My mom is 62 years old and is thinking about a handgun for home defence. No carry just in the home and maybe at work cause she works late and is in the office alone. She is the owner so no worries...


I was thinking about a hammerless revolver but was unsure about caliber. I got plenty of autos but no revolvers. Suggestions needed.


Serious answers only please.. Shes not buying a Anaconda or S&W .500... She is tall but has a slender frame...

I already coached her on owning is not enough and she needs to allow me to teach her and that she should go shooting often.. I also told her comfort would be the number one priority but some suggestions on models and caliber would be a great starting point...

THANKS!!

hammerless S&W 38 or 357
keltec P11 9mm
keltec p3at 380
keltec pf9 9mm
ruger lcp 380
Walther PPK 380
Glock 23 40S&W
Glock 19 9mm

look at a 38  for her

search

million topics in the actural tech forums


http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=4&t=66599
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=33&t=64761
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=4&t=63901

yup,  a snubby and then get some of the short barreled gold dots

i would suggest she opt for a wheelgun, BUT make sure she can actually press the trigger consistantly and all the time (trigger weights and lengths can make it diff for some women, etc)

i would get a full weight, 3-4" bbl, wheelgun in .38spl; Ruger (SP101, GP100) or SW (686, 640, etc) get my vote

i do not recommend taurus

YMMV

IF she prefers autos (which i would NOT suggest unless she practices and trains with it––specifically in the operation of the actual firearm), then ensure she can efficently manipulate the slide, do malf drills, reloads, etc

wheelguns are simplier: load, point/aim, press...repeat

Ruger SP101 .357 loaded with good quality .38's The weight of the gun will make it easier for her to control. I have a S&W .38 airweight. It kicks like a fucking mule dont go with a light snubby

hammerless .38 with good ammo.

A revolver was a definate. I dont trust her to use an auto as she would have no idea how to work a malfunction.. A 357 using 38's is a interesting choice though.. thanks for all the model suggestions, ill look them up and take her out shopping.

And yes i could search but im a lazy fucker...

Go for a 4" barreled S&W M10 and a set of grips/stocks that fit her hands. If the trigger weight is a problem, install a 12 or 13 pound rebound spring. here is an archived thread on it.

DO NOT BUY A DAMNED SNUBBY FOR A NON SHOOTER. Fools recommend these guns because they are "small and light". That is a ridiculous reason to recommend a gun to someone for home defense. Snubbies in general are a very bad recommendation for anyone who won't practice with one.

If she intends to carry a gun, that means practice is mandatory. No practice = no carry.

small 357 loaded with .38

I like the idea of a hammerless 38 for women, nothing to worry about but pulling the trigger.  Also, hammerless in case they carry in their purse.

Revolvers are definitely best for novice shooters and people who don't intend to practice much.



Other replies have stated "hammerless" but the one drawback to that is that it can never be thumb cocked for an SA trigger pull if desired.



I was watching a woman at the pistol range just yesterday who was firing a hammerless .38 snubbie, and she was having real problems with trigger control using that long DA pull for each shot.



I would look at getting her a .38 Special with a 2" barrel and a conventional hammer.



EDIT: DO NOT get her an "airweight."

My mother carries a 1911.  She carried a .41 Mag revolver for years because she didn't trust automatics.  She did fine.

S&W 442 - 38 Special.

38 Smith Wheelgun.

That's what I got my mom. Simple, reliable, point-click.

I am just a few years younger than your mom...the glock 19 is great for me..easy on the hand, easy to care for and easy to shoot...if you have friends with different handguns, maybe set her up to shoot a few of them to see what feels good to her? The 19 felt right from the minute I picked it up...don't like a pistols that hits the pad part of my hand like the smaller ones do...that hurts after a few shots..OUCH!
Maybe take her to a gun show, while they still have them, and let her get the feel of different pistols...that is what my sweetie did! It worked!

Stock answer is a 4" Smith Revolver with 38+P rounds. A 686 is good. If it doesn't work, she can always hit them with it :-)

The only things I'll council are:

1) Watch for double action trigger pull under stress. There will be no cocking for self-defense use like so many people practice at the range, and 6 or 7 shots is not much when you miss and a reload is likely to take a while.

2) Consider hand strength and size, especially if small hands and arthritis are in on the agenda. Semi-autos can be a blessing and a curse for this.

3) Consider sights of a revolver vs better, upgradeable, sights of a semi-auto.

My wife has very small hands and arthritis. She cannot physically pull the trigger on any revolver, be it a tuned 686 or a J Frame. She can however manage a Kahr. She's not too undergunned with 8+1 of 9mm. Although with more practice in sweeping a thumb safety, she may move to a BHP or a 1911 with short trigger and slim grips.

Cheers
7.62

S&W in ,38 special.
a kel Tec would NOT be a good choice, way too much recoil. If it is not manageable she will never shoot/ carry it.

Yep. Simple gun to use, light .38 to practice. Stiffer .38 or maybe even .357 for "real" use, but make sure she's practiced with the serious load as well so she knows to expect if she should ever need it. My mom's 51 and had never fired anything but a pump action .22 rifle until I got into handguns. Once I started buying, she got interested, and she loves my .357 if I put .38 Special in it. Mine's on the heavy side but it makes .38 feel like a loud .22. Don't go too light in weight, and definitely stay away from the Taurus Airweight-not for a quality issue(arfcom opinion aside I like all my Taurus handguns). The Airweight my friend has, with moderate loads, has as much felt recoil as my 608 does with 125 grain magnums and near-max loads(1 1/2 grain below never exceed). 4 inch barrel on a medium frame gun with the right grips should be perfect.Within this, Beyond the obvious quality issues let her get the one she wants, not what you like. She's more likely to practice with a gun she actually likes, so don't convince her to save $300-$400 by buying a Ruger GP100 if she REALLY likes the Colt Python she saw at the last shop. If she likes the GP, however...

This is perfect advice. Mine has the smoothest trigger people swear I have had a trigger job done on it. Not to heavy not to light. Cut barrel to 3 inches and its just right.