advice?

[neophyte]

drywallguy: Sir; consider this.
You liked the 1911 type
You are considering your wife's comfort
You are new to firearms
Your wife is new to firearm

If your answer is 2 or more is yes

Find one that ?fits? you. We can grow your wife into the soft shooting 45's
Start at a shooting range with .22's
Spend 'quality time letting her shoot
Show respect; DO NOT spend a great deal correcting her.
Teach safety; explain basics;
do not Assume she'll have the same thinking as you.
Week 1 shoot the .22 Semi of course 2-3 different days
week 2 move up to soft [inherently] 9mm 2-3 different times
Week 3 same as week 2
Keep her away from the 40's or any magnum for awhile [months] unless she wants to. Use mild loads only.

When moving her to the .45 find the lightest loads. 200grn or less
2-3 times a week for a month

Sir; she'll either grow or not. Do not force the issue. Should the Miss'ss decide going forth. Force on yourself to practice and practice properly.
Reading and asking questions are key for both of you.

G&G members are knowledgeable and considerate; ask any and all without concern with being embarrassed. We were all NEW at one time.

[Earl Easter]

Wow all great information guys
The gun laws etc. Very impressed with all comments. KP90 with the info on the 22, right its cheap for the ammo and the shooting is a pleasure until the time is right to upgrade. I like my stage coach gun side by side 12 ga. that stoeger makes for home defense. Its short and legal and throws a great pattern at even 40 yards or so. But on occasion i will scout the property outside with a mossburg 12 Ga. pump. Shells in but not chambered until i get outside, then i click one in and that noise is very intimidating.
The Mrs. could try the shotgun but maybe a little much to get comfortable with. It took my wife a few weekends of shooting to feel confident, now she loves both of them. And besides that who ever heard of a 22 pistol or shotgun jam very often.......
Good luck with your decision drywallguy.

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by drywallguy

First off, sorry about the double post (I thought the first one got deleted). Anyway, I got to try out a few guns tonight. I rented a Ruger 9mm and a 40. Witness. I also tried my brother-in-law's .32 Tomcat and his Ruger .45, there was also a guy we met at the range who let us try his Springfield 1911 .45. The Tomcat was the only one that I feel my wife could easily shoot, but it seemed inacurate and I couldn't get a comfortable grip without pinching the top of my hand when I shot. The 9 mm felt comfortable but it kept on jamming and I didn't even use all the ammo I bought. I liked both .45's (especially the springfield which just felt better) even though I think that would be a bit to much for my wife to be comfortable with. I really liked shooting the witness and it only jammed a few times within a box of ammo. I'm still going to wait for the gun show to buy anything and I'm going to try some other guns before then too.

Just for the record, I didn't think you just want to shoot someone. I just wanted to give you more to think about since you were thinking of personal/home defense. I've known a lot of people that had their house (or neighbor's house) broken into and all they do is go buy a gun, thinking they're safe. There is a lot more to consider.

On kids, I started talking to my son about age 3 on guns. I quiz him all the time and take him shooting now (he's 7). Can't ever start too early. It's amazing how their minds are sponges. I still use two finger-code gun vault safes for my two Glocks in the house, just to be sure. Although he's well versed in guns and safety, I still worry he's a bit inmature sometimes to be trusted around guns (as I was when I was his age). I think the key with kids is to take that mystery away. The educated ones, in my opinion, are much more likely to stay alive around other guns and kids if that ever occurs.

On the guns you rented, I'm a little concerned that you were using some bad ammo. What kind of Ruger 9mm was it? I have an old P89 that I've put MANY thousands of rounds through since I bought it in 1989. I can't remember more than one or two jams all these years, let alone the same day or same box. As far as the Witness, "only jamming once or twice a box" is not something good. They shouldn't jam that often. I have a couple of Glocks, too (Glock 30-.45, 20-10mm) and have never had ONE SINGLE jam in either of them. THAT is a good record. If you're getting multiple jams in the same box, something is wrong. I wouldn't feel too comfortable about that at all in a combat situation, would you?

On the outside motion detectors, I use 4 wireless ones around the exterior of my home. The base unit sits inside and chimes with different tones for each one (easy to tell which is being tripped). It isn't an alarm, just a notification. They work GREAT and you don't have to be a electrician. I put mine up inside of a half hour with a drill and 4 screws. No wires to worry about and a 1200 foot range.

