kir_kenix
Member
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
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!
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!