[5Madman2]

Alot of the folks here will recommend a small .38.

Good advice-start there and go where you and your wife feel comfortable.

Training is a must.

I have not read all the thread-I am unsure of the laws in your locality, but learn them and comply concerning permits etc. The Second Amendment is a powerful thing, but I know of few that can afford to be the "Test Case" for that trumping the laws in place, whether we like it or not.

[NYFriend]

OK Four big issues.

#1: no one should carry a gun if they aren't willing to use it. Pulling a gun and not being willing to shoot an attacker is an invitation for getting you gun taken away and used against you. I do not recommend carrying a gun if you have any doubt that you can kill another person, and I do not recommend carrying a gun unless you have a good sense about when killing is an appropriate response to a threat. If a gun comes out in a fight, bet on some one dying. It doesn't happen every time, but it's a real possibility. Either you are shooting someone, or they are going to kill you (possibly in response to you showing them a weapon, possibly with your weapon). Using a gun in self defense is the real deal, and the stakes don't get higher.

#2: Get good training. Pay for it if you can't get it for free. She needs to know both when to use a gun and how to use it if the time comes. Like I said, the stakes don't get higher.

#3: make sure you have a way to secure a gun kept in your car against theft. I don't know how to keep a gun in your car that is both secure and accessible. Just think about it. #4: I like revolvers. I really like .38 Special revolvers. You can get a revolver grip that will fit you hand, big or small. Revolvers are carried in a very safe condition, yet are ready to fire. Revolvers stand up to abuse and neglect. Revolvers are not (for the most part) effected by lint, etc., that you may find in your pocket, glove box, or purse (many people recommend against carrying a gun in your purse). Many small autos are. Revolvers are easy to determine whether they are loaded or unloaded, and are rendered safe and inert by opening the cylinder. A double action revolver takes practice to shoot well. Once you get that practice, they are great. An auto the fires the first shot double action and subsequent shots single action are the most difficult to learn to shoot well (I know, I've learned both). A single action auto, like a 1911, can be safely carried with the safety engaged (cocked and locked), but this requires additional training to disengage the safety before firing. It can be done, but you need to learn it. Some people are not comfortable leaving a cocked weapon laying around. I think this is risky. Plenty of people disagree. All that said, Colt used to make a Detective Special which was a small, six shot, .38 revolver. They can be found used. Lots of people like them. Smith and Wesson makes J frame revolvers (five shots in .38, or six in .32 magnum) They are a little smaller than the Colts. Some model numbers were 37, 640, 67. Smith and Wesson also makes K frame revolvers which are bigger than J frames or Detective Specials, and hold six rounds of .38 special or .357 Magnum (which also shoots .38 Specials). The K frames are the classic police revolvers. They come with short barrels between about 2-3", and longer barrels 4" and over. Some people regard them as the best handling combat revolvers ever made. I don't know, I haven't shot many other revolvers. I do not see a need to change anything about the K frame. Model numbers include 10, 15, 19, 65, 65 Lady Smith, and 66. I don't think anyone could go wrong with a USED Smith and Wesson J or K frame revolver for defense. It's about how big a revolver you want to lug around. If size doesn't matter, a 4" K frame is hard to beat, although I see little difference in ease of use between a 2 1/2 inch and 4 inch K frame. You may need to change the grips, make sure they fit the owner.

[stylecouncilor]

ping for later.

[mylife]

Having "taught" a few ladies to shoot, Id recommend the 38 revolver as well. semi autos just have to many issues to be dependable for many women. Many women dont posess the upperbody strength to rack the slide. Jams can occur.

With the revolver none of these things are issues.
Point and pull the trigger

[CHICAGOFARMER]

SO YOU WANT TO CARRY? HEY?

If you flash your gun, John Lott says you only fire once every two thousand threats you have a gun or flash a gun. When you believe that you are ready to carry.

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here are the rules
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CREED OF OATH OF CCW OWNERS

5 Rules of Conceal and Carry

"YOUR CONCEALED WEAPON IS FOR PROTECTION OF INNOCENT LIFE ONLY."

"KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU CAN USE YOUR WEAPON."

"IF YOU CAN RUN AWAY SAFELY- RUN, RUN RUN!"

"DISPLAY YOUR WEAPON, GO TO JAIL."

"DON'T LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF YOU."


Detail

5 Rules of Conceal and Carry (like a pistol)

---

1. YOUR CONCEALED WEAPON IS FOR PROTECTION OF INNOCENT LIFE ONLY.

Draw it solely in preparation to protect yourself or an innocent third party from the wrongful and criminal activities of another.


2. KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU CAN USE YOUR WEAPON.

The criminal adversary must have or reasonably appear to have:

A. The ABILITY to inflict serious bodily injury. He is armed or reasonably appears to be armed.

B. The OPPORTUNITY to inflict serious bodily harm. He is positioned to harm you with his weapon, and,

C. His INTENT (hostile actions or words) indicates that he means to place you in jeopardy - to do you serious or fatal physical harm.

When all three of these "attack potential" elements are in place simultaneously, then you are facing a reasonably perceived deadly threat that justifies an emergency deadly force response. Note that these conditions may be defined differently in certain circumstances. For example, a small woman may be justified in using deadly force with a handgun against a much stronger male who is unarmed and attempting to rape or kill her. For a male vs. male encounter the defendant probably would not be justified unless possibly if he was physically handicapped, elderly, etc. This is known as disparity of force.


3. IF YOU CAN RUN AWAY SAFELY- RUN, RUN, RUN!

Just because you are armed doesn't necessarily mean that you must confront a bad guy at gunpoint. Develop your situation awareness skills so that you can be alert to detect and avoid trouble as much as possible. Keep in mind that if you successfully evade a potential confrontation, the single negative consequence involved might only be your bruised ego, which should heal quickly with mature rationalization. But if you force a confrontation, and it escalates into deadly force, you risk the possibility of death or serious injury to yourself and any friends, family members, or innocent bystanders that may be present.

Also you face the possibility of criminal liability and/or financial ruin from a civil lawsuit as a result of your actions. Flee if you can - fight only as a last resort.

Naturally, there are circumstances in which you may be able to flee but it would not be in your best interest or judgment to do so. For example, a situation that you could easily flee from when alone may be difficult to safely avoid if your family was with you. Also it may be a judgment/ethics call on whether or not to fight or flee based on what is happening to potential victims around you.

For example, a gunman may be threatening the life of someone else and not even notice you. If you leave the scene, and go call 911 and just wait for the police to show up, you may have to deal with guilt and emotional issues that result if the gunman kills someone. In contrast, if you intervene, then you may risk your own life. The gunman may have a partner, which you have not identified and involvement may find you outgunned. Remember that self-preservation, and keeping your loved ones safe should be your first priorities. Always remember to stay calm and quickly analyze the situation at hand. Use good judgment on how you will react to any given circumstance.


4. DISPLAY YOUR WEAPON, GO TO JAIL.

You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent, or justified the situation might seem.

Choose a method of carry that reliably keeps your gun hidden from public view at all times. You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed weapon. He of she might become alarmed and report you as a "man or woman with a gun". Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might maliciously embellish their story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or in order to get you arrested. Even though your jacket only blew open for a moment, giving a brief glimpse of your gun, that person may tell the police that you were waving it around like a homicidal maniac. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man or woman with a gun" is going to be a lot more credible to police than you are when you are stopped because you match the "suspect's" description and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself "is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least both the ABILITY and INTENT and is actively seeking the OPPORTUNITY to do you great harm.

Also, remember that proper concealment of a weapon is more than just covering it up so that it is not physically visible. You want to remove as much as possible any signs that you are armed. For example, you would not wear a tight T-shirt that shows the lines of your gun printing through it, especially if that T-shirt has a firearm related logo or statement on it. Also, a black nylon fanny-pack or a photographer's vest may, in certain areas or in certain modes of dress tell any half-educated person that you are packing a gun. It is also not usually a very good idea to let too many people know that you carry a gun. This fact should be limited to your immediate family and select friends who are "gun people" also. Please, for your sake and the sake of others around you - be discreet!


