The Real Ladies Gun -- Handguns


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The real ladies gun - Handguns

Guns Magazine, March, 2003 by Massad Ayoob

For too long, women were told that if they wanted to carry a sidearm they needed a "ladies' gun," usually a tiny .22 or .25 automatic with so little power it might or might not stop a charging gerbil. Then the trend moved toward the small .38 Special revolver. The snubnose .38 became a classic "ladies' gun" for modem times.


Smith & Wesson's first "LadySmith" since the 19th century became a roaring success in the 20th century based on the Chief Special, 2-inch barrel, five-shot, .32-frame revolver. There would be other LadySmiths, including the neat little 3913 LS compact 9mm autopistol.
redir



But Smith & Wesson has sold far more short barreled .38 Specials in conventional Chief Special, hammer shrouded Bodyguard, and "hammerless" Centennial configurations than anything of the other models to which they gave the feminine appellation. When Colt made a "ladies' model," they built it on the small D-frame revolver, with a 2-inch barrel, in caliber .38 Special.


Those of us who shoot a lot--competitors, firearms instructors, "serious students of the combat handgun"--can't help but notice that with the hottest loads, the small .38 has a nasty recoil and is hard to shoot accurately at significant distances. There are those who have said that because of these factors, the snubnose .38 is a bad choice for women.
I beg to disagree. And so do a huge number of that legion of the fairer sex who choose to go armed, and who seem to have taken the snubnose .38 as their collective handgun of choice.


Voting With Their Feet


"Shall issue" concealed carry legislation has swept the country. It is the strongest wave of victory in the gun owners' civil rights movement. It amazes the opponents of gun owners' rights how many of the people applying for concealed carry permits are women. And the instructors who train and certify those women for those concealed carry permits are telling us a huge number of those ladies are shooting their qualifications with the guns they, intend to carry: short barrel, small frame .38 Special revolvers.


The women of America know what they want. After a lifetime of getting ripped off by men in male oriented things like estimates on automobile repairs, they've learned to check things out on their own and not take a man's word for what women need.


They appreciate that they can shoot pistols like the Browning Hi-Power and the 1911 .45 and the Glock and the S&W 3913 better than most men realize. They also realize that they can carry a short, light revolver a helluva lot more easily within their daily wardrobe and dress code restrictions than they can even a compact alloy-frame .45 automatic.


Tactical Points


Gun dealers tell me the single most popular carry gun they're selling to women is the lightweight .38 Special, 2-inch revolver with snag-free configuration, such as the S&W Centennial Airweight. Yes, it kicks enough to hurt your hand. Yes, it will be one of the toughest guns for you to "qualify" with on the 15 to 25 yard line of a police-style shooting course.


However, the women who buy them for daily carry have no illusions about being involved in across-the-street shootouts. They're worried about the mugger who is within arm's length or maybe even closer when they have to defend their lives.


Women get tired of carrying big guns. The woman with whom I spent 30 years of marriage could count on her annual or biannual gift of what her husband thought was a cool self-defense pistol. She wound up with enough high speed, low drag, often highly customized semiautomatic pistols to outfit a small police department. The HK P7, a Behlert Mini-Custom S&W Model 39, a Trapper custom "bobcatted" Colt .45 auto--the list goes on.


It was always, "That's nice, dear." She'd carry it for a week to placate me, and then go back to one of her Colt .38 snubbies, either the engraved Detective Special or the lightweight Agent with hammer shroud and Barami Hip-Grip that fit neatly into the waistband of her beltless slacks.


No Surrender


Male criminals tend to be misogynists. The man who would surrender to him at gunpoint would die rather than go to prison with it known that he had surrendered to her. He is more likely by far to attack and attempt to disarm a woman. More than 20 years of teaching handgun disarming and retention has taught me the hardest gun to take away from its legitimate owner is a 2-inch barreled revolver.
With a shrouded hammer, this is also the only gun a woman can fire through a coat pocket without a hammer or a slide fouling in fabric and stopping her stream of fire.


Ideal for shooting all day at a training school? No. Ideal for concealed carry in real world circumstances? Yes.


