Home Defense Firearm For A Woman

In the past, I have read & heard stories about how some people's motor skills and coordination suffer in a "high stress" situation. A pump shotgun requires at least 2 skills (pump & fire) that can fail. A revolver only requires one hand to fire and in that "high stress" situation, the person is very likely going to clench their hand, a natural motion on a handgun.
For a novice, "squeezing" (clenching) a handgun is a natural reaction. A.38 Special, esp. a +P, with at least a 2.5" barrel (3-4" better) would probably be the best option.
 
Telekinesis said:
For pistols, a larger gun is going to have less recoil and more capacity, but will also be easier for someone with less hand strength to cycle the slide because the slide is larger (easier to grab) and the recoil springs are usually softer. If concealment is not a concern, I would try something in the Glock 19 size range. Or maybe the Walther PDP-F.

There’s also a technique that’s useful for cycling the slide on difficult guns. Grab the whole slide over the top with 4 fingers on one side and the palm of the hand on the other, then use a push pull with both hands opposing each other. Lots of people just starting out try to just pinch the slide at the very back. This technique makes it a lot easier. Not sure if that’s what you were showing them, but thought I’d mention it.

Finally, if we’re talking normal home defense and carry is not a factor, I’d recommend an AR over a pistol. Lots of advantages - easier to aim/shoot, less recoil, faster follow up shots, easy to add optics and lights, but also higher capacity, lower over-penetration, and significantly improved terminal performance. For someone who in all likelihood isn’t going to train that often, I think a rifle makes more sense.
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We went through all your suggestions to no avail, my last suggestion was get a trained dog or a very big boyfriend 😂
 
I commend you for taking the time to educate and instruct. You did a great service.

Next step would be taking them to the range that rents different guns and try out different calibers. Don’t discount the .22lr. It is just as lethal.

Have them feel the power and the security of owning a defensive tool.

Kudos to you, sir!
 
my suggestions based on my ownership experience.
-s&w ez 380acp, not 9mm, pistol.
-s&w, taurus or rossi 38sp steel, not alloy, 5 or 6 shot, revolver, preferably 3” barrel.
-ruger sr22 pistol (or s&w m&p, keltec p17, taurus tx22), cheap and easy to shoot alot (practice makes perfect), fills the hand (not ultracompact), top shelf reliable, easy to fieldstrip, 22lr pistol. cci ammo only. yup 22lr until centerfire handgun ammo has a proximity fuse as only hits count.

i have handled but not owned the ruger lite rack 380acp pistol, it feels nice in the hand. my ruger lcp2 22lr wasn’t nice at all and i was happy to be rid of it.
 
I asked Mrs Luzyfuerza how she would answer the OP's question. Her response:

"The S&W EZ9 is my preference. The recoil is easier on my hands than the LCR in .38 special that I started with. Racking the slide really is EZ. And I get 9 shots before reloading rather than five.

"Finally, loading the magazine is much easier for grandma hands than dealing with speedloaders."

I should note that she has taken two four-day classes with her EZ9.
 
Just one suggestion. for a semi-auto to try out, while I'm still on-line: both my daughters and spouse have adopted older West German SIG P-228s as their favorite pistols. The slide is not unduly difficult to rack; the first trigger pull in DA is a little long, but with a decocker only system, there's no external safety, it's simply point and shoot. The 228/229 have great ergonomics for most females (less those that have real tiny hands), point well and manage 9mm recoil well.

All the women in my family have extensively shot the sub-compact pistols (LCP, LC9, P365, Kel-Tecs, Taurus, Shields, etc.) and without exception have gone back to bigger pistols. My wife took her first handgun class at Firearms Academy of Seattle with a S&W M&P-9C, came back and told me to get rid of the pistol. "Give me your SIG." Gifted one daughter a Glock 43X, she gave it back to me and kept a SIG.

Which is why more than one trip to the range is needed for most women. A good range with a decent selection of rental guns is important (or a good friend with lots of guns, like some of us here).

M11.jpg
 
I'll be the oddball and say M1 carbine. They're light and handy, and so much easier to operate than a revolver.
the carbine also (IMHO) points more intuitively and requires less practice to hastily hit a relatively close target.
 
DetBrowning said:
A couple of women in my community asked me about having a gun for protection, they live alone.
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There are persons who have severely limited dexterity in their hands and fingers, which could be from arthritis, carpal tunnel, numerous auto-immune diseases or injuries. Some long guns and handguns often have easier to operate controls from reduced spring tension, and little to no felt recoil can reduce or eliminate pain while shooting.

