What gun for my girlfriend to use while away at work?

[skywalkrNCSU]

At the end of August my GF will be moving about 3 hours away for a year to work before returning for grad school and of course it worries me that I will not be there enough to protect her from those bumps in the night. The town she will be moving to is not exactly large so she would have a hard time getting the police to her residence in an efficient time so I told her I would buy her a gun to keep at her place.

A little background...She is not into guns, she has never shot a pistol, she does not want to carry, etc. Basically she said that she would learn to shoot a gun and keep it in her room if I bought it for her. This would essentially mean that she would go to the range when I got the gun for her so she could learn to shoot it but she wouldn't be returning for any fun time at the range. I know there are a lot of people in here who will stress a ton of practice and whatnot but I know she won't so that is a moot point.

What I have been tossing around is something in a revolver because of the simplicity. I have been thinking about a few different ideas. First, a strict .38 special because it would be easy for her to shoot and plenty of power to hurt someone. Second, I have been thinking .357 mag because then when she moves back up here I would have a .357 and when she has it she can keep it loaded with .38 +p. Third, the idea of a S&W 642 has been on my mind a little bit. The reasoning behind this one is that I have always wanted one and while it may be a snub nose which isn't the most fun gun to shoot it will get the job done and like the .357 idea I would have it when she came back as a decent carry piece. I figure the chances of her actually having to use the gun are very slim and with the small chance that she does have to use it hopefully just showing the gun will be enough and if not then I hope that she could point the thing in the right direction to get a chest shot and then give her enough time to escape if needed.

Also, I would like to keep the price down because I do not have a whole ton of money right now and so it would be nice to keep it in the $300 range.

If you have any good ideas let me know. Make and model of some revolvers would be helpful too because the only ones I have ever shot were my dad's Model 19's and my friends 686.

Thanks.

 

[kevindsingleton]

The .357 is a good idea, for the reasons you mention. The .38 is smaller, and, for me, makes a better concealed carry gun (Titanium Taurus .38 with 2-inch barrel). I keep something more powerful next to the bed, and for open carry (S&W 4516 or XD45). Take a look at the stainless Smith and Wesson revolvers. You can usually find these used for pretty good prices.

Take her to the range, and let her shoot your revolvers and autos. Then, let her pick. She may even enjoy it enough to come with you for fun time. You never know. Keep mentioning Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. If you don't have a good variety, take her to a range with rental facilities. Make sure the gun you get fits her hand, and that she is capable of shooting it accurately. The last thing you want is for her to close her eyes and spray her bullets all over the neighborhood. If she's not a particularly good shot, maybe a high-cap auto is a better choice. There's not much selection in the $300 range, these days, though.

As the saying goes, "Bring enough gun."

 

[skywalkrNCSU]

the problem is I do not have any more guns with me than a 1911 and a glock 19 pistol wise (my dads and friends guns are 1400 miles haha)

 

[CWL]

The only gun you should buy for your GF is one that she has held in her hands and comfortably fired -and has chosen herself. Don't expect her to feel at all comfortable with a handgun that you chose for her. If she doesn't feel comfortable with it, there may be a very good cahnce that she won't even remember it during times of stress.

In addition to a pistol, you may want to discuss a shotgun (perhaps .410) for her to use since it will only be for home-protection.

 

[3KillerBs]

The first, critical thing is that the gun fit her hand.

Do you know any female shooters? If so, I would strongly suggest that you send your girlfriend to a large and well-stocked gun shop with an experienced, female shooter to get a feel for what suits her hand. Then go buy the one from her list that best suits your budget.

Forget anything about what you'd like to have when she comes back. If the future goes as planned and the gun does come to reside in your safe one day, fine. At that time, if it doesn't suit you you can either reserve it for her use when she's home alone or you can trade it in on something you like.

But for now, ...

Would you buy her a piece of jewelry based on what you'd like to wear when she's done with it? Same thing with giving the gift of a self-defense gun.

 

[hirundo82]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but if she isn't willing to spend the time to get competent with the gun, including practicing, she would be better off with a can of pepper spray.

 

[Landor]

I would stay away from snub nose revolvers unless she plans on shooting it a lot. Most might not agree with me about this but IMO a snuby is the hardest revolver to shoot. Most people will end up pulling down on the gun while pulling that long trigger. They end up shooting the ground and not the target.

