Daughter wants a Gun

Glock 42 or Ruger LCR are my go to carry guns most days. Plenty of snub .38s on the market if you go that route.

For autos, the G-42 in .380 is really nice and easy to shoot. Get a Lasermax light/laser combo and some magazine extensions. Perfect for small hands but large enough to handle recoil and be easy to shoot.
 
She’s 27, just finishing an amicable divorce (as amicable as they can be), and is moving from Nashua to Manchester to an apartment that‘s in an OK neighborhood but not immune from violent crime. I asked if she’d like to go to an NRA Refuse to be a Victim class together and she said, how about a gun class instead?

I took her and her younger brother shooting when young, so she’s shot 22 pistols and rifles, and a AR15. My son is just out of the 82nd Airborne as a SAW gunner, so he’s set, and in school down in NC. SIG Academy has excellent courses but is booked solid for months, so I’ll ask a local instructor whom I’ve known for decades for a dad-daughter class at a local commercial range to get started.

She’s pretty slight of stature, but fit and strong, so might manage my SIG P365 or Glock G43. If not, maybe a 380acp - I only have a KelTec P3AT…not a weapon fit for primary use. Her hands would never manage a G19. Are there other good options to consider?

The NRA RTBAV class is still in the plan - there’s so much more to personnel security and self-defense than being able to put holes in a target. She’s been to a Women;s Self-Defense 1-day class with my wife - we’re both martial arts instructors but prefer others teach our kids such skills…who listens to their parents until they turn 40?
12yr old girls shoot g19's in competition and training classes all the time, just saying. Small snappy guns are actually harder to shoot with small hands. S&W shield ez in 9mm would probably be ideal.

She should take the women's pistol 1 & 2 classes at sig academy.
 
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She’s 27, just finishing an amicable divorce (as amicable as they can be), and is moving from Nashua to Manchester to an apartment that‘s in an OK neighborhood but not immune from violent crime. I asked if she’d like to go to an NRA Refuse to be a Victim class together and she said, how about a gun class instead?

I took her and her younger brother shooting when young, so she’s shot 22 pistols and rifles, and a AR15. My son is just out of the 82nd Airborne as a SAW gunner, so he’s set, and in school down in NC. SIG Academy has excellent courses but is booked solid for months, so I’ll ask a local instructor whom I’ve known for decades for a dad-daughter class at a local commercial range to get started.

She’s pretty slight of stature, but fit and strong, so might manage my SIG P365 or Glock G43. If not, maybe a 380acp - I only have a KelTec P3AT…not a weapon fit for primary use. Her hands would never manage a G19. Are there other good options to consider?

The NRA RTBAV class is still in the plan - there’s so much more to personnel security and self-defense than being able to put holes in a target. She’s been to a Women;s Self-Defense 1-day class with my wife - we’re both martial arts instructors but prefer others teach our kids such skills…who listens to their parents until they turn 40?
HI Maverick. I have a Walther CCP M2 that wold bur perfect for her I think. Gas blowback design, very accurate. My wife has passed and it's just an extra gun I don't shoot. Blue frame. LMK if you'd like some pics - Mark
 
+1 to the take her shooting and let her try everything.
Walther PDP-F looks good, but if you're / she is in a hurry, LCR / J-frame is a great stop gap,.

I thought I knew what my wife would want, and 3 guns later I just took her shooting a few times and she found her favorite in a P30.
 
The testosterone is thick here. Try reading what the OP posted!
I asked if she’d like to go to an NRA Refuse to be a Victim class together and she said, how about a gun class instead?
Everyone is recommending/choosing a gun for her, but the young lady smartly asked for a class to perhaps learn the proper way to safely hold, shoot, store and clean a gun. After that, I agree that she should get to try a number of guns that suit her purpose.

There is a very old thread here where @M.Nastek discussed the disaster when he chose the "right gun" for his SO. Denise is also a petite woman (and very competent shooter). I'm an advocate for each person choosing what fits their hand, what they can shoot competently and fits the purpose for which they want to have a handgun. It is for that reason that when I teach, I bring a number of guns for the student to handle and let them select two 9mms to shoot (along with the other guns).
 
