LoL… ah well.... most of the post is still valid.Originally Posted by Caballoflaco
LoL… ah well.... most of the post is still valid.
You will more often be attacked for what others think you believe than what you actually believe. Expect misrepresentation, misunderstanding, and projection as the modern normal default setting. ~ Quintus Curtius
Welcome to p-f, aimcat.
I'm a married retired guy, pretty much new to guns in 2014, when I joined p-f. I've learned a lot, but mostly what I've learned, is I don't know much, really, about guns.
The guys above have given you a lot to think about; I can only echo their thoughts. (Also to say I agree with Glenn's post on www.corneredcat.com. Ms. Jackson's site has a lot of relevant info.) I do have some additional thoughts, from my context.
Picking a gun depends on a lot of factors that may not be apparent to you if you are just starting out. Obviously your size and stature play a role, but your context for carry is critical as well.
Where do you fit in terms of human size? Tall? Short? Big hands? Small hands? Any infirmities? Strength issues? Injuries? Are you in a wheel chair?
As to your context, are you a city dweller? Operate a liquor store? Lawyer or Attorney? Real estate agent? Electrician or Construction worker?
Do you routinely have a partner or kids with you?
And this question is meant to be a conversation starter: Do you want a good luck charm, to buy, shoot once, and then put away, and only take it out "if there's trouble"? Or do you plan to buy a gun, make sure it works, get good training, and then carry it every day? Or somewhere in between? Or are you not sure yet? (and that's ok.)
Without going into the above, in a conversational setting, you can see it's really hard to say what "would be a good pistol for you to keep in your suv". But taking your post at face value, and using a requirement --> result format, I would posit the following:
woman = generally smaller stature, Meaning you will need to consider gun size. Guns are generally designed to fit males, which dominate the target market. But much as you would not go to the store to fit clothing without regard to size, you need to (IMHO) fit the gun to you. This will result in you trying out (ideally, shooting) several different guns. It's about works best for you, and what works best for you fondling a gun at the counter may turn out to be completely unsuitable actually shooting that same gun.
good home gun = interested in a home defense weapon. This generally means larger magazine capacity, which means a larger gun. But this is directly opposite to what makes a gun easier to carry, in terms of increased weight and size being harder to conceal. So, you end up with a compromise, if you are picking "one" gun.
suv = interested in having a gun while mobile. Hopefully you are going to carry your gun, and only store it in your vehicle in a locked, secured container for VERY SHORT durations (such as running into the USPS), and ideally, never. Using a vehicle as a gun safe can result in negative outcomes, and is best avoided. Carry your firearm on you. Purse carry is possible but less than ideal; if they steal your purse, they steal your gun.
Being a woman, in terms of carry options, you need to factor in things like hips, pants without belts, and lack of pockets. On this I'd defer to experts like Kathy Jackson; other women are better suited to advise what does, and does not, work for ladies.
easy to use = simple controls. Here you'd be looking for a modern striker fire pistol, with no manual safety, or decocker, with a consistent trigger pull. Fortunately there are many choices that fit the bill. A more complex pistol, including one with different first trigger press weight, i.e double action / single action may not be the best choice for a first time shooter. Same for a pistol with a manual safety. Unless you have the mindset to train consistently with that gun, simpler is probably better.
light recoil = recoil sensitive. I am recoil sensitive myself, so I get this. Generally, heaver guns will have less perceived recoil. Unfortunately, they will also be harder to carry, being heavier. Again, it's a compromise.
can get a good deal on X = budget conscious. Sure, but if you get a good deal, and never carry it, or don't have it on you when you need it, or you can't draw and get an effective center mass hit when your life depends on it, well, that's not a good deal.
As some of the folks have said, a default answer to "what gun" is typically a Glock 19.
