Defensive rifle or carbi,e for a woman

S

Short Bursts

New member
What would be a good rifle or carbine for a woman with limited rifle shooting experience? My experience would lesd me to recomend a .223 Ruger MINI-14 or a .30 caliber M1 carbine, but I am interested in other members experiences.
 
For what it's worth, my wife loves my Mini-14. Only thing she complains is that it's too heavy for her to hold up for long. Well, that I am hogging it all the time. :)

Gosh, there are so many options out there. I don't care what anybody says. I LOVE the Steyr AUG. Light, versatile, well-balanced. If I had the money and didn't worry about any potential legal hassles, I'd get it in a pinch. Alas. Pistol Caliber Carbines are another category to look into. I'm sure you can find something that bin that will fit your needs. I've always wanted an MP-5 variant myself. And while I'm still on Fantasy Island, I might as well go for the version that's built into the brief case. Talk about a conversation piece. Hehe. :)

I'm rambling. I should go. I've only had about an hour of sleep last night so I'm probably not in my right mind.
 
Hi Short Burst,

There a bunch of good ones. I hate to recommend one specific one as the question of your wife's mechanical abilities is one of, if not the, biggest unknowns.

My wife was fairly well coordinated but did not remember mechanical things easily. I ended up with a Rossi M92 as she could look into the receiver and clear the rifle. The Mini-14 and M1 Carbine also are easy to clear. My Car-15 was not as simple and I worried that she would not visually inspect the chamber.

Try to remember two things - one, loading, unloading and clearing the firearm is waaay more important than hitting a tin can at 100 yards. If the shooter has a problem doing that, change the gun.

Two - unless your very patient, it is very easy to get frustrated with your spouse - especially if this is not easy for them. You have to violate the "partners" relationship as guns are a bit more dangerous. Going into the "teacher-student" mode can be very stressful on a relationship.

Best of luck,

Giz

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Vote Democratic! 1 Billion Chinese can't be wrong......
 
A defensive weapon for a inexperienced woman should be a weapon that doesn't require a high level of skill to be effective. Consider a 20 gage shotgun with minimum barrel loaded with buck shot followed with no 2 duck loads. All it needs to be is pointed in the general direction and no one in his right mind would challenge so It wouldn't be necessary to kill anyone but should you have to at room distances it would be deadly. A rifle might well get you killed. As would a pistol.
 
How about one of those Ruger 9mm or .40 carbines? Marlin has a .45ACP version of the famous CAMP 9 carbine out. I believe Heckler and Koch is coming out with a semi-auto civilian version of the new UMP-45 submachine gun. This little puppy is a bit pricey with a tag of $1200 or so! Pistol caliber carbines are much more accurate than handguns and do not have that hard recoil that shotguns generate. The exception is Gale McMillan's choice of a 20 gauge with buckshot. The 20's are a pussy cat compared to the 12 gauge. The most important thing, as you probably already know, is have her shoot it alot (which ever long arm she ends up with)
 
Might be the BEST reason to pick up an IMI M1 Carbine yet. Lightwieght, simple, easy to use and short. Of course you can't use it for anything other than plinking or defense. Not6 sure what the best "defensive load" for a 30 cal carbine is.. not sure if it will feed hollowpoints etc.

a shotgun or lever gun made for pistol ctg's (say 38/357) might be better, given her experience level. (I mean do you REALLY want her shooting up your house with a 30 round bannana clip full of ball ammo?) ;)

Take her shopping... see if she's really into getting a rifle, let her handle as many as you can.

Don't discount the "defensive" value of a .22 cal rifle either. The recoil is non existant and the report isn't spooky. Ruger 10/22 or marlin 995? (a 22 mag might be better but OVER penetrates). And teraching someone to shoot by zapping tin cans with a 22 is the BEST way to get someone used to shooting. ;)

good luck,

Dr.Rob
 
Ditto on the M1 carbine or Mini 14. Especially if you shoot a Garand or m1a/ m14. It is simple to learn the operation of these weapons.

However, Having said that. I would wholeheartedly recomend an AR-15 type weapon. The ergonomics of the gun are the best for any rifle. Period.

Many of you underestimate the fact that your spouses cant "figure out" the operational mechanics of the guns. As much as we like to play the macho role/ guns are tools for men role, I think it is relatively simple to teach someone how to user an AR-15 type rifle.

Now why I recomend this for women:
1. Ergonomics.
2. Sights (Superior to both m1 carbine and mini-14)
3. The cartridge (.223 is very mild in recoil yet packs much more wallop than the .30 carbine)
4. Spare parts/ Mags/ springs etc. Easier to find than the carbine or mini in a real jam.

As far as clearing the rifle. Simple, teach her to drop the mag with her index finger, and pull back on the charger. Then hold it open with the latch. Weapon cleared every time. (DOnt forget to VISUALLY INSPECT CHAMBER)
 
I must be reading the question differently-- I didn't see that the question was necessarily in reference to self-defense.

If so, the Mini-14's okay, and the M1, while under-powered, is all right.

I have a tiny lady friend who has a serious passion (we're talking involved, here) for her AR-15, because it's light and short for her arms, and has negligible recoil. Yes, it's kind of intimidating-looking, but there's so much after-market stuff out there to make it into a "race gun", it would barely look like a "black rifle" by the time you got through with it, if you so desired.

What about a light and handy rifle like the Browning BLR lightweight in .243? Quite accurate, easy to handle, rather classy.

Or a Remington auto-loader?

I like the idea of the Rossi M-92 that Giz mentioned. Say, .44 Magnum, and practice with Specials?

The nice thing is, there's such a range of answers. The problem is, we don't really have your domain fully illustrated. Hunting applications? Accuracy needs? Environment of possible shooting situations? Wife's preference? Wife's build/ability to absorb recoil?



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Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?

Matt
 
Personally, I've like the concept of shared magazine between pistol and carbine. In this case, the 40 S&W Ruger P94 with a Bushnell holographic sight equipped Ruger Carbine seems to fit this bill.

I'd shy away from the M1 Carbine. The 30 Carbine is a bit anemic (unless she's practiced in head shots) and consider the Mini14 in .223 for self defense. More zap per bullet. (note: there are no guarenteed one shot stops). AR15 are nicer, but cost about $300 more per unit (but if you really love her, you'd get her an M4 with a Trijicon ACOG sight).

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Your question is vague. Does the lady have limited rifle shooting experience but extensive other shooting experience? Then maybe a semi-auto would be suitable though in my opinion not the best choice. Is her interest in hunting? A Remington Model 7 in .243, 7-08 or .308 with a compact 'scope would be ideal. Defense? for a beginner or expert, the .357 lever carbine is one of the best choices. So much depends on her level of interest, expertise and environment (urban or rural) that it's hard to give hard and fast recommendations. One big question of course would be: What does SHE want? slabsides
 
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