advice for 1st time gun owning female

[apvbguy]

I would like to get a hand gun and a rifle. I know nothing about which type to buy. Can someone please recommend what they feel would be the best to start out with which are reasonably priced, say within @ a $500.00 price range (for each), if that's reasonable? Thank you in advance for your help and wisdom! : )

visit this site that is a site for women who want to and do carry concealed. it will have many answers for you
Cornered Cat | If you have to fight, fight like a cornered cat.

 

[Peggy Reist]

Gingerkat, congratulations on wanting to take responsibilty for yourself by becoming a firearm owner. As mentioned above, once owning a firearm, it is important to get appropriate training in gun safety and proficiency with your chosen firearms. That means lots of practice too.
--- --I noticed that you show California as your location. All the advice above, while good under most circumstances, may not apply to you with the recent legislation in your state. For example, all semiautomatic firearms (handguns that are not revolvers) are now supposed to be capable of "microstamping" or putting a gun id on every bullet prior to firing. I do not believe any semiauto manufacturer has the capability at this time to make a gun do that despite what the California Attorney General says. That means you would not be able to buy a semiautomatic handgun and your choices of rifles available to own in California have been drastically reduced. If this law does not get repealed (and a few other recently passed discrinimatory gun laws) your only choice for a handgun may be a revolver. Also, you will have to be licensed, I believe by your County Sheriff before you can buy a gun.
--- --My suggestion is to contact the California Rifle Assn. Their web site is http://www.crpa.org/ and there is a tab "Contact" shown there. Ask them if they can give you a contact person close to where you live you can talk to face to face to find out the steps you will need to take before you can purchase a gun. Also ask if they can direct you to someone to help give you basic training in firearm handling and help you decide the kind of handgun, caliber and rifle that would best fit you. Keep in mind another of the new laws that passed by your gun hating state government is a $50 fee to be paid with every purchase of ammunition. And a whole range of firearms were declared illegal to sell along with a limit on the size of magazine used in semiauto handguns or rifles. Again, hopefully many of these laws will be overturned but that will take time. You will still need someone to help you wade through the laws.
--- --You can check on the web for women friendly firearms websites. One that comes to mind besides those already named is Girls Just Wanna Have Guns - A site for ladies who refuse to be victimized.. Also there are some good YouTube videos for women gun owners that you might find helpful.
--- --If you are moving from California and that is not your residence, congratulations. Then more of the advice shown above will be helpful to you. If this is the case, the women's shooting groups mentioned above would definitely be good places to check and, I would suggest contacting your state Rifle Assn. to get leads. Good luck on your new journey. Shooting can be fun.

What ^he^ said.
And if they enforce the $50 ammo fee, and all the other junk, you'll be lucky if you can buy anything where you're at. One more hint, you might read the posts in your California forum here:
California Discussion and Firearm News
There might be some folks in there that are more knowledgeable about your specific state laws.

 

[Limabravo]

It is so helpful to do research on the size and weight of the handguns you're looking at before you buy. Don't just buy what someone else thinks you'll like, you really need to try them out for yourself. Like so many others have said, find a range where you can rent and try out some different ones. Try different calibers too. I find that I'm very happy with 9mm. I also shamelessly suggest you try Springfield's XD and XD(M) lines. They are what sucked me in, and even after shooting a variety of others, I kept coming back to them. Best of luck!

 

[crankyyankee]

Get training and try out as many guns as you can. My first was a snub-nosed .38 revolver, but my main carry now is a Glock 19 (semi-auto 9mm) The Glock holds 15 shells in a magazine, and can quickly be reloaded with another magazine, where the revolver only holds 5 shells and takes longer to reload. The Glock also has a softer trigger and less recoil than the revolver. The only advantage the revolver has is that I can hide it in my pocket, and it can't malfunction unless it's out of ammo. You can get basic handling training through Front Sight at home training--dry practice, no live ammo--https://athometraining.frontsight.com/student_portal/class-find.php or sign up for the 2 or 4 day live fire course in Nevada. I've been out for 3 courses in Nevada. Front Sight really is Disneyland for gun owners.

 

[Jay]

My standard response to "what should I get"... with respects....