I work at a local gun store in an area with a high percentage of retired Americans. If you have friends or family in such situations, here are several options of handguns for home defense that they can reliably operate:

Semi-automatic
These guns were specifically designed to have slides that are easy to operate:
  • Smith & Wesson EZ 380ACP
  • Smith & Wesson EZ 9mm
  • Ruger Security-380 Lite Rack™
  • Ruger LCP II Lite-Rack 22LR
  • Smith & Wesson Equalizer 9mm
  • Walther CCP M2+ 9mm
  • Walther PK380
  • Walther PDP-F Series (20% reduction in slide force)
Although not specifically designed to have easy slides, these models generally have slides with little resistance:
  • Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Compact
  • Walther P22
  • Ruger SR22
These 22s are blowback operated with a fixed barrel and a very short slide pulled from the rear that are extremely easy to pull:
  • Kel-Tec P17
  • Glock 44
  • Smith & Wesson Victory
  • Browning Buckmark
  • There are other manufacturers with similar guns
Revolvers
Revolvers that have light DA triggers, understanding that lightening trigger pulls can impact the force of hammer strikes
Most new Taurus revolvers arriving from the factory in the last year have very light trigger pulls (I work in a local gun store and have psoriatic arthritis which affects my trigger finger, so I know which firearms are helpful). This includes their big bore caliber revolvers.

Other Guns
Taurus Judge 45LC/410 - these are revolvers that use a personal defense 410 shotgun round. The have light triggers pulls and light recoil. There is even a new extended barrel version that some find easy to handle like a rifle or shotgun that will accept an RMR red dot optic.

Ruger Charger 22LR pistol - a handgun version of the Ruger 10/22 rifle that is under 4 lbs with the same capacity and features as the rifle. Install a red dot for ease of use in home defense.

Rifles
Many 22LR semi-automatic rifles are very light weight with easy to pull charging handles which include:
  • Ruger 10/22 models
  • Mossberg various models
  • Rossi various models
This is not an all-inclusive list, but a good start to work from.
There are many full size 9mm for home defense that have excellent capacity and easier slides to rack. You just have to try various models.
 
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The one thing I'll suggest is that they must be able to be 100 percent safe with whatever they carry. It makes no sense to have a gun if the chances of harming oneself with the gun are higher than that of needing it for defense. I recommend they don't buy a gun until they're properly trained and confident.
 
Going back to these ladies, do you have some other mid to full size handguns you can have them shoot?
If not, take em to a range that rents handguns and get them shooting.

20 years ago when I part timed at a Gun Shop range, we had a pair of older women that were in there weekly renting the full size Kimber 1911 45 acp. They shot just fine with that gun and had no issues racking the slide.
 
JTHunter said:
In the past, I have read & heard stories about how some people's motor skills and coordination suffer in a "high stress" situation. A pump shotgun requires at least 2 skills (pump & fire) that can fail. A revolver only requires one hand to fire and in that "high stress" situation, the person is very likely going to clench their hand, a natural motion on a handgun.
For a novice, "squeezing" (clenching) a handgun is a natural reaction. A.38 Special, esp. a +P, with at least a 2.5" barrel (3-4" better) would probably be the best option.
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The larger point is hitting what you are aiming at........if you don't regularly use a pistol, you are going to miss. In fact, I would go so far as to say there are probably some folks who post here who would miss as well.

A shotgun is going to hit the intended target at close range and the pump action is only required if you miss on the first shot.

Never bring a pistol to a rifle or shotgun fight.

PLUS: You have the added benefit that XiDen has told you that is all you need.
 
For a new female shooter and for home protection I'd recommend a .38 Spl DA revolver. No safety to have to remember, just point it and pull the trigger. Very doubtful she'd get more than a couple of shots off, so more than six is fluff and reloading in such a crisis would be unrealistic whether changing a magazine or stuffing a cylinder one at a time. I wouldn't go with a shotgun, too clumsy in close quarters and can't really be used one-handed if necessity demands it. A small revolver with a grip that fits their hand and up to a 3" barrel is easy to store or conceal and easy to use.

Of course, unless they continually practice with whatever they decide on, any firearm becomes a liability and would likely get taken away from them and used on them. The biggest consideration for anyone is the willingness to use it in a life-or-death situation, and not just as a threat by pointing it.

A Colt Detective Special or a S&W Chief's Special (M36) would be good choices, or something slightly larger like a 2-1/2" round butt M19 (but loaded with .38 Spl), or M15 snubby. My wife keeps a Taurus snubbie, (never can remember the model) for when I'm not around, and I can use it too if needed but I keep something else handy.
DSC07756.JPG
 
When my 87 year old dad died in 2021 he had a 870 Wingmaster, Taurus Judge, and a S&W model 69 44 mag.

My mom at the time was 85. She wanted a gun, but had no interest in trying to shoot a handgun in 45, 410, or 44.

She spends the summer at her house in Cincinnati, and the winter in Ormond Beach FL. near me. I gave her a S&W model 38 to keep in Ohio, and a S&W 642-1 to keep in Florida. In her now 87 years she's never had to use a gun, but likes the idea of having one around.

Reason for 2 guns, is she bought a car to leave in Florida so she can fly back and forth anytime she wants.
 
I always get flak for suggesting a .22 auto rifle for the disabled and weaker persons at home. Preferably a 10/22 for its price, availability, reliability, pointability, resale value, and larger or even 20 rd mags where 2A isn't being ignored.

Also, more obtainable than a handgun in some areas.