The snubnose .38 revolver with snag-free hammer might just be the best choice for the defensive problems an armed woman in this society is most likely to face.
 

As a TN handgun instructor and a female, you are right. My first CC weapon was a Rossi .38 snub nose that I still love to carry today but it is a bit heavier than my others. Even though we can operate the most sophisticated kitchen equipment women are still intimidated by the slide. No doubt to carry a weapon you have to know it and have faith that it will do what you tell it in an emergency. If you are afraid of the handgun, you won't carry it and won't have it when you need it. I compare it to cars. The revolver is like an automatic car - you put it in drive and you go. The semi-auto is like a 5 speed- does the same thing but takes more practice to learn how to be smooth. Both get you there.
 
You should try the N. American Arm 22.Mag It will surprize you and it is very easy to hide. I carry it myself and I am a weapons dealer.
 
My wife carries the Ruger LCR 5 shot .38

She also likes my Glock 27 but gets confused with the clearing and stoppage drill.

I told her just don't carry another magazine. she can get 11 shots of 40 cal versus 10 by reload with the .38

She's sticking with the .38 and 2 speedloaders.
 
My wife (6') went with a Sig P238.

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I don't disagree with the article.. 5 surefire uncomplicated bangs are better than 14 bullets that fail to eject on the 1st round..
I carry a Semi-auto mostly because of it's "thinness". If someone invented a narrow revolver, I'd probably switch over. I like the extra rounds, but the trade off is the chance of things not going right during the eject/load cycle.. The chance of that happening might be slim, but it could happen I don't care what brand you carry..
 
The real ladies gun - Handguns

Guns Magazine, March, 2003 by Massad Ayoob

For too long, women were told that if they wanted to carry a sidearm they needed a "ladies' gun," usually a tiny .22 or .25 automatic with so little power it might or might not stop a charging gerbil. Then the trend moved toward the small .38 Special revolver. The snubnose .38 became a classic "ladies' gun" for modem times.


Smith & Wesson's first "LadySmith" since the 19th century became a roaring success in the 20th century based on the Chief Special, 2-inch barrel, five-shot, .32-frame revolver. There would be other LadySmiths, including the neat little 3913 LS compact 9mm autopistol.
redir



But Smith & Wesson has sold far more short barreled .38 Specials in conventional Chief Special, hammer shrouded Bodyguard, and "hammerless" Centennial configurations than anything of the other models to which they gave the feminine appellation. When Colt made a "ladies' model," they built it on the small D-frame revolver, with a 2-inch barrel, in caliber .38 Special.


Those of us who shoot a lot--competitors, firearms instructors, "serious students of the combat handgun"--can't help but notice that with the hottest loads, the small .38 has a nasty recoil and is hard to shoot accurately at significant distances. There are those who have said that because of these factors, the snubnose .38 is a bad choice for women.
I beg to disagree. And so do a huge number of that legion of the fairer sex who choose to go armed, and who seem to have taken the snubnose .38 as their collective handgun of choice.


Voting With Their Feet


"Shall issue" concealed carry legislation has swept the country. It is the strongest wave of victory in the gun owners' civil rights movement. It amazes the opponents of gun owners' rights how many of the people applying for concealed carry permits are women. And the instructors who train and certify those women for those concealed carry permits are telling us a huge number of those ladies are shooting their qualifications with the guns they, intend to carry: short barrel, small frame .38 Special revolvers.


The women of America know what they want. After a lifetime of getting ripped off by men in male oriented things like estimates on automobile repairs, they've learned to check things out on their own and not take a man's word for what women need.


They appreciate that they can shoot pistols like the Browning Hi-Power and the 1911 .45 and the Glock and the S&W 3913 better than most men realize. They also realize that they can carry a short, light revolver a helluva lot more easily within their daily wardrobe and dress code restrictions than they can even a compact alloy-frame .45 automatic.


