Really new to firearms.

I'm a big guy with big hands and I carry an LCP in the summer time. (shorts and T-shirts). I have taught several all female classes and most of those women carried and fired their own Ruger LCPs. The first photo on my web site is my daughter and her co-worker firing their LCPs.
By all means, try out everything you can and find what "fits" you. Yes, the LCP is not a gun you are going to want to put a couple hundred rounds through at a time, but it is a very capable, concealable, and reliable handgun.

Link Removed
 
I am new to firearms as well and have only had mine for 5 weeks. The best thing to do is take the NRA basic pistol course, I learned so much and to rent some guns before you purchase. I am a small framed female but hate to shoot small guns due to recoil so I have a glock 26 for my carry gun. I suggest going to the range Atleast once a week for practice and I did a competition at my range to practice moving and shooting and having innocent people targets, it helps get you trained for different situations. Good luck and I'm here to offer advice as I'm new as well :-) you have made a wise decision to research before buying.
 
CommonMime said:
I've recently had to reconsider my personal security options and have decided I am going to invest some time in researching firearms. I have set up range time and training and am looking at the Ruger LCP .380, I like the look and feel of it. I'm not much of a fan of revolvers even though they seem to be easier to start with. I am just looking for some feedback from anyone with LCP experience or anything else to offer a newbie. Yesterday was the first time I've ever even held a gun.
Click to expand...

The LCP is a great little pistol, but be warned "It kicks like a mule".
Because of it's small size and very light weight the recoil on the LCP is 'very' noticable.
You may want to try renting one first and test it out to see if it's right for you.
My wife prefers the Glock 26 (9mm).
 
Everclear said:
The Ruger.380 is a great pocket pistol but it is not designed for shooting a lot of ammo on the range. I like it for the convenience and it is my normal carry weapon. I prefer to carry my Glock 19 when possible and the 19 is my favorite pistol to shoot at the range. I always take time to practice with the .380 but my hand can't stand a lot of shooting it.
Get a Blackhawk size 2 pocket holster for the 380. Never carry in the pocket without a holster. Keep all other items out of your carry pocket. Keys, etc. can snag.
Click to expand...
Like Everclear, I have an LCP that if often carry in my pocket as a BUG. My EDC gun is a Glock 26 ("Baby Glock") carried IWB.

The G19 is an excellent choice if you only have one gun. You can shoot it all day at the range, and it's not overly tough to conceal. 9mm ammo is less expensive than .380 as well.
 
I concur that the .380 is insufficient for self defense. My personal opinion is that you should not go smaller than a .38 or 9mm. My wife has very tiny hands and carries a Ruger .40sc. She did have to work up to that as the recoil is pretty significant but she is fine with it now. At the range she can only shoot 2 mags before she needs a break but she doesn't carry it for plinking. She can draw and put a full mag (15rnds) on target under 10secs and that's all she'll ever need. Go for the largest caliber you can shoot consistently and accurately. Remember, comfort and fit are important during long practice sessions (50-100rnds?) at the range and mean very little if you're shooting a real BG (3-4rnds). In that situation you won't notice weight or kick. If the larger calibers cause some discomfort, get a .380 or .22 for plinking.

Just my opinion.
 
I tried a few different guns before settling on mine.

I suggest you try as many as you can, as others have said, and definitely take the basic course.

It has been my experience, though maybe not yours, that I don't enjoy shooting anything larger than a .380. I carry a Walther PK.380 and I really like it because although it is somewhat compact, it's pretty large for a .380, and therefore has enough body to absorb a lot of the recoil so my little hands don't hurt.

I also tried the Bersa .380, which is a great, affordable gun, but it had a lot of sting to it.

I found no matter the size of Glock, the grips were too big and the recoil too much.

You'll figure out what feels right to you. It is good advice to carry the largest caliber you are comfortable with, because frankly, larger calibers stop bigger bad guys. But it's also good advice to carry something you know you can aim, shoot and control.

Find your happy place :)
 
localgirl said:
I tried a few different guns before settling on mine.

I suggest you try as many as you can, as others have said, and definitely take the basic course.

