husband needing some help for the wife

[ryan3030]

Then we will have to agree to disagree.

You have a pretty obvious affinity for wheelguns. Nothing wrong with that (I'm a revolver lover myself) but it's limiting your recommendations imo. As far as matters of opinion go we can disagree perfectly.

The following, however, is not opinion. A small auto is softer shooting due to recoil energy being absorbed by the loading mechanism. There is no logical reason to carry a revolver anymore unless it's personal preference, we crossed that threshold a decade ago. Autos also have the benefit of being at least equal (usually greater) in terms of capacity and reloadability.

Since I called out your bias I'll share my own as well. I do not like the Ruger pocket guns. I find the LCR, LCP, and LC9 to be the equivalent of the new Sig guns. They are attempts to grab a share of a niche market rather than a concerted effort to produce a quality tool. Just personal experience and opinion.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I think the LCR (as well as other revolvers) has a VERY large place. Especially for first time shooters. Yes, autos hold more ammo, but what happens when you have a malfunction? If its an auto, it depends on the malfunction. Now you have to train the user and drill them on those scenarios until they are proficient. Thats lots and lots of range time and possibly more than a novice that just wants protection is willing to invest.

Now when you have a malfunction on a revolver? What to do when you pull the trigger and no bang? Pull it again! No cycling a slide, no worrying about what procedure needs to be done based on what kind of malfunction it is.

Speaking from recent experience... When my wife shot my G42 and was limp wristing, she was lost and took up to 30 seconds to clear the jam finally with my coaching. She'd be dead if that big piece of paper she was shooting at was charging her or shooting back. When I had her shooting my J frame I intentionally loaded random empty shells. She was back on target and shooting within a second because there is typically only one thing to do when it doesnt go bang.

YMMV.

I cant wait to see some of the range reports on the new 9mm LCR. The 9 isnt a very hot load yet very capable, so I could see it be very nice to shoot in that platform.

 

[ryan3030]

Those are good points and I agree, especially for novice shooters.

Another good argument for the revolver case is some women (petite ones especially) sometimes lack the hand strength to reliably cycle the slide on autos. Small autos especially have recoil strings that are notoriously stiff to enhance feeding reliability.

 

[Snapdragon]

You have a pretty obvious affinity for wheelguns. Nothing wrong with that (I'm a revolver lover myself) but it's limiting your recommendations imo.

This is not just your opinion; it is a fact that I stated in the OP's other thread on this topic. Having very limited experience with pistols, I stick to recommending something I have actual knowledge of.

The following, however, is not opinion. A small auto is softer shooting due to recoil energy being absorbed by the loading mechanism.

I never disagreed with this, per se. I simply offered my opinion on one gun when compared with other guns in the same class. Does a person have to have extensive knowledge of every possible handgun before they are qualified to say that they like their own?

There is no logical reason to carry a revolver anymore unless it's personal preference, we crossed that threshold a decade ago.

And you're accusing me of being biased? Bias aside, this statement doesn't even make sense, because whether it's a revolver, a pistol, a knife, or a sock full of nickels, the reason for carrying any of them is personal preference. What other reason is there?

 

[ryan3030]

And you're accusing me of being biased? Bias aside, this statement doesn't even make sense, because whether it's a revolver, a pistol, a knife, or a sock full of nickels, the reason for carrying any of them is personal preference. What other reason is there?

A logical imperative to carry the best tool available to you?

No reason to be so defensive.

 

[Birds Away]

Sorry, I can't rep you Snap.

 

[Birds Away]

Opinions tend to change with time and experience. Nowhere is that more common than in the world of shooting. As people gain experience their comfort level expands and shifts. That's a good thing. Most shooters will continue to evolve, I know I have. I hope I continue to do so. Having said all of that I see no reason why a new shooter shouldn't start with a revolver if that makes them more comfortable. Let them dip their toes in the water wherever they like. Their preferences will, if they keep at it, surely evolve and change. Teaching them to be safe at all times trumps any other consideration for a new shooter. Next is the basic fundamentals of shooting. To me, what they shoot is far down the list.

 

[Snapdragon]

A logical imperative to carry the best tool available to you?

But you are still going to select the "best tool available to you" based on your personal preference and needs. We can't all walk around with AR's 24/7. The "best tool" that meets my needs is probably different from the "best tool" that meets yours.

No reason to be so defensive.

Of course not, because you think that your condescending comments were correct and justified. I'm also curious why you singled me out about my LCR comments and not blkrifle, who initially had more to say about it than I did.

OP, sorry for derailing your thread.

