Self Defense Gun for my girlfriend.

[jcabin]

My girlfriend was never into guns, infact was rather anti-gun before i showed i educated her on how safely they can be handled, and actually held a gun in her hands. Now she wants to pick one up for herself. She just decided a few days ago, so i thought id pop on here and see what you guys think a good carry gun for a female would be. She's a small thing so keep that in mind. I've heard revolvers are better for women, but thats just what ive heard, i dont know, because im a big guy and have never had any trouble handling any type of weapon. thanks for the help all, its much appreciated.

[Djnardu]

something she could carry in her purse probably would suit best, like a p32

[P-11 shooter]

Whatever fit's her hand better.

Take her to a place with a large selection and let her fondle as many as it takes till she find's one she really likes. If she dosn't like it she won't carry it.

Don't try to get her to carry a caliber she's uncomfortable firing. Practice is important and it's better to have her uber-confident with her .22 and capable of controlled accurate shot's than have her anxious about shooting her .40 and having wild shots.

[Carnes]

Check out this thread. It was started just a couple of days ago, and is based on the same principal as your question.

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pistols-4...tml#post291928

[Emptymag]

Regarding revolvers/ladies:

Here's a reply I made on the subject in the past:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/concealed...html#post86544

(regarding revolvers for women)
I've said this elsewhere and I'll say it again here...
Besides the recoil issue, the long heavy trigger pull could be a problem.

For our first handgun, EVERY shop was pushing a revolver on us. The problem MY wife had, was pulling that heavy trigger. The typical response to that problem is to pull the hammer back, making the trigger ready for a light "pull".
Again, MY wife had even MORE difficulty doing that than pulling the trigger!

Then we started looking at autoloaders... Now the problem was pulling back the slide. UGH!!! We looked for a while and I was just about to give up on finding something she could easily operate. Then, from somewhere behind me, I heard that unmistakable sound. Cha-chick! I turned around from the gun case I was looking into and saw her standing there with a smile on her face.

Glock G19. The Glock slides seem to be easier to pull back than many others. She likes it.




There is no way to suggest a starting point without having her handle a few different firearms first.


In addition to the link at the top of this post(very short thread), here's another one on the same subject:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/question-...y-firearm.html



GOOD LUCK!!!

[Steve in PA]

Go to a gun store that has lots or at least many handguns for her to try. See which one fits her hand best. She might like a revolver, she might not. As for the trigger pull or a revolver, in a SHTF situation, she'll be able to pull the trigger.

Some smaller women might not be able to work the slide of a semi-auto either.

[38SnubFan]

Then we started looking at autoloaders... Now the problem was pulling back the slide. UGH!!!

A lot of the problem I've found with this, both men and women, is that a lot of people haven't been taught the "push/pull" method of operating the slide.

When pulling back on the slide with the strong hand, the weak hand should be "pushing" forward on the grip/frame. This "two-handed" action allows more force to be exerted into the exercise, rather than just the weak hand trying to keep the frame in a stationary position.

I'm 5'10" and 160 lbs. myself with a thin frame, thin arms, and small hands. Using this method, I've been able to manipulate almost any semi-auto pistol with relative ease.

This concept also works well with loading magazines: While the "strong hand" pushes the round down and back under the "lips", the "weak hand" pushes the magazine up against the strong hand, thus creating two motions of force working with each other, instead of the strong hand's force (pushing down against the magazine spring and thus pushing down on the magazine itself) working against the weak hand's force (trying to keep the magazine steady and "stationary" while the strong hand is trying to push it down) simultaneously.

I showed this concept to my best friend as I introduced her to the loading and operation of an auto-loader for the first time. Never handling a semi-auto pistol before in her life, she was able to perform the necessary actions flawlessly.

Just thought I'd give the suggestion to allow some more "food for thought" when selecting a firearm for a woman.

ETA: This method worked for my ex-girlfriend who's only 4'11" and 96 lbs.!

Good luck and happy shooting together,
38SnubFan

[chalmitch]

Let her look and feel
* revolvers / snubbies
* Glock compacts and sub-compacts
* the new Ruger clone in either .32ACP or .380

After she finds something that fells good in the price range, rent one and get her some range time, 20-30 rounds.

Best regards,
chalmitch

[mythaeus]

I just replied to Rambo's thread, but thought I'd copy it here too:

My wife is 5'5, 105lb, obviously small frame and works in a professional business environment. We have done extensive research on this questions and in the process have bought 3 different guns for her. Here are our/her experience with it.

1. Glock G26 - difficult to shoot right off since she was so used to the G19. It's also her first few weeks of shooting. After a 200 rounds + though the gun. She has no problem shooting it; however, gun is rather big so it became unconcealable given her size/environment. Now I carry it.

2. Beretta Tomcat 3032 (matte black) - also very difficult to shoot in the beginning; however the size is perfect. It's almost 1/2 the size of the G26. The popup barrel loading doesn't require racking the slide (which is a BITCH to do even for me). Manual safety is a plus if she HAS to purse carrry. Best of all, it's DA/SA. She can cock the hammer for the first shot (very easy) and shoot the rest in SA. The caliber is has limited effectiveness. After a couple 100 rounds, she's very accurate and comfortable with it.

Now the biggie...just as she got her LTCF, the gun broke while being fired at the range. The inside part near the trigger broke and a piece actually came out! She's extremely upset, but only thankful that it happened at the range and not in a SHTF situation.

3. NAA Guardian .380 - this was the most difficult to shoot of all due to the 12lbs trigger. The problem with such a heavy trigger and no external (at least cockable) hammer causes her to limp wrist because so much energy is exerted in pulling the trigger. This causes jams every 3 rounds or so. I have no problem shooting it on the other hand. She has only shot 20+ rounds though the gun though. I have no problem with jams.

The NAA is actually smaller than the Tomcat, but weighs a lot more. The Tomcat is 1lbs fully loaded, the NAA is 1.3lbs empty.

OK, so that the premise and experiences. Here are what we learned.
1. EVERY mouse gun is difficult to shoot at first. It takes practice to get it down to a comfortable level. Unless you have the patience to let her try 5 different guns at at least 200 rounds each, buy her one that she feels comfortable in her hands, fits her taste, and let her practice the heck out of it. WHY do men think cuteness is not a factor? Sure you can educate practicality and feel, but if cute works into it, let it be.

2. Take your CCW out for shooting often in the beginning to ensure proper and consistent operation. We are sending it back to Beretta and requesting for a replacement which we will swap with the dealer for a Inox version, which is a lot beefier. Believe in your research. I read about Tomcat matte version's frame cracking, but thought Beretta has addressed the issue. If my wife becomes comfortable with the NAA after 200 rounds, she will be carrying it; otherwise, she'll go back to an Inox Tomcat.

3. DA/SA beats the heck out of DAO for a weak trigger fingers. Long/heavy trigger is a poor "safety" feature in this case. Glock got it right with its lighter "Safe" Action. Finger off the trigger of a 5lbs pull is plenty a safety.

I realize that I didn't comment on the actual conceal process for her, but she has not yet have a experience to relate back. We are still in the process of selecting the right gun. Best of luck to you.

Al

[XD45]

Take her to a gun store and see what she can function, but good training is gonna be a must for her. try your hardest to let her get some trigger time, try your hardest to get to a groupshoot even if its a few hours out of your way its just a good idea to start someone off right.

something she could carry in her purse probably would suit best, like a p32

not good advice at all IMO, carrying off person is a very very bad idea and a last resort.