I figure ease of operation, even from a wheelchair, and the possibility of many loud bangs in a short time compensate for single-shot horsepower.

Bangbangbangbangbang in less than two seconds adds up to 955 ft lbs as well as a lot of noise and a very high probability of a hit.

Also, let's not forget its pointability, even from a wheelchair from the hip, no "sighting" being necessary.

And bangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbangbang adds up to 1910 ft pounds and calls to the cops from the neighbors about someone shooting in the neighborhood, get out here and arrest that guy, why someone could get hurt with all that shooting.

But I get a lot of flak for this kind of suggestion, usually in respect to its not being tacticool enough.

Terry, 230RN
 
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old lady new shooter said:
Revolver is much better than a semi-auto for a new shooter. No slide to rack, happily fires regardless of how you hold it, does not have to be disassembled to clean, shoots just fine if you have to stick it right into BG's torso...
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Long Carabine said:
A .38 revolver is great and even a .22 revolver would work.


A .22 revolver will hold more rounds I believe.
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My main reservation with a revolver would be for people with limited hand strength, as the DA trigger requires substantial finger strength, especially for lower-end revolvers and .22’s. Years ago I was going to get a cheap .22LR revolver for my then-teenage daughter to use at the range, and she was unable to fire it effectively unless she thumb-cocked the hammer each time. I tried installing lighter springs, but the lighter mainspring caused about every other round to fail to fire, so I gave up on the idea.

People also talk about the necessity of training to clear jams in a modern semiauto, but a 5- or 6-shot revolver will cease to work 100% of the time after only 5 or 6 rounds, and a novice will be hard pressed to get one back up and running very quickly under stress. So the “reliability” advantage could well go to a quality 15+ round .380 or 9mm from that perspective.

But for a person with sufficient strength and coordination to run a revolver who wants the simplest manual of arms and doesn’t mind low capacity, a quality revolver can be a very apt choice. For those with limited finger strength, I would think that a Shield EZ with a Laserguard, or a lightweight pistol-caliber carbine, might could be better choices from an effectiveness and ease-of-use standpoint, depending on the individual.

I also do really like the idea mentioned upthread of a Beretta 86 too, due to the simplicity of loading and unloading, but I don’t have any experience with them to know how reliable they are, and I suspect they are hard to find.

I also agree with those who stated upthread that a pump shotgun can be a challenging gun for a novice with no gun experience to run reliably under stress. Having to remember to find the action release button to chamber a round, the risk of short-stroking under stress, and the care with which they need to be unloaded when that is necessary, do give them a bit of a learning curve, and even an 18” 20-gauge is still a fairly large gun.

And contrary to popular belief, you still have to aim a shotgun; buckshot doesn’t have time to spread much at across-a-room distances of 3 to 7 yards.
rifleshooter.com

Defensive Shotgun Patterning: Deconstructing the one inch per yard myth

Sage advice? We can’t even begin to count the amount of times we’ve read, been told or heard someone say that shotgun patterns spread about 1″ per yard after exiting the barrel. …
rifleshooter.com rifleshooter.com

I think the best advice in this thread is for the prospective buyer to try some different guns at a range and see what works for them; people people are different. My ex-wife found that as a complete novice, the gun that made the most sense to her was a Glock 9mm, and she not only enjoyed shooting it, she bought a G26 for herself and ended up shooting it better than a lot of experienced shooters. She stored it chamber empty and a 15-round G19 magazine loaded (not the best idea for a carry gun but not bad for a home gun not kept on the person), and she was very proficient at racking the slide.

Finally, I want to share this story from trainer Greg Ellifritz. Sometimes the “best” gun is the one you can afford.

www.activeresponsetraining.net

An Interesting Experience at the Shooting Range...

Written by Greg Ellifritz I posted this little anecdote to my facebook page on Saturday night when I got home from the shooting range, not knowing that it would touch so many people. Numerous
www.activeresponsetraining.net www.activeresponsetraining.net
 
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+1 for a J Frame 38

I don't suggest a semi pistol for anyone new to handguns - male or female and especially for defense.

Use a 22 or 32swl to practice that's about the same size. The function is the same and the little bit of sting from the 38 recoil wont be noticed during defensive use.
 
I think the slide-racking problem for people with weaker body strength is kind of over talked about. Someone can always rack the slide for them and get the gun ready to go. 10-15 rounds in a 9mm semi auto is the equivalent of 2 or 3 reloads in a J frame. Unlikely the weak handed person will need to reload, and even if they do, the slide will be locked back.
 
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1. Let women choose, don't choose for them. Each person different requirements.

2. Lay out a variety of firearms on a table and let them try them all out. Have a variety handguns and long guns. Some women will be quite fine with an AR-15, others with a GLOCK 17, or others only with a Ruger 10/22. But again, LET THEM CHOOSE.

3. Home defense and carrying are different things. For home defense, one doesn't have to worry about concealing it or size. Bigger is fine. If they only want a home defense gun, they have a HUGE VARIETY to try.
 
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