Home Defense and Carry Recommendations?

[ZigZagZeke]

So, my daughter went to the LGS and they recommended a very short, stockless, "not-a-shotgun" in .410 or 20 gauge.

Then she called me to see if they were making sense.

I recommended a Mossberg 500 or 590, or a Remington 870 home defense model in 12 gauge.

She said she wanted a .357 Mag wheel gun for CCW. I recommended a Ruger LC9s 9mm, or a S&W M&P in 9mm or .40 cal. She said the larger revolver would be OK since she planned to carry it in a CCW purse. I told her this was a bad idea. What if your purse gets snatched? I told her a fanny pack designed for CCW would be a much better option.

Any other ideas out there?

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[Arlington2018]

I think that given the typical women clothing options (which certainly vary by age or profession), sometimes off body carry in a purse is a viable option and I cannot recall the last time I saw a woman wearing a fanny pack who wasn't jogging. Since I carry a revolver (short-barrel .357) about 50% of the time, I have no problem with a revolver, either. A revolver may be more amenable to prolonged periods without maintenance and better survive the environment of a purse, although I would certainly put the revolver into a pocket holster. As always, the typical advice is for her to go to a range and rent a variety of handguns to see what she likes and what works for her.

 

[No_Regerts]

I have a female coworker that has a hard time concealing her duty weapon. She is 5'10 and maybe 150 lbs. She definitely has that "hour glass" type body shape and its not easy to IWB at 3 or 4 o'clock because of her hips. She doesn't like mom jeans, so she doesnt AIWB either. She has gone to carrying a Shield 45 in a belly band that also holds an extra magazine. It rides up higher on her waist and is covered easily with a T-shirt.

 

[titsonritz]

So, my daughter went to the LGS and they recommended a very short, stockless, "not-a-shotgun" in .410 or 20 gauge. LAME

Then she called me to see if they were making sense. Smart

I recommended a Mossberg 500 or 590, or a Remington 780 home defense model in 12 gauge.

She said she wanted a .357 Mag wheel gun for CCW. I recommended a Ruger LC9s 9mm, or a S&W M&P in 9mm or .40 cal. She said the larger revolver would be OK since she planned to carry it in a CCW purse. I told her this was a bad idea. What if your purse gets snatched? I told her a fanny pack designed for CCW would be a much better option.

Any other ideas out there?

Lot's of other ideas out there but more intel would help zero them in...

What is her experience level with firearms? What level dedication is she willing to put forth on a new weapon?

Has she ever shot a 12ga pump? They are not fun to shot and can be difficult operate under stress.

Has she ever shot a .357 mag revolver? Recoil is severe with small ones, large ones get heavy fast.

Does she have an established budget?

Without out more info my top of head suggestions would be...

For carry: a slim 9mm such as G43, G43X, G48, S&W Shield, Walther PPS, etc.

For Home Defense: a decent quality LW AR with a Red dot and minimum of 500 lumen light.

 

[nammac]

I have a female coworker that has a hard time concealing her duty weapon. She is 5'10 and maybe 150 lbs. She definitely has that "hour glass" type body shape and its not easy to IWB at 3 or 4 o'clock because of her hips. She doesn't like mom jeans, so she doesnt AIWB either. She has gone to carrying a Shield 45 in a belly band that also holds an extra magazine. It rides up higher on her waist and is covered easily with a T-shirt.

View attachment 578505

This is a great option, stoke that Shield 45 with HST, Gold Dots, PDX1's or bonded Golden Sabers and you've got a pretty formiddible package that can do double duty as an EDC as well as home protection.

Yes, I'm partial, have had one as a constant companion for 2+ years. At the end of the day, hands on experience with whatever she's contemplating will be critical. As has been said, the recoil on a 2" .357 revolver with .357 loads is going to be pretty stout... Which could lead to lack of practice. Not a good idea with an EDC.

First rule of EDC, practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Can never have enough trigger time with the firearm you bet your life on...

 

[Lawbider]

Since she wants to carry it:
For revolver a 2" .38 Smith Ladysmith or Ruger LCR.
For pistol a slim 9 as recommended above.
She will be well armed with any of the above.

Common mistake for first time carry folks is to 'over gun', giving them recoil problems at the range, and size/weight problems trying to conceal.

Go with her to the gun store, have her grip a bunch, try on some holsters, get an idea of how they will feel to tote around all day.

Then after she makes her choice, take her to the range to practice, practice and practice some more.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Lot's of other ideas out there but more intel would help zero them in...

What is her experience level with firearms? What level dedication is she willing to put forth on a new weapon?

Has she ever shot a 12ga pump? They are not fun to shot and can be difficult operate under stress.

Has she ever shot a .357 mag revolver? Recoil is severe with small ones, large ones get heavy fast.

Does she have an established budget?

Without out more info my top of head suggestions would be...

For carry: a slim 9mm such as G43, G43X, G48, S&W Shield, Walther PPS, etc.

For Home Defense: a decent quality LW AR with a Red dot and minimum of 500 lumen light.

