You may enjoy Kathy Jackson's blog. Good info for everyone. https://www.corneredcat.com/article/introduction/about-the-author/
I'm going to digress from one comment above, that you should avoid taking a concealed carry class. Yes the emphasis there is not on range practice, but said classes do go fairly deep into the laws governing self defense with firearms, whether at home or out and about. You may have no desire to carry a gun, and you likely would not take the next step and apply for the carry permit, but it is just as important as knowing HOW to shoot that you also learn WHEN to shoot -- and when not to. Those classes will clarify that for you.
Lots of good information and opinions here. Kudos to the OP for seeking advice. Keep researching and try several options. No one knows everything even if they try to convince you otherwise.
True dat
https://www.agirlandagun.org/cat/ok-oklahoma-city/
If you would rather have someone outside your family to teach you to shoot, this is an organization for women run by women to help women be comfortable shooting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you would rather have someone outside your family to teach you to shoot, this is an organization for women run by women to help women be comfortable shooting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Big Boys Guns in Mustang has a Ladies Night...and a well qualified female instructor....in my experience, they are a "no BS" business, and will listen to their customers' needs, and make meaningful recommendations. No force fitting. I have visited with a few ladies who took their classes there, and they were very happy with the results and outcomes.
I will only echo what many have suggested.... 1) LEARN gun handling and SAFETY FIRST....2) Get a weapon that fits you, and that you will learn to use properly enough to build the confidence you need.... 3) Take a course, or find a home-defense mentor to discuss the tactics and procedures/processes you will need to train on for various home defense scenarios in YOUR HOME. YOU have to know ahead of time where and what you will do with your children while you locate and arm yourself.
ANYTHING that you do will be LONG before the 911 dispatcher sends officers to you. NO ONE will be at your house in the 10-30 seconds all this home invasion crap takes. BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE and mental discipline to SHOOT the intruder(s). You cannot hesitate.
I will only echo what many have suggested.... 1) LEARN gun handling and SAFETY FIRST....2) Get a weapon that fits you, and that you will learn to use properly enough to build the confidence you need.... 3) Take a course, or find a home-defense mentor to discuss the tactics and procedures/processes you will need to train on for various home defense scenarios in YOUR HOME. YOU have to know ahead of time where and what you will do with your children while you locate and arm yourself.
ANYTHING that you do will be LONG before the 911 dispatcher sends officers to you. NO ONE will be at your house in the 10-30 seconds all this home invasion crap takes. BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE and mental discipline to SHOOT the intruder(s). You cannot hesitate.
Good advice except the revolver part. Id love to hear your reasoning for saying the revolver isn't a good choice for someone that hasn't ever shot a gun.Welcome to the forum. Please excuse my typos/grammar as I try to do this from my phone.
Congratulations for considering the need to take primary responsibility for the protection of you and your family. I'm addressing your questions as I would to someone that is taking a very serious interest in doing so vs someone just "buying a handgun for protection.
You will see a lot of different opinions on these questions. My opinions on the subject come from many different applications of firearms. Derived from my experiences of about 14 years combined in reserve law enforcement, informally teaching new shooters before I was "qualified" to do so, several hundred hours of classes in LE and civilian settings, NRA Instructor course, Oklahoma CLEET and SDA instructor Certified, 2 instructor courses and an advanced instructor course from what I consider members of the top of their field, and many years of research on the subject(s). I have a pretty strong opinion on the subject be cause I am right!!
A 9mm is an excellent choice, I agree 100%. Ammo selection is a factor, but it very capable as a self-defense round. However that is only part of the requirements. I suggest a full sized (or near full-sized), polymer framed, striker fired, double stack magazine, without a manual safety. The acceptance and/or issuing by major law enforcement agencies is a good way to qualify your choice. Examples in no particular order Glock 17/19, S&W M&P FS, SIG P320, Walther PPQ M2, Springfield XDM, and HK VP9.
It is very important to choose one that fits you. This is part of the problem I regularly see with many people but is more common in women. A handgun is purchased and then the shooter struggles trying to learn with a gun that is not optimum for their needs. Most common Is a small gun is selected that is harder to get a good grip on. And because of its size (weight) there will be more felt recoil to the shooter. You are not trying to conceal this (yet) so that removes some of the desire of a smaller gun. Many of the guns I mentioned above can be changed to better fit smaller or larger hands.