Tactical Points


Gun dealers tell me the single most popular carry gun they're selling to women is the lightweight .38 Special, 2-inch revolver with snag-free configuration, such as the S&W Centennial Airweight. Yes, it kicks enough to hurt your hand. Yes, it will be one of the toughest guns for you to "qualify" with on the 15 to 25 yard line of a police-style shooting course.


However, the women who buy them for daily carry have no illusions about being involved in across-the-street shootouts. They're worried about the mugger who is within arm's length or maybe even closer when they have to defend their lives.


Women get tired of carrying big guns. The woman with whom I spent 30 years of marriage could count on her annual or biannual gift of what her husband thought was a cool self-defense pistol. She wound up with enough high speed, low drag, often highly customized semiautomatic pistols to outfit a small police department. The HK P7, a Behlert Mini-Custom S&W Model 39, a Trapper custom "bobcatted" Colt .45 auto--the list goes on.


It was always, "That's nice, dear." She'd carry it for a week to placate me, and then go back to one of her Colt .38 snubbies, either the engraved Detective Special or the lightweight Agent with hammer shroud and Barami Hip-Grip that fit neatly into the waistband of her beltless slacks.


No Surrender


Male criminals tend to be misogynists. The man who would surrender to him at gunpoint would die rather than go to prison with it known that he had surrendered to her. He is more likely by far to attack and attempt to disarm a woman. More than 20 years of teaching handgun disarming and retention has taught me the hardest gun to take away from its legitimate owner is a 2-inch barreled revolver.
With a shrouded hammer, this is also the only gun a woman can fire through a coat pocket without a hammer or a slide fouling in fabric and stopping her stream of fire.


Ideal for shooting all day at a training school? No. Ideal for concealed carry in real world circumstances? Yes.


The snubnose .38 revolver with snag-free hammer might just be the best choice for the defensive problems an armed woman in this society is most likely to face.
a 2"bbl. chiefs special in a hammerles model would make a exelent back up gun. i am going to see if i can find one myself, it makes a exelent cqb gun, no hammer to snag on clothing abd for use out to15-20ft is very effective.:pleasantry:
 
The real ladies gun - Handguns

Guns Magazine, March, 2003 by Massad Ayoob

For too long, women were told that if they wanted to carry a sidearm they needed a "ladies' gun," usually a tiny .22 or .25 automatic with so little power it might or might not stop a charging gerbil. Then the trend moved toward the small .38 Special revolver. The snubnose .38 became a classic "ladies' gun" for modem times.


Smith & Wesson's first "LadySmith" since the 19th century became a roaring success in the 20th century based on the Chief Special, 2-inch barrel, five-shot, .32-frame revolver. There would be other LadySmiths, including the neat little 3913 LS compact 9mm autopistol.
redir



But Smith & Wesson has sold far more short barreled .38 Specials in conventional Chief Special, hammer shrouded Bodyguard, and "hammerless" Centennial configurations than anything of the other models to which they gave the feminine appellation. When Colt made a "ladies' model," they built it on the small D-frame revolver, with a 2-inch barrel, in caliber .38 Special.


Those of us who shoot a lot--competitors, firearms instructors, "serious students of the combat handgun"--can't help but notice that with the hottest loads, the small .38 has a nasty recoil and is hard to shoot accurately at significant distances. There are those who have said that because of these factors, the snubnose .38 is a bad choice for women.
I beg to disagree. And so do a huge number of that legion of the fairer sex who choose to go armed, and who seem to have taken the snubnose .38 as their collective handgun of choice.


Voting With Their Feet


"Shall issue" concealed carry legislation has swept the country. It is the strongest wave of victory in the gun owners' civil rights movement. It amazes the opponents of gun owners' rights how many of the people applying for concealed carry permits are women. And the instructors who train and certify those women for those concealed carry permits are telling us a huge number of those ladies are shooting their qualifications with the guns they, intend to carry: short barrel, small frame .38 Special revolvers.


The women of America know what they want. After a lifetime of getting ripped off by men in male oriented things like estimates on automobile repairs, they've learned to check things out on their own and not take a man's word for what women need.


