Just got my CPL in the mail yesterday. Newbie with questions.

[jennyrebekah]

Hey Everyone! I am very excited to have received my CPL in yesterday's mail! Very honestly, I feel like a kid at Christmas. I've only shot a gun once in my life and when I did it was for the class that I took for certification. Since it was my first time, the guy at the shooting range had me shoot 50 rounds from a .22 handgun. I liked it but I was recommended by a friend to buy a Walther PPQ 9 mm. I haven't fired one but I have handled one since that's what he owned. So here are my questions. Is a 9mm to big of a gun for a woman to shoot? I have no idea what kind of kick it has and I want to know if it would be a good choice for me. Second question for the ladies, if you carry, what is the best holster for women? I wear both pants and dresses quite often, so I need something that I can wear that won't always require me to have a belt. What do you think of Bra Holsters? What do you recommend? Do you like purses that have the secret compartments or do you prefer to keep it on your body? And lastly, Should I buy my gun new or used? Does it matter? Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jennifer

 

[Oldgrunt]

Jenny: Congratulations on obtaining your CPL. Before purchasing a weapon, you may want to go to a gun shop/range and try out a couple of weapons. A 9mm should not be too much weapon for you and, fortunately, you can buy one in a variety of sizes for your personal comfort. Since this will be your first weapon, you may want to buy a good used one first. That way you can become more accustomed to shooting without putting out a lot of money. The first gun may not be the one you finally want and will not have cost you a fortune. Have fun!

 

[bofh]

Welcome to the forum. We have an entire sub forum for Link Removed. You may find your answers in some of the recent discussion threads. There is also a lot of good information at Cornered Cat | If you have to fight, fight like a cornered cat.

The biggest mistake new shooters make is not to shoot enough before purchasing. If you have access to a range that rents firearms, use it and try out different models and calibers. You will quickly learn what you like and what your current limitations are. I always tell new shooters to get a gun that gets the job done, get some training, and then practice what you have learned during training.

You will get a lot of different recommendations. Instead of focusing on particular models, try to understand the tradeoffs between them. For example, a heavier gun will always have less recoil than a lighter gun in the same caliber, but would you carry a heavier gun? Some guns just recoil softer than others in the same caliber and size. You won't know until you have fired them.

9mm is not too big for a woman. No caliber really is: Fate of Destiny shooting a .500 S&W Magnum Revolver. Seriously though, I now women that regularly carry 9mm and .45ACP.

I am personally not a fan of bra holsters. I consider them dangerous. It is too easy to violate the basic rules of firearm safety. There was a recent incident, where a Link Removed.

 

[Wild Dog]

Welcome to the table of warriors.

 

[JeanP]

Congratulations jennyrebekah. You have started out on a course in life that is challenging, fun and will really build your self-confidence. I agree with Oldgrunt and bofh, before you buy any handgun, shoot as many different ones as possible. Find a range that rents guns and shoot as many as possible. Pay attention to weight, fit in your hand, recoil, sights etc. I did that and ended up purchasing a Springfield XD subcompact in 9mm. Because of it's short barrel, it does have a bit of recoil, but with practice it became very manageable. My favorite gun to shoot is my 1911 in .45 acp. However, it is much to heavy to carry all the time and because of it's size, hard to conceal. However, it actually has less recoil than the 9mm. I currently carry a Sig Sauer P238 in 380. I love this gun. It is small enough that I can carry it in my pocket, has almost no recoil, and is very accurate. Which is saying a lot because in my experience the smaller the gun the harder it is to be accurate.

As far as carrying, I have a problem with holsters. They never seem to fit just right and seem to pull down my clothing at the waistband. A bra holster is scary as heck. Shoulder holster works ok in the winter with a coat. All of these seem to "print" through my clothing. So far, the best solution for me is a handbag with a dedicated place for the gun. I carry my purses cross body most of the time in order to keep my hands free. I like the purses with the piano wire in the strap the best. So, you see, you just have to experiment with the way that works best for you.

Now, get out on the range and practice. Take classes. And, most of all, have fun.

 

[gfrlaser]

Congratulations on obtaining your CPL! Just food for thought, I personally know 2 ladies who have 22 handgunds for self defence. Here is the problem, they cannot find any ammo and have the guns in the home empty. Some good advice here though. Rent as many as you can to tryout at the local range.

 

[Idahomom]

I have the PPQ M2...I love shooting that gun. It has adjustable backstraps which help if you have smaller hands (which most of us women do). My everyday carry is the S&W bodyguard .380 (NOT the revolver) and I carry it using the Undertech compression shorts. They work great under pant and skirts...haven't had to change my pant or skirt sizes. I highly recommend the above mentioned 'Cornered Cat' by Kathy Jackson...the book is great and her Concealed Carry class is fantastic if you can find one in your area.

 

[Farmhood]

Congrats jenny...lots of range time with different rental handguns. The range time was the best advice I received from this site.

sinful nature is always hostile to God....

 

[apvbguy]

trying many different guns is a great idea but I would suggest that in addition to sampling as many guns as you can that you include how carryable the guns you sample are. in addition you would be wise to seek out a self defense trainer and get schooled on how to use that new tool. shooting holes at a static target from a static position is IMHO not going to serve you well. train hard and train often

 

[indyyy]

Congrats Jenny. I'm a guy and not a woman but I've known some women who purse carry. That always scares me because it seems that the purse gets snatched and run off with by thieves quite quite a bit.

I started out carrying in a fanny pack at my abdomen, then switched to a holster under a t-shirt - sometimes inside the waistband and sometimes outside. I wear sweatpants and t-shirt alot and just fasten the belt tight around (or inside) the pants even tho they don't have belt loops.

At first, I thought everyone would notice I was carrying, but after carrying for a few months I came to realize that no one even looks. I'm a 5'7" 150 lb. guy, so kind of average size and carry a full size S&W 16 rd. SD9VE. if I don't wear a real tight shirt the handle might show just a little, but it pretty much just looks like a wrinkle. With a loose shirt it doesn't show at all.

There's alot of different options for type of gun and how to carry - I agree with trying different guns at the range. The small ones are cute but kick alot more for the same caliber. As far as how you carry, you can start one way and switch around and try different methods as you become more comfortable carrying. There's no right or wrong way. I do try to be aware of the steps I need to take to draw my gun - other things being equal, the fewer the steps the better. This is why I switched from fanny pack to holster - fewer steps to draw.

 

[JakeG]

Another good resource for carry/holster options is FaliaPhotography's YouTube channel. Check her concealed holsters options video and her thigh holster video. My wife found her a useful source. You may need more than one holster depending on what you are wearing.