The .38 special. Smith & Wesson Centennial 442 or 642CT Airweight

look at this http://www.vincelewis.net/womansgun.html

danke :thumbsup

Take the class. 9mm used to be very popular. Then the slightly larger .40 cal took over as the "in" caliber, leaving lots of nice 9mm you can get for good prices. A have a Glock 9mm, which is what most of the cops carried until quite recently.

I used to carry a Kel-Tec 9mm, which is a less expensive weapon that is similar to the Glock in many ways. See http://thektog.org for the Kel Tec forum I ran until last month.

Btw, take a class. Then practice as often as possible. Making the decision to draw a weapon, then to fire that weapon, are two things you absolutely have to do correctly. "Oops" is not allowed, so become as proficient as possible.

I carry the Glock 23 .40, but for ease of use a traditional revolver should be preferred. Hammerless is mainly for concealed carry to help prevent you from shooting yourself on the draw.

Vendzilla has a good recommendation above.

And add in training, of course, and practice.

Federal makes some good law enforcement ammo, too, but use some cheaper stuff for practice.

The training is more important than the weapon.

:2 cents:

But, a small grip 9 mm pistol would be a good option.

For women? Probably a 22 cal, but 1 shot won't solve the problem. the fact that she has a pistol is power enough.

Higher the caliber, higher the kickback.

I've been looking at a walther p22 for my wife:

http://www.waltherpistols.com/item/1... 22_Auto.aspx

That's a good point.. I can't say that even I am exactly casual in a game on situation :thumbsup It definitely will help if, as others have said, she has plenty of experience handling and firing the gun.

You guys aren't being terribly realistic with all this training talk.

It's true, a woman should get training, but with most women it's impractical to expect it.

You will often be lucky to get her to go to a range and fire it once.

And if she has a bad experience firing it she is likely to become gunshy.

Yeah, sure, there are women that will take to gun handling training and enjoy it, but they aren't typically the rule.

None of my wives or girlfriends could get all that interested in training and practice, despite the fact that I enjoy shooting. I had the best luck with dry-firing practice at home.

is a shotgun an alternative solution? there are some really good small, light models out there that might safer to use or maybe stun gun?

Stun guns and consumer tasers are fine to own, but not really a substitute for a gun. If she won't have a gun or if there are kids to consider, get a consumer taser sure. Better than nothing. May not stop an attacker, but may scare off a percentage.

Or get a taser, hand stunners, AND a gun or guns. And pepper spray, hidden about.

Any weapon has a chance of being used against it's user, but, tasers are unlikley to kill your kid.

Shotguns have good qualities, but they are heavy slow and inconvienient and likely to induce gun fear in a woman user. But, they are intimidating as fuck. And simple.

The problem is deciding what kind to get that she will accept and be able to use in an emergency. And you have to figure out where it will be kept for emergency use, will it be kept loaded or unloded, locked, will kids ever be able to access it, on and on.

Those questions are also important for handguns, but a shotgun cant be kept in a drawer.

I bought a Sig Sauer P226 9mm. Awesome gun for protection and target fun and it is the gun they took out Bon Laden with too.

Just shoot her in the face now and save time.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh
srsly, it wasnt funny.. :1orglaugh

Milkor Mk32 MGL, can't really miss.

Wanna bet?

Well, maybe I should have specified a bedside dresser drawer. That's what I was thinking of when I said that.

Sure you can put a short barrel pistol grip shotgun in a clothes drawer. The ones I own, you'd have to angle a bit.

I'm not sure that's the best shotgun to buy for a woman tho.

I'd make the case for buying a light sporting shotgun, if you are going to buy a woman a gun and you decide to go for the intimidation of a shotgun. Keep it in the bedroom closet, or under the bed.

But I'm an old time country shooter, not urban macho.

If you were urban macho then you would own a Serbu Super Shorty 12ga. The shotgun that fits nicely into most nightstand drawers. :)

http://ampcontent.com/photos/SerbuSuperShorty.jpg

Offered in both Mossberg 500 and Remington 870.

Not exactly a friendly gun to shoot but it does the job.

Looks about ten inches - maybe 12 - illegal in my state the last time I checked - I'm not necessarily up on changes to those laws tho. But, I think of 18" as the legal limit.

