[Jessica]

Hello all, I'm new here. Was looking for a nice place to ask for opinions on the following.

I am looking to get a concealed weapons license here in Florida. Before I do so, I want my own gun that I feel comfortable with. My experience has been with Glocks. My last experience was a Glock 17c which belongs to my boyfriend and I've gone to use it at the range with him about 4 times. The ONLY problem I have with this gun is that it is difficult to cock. I don't have the strength to slide the top, he has to prepare it for me. The kickback is a little too much for me, but since it's compensated, I hear that it's a lot less than usual, so I can live with that I suppose.

Does anyone have any advice as to getting my own gun (make, model, bullets)? Preferably one that is NOT difficult to get ready in times of crisis, with reasonable to little kickback, and the ability to disable someone from attacking me (or kill if it has to come to that). Again, this is for self-defense purposes only.

Thank you much! Hope to hear form you soon.

- Jessica

[cetmedog]

Get a revolver, no slide to pull back, if one does not fire pull the trigger again. Get something in the 38 range. Like I tell my girlfriend, I would rather you hit with a 22 than miss with a .45. A smaller gun you would not be afraid to shoot and move up from there when you get good.

[Bookman]

+1 for a .38 revolver. You can move up to an automatic when you've practiced with the revolver.

[Jessica]

Thanks for the advice!

Any make and model recommendations that I should look into?

[knightRider]

go for a lady smith 357 , it will shoot 38 sp and 357 mag , so you have 2 calibers to choose from. and it says lady smith real classy and the grips are for a ladys hands .

[vikingpreacher]

I would reccomend a Taurus or Smith & Wesson revolver in .38 Special/.357.

[CrazyIvan]

I would recommend a revolver as well. But, be sure to rent one at the range & try it out. Revolvers act a lot different than a semi-auto and are not completely the same to shoot. Without a beavertail as on a semi-auto, it will rotate in your hand if you don't have a tight enough grip.

Taurus & S&W make some nice revolvers. But, generally they will all go bang. I bought a Firestorm (German company) and it works wonders.

[squirrelblaster]

come on guys arent we forgetting somthing........ tryto find a shoting range that will rent gun to shoot at the range and rent as manyas you can and fire them allthe one that you feel most comfertable with and fits your budget is the one! if youcant rent some then at least handle as many as possible.

[GlockMeister]

First let me welcome you to G&G. You'll definately get your questions answered.
With that said, i too, would have to agree with the recommendation of a revolver. But remember, in the end, it is your choice. You will be the one having to use it. You are the one that has to be comfortable with it. Good luck with your decision. Be sure and let us know what you decided on...

Again, welcome to the site..

[MrsS]

Jessica....I am new to handguns myself and have recieved numerous advice on the best guns for me. Whatever you pick, make sure its the most comfortable for your hand and that you can control it. Us women here are as varied as the gentlemen as to the different guns we use. I use/carry a.380 semi automatic; its compact for me to carry concealed and its recoil is negligable; a perfect first gun for me. Again, if possible, try out as many as you can. More suggestions will come your way.

[Windwalker]

Welcome to G&G. We have a great bunch of people here.You can get some good advice. Shooting as many guns as possible to find one that you are really comfortable with is great advice. Good Luck.

[neophyte]

Jessica: Ma'am; these folks are wonderful with great info.
Ma'am, consider this.
Find a gun range that rents, shoot and handle as many as you can.
Nothing will replace "your" hands on any firearm. There is something that is called ?feel? ma'am I cannot explain this. Renting and shooting is in the long run CHEAP.
Something will 'fall' into your liking.
I wouldn't hesitate to suggest many different ones that I have personal experiences with.
Something about buying a "pig in a poke"
Follow up when you can. and Thanks

Ma'am; Welcome to G&G

[samuel]

I was going to suggest getting a .380 but Mrss beat me to it.The slide usually works easier. sam.

