Advice for first firearm for a female shooter w/kids at home?

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

...I went shooting with a relatively inexperienced adult woman this summer ...she really wanted to learn to use her late father's Smith & Wesson model 10 .
Although she had shot revolvers like that a dozen times over the last 20 years it wasn't a regular enough. She had a lot of trouble keeping the gun steady while pulling that long heavy double action trigger.
She also had trouble rapidly lining up the sights --although we were shooting at a dark gray target in a dimly lit indoor shooting range, with a gun that had all black blued steel sights.

With my 9 mm, given the trigger pull of half the poundage, and a much shorter trigger stroke, and wider sights, and sights with white dots on them, her groups were 1/3 the size during rapid fire.
We're talking a difference of 18 inch groups down to 6 inches groups just due to switching guns .

 

[cmshoot]

There are shootings and there are gunfights.

In a shooting, 1 guy has a firearm and the other a non-firearm weapon. Average number of rounds expended are 2-4.

In a gunfight, both participants are armed with firearms. Average number of rounds expended are everything that was in the gun to begin with AT A MINIMUM.

Yes, the fight COULD be "decided" in the first 5 rounds......as in, 5 rounds didn't do the trick and the other guy beats you to death with a baseball bat. During the "FBI Miami Shootout", Platt was hit 11 times, with the first round being a non-survivable round. That round struck him before he ever got out of the car or fired a shot. He went on to wound 5 agents and kill 2 more.

 

[greg vess]

My wife is a dainty women and just can't muster the strength to rack a slide. I am not going to damn her for being a lady. I am not going to go have her train with a power lifter to rack a slide. The fact of the matter is you use what she can manipulate and leave it at that. Again training and practice is key her we have all recognized this. What I have seen in most cases is the man chunks a gun at her and she shoves it in her purse and they call it protection. It take hours and hours of training and practice to become efficient with any fire arm and the goes double for a semi auto. When I started to explain the safety, slide release, hammer drop when the safety is applied she just said there has to be a better way. I handed her a revolver and she was happy. I also have a AR15 within arms reach and she know how to disengage the safety and pull the trigger on that weapon as well. However the gun she has immediate access to is a revolver. I am not saying every women has to use a revolver. I am simply saying that most women will not take the time to become efficient with a semi auto handgun. I have seen it a thousand times. Most want something simple they can shove in their purse. I would rather them have a simple gun to use than a superior handgun they won't train with and forget how to operate. My wife has no interest in guns and wanted something simple to operate and no have to put a lot of time and energy in learning about. The revolver fits that bill perfectly. Better that than nothing.
Once I drag her out to range she enjoys knocking down the plates and that is what is important. Getting them out to train and her using a gun she can operate simply.
She said at the beginning she wanted a semi auto so I bought a SR22 Ruger for her to train with. Once she tried to use it and clear a misfire she handed it back to me to fix and picked up the revolver to shoot. I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement about who should own what but it has been my experience that when all the information is relayed and the individual tries out the weapon I have seen more hammer-less revolvers go across the counter than anything.
The ultimate factor especially for semi autos is will the consumer put in the time and effort to train and practice, practice, practice to truly become proficient with one. A revolver just requires some range time for accuracy and of course the 4 safety rules always applies no matter what gun it used.
I have gotten my wife down to about two seconds to reload a revolver with speed loaders but that also takes practice.
I have also seen to many weekend rambo's push a gun on a women she has no business carrying.

 

[ch035]

I'm going to play a slightly different card-

If the gun is going to be for home defense I would go with a youth model pump 410 shotgun. Easy to manage, easy to swing.

If the gun is for carry, that's a personal choice that can only be made by the shooter. My wife has a shield,but prefers a g42. MY fat hands ride to high on the 42 and I lock the slide back constantly.


The one time my wife got scared enough to go dig a gun out of my safe because she thought someone was in our garage- she grabbed my glock 17 and slammed a 33rd stick in it. Momma mode.

 

[greg vess]

Here is some intelligent reasoning for you. My best friend bought his wife a 1100 dollar compact Kimber 45 acp to carry. His rational was the perp will see the size of barrel and run away. LOL
She took that gun to range and the gun damn near jumped out of hands. She couldn't get off a second shot within a reasonable amount of time and asked him what in the hell was he was thinking. Now she rolls with a .380. She is strong from a lot of athletics in her past and has a type A personality. If she puts her mind into it she will learn fast and become avid at it. Not all women fit into this category.
If they aren't going to put the time in they would better of with a taser or mace.
I just thought a few of you would get a kick out of his reasoning. Ridiculous!

 

[republican]

Take everyone to the range. If there are kids involved, they must learn to respect and handle weapons especially if they are boys. Inexperienced boys who find a gun will pick it up ,point it at the nearest person and pull the trigger 100% of time. Girls are way less likely but still must learn.
This point cannot be stressed enough to a novice shooter with children.
As far as gun type. AR-15 for home defense. Mid to full size DAO auto for carry.

 

[Bear44]

I recommend KitchenAid. In all seriousness, I would say a revolver 357mag(I prefer this because you can load 38spl, 38spl +p & 357mag) because of the ammo options. Training is always top priority, but until shes comfortable with firearms, theres much less hassle with a revolver(no jams, fte etc.,) and all she needs to do is aim & squeeze
View attachment 997280

Sounds like a Glock to me.

 

[Bear44]

Bottom line, 5-6 for sure beats 15-18 maybes. My wife is not interested enough to train and learn how to properly run a semi auto. When it jams, and it will because she limp wrists it, she is in the same place she would be after firing 6 rounds. She also doesn't have the strength to manipulate the slide nor the knowledge to clear a malfunction.

Most SD situation happen at extremely close range, especially for women. A revolver is without a doubt the easiest handgun to defeat if you can get a hand on it. Simply grabbing the cylinder will prevent it from firing. So no, not "5-6 for sure". Not at all.

 

[mikey357]

Worst advice in the world is to get a women a revolver.

^^^WORST Blanket Statement EVER...In the ENTIRE HISTORY of Al Gore's Internet^^^

 

[mikey357]

Most SD situation happen at extremely close range, especially for women. A revolver is without a doubt the easiest handgun to defeat if you can get a hand on it. Simply grabbing the cylinder will prevent it from firing. So no, not "5-6 for sure". Not at all.

I could swear we've done this particular Dance before, but...You'll not get your hands on MY Revolver, and if you try, you'll end up Bloodied, Beaten AND Shot...