Realize that your first choice in a firearm may be wrong. It's not a dog or kid you are stuck with. Be willing to trade for something that works better for you later. As you progress through training you will realize your needs. There are rental options, loaners from friends/relatives/instructors,etc. I'd suggest getting involved with "the well armed women". Most chapters meet monthly and there are lots of opportunities to experiment with different firearms. Don't get in a hurry to buy one.
Additionally you really need to budget additional equipment along the way. A very study gun belt and quality holster., 2+ spare magazines, eye and ear protection. The belt and holster would be helpful even with home protection. Herding small children might be much easier and safer with a holstered firearm if actual presentation is not needed at that exact time. Such as immediately after the threat has diminished but before the Calvary has arrived. Again it is important to get information from someone qualified to make recommendations an these items as well.
There are several locking boxes that can be used when the firearm is not in the safe or on your person. Cabelas, Bass Pro, Academy, and H&H all have some decent examples to pick from with different levels of access and protection.
Classes: Just in case I have not hurt enough feeling with my opinions above, I'm going to take care of it now.
1. No, you are not required by law to have classes or permits for home protection.
2. The majority of the police officers I have been exposed to would not be my first choice if I was the captain picking team members for a gunfight like you would a high-school dodgeball game. It is sad but pretty accurate statement. There are exceptions, but I have seen so many performance issues in annual or bi-annual qualifications that I stand firm in my statement. Most only fire their firearm once or twice a year during these qualification sessions and it shows.
3. Civilian vs Law enforcement training differ in many aspects. As a civilian, I should have ZERO interested in the apprehension of an offender. I want an immediate stop to the threat of myself or my family. There are many instances where an LEO would be just in pointing a firearm that would result in charges for a civilian. The person providing the training needs to be familiar with methods that are "civilian friendly". While retreat is not usually a LEO option, many times it is the best option for a civilian.
4. Even if the officer (or civilian) is an excellent marksman that does not mean he is qualified as an instructor.
5. "NRA instructor" certifications are too easy to obtain and should not be the basis of choosing an instructor by itself.
6. Building correct skills from the start is extremely important. We build muscle memory in performing the tasks. It is much easier building proper skills than it is to break bad habits.
7. Family members (and friends) don't always make the best instructors for adults. Feelings get hurt and/or they may let things slide to prevent hurt feeling. If you are screwing up, you need to know right now. It is even more critical if it is a safety issue. Not a screaming drill Sergeant style chewing, but a caring conveyance of the issue.
8. Training needs to be very structured and build on previous techniques. The previous skills are constantly reinforced as you add new skills.
9. Training with new shooters needs to occur in small chunks. 1-4 hours with a mix of presentation and range time. I see new shooters overwhelmed in 8 hour courses. They are usually overwhelmed the last half of the day. They make mistakes and continue to reinforce those mistakes by continuing. Choose carefully so that you get the desired results for the time and money you invest.
Now I'm going to change from hurting feelings to straight out offending people:
When I hear someone say to get a revolver as a primary self-defense firearm, I pretty much discount everything they say on the subject. About the same as those that say 22/.25/.32 is adequate for self defense. I suggest you do the same.
Take 10 minutes and watch this video interview with Tom Givens. While one portion addresses CCW, it still applies.
PM me if you want specific recommendations. I have no intent on taking a student on for lessons, but would be more than happy to point you the right direction.
Lack of good sights, caliber choice, poor/heavy trigger pull, grip fit, difficult to reload, etc.
Did you see the video? Starting at 4:13 Tom starts discussing revolvers.
Revolvers are typically limited to 5-6 rounds vs 15-18 for a recommended semi-auto. The number of thugs involved in crimes is increasing. The number of rounds needed to stop a person that has set his mind to hurt you could easily exceed 3-4.
The trigger pull on a revolver is significantly heavier and longer than that of a striker fired semi-auto. This causes significant training to overcome. In many cases people don’t have the strength to pull the long heavy trigger without disrupting their sight picture.