The testosterone is thick here. Try reading what the OP posted!

Everyone is recommending/choosing a gun for her, but the young lady smartly asked for a class to perhaps learn the proper way to safely hold, shoot, store and clean a gun. After that, I agree that she should get to try a number of guns that suit her purpose.

There is a very old thread here where @M.Nastek discussed the disaster when he chose the "right gun" for his SO. Denise is also a petite woman (and very competent shooter). I'm an advocate for each person choosing what fits their hand, what they can shoot competently and fits the purpose for which they want to have a handgun. It is for that reason that when I teach, I bring a number of guns for the student to handle and let them select two 9mms to shoot (along with the other guns).
It's almost like you're a teacher who wants his students to succeed ;)

(In defense of some, there's also a bit of "these products exist to look at," but less)
 
My Private Mail is crowded with offers for teaching, try-outs, etc., from many NES members - all very much appreciated! It’ll take some time to sort a plan and schedule among us three family members with day jobs. Until she has training and decides whether to carry and/or keep a gun in her apartment, the safety & security effort is more RTBAV than guns.

The first thing we’ll do when the apartment manager gives her (us) a detailed tour of the apartment and building, is do a lights and locks evaluation, and plan to bulk those up as needed. Then, we’ll review the path from parking to apartment door, looking at corners, blind spots, etc., with intent to plan the entry or retreat if necessary. And scope out the laundry room and storage area. Best thing she can do is find another woman at the complex and plan to do laundry and visit storage areas together.

We’ll practice some OC sprays, alarms, flashlights, hand-to-hand self-defense options too.
 
My two cents Len-2A Training nailed it... get her into the class she asked for and let her choose. I'll give some frame of reference also. My daughter is starting to want to shoot more. She is a college athlete so very capable for a strength and conditioning perspective but also slight in frame (Soccer player, but only 5 foot nothing). She didn't really enjoy any of the pistols I had other than the HK P30L... The reason that I would never have thought of was not only fit, but the mag release. She was having difficultly getting to the mag release on every pistol I had, but with the paddles on a HK it was very easy for her. I'm not saying the HK is the gun for your daughter...but don't try to introduce your bias into the equation. We have all picked up certain guns over the years that just feel right. Help guide her through the world you know well. I'm waiting for the day mine can take the class and carry her own.
 
It's almost like you're a teacher who wants his students to succeed ;)

(In defense of some, there's also a bit of "these products exist to look at," but less)
Absolutely! Many of my MA gun law seminars and NRA PPIH/PPOH classes were for 1 or 2 students. Economically, it makes no sense to run a class for 1 or 2 students, but my objective is to help train people who want to learn, money is secondary.
 
before I purchase anything, I head down to MFS in Holliston and rent it out from their armory if they have it. Look around your local range armory.
 
why don't you let her decide what she can function with? i've always been amazed when men pick the pistol a woman should have. the gun edition of mansplaining.
My girlfriend's favorite gun is a 1911 in .45.

Let them rent the barbaric cute stuff enough to get them to figure out that "small and cute" means "unmanageable in most cases" and let the balls fall in line from there.

Personally, I'd push towards a baby 1911 or a p30sk, but I'd also figure out if this was going to be a EDC or home defense gun. If home defense I'd stick with a pistol caliber carbine, if its a carry I'd figure out whether she intends to let it roam the world slightly tethered to reality in a pocketbook or on her persons where it belongs.
 
My Private Mail is crowded with offers for teaching, try-outs, etc., from many NES members - all very much appreciated! It’ll take some time to sort a plan and schedule among us three family members with day jobs. Until she has training and decides whether to carry and/or keep a gun in her apartment, the safety & security effort is more RTBAV than guns.

