Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So, my wife and I have been toying with the idea of getting a gun for home protection for a little while now. It seems that with all of the crime in Charlotte, it would be a good time to invest in one.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a good weapon for home protection that would be big enough to take out an intruder, but easy enough for my fairly petite wife to handle?
My recommendation would be to head to a gun range that rents guns to try out. You're going to get a million different opinions from folks here who have their favorites...but no one has any clue as to how you and your wife will be able to handle any specific gun.
Do a Google or YouTube search for women shooting guns and you'll find tons of petite women shooting some high caliber/power stuff out there...so my point is her size has pretty much nothing to do with it. It's all in how comfortable you are and how well you're trained and/or practiced.
Whatever you end up going with, I highly recommend as much range time as you can get. The number one thing to do is break the taboo-ness of guns that everyone has (everyone who hasn't been around guns). this will allow you and her to be much more comfortable around it and using it. In the unfortunate situation of having to draw and possibly use the weapon, you need to be 100% in control of yourself, which includes not being scared or uncertain of what you're doing. If the only time you and her see the gun is when you open the top drawer of your night stand or when you go to the range once a year, there's going to be a very high level of uncomfortableness.
To give a rough starting point for your question (I'll try to avoid any specifics)...
I'd try the following calibers: 9mm, .357, .380, and a .40; a .45 will also work, but the gun itself is going to be mammoth compared to the other calibers listed here...and to get a smaller sized version of a .45 that fits better in a woman's hand, you're gonna pay for it!
As far as brand, it's like Ford and Chevy. Pick your side and you don't need much more of a reason than "my friend has one and swears by it." Sure there are some crap brands out there, but all the big players are quality enough.
After you've picked out your gun, I'd load it with hollow point ammunition if it's primary purpose is home defense. Hollow points are far less likely to travel through walls (good for missed or stray shots) since they expand upon impact and will allow drywall and other wall materials to "cake" up inside of the round...if it does make it through a wall, it won't have lethal velocity (so you won't hit an unwanted target--i.e. people in other rooms or neighbors...plus, it lodges in the target that you're shooting at, giving a much louder message of "you better not try anything or else").
As a personal addition to this, I'd recommend a good pump shotgun as well. It's not necessarily the quick response weapon that a pistol can offer, but in a case where you have time to get it, there's nothing more fear-instilling than the sound of a shotgun ratcheting in the dark to a burglar. And if it comes time to take care of business, there's no quicker way to throw down as much lead as possible than with a 12 gauge pumping through 5 to 8 shot shells.
Long story short, get a pistol that fits you and your wife well...one that is comfortable, not too big, and you can hit a target with. I highly recommend doing your own research (like you're starting by posting this) rather than walking into a gun shop and saying "I need a gun for my home and I don't know anything." Gun dealers can be worse than car salesmen!
In my opinion, the way that you'll be able to distinguish good advice from people getting macho'ed up and pounding their chest about their gun knowledge (which you WILL run across in this search) is that the advice will be centered around you...meaning, like I've stated in this post (if I may call my advice "good"), how does the gun fit you and your needs. There are thousands of brands out there...all different weights, sizes, configurations, calibers, colors, grips, etc. Determine your basic needs first, get a list of guns that may fit those needs, then whittle it down from there by actually using that gun at a range. Remember that guns are sort of like cars...you take it off the lot and it's going to lose value immediately. So it's best to get somethign good the first time around. Don't be one of those guys who has to re-sell their gun with the ad "bought it and didn't like it" or "wife couldn't handle it." I've seen it all too often! You're gonna taker a hit in the wallet if you do that.
Last edited by Metallisteve; 07-24-2008 at 09:29 AM..
My recommendation would be to head to a gun range that rents guns to try out. You're going to get a million different opinions from folks here who have their favorites...but no one has any clue as to how you and your wife will be able to handle any specific gun.
Do a Google or YouTube search for women shooting guns and you'll find tons of petite women shooting some high caliber/power stuff out there...so my point is her size has pretty much nothing to do with it. It's all in how comfortable you are and how well you're trained and/or practiced.
Whatever you end up going with, I highly recommend as much range time as you can get. The number one thing to do is break the taboo-ness of guns that everyone has (everyone who hasn't been around guns). this will allow you and her to be much more comfortable around it and using it. In the unfortunate situation of having to draw and possibly use the weapon, you need to be 100% in control of yourself, which includes not being scared or uncertain of what you're doing. If the only time you and her see the gun is when you open the top drawer of your night stand or when you go to the range once a year, there's going to be a very high level of uncomfortableness.
To give a rough starting point for your question (I'll try to avoid any specifics)...