Also, I noticed a lot of "I"s in your comments. Be sure to take your wife shooting and address her gun needs, too. If it isn't something she's comfortable with, she won't want to practice. If she doesn't practice, it won't be second nature. If it's not second nature, her using it in defense successfully is a lot less likely to happen.

Best of luck.

[drywallguy]

I'm not sure what any of the actual model names were (sorry). I do know that the only ammunition that the range sold was re-loads. My brother-in-law was complaing a lot because he says that his Ruger rarely jams.

[The_Patriot]

Originally Posted by drywallguy

I'm not sure what any of the actual model names were (sorry). I do know that the only ammunition that the range sold was re-loads. My brother-in-law was complaing a lot because he says that his Ruger rarely jams.

All I can say about that is that your expectations should be much higher--you should rarely get jams if you have a good firearm that is properly maintained, and you're using good ammunition. Must have been some bad stuff.

I haven't shot a lot with my Glock 20, but I have with my Glock 30. I've never had a single jam in either gun. If I were getting multiple jams on one trip to the range, I would certainly think something was wrong and investigate it.

[neophyte]

drywallguy: Sir; first- second- third; do not put up with any gun that JAMS.

I do believe that your Brother in law knows exactly the problem.
If not use the process of elimination. Start simply, with ammo, use different manufacturers.

Should unit continue "not working PROPERLY::::
return firearm with details to the manufacture.
Don't hesitate.
Your life may depend on the thing working properly.

Ruger makes quality stuff and will backup and support the end user

[Coeloptera]

I can't add too much to the folks that have replied so far. But I guess a few things couldn't hurt.

A lot of women would be surprised what they can potentially handle in a firearm if they get used to it. As a society, we've sort of socialized women to think of themselves as "weak" to an extent that just isn't true.

The kick from all but the most powerful loads isn't really going to be enough to hurt or throw off any human being of reasonable, average strength. Remember, a 12 year old boy can handle a .45 with no problem (I could at that age), no woman I've ever known was so weak she couldn't have done it.

The trick is in getting used to the idea of shooting, and I have to go with the group that says starting her on .22s is the way to go. Once she realizes how easy it is to handle (and gets more accurate with practice, and you too), a step up is barely noticeable. Heck, my wife's personal pistol i2 a Ruger P90 .45 and she also loves shooting .40.

Then again, she was never socialized as "weak". Her dad was an Irish NYC union man, she did crew in college, and is getting back into rock-climbing lately.

Myself? I have a .357 Magnum revolver (Taurus Model 608), but that's just a personal preference for wheelguns for large calibers where I'm concerned. We also have a Mossberg Model 500 shotgun. That stays under the bed in very easy reach. Nothing says "wrong house to break into" like high-velocity game rounds.

We have no children, nor will we ever, so there is that. Unless our cat grows thumbs and gets a lot stronger, he can't really do anything with the firearms. I'd recommend the finger-safe deals too. Reach out, even in the dark, open it, weapon's ready, and there's less danger keeping one in the chamber (or a revolver) if you keep in mind that any weapon you remove from the safe will be ready to fire immediately.

Basic, basic rule. All guns are always loaded and ready to fire. Treat them as such, no matter what the reality is. But do educate the child when she can start understanding, almost never too early. By demystifying it, it makes it safer.

- Coeloptera

[TXplt]

I'd definitely consider a revolver; maybe like a .357 magnum 4" Barrel GP-100 from Ruger, or a similar S&W or Taurus. I'd look to the 4" barrel if you were going to use it as a primarily house/car gun. Maybe smaller (like sp-101 or 642) if it would double for CCW.

Why a handgun and why a revolver ?

1. With your family situation you're going to need to keep the gun secure. With a child this means positive control of the gun at all times. A child will rapidly develop the skills to mechanically work a firearm, and will well likely do this before he/she can understand gun safety. I believe he/she should be taught firearms safety and discipline from the get-go; it's just that children are pretty inventive and can climb and work things more than we think they can. Secure for me would mean carrying, continuously supervising while out of reach, or locking somewhere. This poses a problem -- how do I keep my firearm ready while secure. With a handgun, you can secure this loaded in a fast access safe so it's ready to go but safe from kids. I think by the time a kid can defeat or figure the combo to the safe they are trainable in firearm safety. It's also easy to pull out and put back in the safe to transfer and carry.

