Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 42

Thread: Rethinking my Wife's HD gun

  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by scw2 View Post
    For HD is there any reason a long gun wouldn't work? I've seen complete newbies love to use something like a 10/22 since they hit where they aim fairly well at closer ranges and it has very little noise or recoil. I'd think something like that or a M&P 15-22 with a red dot or laser could be very effective with much less training requirements to maintain accuracy. Obviously investing time in safe and proper manipulations is going to be a downside if she's more familiar with pistols.
    Along those lines, I've been considering one of these M&P 15-22 Pistols for my wife who has trouble maneuvering with a full size rifle.
    David S.

  2. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by rdtompki View Post
    We went to the range a few days for a very, very rare trip with our HD guns. Also brought one of her old iron sight competition 1911s. Here's what eventuated.
    1. She shot the iron sight full-size better than the red dot Kimber. The Kimber trigger at 4-1/2 lbs. is heavier than what she is used to and that could be remedied.
    2. She can't rack the Kimber. The gun at bedside is kept in condition 1 so she shouldn't have to rack the slide, but any sort of malfunction manipulation is out of the question (She's never done a mag change under stress in any event).
    3. Finally, I'm not sure practicing steel challenge with an RDS-equipped rimfire handgun from low ready translates very well to real world self defense use. In steel challenge you're coming up from low ready and transition (nearly) in a plane to a succession of targets. In the real world your flopping out of bed in the dark, maybe kneeling behind the bed. What are the chances the dot may be hard to find?
    What metrics led you/her to believe that she shots irons better than optics? How far off was she? Has she practiced / dry practiced with the Kimber recently? or was this range session shot "cold turkey"? Maybe I'm reading you wrong, but it sounds like she may just need to give this gun some more attention.

    If she has a bunch of time behind a 1911, I'd be hard pressed to move away from it based on one outing.

    Dot acquisition from goofy angles is something worth practicing. It is more challenging, but it's something that can be trained.
    Last edited by David S.; 10-26-2021 at 05:44 AM.
    David S.

  3. #23
    Site Supporter rdtompki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Treasure Valley, ID
    Quote Originally Posted by David S. View Post
    What metrics led you/her to believe that she shots irons better than optics? How far off was she? Has she practiced / dry practiced with the Kimber recently? or was this range session shot "cold turkey"? Maybe I'm reading you wrong, but it sounds like she may just need to give this gun some more attention.

    If she has a bunch of time behind a 1911, I'd be hard pressed to move away from it based on one outing.

    Dot acquisition from goofy angles is something worth practicing. It is more challenging, but it's something that can be trained.
    You're dead on. The primary difference between the Kimber (4") and Springer (5") is the trigger. We can bring the Kimber out 1/month and that should get her comfortable with the trigger. We can do some simulation at the range to get her accustomed to finding the dot (seated, pick up gun with strong hand; seated pick up gun with weak hand and transfer to strong hand;...).

  4. #24
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    South Louisiana
    Quote Originally Posted by David S. View Post
    Along those lines, I've been considering one of these M&P 15-22 Pistols for my wife who has trouble maneuvering with a full size rifle.
    I have one and it is ridiculously light and handy. It is a little less omnivorous about ammo than the full sized version and generally wants hotter stuff to cycle energetically (Maybe needs a bit of tuning on the recoil spring). Overall a lot of fun and easy to get fast hits with.

    A buddy of mine SBR'd a 10/22 compact for his mom for a house gun; short stock, 8" barrel, short hearing safe can on the end and a nice red dot.

  5. #25
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Erie County, NY
    My two cents. First, we have alarm system panels in the bed room that can call the cops AND sound a horrifically loud alarm. While the neighbors probably wont' run to help (they might as several are law - but who knows), it is disconcerting.

    Second, if one wants to go 22 for strength reasons (side bar - the EZ rack SW guns?), inside of a RDS that might have difficulties, can the gun be fitted with fiber optics/tritium night sights). I shot a fiber optic Buckmark in TX steel challenge and in the TX sun, it was quite visible. Also, I had a G19 that had fiber optics/tritium. They were very visible in the dark. Unfortunately, the front optic vanished during a match as they are prone to do but if the gun isn't high usage it might stay. If I had another, I might add a touch of superglue.