This is strictly my opinion, and has worked in many years of firearms training, and for men and ladies alike.

Get some basic training FIRST. At this point you need fundamentals, not run and gun, or force on force. Reputable instructors will provide a host of handguns and holsters for you to experience in class. That will give you some idea of where your preferences might lead you in handgun selection. Then.....

Buy a handgun just like you would buy a pair of shoes. If Ol' Joe over here says he likes Charlie China tennis shoes, and you're looking for a new pair of shoes, do you run out and buy Joe's pick, just because HE likes 'em? Probably not. If a new shooter is asking what to buy for a carry gun, it doesn't matter what works for me, or anyone else. I suggest telling that new shooter to go to many gun shops, and/or gun shows, and handle all the guns they can get hold of. Just like they would try on shoes. Before long they'll be able to make a list of guns that feel ok, pretty good, real good, and "that really feels great in my hands". The last two are the ones to pursue, and here's why I say that....If a given handgun doesn't feel "right" in your hands, you'll not shoot it enough to become proficient with it, because it's not comfortable, and you won't like shooting it. Just like you rarely wear shoes that are UNcomfortable. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, save your money, and buy a ball bat to carry. With proper fundamentals, he/she can learn to shoot almost any handgun, or any caliber. Very few folks can re-train their hands to make just any handgun feel comfortable. The last suggestion... again....get some training......proper shooting techniques, practiced slowly, but proficiently, will breed speed. Do it slowly, and do it the right way, every time.......If you practice speed first, and introduce less efficient techniques into your training, you'll have to do it all over again to get it right. Most gun shops have a box of used holsters that you can experiment with after you've chosen what gun works best for you. There are many options for concealed/open carry.

By the way..... anyone who introduces a new shooter to our pastime by having them start with a large-caliber handgun, makes a very poor decision. Yes, some folks do ok starting out with large calibers, but the vast majority will not continue to shoot if their very 1st experience is with .50 S&W. Start with a .22 caliber something, and as your technique/accuracy improves, work up from there. Caliber doesn't count until after you can consistently hit your target.

If you're buying a handgun for home protection, and you choose to NOT have it on your person, you should consider where in your home you might be if someone kicks the door in. I don't see a person in a position to be able to ask an intruder to "hang on a sec, while I get my gun"

There always will be a trade-off..... light weight, more recoil...... shorter barrel, more recoil...I've known more than a few gents who didn't care for the recoil of what's often called a "ladies gun"... just sayin....

Again, just my ramblings.... but they work for me...

Shoot Safely....

another excellent resource for ladies... Cornered Cat | If you have to fight, fight like a cornered cat.

 

[farsidefan1]

I would like to get a hand gun and a rifle. I know nothing about which type to buy. Can someone please recommend what they feel would be the best to start out with which are reasonably priced, say within @ a $500.00 price range (for each), if that's reasonable? Thank you in advance for your help and wisdom! : )[/QUOTE

You are getting solid advice. One thing I would add is this. Before you buy a gun decide if you are ready and willing to kill some sob that threatens you or yours without hesitating to make that decision when crunch time has arrived. Decide NOW. If you aren't ready to make that commitment you probably aren't ready to purchase the guns. Good luck. I hope your question indicates you have already decided not to be a victim and are ready to put a stop on a predator (whom hopefully you will never encounter).

Best wishes, good to think there will soon be another "hard target" out there.

 

[lrodriguez109]

What would be a good handgun for someone that is small? I'm a little shorter than 5', barely 100lbs, but my issue with most guns is that my hands dont grip it properly and it makes it uncomfortable to hold. I can still shoot but not sure what I should get that will feel comfortable to carry around and use to protect myself or my kids. Any advice will be greatly appreciated since I'm still new to all this. thanks

 

[Jay]

What would be a good handgun for someone that is small? I'm a little shorter than 5', barely 100lbs, but my issue with most guns is that my hands dont grip it properly and it makes it uncomfortable to hold. I can still shoot but not sure what I should get that will feel comfortable to carry around and use to protect myself or my kids. Any advice will be greatly appreciated since I'm still new to all this. thanks

As I posted in post 25, it's like shoes, you're gonna need to try a bunch of different handguns in your hands THEN decide which gun you're comfortable with. As is the case in shoes, what is comfortable for others may well NOT be comfortable for you.

