The one you have

[wyohandi]

Was at the gunshow the other day a lady and a guy were looking at some handguns for her to carry.
She was looking at the smaller guns as could be expected, I heard him tell her at least 3 times that
she didn't want "that" one all it would do was piss someone off. I watched them leave with no gun.

My question is this, how many of you would stand there and let me shoot you with a CO2 pellet pistol?
Or how about a 22 snubbie?
I know, in a gunfight.......blah, blah. How many 30 something women do you know been in a gunfight lately?
Wouldn't your wife, daughter, girlfriend be better off with something she will carry and not be afraid to shoot?
I believe I will let mine carry anything she wants, not brand x because i read somewhere it has a 90% one shot
stop record.
At least she won't be walking out the door without anything.

[bilmac]

My sentiments too WYO. Way better to have a 22 or 32 in her purse than a 45 in the drawer at home. The lady ought to find a better man for advice.

[dieselman]

Well when I talked my wife into gettin her permit I took her to a gun shop and told her to pick one out that she thought felt best to her. It was a little .22 auto (she wanted a small one to carry easy) she shot the heck out of it and could hit soda cans (new unopened) loved to watch the explode. Then came out lady friendly guns and she now has a pink lady from Charter arms (in 38spl) and just cause its pink she wanted one and so I got her one, fit her hand better than the S&W mod 60. My dad gave me heck for lettin my wife get a pink gun but, I say let the ladys have what they want and are willing to learn to shoot.

[Spirithawk]

Any handgun is useless to a woman if she won't carry it or is afraid to fire it! As to pink guns they spit the bullets out same as any gun regardless of color.

[Brett]

As long as it's well made and reliable let her get the one she wants and encourage her to shoot it often so that she is proficient with it. 

Men generally have the Tim Allen attitude "more power!!!" where as women have a lap dog attitude they like little and cute and most are initially little leery of anything that goes bang, the bigger the bang the more leery they are of it. 

So it is wise to let them pic out their first gun even if it's "just" a .22 or .32 auto.  Encourage them to shoot it a lot and become comfortable with it then like dieselman's wife they will often decide to graduate to something a little more powerful on their own.         

[LocnLod]

My question is this, how many of you would stand there and let me shoot you with a CO2 pellet pistol?
Or how about a 22 snubbie?

I see this argument a lot.  The problem is, it's a logical argument.  Of course I wouldn't stand there and let you shoot me with an CO2 pellet pistol.  BUT, I also wouldn't attack you.  The police shoot thousands of people a year.  I'm pretty sure most of them didn't want to get shot, but they still continued to do their bad thing in front of a cop that was armed.  You're trying to apply logic to a person who is undertaking an illogical act.

And yes, she should get something that she isn't afraid to shoot.  It definitely is better than nothing.  Best scenario would be she loses her fear of shooting and steps up to a more powerful gun. 

[Savage]

My question is this, how many of you would stand there and let me shoot you with a CO2 pellet pistol?
Or how about a 22 snubbie?

I find this lack of logic tiresome at best. It's little justification in my mind for the selection of a defensive tool. No sane person wants to be injured by any means. Hey, I don't want to be hit with a switch!

Having said that, any gun is better than none. Generally, anyone interested in carrying for self defense might be interested in learning to use a more efficient gun as well. After a little practical training, conducted by a qualified trainer, (No Spouses) I bet most would make a better choice in a carry gun. In the end, each individual has to make their own choices.
Savage

[Graybeard]

Better a stick or knife you know how to use than your fists. But the old adage never bring a knife to a gun fight also applies. Being armed and able to defend yourself is priority one.

If only a mouse gun can be properly concealed under the circumstances then far better it than nothing. The gun you have with you trumps anything else you left behind.

Some times I have carried a Kel-Tec P32 cuz it was all I had that I could conceal under the circumstances. Other times I carry a S&W 638 2" as it's a lot more potent and often easily enough concealed. I picked up a P3AT .380 since it's the same size as the P32 but a little more potent. Now I can have a .380 if I could before have only had the .32 acp.

I also picked up a Kel-Tec PF9 which is darn nearly as small as the .32 and .380 so it might become my most carried gun as soon as I'm confident it's reliable enough to trust for the job.

Sure I'd rather have a G27 or even a G22 if it really hits the fan but those larger guns get left behind most of the time whereas the smaller guns don't. The husband was wrong and should have let his wife get what she felt comfortable carrying and then taught her to use it effectively.

[Spirithawk]

Better a stick or knife you know how to use than your fists. But the old adage never bring a knife to a gun fight also applies. Being armed and able to defend yourself is priority one.

If only a mouse gun can be properly concealed under the circumstances then far better it than nothing. The gun you have with you trumps anything else you left behind.

Some times I have carried a Kel-Tec P32 cuz it was all I had that I could conceal under the circumstances. Other times I carry a S&W 638 2" as it's a lot more potent and often easily enough concealed. I picked up a P3AT .380 since it's the same size as the P32 but a little more potent. Now I can have a .380 if I could before have only had the .32 acp.

I also picked up a Kel-Tec PF9 which is darn nearly as small as the .32 and .380 so it might become my most carried gun as soon as I'm confident it's reliable enough to trust for the job.

Sure I'd rather have a G27 or even a G22 if it really hits the fan but those larger guns get left behind most of the time whereas the smaller guns don't. The husband was wrong and should have let his wife get what she felt comfortable carrying and then taught her to use it effectively.

I think you'll really like your PF-9, it has got some pretty impressive reviews. I carry mine with my P-32 as back-up. Here's a pic I took of my P-32 laying on top of my PF-9 showing the size comparison. Recoil isn't as bad as most might think. If a lady decides to graduate to something with more punch the Kel Tec PF-9 is well worth considering.

[jhm]

     Bill:  I can remember when several yearsd ago you said you wouldnt have a kel-tec and now you have ALL 3 of them, I am proud of you see we can all adapt. I just couldnt pass-up the chanch of letting my memory work again.  Jim PS enjoy all the holydays to everyone.   Jim

[wyohandi]

"The gun you have trumps anything you left behind."

I think thats what I was saying.

And we can argue forever but if a bad guy wants you bad enough, nothing short of CNS hits will do.

[highwayman]

my girlfriend pick her own pistols. i just help with bullet selection.

[Mohawk]

Something more than a pellet gun. I would opt for the .32.

[wyohandi]

I was only using the pellet gun as an example ( apparently a tiresome logical/illogical example)
but when I was a kid I caught a pellet with my forehead, I can still hear that thud of lead off bone, it made
my ears ring. That was with an old Daisy, I have little doubt that hit with one of the new high-power pellet guns would have planted me there.

[Old Griz]

When I sold guns I saw so many frustrated couples leave because the man knew what was best for the lady, even if she couldn't rack the slide or load the magazines. Any of us who have been married for a while knows a woman isn't going to practice with a gun that she can't hit with, or especially one that hurts her to shoot. Women need the confirmation that they can see -- holes in the black. I was buying a new .357 the other day (yet another one), and at the same time a wise man was in there with his wife, and they purchased a S&W .22 mag for her to carry. I call him "wise" because he knew her limits. She was used to the caliber and could shoot it well. She could easily load and close the revolver cylinder easier than a magazine. She would actually carry and practice with that gun, and in a life and death situation, she would use it. Maybe someday she'll move up to a .38, or 9mm, but she got what she needed today. He didn't try to force something else on her. (He was carrying a .45 ACP.) My wife carries a .357 thank goodness, but she didn't start with it. Now, however, as we are getting older, she has dropped down to Winchester 110-gr. HPs. Still better than a mouse gun.