What carry gun for woman buyer 1st time

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Encoreman

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Hi all, a very good friends 21 year old grand daughter is going to move to an area that has some pretty bad crime in order to attend college. He is steering her towards a compact .380 or 9mm. I know she has shot, and likes it but not much practice. I have always been in the .38 special revolver for 1st time guy or gal that hasn't shot much. What say you? Thanks Mac
 
S&W M&P Shield 2.0 EZ with the backstrap safety in .380 or 9mm.

My older new shooter friend got one a week ago. Looks like it will work well. Racks easily and mags are easy to load without a loader.

They even have a PC version with gold (or silver or black) accents

upload_2020-7-9_20-53-22.png

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/05/smith-wesson-performance-center-shield-ez-380-review/#axzz6RkUIO76Z

9mm at BUDS:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/mobile/product/125620/smith+&+wesson+13227+m&p+9+shield+ez+performance+center+9mm+383+8+1+
 
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1. www.corneredcat.com

2. Find a good beginner's course oriented towards women.

3. Find a good women's self-defense course as everything is not a gun.

4. Look for particular information about safety at college for women. It is isn't all guns. Avoid stupid places, stupid places, doing stupid things. The majority of sexual assaults are correlated with substance abuse, alcohol and drugs.

Parties are particularly risky. These factors are probably more important than a gun for the neighborhood.

5. What are the gun laws for the campus? Can you carry on campus? Leave the gun in a car? Have one in a door room? Check these out.
 
GEM said:
1. www.corneredcat.com

2. Find a good beginner's course oriented towards women.

3. Find a good women's self-defense course as everything is not a gun.

4. Look for particular information about safety at college for women. It is isn't all guns. Avoid stupid places, stupid places, doing stupid things. The majority of sexual assaults are correlated with substance abuse, alcohol and drugs.

Parties are particularly risky. These factors are probably more important than a gun for the neighborhood.

5. What are the gun laws for the campus? Can you carry on campus? Leave the gun in a car? Have one in a door room? Check these out.
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Totally agree. A lot of things to think about first. I am also of the belief that carrying a gun means a lot of training and a lot of ammo which is not only scarce, but expensive. There are a lot of cost that goes into owning a firearm. I know college is expensive for most students. Is there a range nearby, cost of range holsters and on and on. Not trying to discourage you, but you have to be willing to make a financial commitment as well as time.
 
Encoreman said:
I have always been in the .38 special revolver for 1st time guy or gal that hasn't shot much. What say you? Thanks Mac
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Generally speaking I have also been in favor of the revolver for those who like it or not are unlikely to do much in the line of training and shooting. Facing the reality of that means a simple platform that is easy to learn the basics on. The revolver is more than a starter gun as well. Many of us long time shooters carry revolvers . The one showing on my avatar is my carry gun. A Taurus Model 731 in total titanium chambered for .32 H&R magnum. I am 72 years old and have been shooting since I was 6 . I have owned a retail gun shop, and have been involved in training. That doesn't mean I know it all , and I am well aware that some new shooters can be just as easily started off with a semi auto in 9mm or in .45 acp. A lot depends on the person your dealing with.
 
Encoreman said:
Hi all, a very good friends 21 year old grand daughter is going to move to an area that has some pretty bad crime in order to attend college. He is steering her towards a compact .380 or 9mm. I know she has shot, and likes it but not much practice. I have always been in the .38 special revolver for 1st time guy or gal that hasn't shot much. What say you? Thanks Mac
Click to expand...
Kinda depends on how/where/if she will carry it. Plus whatever SHE likes to operate or shoot. Might like or might not, 'like' a small, snappy 9mm. Might not like the 'features' of a semi auto..safeties, slide rack maybe, etc. She might like or not the simplicity of a small revolver..I had a taurus 380..very simple but 5 rounds. No moonclips required and DAO..
 
In my experience, the modern 380's and smaller 9mm pistols like the ones offered by Ruger and S&W are lighter, thinner, and easier to train a new shooter with than the small revolvers. The diminished capacity, weight, recoil, blast, and heavy DA triggers of revolvers can be difficult to master.
 
I would like to say again that the emphasis should not be to be a new 'shooter' with the emphasis on basically trivial differences between handguns BUT on becoming someone well rounded in self-defense with emphasis for women and the college environment.

Ok, let's have another twenty posts on this or that gun. Do you really think the difference between a J frame, Shield or Glock 43 makes that much difference to someone who isn't trained up on usage, mindset, tactics, avoidance, etc.
 
She probably won't be able to carry in any of her classes and, depending on the state might not be able to carry on campus at all either so this whole discussion is pretty moot anyway.

Besides, self-defense is not a hardware issue, it is a software issue.
 
It is often a big mistake when someone buys a gun for someone else to carry or use. What the buyer likes may not be close to what the one they are getting the gun for likes. The best way to do this is if at all possible take the new one to a place with rentals. Let them handle a few, rent anything they seem to like. Let them get what they like and can use well. This happens WAY too often with a guy who buys a gun for his Wife without any impute from the Wife.
 
I would recommend he steer her to some training classes with professional instruction that also includes training in different firearms so she can pick what suits her...not the Grandfather or anyone else.
 
Howland937 said:
The consensus is...whatever SHE picks out that SHE likes, shoots well, and is comfortable with.
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That is the best advice that any of us can give. Everyone is different. What fits one person will not fit others. Any new shooter must be comfortable with their handgun. It should fit their hands and be easy for them to use and shoot accurately.

And take a good training/safety course.
 
Encoreman said:
Hi all, a very good friends 21 year old grand daughter is going to move to an area that has some pretty bad crime in order to attend college. He is steering her towards a compact .380 or 9mm. I know she has shot, and likes it but not much practice. I have always been in the .38 special revolver for 1st time guy or gal that hasn't shot much. What say you? Thanks Mac
Click to expand...

MYOB??
 
A lot of good advice here. My thought was "What goes with her shoes?"



Seriously though, how does she behave? Does she live in an environment where heels, flats, or hiking shoes are the norm? This comes down to a question only she can answer - after she has had some experience with firearms. She needs to be the one who chooses.
 
Definitely best thing to do is get her in a training class that let’s her shoot all the platforms and then let her decide. I think a lot of people assume revolver or small 380 for women but a lot of women don’t like those. For my wife after taking class she wanted a Glock 9mm. I’ve known others that liked a 45 best, especially a commander size 1911. Trigger pull weight is important to women which why many don’t prefer revolver.
 
Y'all are way off course, get her a de 50, she'll open carry and never have to even draw it.......
Joking aside if a person male or female picks what they're drawn to (advice here or there depending on knowledge) they're more likely to WANT to practice with it/use it/take courses with it etc.
 
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