Good home defence weapon for a woman?

[CaptaiN_JacK]

After a slew of burglaries in rural Minnesota, I have convinced my mom to look into getting a home defense handgun to keep in my parents bedroom. I'm also in the process of getting my co-worker fired, which will happen in a few weeks, so I'm paranoid that he will go over the edge and try to harm me and my family. We stopped at the local gun shop the other day and talked with the wife of the owner about the situation. Based on my mom's lack of experience with guns, she recommended a revolver rather than a pistol with a magazine and slide. She showed us a bunch of .38 special and .357 Magnum revolvers, all of which were small and compact. My mom was leaning towards a Ruger .357 because it was heavier and had a slightly longer barrel than the others. If she got it, I highly doubt she would ever use magnum rounds--it's the extra weight and barrel that she liked about it. Also, should she keep looking at revolvers, or look at a 9mm?

I know a lot of you guys have a lot of experience with handguns, especially for home defense purposes, so I'm asking for some input on the matter. We already have a bunch of 12g pump shotguns and a semi-auto .22 rifle, so those are out of the question. Our neighbor is a gun enthusiast, so we're going to see if he has any handguns we can test fire before she makes a final decision.

[Eurochris]

My 84 year old great grnadmother has a .410 shotgun that she and my mom can very easily fire. It has a realtively light recoil. Best of luck.
-Eurochris

[CaptaiN_JacK]

We have a .410 that we keep in our shed, but I'll load it up and keep it inside our door. The handgun is for my mom to keep in her dresser.

[Lohman446]

Pistols:

A) If it is not a carry gun (and never will be) don't even consider anything under a 3.5" barrel. Short barrels are great for concealment but lack many of the advantages of longer ones - less velocity, more felt recoil (muzzle flip) and harder to sight down.

B) Buy a "quick access" safe that uses fingertip touch pads and become familiar with it. It is vitaly important to store a weapon safely, and in a readily accessible position. Obviously safe gun handling is important, most people ignore this the accesability factor.

C) Although a shotgun is a good thing for self defense most people cannot safely keep one accessible. When I answer the door it is almost always with a gun. If I know the person and they are coming in, then they know me enough to know I carry. If not... well then they don't come in and they never know. A shotgun, stowed away and inaccessible, is worth far less than a useable pistol.

D) If you are not going to get used to using a semi (though I am going to point out one should practice often with any gun they may use in self defense) don't buy one. By the way, laser (red dot) sights are relatively cheap, serve as a great deterrent, and will help you in a high pressure situation. The advantages of a semi are dubious for in home use. Higher capacity should not be an issue, concealment is not an issue, and stopping power is not an issue - as the .357 ranks right up there with the best .45s and is considered the benchmark by many.

E) .357 over .38. You can shoot .38 rounds out of a .357 revolver and have the ability to use the more potent .357 rounds if you want. .357 is one of the most effective defensive pistol calibers available.

F) You can often buy good quality, well maintained, overall very good retired police revolvers that will meet your needs at a very good price.

G) Of the main choices - .357, .45, .40, and 9MM 9MM would be my last choice. That being said it can be much more than adequate (in fact right now I'm carrying a .380 automatic for my summer gun). So, if the only gun you would be comfortable in a semi is a 9MM I would definately stick to the .357.

H) It should be obvious, but make sure you buy a double action revolver (one that pulling the trigger cocks the hammer) rather than a SA revolver, one you have to cock the hammer. Most revolvers with exposed hammers are DA/SA (meaning you can cock the hammer but you don't have to) which will work fine for you.

[mclaggan123]

good advice lohman. s&w makes some DA 357's that are made specifically for woman so they have a smaller handgrip and easier to handle for woman. what ever your choice make sure she is comfatable with it and make sure she practices alot. there should be some place in your area that offers classes on gun handling and home defense. best of luck and be safe.

[Al_Steel]

Lohmann summed it up pretty good.

First and foremost no matter what you purchase make certain that your Mom is trained on it's use. Sign up for a local NRA class on Basic Pistol. It's a great class and perfect for first time handgun owners. You don't have to be an NRA member to sign up either, just search the NRA website for info on where and when the classes are held.

In the meantime, I would at least take her to the range and run through a number of firearms with her. Lots of well intended people hand out tons of bad advice about a choice of firearm. No one firearm is the perfect fit. IMO and IME the best firearm for personal protection is the one that you can shoot the most comfortably. Stopping power, penetration, etc. doesn't mean squat if you can't hit the broadside of a barn. A hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a .44mag.

Here's my personal suggestion:
1) Shoot several guns before buying. Find the one that she is most comfortable with and get it. She will be more proficient with it she will also be more inclined to shoot it more often, which leads to even better proficiency. If an autoloading pistol is too complicated then yes a Double Action Revolver is the best choice. Like Lohmann stated, 9mm is the minimum for personal defense, but if even that is too harsh then .380 is an acceptable alternative.
2) Quality counts. Don't trust your life to a low quality firearm.
3) Take a class ASAP or get her to the range to gain proficiency and familiarity with the firearm.
4) Find an appropriate method of storage. The best is a locking safe. A handgun for personal defense in the home must be readily accessible and loaded. For that, I agree with Lohmann that a touch pad safe is your best bet.
5) Take the time to learn the local laws about personal defense. In some states even in your own home you have a "duty to retreat" before employing deadly force to stop an attack. IOW, if someone breaks into your home and you can run out the back door but don't, then you can be charged with 2nd deg murder if you shoot in self-defense.
6) It's VERY important to know your laws regarding storage and transport.
!!!DONT TRUST THE GUNSHOP!!! I've gotten plenty of bad advice from gunshops. You need to know the law about transporting ammo and firearms. There a tons of horror stories about how otherwise law-abiding citizens were prosecuted like career criminals simply b/c they trnasported or stored a firearm in a manner that was illegal by the letter of the law. Research the laws yourself or, better yet, ask a lawyer that knows firearm laws, both Federal and Local.

