What weapon do you carry?

[Joe Williams]

I carry a 3" Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum.

My wife carries, around the house at least, a Rock Island Armory 1911A1 .45 ACP. Waiting on her LTCF so she can carry off the property.

We both carry on the waistband, whether IWB or OWB depending on what we are wearing, and often our mood. OWB more comfy, IWB more concealable. I'm not a fan of purse carry, or any other form of off body carry, but especially for women there may be time when they need to choose between that or not carrying at all. I'm even less a fan of not carrying at all.

[PappyD]

Wife of mine carries a Taurus Model 85 .38 Special in stainless. Usually tucked away in her purse in a separate pocket. Sometimes she puts it in a fanny pack, again kind of in a separate pocket so it isn't rattling around with car keys, cell phone etc.

May upgrade to a new 85. One of the hammerless models. She really likes the simplicity of the revolver and the visual check to see if it's loaded, etc.

Only a few of her closest friends know that she carries...she is very careful about who she tells.

[ftbstrd]

My wife carries a Ruger SP101 snubby with 110 grain Winchester so recoil is less! All that I have ever been taught or read was to never carry in your purse, cause if they snatch it you lost your purse and weapon too!

[Yellow Rose]

The first handgun we purchased for me is the Ruger SP101. I am not comfortable with it because of the grips - I have long fingers and the grip on this revolver just doesn't feel comfortable to me. My current handgun is a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45. Down side is I have trouble with the slide so we are looking at alternatives. I have my lifetime LTCH.

[IndyRoadie]

Originally Posted by Yellow Rose

The first handgun we purchased for me is the Ruger SP101. I am not comfortable with it because of the grips - I have long fingers and the grip on this revolver just doesn't feel comfortable to me. My current handgun is a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45. Down side is I have trouble with the slide so we are looking at alternatives. I have my lifetime LTCH.

Welcome Yellow Rose!

(what is it with all the women here having better guns than I do?? Oh, yeah, my BUDGET, lol)

[Joe Williams]

Originally Posted by Yellow Rose

The first handgun we purchased for me is the Ruger SP101. I am not comfortable with it because of the grips - I have long fingers and the grip on this revolver just doesn't feel comfortable to me. My current handgun is a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45. Down side is I have trouble with the slide so we are looking at alternatives. I have my lifetime LTCH.

I highly recommend ordering a pair of Trausch grips. They are a European company, and not often seen in stores around here, but well worth ordering. The grips are larger, have very nice palm swells, make controlling full power loads very doable, keep your middle finger from getting whacked by the trigger guard, and generally feel much better. The downside is that the gun is bigger, and therefore not quite as concealable. It's still a lot easier than a full size gun, though.

Welcome

[kludge]

Originally Posted by Yellow Rose

The first handgun we purchased for me is the Ruger SP101. I am not comfortable with it because of the grips - I have long fingers and the grip on this revolver just doesn't feel comfortable to me. My current handgun is a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45. Down side is I have trouble with the slide so we are looking at alternatives. I have my lifetime LTCH.

WRT the SP101, there are several aftermarket grips available that might make it much more comfortable for you.

A compact .45 will have a very stiff spring. Try both the overhand method or the slingshot method of racking the slide to see which works best for you.

Make sure to get as much surface area of your hand and fingers on the slide as possible - without blocking the ejection port - this reduces the pressure on your fingers and makes racking the slide a bit easier. With either method try to get the ball of your thumb involved which will give you more grip strength too.

As mentioned keep your elbows tucked in to your sides to help get your shoulder muscles involved.

[tharlow514]

My wife preferes a semi-auto to a revolver. I agree, reliability is important when selecting any handgun. Everyone is different (hand strength, finger length, ect.) so it is best to get your hands on as many guns as possible and see what works best for you.

[IndyRoadie]

The NRA Basic Pistol course is a must, in my book. AND she will get to shoot several different pistols in most cases.

Let me just add, my wife cannot rack the slide on my Bersa. However, she may be able to do so on other semi autos. I plan on taking her to an NRA course as soon as possible so she can try out some options, as well as get the needed training.

[kludge]

Originally Posted by stilllearning09

My sister has decided that she wants a weapon that she can carry. What weapon do you carry and what is your method for carrying? A holster? A purse holster?
She has started to read but hasn't become a member yet. I am hoping that your input will encourage her to become a member, too. Your thoughts, please.

First things first - get her to a class so she can try a few things for herself. No amount of advise will take the place of getting several guns in her hand and then trying a few that "fit".

I would stongly discourage a purse holster. Women tend to set them down leaving a loded gun accessible to unauthorized people and children. Also it's the first thing that a mugger will try to steal... and then he has your gun.

There are several fanny pack holsters, and that would be much better than a purse.

My wife thinks a belly band is very comfortable, and if the gun is small enough is only a minor detriment to the wardrobe.

A vest is another option to a regular in-waistband (IWB) or hip (OWB) holster, but an IWB or OWB can be brought to bear more easily and that is the reason for their popularity.

I have two guns that I carry on a regular basis: A 4" Springfield XD-40 Service Model and a 2.25" Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum (can also shoot .38 Special and .38 Special +P). I'm a big guy, 6'3" 225#, and have no problem concealing either under a shirt, but the SP101 is much more comfortable, and the weight of the SP101 over a typical aluminum frame snubby .38 makes it much more comfortable to shoot too.

A third gun that I carry only occasionally is a Bersa Thunder .380 - it is very comfortable as well.

My buddy took my recommendation for the XD and got a 3" XD-9 sub-compact which he absolutely loves.

Other good models are the Smith and Wesson M&P compact, Glock 19 and Glock 26 (or 23 and 27 if you want a .40 cal).

For revolvers... Ruger SP101 and Ruger Speed Six snub nosed or a Smith and Wesson snub nose revolver (too many to list).