View Full Version : Pistol for Mom
SouthWolfGA
03-05-10, 09:35
Ever since my father passed away last year, my mother has been asking a lot of questions about handguns. I am sure that she feels a little less safe without him around. (Something about having a Former Marine around is comforting I suppose ;) ) Anyway, I asked her if she would like a pistol and for what purpose? Will she keep it with her, is if just for the house? Now if she wanted it to go shooting for fun I would recomend a .22 or .25 to her. She is a very "girly" woman and when my father and I had her shoot a 9mm, it was too strong of a kick for her in her opinion. However, she is wanting this to be able to stop bad guys. We all know, that a .22 or .25 is not ideal for this in most cases unless you have ideal bullet placement. With all that in mind, what would be a good calber weapon for my mom, that has very little kick yet still has decent stopping power. Also consider ease of use for her training purposes. I was considering a .38 of some kind. Thoughts?
trappernana
03-05-10, 09:56
Charter Arms "Pink Lady" .38sp. Girly- yes, ease of use, revolver- yes, .38sc,stopping power-yes. It's also inexpensive for a fire arm that hopefully just ends up sitting in a nightstand.
SouthWolfGA
03-05-10, 09:56
Charter Arms "Pink Lady" .38sp. Girly- yes, ease of use, revolver- yes, .38sc,stopping power-yes. It's also inexpensive for a fire arm that hopefully just ends up sitting in a nightstand.
Or Purse ;)
I'd take her somewhere and have her shoot a S&W model 60 and a Ruger LCR. If she can handle the LCR's recoil, the trigger is much lighter and very smooth (at least the one I handled). If not, go with the 60 and if necessary, she could thumb cock it (with lots of practice cocking AND uncocking). If she can handle nothing more powerful, you could at least stoke it with .38 target wadcutters and she'd at least be punching .38 caliber holes.
lethal dose
03-05-10, 10:01
The lady smith is a good option. Revolvers are inherently easier to use. For an auto, the bersa thunders a a good economical auto chambered in .380. No matter what you get her, make sure she shoots it... A LOT.
Some women cannot pull the slide back on an auto pistol. I'm not saying all, but in my experience my mother in-law, and sister in-law's cannot do it every time. Because of this I would suggest a simple revolver for an older woman. Just have to make sure she can use the DA trigger, if not she needs to be taught to cock the hammer.
Good luck, sorry about your father.
Yes - .38s are better re stopping power ( whatever the hell that it:) - but many non-shooters still find the recoil a bit much - especially in a j-frame sized revolver.
And yes - slide retraction can be a problem with some autos.
I know of sevaral women/elderly folks who have found a happy compromise (though still dropping down to a .22) in going with aa auto like a Ruger Mk II/III - with CT grips installed.
Paint him with the dot - and shoot til either he or the gun stops.
Is it optimum? No! Is it all that "some" can handle or deal with? Sometimes.
Again - just a thought/option.
jm
PS - for the slightly more tolerant newbie - a Ruger LCR has one of the best 2x action trigger pulls out there for a small revolver. That and some CT grips might be another route?
+1 for the Charter Arms Pink Lady. My girlfriend bought one of the first Southpaw versions (That's a whole other story) and we were both impressed with the quality of it, especially for the price. She calls it her "gateway gun". You can load powder puffs for practice, and they're rated for +P for defense.
Plus it's always fun to watch all the guys groan and roll their eyes when she pulls it out at the range. :D
I think the Lady Smith is another good option, it's steel frame would help tame the recoil.
Another thought would be to also buy a .22 to practice with. But I'd suggest they both have the same sites (blade vs. frame notch).
Also checkout the Beretta tip up barrel autos. No need to pull back the slide.
lethal dose
03-05-10, 11:36
Also checkout the Beretta tip up barrel autos. No need to pull back the slide.
I had a .22 bobcat. The tomcat would be a good alternative. Good suggestion!
Another vote for the LCR revolver. You can't beat the price point and the simplicity of a revolver for a novice.