    Just a thought.I don't go for the long gun, too much manipulation, a pain to hold up for a long time and how to use the phone, etc. Yeah, I got them for the last stand if I am hunkered down but not a primary reach for.

  6. #26
    Modding this sack of shit BehindBlueI's's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Midwest
    Quote Originally Posted by Glenn E. Meyer View Post
    I don't go for the long gun, too much manipulation, a pain to hold up for a long time and how to use the phone, etc.
    Unless you're still on a corded handset, using the phone is cake. Set it down on the bed or night stand in speaker mode. You shouldn't be moving with a gun in one hand and a phone in the other regardless of if it's a handgun or long gun.
    Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.

  7. #27
    That question back in the thread-“what does she like to use?” would be a place to start. I’ve been casually thinking about this as I approach the 7th decade, and I’m gravitating toward a rimfire, at least some of the time after retirement.
    The advice by LE folks here is sound: alarms, perhaps with a button that can be carried on the person, animals(dogs, geese, etc.) and “hardening” the perimeter-good doors, locks, lights, etc. It’s not as cool as talking about hardware, but very effective.
    One of my decisions has been to carry in the house almost all the time(don’t wear it in the shower,etc.). But “home invasions” tend to be rapid, violent events; might not be enough time to unlock a box or whatever. She may not want to do that, but that’s for an optimum response.
    In my experience, weekly presentations of handgun and dot are important. If it’s a rimfire, snap caps recommended-#4 drywall anchors, yellow in color, are good. Scenario the possibilities, e.g., what if she’s in the office and someone kicks the door in, kitchen, bathroom, nap time should all be thought about.
    JMO, but I’d rather her have a.22 in a Fanny pack for easy carry with a light and cell phone than a 1911/Hi Power/AR/1301 that might be a “bridge too far”. Just about every “civilian” incident I’m aware of has the evildoers scurrying away at the first sign of resistance. And good on her for being motivated!

  8. #28
    Site Supporter rob_s's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    SE FL
    IMO the recommendations around what does she want/like and what does she already have/shoot are on-point.

    In my case, we shoot sporting clays, so my wife is almost ready for me to buy a beretta 1301 for the house because she’s familiar with the way it works from her beretta sporting clays shotgun.

    I also bought her a Glock 43 that she shoots surprisingly well (I attribute that to the prior sporting clays experience. Not my instruction) but we’ve only been out with it once. If she had a .22 of some sort she wa already shooting before that, I’d have certainly tried to mimic or copy that.

    Someone mentioned the 10/22. I’ve been looking at one of the Ruger PC Carbines, “state compliant” because I want to be able to keep it in our campervan on trips and I *think* it could be 48-state legal (albeit not in all cities). The operation seems similar enough to a 10/22 that it could be an option. Once the Magpul stock actually comes out it will get harder for me to resist.

    ETA:
    Our situation is somewhat similar. 1.25 acres in a ‘hood of other 1.25+ acre homes of varying socio-economic status (the tide is rising) about 15 minutes to the grocery store, 30 minutes to “town”. 2nd house in from the end of a dead end street too, so very, very little stranger traffic. We’re late 40s but still have a pre-teen and teen who are both gone all day and wife is home or in and out all day.

    We have an 8 lbs attack Shih Tzu. Don’t laugh, I wanted an attack-trained giant Schnauzer but we thought we might move to town and that wouldn’t work. But outer little guy still provides one key line of defense, which is early warning. Supposedly the Shih Tzu was bred as a guard dog (not to be confused with attack or protection dog) with loyalty to family and a suspicion of strangers bred in. That has borne out in the 3 that I’ve lived with, as they follow around the most alpha person, and back at the slightest sign of someone approaching or even so much as opening our front gate 100 yards away. He lets us know the lawn guys are here before they’ve even started a blower.

    Point is, don’t discount getting a dog. Even a tiny one.
    Last edited by rob_s; 10-29-2021 at 05:24 AM.
    Does the above offend? If you have paid to be here, you can click here to put it in context.

