Both of my daughters have requested pistols for protection!

[dwagner3701]

Both of my daughters have requested that I help them get a LTCH, and help them buy a pistol for protection. After giving it some thought, I have decided that a revolver would be the most practical...and the safest in terms of loading and unloading. As well as clearing and operating under stress. I'm thinking 38 special +P or maybe a Judge. The older girl shoots my 1911 very well. I don't think recoil will be an issue for either of them.

Am I missing anything? Let me hear some thoughts.

 

[huntall50]

Sounds like you have thought it out, but let them feel and shoot as many guns as possible before the decision is made. Sound like a good foundation has been laid already.

 

[Field King]

I think u are on the right track with the revolvers, unless the girls are trained in life or death situations the revolver will help, what many people do not consider for personal protection carry is how nervous they will be when the time comes to react, everything happens so fast and the for most everyone legs/hands shaking,eyes may water, there could be a physical struggle etc. And the darn simple easy to use and trustworthy revolver maybe your best friend. I understand some can stay calm, especially those trained such as military or police! They are trained to think clearly, clear jams in semi-autos etc. under extreme conditions, just a thought?

 

[mrjarrell]

Forget the .38's. Go with .357's instead. More bang for the buck and they can use .38's for practice.

 

[Joe Williams]

.357s are noisy, unpleasant to shoot and practice with, and have unacceptable levels of muzzle flash. For me, the trade offs outweigh the extra power. I prefer .38 Special. Even when carrying a .357, the ammo in it was .38 +Ps. Only time I carried Magnums was when camping or fishing in an area where bears might be out and about.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Also, small airweight revolvers aren't "beginner" guns.

DAO revolvers also have pretty heavy trigger pulls. Difficult to aim well and pull the trigger if you're low on hand strength.

Have you thought about a Kahr CW-9?????

 

[Joe Williams]

Also, small airweight revolvers aren't "beginner" guns.

DAO revolvers also have pretty heavy trigger pulls. Difficult to aim well and pull the trigger if you're low on hand strength.

Have you thought about a Kahr CW-9?????

These two don't sound like total beginners, though, and small revolver doesn't have to be an airweight. A 20 oz or so .38 is pleasant to shoot. Cathy's first handgun was a Taurus Model 85 Ultralight, about 18 oz, and she did very well with it. It wasn't her first handgun shooting experience, though! Small .38s aren't any harder to shoot than those small 9s, IMHO. I do prefer 4" guns. of whatever caliber and whether revovler or semi-auto, for beginners, but sounds like his daughters have some shooting experience. If the one can handle a 1911, she can handle a small .38.

To the OP... same as with anyone else picking out their first gun, let them do the picking based on what feels right to them. Give them all the advise they want, arrange for them to shoot their choices if you can, but it's their gun, and they've got to like it and feel confident in it.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I told my wife that she can carry or shoot anything she want's.... as long as the defense gun is at least a 9MM.

 

[dwagner3701]

Have any of you fired a Judge? or Public Defender?
They would be good for close range defense....but I don't know about the recoil.

 

[Joe Williams]

Have any of you fired a Judge? or Public Defender?
They would be good for close range defense....but I don't know about the recoil.

Awfully big guns. If you are gonna go that big, there are better options, IMHO. Just about any full sized revolver or modern semi-auto would be easier to carry. Trigger pulls on the ones in the store seem fairly heavy, also.

 

[Coach]

Both of my daughters have requested that I help them get a LTCH, and help them buy a pistol for protection. After giving it some thought, I have decided that a revolver would be the most practical...and the safest in terms of loading and unloading. As well as clearing and operating under stress. I'm thinking 38 special +P or maybe a Judge. The older girl shoots my 1911 very well. I don't think recoil will be an issue for either of them.

Am I missing anything? Let me hear some thoughts.

Yes.

Anyone thinking that sending someone with limited experience out in to the world equipped to handle themselves with a .38 or .357 is not dealing with the situation properly. I doubt that they will be able to shoot that gun effectively in flat range conditions and so what makes you think they will be able to shoot effectively for their lives when the chips are down?

If she shoots a 1911 effectively does she shoot the revolver effectively? Let them try things before buying.

 

[UncleMike]

Yes.

Anyone thinking that sending someone with limited experience out in to the world equipped to handle themselves with a .38 or .357 is not dealing with the situation properly. I doubt that they will be able to shoot that gun effectively in flat range conditions and so what makes you think they will be able to shoot effectively for their lives when the chips are down?