5. DON'T LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF YOU.

When you are armed, you must realize that you just lost your right to initiate ANY type of confrontation that could possibly escalate into a violent encounter. You must now have a very mellow attitude on life and your fellow mankind.

You just lost the right to flip off the motorist who just cut you off in traffic. You have to ignore the scumbag who just "wolf-whistled" at your wife/girlfriend. If someone wants to pick a fight with you, you lost the right to respond in any way other than a kind, friendly manner while walking away. As an armed person you must be more likely and willing to avoid trouble that an unarmed person would be. You have the legal and moral obligation of de-escalating any situation that you are presented with unless you are faced by someone displaying all three of the "attack potential" elements. Carrying a loaded firearm among your fellow citizens is an awesome responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.

Remember, once you strap on your weapon, you must carry with it a great measure of discretion and judgment, along with an easy-going attitude.

[Poser]

38/357 Revolver and lots of practice
The S&W 686 on the lower left might be a good choice.

[punster]

There are always debates about what is better, revolver or pistol. The plus for the revolver is it is somewhat simpler to use and check to see if it is loaded. However, the self-loading pistol may well have a higher degree of practical accuracy, by virtue of having a lighter trigger pull (~5 lb versus about 12 lb).

If it is a revolver, buy one that will fit the hand. Be sure to buy one chambered for .357 Magnum. It is also possible to shoot .38 Special loads for practice and familiarization. My advice is to do some practice with .357 loads, also. This is so the increased recoil and noise will not be a complete surprise. Some of my recommendations are the Ruger SP101 and GP100 guns, as well as those by Smith & Wesson. Taurus also makes several good models.

On self-loading pistols, I recommend both the .40 S&W and the 9mm cartridge. If you shoot accurately, both will do the job. I have a preference for the Glock full size models, the Glock 17 in 9mm and the Glock 22 in .40 S&W. The Browning Hi-Power is also available in those calibers, as well as firearms from Beretta, Springfield Armory, and other manufacturers.

Don't base the purchase on just purchase price, buy a firearm that has a really good reputation for reliability. Remember, if the SHTF, you want something that will go bang! every time you squeeze the trigger.

[Loud Mime]

My little lady loves the sig 380. Be sure to check it out.

[Truth29]

Everybody on this thread has already given more and better advice than I can so I'll just give a plug for one model to consider. My wife is small statured with small hands and wasn't comfortable with firearms at first. After trying a number of different models, she settled on a Sig P232 (380) and absolutely loves it. It is important to be comfortable with and like firing your weapon or you won't keep up the necessary practice.

[the lastbestlady]

I am a woman and I carry a Smith and Wesson "Airweight" .38 special with a shrouded hammer and an inch and a half barrel. If I had buy it again I would get the full weight model. (probably the "ladysmith") The Airweight is a real hand-stinger because of how light it is. This gun is definitely for up close and personal self-defense and it takes practice to be accurate with it because of the short barrel.

[Uri’el-2012]

what weapon would be ideal for a woman in a car to own?

What safety precautions, such as trigger locks would you recommend,

in light of the fact that the weapon will be largely carried in a car?

What laws are applicable?

It would be simple enough for me to pick up a book

(and believe me I intend to),

but some things need to be filtered through human experience to get the most out of them.

In answer to all of your questions, I would recommend training from an NRA Certified Instructor

in

NRA training for women
Refuse to be a victim
Basic pistol
Personal protection in the home
and a soon to be released
Personal protection outside the home

[RightWhale]

Don't shoot someone just because they yell and bang on the trunk of your car. Find out who they are and file assault charges.

[Uri’el-2012]

This is my wife's gun:

[freedomlover]

Without a doubt a 45mm