Best gun for Self- defense ( Personal and Home) for a Woman??

Question

Hi, I am a young woman who is rather petite. I do NOT have a Male to protect me. Without getting personal , I need a gun for Self- defense against possible threats. I live alone. What is the best gun ( Personal) for a Woman that Still does the job??

Answer 1

Hopefully you don't have children. A .22, or .25 is more than sufficient. It's small, and easy to handle.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

First, since consider these questions. Is this for personal carry or is this for home defense? Second, Am I capable of ending another human life? Ponder these questions for a while and be sure of the answer. Taking another life, isn't as portrayed in the movies and on TV. So make sure that you are willing to take something to that extreme.

Now on to guns, head to your local gunshop, most have days that you can try everyone they have to rent for free. And try several. You say you are rather petite that should only determine the size of the weapon not necessarily the calibre. Because the kick of the gun can be managed with training. You can get a glock sub compact which hold several round as well as carry a magazine for the larger version of the weapon without sacrificing concealment. But for a lot of people they do not like glocks. So try them out, see what feels right to you. Granted a lot of rounds won't put a person down with a single shot (guy who said that, you forget the 10mm) But a few well placed shots will do the job with any calibre of bullet.

After you choose which weapon that you want to carry. Train with it. I know that classes cost money. But it is money well spent. Be familiar with your weapon, know it inside and out. Know how to use it, know how to protect yourself from it being used on this. Take a few self defense courses as well to supplement your firearms training.

Answer 4

I also agree on the Smith & Wesson .38 special. For my many women students I suggest a Model 36 (Lady Smith), 5 shot Revolver J-Frame, Blued finish. Dymondwood grips (This gun was anatomically designed for women shooters),Fixed Sights. Weighs only 23 ounces. Handles all standard .38 special bullets as well as the more powerfull +P ammunition. Avoid any Airweight or Alloy framed guns regardless of who makes them. The lighter frames create a bigger, harder recoil than the all steel guns. I sell alot of these to women who want a gun for occasional range shooting and personal home protection. There is nothing else on the market to compare to this gun in quality, accuracy and ease of shooting and handling.

Answer 5

I have lots of guns, handguns rifles and shotguns, probably way more than I need but the one gun I keep ready for home defense is a "snakecharmer .410. It's a single shot short barrelled shotgun with room for 4 shells in the buttstock and available at your local wal-mart for under $150.00.
Not much risk of over penetration on interior walls even with heavy shot. Devastating with slugs, easy to shoot, and an almost 0% chance of jamming. If you get one, measure out your longest hallway or biggest room and once you have that distance go to the range and practice shooting 1 gallon milk jugs up to that maximum distance.
Once you can hit the jug everytime and have reloaded it several hundred times during practice, you are as prepared as you are going to get.
If you are looking for a handgun you can carry concealed the find a local firearms instructor and try several handguns ubtil you find one that suits you. Don't go out and spend 5 or 6 hundred dollars on someone elses favorite handgun, it may not work for you.

Answer 6

First get your pistol permit. Second..... buy a glock. The glock is pretty much a unisex weapon and comes in many many different sizes. Find a model that fits to your hands and go with it. Definitley go for at least a .40cal. The 9mm doesnt pack enough punch. There are no safeties on this gun to fumble around with....just aim and squeeze the trigger. This type of handgun is used by most of todays law enforcement. If it is strong enough on the streets..... im sure it would be more than sufficient in your home.

Answer 7

Lady Smith, 5 Shot Snub Nose >38 Special, With Federal Hydrashock Rounds.

Answer 8

Fatguy was close -
get training : go to a defensive handgun class and find out what works best for you. Some like a revolver, others want a semi-auto. No one said you could only have one.
What I like or anyone else likes is unimportant - you need to select and rely on a weapon you understand and will use, if necessary.
All this presumes that you are permitted to carry legally.
See the link.

Answer 9

Here are some considerations for you:

Anything smaller than .45 caliber ACP is not a reliable first-round knockdown cartridge.

9mm, .38's of all types, .357's, and shotgun loads, used *inside* the house or apartment, are likely to travel through the walls, and injure or kill some innocent. Given modern commercial shotgun loads, at ten or less feet, the hole is going to be a 12-gauge hole. The shot won't get time (or distance) to scatter. (Until the shot goes through a wall, say...)

Finally, you have to be able to *hit* what you want, especially at close range. That takes training, and lots of practice. For example, Eight to ten NY cops launched twenty rounds at a Brooklyn teenager. He was hit *four* times The other sixteen rounds? Scared the hell out of the locals, presumably.

Abysmal. The NYPD needs more range time, that's for sure. They have already had training, that's a given. But, practice? Obviously, not enough.

How much is enough? Well, when you can draw and fire, and hit a 6" target, at a range of eight feet (the normal range of a room encounter). You must be able to hit that six-inch circle with a quick-draw, (without shooting yourself in the foot!) nine out of ten times.

That's how much practice.

If your target is wearing a ballistic vest, you cannot expect to penetrate it, except with the shotgun or a rifle. On the downside, those weapons are unwieldy inside a room.

A .45ACP round won't penetrate the vest either, but the target will definitely be knocked down! (You can use the time to take aim for a head shot while it's laying there and moaning. )

Forty-five caliber pistols are usually large enough that 'petite' folks initially object to the weight and handling characteristics, but, with practice, are manageable. Again, LOTS of practice!

Best brand of .45? Colt.

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24 hours later:

On second thought: All the above is valid. What I forgot about was the changes in my working environment.

There may be another alternative, If you are not hyper-allergic to the stuff, OC Pepper Spray would be a better choice for close-in self-defense.

The stuff has been around for about ten years now, and, unlike taser guns, has not killed anybody. If you cannot afford a couple of small cans of the stuff, a box or two of ground pepper is far shorter range, but, in the eyes, just as effective.

OC Pepper Spray works on around 97% of the population. (For comparison CS tear gas works on about 85%, CN gas works on about 75%. Mace is nothing more than CS gas in a kerosene carrier.)

In Corrections (prison) work, Pepper Spray has been a God-send for take-downs. No more Worker's Comp!

Just remember, the effects are only temporary. Once you use the stuff --RUN!!

Answer 10

I recommend a Lady Smith and Wesson 38 revolver. Its lightweight and grip is made smaller for a womans hand. Very little kickback and easy to learn how to use. My suggestion is shop for the gun online, get 3 price quotes then go to your local gun dealer that has a shooting range and see if he will meet or beat best price and throw in some target range practice for free. If your sttate has a concealed weapons permit class requirement take it it's worth it.