The only other thing that I would add is that while .357 magnum is a great defensive load, the recoil of full magnum loadings can be a bit much for female shooters. Out of a short barrel revolver .357 magnums recoil very hard, have a lot of muzzle flip, make a LOT of noise, and have a very bright flash in low-light conditions. All of this makes quick, accurate follow-up shots with a .357 mag load very difficult. It also makes your Mom less likely to take it to the range. If you do get a .357 then I would feed it .38 Special. Even +P loads are lower recoil than a full .357mag.

Good Luck and Stay Safe!

[chairman_mao]

Were the burglaries violent and did they involve firearms or other weapons? If not, I suggest a well trained guard dog. This reduces the need to react in a tense situation and provides companianship on a day to day basis. IMO a plus is that it is proactive in the sense of if someone is casing the house and they see a 90 lb. Rotwiler (or other large breed) they will think twice about breaking in.


I'm not saying don't get a firearm or that they shouldn't be used for home protection but I would investigate all your options as well. You may have done this and my advice may be moot. If so carry on.

[CaptaiN_JacK]

Were the burglaries violent and did they involve firearms or other weapons?

One of the burglaries resulted in a dead late-20's woman and the bedroom torched to hide the evidence. The culprit is still on the loose .

One of the reasons for this gun is that, like I hinted at in the first post, I just started the ball rolling to get a co-worker fired in the next few weeks. He's just a flat out violent and angry person. I fear that me turning him in for his sub-human work ethic and him losing his job will make him snap, resulting in him taking it out on the person he thinks might be responsible (me). Upper management swears to confidentiality since I turned him in, but stuff like this is hard to keep secret in a (gossip) factory. You guys have no idea how paranoid I am about this situation, even though I did the right thing and told the truth. I feel like a witness against the mob right now, no joke.

Thanks for all the input. I want to turn in the purchase form pretty soon since there's a 10-day wait until the background check clears, but I don't us want to make an impulse buy and get a revolver when we should have gotten a semi, or vice versa. The problem with a DA revolver is that the first cocked shot is accurate, but once you start the DA firing accuracy goes to pot. They are so easy to use though. To a new handgun user without any experience, would it just be better to start on a magazine-fed pistol (I'm at a loss for gun jargon)? They seem to be more accurate in repeat-fire situations and the higher ammo capacity is a bonus. Would they have less kick than a small .38? (assuming you went with a comparable caliber or 9mm).

[Steelrat]

The problem with a DA revolver is that the first cocked shot is accurate, but once you start the DA firing accuracy goes to pot.

False.

It's all a question of trigger control. Plenty of police agencies use DA only pistols, and they shoot just fine. Also, keep in mind that the first thing to go in a panic situation is your fine-motor skills. Unless you want a possible accidental discharge, a DA pistol provides a certain "forgiveness" in high-stress situations. That's why they make DA only semiautomatics.

Also, keep in mind that accuracy will go to pot no matter what you are shooting. That's just what happens in panic situations. Expect to miss with almost everything you shoot unless you are at super close range. That's why the caliber and type of bullet is an important consideration. Know your target, backstop, and beyond.

[nmib]

lohman summed up things very well. but i would add for a choice of pistols, the Glock 20. The energy figures for the 10mm showed the cartridge to be more powerful than either the .45 ACP or the .357 Magnum. The 10mm in the Glock 20 recoils almost straight back, without excessive muzzle jump. Its a excellent weapon, shame that 10mm's didnt really catch on. Ammo can be pricey but we are talking about home defense and not recreational shooting.

teach your mother double taps.

[CaptaiN_JacK]

False.

I didn't explain myself enough. When you have the hammer cocked, the trigger pull is light so your accuracy is better (steady hand). Then next shot, without having the hammer cocked, is less accurate in weak hands since the trigger pull is heavier. I noticed that in the gun shop--when I pulled the trigger without having the hammer cocked my weak hands couldn't hold the gun as steady. In the hands of a strong experienced shooter it wouldn't make much of a difference though.

[neppo1345]

My $ .02

No matter what you choose to get her, make sure that she'll use it.

If the sight of a gun doesn't frighten the intruder off and she's not ready to harm another human; things are only going to end badly.

[Eagle]

Mace. It's big, heavy, and will fracture ones skull

[Papa_Smurf]

the woman in my house has a pistol 410...

It'd break a wrist full load...


takes 45's too

[iambored]

idk about the gun but if you want a different approach a large dog and mace/pepperspray work, usually. Most people can't handle mace or pepperspray. Pepperspray is cheap, too. (If you know how to make it and have access to a storage container.) I suppose a whippet and hot pepper extract mixed with an aerosol like corn oil, etc. could produce good results. Guns only work if you know how to use them correctly and you don't panic.