SouthWolfGA
03-05-10, 13:36
Well she is not exactly elderly. I'm not going to spill her age on the interwebz. (She would kill me) but I'll say she is not elderly or frail. Just girly. This could be an issue of just spending more time with her firing any pistol, but I am definately pretty sure anything over a 9mm would be a definate no.
Bobbo - in your opinion, how was the kick on that for your gf?
Also checkout the Beretta tip up barrel autos. No need to pull back the slide.
They even make the Model 86 Cheetah, which is a .380 tip up that can be DA/SA or cocked and locked for single action fire. The grip and weight are substantial enough to help tame recoil, but it's still a blowback design. For a soft shooting .380 you might have to find a steel framed Colt Mustang/Pony, or whatever they're called.
MarshallDodge
03-05-10, 15:25
First off, get her some pepper spray today and show her how to use it.
Next, take her to a range that rents guns and let her try out a variety of handguns so that she can make the choice. I know of so many instances where the wrong gun was purchased by the husband, boyfriend, etc.
After that, purchase a couple low speed handgun courses for her so that she can learn how to use the gun. I would recommend attending them with her and staying in the background for support.
SouthWolfGA
03-05-10, 15:28
First off, get her some pepper spray today and show her how to use it.
Next, take her to a range that rents guns and let her try out a variety of handguns so that she can make the choice. I know of so many instances where the wrong gun was purchased by the husband, boyfriend, etc.
After that, purchase a couple low speed handgun courses for her so that she can learn how to use the gun. I would recommend attending them with her and staying in the background for support.
I'm definately considering finding a range that does this. I am worried that we may get a rental that has been poorly maintained but is otherwise a ver nice pistol. Also, it may prove difficult to find one of these ranges near me. I will try though.
As far as the pepper spray goes, she had it at one time. She used it outside on me to test it (I allowed her to, hurt like hell) but she got some spray back from the wind I guess. She won't even touch a bottle anymore.
Consider the civilian Taser model.
Then, get her some good, high quality, professional training with a handgun. After that, she can consider what pistol she might feel comfortable with. I'd recommend a 9 mm M&P or possibly 9 mm Glock if the grip works for her. A small revolver is NOT a good choice for most women...
SouthWolfGA
03-05-10, 17:58
I just found a range about an hour away that rents every caliber from .22 up to a 44 mag. Just got off the phone making reservations for tomorrow. Gonna go ahead and let my wife get some trigger time as well and pick her one out as well.
Ever since my father passed away last year, my mother has been asking a lot of questions about handguns. I am sure that she feels a little less safe without him around. (Something about having a Former Marine around is comforting I suppose ;) ) Anyway, I asked her if she would like a pistol and for what purpose? Will she keep it with her, is if just for the house? Now if she wanted it to go shooting for fun I would recomend a .22 or .25 to her. She is a very "girly" woman and when my father and I had her shoot a 9mm, it was too strong of a kick for her in her opinion. However, she is wanting this to be able to stop bad guys. We all know, that a .22 or .25 is not ideal for this in most cases unless you have ideal bullet placement. With all that in mind, what would be a good calber weapon for my mom, that has very little kick yet still has decent stopping power. Also consider ease of use for her training purposes. I was considering a .38 of some kind. Thoughts?
we did the revolvers hear for a Mom and her girl.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1162.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1129.jpg
Well she is not exactly elderly. I'm not going to spill her age on the interwebz. (She would kill me) but I'll say she is not elderly or frail. Just girly. This could be an issue of just spending more time with her firing any pistol, but I am definately pretty sure anything over a 9mm would be a definate no.
Bobbo - in your opinion, how was the kick on that for your gf?
Not too bad. It would jump in her hand a bit when she started, but not enough to put her off shooting it. She's developed more upper body strength since then. (When she started shooting she had real trouble racking the slide an semi auto's, now she can work and shoot her XDm .40 nearly as well as I can! :D) She bought a set of Past shooting gloves a little while ago, and she says they help a lot too. Although she was a little disappointed to find out they make a pair in pink after she bought the black ones. lol
As an aside, she gets a lot of good shooting tips from Women & Guns magazine that a gal cant generally pick up from the periodicals we guys usually read too. A subscription might make a good present and show of support.