They appreciate that they can shoot pistols like the Browning Hi-Power and the 1911 .45 and the Glock and the S&W 3913 better than most men realize. They also realize that they can carry a short, light revolver a helluva lot more easily within their daily wardrobe and dress code restrictions than they can even a compact alloy-frame .45 automatic.


Tactical Points


Gun dealers tell me the single most popular carry gun they're selling to women is the lightweight .38 Special, 2-inch revolver with snag-free configuration, such as the S&W Centennial Airweight. Yes, it kicks enough to hurt your hand. Yes, it will be one of the toughest guns for you to "qualify" with on the 15 to 25 yard line of a police-style shooting course.


However, the women who buy them for daily carry have no illusions about being involved in across-the-street shootouts. They're worried about the mugger who is within arm's length or maybe even closer when they have to defend their lives.


Women get tired of carrying big guns. The woman with whom I spent 30 years of marriage could count on her annual or biannual gift of what her husband thought was a cool self-defense pistol. She wound up with enough high speed, low drag, often highly customized semiautomatic pistols to outfit a small police department. The HK P7, a Behlert Mini-Custom S&W Model 39, a Trapper custom "bobcatted" Colt .45 auto--the list goes on.


It was always, "That's nice, dear." She'd carry it for a week to placate me, and then go back to one of her Colt .38 snubbies, either the engraved Detective Special or the lightweight Agent with hammer shroud and Barami Hip-Grip that fit neatly into the waistband of her beltless slacks.


No Surrender


Male criminals tend to be misogynists. The man who would surrender to him at gunpoint would die rather than go to prison with it known that he had surrendered to her. He is more likely by far to attack and attempt to disarm a woman. More than 20 years of teaching handgun disarming and retention has taught me the hardest gun to take away from its legitimate owner is a 2-inch barreled revolver.
With a shrouded hammer, this is also the only gun a woman can fire through a coat pocket without a hammer or a slide fouling in fabric and stopping her stream of fire.


Ideal for shooting all day at a training school? No. Ideal for concealed carry in real world circumstances? Yes.


The snubnose .38 revolver with snag-free hammer might just be the best choice for the defensive problems an armed woman in this society is most likely to face.
a 2"bbl. chiefs special in a hammerles model would make a exelent back up gun. i am going to see if i can find one myself, it makes a exelent cqb gun, no hammer to snag on clothing and for use out to15-20ft is very effective.:pleasantry:
 
When I first considered carrying. I wanted a 9mm revolver, like the Lady Smith snubby .38 you talk about but in 9mm. I found one but then when it was put on order 2 years ago it never came in, still hasn't.

My husband wanted me to have a semi auto and I wanted a revolver as I was comfortable with one,since I have a Rossie .375 mag (It is about 2 foot long. LOL) I also have a .22 revolver again about 2 ft long. Hay I like to accuracy. (I can pick a squirrel out of a tree in the twilight at some distance) I also have a tiny Jennings .22 auto that weighs more than my current carry gun. It is like a little chunk of lead. (I carried it when I went on walks B4 I was legal) But I was worried about carrying a semi auto with a load chambered. I thought revolver empty under the hammer, Then I started learning more about modern weapons, most of what I knew was what my Dad taught me and he learned in WWII.

Now they have safety plates of some kind between the firing pin and the bullet to keep DROP discharge from happening. WHEW, That's good to know Trusting that it will not go off if you do not pull the trigger took me a while. But I got there, (after dropping a few times in the bathroom until I learned not too). I started out with a Kel_Tec P-11 Which took two women and an boy just to pull the trigger back. I quickly got the Ruger LCP.380 Which I love. I could pull the trigger and I could hit the target with it. (I could not keep the Kel-Tec from twisting as I pulled that trigger, and it killed my tennis elbow.)