I'd try the following calibers: 9mm, .357, .380, and a .40; a .45 will also work, but the gun itself is going to be mammoth compared to the other calibers listed here...and to get a smaller sized version of a .45 that fits better in a woman's hand, you're gonna pay for it!
As far as brand, it's like Ford and Chevy. Pick your side and you don't need much more of a reason than "my friend has one and swears by it." Sure there are some crap brands out there, but all the big players are quality enough.
After you've picked out your gun, I'd load it with hollow point ammunition if it's primary purpose is home defense. Hollow points are far less likely to travel through walls (good for missed or stray shots) since they expand upon impact and will allow drywall and other wall materials to "cake" up inside of the round...if it does make it through a wall, it won't have lethal velocity (so you won't hit an unwanted target--i.e. people in other rooms or neighbors...plus, it lodges in the target that you're shooting at, giving a much louder message of "you better not try anything or else").
As a personal addition to this, I'd recommend a good pump shotgun as well. It's not necessarily the quick response weapon that a pistol can offer, but in a case where you have time to get it, there's nothing more fear-instilling than the sound of a shotgun ratcheting in the dark to a burglar. And if it comes time to take care of business, there's no quicker way to throw down as much lead as possible than with a 12 gauge pumping through 5 to 8 shot shells.
Long story short, get a pistol that fits you and your wife well...one that is comfortable, not too big, and you can hit a target with. I highly recommend doing your own research (like you're starting by posting this) rather than walking into a gun shop and saying "I need a gun for my home and I don't know anything." Gun dealers can be worse than car salesmen!
In my opinion, the way that you'll be able to distinguish good advice from people getting macho'ed up and pounding their chest about their gun knowledge (which you WILL run across in this search) is that the advice will be centered around you...meaning, like I've stated in this post (if I may call my advice "good"), how does the gun fit you and your needs. There are thousands of brands out there...all different weights, sizes, configurations, calibers, colors, grips, etc. Determine your basic needs first, get a list of guns that may fit those needs, then whittle it down from there by actually using that gun at a range. Remember that guns are sort of like cars...you take it off the lot and it's going to lose value immediately. So it's best to get somethign good the first time around. Don't be one of those guys who has to re-sell their gun with the ad "bought it and didn't like it" or "wife couldn't handle it." I've seen it all too often! You're gonna taker a hit in the wallet if you do that.
Excellent advice, steve!
FWIW to the OP, my wife (5'2'') has no problem shooting our Ruger 9mm (I'll be trading it in soon for a .45), .40 acp Stoeger Cougar (read Beretta), or our Mossberg pump action shotgun (18.5" barrel, 12 gauge, 500 series Tactical Persuader).
When I decided to get a gun, a friend of mine brought several of his over. The only one I could hold and shoot was a .22 - which is what I got. I also got a laser sight b/c the primary purpose is to scare folks away. When they see that red dot on them, they don't know what's behind it. I am more concerned about disaster security and home invasions than anything else.
Let me stress gun safety here too...I can't believe I didn't mention it the first time!
If you have kids or have the potential to have someone else's kids in your house (because kids do wander, and unless you're faster than a speeding bullet to be able to run upstairs and catch the errant bullet in mid flight, it only takes minute for very bad thing to happen), your gun(s) MUST be secured...not just in a drawer. They sell quick access boxes that are just big enough for a pistol that you can open with the flick of a quick access code. You can still have quick access to the gun and be safe in having that access.
I totally agree with Steve,
For home protection I got a Mossberg 590 tactical because of the amount of lead it throws. One shot and a life is over. I have shot it alot and feel comfortable with it.
The number 1 thing is safety and training. Make sure you both feel like using it is second nature. If you can't find 1 you both feel comfortable with, you may have to get one for each of you. While you may feel comfortable blasting away with a Desert Eagle .50, you're wife may not. If you have kids I guess its up to you on how secure you want it to be vs how accessible. I keep mine racked, so its safety off and shoot, but I don't have kids.
Also at the minimum get a .38. A .22 doesn't have the stopping power. And if you get a shotgun, get a Knoxx Recoil reduction grip. You wouldn't believe how well it works. I can shoot buck and slugs with a pistol grip. It kicks a little more than a .357.
Theres no right or wrong answer its all a matter of your situation.
IMO, for home protection, you both should have a handgun, that both of you are proficient with. I would also pick up a shotgun. Also in my opinion, stick with a Semi-Auto 9MM, no less. There are plenty of small 9mm handguns that your wife will feel comfortable with. Obviously, get the training you need.
In any case, here are pics of some handguns of various calibers;
First row from top....Beretta Tomcat .32, Keltec P32 .32, Browning .25
Second row from top...Keltec P3AT .380, Colt .25, Seecamp 32ACP
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
