Woman's defense rifle

A

ArizonaMorgan

New member
First off I want a semi-auto in either a pistol caliber or (preferably) .223 or .300 whisper. I would prefer something along the lines of an AR or HK. Length of pull doesn't really bother me since I'm 5'8" and have fairly long arms. I would prefer something that's fairly light weight. The purpose of it will be mainly for plinking and home defense. Which one is better or is there a better choice?
 
I would vote for an AR series rifle such as the CAR-15. .223 is very easy to get and can be inexpensive, not to mention you can still pick up 30rnd mags for under $10 (as opposed to $50+ for HK-93 mags). Parts and accessories are plentiful and more appear every week. The HK-93 is quite heavy for a .223 rifle.

Have you considered a Kalashnikov or a Mini-14?
 
A Mini-14 would be a good bet, since they are plentiful and inexpensive. Good hi-cap mags can be a little expensive if you buy only factory though.

Can't really go wrong with an AR15 either. Mags are substantially more available and inexpensive.

I'd also look at a Ruger PC9 (9mm) or PC40 (40 S&W). I have a PC9 that is plenty accurate to 50m, and with its 16 in barrel, a 9mm bullet can acheive 357magnum-like ballistics. It's very light, recoil is non-existent and I have not had a single reliability problem (+/- 1200 rounds). I picked mine up for $300 at a local gun shop, NIB. Ruger pistol magazines are pretty cheap and many high caps can still be found.
 
the rugers or marlins in pistol calibers are good and if you can find it cheap enuf an m1 carbine that works....sometime back did the same thing for cousin of mine, ammo was cheap back then, I havent kept up with the cost or availability.....have you considered an sks?...fubsy.
 
If money is a problem, a .223 Mini-14 with about 2-3" cut off the stock length and the rear peep sight bored to a larger diameter will work well. Note the biggest problem with Mini-14s is getting reliable high-cap mags.

If money isn't so much a problem, and you foresee situations under 100 yards against multiple opponents in low-light as your worst case scenario, I'd suggest an AR-15 pre-ban with:
-A1 fixed stock with A1 buttplate but A2 trapdoor
(you can't imagine how much 1" in extra length in the A2 stock causes problems even in big men)
-16" barrel (either heavy or lightweight, though the lightweight Colt barrel is rare)
-Military A2 birdcage flash hider or Vortex flash hider
-20 round mags (30s get in the way of proper support elbow position and are much tougher to tac reload with)
-A2 sights set on large rear aperture
-Standard GI sling
-A2 style forestock

Maybe a tactical light mounted to the rifle, and maybe night iron sights, but a handheld light can be made to work and the above is all you really need besides some good training.

I saw someone's girlfriend in an Urban Carbine class with a Marlin Camp Carbine .45 ACP struggling to keep up with the .223 AR boys. I took one look at her setup and thought "Her boyfriend picked that Marlin for her". The instructor let her try his 16" AR set up just like I describe above (except for dot scope) and she did just fine.

Edmund
 
AR-15's are substantially more expensive than a mini-14, if you buy the whole rifle. If you are willing and able to do some work yourself and have some time to wait, you can save a lot by building one yourself. I built my first for $540 and I could have done it for cheaper. Check out the AR15.com board. They have detailed instructions on how to build one and the discussion forums have a lot of info as well. There are a number of sources for kits. Getting a lower receiver is the only really difficult task as they are in short supply these days. If you are interested, I'll post some possible sources. Cost for a lower can run $90 (what I paid) up to $150. It took me about 2 hours to assemble and the rifle shoots great.

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Dorsai
Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud, and the rifle is the queen of personal
weapons. The possession of a good rifle, as well as the skill to use it well, truly makes a man the
monarch of all he surveys.
-- Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle
 
.300 Whisper is a proprietary cartridge from SSK Industries ( www.sskindustries.com ). It is formed by necking up .221 Fireball cases to accept .308" projectiles. There are two standard loading levels: 1) Subsonic with 220gr and 240gr Sierra MatchKings for use in suppressed ARs; and 2) Supersonic for hunting use in ARs and T/C Contender pistols. The supersonic loads are pretty close ballisticly to the 7.62x39mm Soviet. T/C makes .300 Whisper Cotnender barrels under license from SSK, and CorBon loads factory ammunition.

[This message has been edited by Daniel Watters (edited May 30, 1999).]
 
.300 whisper is going to be prety expensive for plinking..

I'd go with the Min-14 as an economical and effective option.
 
16" Barrel AR15 type firearm. Short and wieldy compared to its heavy 20" barrel brethen.

If money is not a problem, then a HK93 or the earlier HK43 with a slimline forearm and collaspable stock is a real zinger. It makes the AR feel bulky. Fun Fun Fun.

If money is tight, then I'd also be happy with the Mini14.

Whichever one you select, make sure the front sight can be fitted with tritium. You won't need a night sight for the rear aperture sight (since it's so close to your eye, you wouldn't see it anyway). If you're inside your home, you want to place your shots inside the bad guy and not have to fix the walls, replace the Grandfather clock, or mourn the damage/destruction of your parent's wedding portrait.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Mini 14's just went up $40 wholesale........yes factory Ruger mags are high but.........they are reliable and when you get ready to sell them they are worth big$$$$$$$$$.......
 
Gary, what is the HK43? I know what the 93 is, I know what the 33 is, and I know what the 53 is, but what is the 43? I've heard of it several places, but have never found anyone that could tell me what it is. Hopefully you can help. Thanks.

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The HK43 is the same critter as the HK93. HK just changed the numerical designation. All in all, same gun from Oberndorf au Neckar (upstream from Mauser).

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
As the resident double X chromosome bearer, ya know what I recommend......

Nothing gets between me and my........Mini-14

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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
 
My wife has Mini 14 which she loves.
I customized it to her 12" LOP, and added a nice 6X scope and a butt pad.
It has a laminated stock in the desert camo flavor, and I converted it to an english style straight pull configuration that fits her style better, as well as lightened it up quite a bit.
She shoots it well enough that I wouldn't want to get in her sights, and the weapon is much easier for her to maintain than a finicky AR type weapon.
The whole package cost less than a decent AR without a scope.
 
AZ Morgan: Problem with a preban is if it isn't assembled already, the BATF doesn't consider it preban. That's what I read in the AR15.com website. Be careful.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
I'm an accuracy nut, it doesn't have to be REAL good, but for me it has to be better than the mini14 or SKS provide, that's why I want the AR or HK. Thanks for the info Gary, think I'll skip on that one and try to find a complete rifle. I see them floating around every so often.
 
Well, (I'm not absolutely sure if they are still producing this but...) how about a Ruger .44 Carbine? Goto :

http://216.22.162.209/p82.htm

for some pricing. Unfortunately, I don't have any first hand experience with this rifle.

- Ron V.

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