A Kahr is a good choice for a female but then again a lot of what is best for your GF depends on your GF. Height, weight, fitness, build. Is she petite, does she have weak wrists. Best bet would be to get her to a range with your buddies and all their guns and start shooting. Better to try before you buy. I will end by saying this. My wife has weak wrists. Putting 100 rounds through a 2" revolver would cause her big pain. Putting 100 rounds through a M&P 9c is just not fun for her. Putting 100 rounds through a Kel-Tec p3at or LCP would really hurt but she carries a LCP. Because in a self defense situation, she will not be firing 100 rounds and a little pain never hurt anybody.

 

[IndianaBoy]

Glock 19.


My fiance shoots USPSA with a Glock 17. The Glock 19 was a perfect choice for her for carry and nightstand duty.

1.) Simple manual of arms.

2.) Easy to manipulate. She can easily and quickly change mags. It would take a lot more practice to learn to reload a revolver quickly.

3.) Ease of use. In Missouri, you have to qualify for a carry permit with both a revolver and a semi. I had to borrow the revolver, a stock GP100 which we loaded with 38 Specials. Part of the course involves DA shooting with the revolver. She could BARELY fire the gun DA. The trigger was too long and heavy for her. She could manage SA just fine. It honestly wasn't safe or accurate for her to fire it double action, she had to pull too hard to have good control, yet this same gal can clean a rack of plates with a Glock 17, no problem.



The standard reply of a 38 revolver for women shooters is NOT very well thought out.

 

[scott22]

Let her decide that, I made the mistake of deciding once and she didn't like it and wouldn't shoot it (after the first couple shots). On the bright side, I did so now I have a Glock 19 but I had to get her something else.

ps - I let her shoot a revolver too and she didn't like it (Ruger Security Six) and she ended up deciding on a Bersa 380. The Bersa was very cheap, and has been very reliable so far with ~1k rounds through it.

 

[skywalkrNCSU]

thanks for all the suggestions guys. I am planning on taking her to the local range and letting her try my G19 and if they have any rentals that I think could be a good choice then we will try those.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but if she isn't willing to spend the time to get competent with the gun, including practicing, she would be better off with a can of pepper spray.

I guess I should have made this a little more clear. She is willing to learn to shoot a gun and how it all works but she isnt going to be at the range every week blasting 500 rounds down range. I am just being realistic. Shoot in the past 6 months I have been to the range about 3 times but the last time I went I was putting together some darn fine groupings. You don't have to shoot a million rounds to know how to shoot a gun at the center of mass of a person. That might be an unpopular opinion but I really cannot justify what it would cost to visit a range every week and I know if it is something that she is not passionate about she surely wont.

 

[La Pistoletta]

Don't forget the mind. Defense isn't just pulling a trigger (although it's certainly a crucial part of it), you have to believe in your right to self defense. You have to learn not to panic and so on.

Has she read the contents of www.corneredcat.com?

 

[Soybomb]

You need need to have a range day where she shoots a bunch of guns to see what she likes.

The idea of a guy chosing a gun for his girl works about as well as someone picking your shoes out for you. Its personal, only you can determine the fit. For some reason guys are pulled toward the j-frame too which has to be hated by more women I've talked to and be one of the hardest common handguns to shoot well.

A youth model shotgun works well for many on the budget, is easier to hit with, and stops attackers far better.

 

[janobles14]

i went through this recently with my wife and when all the questions were asked i realized that she wouldnt be able to pull the trigger.

i hate to say it but no weapon may be best (or taser or spray). mine just keeps saying that she can just grab one of mine...though i know she wont.

 

[jasonguerard]

Ditto on the: What fits her hand that she will shoot.
Does she wear glasses? my wife doesnt see too well without hers. Add to that she doesnt wake up quickly at 2 AM.
However she can rack the slide on a $125 Charles Daly 20ga. loaded with #3 buck without glasses just fine!
I know, i came home from an all night job early once and heard the "chu,chuuk" from down the hall. "IT'S ME DEAR!!!!"

 

[woodsltc]

If she is not used to firearms --- start her off with something that will be easy for her to shoot. Maybe a .22 cal revolver.

The point is this, if you start her with something that overwhelms or scares her you will "never" get her to enjoy shooting.

If you get so far as to her enjoying shooting ---- let "her" pick out her own gun. Take her to a range where she can rent and shoot a variety of firearms and she will find what "she" likes best!!!

Trust me on this ---I'm a man in a household of 4 women. My wife and 3 daughters --- it took a while but all now shoot their own firearms.


Don

 

[weisse52]

I will agree that a J frame Smith is tough to shoot well. Make it a .357 and it becomes an experts gun.
It may not sit well, but for someone who does not want to devote time for practice a handgun may not be the best answer. The answer may be a shotgun, it may be a Taser or Pepperspray.
We all hope that in the moment of truth we can rise to the occasion and defend ourselves with a firearm, but it does take commitment and practice. Look at some reports of LEO firing multiple rounds at close range and not hitting anything.
It needs to be her decision.

