Woman and home defense

L

LightHouse Lady

New member
Hi,
I bought a Smith and Wesson 38 sp. 442 airweight a few years ago. I realize that I need to practice and get used to the gun so I went out today and fired it. Well, it is hard to squeeze the trigger and after 5 shots, my hand was numb. The recoil was too much. I have arthritis so I suppose that is part of the problem.

My friend's husband died and she sold it to me for $150.00. It was in pristine condition, like new. He had bought it for her and she didn't like it. I don't know much about guns, but I do know a good deal :D

Now, I have a Ruger 22 rifle and love it. I can even hit the target with no problem.

I want a handgun for self defense. Am I looking for a semi automatic? Do these shoot "easier"? I will go to the gun range at some point and try some out but I would very much like your thoughts on this.

Thanks,
LL
 
My brother-inlaw purchased a Taurus 850 2 1/8" barrel in .38special for my 26 year old sister to use and she had a similar experience. She is 5' and probably weighs in at 110lbs. She found the trigger pull to hard for her and the recoil was enough to completly turn her off of that particular type of firearm. When she has shot my Springfield XD40S&W-4" she was much happier. The recoil was comfortable and even though the grip was large she could shoot perfectly acceptable groups for personal defense. In my very limited experience I have noticed that the ladies I see shoot tend to enjoy shooting semiautomatic pistols more. Hope this helps :)
 
Suggestions

The S&W 442 is a 15 ounce, aluminum frame .38 that is designed for concealed carry. It works very well in a pocket or purse, because of the enclosed hammer design. I have the model 642, which is the stainless version of the gun. But the gun is very hard to shoot well and has a heavy trigger. Clearly "shootability" was compromised for "concealability" or "carryability".

For home defense you don't really need a small handgun, because concealability is not an issue. Something in medium to large size will be better, as long as it fits your hand and you like the trigger pull and safety features. Large handguns are much easier to shoot well, and often have a much nicer trigger pull.

If you want to stick with a revolver, you might look for something in all steel with a 4 inch barrel from Smith & Wesson, perhaps in .357 magnum caliber. This will allow the use of .38 special ammo if you desire, but will be a heavy enough gun to be easy to shoot. I'd go with a model 19 (blue), 66 (stainless) or 686 (stainless). You can get different stocks to fit different hand sizes. Such a gun will cost about $400 to $500 in slightly used condition.

If you want to go with a semiauto, you could try a 9mm gun, also from Smith & Wesson, like the model 3913. It has a grip of slim size and takes an 8 round single stack magazine. The trigger pull is easy in double or single action, and it has a thumb safety you can use. This will run about $600.

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What type of ammo did you use? If you were using .38 ammo loaded for self-defense, they are considerably hotter than mid-range wadcutters, or the light reloads sold at ranges. If you were using the hotter rounds, you should probably try again with the light stuff and see if you can handle it.

If it is still too tough, you might trade that 442 in for a larger frame revolver. This will reduce the felt recoil from the .38 Special.

The problem with getting an auto is that they require a higher level of strength to cycle the action, if you are talking about .380 caliber or higher. Additionally, autos can be caused to malfunction by holding them loosely or riding back with the recoil. If you are already having problems with hand strength and recoil, this might be a problem. The alternative is to go with a very light-shooting auto like a large frame .22 LR pistol.
 
The S&W 3913 is also called the "Lady Smith" which Smith and Wesson has specifically designed for women. Pogo2 has given you an excellent recommendation for your apparent need.:D
 
Y'all are awesome. You have given me information to research and some different guns to try.

I see many of you talking about a Ruger p95. Is that something to try also?

I am understanding that the heavier revolver is a bit better for what I can handle or to try the semi auto in maybe a 9mm.

I will keep reading here so that I can learn.

Edited for sloppy spelling...
LL
 
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Get a shotgun:)
I always have to chime that in one the home defense pistol threads.
Pistols are for ease of transport and concealability.
Unless you have so many shoes in your closet, in which case you need another closet, you can not fit a shotgun a pistol is not your best choice. Also you can smack an intruder with it.

20ga Moss 500.
 
The Luger is actually a Ruger, and the P95 is their polymer handgun.
I'd recommend you visit a range, and rent a couple of pistols you think fit you best.
 
That's funny, John. In fact, I do have a Remington 11-48. I have to tell ya, I am not putting it to my shoulder though :eek:. I can fire it from the hip so to speak. It has a thingie on the end of the barrel to help with the kick and I love the gun.... it was given to me, which is cool.

Thing is, with a shotgun, a man can take it away pretty easily. I feel much safer in house with a handgun.

LL
 
Perhaps you should look into a larger S&W revolver. Your 442 is made on the J-Frame which is their smallest and it's design is a bit different from their larger revolvers. The larger revolvers have a leaf spring for the hammer as opposed to the J-Frame's coil spring and typically have lighter, smoother triggers. Also, a steel-framed revolver will have less recoil than an aluminum-framed one due to the added weight. A S&W K-Frame (the next size up from the J-Frame) would seem like a good solution to your problem. A Model 10 (blued carbon steel with fixed sights), 64 (stainless steel with fixed sights). or 67 (stainless steel with adjustable sights) are all currently manufactured in .38 Special and would be excellent options. Also, the used market abounds with excellent revolvers both in the models I mentioned and also the now discontinued 14 and 15 (both .38 Special) and 13, 19, 65, and 66 (all in .357 Magnum). My daily carry gun is a Model 66 with the short 2 1/2" barrel (they were also made with 3, 4, and 6" barrels).

