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?
Any well made hammerless revolver on the biggest caliber she can handle. My wife can handle the Taurus 856 38 special. 22LR seems too light to me, 22 Mag would be better. Ruger LCR would be a good bet.
Ammo shortage is the pits. Recently purchased a rifle and 100 rnds, noe I don’t want to go practice because I will use all my ammo. I have a nice cache for my pistol
Agree 100% for the reasons you state.
.38 caliber 5 shot revolver.
Not even close in this case.
Still good advice (IMHO):
https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/theversatile38special.htm
https://hipowersandhandguns.com/Handgun%20For%20Home%20Protection.htm
Bookmark
“One,,
With the Gun.”
.
Billy,Billy,Billy,,,”
Caddyshack
My first was a Colt .38 Detective’s Special revolver. The recoil is mild, they’re easy to maintain, and they’re pretty accurate. I regret selling it.
I miss it so. :/
Yes...38 hammerless.
S&W MP 9 ml. Easy to handle. She needs to take private lessons. I took 2 of them. Wanted a Glock because they had it on sale. I have small hands and I could not get my thumb and index finger in the proper position to fire the Glock. My private instructor brought in his own S & W MP 9ml and let me shoot it. It was a perfect match. When I qualified for my CCW I hit center mass every shot except the last one. After 4 hours in the pouring rain, I was tired. But I did hit just outside the center mass.
And have her look at getting a new purse. Gun Toten Mamas is my favorite brand. I get more compliments. It is hysterical because the ladies that are anti-gun are the ones that usually compliment me on it. How little do they know?
Spot on.
Two excellent books by Ayoob that cover that.
In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection
Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense
Both should be required reading for anyone owning firearms for self-defense.
Look at the Berretta Bobcat in .22 cal, which is smaller than any revolver. Sixty-seven years old and no prior experience pose some serious drawbacks for anything over a .22. The Bobcat is double action, has a tip up barrel for easy loading, and can fire off seven easy rounds in the blink of an eye.
The first suggestion is to take the lady to a firing range where she can try out pistols in different calibers from 32 ACP, 380 and 9 mm...
Let her get a feel for what she can handle the easiest.
As far as manufacturer is concerned, every gun maker is good today... from Berretta, Colt, Glock and my close friends Smith Wesson...
OOOOPs, wrong pic
People tend to buy a gun and some ammo, load it, stick it in a drawer and never take it out until things are bad.
At that point they discover that it is not loaded anymore, they have no idea where the ammo is and something is stuck from where someone spilled a glass of kool-aide and it dribbled in the drawer.
bookmark
The Sig P238 is my CCW. Nice and light, easy to rack and accurate at 45 feet.
Thanks for the link. I recalled seeing that article “Concealed Carry for Women,
but couldn’t find it.
Thank you everybody for your serious, sensible, and practical recommendations. Lots to think about. I sent my sister the link to this post and will discuss it with her tomorrow. Thanks again! I really appreciate everybody taking the time to respond.
My wife cannot rack the slide on my Colt mkIV or Glock 30.
An overlooked issue with women and semi-autos.
She can, at least (if she concentrates), rack her late mother’s Colt 1908 .380 Hammerless.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.