Advice on firearm purchase needed

Vanity | pepsi_junkie

[pepsi_junkie]

I've never posted a vanity before so I'm ready for the scolding I'll get for doing it, but I need help. My wife and I are considering buying a handgun and while I've fired a variety of guns previously at a range with friends, I've never bought or owned one. I know FR is full of 2nd amendment advocates and was hoping I could get some help as to what to buy.

It would be for both my wife and I for occasional use at a range and, in the unlikely event of a home invasion, self defense.

I don't want something too powerful for my wife to easily handle but at the same time I don't want something that would be ineffective in a self defense situation. Any suggestions?

[piytar]

“PS, I bet my life on Hornady Critical Defense pistol ammo, for what’s it’s worth.”

Yup. For when you want to send the very best!

Wait, does that put me into the “good advice” or “good advice with bad advice” category above? LOL. (Hmm, actually, if you see “bad advice” in my comment, pls PM me - always willing to learn!)

[Disambiguator]

You have to ask yourself one question: does your wife have much smaller hands than you?

If the answer is yes, you need to buy two guns. His and hers.

I have that situation here, so we went with the Ruger GP100 and Ruger SP101, both in .357 Magnum. The .357 gives you the option of using either full-house magnum loads (lotsa recoil, noise, and flash, especially with the smaller gun), or you can shoot .38 Special ammo, including +P or +P+ loads.

For around the house, make sure you get some high-quality factory self-defense loads (Hornady is a good choice, along with Federal, Remington, Cor-Bon, and others)..

[FightThePower!]

Me too..

[spitter]

“I love that gun but might it be a bit much for a lady?”

I am a lady.........old but still female last I checked. LOL

The Taurus Judge is my favorite and it is a pleasure to shoot. Many of my older female pals also have it and love it as much as I do.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

My gun is bigger than yours

[Vendome]

Okay, skip whatever anyone else said go EGPWS’ position.

Boom!!!! Shaka Laka, Boom!!!

[Radagast the Fool]

The gun threads are always my faves.
Keep ‘em comin’!

[Jim Noble]

Doesn’t matter what you get.

Practice.

A lot.

[Third Person]

Glock 9mm, 17, 19, or 29 for CC or smaller hands...

Has stopping power, especially with the right ammo. Durable, dependable, no frills, and moderately priced.

[Vendome]

You just have to shoot to believe it’s the one for you.

Maybe, Maybe not.

[OwenKellogg]

That’s what I’m talking about.

[dangerdoc]

Somebody elses Mark III is a great plinking pistol. Using your own is a pain, they are complicated to field strip and clean. I rarely shoot mine for that reason, and when I do, I have to go back and read the instructions because it is not intuitive.

[Uri’el-2012]

Beginners should start with NRA Certified training

I would recommend training
from an NRA Certified Instructor in

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

NRA Gun Safety Rules

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction

Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot

Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

This one is even bigger. Everybody should have one of these:

[BigCinBigD]

:O)

[Vendome]

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Boohoo. All I see is a red x...

[chuckles]

.45 is the best for home defense. Many will say it's too much gun for the little lady. My 9 year old daughter was home schooled on it. My wife, who hates guns, shoots it just fine. The big question is, can they chamber a round by themselves? Even a 9mm can be hard to chamber for some women.

If they can's chamber a round in a semi-auto, then I would go with a small grip .357, such as the Ruger Security Six. If they can't stand a .357, then try a .38 +P in the same gun. Another wheel gun might be a small frame .44 special. An unwanted guest in my house will get the Colt Combat Commander in .45 with a 200grn hp whether it comes from me or the wife. My daughter is a Sheriff Deputy now and will use her .357 Sig because it is issued to her and she doesn't have the money yet for her own .45 and she can't have mine.

[Michael Barnes]

This is my preference for a "common defense" pistol:

If you plan to visit the range quite a bit, eh....maybe not so much. Good, personal firearms training might be more in order. This pistol has no safety; a bit heavier trigger pull (without hammer cocked) and the slide is somewhat resistant. In other words, you will notice none of that in the "heat of the moment". You will notice all of it in a controlled environment.

[The Theophilus]

Kinda hard to handle a rifle for in home defense.

And firing a rifle indoors will make your ears bleed.

I hate 9mm, but alas it has so much going for it given the OP's parameters. Cheap, low recoil, high capacity, and one can have a magazine of Glasers for the home (no overpenetration), Blazers at the range (cheap crap, don't bother recovering "brass"), Hydro-shok for going into enemy territory.

I hate Glocks too, but in this case its the best bet. Practically everyone owns at least one, parts are all over the place, cheap (its rare to wear one out so a police return is cheap and good), high capacity, and they are largely fool-proof without having to obtain muscle memory to fiddle with safeties and grip. They are indestructable, don't rust or decompose, and can handle idiot relatives who put thousands of rounds through them without ever once cleaning the barrel. And if one so desires, laser guide rods give it cool poser value down at the indoor range.