It has been my experience, though maybe not yours, that I don't enjoy shooting anything larger than a .380. I carry a Walther PK.380 and I really like it because although it is somewhat compact, it's pretty large for a .380, and therefore has enough body to absorb a lot of the recoil so my little hands don't hurt.

I also tried the Bersa .380, which is a great, affordable gun, but it had a lot of sting to it.

I found no matter the size of Glock, the grips were too big and the recoil too much.

You'll figure out what feels right to you. It is good advice to carry the largest caliber you are comfortable with, because frankly, larger calibers stop bigger bad guys. But it's also good advice to carry something you know you can aim, shoot and control.

Find your happy place :)
Click to expand...

I really wish that Glock would produce a single stack .380 sub compact handgun for the North American market.
Now 'that' would definately be my next sidearm if they ever decided to make them.
 
It took my wife a while to decide. I own nothing but Glocks. And never pushing Glock on her. We rented probably 30 9mm hand guns in all sizes. Until the last one which happened to be the Springfield XD 9 4 inch model. As soon as she picked it up. She said that's the one. So we shot it. And did the paper work the same day. It took some time but she found her Excalibur.
 
rogerw said:
Personally i would go with a min cal of 9mm. I carry a ruger SR40c very accurate and a excellent conceal carry gun for the money.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum! I have a Ruger SR9C that I love! It's my primary carry weapon. My 10 year old daughter is able to shoot it, if that helps with any concerns you may have about recoil. Regarding the .40 S&W caliber: I recently had the chance to shoot both a S&W M&P 40 and Ruger SR40C. I personally didn't like how 'snappy' the M&P was. For whatever reason, the Ruger tamed the recoil much better. You're mileage may vary. The other thing I'd consider is HOW you're going to carry. For women, you have a great advantage in that you can carry a special purse that you can even shoot through! This might help you choose a slightly larger gun that will tame the recoil a bit better. I do not know if the slides ever get hung up in the purse or not. Might be better for a revolver in that case. Anyway, enjoy the hunt for your new, best friend.

WingRider
 
I have the Ruger 380 because of the same reason you are talking about. Small hands equals short fingers. But, truthfully, it hurts your hand to shoot. Recoil in a small gun is felt. I liked it because it was easy to conceal. But. Consider a 9mm. Taurus makes a slim that is easy to conceal. I have one. Recoil feels less than the 380. MY problem is that after shooting a 40 and a 45.....they are larger, heavier, but they absorb perceived recoil Much better. I put up with the extra weight of my 45 because it is soooo niiiice. But if I need to, I carry that little 380 because it doesn't take up much room. And my Taurus 9mm slim? I like it too. don't get into a hurry making your choice. Carry that 380 and.....start saving up for your next one.
 
I suggest a .22lr to start with. Since most suitable guns for women are DAO, double action only types of trigger pulls, best to get a similar .22lr gun. I recommend the Taurus PT .22. You are going to save at least 20c a shot on the ammo, so the .22 will be paid for in about 1000 rds of shooting, which is very little range time, really. You will also find that practice with a similar AirSoft gun can be very helpful. It costs almost nothing to shoot, can be done in basement, attic or garage, so no range trip is required, and you can learn a lot about shooting, use of cover, use of a flashlight, hitting movers, hitting while moving, etc, with airsoft. After you master the .22, you can sell it if you wish, then move up to 380 or 9mm. So the .22 savings on ammo is really paying off the money you "lost" on the gun in 500 rds, which is just 2-3 range trips, at most. Even if you pay $300 for it retail and tax, and only get $100 for it, it's still a good deal. Personally, I'd buy a used one, from a private party, for $200, testfiring it before buying, and I'd sell it to a private party, for $150, so the ammo savings would pay for it in a mere 250 rds. :-) Then the .22 can be kept for training others, maybe even making you some money, if you charge for the training.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Threads

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 463 (members: 0, guests: 463)

Forum statistics

Threads
49,523
Messages
610,662
Members
74,992
Latest member
RedDotArmsTraining

Share this page

Back
Top