 

[rwhh]

Excellent advice, all - thanks! I've read most of the posts to my wife, who does not "do" computers , and she really appreciates all the comments. Note that I have found that advice from practically anyone but me is better for her - lol. Thanks again.

 

[Blakester]

What would be a good handgun for someone that is small? I'm a little shorter than 5', barely 100lbs, but my issue with most guns is that my hands dont grip it properly and it makes it uncomfortable to hold. I can still shoot but not sure what I should get that will feel comfortable to carry around and use to protect myself or my kids. Any advice will be greatly appreciated since I'm still new to all this. thanks

This advice will be for gingerkat as well. I have seen a few posts here recommending smaller caliber rounds, those of you who have done that, shame on you. I have taught a 12 year old female with Turner's syndrome to keyhole rounds with a 1911, shooting 230 grain .45 ACP at 10 meters, her first day on the range! TRAINING!!! Good training produces good results. Period. When I give private instruction the class is at least an hour and a half off to two range just going over safety, nomenclature, theory of operation, ballistics, and basic marksmanship (and that's the short version). I reported at the 99.9999% confidence interval for my independent study in college, that the more you know about firearms the more comfortable you are with firearms. The more comfortable people are with firearms, the better marksman they will be.
Gingerkat, you may want to look into a pistol and rifle that are chambered in the same caliber. Keltec makes a small plinking fold up rifle that shoots .40 cal. .40 cal will fly flat for 100 yards. Another obvious choice would be .22 cal. You can find a lot of great pistols chambered in .22 cal, but there is only one .22 cal rifle I would recommend: Ruger 10/22. For survival off the grid purposes .22 cal might not do what you want it to. You could look into .45 cal, but that round drops like a rock trying to make it to 100 yards. You could look into .45 long colt, but pistols chambered in that round will be difficult to carry concealed. As a general principle I tend to tell people to stray away from 9mm for defense and carry and conceal because it has a high velocity and high penetration. Those are things you do not want for home defense or carrying in public. If you do choose 9mm go with fully frangible ammunition. Before purchasing a firearm I recommend choosing a caliber for what you want to do. This will be highly criticized advice, but honestly with good training, anyone can accurately fire any caliber. Check out the book "Understanding Firearm Ballistics" by Robert A. Rinker. May sure you have a pot of coffee handy when you read that one, because if you are not a technical person it is a difficult read.
-BTW I am 5"4', and my hands are in the 2 percentile for my age. A springfield Operator was my carry conceal for years.

 

[maine04619]

Go to as many gun shops as you can hold every handgun you can keep track of what feels good to YOU for weight and fit. Then go to ranges and shoot as many as YOU can. Keep track of likes and dislikes as far as fit, recoil how well YOU can conceal it and draw it. Then buy what fits YOU the best and ignore what everyone else THINKS..

 

[GlassWolf]

My advice is simple and to the point. Don't listen to people telling you that a woman's first gun should be small, or be a revolver because it's easier to operate. Trust me, if you can work a manual transmission car, or cook a meal, you can easily operate a semi-automatic handgun without any issues with a little bit of training and some practice. As for a small gun being better, smaller guns kick more. They lack the weight, and the balance of a gun with a larger frame and longer barrel in the same caliber. Get what you feel comfortable using. Try everything you can get your hands on. Read up. Take in all the information you can, but let the final decision be yours. Rent a few different guns to see what you like, too. Revolver? Auto? 1911 or Glock? everything has a different feel or personality to it at the range.

 

[crankyyankee]

Another thing to consider is what those you may need to team up with for defense and survival are using. Being able to share ammo and magazines can be a big plus in a tight situation. My Glock 19 can use all my 9mm Glock magazines and my 17 can use all but the 2 that are made for the 19 and are too short for the 17. Staying with the same make and caliber can make it simpler to stockpile ammo and to make sure you have loaded magazines available when you need them.