I got comfortable with the LCP semi auto .380 and it made me a great summer attire gun. But now winter is near and so are thugs with layers of heavy coats and clothes. Could my little .380 get through that leather jacket, vest and long underwear? Maybe not. (Someone pointed this out to me recently)

So what to do? Well how about going to You Tube and watching "Tactical Tim" review CC guns. Cheaper than trying to buy them yourself until you find yours. Other ppl on You Tube also review other guns, so If Tim does not review the one you want to know about then type in the gun name you want to see shot and see if anyone has reviewed it. I watched his bigger gun reviews. I fell in love with the Taurus Millennium PT 745, then I went out and bought the Taurus PT 145. OK so DUH. But no not DUH. I have been carrying it for a week now and have shot it twice, (no not 2 bullets guys lots of bullets 2 different times) it is sighted in now and It is easy to shoot. (maybe easier than the lighter 745, who knows since I never got the 745). It is a little bigger I suppose than the 745 which only holds like 7 rounds. But the trigger pull is a dream, it has a easy to reach thumb safety, you can click it off as you draw with your thumb with a little practice it takes no extra time.

It is a big gun, but not a big gun, my husband has a Ruger P89 9mm and it is much larger and heaver than the Taurus .45.. I do no think it has any more recoil than my Kel-Tec 9mm had. The recoil does not scare me, but it is deafening. I run for my ear plugs when shooting it, even outside.

Now I worry cause the trigger is easier to pull back and what if I knock the safety off accidentally? I think that every time you change weapons no matter what, you have to get used to it, and learn to "trust" it. My .380 turned out to be a great way to get used to carrying an auto. Working the slide etc. I will eventually get a better holster for my Taurus, but the one I have now works ok.

I have heard many ppl say you can see they are not comfortable with that gun, when reading books they talk about how so and so handled the gun as an extension to their hand, etc. I always thought that was kinda silly, but when I got the .380 auto I was very un-smooth with working the slide and just handling it. Now I handle it smoothly. That easily transferred to the Taurus, just a little time and I was handling it ok, Pointing it in the proper direction when working the slide, all that good stuff. I did get my hand caught in the slide yesterday, (not while shooting it of course). OUCH But that was just a stupid mistake. What my hand was doing on top of the Gun when I shut the slide is beyond me.. DUH. Never done that B4. At least it did not SLAM shut on it, it was more a pinch.

What is the best Gun for a woman, the gun she likes best. As long as she considers the power and her accuracy. Never forget in the winter you might want more power in your gun. And if you are afraid of shooting a .45, get ear plugs and rent a Taurus PT 145 at a range. If you do not love it then I Do not know where I am at. man it shoots NICE.. Maybe you can rent a 745 too and let me know if it kicks more or not.

Oh and just so you know, I got the one with the shiny strip on the slide, cause it was PRETTY.
 
My wife and I had a 442 S&W it was a great little gun and if used for its intended purpose, for personal protection, its next to perfect, BUT if you go to the range a lot it will hurt even with plan jane 38 special it give you a good hit, its just to small and lite to shoot a lot, I understand haveing a little worry about a auto not operating correctly, but I have 5 Glocks 3 Taurus a Ruger and a Walther, and would not hesitate to carry any of them, but they all have had in excess of 2000 rds or more thru each of them, without any gun related problem, did try some cheap ammo a couple of times the Glocks did not care what got put in them they shot it, just one Taurus had a bit of a problem with the cheap ammo, as long as it had good brand brass case rds in it there was no problem
 
I'm still looking for the best cc for me. Right now I carry my walther pk .380 which I just love, but i'm in the market for that perfect cc. Any suggestions?
 
my carry of choice is, my walther pk .380. it's a good piece for cc, and it's all i need. nice little gun...for a woman!:pleasantry: i have also looked at some others guns being glocks, kimber1911 .45, colt1911 9mm, and wondering which is gonna be my next purchase. cause a woman can never have .to many cc guns
 
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My favorite is the Sig P232 (.380). It is very concealable, accurate, and easy to shoot. I could fire it all day at the range and not tire of it. My second is a Taurus 709 slim (9mm). It is also very easy to conceal and fire well, although I am considering a trigger job because the pull is so long and heavy. After 50 rounds or so my finger starts to get sore.
 
My wife carries a G-23 with Crimson Trace.I took her to shoot it and she told me on the way home that it was now Hers.. :biggrin:
 

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