She has some experience with various weapons. She goes deer hunting and shooting with hubby and kids. I suspect she will have limited access to a range so training may be restricted.

Yes on the 12 gauge, and no on the .357 Mag revolver. That and sheer bulk and weight is why I recommended against it.

Budget is around $500 for each item.

We agree on the S&W Shield (I recommend an external safety for her, but she will have to practice with it). I'm thinking .40 cal for that. Maybe 9mm if recoil or size is an issue. Definitely want her to try out some of the options before choosing.

I still lean toward a shotgun versus the AR for her. The pump is fast and dependable, and a 12gauge load of buckshot does not require precise aim. If recoil is a problem there then maybe a 20 gauge. Certainly not a .410.

 

[titsonritz]

I still lean toward a shotgun versus the AR for her. The pump is fast and dependable, and a 12gauge load of buckshot does not require precise aim. If recoil is a problem there then maybe a 20 gauge. Certainly not a .410.

Stick with Mossberg 500/590 over Rem 870 if buying a new one.

 

[dcfranzen]

My daughter was in the same place three years ago. I recommended she read through the articles in Kathy Jackson's gun blog, Cornered Cat | If you have to fight, fight like a cornered cat., to make a sound decision for herself, hubby, and the kids. She was a lot better informed after reading through many of the articles and felt more confident in finding the best handgun for her.

Unfortunately for me, I took her to the range to show off my newest used pistol, a tungsten gray Walther PPQ 9mm. Her response after shooting just one mag, "Oh Daddy, this would be the perfect early birthday gift for me". She was right. It fit her hand perfectly, had a nice balance, and she was shooting small groups all day.

 

[DB is Here]

Home defense, 12 Gauge pump does the trick. My 4 daughters I've bought them the Ruger LCP .38 for EDC. Just hard to beat these platforms for novice firearm users IMO.

 

[L84Cabo]

There are a lot of factors to consider with respect to home defense. For example, might she need a hand free to operate a phone to call the police...or to help wrangle children? Or does she have enough room in her home to navigate with this stockless weapon? Or is she even competent enough to aim and hit targets with a stockless weapon as the notion that, "you don't have to aim a shotgun, all you have to do is point it in the general direction of the target," is absolute bunk. Or is she capable of competently handling the recoil from a 12 gauge or will the recoil dissuade her from actively practicing/training with the weapon?

What is her experience level like? Because a 12 gauge is not usually the weapon I recommend for novices.

As for carrying, I'm really not a fan of off body carry but I realize a lot of women do it. The first question I would ask her is if she has EVER left her purse somewhere, lost her purse, or had it stolen?

If the answer to any of those questions is "yes," hopefully that is enough to change her mind. If the answer is "no" then I would ask her if she has ever set her purse in the shopping cart basket and turned her back on it to grab something off the shelf? Or has she ever set her purse down anywhere where it is out of her immediate and direct control and there are others around? This could even be in the car. Or what becomes of the gun when she's at home? Will it be locked up each time EVERY time without fail or will it just be sitting in her purse somewhere where her kids could potentially gain access to it? These are all big no no's with purse carry and most people tend to get lax with the security of the weapon in the purse at some point. It's almost unavoidable.

 

[titsonritz]

Home defense, 12 Gauge pump does the trick. My 4 daughters I've bought them the Ruger LCP .38 for EDC. Just hard to beat these platforms for novice firearm users IMO.

You mean LCR.

 

[DB is Here]

You mean LCR.

Yes Sir, good catch.

 

[Alexx1401]

Few, very few, well regularly carry a full size .357. If she really well them bless her, great gun. I too would say if she is dead set on a wheel gun the LCR would be a far better choice. MUCH easier to carry. If the .357 is a bit much good 38's or another caliber is great in the same gun.
For home I take it they were trying to sell her one of the 14" jobs? If so NO!. While they can be good it would be far from my choice. As mentioned one of the 500 or 590's would be far better. Also see if she would like a PCC. There are several now that are VERY nice for this. The good 9mm ammo coming out of one is at .357 performance. With a 15 or more shot mag one of these is a wicked home protection gun. They are not only easy to learn they are a lot fun to practice with. Few will enjoy practice sessions with a shotgun. The PCC's are fun and are something that are cheap, and fun to use at the indoor range.

 

[Lawbider]

one thing that hasn't been described in where you daughter lives...apartment, dorm, house..?

Over penetration that results in an injury or fatality to occupants in another floor, dwelling, etc, become a criminal liability for whoever pulled the trigger regardless of circumstances. Whereas killing a neighbor while defending yourself may not result in a charge of murder, it certainly will incur a charge of involuntary homicide.

For such purposes, hard to beat a .38 loaded with 158 gr wadcutters, or a reduced recoil 12 gauge round loaded with #4 or similar. Both will do the job with less chance of a miss leaving the house.

Conversely, based on testing my own Ruger PCC with various loads and different density targets, missed rounds are sure to punch through your walls and your neighbors exterior walls as well.