A G19 will generally have: Exceptional reliability, Adequate capacity for carry or home defense (15 round magazines), In an effective caliber (9mm), with ample aftermarket support (sights, holsters, magazines, parts) available around the USA. But there are a lot of other common, smaller options. From your post, my list would include simple, 9mm, striker-fired guns with no manual safety: (these are in no particular order)
- Glock 19
- Glock 43X
- Smith and Wesson Shield 2.0
- Sig Sauer P365
- Walther PPS M2
- Heckler and Koch VP9SK
But, to be honest, my recommendation would be to go to a gun store in your area and rent as many guns as you can. Ask the attendant for help in "fitting" a gun to your hand, and try all the ones they have that work, to see how they shoot. Then come back to this thread, and post your thoughts. FWIW my Shootin' Partner ended up buying a P365, which she is pretty happy with.
Good luck!
Last edited by RJ; 06-06-2020 at 11:45 AM.
Just a point of order: the OP, from how things were worded, seems to be the woman in question who is looking for advice on selecting her first firearm. Some responses seem to have missed that.
My wife picked a Glock 42, and really likes it. A fellow teacher friend of hers has one as well, but doesn’t really like it.
This really can be as individual as shoes or underwear.
Or you look at it like an appliance and get the Maytag/Honda version: just get a Glock 19 and run ammo and training through it.
ETA: caballoflaco types faster than I do.
Last edited by Duelist; 06-06-2020 at 11:53 AM.
There were a few women that liked it but it was a Gen4 and with some women it limp wristed really bad. Not a fun thing when you are trying to teach someone how to shoot. I think the Gen5 has some definite improvements. A friend's wife has one and likes it, although I have never seen her carry it.
The reality is, who really carries a G19 or any gun of that size? Maybe some of the serious PF dudes but a thinner, petite woman isn't hiding that blocky double stack on her person. Sure, if it's winter, or you can wear a bigger untucked shirt you might do it, but most of the time guys are pocket carrying an LCP or a J Frame, etc. We had one lady that would come help us teach and was way into shooting. She carried an M&P9c most of the time and loved her J frame but admitted that it took a lot of practice to learn how to shoot it.
One thing that was surprising was the amount of woman that liked the Kahr K9 Even with the longer trigger pull, they were able to shoot it accurately, and it ran and ran.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
If this pistol fits your hands, it can be an excellent choice.Fit is best evaluated in person, preferably with the guidance of a knowledgeable coach or mentor, but there are on-line resources, to help one learn to judge fit. There is plenty of love for the Beretta brand, and the PX4, on this forum.
The PX4 was never an authorized duty pistol choice, when I was peace officering, and I have added no new handguns systems since retiring, so cannot be helpful with any specifics.
If the weapon will be unattended inside your SUV, please do budget for a high-quality lock-box. Burglaries of vehicles are far more common than violent personal attacks. A best practice is to become licensed to carry the weapon, if applicable to your situation, to minimize the need to leave the weapon unattended, while out and about. The ultimate insult would be to arm the very person who will, then, take more than just one’s material things.
Find, and read, Tom Givens’ articles and posts, regarding where personal violent attacks occur. Parking areas are high-probability places. One may be attacked while the weapon is oh so close, but so very far away. Best to be armed while approaching and leaving one’s vehicles.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
Most of the women I know who regularly carry a handgun carry a Glock 17 Gen4 or Glock 26 Gen4.
These women are LEOs I worked with and these are the issued handguns where I worked.
With their experience and wants/needs, some have bought their own handguns and some have chosen something a bit smaller, such as a Glock 43.
When in a (patrol) car, they will also be carry a Mossberg 590A1 12 gauge shotgun. A few will also have an AR15 rifle/carbine.
I agree with reading https://www.corneredcat.com/
Let us know what you decide to get.
Yeah, that G19 seems to be “the answer”. I don’t own one, but visit any gun related Internet forum and that option is always at the top.
Welcome to the forums! I hope we can help you get the information needed to make a good choice. Keep in mind, you're not just choosing a handgun, but also a holster, belt, secure storage and other miscellaneous. It's a lot for a beginner to absorb, but all of us had to start someplace. Take it one step at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.
First, which pistol? When my wife decided it was time to graduate from a .22 rimfire and wanted a self defense handgun, I gave her a basic education, took her to the local gun shop and let her look over a few handguns. She asked to look at a Glock 19, S&W MP9 and a Walther PPQ 9mm. There are others, but that's what she wanted to look at. She decided to shoot the Glock 19 and Walther PPQ at the range and settled on the PPQ. She's very happy and quite proud of her choice. I suggest you rent or borrow various handguns until you find what you like. Keep in mind the more common handguns are easier to get holsters and other gear for. It's important to get a good holster.
(I'll tell you a dirty little secret- Not everyone likes the first handgun they buy. It's easier if you do, but if you don't, you can sell it and try another.)
If you need to keep your handgun in your vehicle, look into getting a lockbox and mounting it solidly. We have a Fort Knox Auto Pistol Safe. It's easy to operate and hard to break into- https://www.murrayslures.com/Fort-Kn...fe-p/fkaps.htm
Mount one of these solidly in your vehicle and your handgun will be hard to steal.
Firearm ownership is s responsibility and commitment that should not be taken lightly. It is a lifestyle change, learning safe handling, maintenance & care, laws & regulations, how to shoot, when to shoot and not shot and most important of all, learning to be aware and avoid trouble before it starts. It's not difficult. But, you won't any better off then than you are now if all you do is buy a gun and drop it in your purse.
Again, welcome
We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not have been possible.
--try as many guns as you can. As another poster pointed out, feel in your hands doesn't always translate into how you will shoot the gun.
--I love DA/SA guns(like the px4), but I will admit it takes time to learn the DA pull and to be able to shoot it well. Striker-fired guns just have one pull to learn. However, there is a school of thought on this forum (which I buy into) that a DA-type trigger gives the shooter a lesser chance of shooting when they don't mean to during a high-adrenaline situation. (I am ridiculously biased, I only use double action-only guns as self-defense pieces at the moment.)
On the px4 specifically, my wife likes the easy rack slide, she is "meh" on everything else. My px4 has the largest back strap attached under Talon grips, so it is extra chunky. The px4 compact feels all wrong in my large mitts, but is seems to be perfect for many.
I have carried a px4, but I find it a hair big for summer, and I usually carry a 640 (5 shot revolver) when there isn't panic in air. Small revolvers are amazing for carry, but hard to shoot until you put in the practice, but I find dry fire practice works great.
But really I have carried my sub-7 oz. Kel-Tec p32 more than anything, especially since I carry it even if I have a larger gun on me.
Car carry doesn't thrill me, so if you can keep the gun on you, I would. But it beats nothing. If it really is a car gun only, I would get the largest (not most powerful) gun you shoot well in 9mm. A Px4 might do that well. I would also try a Beretta 92 type if you like the px4.
I carry a Kahr .45 at the moment., but I would never recommend one as a first gun. Kahrs have a reputation for being temperamental, and they are for shooters who are willing to work with them for a while to get them running well. Mine was poor for the first 200 rounds.
If you start thinking about a smaller 9mm, my experience is nil.
I hope some of that is helpful.
REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
REPETITION BUILDS THE SEPARATE WORLDS WE LIVE AND DIE IN
NO EXCEPTIONS
I'm not the best one to ask directly, as I've been shooting for a bit. My first gun was a Ruger Convertible Blackhawk (9mm/.357). Things were different, then.
More to the point, I went through this exercise with a friend some years back. We made several trips to the range so she could shoot the guns that I had that she liked. Then we went to a gun shop that also had a "try it out" deal and its own range so she could shoot more guns.
She ended up with a S&W Model 60, 3" barrel, with CT-305 grips.
I've also seen a woman who was new to guns blow the center out of a B-8 target at 25 yards with a 1911A1. She might have been an outlier in that regard.
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
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