New member , looking to get my first gun

[Muss Muggins]

Buy a S&W 442 or 642 revolver . . .

 

[jimgoldth]

Hi shirleyk,

A warm welcome to the forum.

Visit often.

 

[shirleyk]

Nothing wrong with that gun at all, but... What do you think about it? Do you like the size of it? If that is the main factor, we can suggest guns in that size. Are you attached to 380 specifically? There are many good 380's.

Forum members can be a very particular bunch, and I don't want you to be chased away from carrying, because someone on a forum somewhere said that you must have X (a 30 round magazine), Y (no round smaller than 40 cal), and Z (a crossbreed holster with ostrich trim) in order to not 'get kilt in da streetz'.

I am being partially facetious here, but some people online will have you thinking they are Rambo incarnate.

The advice I have is to:

1. pick something that is comfortable enough for you to shoot, that you actually have fun with it at the range. Guns that are not fun, don't get shot, and guns that don't get shot are not accurate in the hands of their owners (due to lack of practice).

2. Have a gun that you can carry daily. I have a friend who served in the Army, a combat vet. He bought a giant Beretta 92. Super fun gun to shoot at the range, but.... My friend didn't have his army kit anymore state side. No body armour, no LBE, no outside holster, etc. He is a gym rat who wears tight muscle/fitness shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots. So, that giant Beretta 92 never got carried, and he was not armed. Well, after some talking, he bought a Beretta Tom Cat .32 ACP. He was armed every single day. Would I carry that? No. But his life style, dress, and activities are different than mine, and he was always armed. That is enough. That is the secret recipe.

That is the only advice I have for protecting yourself. Carry a gun, and try to make the chore fun by having a gun that you can tolerate practicing with often at the range.

Keep in mind that these are my opinions and that I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

I like how the gun feels in my hand, I have held it multiple time, at my.class I even shot one 3 times. Liked how it shot , i like that its light weight also

My son bought a echelon , its nice, but heavy, even in my carry purse its heavy

 

[rwsmith]

I like how the gun feels in my hand, I have held it multiple time, at my.class I even shot one 3 times. Liked how it shot , i like that its light weight also

My son bought a echelon , its nice, but heavy, even in my carry purse its heavy

How about racking the slide?

The Echelon is probably a great range gun. I like my 9mm Shield for SD but I also have a Shield 9mm EZ that I'm sitting on right now.

 

[MTK20]

I like how the gun feels in my hand, I have held it multiple time, at my.class I even shot one 3 times. Liked how it shot , i like that its light weight also

My son bought a echelon , its nice, but heavy, even in my carry purse its heavy

All good things. If you like how it shoots and how it feels, that might be for you!

My partner carries a Glock 19. She is fairly tall and found a method of carry that works for her. She shoots fairly well with it and I feel comfortable with her skill level and the size of round and capacity.

Let me know what you end up buying!

 

[Tazman11]

Larger guns are easier to shoot accurately than smaller guns, as a rule. My wife carry's a small 1911 Kimber 9mm and she struggles to get hits on target, granted we are shooting 8" steel at 15 yards. When she shoots my full sized 1911s in 45 she does much better and even impresses me with her abilities. Training is critical although you can do it in small steps. I recommend a Ladies only class as I think you will have a better learning experience. I was a NRA instructor and really enjoyed teaching the ladies class much more than the men's. Sorry guys but you tend to know everything even in the beginners class.

If you have friends that shoot, maybe you can talk them into a trip to the range. Also, revolvers are a great starting point. They are simple, don't have lots of levers or safety's. A 38/357 revolver would never be a bad choice and you can learn with the lighter 38 special loads and transition to 357 when ready.

Come to Idaho (maybe you are already here) and my wife and I will take you to the range and allow you to experience guns of different flavors. Glad to see women on the forum as you add class to the group. Welcome.

 

[shirleyk]

Nothing wrong with that gun at all, but... What do you think about it? Do you like the size of it? If that is the main factor, we can suggest guns in that size. Are you attached to 380 specifically? There are many good 380's.

Forum members can be a very particular bunch, and I don't want you to be chased away from carrying, because someone on a forum somewhere said that you must have X (a 30 round magazine), Y (no round smaller than 40 cal), and Z (a crossbreed holster with ostrich trim) in order to not 'get kilt in da streetz'.

I am being partially facetious here, but some people online will have you thinking they are Rambo incarnate.

The advice I have is to:

1. pick something that is comfortable enough for you to shoot, that you actually have fun with it at the range. Guns that are not fun, don't get shot, and guns that don't get shot are not accurate in the hands of their owners (due to lack of practice).

2. Have a gun that you can carry daily. I have a friend who served in the Army, a combat vet. He bought a giant Beretta 92. Super fun gun to shoot at the range, but.... My friend didn't have his army kit anymore state side. No body armour, no LBE, no outside holster, etc. He is a gym rat who wears tight muscle/fitness shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots. So, that giant Beretta 92 never got carried, and he was not armed. Well, after some talking, he bought a Beretta Tom Cat .32 ACP. He was armed every single day. Would I carry that? No. But his life style, dress, and activities are different than mine, and he was always armed. That is enough. That is the secret recipe.

That is the only advice I have for protecting yourself. Carry a gun, and try to make the chore fun by having a gun that you can tolerate practicing with often at the range.

Keep in mind that these are my opinions and that I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

I like how the gun feels in my hand, I have held it multiple time, at my.class I even shot one 3 times. Liked how it shot , i like that its light weight also

My son bought a

Larger guns are easier to shoot accurately than smaller guns, as a rule. My wife carry's a small 1911 Kimber 9mm and she struggles to get hits on target, granted we are shooting 8" steel at 15 yards. When she shoots my full sized 1911s in 45 she does much better and even impresses me with her abilities. Training is critical although you can do it in small steps. I recommend a Ladies only class as I think you will have a better learning experience. I was a NRA instructor and really enjoyed teaching the ladies class much more than the men's. Sorry guys but you tend to know everything even in the beginners class.

If you have friends that shoot, maybe you can talk them into a trip to the range. Also, revolvers are a great starting point. They are simple, don't have lots of levers or safety's. A 38/357 revolver would never be a bad choice and you can learn with the lighter 38 special loads and transition to 357 when ready.

Come to Idaho (maybe you are already here) and my wife and I will take you to the range and allow you to experience guns of different flavors. Glad to see women on the forum as you add class to the group. Welcome.

I wish I was in Idaho, I would take you up on the offer, ill look and see if there are any ladies classes around me, there are no ladies I know who shot or have guns.

 

[Alton]

First of all welcome to the site. Of the three women who I learned how to shoot who had never shot before, all three selected revolvers. Only one is carrying in her purse and that is a model 60 lady smith. Only you can pick what you want to shoot and feel comfortable with. So keep trying pistols or try a revolver to see what works best.

 

[jimgoldth]

Hi shileyk,

A warm welcome to the forum.

Visit often.

 

[snubbyfan]