Posted on 12/07/2008 6:54:45 PM PST by Mamzelle
The thing to remember is the smaller the grip, the more the recoil. Make sure that the grip is not shorter than your hand when holding the pistol. My brother has been educating me on the finer aspects of handguns recently; he’s a cop. You can guess the conversation over Thanksgiving dinner, LOL.
Beretta 32. Tip up barrel. One sits at my night stand. I have others to chose from, but the tomcat should be your choice. Simple. Accurate enough to use across the room. And easy to become confident in its use. Nothing else compares.
You might look at a Kahr K9 or CW9 9mm semiautomatic. They are small (too small for my large hands anyway) and yet can handle 9mm Luger ammunition.
Concerning not wanting to hurt your hands, a too-light gun will increase the felt recoil from a given type of ammunition. My wife has rather severe arthritis in both hands, and as a result has to shoot a revolver heavy enough to dampen out the recoil to a manageable level.
I think that might be it. Fellas always try to talk me out of a 22 whenever I look at one. What good are bigger bullets when I can't manage the heavier gun well enough to aim? I could just work on getting more shots off with a lighter gun.
Well. Complications. So light weight makes for more recoil...? What does your wife like?
If you don’t like it, see what a dealer will offer in trade. Newer ladies revolvers are less bulky and easier to handle.
Now this is just my own personal, correct opinion, but I say the S&W Titanium .38...............
Best of all, it's TINY. VERY light weight (less than 10 ounces, loaded), very thin, and easy to carry in a purse or pocket. And very affordable, too... Go to the Kel Tec Owner's Group for some good posts and honest feedback about the firearm, its ability, and its reliability.
A small gun carried is infinitely better than a big gun left at home...
Allow me to rain on your parade.
The best way to find out which gun is YOUR gun is to shoot a lot of different guns.
To some extent you get what you pay for. A good reliable pistol is going to cost you.
If it was up to me, everyone would get a Sig p239, and those who want a small gun would get one in 9mm. I love shooting 9 mm out of Sigs.
But a .22 can be deadly. It’s maybe not so often FAST deadly. But a nice .22 revolver is really fun to shoot and cheap too. a .22 sic gun emptied into a bad guy should give him something to think about while you take cover, haul out your speed loader, and reload.
I would imagine a little Glock in 9 mm, maybe with a race frame, would be light and easy shooting, but I have an irrational aversion to Glocks, probably because it freaks me out to have to pull the trigger to disassemble them.
This is not a light choice. Go to the range. make friends, borrow guns. Then decide. Or just buy a Sig p239 in 9mm, a good holster a couple of extra magazines and repeat to yourself,”Two in the chest and one in the head // oughtta leave the bad guy dead.” (or words to that effect)
Interesting, thank you. I have a small hand, so it probably wouldn't be a problem, but it's good to have some guidelines.
You have two design choices. Revolvers also known as wheel guns or a semi-automatic pistol. Revolvers are very foolproof especially for the new gun owner. They have a double action trigger which is a little slower but can be safer in less experienced hands.
A semi-auto means you have to rack the slide with your other hand to put the first bullet in the chamber. The alternative is having a bullet in the chamber and the safety on. Any defensive encounter will be very high stress and racking the slide is one extra step when seconds count.
In a revolver you could go with something smaller like a .32 or .38 caliber. Something like a Ruger SP101 .38 is a reliable and not expensive. Ruger has one in .32 which is less powerful but easier to handle. Even a smaller .22 pointed at a vital spot is deadly.
What you should do is find a reputable gun store and see if they have a CCW class. CCW is concelaed carry which means you could get a license to carry a gun, depending on your state. At least 32 states allow it. A CCW class costs about $50 but you learn all about gun safety and how to use a gun plus the laws on what you can do to defend yourself.
Consider joining the NRA or go to their web site and see what local resoruces they have near your home. The NRA people are awesome. There may be a NRA club for females locally or you may be able to find a woman in your area who can help you. I think a woman gun owner and even instructor can give you her experience better than a man If you can find a range with a gun store they can usually let you try out demo models.
I first learned about Sarah Palin in the NRA magazine about women gun owners during the Clinton admin. I think I remarked - wow she is pretty.
An attorney in my office building was a former prosecutor, gun owner and conservative. I think he carries but he said in most cases he would use Bear Spray.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bear+spray+defense&aq=f&oq=
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=210581&kwtid=221822
http://www.stun-ningsales.com/SelfDefense/index.htm#Pepper
http://www.stun-ningsales.com/SelfDefense/wildfire.htm
It supposedly has 18% of something - pepper spray or something. He keeps a can in his truck between the size of a hairspray can and a small fire extingquisher. You can get a smaller purse size. I think the ones with more a pistol grip sprayer are better.
Maybe other folks here have better suggestions.
Find a local indoor shooting range, if not find a female security guard or LEO and ask them.
Reason to go to a shooting range is so you can rent a pistol and see if you are comfortable with it, after that it becomes part of you, legal concealed carry is also required unless you feel you need to skirt that issue.
Foremost is to have something you can handle...REAL FAST
How quick can you draw, aim and shoot? would it be in a purse, on person? simple is always better but better is bigger, you must decide on that because if you draw it you must be prepared to use it and in that respect don’t buy anything if it doesn’t have a 4 starting the caliber.
My suggestion?
Glock 23 in 40S&W
Put me down for suggesting you look at a .32 revolver. If you want concealed carry, you might want to look at hammerless revolvers.
Note, at least in Texas, you have to take your CC test with an auto if you want to carry one. (You can carry a revolver after testing with either kind.)
For a beginner, I strongly recommend that you lean toward a revolver. You pull the trigger - it goes boom... No slides to deal with - no barrels to ‘tip up’..
As a sample, Ruger SP101 models have small grips. They come chambered for .357 (shoot .38’s for lower recoil) and come in an assortment of barrel lengths. They have a new chambering for a .327 round.
Are you going to carry? Y/N
How are you going to carry? purse/pocket/belt
Home defense?
Children in home?
A lot of things to consider.......
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