Posted on 01/23/2010 12:42:20 PM PST by Richard Kimball
Young lady I know is around twenty and wants to get a concealed carry permit. She knows the safety concepts and has been safely handling .22 rifles and other small arms for years. This would be her first handgun. In Texas, for a concealed carry permit, she must test with a caliber larger than .22. If she tests with a revolver, her carry permit is only good for a revolver. She is relatively small, so please no suggestions for .45s, .50 Desert Eagles, etc. (Like that ever stops anyone from suggesting them anyway ;o>).
I’ve got a model 36 and it’s a good weapon. If we go revolver, that might be the way.
First thing I’d do is see which weapon fits her hand well. If she can’t hold it comfortably and securely and reach the controls, It doesn’t matter what caliber it is.
Revolvers are safer for beginners (easier to check if loaded).
In autos, Kahr, as mentioned previously, makes some nice carry pieces, small, light, and concealable. They have 9mm, .380, or 40 S&W.
Their 9’s are as small as other brands .380’s I would recommend a 9 over the .380 unless she’s really recoil sensitive. The ammo is much more powerful, more available, and sometimes even cheaper.
For close range self-defense - How about ‘The Judge’ Taurus .45/410 Revolver...?
(http://www.taurus-handguns.com/item/167268_Taurus_Hand_Guns_Pistols_TAU_2441031TC_____M410_45.aspx)
Unless someone wants to take up shooting as a hobby , by that I mean beyond that what is required for decent proficiency , I like to see new shooters to try revolvers . A four inch barreled double action .38 special is great handling in most shooters hands and very concealable . If you stick with a lightly used , quality brand , you can get your money back if you change your mind .
I’ve always liked the versatility of the .357/.38. I am also a little concerned about jamming with a semi-auto.
Very good point . I have seen big strong men , whose limp wristed hold caused a malfunction .
Ruger SP101.
Got one for my daughter when she turned 21 back in the mid-90’s and she went to combat hand gunning school with it and swears by it ever since.
Probably the ultimate purse gun.
I have one for myself, and, with it in a pocket holster, it is a great walk-about defensive weapon.
Individual handgun recommendations for semiautos are pretty much useless unless the lady can easily rack the slide and finds the grip comfortable for her hand. Everyone is going to recommend their own personal favorite.
I think the thing to do is take her to a gun shop and have her handle a variety of different guns. For girls, the size of the grip, weight, and slide stiffness are usually bigger issues than for guys.
She’ll be able to rule out alot of options and make a short list of contenders real quick just by handling a bunch of different guns.
That’s a cool one. I was worried about this. There are so many good choices. Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that it’s illegal to saw off a shotgun, but perfectly legal to make a pistol that shoots shotgun shells?
Get her a copy of “Armed and Female” by Paxton Quigley.
It’s in paperback, and I think amazon still has it.
The book may be a trifle outdated, since it was published some years back, but it’s still a fabulous book, and discusses several options for the female (i.e., smaller person/smaller hands).
The recommendations include the “intimidation factor” of each weapon!
Or, see www.paxtonquigley.com or www.corneredcat.com
HTH! Rad
You two and a couple of others have me really leaning towards a revolver.
“She is relatively small…,”
So for concealed, size and weight of the weapon would seem the most important for her. First, of course, is that it go bang every time. And, you get that with a revolver.
Ditto what rockrr and HossB86 stated upthread.
Recommend she consider testing with a rented semi-auto, then rent, experiment and buy and carry a revolver first. Experiment later with the semi’s and learn how to quickly clear a malfunction.
Rhetorical question: What sort of circumstance could she find herself in that would make her wish she could fire more than 5 or 6 rounds before having to reload?
Caveat! Read the reviews re the Kahr P9, looks great but may be problematic for reliable self defense.
There are some nice .380’s out there.
And .25 cals can still punch holes rather well.
Might need Glaser safety slugs for it though.
I own two of them and they're great litle pistols for less than $250.00. Ammo is plentiful and relatively inexpensive meaning she can PRACTICE.
The second is a Charter Arms Bulldog chambered in .44 spl. I've got one of these and they're also rugged, surprisingly accurate, and pack about the same punch as the .45 ACP round in a much more compact package.
They're also relatively inexpensive.
Either one of them would be a good choice for a first carry pistol IMO.
Just my two cents, your mileage may vary.
Best,
L
If you’re looking for a revolver larger than the Smith J frames, consider a Ruger SP101 (bull strong) which will handle .357 and .38 Special, or one of my favorites, a used (no new production) Colt Detective Special, .38 only but holds 6 rounds - it’s about mid way in size between the J and K frames.
The NRA short pistol course is for either revolver or autoloader.
I suggest she take an NRA long course, which will take all day and include range time. My students are all urged to take the long course because it includes a written test. Should she have to defend herself, and a bottom feeding lawyer (OK, OK, forgive the redundancy!) wants to claim she was not properly trained, the test results and her qualification target are available.
So much for shark repellent.
I suggest the Charter Arms .38 revolvers because of their lightness, low cost, availability with a laser sight (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ! ! !) and the reliability/simplicity of a wheel gun.
Suggest to her that she shoot lots of low powered .38 wad cutters and carry the best defense loads she can afford.
Possession of a musical instrument does not a musician make. Neither does owning a handgun make one competent to defend one’s life in a gun fight.
Perfect practice makes perfect, so find her a good shooting coach. NRA has quite a list of ‘em.
I don’t think size matters. One of our best shooters on the NG pistol team was a 110 lb female. Either that or a .380 as others have suggested.
I forgot to mention we shot only .45 M1911s.
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