The first thing we’ll do when the apartment manager gives her (us) a detailed tour of the apartment and building, is do a lights and locks evaluation, and plan to bulk those up as needed. Then, we’ll review the path from parking to apartment door, looking at corners, blind spots, etc., with intent to plan the entry or retreat if necessary. And scope out the laundry room and storage area. Best thing she can do is find another woman at the complex and plan to do laundry and visit storage areas together.

We’ll practice some OC sprays, alarms, flashlights, hand-to-hand self-defense options too.
I would be willing to run RTBAV on-site for her if that is what you'd want. RTBAV is not a gun class, but NRA allows us to add a classroom component with a discussion about firearms if the student desires it. Manchester is only "up the street" from me.

NRA Range Officer class is the most boring class you can imagine. It was a one-day class when I took it. When I learned that Jon Green runs it as a two-day class, I had a conversation with him. He told me that he expands the class to be interactive with each student evaluating the range relative to the course material. The students really learn and love his approach to the subject matter. Running a private RTBAV class on-site gives a very practical education directed to the actual situation and needs of the student. Give that some thought.
 
My girlfriend's favorite gun is a 1911 in .45.

Let them rent the barbaric cute stuff enough to get them to figure out that "small and cute" means "unmanageable in most cases" and let the balls fall in line from there.

Personally, I'd push towards a baby 1911 or a p30sk, but I'd also figure out if this was going to be a EDC or home defense gun. If home defense I'd stick with a pistol caliber carbine, if its a carry I'd figure out whether she intends to let it roam the world slightly tethered to reality in a pocketbook or on her persons where it belongs.
Besides maneuverability of a long gun in an apartment or house . . .

Do you have any idea how many apartments a bullet from a pistol caliber carbine will go thru if fired in an apartment? Remember, there is an attorney attached to every bullet coming out of the gun!!!!
 
Besides maneuverability of a long gun in an apartment or house . . .

Do you have any idea how many apartments a bullet from a pistol caliber carbine will go thru if fired in an apartment? Remember, there is an attorney attached to every bullet coming out of the gun!!!!
Handgun isn't going to be much different in an apartment, but on the end of the day I'd rather be more accurate with the short rifle and not worry about the recoil than I would about the lawsuit I might recieve while dead.
 
What's with the common recommendation for a young woman to get a 'snubby' as a first gun? For a noob it's incredibly difficult to master and the bark and recoil might not be fun for some. Go G4Y4HK and get a P30SK. The second amendment only goes up to ten in MA for new guns so might as well find something designed for 10+1.

Why DAO? Their triggers are usually so stiff that I can't imagine most people, particularly smaller ones, being able to hit anything.
Agreed. When my daughters shoot my revolvers, they always shoot in SA. FWIW, they love my 351PD. Both of them asked for it, LOL. They are not easy to find, though.
 

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Agreed. When my daughters shoot my revolvers, they always shoot in SA. FWIW, they love my 351PD. Both of them asked for it, LOL. They are not easy to find, though.
The concept here is self-defense, either in an at-home or on-the-street environment, or both (exactly which is still being defined). In either of those high-stress, adrenaline-pumping scenarios, do you want someone running around with a revolver in a single-action mode? I sure don't.
 
Besides maneuverability of a long gun in an apartment or house . . .

Do you have any idea how many apartments a bullet from a pistol caliber carbine will go thru if fired in an apartment? Remember, there is an attorney attached to every bullet coming out of the gun!!!!

In the breonna Taylor drug raid in Louisville, one of the charges against the cop in that raid was for a round going through the wall and into a neighboring apartment. The cop was acquitted but in a different jurisdiction and without the police union paying for a good defense lawyer, could have easily been a conviction.

The TV show first 48 which covers real murder investigations, had a case of a double homicide with a 9mm Keltec carbine. A guy selling a cellphone was jumped and nearly robbed. The 4 perps fled across a parking lot in their getaway car. Victim fired a few shots at the fleeing car. One bullet hit a backseat passenger in head while he was leaning forward ducking, and was a through shot and hit the next passenger in the chest. One shot, 2 dead from probably 30-50 yards. I think the bullet went through the door prior to the 2 hits too.
 