  9. #29
    A couple of thoughts; 1- "when she's in her office at the opposite end of the house there is a 1911 in a lock box in a bedroom next to her office." Move the lockbox to her office or get an additional lockbox and gun. 2- From GunTalk Radio- the average home invasion is 3 bad guys. The average # shots to disable is 3 so you need 9 shots. But the average shots hit to shots fired ratio for police is 50% so you need 18 shots. How about a 2011? 3- Every one I have talked to at our idpa matches who uses a dot sight said there was definitely a learning curve to finding the dot. So a lot of practice is needed even for long time competitive shooters. Long ago I started putting lasers on our HD guns and I think they are the hot setup. Last fall I shot 2 idpa night matches w/ a Crimson Trace light/laser on my M9A1. I was impressed enough w/ how that worked that I added lights to our HD guns that already had laser grips. 4- Look into add-on slide rackers. I don't remember which guns but I have seen what is essentially a loop added on to the back end of a slide so one can stick their finger through to rack the slide. They can also be a small raised spot on each side of the slide. I made them for my Buckmark .22 from socket head screws.
    DSCN0506 by craig stuard, on Flickr
    There are also ear type rackers. Here is one for a Glock which I added to my wife's carry gun a G19. One of these may open a whole additional batch of suitable guns.
    https://www.amazon.com/Racker-Optics...N6FKB?dchild=1
    5- I don't thank .22 is a good defensive round. I say that because I understand that a lot of bad guys are high on something when they invade a home. Even with 9 or 45 it can take many shots to stop them so .22 would be more likely to just piss them off than stop them.
    6- I have been shooting idpa for 4 years now and my wife thinks she would like to try it. So we have been doing a lot of simple practice stuff w/ multiple targets, downloaded mags to force the need to do reloads, shooting and moving to different positions etc. Previously all she did was stand still, shoot at a stationary target, empty her 10 rnd mag, set the gun down while reloading. Yesterday she said she is feeling much more comfortable w/ the gun. Congratualtions on starting this exercise. I think you and your wife will feel a LOT more comfortable 6 months from now when your thinking and searching has settled on solutions.

  10. #30
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    TEXAS !
    Quote Originally Posted by CraigS View Post
    A couple of thoughts; 1- "when she's in her office at the opposite end of the house there is a 1911 in a lock box in a bedroom next to her office." Move the lockbox to her office or get an additional lockbox and gun. 2- From GunTalk Radio- the average home invasion is 3 bad guys. The average # shots to disable is 3 so you need 9 shots. But the average shots hit to shots fired ratio for police is 50% so you need 18 shots. How about a 2011? 3- Every one I have talked to at our idpa matches who uses a dot sight said there was definitely a learning curve to finding the dot. So a lot of practice is needed even for long time competitive shooters. Long ago I started putting lasers on our HD guns and I think they are the hot setup. Last fall I shot 2 idpa night matches w/ a Crimson Trace light/laser on my M9A1. I was impressed enough w/ how that worked that I added lights to our HD guns that already had laser grips. 4- Look into add-on slide rackers. I don't remember which guns but I have seen what is essentially a loop added on to the back end of a slide so one can stick their finger through to rack the slide. They can also be a small raised spot on each side of the slide. I made them for my Buckmark .22 from socket head screws.
    DSCN0506 by craig stuard, on Flickr
    There are also ear type rackers. Here is one for a Glock which I added to my wife's carry gun a G19. One of these may open a whole additional batch of suitable guns.
    https://www.amazon.com/Racker-Optics...N6FKB?dchild=1
    5- I don't thank .22 is a good defensive round. I say that because I understand that a lot of bad guys are high on something when they invade a home. Even with 9 or 45 it can take many shots to stop them so .22 would be more likely to just piss them off than stop them.
    6- I have been shooting idpa for 4 years now and my wife thinks she would like to try it. So we have been doing a lot of simple practice stuff w/ multiple targets, downloaded mags to force the need to do reloads, shooting and moving to different positions etc. Previously all she did was stand still, shoot at a stationary target, empty her 10 rnd mag, set the gun down while reloading. Yesterday she said she is feeling much more comfortable w/ the gun. Congratualtions on starting this exercise. I think you and your wife will feel a LOT more comfortable 6 months from now when your thinking and searching has settled on solutions.
    You mention of ear rackers brings up a good point- a 1911 or other service pistol with an RDS can be racked/chambered by pushing the RDS against a fixed object such as a table or door way. Pushing is a strong movement. It can be assisted with body weight and takes grip strength to grasp the slide out of the equation.

    I will add my recommendation to those saying 1911 because it's what she is familiar with. Plus if glasses / age related vision issues are in play IME RDS will produce better results than Irons if you lose or cant access your "cheaters."

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •