The Judge for my Grand daugther

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WALKERs210

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I don't have all the details as of yet, but two days ago my grand daughter had the scare of her life. In the Gulfport, Ms area while out shopping with her two girls a couple of men attempted to kidnap her oldest girl. From what I have been able to gather she was able to gather up her children and made an escape only to have them give pursuit. From accounts one of the attempted kidnappers is in custody and the other is still on the loose. She has never had a lot of experience around hand guns but she is not what some would considered a typical girly girl. I have given thought to buying a Judge or similar for her with thought the shot shell would be best for her. I have seen the gun many times but never gave it more than a glance. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
 
Glad everything turned out ok for your grand daughter!

First foremost - TRAINING & mindset. Second - PRACTICE. As for the tool - I personally prefer pocket semis, but for a complete novice a snub in 38 Spl or .327 Fed Mag would be a good CCW. I'm sure someone's going to mention www.corneredcat.com.

I would also not recommend a Judge or shotshells...but that's me...
 
She needs training, but to do this she needs to train with a gun that suites her. I'm partial to the 38: low recoil, ease of use, more variety. Take her in to a LGS and let her handle and get the feel till she finds one that fits her, and then get her some training with that particular gun. I'm big on newbies picking the gun first and then training with that gun. Makes them that more proficient in a crisis.
 
The judge is a HORRIBLE idea. .410 shotshells are weak, especially out of such a short barrel.

Get her a standard revolver, it would be much more effective than that large aquard contraption.

Better yet, let her pick out what she whants.
 
glad everything is ok. Hope everybody is not to shaken up about it.
That is a big gun for a women to carry. Have you looked into those Bond arms derrengers? The shoot the same shells and are very small.
 
The judge has pretty heft recoil and is a big gun. I personally would reconsider, but that is me. Its been said a lot bur 1) will she carry a gun? If not, get her pepperspray. 2) Find one that fits her. My sister in law had a preconcieved notion of what she though she would like, a little snubbie revolver. She found out that what she really liked and what she shot well was a Walther PPS.

Fit can not be overstated.
 
Thanks for the input, I didn't think really the .410 would be a real deterrent but for close quarters it might have been enough to turn them away. It turns out she fought off one and then got her kids in the car the bad guys actually chased her on I-10 until Ms State trooper got there. Size wise, if she stood on a phone book she might break the 5' mark, unfortunately we only get to see her about twice a year. If she was closer to me she would have gone thru the same training that my girls did when they were around 12 or so. I do like the idea of a new shooter picking out what fits and works for them, that's what I did for my wife. I am leaning more to a 38 revolver over an auto for simplicity and under stress just to remember to take the safety off might be an issue.
 
Glad things turned out ok!

I got my dad a judge to shoot snakes with and it might be ok close range with SD 410 but the 45 Colt would be better. Since the judge has been popular I have noticed several places carrying SD ammo in 45 Colt. My sister went with us to shoot it and could not operate the gun in DA mode because the trigger pull was too heavy. The large frame also did not fit her hands very well and shooting in anything but a good two handed grip was out of the question as her hands were too small. She did not mind the recoil of the 410 or 45 and she is a small frame girl at 5'7" .

If you are set on the judge, as long as she can handle it, it will do fine. If it is too big there are several options in many calibers that may fit her hands better. In the end it comes down to what she is comfortable handling and practicing with
 
Too bad they won't release those thugs into the custody of grandpa walkers210.
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OOhh would I love to take this young man on a long walk thru the woods here in deep Alabama. I am pretty sure after we had a walk and talk nothing like this would ever enter his mind again..<G> First thought that came to mind was to load up (yes LOAD UP) and go to Gulfport for a visit, and offer to post bond.
 
The Cornered Cat, training and a good 38 revolver are the best solutions.

The Judge and 410s are just hype. Yes, it is a gun and can shoot someone and is better than a frying pan.

Take the advice given above by others.
 
Since she is a beginner shooter and of small stature , you might want to get her a Ruger LCR in .22 rimfire ! Hold eight shots and when she gets used to it she can trade up to a .38 and still have the 22 for cheap practice ! I know a .22 rimfire is less than ideal and the only way I would recomend it is in a revolver because a missfire only requires a trigger pull to bring up a a new round ! Kevin
 
You keep saying you are looking for something as a "deterrent" and something that is "enough to turn them away".

