Posted on 08/24/2020 7:32:46 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
My sister just turned 67 and wants to purchase a pistol for self-defense.
I do not think she has ever fired a weapon before in her life. She is sufficiently concerned about the crap going on that she wants to be able to defend herself. She works in downtown Baltimore and commutes from her home in suburban Maryland between Baltimore, Wash DC, and Annapolis.
What do the FR firearms experts recommend for the pistol, ammunition, and training? How do you evaluate trainers and their training programs? What do you look for?
Pull whatever trigger you have a lot.
Fwiw, I was a county/parish/state/federal LEO for over 3 decades & often had a female partner over those years. - Further one of my best friends in police work was a female Deputy US Marshal, who was 62” inches tall & weighed about 100 pounds.
“Dottie K” said that her favorite handgun for a lady, whether civilian or peace officer, was an old-school Colt’s Detective Special, Cobra or Agent OR any one of the S&W J-frame .38SPL revolvers.
(Fwiw, I agree 100% with Dottie.)
Just my OPINION, TMN78247
USACIDC, Retired
.38 hammerless revolver for somebody who doesn’t know anything about guns and doesn’t want to know.
P.S> Take her to a gun shop and let her handle the firearms and see if she can rack the slide.
“Smith and Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ.
Hornady Critical Defense .380 rounds.
The pistol is the easiest to rack, easiest to load and gentlest recoil of almost any semi auto.”
I concur. Love mine. I’m a 68 yo female. I had so much distress trying other weapons, sliding the rack was almost impossible. The Shield EZ is absolutely no problem for me.
Warmest Regards to all.
The one she feels comfortable firing and using and maintaining
Ka Boom
I have the Sig P365, small 10 shot or 12 shot and its full 9mm.
don’t think a 380 is just like a 9mm, its not
Remember finishes will wear on these as you cary them
The way I see it, I hope I NEVER have to shoot someone but it can be a great equalizer if someone is intent on hurting you.
Glock 42. It’s a baby glock 19. Uses .380 ammo. Same diameter round as a Glock 19 - just a shorter shell. Less kickback than a 19. This is what my wife has.
Pretty cheap. But make sure they have ammo for whatever you buy. There is a serious ammo shortage in common calibers. Especially .380 ACP and 9 mm and .223/5.56 and 22 LR.
At 67 and first gun
A lighwteight revolver
Hammerless
Most older folks hand strength is weaker,,shes a woman without gun experiemce, racking slides is not good
I have a bias to the ruger lcp 38+p, grip absorbs/transfers recoil well, not intimidating to learn to use
There may be other good lightweight ones as well
Good advice but not a short barrel. My mother in law has one. She’s scared of the bang and the recoil.
Something with some weight.
If you only want the firearm for the home, get a 20 gauge shotgun.
Not an airweight. See post. 35
NO semi-autos! Forget them. They are not for beginners. S&W 5 shot snub nose 38 special with light loads if she is going to conceal carry. 4” 38 special revolver for home use. They are simple to load, simple to use and they don’t jam. Take it from an instructor, they go bang every time. Get her to a range with a serious instructor, not some macho shit head. It’s life and death, not a game.
She should take a pistol safety and marksmanship class, and try a few different types and calibers before making any purchase decision.
Short barreled revolvers are not good self defense weapons for a woman. Have one shoot one and they’ll soon find out why. Hell, they’re hard for a lot of men.
Best thing for your sister to do is, go to a range that rents guns with someone that can show her the basics and start renting and shooting them. The range, if they’re worth a darn, will let her try everything they have. She has to find the one that is comfortable in her hand more than anything. As for caliber, refer to what I just wrote. Have her try whatever she can until she’s comfortable with a caliber. Recoil and muzzle blast will scare many shooters away from guns.
Start small and work your way up, until she feels and finds something she likes.
However, I’d stick to the major brands.
Last week I gave my daughter an LC380. She loves it.
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