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Started By
Message
The Art of Selecting a Self Defense Weapon for the wife/gf...
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:28 pm
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:28 pm
...presented by Slickback (to add to the OB Guide)...
- First question to be asked: Will it be used for concealed carry or home defense only?
Concealed Carry
I prefer revolvers since they have less of a chance at a misfire and no stovepiping (jams). Also they are easier to handle.
- .38 Special or .357 Mag would be my calibers of choice. .38 will have less recoil and will be lighter.
- a positive with the .357 is that it can shoot .38s. For practice, to get used to the gun and its function, you can shoot the cheaper .38 ammo. Once the basics of shooting are down, put a few .357 Mag rounds through to get familiar with it.
- drawbacks on both: they'll be loud as hell with such a short barrel. The .357 more so than the .38
Picking out the right firearm:
The best advice is to go to a gun store that has several options and get a feel for all of them. Find one that fits your hand well.
Ruger LCR - $500 (.38 and .357 models available)
Ruger SP101 - $640 (.38 and .357 models)
Smith & Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight - $460
Rossi, Taurus, and Charter make some cheaper .38 revolvers as well.
Semi-autos
.380 is nice as it has little recoil and should be easily handled by most women. 9mm is another good choice for a small-framed woman.
Ruger SR9 - 9mm - $500
Walther PPS - 9mm - $550
Bersa Thunder .380 - $325
Home Defense
I still like the above mentioned handguns for home defense, because they can always be taken with you if feel the need, and they are easier to handle. However, some people prefer shotguns, and they will get the job done.
My recommendation would be a 20 Gauge Remington 870. One of the most reliable shotguns out there and priced right.
The home defense model is price just over $400 and has 6+1 capacity.
Ammo
For the handguns, I prefer Hornady Critical Defense. The reviews I've seen have been amazing and they fire well out of my .40 and my wife's .380.
I don't think the brand of buckshot really matters due to the massive force it presents, but I'd stick to a popular brand. I like 00.
There are several other options out there, but the best bit of advice is PRACTICE and get familiar with the gun.
Discuss.
...obligatory JUDGE joke... (terrible, terrible HD choice).
...obligatory .243 joke...
- First question to be asked: Will it be used for concealed carry or home defense only?
Concealed Carry
I prefer revolvers since they have less of a chance at a misfire and no stovepiping (jams). Also they are easier to handle.
- .38 Special or .357 Mag would be my calibers of choice. .38 will have less recoil and will be lighter.
- a positive with the .357 is that it can shoot .38s. For practice, to get used to the gun and its function, you can shoot the cheaper .38 ammo. Once the basics of shooting are down, put a few .357 Mag rounds through to get familiar with it.
- drawbacks on both: they'll be loud as hell with such a short barrel. The .357 more so than the .38
Picking out the right firearm:
The best advice is to go to a gun store that has several options and get a feel for all of them. Find one that fits your hand well.
Ruger LCR - $500 (.38 and .357 models available)
Ruger SP101 - $640 (.38 and .357 models)
Smith & Wesson 638 Bodyguard Airweight - $460
Rossi, Taurus, and Charter make some cheaper .38 revolvers as well.
Semi-autos
.380 is nice as it has little recoil and should be easily handled by most women. 9mm is another good choice for a small-framed woman.
Ruger SR9 - 9mm - $500
Walther PPS - 9mm - $550
Bersa Thunder .380 - $325
Home Defense
I still like the above mentioned handguns for home defense, because they can always be taken with you if feel the need, and they are easier to handle. However, some people prefer shotguns, and they will get the job done.
My recommendation would be a 20 Gauge Remington 870. One of the most reliable shotguns out there and priced right.
The home defense model is price just over $400 and has 6+1 capacity.
Ammo
For the handguns, I prefer Hornady Critical Defense. The reviews I've seen have been amazing and they fire well out of my .40 and my wife's .380.
I don't think the brand of buckshot really matters due to the massive force it presents, but I'd stick to a popular brand. I like 00.
There are several other options out there, but the best bit of advice is PRACTICE and get familiar with the gun.
Discuss.
...obligatory JUDGE joke... (terrible, terrible HD choice).
...obligatory .243 joke...
12
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:30 pm to Slickback
Well done sir 
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:39 pm to Slickback
Excellent addition sir!
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:42 pm to Slickback
My wife has the Bersa Thunder .380 and she loves shooting it.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:45 pm to RATeamWannabe
Nice write up. I don't get the .243 jokes being thrown around so much. Must have missed the thread
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:47 pm to TexasTiger34
quote:
Nice write up. I don't get the .243 jokes being thrown around so much. Must have missed the thread
It was 4 pages of Downshift and Alx arguing about which would be a better gun for a female: 243 or 7mm-08. Neither would budge and every once in a while someone would chime in on one side or the other. It was some pretty good reading.
It'll die out in a week or so.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:48 pm to Slickback
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:48 pm to Slickback
added
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:50 pm to Slickback
I own a .243 :(
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:53 pm to TexasTiger34
quote:
I own a .243 :(
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:53 pm to Slickback
Great reading. What do you think about a Glock 26 for women? It's pretty small, not bad recoil, and reliable.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 12:59 pm to buzwa
quote:May be good for carrying in purse, I think its a little thick to be carried CC.
