Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Firearm for you woman (OR your "smaller significant other")

The_Dunedan · 12-20-2010, 08:33 AM

1: Yes. Find somebody else to train her, preferably another woman.

2: Best to start with .22s, but just for long enough that the lady understands that it won't hurt her and that she has the power/control. The Walther P-22 is great for this, in part because...

3: ...Walther makes an -awesome- little critter called the PK380. Yes, it's a .380, and more power is always better. But .380 gets you about 90% of a 9mm, and this weapon is designed for women's use. The slide has a light spring, and the controls are dead simple, so even a lady with small or weak hands can operate it easily. It's also full-sized, therefore more comfortable in the hand and easier to control.

4: Lots of women prefer revolvers. Fewer controls, easy to operate and load. Make sure whatever weapon she picks has a trigger she can pull fairly easily. S&W, Taurus, and Ruger all make superb self-defense revolvers, Charter Arms is also a good bet. If she can tolerate the weight, Taurus's "Public Defender" version of the Judge would be hard to beat, especially with Winchester and Federal now loading high-performance defensive .410 ammo. It's basically a legal sawn-off shotgun with minimal recoil and horrendous effects up close, esp. with Winchester's PDX-1 ammo. Lightweight "Cowboy Action" LRN loads of the .45LC, of course, are a secondary option for this weapon.

5: Don't buy her pink anything. Every woman I've ever seen someone try to sell a pink gun to has threatened them with it. This goes also for blue, purple, or any other other than Black or Silver.

6: If you/she decide on a Micro/pocket pistol, avoid the baby .380s. Most women find the recoil of a pocket .380 unpleasantly sharp, and will avoid practicing with it. If she wants a micro, go for the P32. With the extended mag and 10rds of hollowpoints, .32 will mess a BG's day up pretty good, but she'll need to practice: this really is a case where "more holes are better holes."

7: Don't try to pressure her to shoot a full-sized, full-power weapon right off the bat. You might also wish to avoid 9mm and up-gun to .40: most of my female customers detest the 9mm and frankly so do I. The recoil impulse is very sharp and snappy, much less comfortable (and less controllable, for smaller ladies) than the slower shove of the .40 or .45. This needs to be a weapon that's comfortable in her hands, that she will be able/willing to practice with, that'll get the job done. If all she can stand is a P-22, fine: load it up with Stingers and practice dumping all 10rds into the upper chest and head. Not my first choice, but better than nothing. Which leads us to...

8: Avoid the .25ACP. Most useless calibre in the world. Routinely bounces off people's foreheads, and no I'm not exaggerating here. If a smallbore is all she can handle, stick with the .22LR and something suitably zippy (Stingers, Maxi-Mags, etc). From there step up to a .32ACP or .32H&R, and from there to the full-sized (.380+) loads if possible.

YMMV: check out the other smart folks on this thread as well. I'm just the Gunshop Guy, and let's face it: I haven't had a girlfriend living with me since George W. Bush was still choking on his pretzels. I may not be the best guy to make recommendations specific to your situation, but I do know what sells well to women and what types of weapons they tend to prefer and why.

12-20-2010, 08:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
The_Dunedan Junkie	1: Yes. Find somebody else to train her, preferably another woman. 2: Best to start with .22s, but just for long enough that the lady understands that it won't hurt her and that she has the power/control. The Walther P-22 is great for this, in part because... 3: ...Walther makes an -awesome- little critter called the PK380. Yes, it's a .380, and more power is always better. But .380 gets you about 90% of a 9mm, and this weapon is designed for women's use. The slide has a light spring, and the controls are dead simple, so even a lady with small or weak hands can operate it easily. It's also full-sized, therefore more comfortable in the hand and easier to control. 4: Lots of women prefer revolvers. Fewer controls, easy to operate and load. Make sure whatever weapon she picks has a trigger she can pull fairly easily. S&W, Taurus, and Ruger all make superb self-defense revolvers, Charter Arms is also a good bet. If she can tolerate the weight, Taurus's "Public Defender" version of the Judge would be hard to beat, especially with Winchester and Federal now loading high-performance defensive .410 ammo. It's basically a legal sawn-off shotgun with minimal recoil and horrendous effects up close, esp. with Winchester's PDX-1 ammo. Lightweight "Cowboy Action" LRN loads of the .45LC, of course, are a secondary option for this weapon. 5: Don't buy her pink anything. Every woman I've ever seen someone try to sell a pink gun to has threatened them with it. This goes also for blue, purple, or any other other than Black or Silver. 6: If you/she decide on a Micro/pocket pistol, avoid the baby .380s. Most women find the recoil of a pocket .380 unpleasantly sharp, and will avoid practicing with it. If she wants a micro, go for the P32. With the extended mag and 10rds of hollowpoints, .32 will mess a BG's day up pretty good, but she'll need to practice: this really is a case where "more holes are better holes." 7: Don't try to pressure her to shoot a full-sized, full-power weapon right off the bat. You might also wish to avoid 9mm and up-gun to .40: most of my female customers detest the 9mm and frankly so do I. The recoil impulse is very sharp and snappy, much less comfortable (and less controllable, for smaller ladies) than the slower shove of the .40 or .45. This needs to be a weapon that's comfortable in her hands, that she will be able/willing to practice with, that'll get the job done. If all she can stand is a P-22, fine: load it up with Stingers and practice dumping all 10rds into the upper chest and head. Not my first choice, but better than nothing. Which leads us to... 8: Avoid the .25ACP. Most useless calibre in the world. Routinely bounces off people's foreheads, and no I'm not exaggerating here. If a smallbore is all she can handle, stick with the .22LR and something suitably zippy (Stingers, Maxi-Mags, etc). From there step up to a .32ACP or .32H&R, and from there to the full-sized (.380+) loads if possible. YMMV: check out the other smart folks on this thread as well. I'm just the Gunshop Guy, and let's face it: I haven't had a girlfriend living with me since George W. Bush was still choking on his pretzels. I may not be the best guy to make recommendations specific to your situation, but I do know what sells well to women and what types of weapons they tend to prefer and why. __________________ "I personally think that America's interests would be well served if after or at the time these clowns begin their revolting little hate crime the local police come in and cart them off on some trumped up charges or other. It is necessary in my opinion that America makes an example of them to the world." --Strange Famous, advocating the use of falsified charges in order to shut people up.