 

[KajnMike]

My wife is about your size. She too is just under 5' tall and weighs less than 100 pounds. We started her with a Taurus 25 caliber to allow her to learn and become comfortable with a firearm. She would try different handguns at the range after that, and finally settled on a Bersa 380, which she loves. Try several out at the range, and find one you like. Shoot safe.

 

[MDT]

As several have stated, go to gun stores and make a list out of all the guns that feel comfortable in the hand. Take that list and borrow or rent as many as possible because what feels good in the hand at the store might be a real dog on the range. I have shot many guns from 22LR to 45's. I find that many 9s and 45's shoot more smoothly than the 40s. That means nothing to anyone but myself because the correct fit has more to do with my opinion. The full size gun is always going to be better for a 1st time shooter than the smaller "concealable" ones. The shorter barrels and lighter weight make them more "intermediate to advanced" guns than outright beginner ones.

I would caution against guns that are on the market for under $500. Do your research. Many have "spotty" reliability and warranty service.

 

[GlassWolf]

Eh, I'm not sure on the under $500 mark. Maybe under $350. There are plenty of good micro-compacts in the $400-600 range (street price) like the Shield, Nano, SCCY, Kahr, Kel-Tec, and the list goes on. Under $350 and you start getting into the Hi-Point catagory, which I agree to avoid.

 

[MDT]

You are correct about getting a micro compact under $500. Micro compacts are a poor choice for a first gun. I have found few first time lady shooters who can shoot well with one and trust me, I work with a LOT of ladies. As a female instructor and shooter, I may choose a Shield for concealed carry if it is the only thing I can hide, I wouldn't want to stand at a range and put hundreds of rounds through it. I have heard good reviews from some of my friends about the Beretta Nano but haven't experienced it myself. My daughter and I really like the Kahr CW9 but NOBODAY likes my KelTec PF9 (which may be reliable but a real bear to shoot). My favorite carry gun is a CZ 2075 RAMI (not the polymer one). The best conceal carry option that I've found for controllability, reliability and accuracy is the Sig P238 and 938. Yes, I know they are a little over $500 but worth every penny.

 

[telpinaro]

You are correct about getting a micro compact under $500. Micro compacts are a poor choice for a first gun. I have found few first time lady shooters who can shoot well with one and trust me, I work with a LOT of ladies. As a female instructor and shooter, I may choose a Shield for concealed carry if it is the only thing I can hide, I wouldn't want to stand at a range and put hundreds of rounds through it.

The Shield might actually be better for people with smaller hands. I have tiny hands, even for a girl, with long fingers, and can shoot the Shield all day comfortably (not that I've tried; don't have that much ammo, but don't even notice 150 rounds), but I don't need the extended mag to get a full grip on it. I think I can actually hang on to it a little better than people who are bigger and stronger than I am. To each his/her own, obviously... you never know what someone will like! I'd be more insistent about having someone try something that small before buying, of course.

And you're right, it does conceal beautifully!

 

[Rocketgeezer]

Shoot as many diff guns you can before you buy, I would consider 9mm to be a minimum caliber for self defence, you will get disagreements on that, and get the smallest and lightest gun that you are comfortable shooting, bigger heavyer guns get left at home, and not carried, and on the rifle that really depends on what exactly you intend to do with it, if your going to the range and do targets a 10/22 ruger will work great, if your into home defence, do not bother with a rifle get a 20 gauge shotgun, if your wanting to do some hunting or a little longer range shooting a 308 caliber bolt action rifle, Savage, Remington, would be good choices, just remember with a rifle anything bigger than the 10/22 is going to have some recoil, not bad but something to be ready for, and again if possible try to shoot a similar rifle before buying

 

[Debbie B]

I'm also looking for my first gun. I've already done my concealed carry class and applied for my permit. I want something for concealed carry. I talked to a female sheriff and she recommended the Glock 19 Gen 4 or the Glock 26 Gen 4. I've also looked at S&W M&P Shield. I'm confused and a little worried that some of these guns will be to heavy for me to carry. I have some not to severe back problems and don't want something so heavy that I'll end up leaving it at home. I also want to eventually get a .22 pistol of some kind for target practice.