Purty tho. I'd like to try one. Can't say I'd suggest it for a woman.

I tend to suggest people buy the kinds of guns that are relatively inexpensive, commonly available, easy to shoot, and easy to explain if you ever have to use it.

I actually like a ruger 10/22 for a woman - hollowpoints in the standard 10 round mag sitting in a drawer, the gun in the closet. Extremely easy to load and chamber, very little kick, nothing to make her nervous; cheap, fun, multipurpose, and despite what some argue, effective.

6 and a half, fuck. I bet the muzzle gas is slapping you in the face with that one.

It kicks like a mule too. 3 shots and you will be sore for at least a few hours.

Not sure what state you live in but I will say that the vast majority of people who think NFA items are illegal are mistaken.

Do you know that suppressors/silencers are legal to own by private citizens in 36 states? Most people think they are only available for Government and Hitmen or some shit.

Anyway...My point being that your state my very well allow such a weapon as long as you follow the Federal guidelines that go along with it.

women are batshit crazy and mentally unstable when emotional. Just be careful if you get her a gun :1orglaugh

Yeah I know - never wanted to spend the extra $200 tax, keep the stamp, all the paperwork.

I'm just too lazy and cheap for short barrels and silencers.

Where I live, people shoot all the time, no matter the season. A silencer would draw a lot more attention than just shooting.

http://petesdiscountfirearms.com/ima...4derringer.jpg

http://petesdiscountfirearms.com/M4Derringer.html

You can keep a shotgun in your front pocket

dont go revolver, it's proven under duress, your first 3 shots will be a waste anyways.

Unless you're tying to whack somebody, a silencers true value is in its ability to knock the noise level down far enough so you can shoot without the need for hearing protection. Believe me, when we go shooting, the guns attract attention anyway...Silencers or not. :winkwink:

I got my wife a 38 spc revolver. no safety to deal with and if it does not go bang pull the trigger once more and it will. She will not half to deal with the jams misfires stove pips or anything else that you will have with an auto. hell my wife puts hers in her purse and carries ever were we go. I do defense shooting in my home town and most ladies don't want a big auto or have to deal with a long list of manual of arms for any loading, cleaning or problem when shooting. A revolver is the way to go. hell i even carrier one as a daily carrier gun.

glock 27 is perfect for something small

if you want real stopping power, get a Taurus judge.

I swear by a custom made colt .45

lol, so you and your wife are always carrying a gun? Why?

In case shit pops off and you need to ice a motherfucker down, duh.

I carry because it makes me feel like I have a bigger penis.

Oh yeah, I've seen that picture before. Technically, I'd call that the exception that proves the rule.

I bet firing that's an experience, with that hi-standard style round-butt derringer format.

When I was a kid I used to make .410 zip guns, I bet the feel of shooting them was somewhat similar. I was a bloodthirsty little monster, lucky I survived. I also used to shoot old 44-40 rounds out of the same zip guns, found a box of them somewhere, an odd round that reminds me of those .45 longs, which is why I tell the tale.

Well one that you can see, at least.

OH SNAP!

It's not something you go to the range with, it's for point blank ruining someones day. I've fired one, both the 45.70 and the 410, loud as hell. My dad has a 45.70 six shot revolver

The OP should also consider .380 autos. The advantage of an auto for home defense is the clip can be kept apart from the pistol, making it somewhat safer to have in the house, if that kind of safety is a concern.

Less kick than a 9mm or similar, and .380s are typically sized for a woman's hands, for concealment and purse carry.

Personally I think it's a good round, real fun to shoot.

So, go with her to the gun shop, and ask to see the .38s and the .380s, see what she thinks.

Full auto is the only way to go for home protection, spend the extra cash.

I've got a 20g Remington 870 with a youth stock that I've had since I was young and have been thinking about modding it. That looks awesome! Is there a kit you can buy for that setup or what?

Back on topic, I was looking at a Walther p22 for my wife to start with. They're only about 250 or so and would be a great gun to teach her on without scaring her or making her feel uncomfortable. Only problem is the reliability - I've heard they can be a pain and jam up quite often.

Not that I am aware of. If there was a kit option then they would not be getting $650.00 a pop for these. Keep in mind this is a controlled firearm, not an over the counter shotgun.