The Saga of finding a Home defense weapon for the (non shooter) wife My wife has ,and likes to shoot my 22s, BB guns with the G-son etc but is in no way a (shooter)-with that said, she stated that since we live out in the country (thank God) when I'm away she is uncomfortable and would like to have a defense weapon to fall back on //. First I bought a 380 Auto(Nurser) nice gun but with a very stiff slide, safety , de cocker it became clear that in the heat of “battle” ( a month after any practice) she could NEVER handle this type weapon //. Next I bought a Taurus 941-22 Mag (9 shot) real nice”€to heavy to carry concealed however- The dbl action trigger was way more then she could work/// Even cocking the hammer was tough// Now after lots of reading about the NEW Ruger LCR and LCRX I first bought the LCRX in 38 spec. for Me// Hence all the reloading posts etc. I'm having a great time . I then picked up an LCR in 22 mag. For the wife. After 2 sessions trying to shoot it 7 yds two 16” silhouette targets ”€œNOT GOOD/// I took it to the dealer who agreed it was far to stiff (17 lbs ) so we sent it over to Ruger”€they responded--- “there is nothing we can do with the 22 mag. It needs a very hvy stricker for 100% fire//// We will however exchange it for a 38 or 357 LCR or a 38 or 357 LCRX no charge. So I have another 38 spec. LCRX coming . ( they say they can tweek the 38s to ease the pull////) So now back to casting 38s and loading some nice lite loads for her to practice with/// Then get the 3 daughters to get interested // I think I should include a cpl comments by the dealer to my wife // He looked her in the Eye and said “Now understand, you MUST be willing to shoot to KILL an attacker/// If not I wont sell you this gun Because an attacker will take it away from you and Kill YOU WITH IT////----GREAT ADVICE ////-She thought for a second and said “I Understand” . Perry
A Home defence gun for the wife
- 1.8K Views
- Last Post 10 August 2016
I think the 38spl is a very good choice for the intended purpose. Gp
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How about a nice short 20ga. double or pump gun. It is much easier to hit the target with and has a much greater “OH DEAR” factor for the aggressor. No body in their right mind or even the crazy ones wants to go into the cave that big bear is about to come out of, and if she chooses the pump the sound of it being racked is better than any rattlesnake rattle. Brodie
B.E.Brickey
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I'am with ole Brodie, A shotgun would make the most sense. A scared non shooter with a semi auto handgun is a recipe for disaster. Shock and awe with a short barreled shotgun. It would also be usefull to blow the arse off some varmint in the garden. Frank C.
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Since you mentioned concealability, the Ruger LC9 could be an option. One of the things I like about it for a “non shooter” is that it's double action trigger makes accidental discharge less likely. It is also quite pleasant to shoot for a smaller 9mm.
John Carlson. CBA Director of Military Competition.
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one thing not mentioned often is that when she is home alone and
there is a knock on the door
not many people will drag a shotgun to the door ...
nothing like a small pistol close at hand at such times...
but then you should have a pump shotgun stashed handy also...
sorry, it ain't 1956 anymore ...
whatever she chooses, practice often ... 3 minutes a week are better than 3 hours one time and then never again ...
in the past year of 3 gals i have worked with ...all 3 picked the 38 ladysmith ... couldn't rack the autos... they loved the 38 wadcutters i used.. they wanted to keep shooting...
ken
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That's a good point Ken. Let us face facts here: we are dealing with an individual who has no practical history with fire arms. She is not physically strong (has trouble with trigger pulls and racking slides), and she is home alone and fearful. I would suggest a 22 revolver or semi automatic (she can leave the chamber loaded) . I suggest a 22rf because she is probably recoil shy also. She can carry the pistol on her person around the house and out in the yard and leave the shotgun in the bedroom closet. If you load the 22 with high speed hollow points they will make a mess out of any flesh they hit. The best suggestion I have seen here Ken made: “take her out to practice” AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. A 500 S&W isn't worth a darn if it doesn't hit the target. Personally, I would rather see her armed with a 22 mag or 38special, or 9mm, but the little CCI Mini Mags zipped right through a police soft vest back in the 80's when they first came out. My friend Ed Davenport tried them and 22 magnums. Ed was the armorer for the Long Beach Calif. SWAT team at the time.\ Brodie
B.E.Brickey
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My vote is for the 22 she likes, with one by the front door, one by the back door and one by the bed. Shoot every week!