First off, get her some pepper spray today and show her how to use it.
Next, take her to a range that rents guns and let her try out a variety of handguns so that she can make the choice. I know of so many instances where the wrong gun was purchased by the husband, boyfriend, etc.
After that, purchase a couple low speed handgun courses for her so that she can learn how to use the gun. I would recommend attending them with her and staying in the background for support.
This is undoubtedly the best advise in this thread thus far.
I would add when you do this, don't just hand her the gun cocked and locked. You should explain the gun and range safety rules, stance, grip, sighting etc. the guns controls, and let her load it herself. Bring an uplula mag loader for the pistols, but show her how to load the magazines by hand. I've heard complaints from a few girls that their guys didn't really teach them that stuff when they "learned" them to shoot. It's all the stuff that she'll learn in a pistol class, but I think it helps to empower a new shooter with this stuff from the start.
My mom loves her 1911 Stainless Steel Springfield loaded.
SouthWolfGA
03-06-10, 10:22
This is undoubtedly the best advise in this thread thus far.
I would add when you do this, don't just hand her the gun cocked and locked. You should explain the gun and range safety rules, stance, grip, sighting etc. the guns controls, and let her load it herself. Bring an uplula mag loader for the pistols, but show her how to load the magazines by hand. I've heard complaints from a few girls that their guys didn't really teach them that stuff when they "learned" them to shoot. It's all the stuff that she'll learn in a pistol class, but I think it helps to empower a new shooter with this stuff from the start.
Definitely, I agree. I was planning on teaching her the basics(safety, range rules, stances, loading, aiming) but intend on getting her a class from a professional about employing it's use if should ever need it.
SouthWolfGA
03-06-10, 10:24
we did the revolvers hear for a Mom and her girl.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1162.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1129.jpg
Those are some nice .357s. You may hear from me in a PM if she finds that caliber comfortable today.
Those are some nice .357s. You may hear from me in a PM if she finds that caliber comfortable today.
Love to help
SouthWolfGA
03-08-10, 09:22
Well I took my mother and my wife to the range on Saturday and we started out on the 9mm. My wife was really scared at first and the first time she fired it, she almost freaked out, but after she fired it 2 or 3 more times and got use to the kick, I couldn't get her off it. She went through 2 boxes of shells on just the 9mm. Not to mention she isn't too bad of a shot up to about 20 feet. We may have a natural. Almost all her shots were in the chest area, and the grouping was within a circle about a foot wide, with a few strays, but not bad at all for her first time firing at all. She also fired a .357 mag and a .38 revolver. She hated the revolvers. She says the blast scares her more and that revolvers look "old". She has decided to get a 9mm.
My mom on the other hand, didn't mind the 9mm, but preferred the size of the .38 snub. She definately did not like the .357. (I figured neither would like that one, but it is a fun one to shoot IMO)
On a side note, there was a guy shooting a .44 Magnum in the lane next to us. Everytime he shot it, the girls jumped out of their pants. It was pretty funny. Anyway, so it looks like I'll be looking at something like the Pink Lady for mom, and need to find a 9mm for my wife. I am partial to the Ruger P89 and P95 myself. I've owned one of each. They are both comfortable and easy to operate. (Now if they would only come in pink) :D
lol. I'm glad your ladies had a good time at the range. Every person we bring into the sport strengthens the 2A rights for all of us! I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to give a woman her first shooting lesson, and the ear to ear smile she turned on me after the first time she pulled the trigger made the whole thing worth while. :D
Took my wife and sons to the range, started them on my .22LR Ruger Mk III, they enjoyed that, then they shot a few rounds with my G19. They were all grinning. :D
As I fired off more rounds with my boys (12 & 16) she browsed the handguns in the shop and saw the Pink Lady .38 special. She handled it, really liked the feel of it. Have a feeling that'll be the next one we buy for her personal handgun.