If she shoots a 1911 effectively does she shoot the revolver effectively? Let them try things before buying.

Chances are that they will not be shooting in "flat range" conditions. They will be shooting at arms length, or less, and under the most frightening conditions imaginable. A simple, goof proof gun is mandatory under those conditions. Especially if the user does not practice drawing, and firing, from the carry mode, which is likely a purse.
I would arm them with a .357/38, short barreled, five or six shot revolver that has a hammer shroud or is hammerless. Anyone who has looked into their wife/girlfriend/significant other's purse knows why. The less things on the gun to snag during the draw, the better.
Just my
Mike

 

[colt45er]

studies have shown that you will shoot about 50% as good as you do on your best range day when faced with stress.

3' or 25 yards....you need to be confident. If they must reload due to whatever the reason, a revolver takes a lot of practice to get good at. An automatic is much easier.

If she shoots a 1911 good, why not get her a 1911?

 

[snapping turtle]

Revolver smith model 60. Easy to carry, not hard to shoot well. Last a life time at least.

Auto H&k P7 m9 PSP. Easy to carry, not hard to shoot well. last a lifetime. Police service pistol. Harder to learn to use well but ultra reliable. They get warm in the slide after 2 mags.

Those would be my recommendations. It needs to fit well in a purse. A full size 45 or compact 45 will get left at home where it won;t do her any good.. It needs to be portable and easy to carry. full size 45's are hard for me to carry all the time and I normally go for a revolver to CC.

 

[stilllearning09]

They sound like very intelligent young ladies. How many hand guns have they shot? Have they expressed a preference for a semi or revolver? I have to agree with all that have said let them try different guns out before you spend the $$$.
They have expressed a need to protect themselves, but if they do not enjoy shooting the weapon, they won't practice with it. Ask any of us ladies on the board which weapon we prefer, and you will get a wide range of preferences.
Make a day at the range with your daughters and bring different weapons and calibers. Have a blast shooting and spending time with them. They will let you know what they like. Have fun and let us know the results.

 

[Bapak2ja]

To the OP,

I suggest you have them try the Glock 26 or the Taurus 709 Slim. Both are easy to hide and easy to shoot. The 709 has a manual safety if you desire it. Both are reliable, but you may need to do some fine tuning on the 709 before making it a carry weapon.

My daughter-in-law is a very petite young woman. She opted for the G26 as her first personal CCW. She is an excellent shot with it. Recoil is not a problem; size is a bit of a problem. She wants a larger grip, not not a larger weapon. Some ladies are just never satisfied! LOL IMHO, the G26 will be a great choice. If the girls want smaller, then look at the 709.

These are my CCW and I am confident they will do the job for me or for your daughters.

 

[Jay]

This is strictly my opinion, and has worked in many years of firearms training, and for men and ladies alike.

Buy a handgun just like you would buy a pair of shoes. If Ol' Joe over here says he likes Charlie China tennis shoes, and you're looking for a new pair of shoes, do you run out and buy Joe's pick, just because HE likes 'em? Probably not. If a new shooter is asking what to buy for a carry gun, it doesn't matter what works for me, or you, or anyone else. I suggest telling that new shooter to go to as many gun shops, and/or gun shows, and handle all the guns they can get hold of. Just like they would try on shoes. Before long they'll be able to make a list of guns that feel ok, pretty good, real good, and "that really feels great in my hands". The last two are the ones to pursue, and here's why I say that....

If a given handgun doesn't feel "right" in your hands, you'll not shoot it enough to become proficient with it, because it's not comfortable, and you won't like shooting it. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, save your money, and buy a ball bat to carry. With proper fundamentals, you can learn to shoot almost any handgun. Very few folks can re-train their hands to make just any handgun feel comfortable.

The last suggestion.........proper shooting techinques, practiced slowly, but proficiently, will breed speed. Do it slowly, and do it the right way, every time.......If you practice speed first, and introduce less efficient techniques into your training, you'll have to do it all over again to get it right.

By the way..... anyone who introduces a new shooter to our pastime by having them start with a large-caliber handgun, makes a very poor decision. Yes, some folks do ok starting out with large calibers, but the vast majority will not continue to shoot if their very 1st experience is with .50 S&W.

Again, just my ramblings.... but they work for me... If you want to drive an hour east, I'll be glad to put a selection of handguns in their hands to try out.

Shoot Safely....

