>>Of the 12 handgun self-defense killings by women reported to the FBI in 1998, eight involved attackers known to the woman, while only four involved strangers.<<
I like the element of surprise [ and hollow points] on my side, Mr. statistician.
Posted on 10/11/2011 4:39:57 AM PDT by RC one
In the late 1980s, the gun industry began targeting women to counter slumping handgun sales among its primary market of white males. The false message delivered by gunmakers was clear: the greatest threat posed to a woman was an attack by a stranger and, the best form of protection a woman could rely upon was a handgun.
Much to the disappointment and consternation of the gun industry, these efforts for the most part have failed. A 1995 study by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) conducted by Tom Smith and Robert J. Smith found that handgun ownership among women was, and remains, uncommon. This study found any fluctuations in the percentage of women who owned handguns to be statistically insignificant.
The 1996 study Guns in America found that only 6.6 percent of adult American women owned a handgun—less than one out of every 10 women. But of these women, nearly 85 percent owned their handguns for self-defense—a figure that offers gunmakers continual hope in their marketing endeavors. Yet how often are handguns actually used by women to kill in self-defense? The answer, as revealed by unpublished Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, is hardly ever. Women were murdered with handguns more than 1,200 times in 1998 alone. As these numbers reveal, handguns don't offer protection for women, but instead guarantee peril.
In 1998, for every time a woman used a handgun to kill in self-defense, 101 women were murdered with a handgun.
Despite the promises of gun-industry advertising, a woman is far more likely to be the victim of a handgun homicide than to use a handgun in a justifiable homicide. In 1998, handguns were used to murder 1,209 women. That same year, 12 women used handguns to kill in self-defense.
When a woman did use a handgun to kill in self-defense, it was usually against someone she knew, not against a stranger. Of the 12 handgun self-defense killings by women reported to the FBI in 1998, eight involved attackers known to the woman, while only four involved strangers.
All the attackers that the women justifiably killed were males, as were an overwhelming number of offenders in female handgun homicides. For the majority of both justifiable and criminal homicides, both the shooter and the victim were of the same race.
In 1998, for every time a woman used a handgun to kill a stranger in self-defense, 302 woman were murdered with a handgun.
I know, and these are the people that liberal politicians and other anti-gunners refer to when pushing their agenda. The violence policy center is a major component of the leftist anti-second amendment movement.
“As a female pistol instructor...”
May I add if the GF is a bit hesitant about firearms, I think a female pistol instructor is the way to go! Not only are the way beyond cool but they can make instruction more comfortable. I suggested a female instructor to a friend of mine who wanted to learn how to shoot but was hesitant to learn. I think she felt that firearms were “masculine (?!) Anyways, once she saw that another female was not only proficient but was able to teach the skill to a shorter/lighter person, she was hooked.
First, take her to a gun show and figure out what she likes holding. My preference is the Springfield XD 9mm, any size it comes in. I don’t like the XDm and I don’t like shooting .40 or .45, so 9mm is my best choice. But if she doesn’t like the gun she won’t use it so make sure it’s HER gun not “this gun I got you”.
The XD “only” has a trigger safety but it’s more than a Glock has and comfortable for me.
And if she hasn’t shot anything before for heaven’s sake, get something in .22 and let her practice sending a few thousand rounds downrange on that to get familiar.
Clearly, 11,197 women would have been better off if they had listened to the gun industry and opted to arm themselves.
Not counted, of course, are the women who weren't killed or assaulted, because they produced a handgun when the situation becam threatening.
The XD also has a grip safety (like a 1911 .45) and an internal striker block safety, which in my mind makes it far preferable to a Glock.
I've got an XD-9 myself (9mm 16+1), to which I've added a Crimson Trace laser grip, which makes it an excellent self-defense weapon for a man or woman.
Thanks for the correction - I meant to say “only” a trigger and grip safety but, hey, haven’t had caffeine. Someone new to shooting probably still isn’t going to feel as comfortable as with a safety switch but I believe the safety is between my ears not on my gun anyway.
I need to get a Crimson Trace on my subcompact XD 9. I have two XD 9s, a 5 inch barrel and a 3.5 inch, that’s how much I like them.
