handgun for home protection

I've had the experience of introducing handguns to several women and here's what I've learned; they uniformly love S&W 4" Model 10/Model 64 revolvers. They've ALL rejected soft recoiling 9mm autos and beautiful 1911s in favor of the simple 6 shooter. Its low recoil and very easy operation win them over every time. And they've all been able to shoot the revolver accurately in a very short time.

And the Model 10 with a cylinder full of 38+P FBI loads is a formidable weapon.

PS: My advice is worth every penny you paid for it, guaranteed. ;)
 
Since you said HOME defense and NOT CCW, a K-frame 38 will do just fine, allowing for light loads for practice and slightly heavier ones for actual use (+P)
 
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My wife keeps a Ruger GP100 4 inch, loaded with 38SP defense loads. She is comfortable with the sze and weight - and doesnt worry about recoil. As its a HD, I'm not worried about size, more interested in her comfort level.
 
Ruger LCR or Sig P238

My wife likes her Ruger LCR, & I like it as well. Strangely enough, she finds it easy to rack the slide on my Sig P238 (.380) & Beretta 87 (.22). She broke her wrist last year, & she has weak left hand because of it. The Ruger LCR is a great gun, & they're selling for $389 @ gunshows here. Good luck.
 
2 pistols seem to be the best for us.
There will be times you tow are in 2 separate places.
In having 2 seaprate weapons, both stay armed.
When I took my wife to the range, I had to almost pry my pistol from here, she was having so much fun shooting. :D
In a very short period of time, we both obtained our own pistols. :)
 
I have heard from many about, and seen first hand, women who can't rack the slide of a semi-auto (my wife couldn't until she learned proper technique). But I have also seen women who have insufficient grip strength to fire a revolver double action. Anybody else seen this? And is teaching such a one to shoot SA reasonable when the goal is self-defense? Or is moving to a shotgun a better option? Just curious what you all think.
 
You would be wise to find a range that has different hand guns for rent. This way she could not only handle but shoot different guns to see what she likes best. My wife has problems with hand strength (however she can rack my Glock) and she also does not like recoil or muzzle blast. For her a 22 and now a Kel Tec 32 are her preferred guns. I made the mistake of getting a gun for her, she could not work the action and promptly told me she would pick her own guns. Good luck just remember it has to be her choice. Bill
 
For advice, from a woman, on how women should rack slides, see www.corneredcat.com. As for choosing an Airweight snubby (much less an Airlite!), your wife probably will fire it once, hand it to you while screaming words at you that you didn't know she knew, and go wait in the car. For home defense, nothing can beat an S&W .38sp Model 10 -- except its stainless steel versions.

Cordially, Jack
 
Laker said it... 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.
I agree.tom.
 
If you can't pull back the slide on a glock, woman or not, you are one weak puppy.
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And there are plenty of folks out there - arthritis, among other maladies, who can't pull the slide back, even using the push-pull method. So what? Your comment is rather rude and condescending and not appreciated by folks who have such infirmaries.
 
Some folks aren't in the best health. Also, men, in general, are 2 to 3 times stronger than women when it comes to upper body strength. My 11 YO son was able to rack the slide on a .45 while my wife could not. Both were using the same technique, yet she shoots a .40 Sigma.

Also, I think you hit the nail on the head on your comment - That is the reason why everyone who can - should be armed - with a pistol or revolver. It somewhat levels the playing field when it comes to good and bad people.

Blondie.357
If you can't pull back the slide on a glock, woman or not, you are one weak puppy.
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The point is made. Some folks have varying physical abilities. The 'weak puppy' statement was ill conceived.

Let's move on. I hope its poster gets the point.

Thanks

GEM
 
The hand strength issue

My wife cap rack a slide, but not very well, and doesn't really have the desire to learn since she's comfortable with a revolver instead. (I think it's also an issue of frustration/embarrassment about safeties, mag releases, slide releases, takedown levers, etc.--she's a good occasional shooter, but doesn't want to spend much time on it.)

My older daughter is 19, and has a very weak grip. She had extreme difficulty pulling the trigger on two new Ruger SP-101s until I installed Wolff spring kits. I also lightened the return spring on a S&W 30-1 (.32 SWL) and she likes it best; she'd had trouble with DA before the spring swap-out, and I smoothed out the trigger grooves to stop the blistering problem. Recoil & blast REALLY bother her, and I wish to God I'd never had her shoot a couple of airweights a couple of years ago--I almost ruined shooting for her, and the .32 is a decent step back down the road for her. The 115g LFP at 770fps will punch thru 6 gallon jugs of water, in case we encounter some aggressive H2O that needs killin':D

Funny enough, her 13-year-old "little" sister isn't very recoil-sensitive, despite the airweight experience that she shared with her sister, and she does find with .32, .32HRM, and .38s. We don't own the airweights anymore, though. Great guns, but not for my girls.
 
Non--> Racking The Slide

Sir' check into the Beretta 86FS Cheetah with a '' Tip up barrel '' and other makers with no racking the slide .Or get her a real nice Smith & Wesson J frame .38 snub ''chief special '' most women like, and easy to use.
 
I am of the opinion that a 12 gauge shotgun would be the best solution for her to utilize in a HD situations. Everyone knows the distinct sound of a shell being pumped into a shotgun. Also with her barricaded in a safe room covering the door with a shotgun, if a perp decided to breach the door into that room, a shot from a shotgun would be easier to hit the perp. With a shotgun she would have more spray coverage than a single bullet and eleminate the importance of critical shot placement.
 
Welcome to The Firing Line shootingblanks!

I am in complete agreement with your post except for a couple of parts.

With a shotgun she would have more spray coverage than a single bullet and eleminate the importance of critical shot placement.
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At cross-room ranges a shotgun pattern will only spread 3 inches or so at best. They still have to be aimed to be effective.

Everyone knows the distinct sound of a shell being pumped into a shotgun.
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That part should be done long before the intruder is close enough to hear. Semi-auto shotguns make a different sound and are every bit as effective for home defense in 20 or 12 gage.
 
Wife carry

My wife carries a 642, Airweight, Laser Grips, with 125 Silvertips.
She cannot operate a slide on an auto. She doesn't like autos anyway. Too complicated.
She can certainly operate the 642 or any other revolver for that matter.
 
IMHO....
1) Home defense if she has issues with a handgun and is not proficient, which will be even worse if she's in a bad situation and the adrenaline is flowing... a good SHOTGUN.

2) When it comes to reliability and ease , revolver takes it hands down.
3) What do most women like as a first gun, revolvers.
4) Then introduce her and get her proficient later on a semi-auto.

Tip-up barrel, well... if one jams, she'll still have to rack the slide.

All of this reminds me of the story of thw woman who had a rapist knocking down her bedroom door and she got off ONE shot, the gun jammed, and she couldn't rack the slide to eject/reload. She was in bad "trouble" as even the one shot didn't hit him nor discourage him. A shotgun, she wouldn't have missed. Second story, the woman who was on 911 when a BG broke in her house while she was there... she shot him with a shotgun, and he's dead.. she's alive.

You can try to be 'cool' with a semi-auto that she can't work, or get a gun that will truly provide self-defense that she can operate.
 
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