Glock 26 for women
Great thread Slick
Posted on 2/28/12 at 2:04 pm to buzwa
quote:
Great reading. What do you think about a Glock 26 for women? It's pretty small, not bad recoil, and reliable.
I like Glocks and their reliability is second to none, but I don't like the 26 (for me). Grip is too short and fat for me. If your woman likes the grip, then I'd recommend.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 2:08 pm to Slickback
quote:
Grip is too short
Mag extension fixes that.
The gun is kind of fat though.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 2:21 pm to coloradoBengal
The 26 does take some getting used to. I would think that the grip maybe a little big for a woman, but if she can hold it, it is a great shooting gun and surprisingly accurate.
Posted on 2/28/12 at 2:28 pm to Slickback
Obligatory best thing is a baby desert eagle in .243 for nom-existant recoil, massive killing power, and 59 round mag capacity.
:beatdeadhorse:
i kid i kid
:beatdeadhorse:
i kid i kid
Posted on 2/28/12 at 3:03 pm to Slickback
Parts of the post are good. Other parts ..... not so good.
1. Revolvers are easy to operate. They are difficult for a beginner to shoot well (with "well" being defined by most trainers as the ability to fire accurate, reasonably rapid follow-up shots.
2. Taurus, Rossi and Charter do indeed make cheap revolvers. They should be avoided in favor of S&W, Rugers or Colts.
3. Semi-autos in .380 ACP are almost universally considered (by recognized, world class defensive handgun trainers) to be an inferior caliber for self defense. Service Caliber weapons are defined as .38 SPCL or bigger in revolvers, and 9mm or larger in semi-autos.
4. Hornady Critical defense ammo is OK stuff. There is far better defense ammo available (with "better" being defined as meeting the FBI minimum penetration criteria, and providing maximum expansion). Federal HST, Winchester Ranger-T and CorBon DPX expand much better (bigger) than the "Critical Defense" stuff (Critical Defense ammo is comparable to the CorBon Powerball ammo)
1. Revolvers are easy to operate. They are difficult for a beginner to shoot well (with "well" being defined by most trainers as the ability to fire accurate, reasonably rapid follow-up shots.
2. Taurus, Rossi and Charter do indeed make cheap revolvers. They should be avoided in favor of S&W, Rugers or Colts.
3. Semi-autos in .380 ACP are almost universally considered (by recognized, world class defensive handgun trainers) to be an inferior caliber for self defense. Service Caliber weapons are defined as .38 SPCL or bigger in revolvers, and 9mm or larger in semi-autos.
4. Hornady Critical defense ammo is OK stuff. There is far better defense ammo available (with "better" being defined as meeting the FBI minimum penetration criteria, and providing maximum expansion). Federal HST, Winchester Ranger-T and CorBon DPX expand much better (bigger) than the "Critical Defense" stuff (Critical Defense ammo is comparable to the CorBon Powerball ammo)
This post was edited on 7/25/12 at 7:20 pm
Posted on 2/28/12 at 3:08 pm to dawg23
quote:
2. Taurus, Rossi and Charter do indeed make cheap revolvers. They should be avoided in favor of S&W or Colts.
Hold on. When was the last time you saw a new Colt that wasn't a single action?
Or are you referring to buying a 20year old revolver?
Posted on 2/28/12 at 3:11 pm to dawg23
No mention of ruger?
All credibility out the window imo
All credibility out the window imo
Posted on 2/28/12 at 3:13 pm to dawg23
Gonna lay out some alternative thinking to your shotgun selection.
I can't see the reasoning behind the 20ga. The gun... yep. But for home defense I can't see why you'd want to step down from the 12ga.
The ammo on the other hand I can. OO buck is heavy and penetrates further. While that's great for hunting, inside a house it's just making what is already a cannon more dangerous for the other people in the house. It overpenetrates the target. It penetrates sheetrock like it ain't there and is lethal on the other side.
#4 Buckshot on the other hand packs the most pellets into a shell that are each of sufficient power to kill someone by themselves, but get hit with 32 of them and you're now past tense. The cool thing though is that while it will blow a hole in your walls or cut a zombie in two, it's a lot less like to kill someone on the other side of it. They won't be thanking you for it, but at least they'll probably survive to torment you for it the rest of their lives.
12 gauge with #4 Buck. Don't leave your bedroom without it.
I can't see the reasoning behind the 20ga. The gun... yep. But for home defense I can't see why you'd want to step down from the 12ga.
The ammo on the other hand I can. OO buck is heavy and penetrates further. While that's great for hunting, inside a house it's just making what is already a cannon more dangerous for the other people in the house. It overpenetrates the target. It penetrates sheetrock like it ain't there and is lethal on the other side.
#4 Buckshot on the other hand packs the most pellets into a shell that are each of sufficient power to kill someone by themselves, but get hit with 32 of them and you're now past tense. The cool thing though is that while it will blow a hole in your walls or cut a zombie in two, it's a lot less like to kill someone on the other side of it. They won't be thanking you for it, but at least they'll probably survive to torment you for it the rest of their lives.
12 gauge with #4 Buck. Don't leave your bedroom without it.
This post was edited on 2/28/12 at 3:15 pm
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