing the right lanes with your left shoulder being the shoulder closer to the target.

Step 2: With pistol in your right hand (again assuming you're right handed) point the pistol toward targets and grip the top of the slide with your left hand (left hand fingers on the ejection point side of the slide, thumb on opposite side). Leave a gap in your fingers to clear the port in case you need to eject a cartridge.

Step 3: With right hand push the pistol toward the target, at same time use left hand to pull slide to the rear.

This method seems to use a different set of muscle than the "slingshot" method. My wife was not able to "slingshot" any of my semi-autos but using the above method she can work the slide on any of my pistols some of which have a really strong spring (Makarov for example).

Not sure if I'm describing this well but hope it's helpful for somebody...
 
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