 

[88GT]

thanks for the feedback so far...I am soooo not a fan of the purse carry. Gets stolen, leaves in grocery cart, I'd think it would be hard to draw in a "need quick" situation, etc.

thanks for the feedback so far...I am soooo not a fan of the purse carry. Gets stolen, leaves in grocery cart, I'd think it would be hard to draw in a "need quick" situation, etc.

A very low risk to be sure. In all the years your wife has been carrying her purse without a firearm, how concerned were you that it would be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? How many times has it been stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? And how often have you admonished her not to carry her wallet with identifying information and home address, her keys, and possibly other personal information in her purse because it could be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? We have created an exaggerated risk of purse carry without any thought that there is equal or greater risk with all the other stuff women carry in their purse. I'd much rather have a firearm stolen than the thief get my name, address, and personal information along with the keys to my bunker.

I understand the concerns about purse carry. But they are essentially in the same ranks as the onerous claim that the OCer will be the first one targeted. Seemingly logical in theory, completely unfounded in fact.

Unless your wife has a history of irresponsibility with her purse, consider it a blessing and a step forward that she is open to the choice and opportunity to do so. Accept the limitations that come with it (specifically regarding access and drawing) and adjust training and behaviors accordingly. It may not be ideal, but it's better than nothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: better situational awareness will have infinitely more benefit for her self defense than the choice to body carry over purse carry and nothing else.

Now, stepping down from my soapbox....

Small can be bad. Recoil tends to be worse, and for inexperience shooters that perception is compounded. Snub lightweight revolvers are the worst. They should be carried only by those who are completely comfortable with them or (as in my case) who deal with the craptastic nature of their idiosnycrasies because the benefits they provide for purse carry more than make up for the craptasticness. But it has to be a conscious and deliberate choice by the user. Small autos are an improvement over the lightweight revolver only in the firearm's ability to absorb some of the recoil. And slide manipulation can be darn near impossible for the weak-handed/ill-trained.

Of course, larger/heavier also have drawbacks. Most purses are not designed for the weight of a firearm and will not stand up to the wear one puts on it. And gun purses are just fugly IMO. In all my years of carry, I've only found one style I ever liked. And to top it all off, the conceal compartment is rarely large enough to accommodate the firearm, or more specifically, the compartment opening is too small to accommodate a fist gripping a firearm to draw it from the purse. Things might have changed in recent years. I quite spending money on carry purses because it ended being a waste.

One more point: all else being equal (or ignored, since equal is somewhat impossible), a revolver is a better choice for purse carry in that it is far more capable of being ready for a follow-up shot if needed than an auto if the individual must shoot through the purse. Most autos will have a heck of time cycling because there either simply won't be enough room for the slide to made a full rearward motion, preventing ejection/extraction, or because the purse itself will impinge on the slide's ability to return to battery.

Beyond that, the specific make and model will be a personal preference for your wife after you have decided the generalities of her carry set-up.


Full disclosure: I have purse-carried a 2" lightweight revolver for over 10 years, though it is not my primary carry firearm.

 

[CindyE]

Opinions tend to change with time and experience. Nowhere is that more common than in the world of shooting. As people gain experience their comfort level expands and shifts. That's a good thing. Most shooters will continue to evolve, I know I have. I hope I continue to do so. Having said all of that I see no reason why a new shooter shouldn't start with a revolver if that makes them more comfortable. Let them dip their toes in the water wherever they like. Their preferences will, if they keep at it, surely evolve and change. Teaching them to be safe at all times trumps any other consideration for a new shooter. Next is the basic fundamentals of shooting. To me, what they shoot is far down the list.

I go back and forth on what I carry. I've gone back to carrying a revolver now for the past year. I don't think people should get so hung up on what gun to get. Yes, it's good to do research, handle guns, and learn, but you can always trade or feed your addiction as you evolve. I like semi-autos, but I am not quick at recovering from malfunctions. Ideally, that wouldn't happen, but I need to train more on that. I own a snubby S&W .38 and a Sig P938 for carry. I've had no issues with either one, and could carry both if I wanted to. I own several more handguns for range and home defense, several rifles, if you include the 2 that hubby and I share, and a couple of shotguns. Years ago, I thought one gun was good enough...lol!

 

[88GT]

Then we will have to agree to disagree. I have fired the Taurus 85, a few Smith airweights, and the LCR, and the LCR was hands-down the most comfortable small revolver to shoot. The trigger is lighter and the recoil is less. It is not at all painful or uncomfortable to shoot in my opinion, but YMMV.

For a small, reliable, easy-to-shoot CC gun, I would still recommend the LCR.

