Lady friend buying first home defence gun.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Smith357

Smith357

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
1,024
Location
Columbus, Ohio
An old dear friend of mine who has been anti-gun her whole life has just moved to a not-so-nice section of town and wants to buy a gun for home defence. I told here we could go to the range and she was more than welcom to shoot anything I had I also told here she should take an NRA gun safety course. Though I'm pretty sure I could teach her I belive she would not question the advice qualified instructor.

She is not mechanically inclined in the least, though she is highly educated.
I was thinking she should get a 4-6" .357 or .38 revolver that she could load with some +P rounds as a decent house gun. She will also need to get one of those quick open gun safes.

What say you, am I putting her on the right track?
 
I believe you are on the right track, except why only consider a handgun?

Why not a youth stocked 12 gauge pump with a 18 inch barrel and low recoil 00 Buckshot? Nothing says no like a shotgun.
 
except why only consider a handgun?

A Reminton 870 would have been my first pick, but she has a wild teenage daughter who quite frankly can't be trusted. So the gun must be locked up, and I thought the little lock box bolted to the bedframe would be easier to deal with than a large gun cabnet and safer than a trigger lock.

Something like one on this page.
http://www.gunsafestore.com/pistol.htm
 
All kinds of things feed into this.

Old lady friend. How old? -- any arthritis? Other physical problems? How big are her hands? What can she physically handle? Sounds like a range trip is in order.
 
Old lady friend. How old?

She is 40 something and still physically fit, with no ailments that I am aware of. I say "old" friend because I have known her since highschool.

She is a small girl so grip size and recoil are definatly going to be issues that need to be adressed before a final descision is made.
 
While I agree with a revolver,

a Ruger SP-101 can handle full .357 Mag loads and is just fine at inside the house distances. 6" barrel get a bit more velocity and is my choice for long range plinking, but it's a bit big for a small lady. IMO, YMMV

That said, your first thought was to let her shoot a few of your handguns. I think some range and trigger time with a variety of guns is the way to go. Let the choice be determined by which she shoots best. Don't put her on a path to buy a gun before she's shot that gun well. Let the guns decide.
 
I have a similar situation with a co-worker. Petite and a bit timid, but lives alone and wants protection. I know she will likely not practice enough to be proficient with any handgun, so I am steering her towards a pump shotgun. If a 12 ga. is to much for her, even with low recoil shells, I will suggest a 20 ga.
 
I can't ignore the comment about the teenage daughter. Please take the time with your friend to help her develop a plan that absolutely ensures the safety of her and the nutso teenager. The girl'll probably return to the human race soon, but in the mean time the risk is awful high. She may even have to [gulp] keep the gun unloaded.
 
Yesterday 04:38 PM

Smith357 wrote:

An old dear friend of mine who has been anti-gun her whole life has just moved to a not-so-nice section of town and wants to buy a gun for home defence ...

I was thinking she should get a 4-6" .357 or .38 revolver that she could load with some +P rounds as a decent house gun. She will also need to get one of those quick open gun safes.

What say you, am I putting her on the right track?
Click to expand...


hmmmmm my 4" .357 magnum rocks me, and I'm pro gun and am 6' @ 245# .... You trying to help her, or scare her ? This is not your clubhouse buddy .... go easy ... let her start very light .... maybe a .22, then maybe a .380, or .25, depending upon how she responded to the .22. I'm thinking that if she gets scared, it will be your fault, she'll have all the more reason to hate guns, and be antigun .... go slow, let her lead the way. Might just work out.
 
Hook,

Respectfully, I believe a 4 inch .38 is ideal for this lady. Of course I agree with you that she needs to lead the way. But I don't get the sense she wants to become a handgun enthusiast so I believe going straight to the .38 is a reasonable and prudent choice. My mother keeps a 4" Smith by her bed and I recommend it highly. She's far from Annie Oakley, but I believe she's safe with that gun.
 
proper grips?

If your friend should decide on a revolver as a home defense gun, you might want to consider the Pachmayr "professional" grips -- neoprene to cushion the recoil in a version that has an exposed backstrap to reduce the reach to the trigger. If she has small hands, proper grip size will be critical to her being able to shoot the gun accurately at any distance.
 
I usually disagree with these threads because they wind up turning into "revolver because anything else is too complex" as though any person who doesn't drool on themselves can't operate a semi-automatic. In my experience not all women like revolvers, some even hate them. So it comes down to the old take her down to the gunshop and have her hold and fire if possible several and see what fits her smaller hands the best. The sig 239 is a good option for people with small hands.
 
I think that I would first get her a medium size can of pepper spray, and instruct her on how to operate it properly. After this, you should have a little room for trying out different types of pistols or shotguns.
 
A 357Magnum revolver with a four inch barrel is ideal for a beginner. It balances almost perfectly in the hand. Start her out with 38wadcutters, then move on to 38specials and then to +Ps. If she can handle that, let her try some magnum loads.
 
I am not a handgun owner( live in a gun restricted state), so don`t know if my recommendation apply.

But, why not a Makarov or a Bersa Thunder? Especially, if she needs the tons of shooting practice to be comfortable around the gun, then Makarov would make much more sense with its cheaper ammo.:confused:
 
Because a revolver is simpler than an auto. Many newbies get confused by things moving about and flying around. You want their first experience to be a good one.
 
There is no one simple answer for this one...

1) When you take her to the range, have your selection of handguns for her to try

2) See if you can find a range that has rental guns to try

3) If she does take a longer term liking to the shooting sports and tends to shy away from revolvers, there are very simple to operate semiautos out there (eg: Glocks, Smith & Wesson Sigmas, S&W M&Ps, DAO police trade-in semiautos, semiautos with decockers, etc)

4) I always try to keep a revolver that is "proofed" in the collection, especially when I am in the process of "proofing" a semiauto with different brands/styles of hollowpoint loads since the revolver is simple to use and I shoot them consistently and regularly
 
Another thing to consider

In the auto vs. revolver realm. I introduced an ex-girlfriend to shooting a couple years ago. She loved it, however, she hated shooting revolvers. She was fairly small, with very small hands. It wasn't the recoil, or the blast from the cylinder gap (she actually enjoyed the blast from my .357 S&W 28-2). What she hated about revolvers was cocking them every time. Her hand was small enough that she had a real hard time thumbing back the hammer in a safe manner, and really couldn't do it without shifting her grip. And she simply didn't have the hand strength to fire it double-action. So just something else to think about in firearms recommendations.
 
In light of AmbulanceDriver's very wise comment I'll throw in a suggestion. Perhaps one of the all steel J Frame or K Frame (if you can find one) S&W LadySmith revolvers. The weight of steel versus alloy will help tame recoil quite well. Additionally, they already have an action job from the factory making the DA pull much easier for someone with limited hand strength. The J frame will also be easier to handle for someone with smaller hands. My caveat to J Frame ease of handling is that K frames are some of the best balanced and sweetest shooting handguns ever made and there are grips available to fit almost any hand. I don't know exact model numbers on the LadySmiths but hopefully this idea is helpful.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Handgun for older lady
2
Replies
26
Views
937
Shadow 7D
S
N
  • Locked
For the Lady?
2
Replies
40
Views
1K
19&41
19&41
S
  • Locked
Handgun suggestions for my lady friend
Replies
16
Views
660
oneounceload
O
S
  • Locked
LADIES help please!
Replies
18
Views
978
ddc
D
P
  • Locked
List the TYPES of guns a newbie should try first ...
Replies
23
Views
2K
only1asterisk
O
Back
Top