handgun for home protection

S

stmwnc

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We (my wife and I) want to get a good, easy to use, handgun for home protection and possibly target shooting. We looked at a Glock 19, which I really liked, but my wife had trouble pulling the slide back, in case it jammed. The dealer made a big deal about this and suggested we look to a revolver. We looked at an S&W 442, airweight. To me the small revolver seemed too small.

Question: Is it that big a deal that my wife can't pull back the slide very easily for the Glock 19? I want a reliable handgun that isn't complicated for her to operate.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
If your wife can't wrack the slide, how much good will it do her? With a revolver all she'll have to do is pull the trigger. Maybe a larger revolver wiuld suite both of you more.
 
My wife cannot operate my semi's slides either. She operates her Smith 60 just fine. You may not get your wife to the point where she can operate the slide. If not, then I think you need to go to a revolver. Now you could go to a larger frame revolver as a compromise.

Also, I don't see the need for an airweight if it's just for home use.
 
I think you both would be please with one of the time tested police style .38 revolvers with a 4" barrel. Just my opinion, and it worked for thousands for many many years.
 
sounds like a revolver may be the answer, but read on first. I have found that sometimes where and how you grip the slide makes a difference in leverage. If she was trying by holding the gun by the grip and grasping the slide from behind and pulling, she may want to try holding the gun by the grip and push the slide with her hand instead of pulling it. Most guns have cocking serrations on the front of the slide Make sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction as racking the slide this way it is easy to forget and point it places it shouldn't be.
 
I agree with the statement here, If she cant rack it she cant shoot it! My wife loves my model 60-2 with a 2-1/4" barrel. I put .38 special +p 125 JHP in it for house and her carry. She is about 115 pounds and 5' 3" tall.

My opinion of Glock is not favorable but non the less, she does need to be able to operate it.:)
 
Maybe go to the range and rent or at least handle a couple different guns just to be sure that she likes and can operate but handle any recoil it will have. Maybe a different 9mm brand, say a xd or even a older s&w pistol . In a revolver besure the bite in a 38 is not to much for her maybe a 32 mag would be better. Just besure she makes a choice and not you. Could always get two guns.
 
I would seriously consider getting 2 guns. You will eventually anyway, but let your wife choose what she likes and you do the same. Different guns feel hood to different people. You don't have to spend a whole lot to get a great gun.

Most likely your wife would learn to rack the slide. Many women are shooting Glock type guns. I know the S&W m&p has adjustable grips for smaller hands. I personally like the grip on the Taurus 24/7 and PT145. my wife also prefers them to Glock.
 
Make sure she's using a proper overhand grip to rack the slide; you actually use your whole off hand to grip over top of the slide; the two finger behind the slide crap alot of people do (I'm as guilty as any) is not well suited to people with limited hand strength.

Larger automatics will be easier to rack; the heavier the slide is, the less powerful the spring needs to be. You can try a G17 or G34 for her.

If she still can't handle it, get a medium frame .38 revolver like a Model 10 and be done with it.
 
I'll say get two guns :) Get yourself a nice glock, somethin or another in 9mm or 40, 45. let her get a .22 or a 38 revolver. Dont get a snubby for home safety gun.
 
SOG has S&W model 66's on sale for less than $400. I recommend loading it with .38 Specials rather than .357 Magnums for possible use indoors, just use something better than round nose lead or FMJ ammo.
 
Springfield Armory XdM. It has higher capacity, easier slide and an adjustable backstrap and better ergonomics all around compared to the Glock. The Xd line is as reliable as the Glock.
 
I'd suggest looking at a S&W K-Frame revolver. The K-Frame is the smaller of S&W's two medium frames (the 442 is a J-Frame which is the smallest) and is most often found chambered in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum although there are models in .22 Long Rifle and .32-20 as well. The one you might want to look for in particular is the Model 10. This is a fixed sight revolver and is finished in either blue steel or nickel and chambered in .38 Special. These were made in barrel lengths ranging from 2-6" but the most common is 4" and that would be about ideal for home defense. The Model 10 (called the Military & Police before model numbers were introduced in 1957) has been in continuous production longer than any other handgun ever made (since 1899) and the number of examples produced reaches well into the millions. Because of this, they can often be found on the used market at quite reasonable prices. You should have no trouble finding a M10 is good shape for less than $300 and it is not unheard of to find them for less than $200.

