review my letter concerning ccw for friend...

[kir_kenix]

my wife's co-worker friend was recently mugged/threatened on a shopping trip to omaha. knowing that my wife has a ccw permit she asked for her for some advise on the subject. my wife in turn asked me to help, but im not really sure what she wants me to do. im in iraq, so all i can do give her a good place to start looking.

my wife frequently carries infrequently (i know, i know), and as of late has been carrying a p22 (i know, i know). shes prbly not the best person to go for on firearm advice to begin with, but i think shes all this lady has right now.

my wife says her friend is most interested in pocket carry, but she usually wears fairly tight jeans so im not really sure how well this is going to work. shes in her late 20's and has some shooting experience from years gone by. not really sure what "some shooting experience" adds up to. im going to suggest .32's and up, mainly because she wants a "tiny" pistol and i find them the hardest to shoot.

im not exactly the most knowledgable person on this subject so i wanted some of u here to review this so i dont give her bad/stupid advice. i tried to provide some websites and price ranges so she has a good idea whats out there and im not just giving her vague, philisophical info. my wife will be able to help her thru the terms and ammo selection as well.

ive seen some advertisements of the ruger, and it seems like a good buy. i hate to suggest a pistol ive never fired so i would like some advise on that as well. everything ive heard tho seems to sound like its about identical to the kel-tec, which i like. i would rather get a similar pistol from ruger then kel-tec if it was me, just because of rugers qc and customer service (kel-tec has good customer service too, but it gets used pretty often...).

sorry for any grammatical/spelling mistakes

So u want a small gun?

Walther pps 9mm (http://www.waltheramerica.com) 650
Walther ppk/s .32 or .380 550
S&W snubbie 38 special (smith-wesson.com) 450-alot
Kel-Tec .32 or .380 (kel-tec-cnc.com) 300
Sig 232 .380 (sigsauer.com) 600
Beretta tomcat .32 (berettausa.com) 400
Naa guardian .32 (naaminies.com 400
Kahr pm9 (kahr.com) 800
Ruger LCP .380 (ruger-firearms.com) 330
There are many, many, many more…

Out of all of these I think that the Ruger is probably the best deal provided it works (though I’ve never even seen one…but I understand it is very, very much like the kel-tec). I wouldn’t think it will stay 330 for too long…I would assume that it will join the 400 club once they start selling them (pure speculation on my part). Handle them all and see what you like. You don’t need to merely look at the ones on this list…I just put together a quick list of pistols that are small, concealable, and shoot able (the Walther pps, Khar, or S&W might be more difficult for you shoot well, but you can always buy yourself ammunition that doesn’t beat the hell out of your hands and still performs better then some of the smaller rounds).

Charter arms, Taurus, and Rossi, all make similar sized snubbies to the Smith…and Ruger makes the sp101 which is bigger and heavier (probably not a good pocket gun). I like the .38 “lemon squeezer” (model 40 or 41 I think) Smith…but its not something that’s fun to shoot a lot. It has a grip safety, so that the trigger can not be pulled unless its pressed in by gripping it, thus making it safer and easier to carry in the pocket ($800 I think…they just started making it again I believe). I don’t think you would enjoy shooting this pistol as much as the others, but it would make a great ccw.

For a true “pocket pistol” I would look at the Walther .32, kel-tec .32 or .380, Beretta tomcat, naa .32, and the Ruger (kel-tec is pretty much the same thing as the Ruger I’m told, but u should verify this). The S&W snubbies are really nice…but its quite a bit fatter (so it would show up easier in your tighter jeans if you decide to carry that way, even with a good holster). Out of all these guns, I believe only the Walther and Beretta have traditional safeties (albeit they are small and difficult to manipulate). This is not really a bad thing, remember these are self defense pistols and when they are needed the person may very well be under stress and forget/can’t manipulate a safety.

Remember that safety relies entirely on you. Its up to you to keep your finger out of the trigger guard, its up to you to be vigilant and weary for threats, and its up to you to stop an aggressive attacker. Police are great, they really are, but police usually are only able act after a crime has been committed (investigate, arrest, etc). Its not their responsible to follow you around and make sure you don’t get into trouble. Mindset is the most important aspect…you must be vigilant and willing to protect yourself. If you cant be both, there is no reason to carry a weapon.

Whatever weapon you decide to get, make sure it is reliable. Small pocket autos are finicky and picky about ammo. Sometimes they may even need to be sent back to the factory for repair if they will not function after being broken in. Remember you are relying on this pistol to save your life when you are in a desperate situation, so make sure the thing works! Maintenance your weapon on a regular basis to ensure that it stays that way!

If you decide you would rather cc on the belt, inside the waistband, or somewhere else, then the options are almost limitless. I would advise someone to carry something in the 380 power range and up, but as small pocket guns are rather difficult to shoot (because of their lightweight/small size) this may not be possible. But if you decide on an alternative carry (iwb etc), then you can comfortably carry a larger, more effective pistol (something in the 9mm or up power level).

It all comes down to you. find a pistol you are comfortable with. Ask for help, both from the dealer and knowledgeable friends. Get to a certified ccw class. Shoot your pistol. Maintenance your pistol. ALWAYS have your pistol on u (except where your constitutional rights are denied and it is illegal such as bars, courthouse, schools etc). Learn to become and remain vigilant. Be smart about where you go and how you act. Protect and defend yourself if need be.

