need gun for my sister..suggestions !

[thoffman]

to keep a story short and because its still under investigation( dont know if it matters) my sisters house was robbed. she came home to everything gone and a butcher knife on the counter. she finally realized after telling me how i dont need guns this and that, that she needs one. i am going to have her take an NRA safety course on handguns and take her to the range. what would be a good handgun for a smaller girl who has never really shot guns. something strictly for home defense. i know the best thing to do is take her to a shop and let her decide what feels best but i just want some suggestions on what to look for. thank you in advance

 

[stormryder]

Just let her take the training and see what she likes.
My suggetion is a compact 9mm and teach her hit placement.

 

[stilllearning09]

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's misfortune. The first step is to take the NRA basic pistol class. She will handle revolvers and semi autos. She will know what she wants and how to handle it. If it's for her, she needs to be able to pick out what she wants and what she will use.
For home defense, I think a shotgun is the best. I will say this, asking the forum for what's best for your sister is like asking 10,000 kids what's the best ice cream. You'll get a wide variety of answers but it won't answer your question. If you read any of the women and guns threads, you'll see that we all carry different guns for many different reasons. One thing to make sure is that if she chooses a semi auto, she can rack the slide.
You have the right idea. Take her to the range and get her enrolled in a basic pistol class. Get her to handle as many weapons that she can to make smart decisions. I wish you and your sister the best.

 

[thoffman]

haha yea i wasnt looking for an answer just suggestions. good point on the being able to rack the slide

 

[Bendrx]

Whatever she likes and wants to carry. Be it a dinky .22lr or a AE.50 and anything in between.

 

[mrjarrell]

Start taking her out to the stores to handle a few, (along with the classes and range time). She'll manage to pick out a winner for herself.

 

[451_Detonics]

Buy her a copy of Armed and Female by Paxton Quigley...this book is full of great info and written by a woman for women. Next comes training and then allow her to shoot as many different guns as possible. Attending a INGO event is a great way to get to shoot a multitude of guns for free. Then after she gets her gun continue training.

 

[indyjoe]

And send her to read through the cornered cat website.

 

[SSGSAD]

All of this, a 4" Ruger, or S&W .357 mag, loaded with 38 +p, is my recom
dation... let her shoot handle touch, and she will pick one...

 

[thekuhnburger]

If it is only going to be for home defense only and you all decide to go with a semi auto I don't see why going with a compact model would be an advantage. UNLESS, that is the only thing that feels good to her. A full size pistol would offer a longer sight picture and larger capacity

 

[VERT]

If it is only going to be for home defense only and you all decide to go with a semi auto I don't see why going with a compact model would be an advantage. UNLESS, that is the only thing that feels good to her. A full size pistol would offer a longer sight picture and larger capacity

And less felt recoil! Operating the slide may be difficult if she is small, but probably can be overcome with practice and technique. I would think that 4 inch barreled revolvers in .38 special, heavy compact revolvers such as the SP101 or all steel Taurus 85, or the common striker fired pistols (glock, springfield XD, Smith & Wesson M&P, Taurus 24/7, Ruger SR9) in 9mm would be a good place to start. If she doesn't like any of these then keep looking.

 

[thoffman]

all good points thanks guys

 

[byford80]

A revolver for women is a safe bet. Dont have to think if one is in chamber, just point and shoot

 

[Rey B]

I will second what IndyJoe said Cornered Cat

 

[Field King]

I have said it many times, all senses and all hell breaks loose when it is time to fire, the average untrained (non police, non military, non hobby shooter) should use a high quality revolver! Simple!

 

[GregD]

thoffman, I live not far from you in Anderson. When she starts to get an idea of what she wants she needs to start trying them out at the range. If I would have anything on her list I would be glad to let her try it out.

 

[Ski]

I have said it many times, all senses and all hell breaks loose when it is time to fire, the average untrained (non police, non military, non hobby shooter) should use a high quality revolver! Simple!

Agreed. Easier to operate. No magazines or safeties to fumble with.

 

[papakevin]

If it's just for home defense, then a revolver for the novice is easy to understand and plenty effective when needed. If she's planning on getting a PC permit, then something small like the Ruger SR9C or Taurus 709 Slim will work for her if she has small hands. My wife just got the Taurus 709 Slim because she didn't like the "feel" of the full-sized 9mm because of the double-stacked magazine. Whatever she gets, make sure she has plenty of stick time with the gun to feel comfortable and I pray she never has to use it for self-defense.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

PM sent.

 

[kturner100]

Since you mention she is smaller, make sure she handles the gun first and can operate the slide if a semi-auto is chosen. I think a 4" S&W K frame .38 would be a good choice. If she does want a semi-auto, also keep in mind that smaller guns like .380's are often blowback and have heavy springs making the slide difficult to retract. Otherwise, you can have her try to push away with her hand on the grip while retracting slide at the same time - it allows the strength of both hands to work against the slide spring.

Good Luck