Best Gun for Non-Dedicated Shooters.

[deputyG23]

I generally fall into this camp. The larger frame revolvers command a premium around here, though. The 3" Ruger LCRx isn't bad, but I'd like to see the same features offered on the regular LCR.
If capacity is a concern, a DAO auto would be a good idea. I really like the P250, although Sig's website currenty lists only the .22 version. Tam has said that she'd be tickled if all her S&W revolvers had the P250's trigger pull. The full sized PX4 is available as a DAO, and with a 4" barrel and 17 rounds on tap ought to be a viable choice. For small hands, the "regular" size Kahrs are not bad, either.

Quantico Tactical no longer lists the P250 on their IOP webpage.
I wonder if SIG is pulling the plug on it.

[Chuck Haggard]

This sort of thing can be VERY dependent on the shooter.

I recently took three ladies to the range at the request of the husband/dad as he wanted them to get some basic instruction, and they wanted a class, and he was smart enough to step back and let someone more experienced and less emotionally involved do the work.

One daughter is very girly, soft and rather weak grip strength, something I see a lot of in both men and women who work in an office and have never worked out with weights. She didn't like recoil of blast much, the .22lr LCR with a CT laser grip was her pick. Mom was also happy with the LCR. Second daughter liked my Glock 19 and 17 rather well (as do both my my daughters BTW...) but thought it too big for her to CCW. She didn't care for the G43 due to being snappier in recoil, but thought the G42 was fun to shoot.

"Fun to shoot" is highly underrated in the serious gun guy community IMHO.

All of these ladies found guns they liked after trying a large assortment of handguns that day, and if they enjoy shooting the guns they pick, and find that these guns fit their lifestyle, they will be far more likely to practice with them, carry them, etc.

Yet another set of friends ended up with the previously mentioned 10-22, with a Ruger 25 round mag, Mini Mag HPs, and a light mounted to the gun. They wanted something for the house, live out in the county, and they have a coyote problem to add to the potential for a bad guy problem. That they can plink with the 10-22 in their own backyard with low noise and near zero recoil was very much a plus to the lady of the house enjoying the gun.

Another friend of mine, female, needed a home defense plan but was realistic in that she didn't like guns and wasn't going to follow-up with practice. I got her set up with training on OC for her purse and car, and Sure Fire lights for the car, purse and house, beefed up locks on the house, and a couple of dry chemical fire extinguishers for the house for dual purpose use.
IMHO, again, something like this is far more realistic for many people than a gun under the bed/in the socks/etc.

One size does not fit all.

[357carbine]

"Fun to shoot" is highly underrated in the serious gun guy community IMHO.

One size does not fit all.

BRAVO!

[Lester Polfus]

This sort of thing can be VERY dependent on the shooter.

I recently took three ladies to the range at the request of the husband/dad as he wanted them to get some basic instruction, and they wanted a class, and he was smart enough to step back and let someone more experienced and less emotionally involved do the work.

One daughter is very girly, soft and rather weak grip strength, something I see a lot of in both men and women who work in an office and have never worked out with weights. She didn't like recoil of blast much, the .22lr LCR with a CT laser grip was her pick. Mom was also happy with the LCR. Second daughter liked my Glock 19 and 17 rather well (as do both my my daughters BTW...) but thought it too big for her to CCW. She didn't care for the G43 due to being snappier in recoil, but thought the G42 was fun to shoot.

"Fun to shoot" is highly underrated in the serious gun guy community IMHO.

All of these ladies found guns they liked after trying a large assortment of handguns that day, and if they enjoy shooting the guns they pick, and find that these guns fit their lifestyle, they will be far more likely to practice with them, carry them, etc.

Yet another set of friends ended up with the previously mentioned 10-22, with a Ruger 25 round mag, Mini Mag HPs, and a light mounted to the gun. They wanted something for the house, live out in the county, and they have a coyote problem to add to the potential for a bad guy problem. That they can plink with the 10-22 in their own backyard with low noise and near zero recoil was very much a plus to the lady of the house enjoying the gun.