"Gun control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound." — L. Neil Smith
In how many cases were attackers scared off because the women just displayed the gun?
I’ll second the posters who recommended allowing her to hold and try an assortment of weapons before picking one.
In the spring, hubby will be taking my daughter to a gun dealer to try to find her a gun that fits. My daughter will be especially difficult as her hands are very small (SHORT fingers) and she’s left-handed.
We’re leaning to the S&W J-frame guns. Probably something hammerless in the .38 area to cut back on the kick. (We want her to be encouraged to practice a LOT. If the gun hurts her, she’ll be reluctant to go back to the range.)
My daughter and I really like this one:
Of course, the one my daughter loves is more than $1200:
The gun won’t fire unless you’re squeezing the grip. She likes that safety feature. (this way she has a safety that she never actually has to flip off.)
The rails are nice, but make sure the female unit tries things out before you buy. Personally, I find a laser distracting mostly because I can’t hold the damned thing still. But women have steadier hands than men. I took a young woman friend of my wife’s to the range - she had never fired any type of firearm before - and she absolutely wore out the 10 ring with a .22 S&W. Of course, this was due to the 10 minutes of expert instruction I gave her before going to the range.
NOT!!
;-)
The numbers used by VPC may indeed be accurate as reported by someone. However, comparing the fact that 1209 women were killed by assailants with handguns to the fact that 12 women armed with handguns killed someone who was assailing them have no correlation to each other.
What is missing, of course, is that 12 women armed with handguns did not get killed by an assailant (armed with whatever weapon).
Stats can be used to be very clear or very convoluted. You must apply rational thought and logic everytime someone quotes you stats.
It is unfortunate that per these quoted numbers, that many women are asaulted by someone they know. Usually an estranged husband or lover maybe? Just because women are killed by or kill (justifiably) a person known to them, does not mean that women should not arm themselves; gosh, I guess if a women is killed by a former lover that is better than being killed by an outright stranger?
Combining statistics is a method used by folk who want to disinform others.
Oaky, so you want a gun to recommend? But, a 357 is too much and Glock (or any other auto w/o a manual safety, SIG, SW XD etc?) is out of the running?
Why? If a revolver is okay (no manual safety) but an auto by “glock” is out, consider this:
In the gravest extreme of the moment a firearm is needed it is needed RIGHT NOW.
To state that a glock (or SIG or XD or ....) is not acceptable since it has no “manaual safety switch” makes litle sense.
I suggest getting your friend to a trainer who has a range of arms for use, and let the friend select what they feel most comfortable with; you step back and let the pro figure out what to offer.
Adding a manual safety to the equation results in more training and composure required. My wife, for instance, tends to “panic” when setting a fishing hook or getting a spider on her, but is very cool when it comes to dealing with other people. So, a manual safety equipped arm would likely be fine for her-she shoots ~ 100 rounds per month along side me, plus competes in IDPA events. She prefers a 38 concealed hammer Taurus 85 for carry ( I think she has as many holsters for it as shoes and purses-its a woman thing I guess (I have two holsters for my carry gun). “Five positive bangs in a row” is her motto. She competes with a full sized 1911A1 45CP.
Often the hardest thing for a friend to do is hand someone off to a professional for really important stuff like firearm selection and training. Do it anyway.
>>Of the 12 handgun self-defense killings by women reported to the FBI in 1998, eight involved attackers known to the woman, while only four involved strangers.<<
I like the element of surprise [ and hollow points] on my side, Mr. statistician.
It is a S&W .357 Model 340PD M&P with CT site. It has a tritium front site as well and the hammerless feature is nice for concealing (but terrible for trigger squeezing). She shot two rounds out of it and declined to shoot it anymore. The recoil is, IMO, ever bit as punishing as my .500 S&W Magnum.
[My .357 has the shrouded hammer, which I like...dunno why I posted that image...oh well..this is what I should have posted]
My recommendation for a handgun: S&W 442 (or 642). Load it with Hornady 38 Special 110 gr Critical Defense. Start with standard pressure loads and work up to +P later.
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