 

[Bapak2ja]

This is strictly my opinion, and has worked in many years of firearms training, and for men and ladies alike.

Buy a handgun just like you would buy a pair of shoes. If Ol' Joe over here says he likes Charlie China tennis shoes, and you're looking for a new pair of shoes, do you run out and buy Joe's pick, just because HE likes 'em? Probably not. If a new shooter is asking what to buy for a carry gun, it doesn't matter what works for me, or you, or anyone else. I suggest telling that new shooter to go to as many gun shops, and/or gun shows, and handle all the guns they can get hold of. Just like they would try on shoes. Before long they'll be able to make a list of guns that feel ok, pretty good, real good, and "that really feels great in my hands". The last two are the ones to pursue, and here's why I say that....

If a given handgun doesn't feel "right" in your hands, you'll not shoot it enough to become proficient with it, because it's not comfortable, and you won't like shooting it. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, save your money, and buy a ball bat to carry. With proper fundamentals, you can learn to shoot almost any handgun. Very few folks can re-train their hands to make just any handgun feel comfortable.

The last suggestion.........proper shooting techinques, practiced slowly, but proficiently, will breed speed. Do it slowly, and do it the right way, every time.......If you practice speed first, and introduce less efficient techniques into your training, you'll have to do it all over again to get it right.

By the way..... anyone who introduces a new shooter to our pastime by having them start with a large-caliber handgun, makes a very poor decision. Yes, some folks do ok starting out with large calibers, but the vast majority will not continue to shoot if their very 1st experience is with .50 S&W.

Again, just my ramblings.... but they work for me... If you want to drive an hour east, I'll be glad to put a selection of handguns in their hands to try out.

Shoot Safely....

Excellent advice!

 

[nighthawk80]

Yes.

Anyone thinking that sending someone with limited experience out in to the world equipped to handle themselves with a .38 or .357 is not dealing with the situation properly. I doubt that they will be able to shoot that gun effectively in flat range conditions and so what makes you think they will be able to shoot effectively for their lives when the chips are down?

If she shoots a 1911 effectively does she shoot the revolver effectively? Let them try things before buying.

This is strictly my opinion, and has worked in many years of firearms training, and for men and ladies alike.

Buy a handgun just like you would buy a pair of shoes. If Ol' Joe over here says he likes Charlie China tennis shoes, and you're looking for a new pair of shoes, do you run out and buy Joe's pick, just because HE likes 'em? Probably not. If a new shooter is asking what to buy for a carry gun, it doesn't matter what works for me, or you, or anyone else. I suggest telling that new shooter to go to as many gun shops, and/or gun shows, and handle all the guns they can get hold of. Just like they would try on shoes. Before long they'll be able to make a list of guns that feel ok, pretty good, real good, and "that really feels great in my hands". The last two are the ones to pursue, and here's why I say that....

If a given handgun doesn't feel "right" in your hands, you'll not shoot it enough to become proficient with it, because it's not comfortable, and you won't like shooting it. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, save your money, and buy a ball bat to carry. With proper fundamentals, you can learn to shoot almost any handgun. Very few folks can re-train their hands to make just any handgun feel comfortable.

The last suggestion.........proper shooting techinques, practiced slowly, but proficiently, will breed speed. Do it slowly, and do it the right way, every time.......If you practice speed first, and introduce less efficient techniques into your training, you'll have to do it all over again to get it right.

By the way..... anyone who introduces a new shooter to our pastime by having them start with a large-caliber handgun, makes a very poor decision. Yes, some folks do ok starting out with large calibers, but the vast majority will not continue to shoot if their very 1st experience is with .50 S&W.

Again, just my ramblings.... but they work for me... If you want to drive an hour east, I'll be glad to put a selection of handguns in their hands to try out.

Shoot Safely....

Very good advice by both! +1

 

[SSGSAD]

Both of my daughters have requested that I help them get a LTCH, and help them buy a pistol for protection. After giving it some thought, I have decided that a revolver would be the most practical...and the safest in terms of loading and unloading. As well as clearing and operating under stress. I'm thinking 38 special +P or maybe a Judge. The older girl shoots my 1911 very well. I don't think recoil will be an issue for either of them.

Am I missing anything? Let me hear some thoughts.

Most important thing is, take them out to a range, where they can rent, or shoot a variety of firearms, and have THEM choose what they want.
I would say the older girl that shoots your 1911 well, would be ok with what she wants, a revolver, or semi auto... The other girl, probably needs more shooting experience, with a variety or handguns...