I don’t know any more advise that I could really give you. if I was home and could go to the gun store with you I would surely give you the same spiel I included here. If you have any more questions about the guns on this list, guns that aren’t on the list, where to shop, or other advise feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to accommodate or send u in the right direction.

if u feel there is anything i need to + or -, please tell me. i feel really bad for her because she is a really nice, gentle lady. i wish i was more knowledgable in the field, but i guess thats why im a thr member.

oh, and by the way: i guess this woman argued with my wife a while back about the "need" for guns. kind of ironic considering shes now going to depend on one to save her life. score 1 for the good guys!

 

[DFW1911]

Mindset is the most important aspect…you must be vigilant and willing to protect yourself. If you cant be both, there is no reason to carry a weapon.

I think you might want to expand on that a bit so she really understands that owning a gun is not necessarily a deterrent to criminal activity (the bad guys don't know). Maybe introduce her to the conditions?

You've covered just about everything else. Did you recommend renting and trying out several guns before she makes a purchase? That may be the ultimate guide to her choosing.

You might want to give her THR's URL and see if she'll join - that way all her questions will get answered

Nicely done.

Take care,
DFW1911

 

[kir_kenix]

I think you might want to expand on that a bit so she really understands that owning a gun is not necessarily a deterrent to criminal activity (the bad guys don't know). Maybe introduce her to the conditions?

very good thinking dfw1911. im not sure i can paraphrase it quite as elequent as the col., but ill do my best. i dont want to overwelm the lady, but at the same time i want to help inform her and let her make well educated decisions. i will deff have my wife offer some of my reading material to her as well.

Did you recommend renting and trying out several guns before she makes a purchase? That may be the ultimate guide to her choosing.

i actually considered this, but the only place im aware of that there is a range that rents is in omaha (90 miles), and i wasnt sure that would be a good suggestion since that was where she was robbed. i would think that lincoln would have an indoor range or maybe even grand island (75 and 50 miles away, respectively), so maybe this is a viable option. maybe i can get my wife or a well informed mutual friend to go along as well.

i think part of the problem may very well be that she was a sort of anti, and it sounds like her friends and possibly her mother are as well. she might be kind of embaressed at her total change of postion (though i would argue it is well warrented). ill also suggest THR, that way she can get all the encouragement shell ever need .

thank u for the suggestions, and i will deff incoorperate both of them.

i might even buy her an nra membership and explain to her that some political figures want to take away her ability and right to defend herself. maybe this will cast a new light on for her and her friends as well.

 

[Polishrifleman]

What's up with Nebraska lately? A good place going down the tubes fast, or maybe it's just Omaha. Hopefully it doesn't turn into Washington where the Greater Seattle area Left controls the rest of the right state.

There are a couple places in Lincoln to shoot. I have a good friend in Nebraska City that would lend a hand if she could meet half way in Lincoln.

First and Foremost she needs to be comfortable with a gun, secondly she needs a comfortable gun to shoot, third she needs a comfortable gun to carry.

Following the levels of awareness will help a lot too. Just by carrying yourself differently even without a gun on your hip will deter some perps. Even though they are vile scum they are smart enough to pick on weakness.

 

[Soybomb]

I think you were a little quick to say that the gun that hasn't been released is the best deal but otherwise good enough. There's really no substitute to just trying a bunch out and seeing what works for her.

 

[kir_kenix]

polishrifleman: nebraska isnt out of control yet, but omaha seems to be moving that way rapidly. it kind of sucks that it seems like ALL of our tax dollars in the entire state get funneled thru omaha...but thats another matter in and of itself. i agree also that attitude has more to do w/ it then hardware.
also, if u know the names of any of the establishments in lincoln that rent guns that would be great. i dont really like heading into omaha unless i am already planning on hitting up cabellas. thanks.



soybomb: now that i have re-read my post and read some more about the ruger i agree that this was hasty praise for an unreleased pistol. since i have been away and out of the loop, i think i might have interpreted some of the good things ive heard about the sr-9 as being the lcp. i was under the impression also that it was a heavier duty version of the kel-tec, but that may not be true either. thank u for pointing this out as well.

 

[The_woodsman]

Have your wife take her shooting. Maybe her friend willl get a P22 also. It's a cool looking gun, and chances are it will be enough to scare anybody she runs into off. If not, she can fill her attacker up with a clip of minimags and he's not going to last long after that. Carry guns are not supposed to be comfortable, and little ones stuck in painted-on jeans probably won't be easily accessed anyway. Good luck. Oh, & Keep your head down over there!

 

[hit or miss]

Have both of them go to corneredcat.com. Kathy has some great advice for women, and men, on her site. I can't recommend it enough. Probably the best site I have found, next to here.

Take care of yourself.

Scott

 

[kir_kenix]

thanks for the cornered cat link. ill talk to tammy tonight and see what has pregressed back home. if she hasnt found anyone else to help her (doesnt sound like that is going to be the case), ill revise my letter and send it.

thanks everyone for the advise, suggestions, and encouragement.