Not strong enough is a problem. But right now she needs a revolver in a decent enough caliber to actually stop somebody.
My wife has adamantly refused to carry a gun, let alone even mull the idea over or talk about it. Yesterday, she was in the parking lot of our local Kroger, about to walk in, when the mass shooting occurred. 13 victims. 1 killed. She was fine, but it shook her badly enough for us to finally begin the conversation last night. I recognize the importance of being able to carry, and while I carry, I am certainly not very knowledgeable about guns.
I thought my Glock 9mm might be a good start for her, but I found out that she wasn't strong enough to pull the slide back. Any opinions on a good every day carry that she can put in her purse, have good stopping power, and not be technically complicated in the event of an emergency? I thought a .32 Hammerless might be a good start, but I am open to any suggestions.
Maybe I should give her the Glock and tell her if she wants to use it she should start strength training? ;-)
Not strong enough is a problem. But right now she needs a revolver in a decent enough caliber to actually stop somebody.
Standard Mfg Thunderstruck?
Ruger LCR .357 loaded with 38 special short barrel loads made for snub nose revolvers
The LCR is polymer light weight and has a cam in the trigger mechanism that manes the trigger easy for a woman to pull
All my daughters carry this rig with the Crimsom trace laser grips
Small compact low recoil and readily available ammo
They also make the same gun in .327 mag which can be downloaded to .32 smith and Wesson if she’s especially recoil sensitive
And that version is 6 rounds not 5
Really good guns
All this has to be learned, your best bet is find a woman trainer your wife won’t listen to you lol
And you have to have the attitude and willingness to use it
Thanks, bobman! I’ll definitely have a look at this. I use ammoseek.com for ammo, and I know their search engine for guns is pretty solid too. I’ll have a look around. She needs something not frightening or intimidating. I’m crossing a cultural barrier with her on this, so I will absolutely take the advice on a female trainer. I already planned on that!
I'm by no means a firearm expert but I've seen a fair number of women who weren't "strong" enough to cock a pistol. However my experience has been that it's not so much a lack of strength but more of technique. Once they get it the first time, they discover that it becomes much easier.
Also, if she carries a round in the chamber and gets proper training and a high quality holster, she'll have 18 rounds (unless you live in a commie state like mine where it would be 11) without having to cock at least not in the field. There are some studies to show that if you're behind the time curve in a shooting situation as is often the case, you won't have a chance to cock anyway. Of course you avoid this altogether with a revolver but then she'll have to deal with a harder trigger pull (maybe less accuracy) and only 6 rounds.
Maybe you should work with her on your Glock and see if she comes to peace with it then she can decide if a revolver is better. Either way, if she's going to carry, she should definitely get high quality training and a very good holster.
Get her a Glock in S&W .40, keep a round chambered, and get her one of these: Amazon.com
That’s cool. I like that. Very practical and cheap. We’re headed to the gun shop tomorrow to see if we can find something that fits the bill. I dropped by today to get more ammo and almost ended up buying a Sig P320 that just felt perfect in my hands. That may be what I keep in the truck in case of a carjacking.
Well, one of the other issues with the Glock is that it’s a large grip. I have big meaty hands and the larger grip suits me perfectly. She can barely hold on to the damn thing. This is long overdue anyway. She needs something she can handle appropriately. All the same, you’re right about the slide being a technique thing. I did see a S&W 380 with a very easy slide action. It was compact. Real nice.
I do tend to agree with Rip too that there needs to be some stopping power. I want the fucker’s head vaporized when she hits him and no questions as to whether he’s alive or not.