When considering quality firearms suitable for duty carry, the price of a quality revolver is more than a semi-auto. Same in the used market. And likely the same when considering “bargain” firearms that I do not think are suitable for self-defense.
Reloading in a self-defense situation is much more difficult. If you are reloading, you’re not shooting. In classes I attend, I see fairly new students easily reloading semi-autos in 3-5 seconds under stress. That is just not going to happen with a revolver.
Getting a proper grip on a revolver seems to be much harder to master than on a semi-auto.
Revolvers are typically noted as being easier to operate and more reliable. I disagree and I think most respected firearm trainers would take my side. These are some of the reasons most law enforcement have long ago moved to semi-autos.
I attended an instructors class where most of the students were already instructors and some who pretty known in the firearms training. We did a segment with revolvers at about 3-4 yards. The targets were pretty ugly considering what we had been doing with semi-autos from 15, 25, and 50 yards. While most of them do not fire revolvers regularly, we are talking about very experienced shooters.
Yes just watched the video, Looks like even Tom has forgot some of the reality of new shooters.
I will agree with your advice on those Autos for some situations but to say that a revolver is not a good choice or to discount anything from someone suggesting a revolver for someone that has never shot a gun tells me that you’re not as experienced in home defense/ and or training as you think. All 6 new female shooters that I have seen start with Autos see failures due to user error, limp-wristing and getting a stove-pipe or failure to feed, or issues with loading the magazine. Then switch over to a revolver and say that’s better I like this one. A reliable Auto pistol is still highly likely to jam when limp wristed. In most cases women do not get training/shoot as much as you probably do.
A lot of new shooters get learn how to shoot their new Auto then fail to continue, then when they feel like they may go shoot again have a hard time remembering the operation/function of the Auto. After learning how to operate the revolver they are more than likely to fully operate safely. Most women get very comfortable very quickly with a revolver. Pulls the trigger it goes bang.
While no gun (mechanism) are immune to problems, revolvers suffer far less and don’t need 400 to 1,000 rounds to prove the chosen ammo/gun is a reliable combo, as some experts suggest.
I will agree if the new shooter does the training/shooting/ practice required to be efficient/safe/knowledgeable/etc with an Auto pistol then it is a great defense weapon and in a lot of cases may be the best defense weapon. But in most cases of a new shooter particular a female the revolver is the best weapon to start with in my opinion.
Here are just a few reasons to choose a revolver
With a revolver if you get a click instead of a bang you just pull the trigger again.
A dry, unmaintained revolver will most likely fire more rounds then an Auto pistol in the same condition.
Some Auto pistol requires mag/ammo rotation so mag spring won’t weaken.
Another family member can take your revolver and continue the fight, not so ease with most Auto pistols.
Revolvers are typically better for anyone with limited hand dexterity or strength and anyone who is not going to practice. Pistol slides, control levers and loading mags could be extremely difficult, under stress, if not impossible.
.
Minimum maintenance.
Superior reliability, Can’t double feed, Fail to feed, Stovepipe, Etc.
.
Training on DA revolver, is well training on DA revolvers, regardless of size, caliber.
Fairly cheap to practice. You can get a 22 rimfire revolver to practice with.
Fewer shots necessary to prove reliability.
How many people have fired a few hundred rounds of FMJ ammo and decided to try the defense HP they bought to find out they wouldn’t feed or cycle without issues.
Wider ammo choice. Revolver will feed and FIRE any ammo in the correct caliber. It is NOT ammo sensitive as in Autoloader. Misfires are easily corrected (PULL the Trigger again)
Much easier for beginners. (I don’t care what you say)
An inexperience shooter (even an experienced shooter) may even hit the mag release button under pressure. Most people don’t realize what pressure is really like (heart rate, panic, deciding on real threat or not) during home defense situations.
You can’t load a round backwards.
Easier to unload and make safe..
Did I mention NO LIMP WRIST PROBLEMS. LoL
There are grips available for revolvers for a better fit to your hand.
Less likely to accidental discharge with its DA trigger NO MATTER HOW COMPETENT YOU ARE.
