Taurus Judge for a little lady?

[dubbleA]

I have a Judge and use it mostly for ranch work, not really a self defense weapon. It works great for that purpose, dispatching rattle snakes and such.. It's recoil is a bit much for a newbie in my opinion using 2 1/2 shot shells. 200 gr cowboy loads are ok but not the best choice as far as terminal performance. The revolver it's self is on the large size for CC.

I would suggest starting her out with a.22lr. Even a rifle to get her used to the noise, then graduate to a .22 pistol or revolver. Alot of folks are put off by the sound alone much less recoil. After she has adjusted and comfortable shooting them, then I would suggest a small frame .38 special. starting out with some target 158 gr wadcutters and gradually working up to +P's.

Your mileage will vary and everyone is different on how they "take" to shooting, in reality you know her best. One important thing I stress to couples is that the firearm chosen should be one she in comfortable to shoot and use, too many times I see the BF or husband insisting the female have what he's want her to have that she will never be able to handle or shoot well. After that it's practice ,practice, practice. One thing that CC instructors will tell you is that way to many students come into a class not knowing their firearm, some never even firing a shot.

 

[Stonestacker]

Thanks dubbleA.
She has already fired many of my guns including .357 mag. and 12 ga., so she is not completely new to shooting, just inexperienced.
I sincerely hope that she NEVER has to use it in defence. My goal is to help her find something that she will be comfortable and safe with if the need for defence arrises, while still having enough power to do the job.

 

[springmom]

The best thing to do is take her shopping. Let her "try on" every gun in every gun store in your area. She may surprise you as to what fits her. If possible (and it frequently isn't) try to arrange it so that she can actually shoot the ones she decides she'd like.

She'll carry what she invests herself in, which means choosing it herself. It really is important. Way too many guys decide that a woman would be best off with a .38 snubbie only to find that a semiauto, with its easier trigger and easier recoil management, is more her cup of tea.

In that line, don't overlook the Beretta Tomcat. Yes, I know, the .32 is a weenie round and won't knock over a marshmallow, or so some say; but oddly enough I've never met anyone willing to stand downrange while someone tests that theory on them I have the Bobcat for deep concealment carry, and as one of my RO buddies pointed out recently, even six .22's is a whole lot of internal damage potential. Those little tip-up semiautos have small grips, and if her hands are that small, maybe something like that will fit her perfectly.

At any rate, you stand there and let her ask the questions; if the salesperson starts talking to you, just point to her and tell him "talk to her, it's gonna be HER gun". Then hand her the checkbook and beam proudly when she buys *her* first gun.

Jan

 

[Stonestacker]

Thanks Springmom, I appreciate a woman's opinion on this.
When she's ready to buy, I do intend for her to go to the shop and make her choice. I also plan to borrow a few different peices from friends for her to try.
I have a .22 mag (4" barrel revolver) that she has fired, what are the opinions for this as an emergency defensive weapon with hollow points or v-max bullets? I don't have any problem if she decides to use a gun I already have if that is what she wants, just not sure how good a .22 mag. is for this purpose. I bought it for practice and varmints.
I do believe that anything is better than nothing.

 

[springmom]

You're right, anything is better than nothing. As SM has shared before, there are many instances in which the only thing a person *can* shoot is a .22lr. Doesn't mean they're defenseless, although all things being equal, it's not anyone's first choice for a self defense round, magnum or not.

My RO buddy was watching me shoot "the Noisy Cricket" (the Beretta 21A) recently and when I said something semi-apologetic about needing to keep good with it, he told me a story. When he was still with Harris County (sheriff's deputy) he was called to a DV case; the woman had shot her partner/abuser one time with a .22lr. Shot him in the side. It went in at a rib, came out on the other side just above his hipbone. They questioned where she was when she shot, but she maintained that she had shot straight at him, not standing over him or some such. When the docs got him open prior to his expiration, it turned out that that one little .22lr round had gone in, bounced off the rib opposite, bounced back through his insides to a bone on the original entry side, then back AGAIN and out. Not that that is the norm, but a .22 "ain't nuthin'" either.

By the way, on the topic of purse carry:

In truth, it is not the best option. It is always better to carry on-body; nobody would dispute that, I think. OTOH, there are a couple of points that guys, not wearing women's clothing, can overlook. Women's dresses, and even skirts and slacks, are frequently made with no pockets, or minimal, non-functional pockets (at least non-functional from the standpoint of gun carry.) Some of the ladies on the forum on WTA are currently discussing this issue, and I know at least one who has created her own concealed carry pockets in dresses that are otherwise not set up for such. HOWEVER...she's a real dedicated shooter AND knows how to sew, which isn't going to describe a lot of the rest of us, one way or another. That means that concealed carry is real hard to accomplish in the summer, with lightweight rayon fabrics, tops whose hems barely brush the waistline, and drop-waist capris, shorts, or jeans (all the fashion just now). The weight of a gun will also drag down the waistline on these clothing items even with a good IWB holster. I myself have had my snubbie "flip out" of my waistband (thankfully before I left the house!!!) taking its holster with it, when I tried to affix it to a lightweight waistband of this fabric type.

All of which means...either she's going to go all Bond Girl and get a thigh holster (not comfortable, and not really great for a lot of women's legs unless you're built like Angelina Jolie in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith") or at some point, she's going to purse carry.

There ARE really, really good concealed carry purses out there. Coronado Leather makes some, there are others (go browse the WTA Ladies' Forum for some links, if you're interested). It is also possible to install a holster into a regular purse if you/she doesn't want to spend that much money.

Regarding safety of purse carry.... I will say, for my own experience, that I'm not careless about my purse at any time, but I'm REALLY aware of it when one of my guns is riding in it. A purse that can be hung over the shoulder and carried cross-body is useful for this. Bottom line: purse carry can work, and if it is most comfortable for her at the beginning, I'd encourage you to buy her the nicest CC purse she can find and cheer her on. Once she gets comfortable carrying in the first place, she may realize on her own that she'd rather carry on body, and then you get to write a check for a nice IWB holster

Good luck.

Jan

 

[Daizee]

I'll third springmom's suggestion: take her shopping - don't feel compelled to buy on the spot, but handle lots of guns. Check her grip and trigger reach on each.

A snubbie is a HARD and UNPLEASANT gun to shoot for the non-dedicated - if she likes a .38, I'd recommend a 3" barrel, especially if purse-carry is likely. It gets the ballistics and accuracy up and the blast and recoil down.

The SP101 has a compact recoil-absorbing grip that it too small for my medium-sized hands, but fits small hands very well. I'm sure there are grips for the compact Smiths that would fit well too.

btw, for the Judge (I know it's out already): it's an ugly gun. Regardless of its utility, the proportions are a disaster. If she has an attractive gun (her aesthetic decision, of course), she'll be more drawn to it, and thus to the range.

-Daizee