The LCR may be the most comfortable small revolver, but it doesn't change the fact that small, light (airweight) revolvers are usually horrible choices for new carriers because of the inherent discomfort. And for women shooters who haven't fully embraced carrying and self defense like you and I, (what a friend once so lovingly describes as "too hard core" ), most are simply not going to want to shoot them. And they will not have enough of a commitment to self defense to deal with the downside of small revolvers. I am more afraid of someone choosing not to employ her EDC because she hates shooting it than in having it stolen because she carries it in a purse.

 

[CindyE]

A very low risk to be sure. In all the years your wife has been carrying her purse without a firearm, how concerned were you that it would be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? How many times has it been stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? And how often have you admonished her not to carry her wallet with identifying information and home address, her keys, and possibly other personal information in her purse because it could be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? We have created an exaggerated risk of purse carry without any thought that there is equal or greater risk with all the other stuff women carry in their purse. I'd much rather have a firearm stolen than the thief get my name, address, and personal information along with the keys to my bunker.

I understand the concerns about purse carry. But they are essentially in the same ranks as the onerous claim that the OCer will be the first one targeted. Seemingly logical in theory, completely unfounded in fact.

Unless your wife has a history of irresponsibility with her purse, consider it a blessing and a step forward that she is open to the choice and opportunity to do so. Accept the limitations that come with it (specifically regarding access and drawing) and adjust training and behaviors accordingly. It may not be ideal, but it's better than nothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: better situational awareness will have infinitely more benefit for her self defense than the choice to body carry over purse carry and nothing else.

Now, stepping down from my soapbox....

Small can be bad. Recoil tends to be worse, and for inexperience shooters that perception is compounded. Snub lightweight revolvers are the worst. They should be carried only by those who are completely comfortable with them or (as in my case) who deal with the craptastic nature of their idiosnycrasies because the benefits they provide for purse carry more than make up for the craptasticness. But it has to be a conscious and deliberate choice by the user. Small autos are an improvement over the lightweight revolver only in the firearm's ability to absorb some of the recoil. And slide manipulation can be darn near impossible for the weak-handed/ill-trained.

Of course, larger/heavier also have drawbacks. Most purses are not designed for the weight of a firearm and will not stand up to the wear one puts on it. And gun purses are just fugly IMO. In all my years of carry, I've only found one style I ever liked. And to top it all off, the conceal compartment is rarely large enough to accommodate the firearm, or more specifically, the compartment opening is too small to accommodate a fist gripping a firearm to draw it from the purse. Things might have changed in recent years. I quite spending money on carry purses because it ended being a waste.

One more point: all else being equal (or ignored, since equal is somewhat impossible), a revolver is a better choice for purse carry in that it is far more capable of being ready for a follow-up shot if needed than an auto if the individual must shoot through the purse. Most autos will have a heck of time cycling because there either simply won't be enough room for the slide to made a full rearward motion, preventing ejection/extraction, or because the purse itself will impinge on the slide's ability to return to battery.

Beyond that, the specific make and model will be a personal preference for your wife after you have decided the generalities of her carry set-up.


Full disclosure: I have purse-carried a 2" lightweight revolver for over 10 years, though it is not my primary carry firearm.

I used to never carry a purse, but as time went along, started finding it harder to keep everything in my pockets. (sucks when you wash your drivers license, cell phone, etc). I never leave my purse in a grocery cart, etc. if I am out in public, it is not out of my sight, and unless I am eating at a restaurant, it is on my shoulder. Situational awareness, as you stated, is always important.

 

[prduke]

A very low risk to be sure. In all the years your wife has been carrying her purse without a firearm, how concerned were you that it would be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? How many times has it been stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? And how often have you admonished her not to carry her wallet with identifying information and home address, her keys, and possibly other personal information in her purse because it could be stolen, left in the grocery cart, etc? We have created an exaggerated risk of purse carry without any thought that there is equal or greater risk with all the other stuff women carry in their purse. I'd much rather have a firearm stolen than the thief get my name, address, and personal information along with the keys to my bunker.

I understand the concerns about purse carry. But they are essentially in the same ranks as the onerous claim that the OCer will be the first one targeted. Seemingly logical in theory, completely unfounded in fact.

Unless your wife has a history of irresponsibility with her purse, consider it a blessing and a step forward that she is open to the choice and opportunity to do so. Accept the limitations that come with it (specifically regarding access and drawing) and adjust training and behaviors accordingly. It may not be ideal, but it's better than nothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: better situational awareness will have infinitely more benefit for her self defense than the choice to body carry over purse carry and nothing else.

Now, stepping down from my soapbox....