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If you go with an automatic handgun, I'd suggest to get a lot more practice with it than the revolver. The automatics are a little more complicated, but not too much. You can find a "simple" one such as a Glock or similar. The main thing I suggest is if you go with an automatic to learn how to resolve missfires, failure to feed, failure to fire, failure to eject, etc. For simplicity I'd suggest staying with a revolver. Find one that has a much lighter trigger pull or one that's adjustable. If a relvolver still isn't an option I'd say a single action automatic, such as a 1911 or something. Keep the gun loaded, with one in the chamber and the safety on. When in need just click the safety off with your thumb easily and the trigger pull will be very easy. And just because it's a 1911 doesn't mean you have to get a .45. I've seen them in everything from .380 and up and you can find them in compact and subcompact as well. Above all the most important thing to get is practice. The more comfortable and confident you are with the gun the better. In my opinion you don't have to shoot 2,000 rounds every week as I've heard some suggest. Fire it until you can hit somewhere in "center mass" of a life size human shaped target at 1, 5, and 15 yards. You can go farther than that if your own home/self defence situation might require it. Good luck and I hope you find the perfect gun for you!
 
Welcome to TFL, Lighthouse lady! :D

Many people find a visit to their county sheriff's office to be helpful in finding local firearms safety and familiarization training. So that would probably be the first resource. For general information one needs to look for an NRA approved safety course. Here is a link to the NRA Women's Program page. Remember the NRA is the largest firearms safety training organization in the world: http://www.nrahq.org/women/ They even give out grant money!

If you like Ruger 22's did you know that Ruger makes both a .22 semiautomatic and a .22 revolver? Mrs. Meek and the kids all learned to shoot on a Ruger .22 Mark II semiautomatic. She never carries it, as it is too big for her purse; she carries a Kel Tec P-32. I wouldn't recommend the Kel Tec to a new shooter however as it requires a few hours of buffing and polishing before it is usable. In fact I wouldn't recommend any pistol for a new shooter. I believe they should talk with the person teaching their gun safety course and get recommendations based on a face to face assessment of their strength and manual dexterity. ;)
 
I see many of you talking about a Ruger p95. Is that something to try also?
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My wife has health issues that affect her hand strength and recoil tolerance. She has no problems operating any of the controls on the Ruger P95 and says that the recoil is very easy for her to tolerate.

The P95 is a good, solid handgun that is very shootable and that can usually be found for a very good price.

The airweight revolvers are difficult to shoot well, I'm not a fan at all. I'd rather put a couple hundred rounds downrange through a .44 Mag revolver in a single session than a couple of cylinderfuls from a small .38special revolver.
Am I looking for a semi automatic? Do these shoot "easier"?
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All else being equal, a semi-automatic will have less felt recoil than a revolver. However, they are a bit more complicated to operate than a revolver, and the slide on some automatics can be difficult for some people to operate.

The best course of action is to shoot several types, brands and calibers to get a feel for what fits you best. If that isn't an option, see if you can find a gun shop that will let you handle several guns. That won't help you get a feel for recoil, but it will let you know if the trigger pull weight or the effort required to operate the slide is going to be an issue for you.
 
Pogo2 is right in advising you to try a S&W (because of the nice trigger) 4" revolver, but I think you would like a .38 best. I believe it is all you need. See how it feels. You wouldn't want to fire a 357 in the house for a number of reasons. You would need to do a lot of practice with whatever gun you choose.
 
What you really need for home defense is a shotgun but if you want a pistol I suggest a .380 automatic like the Bersa Thunder loaded with JHP and practice. You will find the gun easy to handle and the recoil much easier to handle than any 357 revolver even shooting 38 sp. This is a gun that you can become comfortable with practicing even 20 rounds a week and build your confidence. Remember placement is the key. All these other suggestions to me are a load of crap for your personal situation.
 
Take a look...

at the box of ammo. Does state "+P"? is the bullet weight 158 jhp?

For a first timer, you may want to try the 148gr Wadcutter for learning, these are target loads, light and mild. Then try the 110-140 gr weights fro serious use.
 
Such a great welcome. I appreciate all the advice and I will make a list of the guns you all mention and go to the gun store with it. We have one with a range where you can try a few out. That will be a big help.

Thanks again,
LL
 
Thing is, with a shotgun, a man can take it away pretty easily.
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Not if you're willing to pull the trigger. If you aren't willing to shoot no type of firearm will help.

I agree with the shotgun. That and a cell phone. Take cover and defend your space. Don't go out trying to clear the house if you think someone's out there.

All that said. What part of the country do you live in? Perhaps you could meet one of us at a range and try a few different guns. I'm willing to let you try any of mine to see if you like the way they handle.

Oh yeah, welcome to The Firing Line!
 
Welcome Lighthouse Lady a .38 Spec Air Light is wonderful peace, wife has one with +P or P+ all ways get it mixed up. I would recommend try squeezing a small turf ball to build up a little strength. The wife is no weakling, but has trouble racking anything but her .380 auto. The only other thing to do is maybe a local gunsmith can rework trigger pull for you, I wouldn't get rid of it unless it's your last resort. Hope this is a little help for you on making your decision. ;)
 
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