gun suggestion for sister

[carguychris]

The plastic .380s I have seen were nasty little kickers, too.

Have you shot a G42? I found the gun to be remarkably easy to shoot, and with far gentler recoil than I expected, given the fact that it's not much larger than the much-harder-kicking LCP and P3AT.

That said...

On the other hand, just last week I had a lady out with a Shield 9mm.

The Shield is a much more potent package than the G42, yet it's not much larger or harder to handle, and the ammo is cheaper.

The Walther PK 380 is quite easy to rack the slide.

The PK380 is also remarkably comfy to shoot, inexpensive, and has a surprisingly good trigger for the price point.

HOWEVER...

It's larger than nearly any .380 other than the Beretta 84, Astra A60, and CZ 83, and the one I shot was an absolute jam-o-matic.

Perhaps more significantly, I find the ability to drop the hammer against the engaged thumb safety by pulling the trigger to be REALLY inappropriate on a defensive firearm. First, it can lull a new shooter into unsafe decocking habits. Second, it can lead to wastage of critical seconds and/or rounds of ammunition in a SD situation because there are TWO things that could be wrong if the hammer drops with a click rather than a BANG!—the round could be a dud OR the thumb safety could be engaged. On most pistols, there is generally only ONE thing that could be wrong, and ONE proper procedure to fix it—dud round, clear the pistol—but with the PK380, you can clear the pistol and it STILL won't fire!

 

[hartcreek]

My mother isn't exactly a large woman at 125 pounds yet she picked out an Airweight for herself. Yes she was a new shooter twenty five years ago but I had a S&W 22 for her to learn on. Yes it takes a bit of practice with a double action but that is all. Purse carry is easy for her with a dedicated pocket in her purse that has a holster fastened inside. There are only three things on her purse's gun pocket.......her airweight and two quickloaders. She is seventy five now and still 125 pounds.

 

[101combatvet]

Update: We went to gander mountain today and she got to hold a bunch of them and get a feel for them. Her top two choices were the glock 42 and sig 238. She is going to shoot the glock 42 in a few days as well a glock 19 to get a feel for the different sizes and calibers. She wants to purchase by mid january when she returns home so there isnt a huge rush to get it today but she is looking. Unfortunately she wont be able to take a course until she gets the gun. I am pushing the glock over the sig at this point if those are the only two she is going for but her opinion may change once she actually fires them. Both the glock and sig slides were very easy to rack, easier than any other gun we tried out.

See if she likes or has a problem with loading the magazines.

 

[Kosh75287]

Get her to shoot a 4" K-frame with the same ammo she'd plan to use in the j-frame. Let HER decide how important actually hitting under pressure really is.

 

[sigarms228]

Is there a big rush? If not why not pay for an introductory firearms class for your sister that exposes her to several different types of guns? Makes a wonderful Christmas gift.

Excellent suggestion!!

IMO once a user has some basic skills actually firing a pistol they will be much better equipped to make a good choice for a pistol for themselves.

My daughter was convinced she wanted a small Ruger 38 revolver on a recommendation of a friend but when I took her to the range to try one she hated it.

I personally am not a fan of .22 LR for SD but it certainly is a lot better than nothing. I have an M&P 22 Compact primarily for my Wife and Daughter to learn shooting with. It is very close in dimensions to the M&P Shield and my intent is to move them up to the 9MM Shield once they feel confident in their ability shooting the M&P 22 Compact

 

[RKG]

You and she should at least try out a P238.

 

[Moonglum]

The last time my wife bought a gun I took her to my LGS, turned her over to the owner (friend of mine)and walked down to the other end of the counter to look at the used guns.

At one point I looked over at my wife and they probably had 10 different guns on the counter. When my wife made her choice (LC9) I came back and we paid and left.

Show your sister how the guns work then step back and let her decide

 

[vyse.04]

My wife liked the G42 so much, that it ended up being the first (and only) gun she picked out. I would not recommend a DA revolver for females based on my experiences with her. She was drawn to Glocks because she knew when the trigger would break after a magazine through it. She did not care for the longer trigger pull of a Kahr, nor the heavier DA pull of a S&W J Frame, Sig or HK. The G42 fits her hands better than my G26, and she prefers to shoot it without an extension. She is far from strong, and can still slingshot the slide.

The big thing I would recommend when helping new female shooters (with little to no experience, or a great deal of fear around guns) find a weapon is to recommend a wide range, and not push them hard in a single direction. First and foremost they must feel comfortable with a given gun, or they will end up letting it sit around collecting dust. Obviously it is best to get them to a range and see what is available. I was surprised to see her decide on a Glock, but it all worked out.