[aht_six]

My wife had the same problem with her S & W CS9. The pistol fit her hand well and worked flawlessly but the heavy spring on the slide made it very difficult for her to open the action.

We looked at numerous pistols and small revolvers while looking for something easier for her to operate. The first time she held a Bersa Thunder 380 she told the salesman we would take it.

She likes shooting the Bersa. Now I'm reloading .380's and she is tagging along when I go to the range.

[toolman]

Welcome to G&G! I agree with all of the above posts. If you can find a range that rents, handle as many as you can and shoot the ones that feel the best in your hand. A revolver is the most instinctive of all handguns-just point the gun and squeeze the trigger, there's no safety to fumble for, no grip safety to squeeze, etc. That said, there are several semi-auto's that you can probably operate just fine including several .380's and 9mm's. If you don't mind a sharp recoil and like very light weight, you might want to look at an FEG PA-63 or Makarov in 9x18 cal. Best of luck to you and let us know if we can be of assistance.

[mitch_mckee]

Go to a range where you can rent a few different kinds of weapons to try out. Try before you buy.

Many larger gun shops have indoor ranges.

[9mmfan]

Welcome to the forum Jessica, I also think it would be a great idea to go to a gun range and rent a few guns and try them out.

Hey Mitch, do you go to the Coal Creek Armory Range very often? I'm also from the Knoxville area.

[mitch_mckee]

Quote:       Originally Posted by 9mmfan

Welcome to the forum Jessica, I also think it would be a great idea to go to a gun range and rent a few guns and try them out. Hey Mitch, do you go to the Coal Creek Armory Range very often? I'm also from the Knoxville area.

Thats the place I was thinking of when I posted that reply. I don't get there often enough.

[damage855]

If you have problem working the slide of a auto I would suggest a revolver. .38 or .357 would be good easy to find ammo and plenty of makes and models barrel lengths ect. to chose from. if you stick to smith&wesson, Ruger, taurus, you should not have any problems. see if you can find a gun shop with a range that will let you fire the gun first before you buy if they think you are serious about buying most will let you try it out first.

[TXplt]

Welcome, and some excellent advice given here by the previous posters -- especially to rent some guns and see what you like and can shoot the best.

A few things to think about:

Autos take more training and practice than revolvers, especially when they don't function perfectly.

The gun you buy should be adapted to what you want to do with it (i.e. home/car defense, daily carry, etc.).

Snubbies/short bbl autos are difficult to shoot well. Good fixed sights (Hi-Vis, or Tru-Glo) and alot of practice can help with this. However, in that the first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun, it's much better to have a compact pistol on you than a large frame in the house. If you're buying a CCW pistol, it needs to be something you'll carry with you whenever possible to do so.

In general, all things being equal, a "major" caliber (9mm, .38 special, .40 and up) has a fair bit more stopping power than a minor caliber. If you can evolve into shooting one of these well this might be a good start. A miss has virtually no stopping power, so if it comes to a smaller caliber you can shoot well vs. a larger caliber that you don't, a hit with a .22 or .32 is better than a miss with a .45. But a well placed hit with a .45 is better than a well placed hit with a .22.

Revolvers are very reliable, easy to use, and it's unlikely you'll be in a gunfight where you need more rounds if you're an "average" citizen carrying for personal protection. If I were to get a "starter" pistol with a home/car defense in mind it'd be a 4" barrel fixed sight .357 like the GP-100, or any of the Smiths/Tauruses depending on your budget. (you can shoot 38 special rounds for practice and defense if the recoil bothers you in a .357). Ruger makes very strong guns but they're heavy. If I were to pick a carry gun for CCW I'd always carry it'd be something like an SP-101 (maybe w/3" barrel if you can get it), SW 340PD, 642, or any of the similar models, or one of the Taurus snubs. Autos I'd pick something like the Glock 26 and have Tru-Glo sights fitted.

Hope this helps and cheers. Enjoy the shooting !