I am looking for a new gun for home defense and later to be carried around after I get a CHL licence (in TX). I am leaning towards a 9 mm. so that my wife and daughter will be able to control it (as opposed to a 40 cal.). This will be my first gun purchase and I have been shopping around. My budget is around the $300 range. A local gun dealer tells me that the S & W (sigma I think) is guaranteed for life but I have read some don't like it. They have rugers for $275. Dependable and affordable is what I am looking for. I was originally thinking about a 20 ga. shotgun for home defense (so I won't shoot through the walls and hit a neighbor). But if I get a handgun I will be able to carry it around for protection. A friend told me not to go to a gun dealer and instead go to a gun show for better prices. Does anyone have any suggestions for this price range?
Look for a small frame .357 revolver (Ruger or Taurus). You should'nt have any problems finding one in the $300 range. Your wife and daughter can shoot .38 specials if the the .357's have to much recoil for them. When you get your CHL make sure you qualify with a semi-auto and not the revolver. If you use the revolver that's all you will be able to carry.
Check the dealers in your area, you may find a few that you like and will return to. Gunshows can be a great place to find what you want and at a good price. They can often be a place where people ask for more than what you could get it for at a shop, so know your prices. The wife and I are going to one today and I'm looking for one specific gun. If I don't find it, I was told yesterday that a local big box store has several, though he couldn't recall the barrel length.
Springfield Xd I would suggest the Springfield XD9 or the subcombat XD. they are small lightweight carry plenty of rounds feel good in your hand and are easy to shoot and quite effective. i think they are great weapons. if you shot one you would fall in love with it. i went in intending to pick up an HK USP COMPACT, after just having picked up a SIG 229DAK for $1200, and was just looking for something a bit smaller, shot the XD, scrabbed the HK idea and went and paid $400 bucks and got the XD. Great weapons, high tolerance, check one out, easy teardown.
I would prefer a handgun with a clip more than I would a revolver. I will see what that Springfield is going for here in the Dallas area. I have seen some handguns in the $300 range in pawn shops, but I wouldn't know how to spot a used gun that wasn't taken care of.
I would also recommend a revolver, but since you seem to want a 9mm magazine fed pistol.. The Ruger's are good solid pistols. I prefer the P89 to the P95 (polymer) pistols, but either is good. The Sigmas, in the newer model, are indeed good pistols. They have a heavy DAO trigger which is not liked by most American buyers. However, they do sell a lot in Europe. If you don't know what to look for in a used weapon, and do not have anybody to help you, I would suggest that you do not go that route. I believe that a good dealer would be preferable to a gun show.
New gun I have 2 sigmas, a 40 C and a 9 V. They have never given me lick of trouble. Smith did screw up (IMHO) initially on the 40 F. I was chabered too tightly and would not function except when clean and only with factory fresh ammo. I saw a 40 E that broke the striker. Sent it back (quick turn around) and promptly broke the replacement with in 10 rounds. I looked at the striker and I looked like it was different than early models. Groove cut about 1/4 inch back from nose. Broke there both times. Poor design, hope they fxed it. Likely did.
I am leaning toward a magazine fed handgun because I think (read assume) that it would be quicker to change clips in a heated situation and also it would be easier for my wife to reload. A friend told me the FBI uses revolvers because they are more reliable, but I don't know if it's true. I am sure if I had more money to invest I could get a better pistol that is more reliable. I have been wanting to get something for protection since hurricane Katrina, but my wife was afraid of having a gun in the house. She has never shot a gun. After the Juneteenth riot where people got hurt in Milwaukee and a person got killed in Austin, I am starting to believe that we need protection in case something happens like that around here. I told my wife that I would rather have a gun and not need it, than need a gun and not have one. [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=1atoXLnTcTk[/ame]
The FBI has not issued revolvers since the late 80's. That is where the 10mm came from, and eventually the 40 S&W. The dominant issued sidearm for them now is the Glock 22, although I believe that others are used as well. With practice you can reload a revolver really fast, especially ones that use Moon clips (I know, TMI). On the flip side, revolvers are very easy to operate and are a good choice for people new to shooting, or who shoot very little. You can start with an auto, that is certainly not a deterrent. I still stand by mine and other suggestions. Take you and your wife, at separate times if need be, and get some classes before you purchase that first pistol. I know it is money that could be used to buy said weapon, but believe me, it is money well spent. There are lots of choices out there in 9mm, but take your time and make a choice based on your experience. What works for me or someone else may not work for you and you wife. Heck, what works for you may not work for your wife. I know it all too well. My wife *strongly* perfers 1911's, and that is what she shoots, and does darn good at it. I do as well, but I also dabble in others too.
i am mostly a lurker here but i am female and i echo the advice above: take your family to a range and fire as many revolvers and pistols as you and they can. this is what i'm doing and i can tell you it makes a difference in my hand which gun i'm holding. personally, i'm leaning towards a revolver: s&w 60 snubbie is what fits my hand best and what i'm most accurate with. 2nd choice is a ruger sp101. i want a .357 as i want the option of shooting .357 or .38 ammo. i can handle .357 in the small gun but not at full load. so i'd add to the advice: try out different types of ammo! and practice practice practice! having a magazine full of ammo isn't going to do anyone any good if shots aren't accurate. i like the simplicity of revolvers but i think i'll end up with a semi-auto at some point also. would like to hear what you end up with.......not just female curiosity but as more info for future purchases..... movie zombie
Moviezombie has beaten me to the punch. By all means find out what feels comfortable in your hand, and start from there. If it feels like you are 'shaking hands' with the pistol, be it revolver or semi-auto, the more you will want to practice, and with the practice comes proficiency, and accuracy. Grip panels may be swapped out for grips with more/less checkering, rubber panels or finger grooves, thicker/thinner grip panels for the custom fit.