This is a handgun that I often reccomend for women to consider as the steel frame does a good job of soaking up the recoil of .38 Special while the grip is small enough to fit smaller-handed people fairly well. Ulike the smaller J-Frames, larger framed S&W revolvers use a leaf spring as opposed to a coil spring for their mainspring thusly giving a slightly lighter and smoother trigger. Also, the J-Frame's smaller, lighter hammer neccesitates a stiffer spring in order to guarantee reliable ignition. The slightly larger and heavier hammer of the K-Frame allows it to have a lighter spring, and thusly lighter trigger, while still retaining reliable ignition. Finally, .38 Special, particularly with +P Hollowpoint ammunition, is an excellent and soft-shooting self-defense cartridge and is in the same league as standard-pressure (non +P) 9mm.
 
I've given this advice more times than I can remember. My advice for those in your situation is to get a K or L frame S&W revolver with a 3" (if you can find one) or 4" barrel. Either .357 Mag or .38 Spl, either will do just fine. Load it with premium SD ammo. Practice so that you (and she) can actually consistently get hits in the "boiler room". Nothing substitutes for range time.

If you do that, you'll be able to sleep at night, secure in the knowledge that if the BG tries to bust into your home, you've got the right medicine on hand. Yes, 6 rounds is enough. But you might want to keep an extra loaded speedloader or 2 on hand just in case the Huns are breaking down the door. ;) Cheap insurance.

FWIW, we've got a K frame (model 15, .38 Spl) on her side of the bed, and an L frame (model 686, .357 Mag) on my side of the bed. Both are 4" models. 2 spare speedloaders each. While that isn't the extent of the HD firearms, those alone mean that we are adequately armed. Even one or the other would get the job done, I just like the idea of her being able to back me up.

Unless there's a reason why you can't go with a medium frame (K or L), I'd advise not going with a smaller J frame. Not that you can't make it work, but it isn't all that forgiving, and IMHO it isn't something I'd advise for someone who is new, they are more intended for CCW use than HD use. They aren't as pleasant to shoot. And -- you give up a round in the cylinder.
 
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Racking the slide is not about strength. It is all about technique.
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While that is the book answer, and it is correct most of the time, it isn't universal.

SWMBO isn't able to rack the slide on an autoloader, even using the right technique. I know, we've tried, and I've tried teaching her the "proper" technique. She has rheumatoid arthritis, and doesn't have the grip strength. Even with proper technique, she doesn't have the grip strength. I think she could handle the recoil and such, but she just isn't going to be able to rack the slide or load her own mags, period.

But she does have the strength to be able to handle a K frame .38 revolver, no problem. Not only because there's no slide to work, but there's no issue with "limp wristing", and the heavier, all steel revolver with rubber grips, is recoil friendly. It is heavy enough so that it handles recoil well (even with +P SD ammo), and yet isn't so heavy that she can't handle it. And she can handle the loading process well enough using speed loaders. It is the best solution, at least in her case.
 
Go with a "normal sized", not flyweight, 38 Special revolver.

After you both get experience, you can expand your repertoire if you so choose.
 
jersey emt said:
Racking the slide is not about strength. It is all about technique.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it. Barring health problems (e.g. the arthritis another poster mentioned), she should be able to learn to make it work with a little practice. Before you make a final decision, why not go back to the store and let her try it again after reading the description of the proper technique.
 
Check out some used semi autos. Most new semi autos are way harder to work the slide on. My girlfriend could not rack the slide on my M&P 45 when it was brand new. After I put 500 rounds out of it she could work it with ease. My step mom had the same problem looking at new semi autos. Then she found my S&W gen 3 9mm that I picked up a few years ago that was a PD trade in to the gunstore. She picked it up racked the slide and huge grin followed. She then fired a magazine full out of it. It has found its way into her gun purse:eek:. (She carries an LCP on body.)
 
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