An all stainless Sig P226 in 9mm, might be a good choice. If its loaded with one in the chamber, she wont have to rack the slide and the all steel gun will have low recoil.
montanadave
03-17-11, 20:28
If you're not stuck on the Ruger 9mm for your wife, you might consider the M&P "Julie Goloski" 9mm special edition... with pink grips.
http://www.firearmsprostore.com/smithandwessonmandp9mmjuliegoloski17rdwpinkgrips.aspx
And I'd look hard at the LCR with CT grips for mom.
Ever since my father passed away last year, my mother has been asking a lot of questions about handguns. I am sure that she feels a little less safe without him around. (Something about having a Former Marine around is comforting I suppose ;) ) Anyway, I asked her if she would like a pistol and for what purpose? Will she keep it with her, is if just for the house? Now if she wanted it to go shooting for fun I would recomend a .22 or .25 to her. She is a very "girly" woman and when my father and I had her shoot a 9mm, it was too strong of a kick for her in her opinion. However, she is wanting this to be able to stop bad guys. We all know, that a .22 or .25 is not ideal for this in most cases unless you have ideal bullet placement. With all that in mind, what would be a good calber weapon for my mom, that has very little kick yet still has decent stopping power. Also consider ease of use for her training purposes. I was considering a .38 of some kind. Thoughts?
SouthWolfGA,
First off, I'm sorry for the loss of your father, but he would be proud that you're looking out for your mom. Marines understand family. 'nuff said.
On topic, I think you did a great job trying to figure out your mom's intentions. All great questions you asked. Neither of the "permanent" women in my life (read: my mom or sister) would fall into the "girly-girl" category, but both are fairly avid shooters now. I finally lured them in about a year ago and they've been hooked ever since. On the slightly selfish side, it's nice to know that they can take care of themselves if the situation ever arose. My sister is 5'3" and weighs a grand total of 105 pounds soaking wet. I started her on a Ruger MKIII and worked our way to a Glock 19. Building on a solid foundation with the .22, the transition to the 19 afforded her a challenge without it becoming overwhelming. With women I've shot with in the past, knowing what to expect is half the battle. They've all been too concerned with "what's going to happen" rather than with what's actually happening with respect to recoil. IMO, starting without the confidence building can lead to bad habits/flinching, but I'm no expert. So I guess in a very roundabout fashion, I'm sticking to my 9mm recommendation. If you can afford your time, and feel confident in your abilities, just take your mom shooting. She'll appreciate it more than you'll ever know, and regardless of her caliber choice, putting .380 rounds on target is always better than completely missing with a .45. In this case, I would say comfort and confidence are your paramount considerations. I apologize for the longwinded/ambiguous response, but hopefully I've helped a bit. God bless you and your family.
I have to 2nd the 9mm M&P. I have the full size 9mm and my wife loves to shoot that. She cant pull the slide back on my .45 compact and doesnt have any desire to shoot it anyway with the recoil. For me the M&P has very mild recoil even for a 9mm.
My dad carries a ruger SP101 and i really like the feel of that one. I normally dont shoot that great with revolvers but that one im better with for some reason. I think if i were going to get a revolver thats the one i would get.
sixgun-symphony
03-19-11, 07:38
Consider getting a classic S&W Model 10 service revolver with four inch tapered barrel.
They are much easier to shoot than the snubbies. Get her to practice on that. Once she develops proficiency, then get her a snubby.
Another good option, especially for small hands, is the Colt Police Positive revolver. They're very nice, but you will have to check the used gun market as they don't make 'em anymore.
tfltackdriver
03-19-11, 08:43
This is the stock advice I give everyone who asks this question:
Would you buy your mom a purse?
You're on the right track in taking her out to the range and letting her go through a variety of pistols. However, picking out a gun is such a personal process that I hate to see anyone buy someone else a gun. Your personal biases are likely to come in when they may have no bearing on what your mom wants or likes.
For instance, you said you think she'd have a negative reaction to anything "bigger" than 9 mm. I find .45 acp out of a 1911 shoots much softer than 9 mm out of subcompact pistols. Recoil is perception. The revolver thing also sends me up a wall.