2. While a handgun isn't exactly what you might want in a fight, it's portable and it keeps one hand potentially open for flashlights, opening doors, pushing someone away, breaking a fall, going down stairs, etc. The gun is also easy to move and less of your body is spent "pointing" it. The major disadvantage is a handgun has less power than a shotgun or rifle, and might be easier to miss your target. Shot patterns from shotguns don't spread out real rapidly, so no matter what you have you'll need to take a good shot.

3. Even after shooting alot and owning several automatics, I still prefer revolvers for many defensive situations. Autos do take extra training to employ well, and even more training when they don't function properly. The more levers on the auto, the more likely one might be where you don't want it in a stressful situation. Yes, all of this can be overcome by training -- as long as you're willing to make that committment things are great. But all my autos HAVE jammed or failed to feed. Even the Glock has had a stoppage, albeit 1 in 3000 rounds. Others more than this, some as many as every couple hundred rounds -- it could have been my fault (some of the .45's had the ammo in the double-stack mag for a month under different temperature conditions and I could have limp wristed them when I took them to the range); nevertheless, for my situation the revolver has been more reliable. Also, I've had misfires in center fire ammo--with the revolver another trigger pull resolves the click with a bang.

4. The .357 is probably the most versitile general-purpose round. You can shoot anything from mid-range target rounds to full house cor-bons or buffalo bores for the power ranges. You don't have to beat yourself up, and can check the zero of your full house loads without having to check their reliability as well. You can tailor the power of the cartridge to your situation. All family members will be able to shoot this in a medium-weight pistol given a proper workup to the ammo you want.

5. At some point, you'll probably also want to buy a .22 pistol. This can give you all great fun at plinking, as well as cheap practice. It's also a great starter pistol or camp/kit pistol.

Good luck.

[Montveil]

A double action revolver is easy to use, load, unload and fires when you pull the trigger without having to cock hammers, slides etc.
A 357 mag backed up with a pump shotgun.
Your wife will have to be able to shoot anything instinctively and not be intimidated.
I favor the revolver for its simplicity and visual certainly of loading and unloading

[nathangdad]

I would suggest a 20 gauge shotgun with the
optional rifled barrel. It is a good hunting and defense firearm that is not punishing on recoil.
Your wife can easily fire a shotgun such as a Remington 870 pump loaded with shot because recoil is not a major factor (just stay away from the three inch shells). Also, a shotgun is a better gun for newcomers due to the spread of the shot pattern. The rifled barrels are accurate, legal for hunting in the eastern states, and it would really put down a home invader if you needed it for that purpose.

Guns such as 870 Remingtons are out there in the millions so a very good used one would not kill your budget. The rifled barrel could be added later.

[drywallguy]

Well, I did some research, shot about a dozen different guns, and shoped around a bit, but today I bought my first gun. It's a Taurus model 66 .357 with a 6" barrel, 7 shot cylinder, and stainless finish. Thanks again to everyone here for your input, as your advice helped me come to a final decision.

[Savage7]

i have a 1911 springfield, and after some practice my girlfriend handles it pretty well and she is pretty small, she actually likes it better than my 9mm beretta. I would also take your wife to shoot some of the different calibers as well as the different grips of the handguns to see what she likes too. plus the .45 has a ton of stopping power, but it may be hard to find a 1911 in your price range

[neophyte]

drywallguy: Sir; you are in debt to us.
Do a follow up with a range report and pictures. Thanks for taking the time to find something that works for you.

[ArkansasHunter]

Yall don't mention shotguns ! The feller wants to wear the the gun he buys. You can't conceal a shotgun !
He needs a semi auto pistol that he and his wife can shoot and he has a budjet. LOL
Dry Wall check out the TAURUS line of pistol while your shopping they have many in your price range...A.H

[drywallguy]

I just got back from the range and I really like my new gun. I went through a box of .38's and all but a whole box of .357's. From what I can tell, it is very accurate. My first group was roughly 3-4" apart at 7 yards and even at about 20 yards I had a pretty decent group. As soon as we get the chance (my wife and I), we're going to go to the range so that she can try it out.

[drywallguy]

Originally Posted by neophyte

drywallguy: Sir; you are in debt to us.
Do a follow up with a range report and pictures. Thanks for taking the time to find something that works for you.

I posted a few pictures. They're over in the manufacturer's/Taurus sub-forum. Chem em' out.