 

[101combatvet]

I would not recommend a DA revolver for females based on my experiences with her.

You get one with a external or shrouded hammer and let them practice in SA, the preferred method to engage a target.

The big thing I would recommend when helping new female shooters (with little to no experience, or a great deal of fear around guns) find a weapon is to recommend a wide range, and not push them hard in a single direction. First and foremost they must feel comfortable with a given gun, or they will end up letting it sit around collecting dust.

This is exactly why a J frame is the better option. Ease of use and loading is the advantage over automatics. Many woman have difficulty loading magazines and pulling back slides, not a good experience for the first time female gun owner. Seen it, been there, done it.

 

[Big Shrek]

Women will often amaze the BLEEP out of you with what they decide they like...
mentally I'd prepared myself to show my Wifey all these neat mouse guns...
and what does she pick for her first??
A Taurus 24/7 Compact 9mm w/17-rd double-stack mags!!!

A few years later bought her the upgrade, a PINK one

Granted, you can run out and buy here a Pink TCP or Curve real fast...
and she'll probably love it...but its so much more fun to take her
to a Rental Range, try out a few and let her see what she REALLY can do

Then there's the converse...one GF I had decades ago, took her to the range...
let her shoot one of mine, after the first shot she burst into tears and put the gun down.
It was just too much for her, the thought of using a gun to stop a bad guy...
she never picked up another one.
And that's something you may end up dealing with as well...

 

[Andy Blozinski]

My wife loves her Sig P238. Easy to rack and low recoil. Small. We put ATS sights on my daughter's Sig P938 and then the wife decided she wanted them on her pistol. Got them installed for Christmas and haven't had a chance to take her to the range with the new sights yet.

 

[CajunBass]

I've always considered myself a "revolver guy" but I will freely admit that I can barely hit the ground in front of me with a small "J-frame" type revolver. There...I said it. K-frame and up, not so bad.

I didn't admit that to myself really, until I purchased on a whim, a Ruger LC9s. I purchased it because it was on sale...really on sale...$150.00 off. I'd have never even looked at one otherwise.

I really like that gun. I shoot it much better than I expected. WAY better than I do a small D/A revolver. I thought the recoil would be unpleasant. I didn't find that to be so.

And more importantly for this discussion, my wife tried it and loved it too. She shoots it better and enjoys shooting it more than any non 22 rimfire she's ever tried. I had to go back and buy another one for her.

I'd put one on the list of things for your sister to consider. Let her pick out what she want's of course, but I think it's worth looking at.

 

[adamBomb]

My wife liked the G42 so much, that it ended up being the first (and only) gun she picked out.[/QUOTE

My wife loves her Sig P238. Easy to rack and low recoil.

Essentially, both of these fit the bill and were the easiest to rack out of the 15 or so guns we looked at. they also both fit her hands perfect. Heck, they were nice and I think I am going to get one of them. She tried some of the 9mm like the shield but she could barely get the slides back and these two 380s were simple. We own glocks and sigs in my family so she can try out each of these guns too which is a big advantage. I personally was pushing the revolver because they are so easy to use but she didnt care for it.

 

[vyse.04]

You get one with a external or shrouded hammer and let them practice in SA, the preferred method to engage a target.

The's are just my thoughts, but I do not care for that line of thinking when trying to train a BRAND new shooter. SA with a revolver is great for the range, but depending on it during a life or death situation is a recipe for disaster. In the event of a surprise mugging/assault, it could be hard enough to even get to the gun (let alone cock the hammer while maintaining a solid shooting grip)... And that would be for me. If it were my wife who is just over 120lbs, it would be a near impossible task. Even as a brand new shooter, she immediately felt comfortable with the Glock. It would take her hundreds of rounds through a revolver to get to the same level as she was with the G42... in only a couple of magazines.

She could barely pull the trigger in DA, and could not accurately determine when it would fire. Five rounds through it and she knew they were not the gun for her. Single action was not much better with a small grip installed, and I do not think a larger grip would sway her either. Sure we could train more, but lack of confidence in a beginner is one of the quickest ways for them to lose interest. If it is the only gun available sure, but we have multiple guns.

She had issues pulling back the slide on my Kahr K9, but is able to work the slide on the G42 just fine. I do not think that is as big of an issue (along with loading magazines) in a self defense situation, as the gun should be loaded already if you are at the point of using it. When you are at home with a gun, you have all the time in the world to get it prepared for carry/HD. Reloads in a stressful situation are also much faster in a semi auto for 99.99% of the population too. Yes there can be malfunctions, but that is going past the initial gun selection phase.

