The Role of the "Grandma Gun"

[Kirk Freeman]

INGO gun writer writes about guns--this time, the grandma gun and you.

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/changing-face-first-time-gun-buyer/

 

[KellyinAvon]

INGO gun writer writes about guns--this time, the grandma gun and you.

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/changing-face-first-time-gun-buyer/

I must say when I saw "Grandma Gun" I did not expect the picture that came up. I guess when I think Grandma I think about my Grandma (passed on in 2012 at 97, SS Chief's Special, 9-shot .22 Hi-Standard, several .22 rifles and a side by side 12 gauge leaning up in the corner in the kitchen). Grandmas in the story are more my age I guess.

 

[ru44mag]

Good choice for wives, mothers, and maybe me in 20 years. I'm pretty sure Bersa makes something like that for grandmas on a budget.

 

[VERT]

I did not know that the P250 was made in .380. If the gun is reliable it would make a good choice for some people. I Advise against .380 not so much because of the cartridge but rather because of the size of the guns. Even the larger blowback operated guns can be hard to operate and have a fair amount of recoil. A 3.9" barrel, locked breech full grip gun with good sights and 15 rounds might just be the ticket.

 

[Jomibe]

I Advise against .380 not so much because of the cartridge but rather because of the size of the guns. Even the larger blowback operated guns can be hard to operate and have a fair amount of recoil.

My .380 experience is limited to the wife's Sig P238, which I find to be an incredibly soft shooter. The slide is like butter, and the gun has never jammed. Are most .380's not like the P238?

Perhaps the polymer guns like the Ruger LCP are more of a handful?

 

[VERT]

My .380 experience is limited to the wife's Sig P238, which I find to be an incredibly soft shooter. The slide is like butter, and the gun has never jammed. Are most .380's not like the P238?

Perhaps the polymer guns like the Ruger LCP are more of a handful?

The LCP has considerably more recoil. You are comparing a 10 oz gun to a 15 oz gun. Not much weight but still 50% more. The P238 is a nice shooter, good sights, serviceable trigger. But I have yet to see one make it through an intro practical pistol course without a malfunction. We have had a couple people show up with P938s and even those quickly got put back into the bag and swapped out for a Glock 19 or similar. Those guns just are not big enough and the size becomes a real issue when a person really starts using the gun. That is not a dig on the little guns, they serve a purpose. But be careful with them because it is real easy to get your fingers in front of the bore and they are too small to get a proper overhand grip.

 

[crispy]

My jaw dropped when I read the article. It is exactly dead on in regards to the P250 in .380. When I worked at Point Blank we took one in on trade. I shot the Sig and could not believe how soft of a shooter it was. Much better than the P238 that I also own.

Trigger was looooong but light and smooth. But perfectly suitable for a self-defense firearm for someone who isn't a seasoned shooter. Super easy slide to work, no safety, grip is perfect size for a grandma's hand, and high capacity.

I bought it for my wife. Can't wait to show her the article. She won't like it...

 

[STEEL CORE]

Nice article, my wife "Grandma" to five grand pups, looked at and I bought for her a Glock-43 when they first came out. She had seen another couples Glock-42 at a range session and the couple asked us if we wanted to shoot it, but like a couple knuckleheads we said "Nah".....................DOH !
We got a couple G-43's his and hers, but she wasn't all happy with to her a snappy 9mm, (she liked her full size G-17 in 9mm but that was too big to carry). I liked my Glock-27 in .40 more than my G-43, so into the safe they went. One day I got lucky on a G-42 in .380 and thought what the heck if she doesn't like it, we will find a Smith, Sig, or Ruger she does like.

Nope, one session with the G-42, and Granny and her oldest grand daughter were hooked. She still likes her full size 9mm Glock-17, but the mini Glock G-42 was to her the next best thing to sliced bread.
Definitely a keeper.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Youngest daughter (DeadeyeChrista) got a Walther in .380 from her bf for Christmas. Having zero experience with Walthers I kept my mouth shut. Turns out its a very nice shooter. She loves it.

 

[T.Lex]

A writer that pens "Oort Cloud of shopping malls" is brilliant.

The gun stuff was good, too.

 

[YahwehsBattleAxe]

Many people find the smaller calibers like .380 troublesome because of the gun size. A boomstick is still better than no boomstick.

 

[crispy]

Many people find the smaller calibers like .380 troublesome because of the gun size. A boomstick is still better than no boomstick.

Something tells me you didn't read the article? The whole point of it was ".380 in a full size gun".

I took the wife's "grandma gun" to the range yesterday. Hadn't shot it since I bought it. Literally like shooting a .22. No recoil. No malfunctions either. I was knocking down plates faster than I ever have with no misses. Easy to stay on target.

Although the article attached is recent, according to the Sig website, you can only get the .380 in the SUB-compact model. It doesn't list .380 for the compact (which a normal medium sized gun).