Guys think, "My little woman can't rack a slide," and never think "My little lady might have a problem with a 12-pound double-action trigger pull." Beretta kinda/sorta solved this problem with the tip up barrel, but their tip-ups (other than the 950 series) are crap pistols with fatal engineering flaws (cracking frames, no extractor) and poor quality control.
The other thing is that sometimes I see guys who buy the lady in their life a gun thinking "it's for her," when really, you have some fantasy that this other person shares your interest and dedication. You said she wants it, but is she going to follow through with training of her own accord because she wants to, or is this going to be a rabbit's foot that sits in a drawer (or purse, as another poster suggested)? If so, it's much more of a liability than anything else. Are you going to have to bug the crap out of her to train? Giving a gun to someone who doesn't have the mindset to pull the trigger is a serious mistake.
For many people, making a $500, $600 investment is something they'll think twice about. That's an expensive talisman! I always suggest letting your mom/wife/girlfriend buy her own gun. Let her pick it out. You're already doing everything you should as a knowledgable consumer to help her out.
You asked all the right "why do you want this?" questions. If she doesn't plan on carrying, you could be going down the wrong path in a handgun. Pistols are harder to shoot than a long gun in both accuracy, lethality and in follow up shots. I've also found that all the doodads on pistols that weigh heavily in proficiency and preference (trigger pull, safeties, weight, barrel length) don't really count for jack when it comes to practical proficiency in long guns. The motor skills required to run a long gun proficiently when the bad guy goes bump in the night are far, far less than that required to run a handgun.
sixgun-symphony
03-20-11, 03:32
The revolver thing also sends me up a wall.
The other thing is that sometimes I see guys who buy the lady in their life a gun thinking "it's for her," when really, you have some fantasy that this other person shares your interest and dedication.
It's the guys who buy automatics for their wives/girlfriends who got a fantasy about the woman sharing their interest and dedication in shooting.
The revolver is a much more simple weapon than the automatic. It's pure KISS, as in Keep It Simple Simon for the people that are not going to practice much.
BTW, a gunsmith can do alot with a S&W trigger to make it smooth and light. The line about double action trigger pull is way overblown. It's a card that is played by guys who love their automatics and sneer at "antiquated" revolvers. They really go into fits when I mention that a DA revolver can be used in single action mode for a very light trigger.
Magic_Salad0892
03-20-11, 04:55
I would heed Doc's advice.
Go with a Tazer, help her get training, and let her decide on what pistol to use.
sixgun-symphony
03-20-11, 08:22
The only thing worse than giving a large magnum revolver to a person of small stature and no real enthusiasm for shooting is to give them a snubby revolver chambered in a magnum cartridge.
Stay with .38 Special, real stopping power is about shot placement.
Hits count far more than flash, blast, and "manly recoil".
Best bet is a vintage S&W Model 10 with a tapered 4" barrel. It has better balance and less weight than the heavy barrel version they produce now. Yet it has enough weight to tame the standard .38 Special rounds so that even the most petite lady can shoot it well.
we did the revolvers hear for a Mom and her girl.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1162.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1129.jpg
What all did you do to these revolvers?
What all did you do to these revolvers?
We did a lot to the guns to make them nice for the ladies.
1. http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/smith%20add/SWPackAdcolor.jpg
2. We cut the guns from square but to round.
3. We also did the custom coatings and names.
4. We id ear pro to mach.
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy358/SuperiorFirearms/MOD%2066%20ROUND%20BUTT/100_1124.jpg
Quiet-Matt
03-21-11, 17:48
I got a LCR in .357mag for my parents. Neither one of them care too much about learning the intricacies of a firearm, so a revolver was a no brainer. The .357 is almost identical in size as the 38, and gives you options. The LCRs have a great trigger pull, and I painted the front sight neon green to make it easier to see.
My mother is 60 years old, and disabled. Its very hard for her to get around. She has very minimal shooting experience. After taking the time to practice with her she has become proficient with handguns. She likes the Glock G19, the S&W MP9, and SA XD9. Even after a nasty fall which resulted in a virtually shattered right arm, she was able to get back to shooting.
If you will take the time, and get her shooting, there is no reason why your mom cant overcome the recoil of 9mm.
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