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I vote again for the .38. My wife keeps a taurus .357 tracker next to the bed and a throwing hawk near the door. It is loaded with 7 full power .38 double end wadcutters. She did two hitches in the Navy and had a top secret clearance. She was checked out on the .45. She practices by lying on her back in the drive-way (rural folks here) because that is how she would be positioned if someone came in at night. Me, “Don't shoot your feet off honey."
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We have ended up with the LCR 2” 38 special--Wife has shot now 3 times and is getting used to it-- 7 yds-holding 6” single action and about 12” dbl action shooting reloads 129 gr rn with 4.0 gr Acu-Comp very mild///
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I vote again for the .38. My wife keeps a taurus .357 tracker next to the bed and a throwing hawk near the door. It is loaded with 7 full power .38 double end wadcutters. She did two hitches in the Navy and had a top secret clearance. She was checked out on the .45. She practices by lying on her back in the drive-way (rural folks here) because that is how she would be positioned if someone came in at night. Me, “Don't shoot your feet off honey."
Does she get extra credit or “coup” if she takes down the intruder with the tomahawk, not firing a shot?
:dude:
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I vote again for the .38. My wife keeps a taurus .357 tracker next to the bed and a throwing hawk near the door. It is loaded with 7 full power .38 double end wadcutters. She did two hitches in the Navy and had a top secret clearance. She was checked out on the .45. She practices by lying on her back in the drive-way (rural folks here) because that is how she would be positioned if someone came in at night. Me, “Don't shoot your feet off honey."
Be sure to tell her that most break-ins in rural areas occur during the day and the driveway practice may not be the best method. Maybe place a sofa out in the yard and let her have a go at that! How about a TV tuner in one hand and the handgun in the other for starters followed by a phone against the ear, a PBR in the strong hand firing with the weak. Ole Jeff Cooper would be impressed!
Dale Flinchum
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There are 100s of scenarios that can't be covered- The purpose is to provide good in house protection and PEACE OF MIND. As we practice I can see she is more and more comfortable with the whole issue/// I do think I may give her my 3” and trade in the 2” for another--The diff. between them is HUGE //
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She should use which ever she is most comfortable with and shoots best. A lot of us forget how “personal” the selection of a firearm can be for someone who has not shot all their lives. I applaud your efforts JPnewhampshire congratulations and keep up the good work. Brodie
B.E.Brickey
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Food for thought...a lot of ladies can work the slide on a 22 RF but not a centerfire. There is something to be said for putting 5 mini-mags center mass rapidly and still having 5 more as a backup. That is assuming a 10 shot magazine. Wife is very accurate with her Ruger SR-22. She also runs drills of “2 to the body & 1 to the head.Yes she can handle a 38 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaj-frame and my 45 but prefers her 22.
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I keep a shotty on my side of the bed and my wife has my Marlin Camp 45 carbine on her side. Trained to pop the safety off as it comes up. No recoil, negligible noise, easy to aim and hit with. 8 rounds of Gold Dots.
Match Director
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I think the .38 special in a revolver is the way to go. I also think pump shotguns are NOT the way to go unless you are very familiar with and use them regularly. I see so many people come to shoot skeet or sporting clays with pumps who short shuck or forget to pump after the first shot. I can almost guarantee an inexperienced shooter will short shuck or forget to pump under the pressure of a doubles target. What do you think will happen under the pressure of a life and death situation? If a shotgun is your choice my advice would be get a semi auto.
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Since I started this post I have purchased 2 Ruger LCRx 38 specials== one 2” with lazer for the bedroom and one 3” as a carry for me ( I will have a lazer soon $$ -- Perry My wife likes to shoot and with her eye situation the lazer is perfact---3-4” groups at 10 yds --soda cans from a forearm rest 3 for 3 at 10 yds-- good fun and good practice///
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