Home defense weapon for the wife.

A

ATN082268

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O.K. I have pretty much settled on my home defense weapon FNX-45 Tactical. Now I am looking for a home defense weapon for my wife. I realize she will probably have to practice with a few and it will ultimately be her choice but I wanted some suggestions on where to start. She isn't very mechanically inclined and doesn't handle stress very well (and it is not based on gender either), so, unless you have some very strong arguments for an automatic, she will probably use a revolver, at least for the near future. What would you suggest for a home defense weapon for my wife? Price isn't an issue unless you get really silly. In both our cases, we are going to wait for most of the holiday financial dust to settle before our handgun purchases. Thank you.
 
a round butt six shot K frame 3" revolver, loaded with target wad cutters for practice then graduate up to defense loads as she sees fit.
 
She should look and try several double stack autos to see which one she would like. A compact pistol for home defense would be good.
 
Jerry is close

I say a square butt 4" six shot .357 specifically the Smith and Wesson 66.
Or the round butt 3". Ruger security six and gp 100 are also good.
I say stay with stainless. Try the Hogue grips on what ever you buy.
 
I should add/ask.... how big are her hands?

revolvers come in different sizes so the grip/trigger reach will differ.

I say a 3" revolver because of the balance for a novice will not be too front heavy. the K frame is an average size frame. various grip style can be had to fit the hand.

if her hands are small a J frame sized gun might be better because it is smaller but try to stay with at least a 3" bbl. the caliber will reduce the number of shots, 5 in .38/357, however it can be had with 6 shots in the various .32 rounds (magnums and so forth). either way I'd recommend an all steal gun since ccw is not the purpose.
 
Two simples items (we have both), a loud dog - when she hears a strange noise, and a Sig P227. Admittedly, the Sig required some training for my wife to get used to, but we go to the range religiously and she feels confident that if necessary, she could accurately fire the weapon.
 
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I suggest two guns, one a revolver that fits her hands and she is comfortable with, I would suggest 38 spcl. The other pump action shot gun in 20 ga. for a lady. Have her learn to use both. She can choose what she wants at the time, but be sure to have her try the unloaded shotgun around the house. They can be unwieldy inside. Choice is comforting.

Personally I would want the shot gun when barricaded in a safe room. (but I'd have both if not more with me) ;)
 
I have a six shot S&W J frame revolver chambered for .327 Federal Magnum. My wife and daughter love shooting it. Its the gun they both use for home defense. (My wife also has a five shot Rossi Circuit Judge 18" bbl .410 revolver shotgun for home defense, loaded with Federal 000 buckshot, and equipped with a Crimson Trace laser sight. Its short, lightweight, easy to handle and shoots nice.)

Ruger also offers a six shot SP101 small frame revolver as well as a seven shot GP100 medium frame revolver in .327 Federal Magnum.
 
For a HD firearm, that does not have to be concealed, size and weight, IMHO, are not primary deciding factors.........unless they contribute to the fit to the shooter and aid in comfort and accuracy when shooting. Primary factors for me would be reliability, accuracy and accessibility. Long guns are not always easily accessed because many times, they are leaning up against the wall away from the bed, under the bed or somewhere else where one needs to get up to get to it. To me, something sittin' on the nightstand, or directly next to the bed, where it can be reached at an instant is what I want. For my wife, the gun that sits on her side of the bed is a 5'' 686 loaded with .38s. She prefers shooting it at the range over my 4'' and 6'' L-frames and that preference has led to familiarity and relative accuracy. She dislikes the J-Frames(for obvious reasons) and thus refuses to even practice with them. She is more comfortable with the revolver platform than with my auto-loaders. The simplicity of being able to see immediately if the gun is loaded, knowing an action does not have to be worked to chamber a round, the ease for her loading the firearm when empty and not having to think about a safety being on or off is why she prefers them. But this is her. I did not point her in a direction or make her go for something I would like/use. After many range sessions with a wide variety of firearm platforms and calibers, this is what she picks up and prefers over everything else, when it's her time to shoot. While she is still very uncomfortable with the idea of having to use a firearm for HD, she is not uncomfortable with what firearm to use.
 
