SSJwrestler

I'd reccomend a the Smith and Wesson AirLite, titanium frame model in 38 special. Incredibly light, not too much recoil-even with a round pwerful enough to stop an attacker- and incredibly accurate with practice

The Phenomenon

http://www.swfirearms.vista.com/stor...36&item=831388

Im considering this one for my GF.

She needs something small that kills would-be robbers/rapists/carckheads/punks/ugly people :P

Moonduck

.357 magnum... Weighs 12oz....

Ouch.

Strange Famous

Is that like a .38 special?

I know Sticky Fingerz likes that gun, and he isnt that big.

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Bryndian_Dhai

I carry a S&W LadySmith Airweight .38. Before that I carried a Beretta .380. I'm not a small woman (I'm 5'9", 250#), but my hands are very petite and I have severe arthritis in both hands. I prefer the .38. It doesn't kick like my hubby's .38 Special, and it's uberlight.... I barely know it's there when it's in my purse. My hubby has a Taurus .40 and I can barely get my hands around the grip on that one. That one is his favorite, though.

My f-i-l carries a Walther PPK... *drools* I want one, lol. But I wouldn't trade my .38 even for it. I love it that much...


Bryn

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Moonduck

Strange Famous, .357 magnum and .38 special are the same actual calibre, though the case lengths are different. It doesn't make much sense when one is called a .357 and the other a .38, but they really are the same calibre (meaning bullet diameter). The case length is the important difference, in that the .357 magnum is 1/8th of an inch longer than the .38 special, allowing the .357 magnum to carry more powder. More powder means a more powerful shot. This also translates into more percieved recoil.

The Phenomenon

Literally more 'bang' for your buck :P

Ofirethorn

Two of My Ex's Used .22s One was A Large Frame Hamerelli (sp) I liked it my self, She was accurate enough to Hit the eyes on the move. The other Was Survial Rifle, with a Cut off Barrel and no stock. With a custom Clip she could Destroy a cinder block in 30 sec. My current and much Taller GF has a .44 semiauto mag. She Had it before I met her, and has used it to defend her self. So like everyones sugestions Try a bunch then call it good. Though I like the 6 shot Umbrella Gun.

cd45

My wife does not carry. She does have a house gun though. She has a full size 1911 .45 ACP. She is better with it than she ever was with a small gun.
Her house rifle is an AR15, no one is getting out alive if they come in uninvited. I carry a full size 1911 everywhere all of the time, Nobody is going to mess with my family.

Strange Famous

Is that legal???

I know for a fact sawn off's are illegal over here, for ANYONE.

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Moonduck

If it is the AR-7, there's a model that includes a factory machined pistol barrel and pistol grips, and is sold as a pistol. It is sometimes legal to convert a pistol to a rifle, it is almost never legal to convert a rifle to a pistol.

Ofirethorn

I don't know about the Leagality of it, But it was Fun!

2sheds

keep in mind that there are a few downsides to porting...

there's a lot of crap that will get blasted out of the ports when you fire the gun - dirt in the barrel and un-burnt powder. if you have to fire the pistol close to your body (where the vents might end up pointing at your face) it can be distracting. proper training can work around this, but it's still a bit of a suprise to get a blast of heat and tiny bits of debris in your eyes.

also, the ports create another way for dust and crud to get into the barrel. you use a pocket holster, for instance, you will accumulate pocket lint and the like in the barrel. this can aggravate the problem above (particles blasted out of the ports when firing).

anyway, something to think about. i have fired 38 snubbies with and without porting, as well as glocks. if the recoil is a real big problem for you, porting may be a good idea. if not, i'd probably go unported just to cut down on potential problems.

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Moonduck

Erm, no reason to port a .38 in any gun, I was thinking of porting a .357 snubby.

arawn

IMHO, it's safer and simpler to modify ones lifestyle and plan around dangerous setting, than it is to carry a firearm and not be WHOLELY committed to its use in a self-defense situation.

That said, the above mentioned revolvers (Airweights and the like) are good choices for carry. Most good defense rounds come in 38 and the older ones (such as hydra-shok) are generally not loaded as hot as say, CorBon defense rounds.

Sig 232 (.380) and Sig 239 (9mm, 40S&W, or 357sig) might also be good choices. I personally would shy away from .380 for self-defense. They are fun to shoot, but if one is shooting in defense of ones life, you want to be inflicting as much tissue trauma as possible. I feel the 9mm is a better choice (than 380) in that regard, and almost every type of ammo available is released in 9mm.

For your average (self-defense) CCW holder, I would think weight and comfort play a significant factor in the decision. I can't imagine why any person (woman or man) would want to carry the 44 automag mentioned above. 5+ lbs of concealed steel? Fun.


B.

