2.revolver double action Smith&Wesson or Colt
Posted on 07/20/2010 8:09:38 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter
Although we have a couple of firearms used for hunting Mrs. GBC has decided she needs to get a handgun while the getting is still good.
I agree. I'd recommend a Ruger LCR. Lightweight revolver and safer than an automatic pistol in a purse.
Sig P232 .380ACP
My wife is quite happy with hers.
http://www.sigsauer.com/Products/ShowCatalogProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=10&productid=292
I bought a Walther P22 for the wife and daughters - medium sized and fairly light.
What will it be used for? What is she comfortable shooting? I like a 22 caliber Ruger Mk III for target shooting. I use a Springfield XDM 40 for home defense and a Sig P-239 for CCW. It depends on what you plan on using it for.
>People say “.22 no stopping power” but I constantly read those stories about how an older person get s abreak in, tells the perp to leave then has to shoot usually with a .22 wheel gun or some other .22. The perps usually die.
There is a difference between a bullet being lethal and stopping power.
Stopping power means you disable the target in a hurry. Lethal can take a while. .22 LR can be extremely lethal because of the way the bullets can pinball inside a rib cage. However the trauma causes one to bleed out rather than drop in a hurry.
The problem with .22s is that they are neither an immediate nor a guaranteed solution to a problem.
I’d say the lowest one should consider in a self defense round is .380 auto or .38 special (the latter preferably).
As many have said, the best gun is the one which fits the shooter’s hand. Revolvers are generally less expensive, and a Charter or Taurus .38 or .357 (which can fire .38s) is a good functional weapon.
If you wish to consider a semi-auto, don’t skimp. Cheap semi-autos are often crap, so if you go that route be willing to spend more or don’t do it. Again, try before you buy.
With that information, I would advise that she seek gun training at this point. Firearms safety class is a must, preferably one that has a few different handguns that she can try out.
She’s got to get some shooting experience IMO, because shooting a pistol is harder than shooting a rifle, because of the shorter distance between the sights. Since she is a beginner,I would assume that she would be better off with a smaller caliber revolver to start.
It’s critical that she get some shooting experience, and if she intends to carry, she must be certain of all laws and what she can do with that gun and when, or she could get in real trouble. Also, if one intends to carry a weapon, then one needs to have extensive experience with that weapon, because it will most likely be drawn in a tense, adrenaline scenario as opposed to calmly at a shooting range. It is during those tense situations, such as a crime being committed against you, that simple mistakes that can lead to irreversible problems.
Walther just introduced a .380 version which is only slightly larger.
2.revolver double action Smith&Wesson or Colt
I recommend a Seecamp .32. It fits very nicely and unobtrusively in your jeans pocket. You can stroll right into a stadium without getting a second look as they search the ladies’ purses. (Of course, in your wife’s case that could be a problem!) It’s a very reliable handgun, especially if you stick with the Winchester Silvertips.
If you want a gun to wear in a holster or for your car’s glove compartment, go with a nice snubnose .38 revolver. Always go with a revolver for no-doubt-about-it reliability.
By the way, these threads sometimes load up with people talking about “stopping power”, and accuracy at 25 yards, and clip capacity, etc., etc., as if you should be prepared to face drug-crazed brutes as you fire from behind car doors and alley dumpsters in some kind of a movie-style shoot-em-up. The fact is, you want a concealed handgun so that if a bad situation suddenly jumps up out of nowhere and bites you in the ass you can get off a quick point-blank shot or two to the face or throat and then get the hell out of there as fast as you can.
Good luck!
LH
If she eventually likes an auto loader, look for something with a 'de-cocking' capability which can be carried loaded and chambered, and fired by squeezing the trigger without having to pull a hammer back. Taurus makes my favorite in .45 ACP, holds twelve in a mag and one chambered. The goal is to have compitence in using the firearm so under stress she will perform to save life, hers or yours.
One final note: my personal carry weapon is a CZ82, with hollowpoint ammo. Single or double action, very dependable, practice friendly, easy to re-acquire target after first shot. I also painted the sights with optiglow orange fingernail polish ... you might like white ;^)
A short barreled .38 with some Hydra-shockPD or some 95gr Silvertips will do some serious damage and not recoil uncomfortably. Simple to operate. Never jams. Ruger, Taurus or Smith. I prefer the Ruger. These are good choices for men too, at least the ones without pen1s issues.
Beretta .32 Tomcat or Ruger .380 LCP. Forget the Walther PPK .380 because the slide is prolly be too hard for her to rack (unless she has large, muscular man-hands).
Absolutely. The revolver doesn’t depend on anything but the trigger pull so anything from mini caps to hot loads will be fine.
http://womenshooters.blogspot.com/2007/03/revolver-versus-semi-automatic-pistol.html
My suggestion would be a 357 or 45 caliber revolver. Even if she misses the sound and shock wave the bad guy/gal will experience will be enough to send him/her running.
Smith & Wesson M&P. You can either get the full sized or the compact if she wants to conceal. Both are available in either 9mm or .40 cal. And both come with 3 different sizes of backstraps (easily swapped out by you at home), so she can adjust the fit to her hand. I am mostly familiar with the .40 compact. Not a lot of kick and a sweet gun to fire.
While there are MANY options to consider, many of them perfectly valid, I don’t think anyone would later consider themselves to have been steered wrong if they followed your recommendation.
My wife has a very nice stainless steel Lady Smith in .357/.38 and she really likes it.
Don't get me wrong, I love my autos, but in a "situation" I'm convinced of the need of simplicity over any other concern.
I would recommend a glock 19 if you want only one handgun for everything. Home defense, concealed carry, range gun ect...
Any of the glocks in 9mm are a good choice are parts are easy to find. They are reliable and easy to maintain.
If you want an American made product look into the Smith and Wesson M&P automatics.
Of course a good Smith and Wesson or Ruger revolver would give you good service too. With less firepower.
Go down to your local range and see if you can try some different firearms to see what you like. Please take some classes from a reputable firearms instructor. It will be money well spent.
“Mrs. GBC wants a handgun....”
Once she obtains a handgun, NEVER do anything to piss off Mrs. GBC.
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