I would suggest a steel framed K-frame Smith and Wesson revolver with a four inch barrel made anytime from the late 1950s forward. It could be either a .38 special or a .357 magnum but with the magnum loaded with .38 specials. The reason I mention the late 50s is because that is when SW says their .38 specials are safe to use +P ammo. The steel frame would help with recoil better than a lightweight frame.

A four inch barrel gives a better sight radius than a three inch barrel, additional velocity, and is still fairly compact. They are also much more common than a three inch barrel. I actually would suggest a used revolver if you follow the used revolver checkout guide at the sticky at the top of the revolver section. These often have been shot enough so the action is already smoothed out, making them easier to shoot accurately.

Models in .38 special (steel frame) generally available with a four inch barrel include Model 10s (these were THE police revolver for a time and there are a ton out there), Model 15, Model 64, and Model 67. In .357 magnum, appropriate guns would be Model 13, Model 19, Model 65, and Model 66. In addition, the heavier L-frames would be a choice in .357 magnum and include the Models 586 and 686.

The K and L-frame Smiths have the same grip size. Grips can be changed if necessary to fit her hand better at relatively low prices (though you can also spend a lot here). Generally, she will want a grip that fills her hand while still allowing her to reach the trigger comfortably. If she is recoil sensitive, she may want to use synthetic grips.

She could start practice with mild wadcutter loads and then move up to .38 special +p hollow point loads for actual defense.
 
I'd say 0....

If your spouse can not "handle stress well" or can't work a pistol/revolver in a critical incident like a home invasion or attack, then Id advise not buying a firearm just yet.
Get a C2 Taser or maybe some Mk IV size OC spray like Vexor or Sabre Green or Fox Labs.
Practice & proper training are good, but if she honestly can't deal with high stress events or can't make judgements/take action under constraints then a firearm may cause more problems than they solve or prevent.

Clyde
 
I suggest Pax's page and for the stress issue - as Pax might recommend, find a good beginner's course on usage and self-defense. That is more important than debating between most modern guns. A good trainer and the person should be able to handle most of them.
 
Originally posted by ClydeFrog :

If your spouse can not "handle stress well" or can't work a pistol/revolver in a critical incident like a home invasion or attack, then Id advise not buying a firearm just yet.
Click to expand...

Thankfully I did not have to purchase another firearm for my wife. She happily found one of mine that fit her well and she enjoyed shooting. This was long before she felt comfortable with it beside her on the nightstand. Many days at the range and thousands of rounds downrange made her fairly proficient and familiar with the firearm. This in turn made her more comfortable with it beside her and more confident in it's use. Had I not allowed her to practice with and handle a firearm prior to this, she would not be where she is today. Holding off till she was ready to use a firearm for SD/HD would have meant she never would have started to shoot regularly in the first place.
 
Females perspective..

I am new to guns and home defense myself. In fact just last weekend I went "shopping" around for my first purchase. I have shot my husbands Sig 9mm and it wasn't bad at all. (prior to my shopping trip) I was especially looking for a conceal carry.

However, I shot over 30 different guns on Saturday and I believe 3 of them were different sizes of revolvers. I did NOT like them at all. They didn't fit my hand right, I didn't feel as safe handling them as I did the ones listed below. (See bottom.) I tried out both a j frame and the next steps up to a huge ass one that just wasn't even practical in my opinion.

I have had anxiety over guns for over a decade now due to a few traumatic experiences with them. However, the more I handle them, the more I shoot them, the more comfortable I am with them, and the less stressed or anxious I feel with them. My suggestion for her is to practice a lot, and get into a good class or with a good teacher.
I DO NOT suggest that teacher be you because spouses tend to put unspoken pressures on one another even without intending to. I personally have nixed both my husband AND his parents as a teacher even tho his mom is a conceal carry trainer!

Also, I suggest Cornered Cat as well! I'm learning a lot!

My suggestions are just suggestions that I found saturday that I really liked. They shot easy, the slide wasn't too hard, and the safetys easy to reach. Not too much recoil. I have a medium hand size for females. I am mechanically inclined.. extremely.. just.. not with guns. I'm as green as green can get as far as guns go so if your wife is the same then definately look into my suggestions!


Bersa Thunder .22
Bersa Thunder .380
Bersa Firestorm 9x19mm
Ruger lcr .38
Glock 26 gen 4 9mm
Beretta px4 storm 9mm

my two favorites were the thunder .380 and the firestorm 9mm.
 
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