I noticed that two of the women who posted in this thread both liked the Sig P238 in 380. Although it is a great little pistol, they are getting scarce. I believe that Sig only offers one P238 model now and looks like it's going out like the dinosaur. It's too bad because it is an excellent pistol for most women.
 
I noticed that two of the women who posted in this thread both liked the Sig P238 in 380. Although it is a great little pistol, they are getting scarce. I believe that Sig only offers one P238 model now and looks like it's going out like the dinosaur. It's too bad because it is an excellent pistol for most women.
Isn't Colt making the 380 Mustang again? The Sig P238 was pretty much a copy of that I think.
 
Depending on what she's intending to do with it , home defense or carry .
If it's carry then considering how can be an issue to deal with .
It's a little trickier with a small framed person and if it becomes a pain in the ass she won't.
Might take some trial and error to find that right fit.
Although some will disagree with me (and that's ok ) I have always taught my students off body carry is a horrible idea.
That purse is going to be the first thing you lose in a struggle or robbery.

The other thing is practice.
I know many people who buy a gun , hit the range a couple of times and think they are done.
There have been a few people who have bought it because at the moment of truth they can't even remember how to flip off the safety.
Might be a good opportunity for some Dad /Daughter bonding time at the range anyway.
Never too much of that .
 
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Why DAO? Their triggers are usually so stiff that I can't imagine most people, particularly smaller ones, being able to hit anything.
Man, I'd love to watch you shoot my old 96D Baretta. Nothing, and I mean nothing, on the market has a 'stiff' trigger after that colossal POS. Trigger pull took until Tuesday if you started on Sunday and was 12-14 lbs all the way. Best gun the INS could put in the field, so they told me.
 
The testosterone is thick here. Try reading what the OP posted!

Everyone is recommending/choosing a gun for her, but the young lady smartly asked for a class to perhaps learn the proper way to safely hold, shoot, store and clean a gun. After that, I agree that she should get to try a number of guns that suit her purpose.

There is a very old thread here where @M.Nastek discussed the disaster when he chose the "right gun" for his SO. Denise is also a petite woman (and very competent shooter). I'm an advocate for each person choosing what fits their hand, what they can shoot competently and fits the purpose for which they want to have a handgun. It is for that reason that when I teach, I bring a number of guns for the student to handle and let them select two 9mms to shoot (along with the other guns).
Easy there, no need to get all rational in a 'Chick wants a gun' thread.
 
We’ll practice some OC sprays, alarms, flashlights, hand-to-hand self-defense options too.
In all seriousness:
About 1/2 the time OC was used near me, it ended up all over me. It just sucks, just like a campfire, the wind will shift mid spray.
Hand to hand should be eyes, neck, nuts, run. Anything beyond that, she's sticking around for a fight she probably can't win. I'd say that about probably 1/2 of the men in the general population as well.
 
Depending on what she's intending to do with it , home defense or carry .
If it's carry then considering how can be an issue to deal with .
It's a little trickier with a small framed person and if it becomes a pain in the ass she won't.
Might take some trial and error to find that right fit.
Although some will disagree with me (and that's ok ) I have always taught my students off body carry is a horrible idea.
That purse is going to be the first think you lose in a struggle or robbery.

The other thing is practice.
I know many people who buy a gun , hit the range a couple of times and think they are done.
There have been a few people who have bought it because at the moment of truth they can't even remember how to flip off the safety.
Might be a good opportunity for some Dad /Daughter bonding time at the range anyway.
Never too much of that .
I'd go along with off body carry being 'bad'. If you can just give up your purse and run, let it gooooooooo. If that doesn't work, you just gave up your gun, or gave a gun to someone 'bad'.

I've said before, the idea you're going to draw, from concealment, faster than a guy who has the drop on you, simply probably isn't based in fact unless you really train. FAMs are the only people I've ever met that dedicated significant time to that particular skill.

There are tons of options, belly bands, holsters, all kinds of stuff to carry comfortably on your body.
 
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