quote:
it looked like the 22mag is typically 40 grains at almost 2000 ft/s, the 380 is 90 grains, at around 1100. Seems to me that the smaller faster bullet would be better if the total energy is about the same??

1. A 22 Mag w/ a 40 gr bullet won't get 2000 fps in a pisol length barrel. You can look it up, but IIRC in a pistol barrel, 1400-1500 fps is more likely.
2. There's a LOT more to stopping power than just bullet velocity and calculated ft lbs of energy. Bullet construction and bullet weight also play significant roles. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend a 22 Mag for a self defense gun unless the alternative is.......NO self defense gun. As mentioned earlier, rimfire ammo is also not well known for reliablility.

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by Shexter

Prairieville

Member since Feb 2014

13881 posts

Posted on 2/21/14 at 1:46 pm to SabiDojo

quote:
let your wife take a class with a professional instructor

quote:
my wife used to not be able to pull the slide back. I showed her how to grab it more with your palm instead of trying to use two fingers and let her practice without a mag in there.

That's because women try to pull the slide back. Hold the slide, and push the gun. Almost anyone can chamber a round that way.

How to rack a slide with weak hands

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by bapple

Capital City

Member since Oct 2010

11888 posts

Posted on 2/21/14 at 4:14 pm to TigerOnThe Hill

quote:
I wouldn't recommend a 22 Mag for a self defense gun unless the alternative is.......NO self defense gun. As mentioned earlier, rimfire ammo is also not well known for reliablility.

This X1000

1. If your wife is deathly afraid of recoil, it is not a sign of her having to be stuck on a 22 forever. This is a sign of her needing confidence in shooting a firearm in general. Your wife seems to have 0 confidence at this point. A range trip or two could change that taking the correct steps.

2. If your wife is also afraid of the sound of a firearm, a 22 magnum will have about the same report as any other centerfire handgun. So you really don't gain anything.

3. Any woman can rack the slide of a semi auto using the proper technique. More on this later.

4. The smaller a gun becomes, the more likely it is to snap in recoil. Besides maybe a 22lr, this is true for all guns. A tiny 380 is a terrible starting point. A tiny 38 is a bad starting point. A tiny 9mm is a bad starting point. Getting a woman over recoil in general is the best way to approach this. Rule of thumb - A full sized 9mm is one of the best places to start a woman if a 22lr is not available. It can also be used as a stepping stone.

5. What is the gun gonna be used for? If she does not plan on carrying it, a full sized 9mm would be much more ideal as a car gun or a home defense gun.

6. Refer to my YouTube channel. I have a few videos on these topics:

Firearms for Women

Also have her watch this video. Women benefit from firearms about 1000 times more than men do:

Women and the Great Equalizer

This will shed some light on recoil:

Caliber and Felt Recoil

And this will help you figure out what the gun is going to be used for:

First Time Firearm Buyers

If you wish for her to carry a pistol, obviously she has a lot of ground to cover before doing this. It is a serious responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Get her comfortable with handguns first before telling her she should carry.

Most importantly...

Let her choose her own gun.

You can be there to guide her in the right direction but she will be more likely to use it and practice with it if it is HERS.

Best of luck to you sir. Good to see men wanting to give their wives the tools and knowledge necessary to defend themselves.

EDIT: Forgot to include my controversial video:

Rimfire for Self Defense

This post was edited on 2/21/14 at 6:39 pm

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by AUTimbo

Member since Sep 2011

2867 posts

Posted on 2/21/14 at 6:30 pm to bapple

The Ruger on paper is a good choice. My initial thought was this would be a great gun for my fiancee as a CC gun.
Then we shot it. The problem is the spring is so heavy duty in order to make good contact on the strike that it makes for a horrible double action trigger. Thats the main issue I have with it for a lady's CC gun. Too much trigger travel under poundage which tesults in anticipating the shot resulting in lost accuracy

I wouldnt listen to the 22 mag isnt enough bullet crowd
IMHO it is a perfect round for a womans CC choice. Little to no recoil resulting in quicker / more accurate follow ups
Think of it this way. If under duress would you rather your SO have a bigger caliber that she's scared to shoot or a smaller caliber with minimal recoil that she can quickly and easily put 5 rounds into the bad guy versus maybe.... MAYBE.... One 9mm or 380 into the perp?

Try the Keltec 22 mag semi auto. May be your best bet for her

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by munchman

Baton Rouge

Member since Feb 2006

10321 posts

Posted on 2/21/14 at 6:40 pm to Kingpenm3

Get her the Bodyguard .380, she will love the size and laser.

About $100 cheaper too.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by jmcs68