 

[springmom]

If I'm reading this correctly, she is willing to learn to shoot it. That's good: however, she needs to be the one to pick out the gun, and really has to be motivated to develop the mindset that she will defend herself.

IMO, her picking out the gun she really wants and will really train with is essential.

And here's another vote for it NOT being a snubbie. I've had my snubbie for 2 years and I'm just now getting really good with it. Her first gun shouldn't take THAT much work to become proficient with. My first concealed handgun was an XD-40, and it was a great choice. Not complicated to disassemble/reassemble (important to newbies, or at least it was to me), easy to use, no problem with recoil. I'd recommend that she look at a number of semiautos, find the one that fits her grip and that she likes, and learn to shoot it.

Happy shopping

Springmom

 

[Autolycus]

I think it is best you let her decide.

 

[Gord]

Seriously, this comes up at least a few times a month and the Only Right Answer is "whatever she's comfortable with."

A DAO revolver will be "nice and simple" until she figures out she can't pull the trigger. A 10mm Glock will kill 'em dead, assuming the first round doesn't make her faint from the recoil... and so on.

Take her to the range with every handgun you own and let her shoot 'em all and decide what feels comfortable and what doesn't. Once you have calibers down, go to a shop and let her do the same thing with the guns themselves.

 

[FJC]

In addition to all the questions/concerns above, let me add this.

I've thought about this with my wife, as she works from home on some days. Which pistol should she have access to in the quick-access safe should she need it? One of the biggest issues I found with her has to do with hand strength. She simply cannot physically pull the trigger on ANY of my revolvers OR traditional double-action pistols.

That limits her to my 1911's (mostly too heavy for her, and she hates the recoil of the .45's), or the Glocks. As a result, my Glock 19 has been given that role for her, loaded with standard-pressure 9mm Gold Dots to drop the recoil even more.

 

[Pilot]

Go to the range and let her try a mix of semi-autos and revolvers. .357 sill scare the heck out of her. Start with a .22 and work up to .38 Spl and 9MM. No reason to go above 9MM for a defense gun for her. With modern JHP its fine.

 

[La Pistoletta]

FJC: sometimes the only answer is not to tailor the tool for the person, but the other way around. Perhaps - I don't know about your case specifically - exercising to alleviate that weakness would be a better idea than to downgrade the weapon until it fits?

I'm not trying to be presumptuous. But I almost never see hand exercise or weightlifting being proposed as a solution. It's always "find a gun that's easier to handle". Perhaps some pistol or revolver models, that would ultimately be better for the person in question, are being left out because strength training is never considered?

 

[Mp7]

Cheap Shotgun dbl Coachgun maybe, can of Pepperspray.

(don´t forget to mount a bayonet on the shotgun)

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm not trying to be presumptuous. But I almost never see hand exercise or weightlifting being proposed as a solution. It's always "find a gun that's easier to handle". Perhaps some pistol or revolver models, that would ultimately be better for the person in question, are being left out because strength training is never considered?

A person who actively wants to shoot will be willing to do the physical training work to get stronger. But a person who isn't actively into shooting won't.

Its not hard to find guns that are lighter, easier-recoiling, have lighter triggers, have better grips, ... (not necessarily all at once), so its easier to get a different gun than to convince a reluctant or casual shooter to work out to use the more difficult gun.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you already told us she isn't a gun person and has never fired a handgun before I highly doubt she will like firing a .357 Magnum. The worse thing to do to a new shooter is to put a .357 Magnum in their hand. (IMO of course) Also, a new shooter with little experience and with little chance of practicing a lot will not be served well by a snub nose revolver, especially a light one like the M642. The same goes for very small light guns like the Kel-Tec P-32 or P-3AT or even the new Ruger that's out.

"jasonguerard" gave you some good advice in his thread, suggest a shotgun to her. Since this gun will be used only in the home and not carried buy her a 20ga shotgun. A Mossberg 500 will cost you well under $300 and if she's a small girl you can buy their Bantam model with will fit her well. Here is the link for the Mossberg Bantam and Youth 500 page. The Youth 505 is a 20ga with a 20" barrel. The 500 Bantam has a 22" barrel and is a few inches longer overall. Of course if she's not a small girl and can shoot a normal size shotgun the 500 comes in 20ga too. Once she gets used to the recoil there really isn't as much practice needed compared to handguns. It's fairly simple too, rack the round and shoot towards the BG.

Good luck to your girlfriend on finding something she likes.