Or a Ruger LCP with Red dot
Walther PPK/S or a Bersa Thunder .380
A .380 is usually considered the minimum self defense weapon, and particularly good for ladies.
I guess if you were set on a revolver, you might try a .32 (although you sure don’t see many around...).
Smith & Wesson Model 442 .38sp. Very light. Hammerless. Can also get same frame is smaller caliber. .38sp may have more kick than you want. I just got one & love it. (I’m a guy) Check out the S&W website.
Ruger SP101 .327 Federal Magnum
Good plan.
No ...
BRILLIANT Plan.
And don't let anybody, no matter how supposedly expert or seemingly well meaning tell you what's right for you.
Only YOU can determine what fits your hand, and what weight and recoil you are able to handle. If you're putting holes in the center of the target at reasonable range (and not tearing up your hand), you can handle it.
Also, consider being accurate is FAR more important than the size or speed of the bullet. I knew a little lady that could shoot the eyes out of the target at 25 feet. I dont care if it is a .22 .... being able to shoot the eye at will will put anyone down and in a hurry.
And as always ... practice, practice practice and then more practice.
The best all around handgun for self defense for carry or in the house for a petite woman is a hammerless snub-nosed .38. If you want even less kick purchase a snub-nosed .357 and load it with .38s.
(1) It is easy to load and unload.
(2) There is no slide to chamber a round
(3) There is no chance of jambing
(4) If a round does not go off when you squeeze the trigger, pull the trigger again
(5) There is no hammer to catch on the purse or pocket when you have to draw it in a panic.
(6) It is always double action so there is no easy trigger pull to cause an accident.
(7) .38 is cheap to practice with
(8) Revolvers are less maintenance and more reliable with fewer moving parts.
(9) It is a cost effective firearm compared to a semi-auto (most cases)
(10) Always very easy to conceal.
It is certainly not a sexy weapon, but it is my and my wife's primary carry weapon. We have .357s. She loads with .38 and I load with .357.
Practice safety and practice often. Good Luck and welcome to the club.
Get a good “dirk”.
5-6 inch blade is meant to be used up close, easy to shove up to the hilt with little effort and has an immediate effect on any attacker.
Also easy to conceal.
The small framed S&Ws (J-frame) and Rugers (SP101) are worth looking into in revolvers. The Rugers are chunkier than the Smiths, which helps tame the recoil, but makes them more noticeable (to the carrier, not to onlookers) when carrying due to the extra weight.
Or a Ruger LCP with Red dotDon’t buy anything until you at least look at the Ruger LCP.
+1 on the S&W 442(blued) or 642(stainless). Load w/ +P ammo. Small and light enough to go with you everywhere, every time you leave the house.
Walther PPK 380! Perfect for the petite woman! Make sure to put hollow points in it!
Many women do not have the chest or arm strength for any auto. Blowback pistols require more strength than Browning locked breechs. Revolvers always work and do not require the upper body strength. A .38 Special with Personal Protection ammunition is my recommendation. I'm an NRA trainer of NRA instructors in personal protection Your FIL may be correct.
that is a 9MM may be better than a .380
as well as a NRA trainer of Woman's shooting sports.
Taurus Judge .410 revolver....
Do not accept a Lorcin/Jimenez,Bryco-Jennings or AMT even as a gift.
ArrogantBustard’s comment is spot on. Totally in the abstract and not knowing you, I’d recommend a good revolver — probably a smith & wesson — in .38special. But I don’t know you, nor does any other commenter. Good defensive rounds begin at the .38sp and 9mm range, and both are inexpensive (meaning you can practice more easily). My petite wife carries an HK USP compact in 9mm and can easily shoot a .45ACP pistol. If you’re not going to practice much (really bad, but people often have other things to do), then most people will recommend a revolver — no controls to screw with in the night, no mags to seat or drop out, and it goes bang with extraordinary reliability. But don’t limit yourself — the push recoil of a .45acp round in a good gun is potentially less snappy than a 9mm in a light pistol. Additionally, many pistols have radically different recoil characteristics even in the same caliber — a springfield XD (also a good semi-auto) has a sharp recoil up and twisted to the right, compared to a glock which seems to punch straight back and up. As AB said, try then buy.
Then practice. Take a class. Without training, a gun is a moderately dangerous lump of metal.
Finally, if you were going to get only one gun exclusively for home defense, a remington 870 in 20gauge is more powerful and dependable than any handgun you could fire. The purpose of a handgun is to give you time to get to your long gun.
IMHO, you can’t beat the weight, balance, confidence, and fast response of the Walther PPK/S in .380. Plus, it is small and light enough to fit into anything you carry.