Posted: 6/13/2006 10:36:23 AM EDT
| For a 100lb female. looking for an in home defense type handgun she does not want something "big or heavy" I've been thinking of a Glock or XD 9...any other suggestions? |
...not directed at you, nwgrumpy; just thoroughly offended and disgusted with people who "commoditize" self-defense as a convenience item (especially women!). This is NOT a kitchen appliance!! Being unwilling to extend the effort to preserve one's survival WILL reap just benefits!! Let her have a Jennings, or Lorcin......... (Agreed, there are more compact, lighter pistols; but it's the priority of convenience that offends!) 
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Damn bro take it easy. She is 100lbs not a typical 200lb male. Of course she will be better off with a smaller pistol. |
I would have to agree that it's not a "convenience item" but you also have to feel comfortable and in control of the tool you use to protect. If shes not comfortable with a SW .500 and won't be able to hit a barn with it what's the point in having said tool. She is small and needs something to fit her size, I don't see anything wrong with this. |
I made the recomendation of a revolver, but she likes an auto better. But the idea of a hot .38 is good. |
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Go with Old Troops recommendation unless she's willing to learn the more complicated procedures involved with handling an Auto. Hand her one of your empty auto pistols and ask her to rack the slide.. Chances are if she hasn't been around firearms she won't have the strength, which means even if you keep it hot, she might not be able to fix a simple failure.. I'd go with a revolver 4" or under in barrel length. If she intends or is competent with auto pistols, then only other consideration would be something she is comfortable with wieght and size wise.. She might find a single stack magazine fits her hand better if she has small hands, in which case you could look at a Sig p239 or something in that size.. John P.. |
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Really, it all comes down to what she is comfortable with, and the level of training and practice she is willing to undergo. If asked for my opinion, I would suggest sending her to a basic handgun defense course, and allow her the opportunity to try several firearms after she has learned proper grip and stance. The more training she has, the more she will be comfortable with. It has been my observation, that without proper grip and stance, small framed individuals can very easily be overcome by recoil. That is to say, proper grip and stance can allow smaller individuals to handle larger firearms more easily. The training will give her the tools she needs to select her own handgun. If she isn't willing to put in the level of effort required, or only feels comfortable with a mouse gun, then a stun gun may be a more appropriate choice. I honestly believe the common wisdom that a smaller framed woman requires a smaller framed handgun, is false. Final advice: Don't train her. Pay someone to train her for you. It will be money well spent. Been there, done that! ;-) Just my opinion, only worth what you paid for it! -Caver |
So, today is not the day to quit caffeine and nicotine....just got up "ready". A small revolver IS the best for this commonplace initiation, IMHO. Still, SOME training is required, and the false confidence of "drawer" storage without it is self-destructive. Best of Luck........ |
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Hope you don't mind if I give you my perspective... Hubby just bought me two guns- a revolver and a semi-auto pistol. They're both small and pretty light, the reason being that I not only wanted them to use at home, but also to put on my CCW to pack around as needed. I don't know what kind of experience she has with guns, but if it's not much then you need to either: buy her a revolver because they're easy and never fail her As far as which ones to get, I don't have big hands either so I LOVE the feel of my little S&W 642-2 38spl. It's rated at a +P too, which I don't have any problem handling through it. I was nervous about the recoil since it is an airweight, but it's not nearly as bad as some people make it sound. I just went out and put 100 rds through it within an hour or so and my hands didn't have any problem. The other one is a Sig P232... I know it's only a .380, but it will do the job if you need it to, and it is such a FUN little gun to shoot. Shot a couple hundred through it the same day and still haven't had a single problem. The very first day I shot it was the day I qualified with it- that's how easy it is to get used to. And I love the size and feel of it. If she wants something a little bigger I'm sure you can find something comparable. If she loves to shoot, then start her small and pretty soon she'll be wanting a 1911 of her own |
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Just a few humble suggestions: 1. Sig P-232 with Stainless Steel slide and aluminum frame 2. Kahr PM9, 9mm 3. H+K USP Compact, 9mm 4. H+K P2000, 9mm, w/LEM Trigger 5. Springfield XD-9 Compact, 9mm 6. Beretta Model 84 Cheetah w/tip up barrel, .380 Cal. 7. Walther PPK, .380 Cal. 8. Seecamp LWS32 .32 Auto or LWS380 .380 Cal. Note: All of the above suggestions should have night sights installed if possible. |
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my 2 cents: 1. The smaller and lighter the gun, the more it will recoil (depending on caliber) 2. Make sure that if you go with an auto, she can rack the slide without difficulty. 3. If you go with a revolver, make sure she can reach and pull the double action trigger without difficulty. 4. It's important that the firearm is comfortable in her hand and that she can reach and manipulate the other controls as well. 5. I would recommend going to a range and renting some guns and see where the comfort level is at. also keep in mind: After 5 years of working behind the counter and on the range at a local gun store, I noticed that most 380's have the same if not more recoil than the equivalent sized 9mm, and that in general the slides were harder to work than the 9mm's as well. Until guns like the glock 26 came out, there was a significant difference in the size of a 380 firearm as compared to a 9mm, this is no longer the case as technology has advanced. Lastly, regardless of what she gets if a situation occurs she will respond to is as she was trained to, no training... no response... That said, while like others above I urge you to direct her to some quality training, a revolver is simpler to use than an outo and less in general can go wrong.. unless its a taurus  |
Thank you these are some great suggestions. |
I plan on getting her some professional training, I absolutely agree with you on this. Any suggestions on a range that will let us rent a few to test fire? |
But for her, it is just one more thing to purchase - no love of shooting or pride in it (yet). I do understand where you are coming from, but I think afficinados like us need to be careful not to kill the seed of interest by over-watering it with enthusiasm from the get-go. Get her whatever she likes and can (will) shoot, even a .22, then watch as she gets into it and buys bigger and better handguns that meet with the boyfriend/hubby/SO seal of approval. +1000 on getting someone else to train her how to use it - money well spent! |