Another friend of mine, female, needed a home defense plan but was realistic in that she didn't like guns and wasn't going to follow-up with practice. I got her set up with training on OC for her purse and car, and Sure Fire lights for the car, purse and house, beefed up locks on the house, and a couple of dry chemical fire extinguishers for the house for dual purpose use.
IMHO, again, something like this is far more realistic for many people than a gun under the bed/in the socks/etc.

One size does not fit all.

BZ Mr. Haggard.

A suggestion of what gun to give ANYBODY is worthless without taking the details of the shooter into account. My wife is an athletic, strong woman. If somebody comes to the house with the intent of harming our daughter, they would be better off to come one I'm home. I'll shoot them to the ground, but my wife would probably shoot all the ammo in the house, at least in the guns she can shoot, and reduce them to a grease stain on the pavement.

She also has tiny little elf hands and can barely reach, much less pull the trigger on a J-Frame, or a Glock 19. Once we get some other stuff squared away, like the still lingering residuals of the car accident she had a year after having a baby, we'll try to find a nice single stack 9mm that actually fits her hand. Until then, that 10/22 will do nicely.

If she was a 6'3" 250lb person with extra big hands, I'd have a completely different answer.

[Lester Polfus]

BZ Mr. Haggard.

A suggestion of what gun to give ANYBODY is worthless without taking the details of the shooter into account. My wife is an athletic, strong woman. If somebody comes to the house with the intent of harming our daughter, they would be better off to come one I'm home. I'll shoot them to the ground, but my wife would probably shoot all the ammo in the house, at least in the guns she can shoot, and reduce them to a grease stain on the pavement.

She also has tiny little elf hands and can barely reach, much less pull the trigger on my J-Frame, or a Glock 19. Once we get some other stuff squared away, like the still lingering residuals of the car accident she had a year after having a baby, we'll try to find a nice single stack 9mm that actually fits her hand. Until then, that 10/22 will do nicely.

If she was a 6'3" 250lb person with extra big hands, I'd have a completely different answer.

[Duelist]

For a handgun? SIG P250 or DAO full size revolver.

I don't see a need to recommend a handgun, though. If they hunt and have a lever action 30-30, 12ga pump or whatever, I'd recommend they just use what they're familiar with, even if it's a Browning BSS side-by-side.

A long gun they are familiar with already MIGHT be a good idea. If they won't have to be on the phone with 911 while they are trying to hold the BG at gunpoint, or corral kids into a safe area, or manage a hand held light so they don't shoot a drunk neighbor or unexpected family member, or restraint a GSD, or ...

[rob_s]

Christ on a cross, what is this, 1982?

"Whatcha gottta do is take and getcha a .38 ree-volver and a bolt actio twenty-too and learn you some shooting so's you don't shootcher eye out!"

[BehindBlueI's]

Christ on a cross, what is this, 1982?

Any gun designed later is simply chasing the latest fad and incremental improvements.

[Cecil Burch]

She also has tiny little elf hands and can barely reach, much less pull the trigger on a J-Frame, or a Glock 19. Once we get some other stuff squared away, like the still lingering residuals of the car accident she had a year after having a baby, we'll try to find a nice single stack 9mm that actually fits her hand. Until then, that 10/22 will do nicely.

If she was a 6'3" 250lb person with extra big hands, I'd have a completely different answer.

My daughter has the same issue. Between trigger reach, and shifting the gun to hit the mag release, we had a heckuva time finding the right one. A G19 is right on the ragged edge of comfort for her. She didn't like the M&PC (though the one she tried had the medium backstrap so the small one MAY have worked). What she fell in love with was the PPS (original one). With the small backstrap, it was perfect. She also loved the mag release lever because she can work it with her trigger finger and never shift her grip at all. Outside of spare mags being ridiculously expensive, it has been just the ticket for her.

[Lester Polfus]

My daughter has the same issue. Between trigger reach, and shifting the gun to hit the mag release, we had a heckuva time finding the right one. A G19 is right on the ragged edge of comfort for her. She didn't like the M&PC (though the one she tried had the medium backstrap so the small one MAY have worked). What she fell in love with was the PPS (original one). With the small backstrap, it was perfect. She also loved the mag release lever because she can work it with her trigger finger and never shift her grip at all. Outside of spare mags being ridiculously expensive, it has been just the ticket for her.

Thanks for that. I'm compiling a little list of single stack 9's to try out "someday."