I do not think revolvers are obsolete, but I believe the blanket statement of starting with a J Frame no longer holds the same weight as it once did. I would have no issues carrying a .38 as a backup gun for myself, but for my wife it would only serve as a sign of having a gun. YMMV, but that is the nice part about having options.

 

[vyse.04]

And I finally got around to shooting the baby Sig last week. For me the ambi-safety was a no go with my grip, as it was much harder to disengage with the lever being blocked on the other side by my hand. Could work if my hands were a bit smaller, but I was not a fan. They are however some soft shooters.

 

[101combatvet]

The's are just my thoughts, but I do not care for that line of thinking when trying to train a BRAND new shooter. SA with a revolver is great for the range, but depending on it during a life or death situation is a recipe for disaster. In the event of a surprise mugging/assault, it could be hard enough to even get to the gun (let alone cock the hammer while maintaining a solid shooting grip)... And that would be for me. If it were my wife who is just over 120lbs, it would be a near impossible task. Even as a brand new shooter, she immediately felt comfortable with the Glock. It would take her hundreds of rounds through a revolver to get to the same level as she was with the G42... in only a couple of magazines.

She could barely pull the trigger in DA, and could not accurately determine when it would fire. Five rounds through it and she knew they were not the gun for her. Single action was not much better with a small grip installed, and I do not think a larger grip would sway her either. Sure we could train more, but lack of confidence in a beginner is one of the quickest ways for them to lose interest. If it is the only gun available sure, but we have multiple guns.

She had issues pulling back the slide on my Kahr K9, but is able to work the slide on the G42 just fine. I do not think that is as big of an issue (along with loading magazines) in a self defense situation, as the gun should be loaded already if you are at the point of using it. When you are at home with a gun, you have all the time in the world to get it prepared for carry/HD. Reloads in a stressful situation are also much faster in a semi auto for 99.99% of the population too. Yes there can be malfunctions, but that is going past the initial gun selection phase.

I do not think revolvers are obsolete, but I believe the blanket statement of starting with a J Frame no longer holds the same weight as it once did. I would have no issues carrying a .38 as a backup gun for myself, but for my wife it would only serve as a sign of having a gun. YMMV, but that is the nice part about having options.

Not sure what your qualifications are, but I couldn't disagree more.

Opinion without much experience is more likely.

However, I will say this. If you have the chance to go from double action to single action in a life threatening situation you better take it. For those that don't have a lot of range time and this usually is the case with most woman, simple is better, the J frame is as simple as it gets.

 

[jimbob86]

simple is better, the J frame is as simple as it gets.

If the object of the excercise is to make 5 loud noises and endanger bystanders, then that'd fit the bill to a T......

Only hits count, and if they can get hits (and more of them) more easily with something other than a tiny DA revolver, which is my experience, then "something other than a tiny DA revolver" is likely the answer.

The "revolvers are simple enough for a girl" stereotype is getting a bit tired..... I've got 4 daughters, 3 of which can operate an automobile, in traffic even! ....the fourth is just 11 years old and can run an AR ..... maybe I've got REALLY competent kids capable of operating all these complex machines, but I doubt that that makes them that "special": the older ones have female friends that can drive their cars just fine too .....

..... or maybe I'm getting your base argument all wrong, and you think "Simple is Better, for EVERYONE", and a j-frame is the answer for any CCW problem? If that's the case, that's not as simle as you can get: everyone should just carry a small club. You can't get any simpler than that.

 

[jimbob86]

If you have the chance to go from double action to single action in a life threatening situation you better take it.

If you have time to dork around thumbing the hammer back and taking carefull deliberate aim in a life threatening situation ..... then maybe the threat is not that "immediate", is it?

Not sure what your qualifications are, but I couldn't disagree more.

Opinion without much experience is more likely.

Maybe he isn't as Operating Operator as some, maybe more than others, IDK him, .... but his logic makes more sense than "tiny revolver for the inexperienced shooter" ....

 

[101combatvet]

If the object of the excercise is to make 5 loud noises and endanger bystanders, then that'd fit the bill to a T......

Wrong!

Maybe you should read the OP and place the emphasis on the word "sister."

 

[101combatvet]

If you have time to dork around thumbing the hammer back and taking carefull deliberate aim in a life threatening situation ..... then maybe the threat is not that "immediate", is it?

Re-read what I wrote, I'll help you out, emphasis have the chance.