This is the wrong mindset. You should be looking for something to STOP the threat.

She'd be better off with a 7 shot 686 in 357 magnum...it's about the same size...if she can even handle something that big. Can always practice with .38s with that.

Let her shoot and handle several before she decides what she wants.
 
I owned a Judge and it definitely would be the wrong gun for her. Big, heavy, substantial kick from .410 rounds, better as HD than a carry weapon. Like most have suggested a 38 special or even a small 9mm might be what she needs. Best thing is just let her hold them, test the trigger pull, even rent and shoot them to see what works for her.
 
Better yet, let her pick out what she whants.
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Yup. and then some training classes and we have a winning recipe. 8)

Alternatively, buy her a small revolver, slap some nice hot .38s in there, then some .357s shoot a round or three and call it training.

My vote goes for the first, personally.
 
A training class would be the best bet and a true gift.

Giving her a gun is like giving her a double edged, razor sharp sword. Sure, it is a great tool in trained hands. But if you rely on it with no training, there's a good chance you could hurt yourself more than your opponent.

I have given thought to buying a Judge or similar for her with thought the shot shell would be best for her.
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A few things:

1. She did well without a firearm (everyone lived to tell the tale).
2. You'd be giving her a firearm and ammo that has mediocre (at best, and that's assuming all the planets and stars align in her favor) stopping power even if you get good hits.
3. Imagine her deploying something with a wide pattern with kids around, or anyone else in an urban environment.
4. A Judge is a fairly large and bulky gun. Is she likely to carry this where she can deploy it easily? Or will she carry it for a few weeks and eventually stop or keep it in her purse where it can't be used in a hurry? If she has to stop and get it out of her purse, I think you can see where concentrating on getting away did her more good than fumbling about trying to find a handgun that won't be on her hip at the ready.

Get her some classes and something she'll actually carry and be able to deploy quickly and effectively.
 
In regards to proper training I agree 200%. I wish I could spend more time with her, not that I am certified in any training program but I have taught more than my share over the last 45yrs. My wife purchased her first ever handgun last year, she and her late husband never had any type of firearm and was scared as heck of them. Anyway since we have been married I have taught, preached, and did everything I could to instruct her on hows, when, and why's. After she got her first gun I told her to take the manual out and read it cover to cover. She came into my hole in the wall and asked if I had written the manual. She said everything I had told her was almost word for word as for safe handling. Now with a handgun shooting at a man size paper target she can shoot a decent 2" group at rapid fire and all are in the center mass. But back to the Grand daughter I am going to talk with her tonight and offer her classes by a component instructor in the Biloxi- Gulfport area. After finding out the bad guys actually gave chase down the interstate and attempted to run her off the road really had me worried. Thanks to everyone from an old grump.
 
NO! if she HAS to shoot a man holding a child, the Judge will be useless at best, and potentially fatal to the child as well as the man.

She'd be FAR better off with a j-frame .38, or a pocket 9mm, or (why not?) a full-sized 1911, hi-power, glock, whatever, and OF COURSE, as everyone has fairly and rightly said, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
 
I do like the idea of a new shooter picking out what fits and works for them, that's what I did for my wife. I am leaning more to a 38 revolver over an auto for simplicity and under stress just to remember to take the safety off might be an issue.
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Glad the kids are all ok. That is a scary story. I agree with everyone that said the Judge is a bad idea, and what you posted above is a much better option. The Judge is to darn big, and if it's heavy or too large, she won't carry it. Let her pick what fits. Honestly, I think a J frame or an LCR are your best bets, but maybe she would like a Kimber Sols or a S&W Shield. Hell, a .380 is a better option than a Judge.
 
J frames are one of the hardest guns to shoot well, especially under stress.

Let HER pick out what SHE feels the most comfortable with, and + however many for reading TheCorneredCat.com
 
Give her some reading material for basic/background information about firearms and handguns. Get her into a basic firearms safety/pistol class. Get her to a range/shop that does rentals to try out different makes/models/platforms/calibers. Help her make the decision.

The Judge is mostly marketing getting ignorant people all worked up over silliness, IMO.
 
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