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2sheds

sorry, i misspoke. i think of my snubbie as a .38 because i carry .38 +p's in it, but it is actual rated and sized for .357 magnum. i have fired the ported taurus small frame and a magnaported sp101, both in .357 mag. the porting *is* effective at controlling the recoil, but it's still quite stiff, tho the sp101 was not bad because it's a full weigth stainless model. the taurus is shot was an ultralight as is my smith. i chose an unported smith scandium j frame with .38 +p's as a compromise (size and contolability vs. maxium power).

as always, ymmv.

go to a range that offers rentals and try some different options to see what you like

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Big Cholla

I like the "lighter is better" type handguns for "carry a lot" situations, but not for "shoot a lot" situations. One of the most common mistakes beginner shooters make is buying a hard recoiling handgun before all of their accurate shooting techniques are learned and committed to muscle memory. Hard recoiling handguns wipe out your ability to learn proper trigger control, sight alignment, grip and stance. I recommend that you start with a revolver made with a steel frame in .22 long rifle or one in .357/.38 loaded with target "mid-range" .38 specials. With that start, you will be able to master the techniques of shooting accurately before moving on to the harder recoiling cartridges. A good starter handgun is a .357 mag. revolver in steel frame. You can use the mild loaded .38 special cartridge for all of your practice and then when appropriate move onto some great .357 mag loads for self-protection. An alternate plan would be to get an autoloader in 9mm, 40 S&W or .45 acp that has available one of the the aftermarket slide/barrel assemblys that shoots the .22 long rifle cartridge. Then you start with the hangun configured as a .22 long rifle and switch to the original slide/caliber when appropriate in your training. A big factor in shooting accurately is that you must not be afraid of or even anticipate how much the handgun is going to recoil in your grip upon being fired. The more the handgun weighs the less the apparent recoil will be. Of course the problem is in carrying a heavy handgun for lots of hours and in concealing the handgun if you have a CCW permit. Seasoned handgunners often select those ultralight handguns mentioned above to "carry-a-lot, but shoot-a-little". If you as a beginner start your shooting experience with an ultralight handgun, you will probably; a) never learn to shoot accurately and b) learn to hate shooting a handgun.

Shooting a handgun accurately is a eye-hand coodination skill. To keep that skill up to your maximum level of obtained accuracy, one must refresh that skill by practice shooting regularly. I recommend that even experienced shooters practice with the mild "mid-range" target loads for their handgun for 75% of the practice session and then finish up with the full-bore loads.

Always wear ear and eye protection while practice shooting. A hat with a bill is good for sunshade, but really is good at preventing a very hot expended piece of brass from falling between your eyeglass lens and your eye lid.

A last note: Shooters with smaller hands usually gravitate to the "Five Shot" revolver size or Colt Government Model autoloaders. Both work very well. The larger sized "Six Shot" & "Seven Shot" revolvers require a slightly larger hand to control properly. But, S&W has recently started making all of their revolvers with "round butts" only. Therefore there are lots of smaller custom aftermarket grips available for them.

Anxst

I've found a number of people with smaller hands like the 9mm Firestar I had purchased for my original fiancee. It's smaller, has a nice action, and isn't too hard to carry concealed.

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longbough

A small framed revolver is a good choice.

The biggest advantage of a good revolver over a good autoloader is its simplicity (OK - ...and price). Just about anybody knows how to use a revolver - which is especially relevant if you don't plan to practice much (Let's face it - most gun owners don't practice enough).

While most people consider the autoloader slightly more effective in terms of magazine capacity and faster trigger pull, that assumes regular practice. With an autoloader practice is especially important in order to develop the "muscle memory" to engage/disengage the safety, check the chamber and clear the occasional malfunction without having to think about it.

If you're considering one of those lightweight titanium revolvers keep in mind that they can be pretty unpleasant to shoot - especially with the short barrel.
Do consider a hammerless model revolver. It won't snag when being drawn and the SA mode is not reccomended by most experts in a defensive situation.
And try to stay with a .38 or better.

daswig

the wife carries either a CZ-75, a Glock 19, or a Colt combat Commander, depending on her mood.

Draconis

Why are dillingers not being discussed?

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Anxst

Because none of the Dillinger boys would be concealable.

j/k

Do you mean Derringers?

Derringers are not good firearms at all. They're unreliable, have crappy aim, and hold very small cartridges OR kick like angry mules. They're only plus side is that they're teeny.

In today's world of pants for women, and most of them carry purses, the need for derringers is pretty much gone. They're basically a novelty item.

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txgixxer

My wife carries a G36. I carry a G30. My "car gun" is a G20 with 2 extra magazines. I should have stuck with the .45 and purchased a G21 over the G20. I have not been real impressed with the reliability of the G20.

Jerron36

I think Lady Smith's are great...They are made for a woman. But, my sister carries a full size S&W 910 (9MM).

It all comes down to what she wants, and what she can handle.

daswig

I still refuse to own a S&W branded product. I hated throwing away my old S&W stuff when they struck the deal, but it had to be done. Gun nuts have LOOOOOOONG memories...

bill96ab

My wife has a kimber ultra carry 45 cal, and a tarus 38 sp. titanium revolver that she keeps in the car

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Slims

Mine seems to have taken to my Kel-Tec P3AT, mostly because it is small and 'cute'. Also, I think it fits comfortably in her hand and doesn't look very scary. The lack of an external safety is a comfort for me because I don't have to worry about her forgetting to disengage one. The p3at is .380 which, while by no means ideal, offers a good compromise between low recoil and terminal performance.

Something to bear in mind with revolvers is that many women have trouble pulling the double action trigger, or at least doing so accurately.

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Suave

Isn't pretty much every firearm around illegal in England? :P You guys have more stringent gun laws than Canada does.