Small can be bad. Recoil tends to be worse, and for inexperience shooters that perception is compounded. Snub lightweight revolvers are the worst. They should be carried only by those who are completely comfortable with them or (as in my case) who deal with the craptastic nature of their idiosnycrasies because the benefits they provide for purse carry more than make up for the craptasticness. But it has to be a conscious and deliberate choice by the user. Small autos are an improvement over the lightweight revolver only in the firearm's ability to absorb some of the recoil. And slide manipulation can be darn near impossible for the weak-handed/ill-trained.

Of course, larger/heavier also have drawbacks. Most purses are not designed for the weight of a firearm and will not stand up to the wear one puts on it. And gun purses are just fugly IMO. In all my years of carry, I've only found one style I ever liked. And to top it all off, the conceal compartment is rarely large enough to accommodate the firearm, or more specifically, the compartment opening is too small to accommodate a fist gripping a firearm to draw it from the purse. Things might have changed in recent years. I quite spending money on carry purses because it ended being a waste.

One more point: all else being equal (or ignored, since equal is somewhat impossible), a revolver is a better choice for purse carry in that it is far more capable of being ready for a follow-up shot if needed than an auto if the individual must shoot through the purse. Most autos will have a heck of time cycling because there either simply won't be enough room for the slide to made a full rearward motion, preventing ejection/extraction, or because the purse itself will impinge on the slide's ability to return to battery.

Beyond that, the specific make and model will be a personal preference for your wife after you have decided the generalities of her carry set-up.


Full disclosure: I have purse-carried a 2" lightweight revolver for over 10 years, though it is not my primary carry firearm.

Thanks for your post...very good! I see your point on her "current" purse...never lost, never stolen, etc.

 

[Snapdragon]

The LCR may be the most comfortable small revolver, but it doesn't change the fact that small, light (airweight) revolvers are usually horrible choices for new carriers because of the inherent discomfort. And for women shooters who haven't fully embraced carrying and self defense like you and I, (what a friend once so lovingly describes as "too hard core" ), most are simply not going to want to shoot them. And they will not have enough of a commitment to self defense to deal with the downside of small revolvers. I am more afraid of someone choosing not to employ her EDC because she hates shooting it than in having it stolen because she carries it in a purse.

OK, I get it, but all I can do is say what worked for me. Less than a year ago, I was that girl who had never fired a gun. I asked for advice on INGO, I fired some guns, and I chose the LCR as my very first firearm. Given what I know now, I'd do the same thing again. There may very well be guns that are easier to shoot, but I rule my gun; it does not rule me. It's what I chose, and I mastered it. Am I more "hard-core" or more committed than the average woman who chooses to start shooting? I never thought so, but who knows.

To repeat what some have said here, what is best or worst for one is not best or worst for another.

 

[MCgrease08]

I think it's also important to point out that there are differences between the LCR in .38 spl and .357.

The .357 is built to handle the bigger load and is made from heavier materials.

What Snapdragon is recommending is to look into the LCR .357 and shoot .38 spl. That in itself will lessen the recoil.

[video=youtube_share;QiWbPvjDhhY]http://youtu.be/QiWbPvjDhhY[/video]

 

[Jeepcrazed]

ok....so you've asked the question, and at least 5 women have replied with essentially different answers. Six women, counting me. That should probably tell you something.

Firearms and carrying them are very personal things. No one can tell you what she *should* carry, or how she should carry it.

As others have said, my suggestion would be to have her try several things. One excellent way to do this would be to schedule some private instruction with a good instructor. My first time out, I scheduled time with Coach. During the few hours he spent working with me, we went through basic training and I was able to try a .22, a 9mm, a .40s&w and a .45acp.

This does a few things for you. It does way more than just give her an opportunity to try different guns. It has the added benefit of having an excellent resource to assist in coaching grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, some situational awareness, and a plethora of other things that you won't get from simply renting guns somewhere.

MORE than worth every. single. penny.

FWIW....For carry guns, I've considered the Shield, XDs and most recently a G42, and I've decided that I'll be sticking with my commander 1911 in .45. Oh, and while I do prefer on-body carry with a Nickle and Lace holster, sometimes I purse carry....but that's just what works for me.

 

[never2big]

My wife carries a ruger sr22 in a purse everyday and she has no problems with it

 

[Hoosier8]

My wife has her LTCH more for insurance than anything...incase one of my guns is in a car with her, etc. But.....she said that she would be up for starting to carry. She wants something small. I have heard the S&W Bodyguard would be a good fit...small, has pre-installed laser, etc.

She also is thinking about a purse type of carry instead of on her body.

Thoughts on gun and purse carry?

I had this on the Carry Defense Forum and it was suggested to ask here.

I don't want to give my opinion on things yet...like to hear what the ladies say.

Thanks!

First time I heard of a wife wanting something small.

 

[prduke]

First time I heard of a wife wanting something small.

OH MY!!!! =-)