Revolvers are Efficient
The revolver’s first advantage is efficiency; the revolver requires no manipulation of the gun beyond operating the trigger in order to fire. There are no extra buttons or levers to push, which means that there are no buttons or levers to forget to push.
For most new shooters the more complicated something is, the easier it is to forget something when you’re distracted.
Even highly-trained and experienced shooters forget to deactivate the safety on their auto pistols when faced with a new and distracting shooting challenge.
Revolver Reliability Another major attribute of the revolver is reliability; the revolver will generally have a longer mean time between failures than that of even the best autoloaders, meaning that it will shoot more rounds without having mechanical issues that affect its operation. Of course that’s not to say that revolvers never malfunction, only that they do so less often than a self-loading handgun.
Part of that reliability is the fact that the revolver will shoot a much wider variety of ammunition. With an autoloader it’s necessary to thoroughly test the gun with any specific type of ammunition because they are somewhat picky about bullet weight, shape, and velocity. Many experts say that an autoloader should be tested with 200 rounds of any ammunition that you expect to use (which today would run into an awful lot of money).
Revolvers Will Fit Anyone
The revolver, can get a good fit simply by changing the grips. Because the revolvers’ grip size and shape isn’t dictated by the need to fit a magazine, there is much more leeway in how big or how small the grip can be made. In many cases it’s possible to take a revolver which doesn’t fit the shooter well, make a grip change and end up with a combination that works well.
This is true regardless of whether the gun is too small or too big for the hands. Larger and smaller grips are available, and in extreme cases it’s possible for a gunsmith to modify the grip frame to make an even greater change.
Revolvers Don’t Use Mags
Of course, there are no magazines necessary to operate the revolver, which is an often-unappreciated advantage. Magazines are a weak spot for the auto loading pistol some are fragile, and can wear out.
The Revolver Trigger is Heavy
A very real advantage in an adrenalin-charged incident is the long and heavy trigger offered by the revolver. In the confusion of a defensive shooting, there is the very real possibility that fingers will stray into the trigger guard, and there are enough videos of trained police officers inadvertently discharging rounds when in a tense situation sometimes resulting in death. I would never suggest relying on a heavy trigger as a safety device, but must also acknowledge that it does provide another layer of protection to even the best safety habits.
I will agree with your advice on those Autos for some situations but to say that a revolver is not a good choice or to discount anything from someone suggesting a revolver for someone that has never shot a gun tells me that you’re not as experienced in home defense/ and or training as you think. All 6 new female shooters that I have seen start with Autos see failures due to user error, limp-wristing and getting a stove-pipe or failure to feed, or issues with loading the magazine. Then switch over to a revolver and say that’s better I like this one. A reliable Auto pistol is still highly likely to jam when limp wristed. In most cases women do not get training/shoot as much as you probably do.
A lot of new shooters get learn how to shoot their new Auto then fail to continue, then when they feel like they may go shoot again have a hard time remembering the operation/function of the Auto. After learning how to operate the revolver they are more than likely to fully operate safely. Most women get very comfortable very quickly with a revolver. Pulls the trigger it goes bang.
While no gun (mechanism) are immune to problems, revolvers suffer far less and don’t need 400 to 1,000 rounds to prove the chosen ammo/gun is a reliable combo, as some experts suggest.
I will agree if the new shooter does the training/shooting/ practice required to be efficient/safe/knowledgeable/etc with an Auto pistol then it is a great defense weapon and in a lot of cases may be the best defense weapon. But in most cases of a new shooter particular a female the revolver is the best weapon to start with in my opinion.
Here are just a few reasons to choose a revolver
With a revolver if you get a click instead of a bang you just pull the trigger again.
A dry, unmaintained revolver will most likely fire more rounds then an Auto pistol in the same condition.
Some Auto pistol requires mag/ammo rotation so mag spring won’t weaken.
Another family member can take your revolver and continue the fight, not so ease with most Auto pistols.
Revolvers are typically better for anyone with limited hand dexterity or strength and anyone who is not going to practice. Pistol slides, control levers and loading mags could be extremely difficult, under stress, if not impossible.
.
Minimum maintenance.
Superior reliability, Can’t double feed, Fail to feed, Stovepipe, Etc.
.
Training on DA revolver, is well training on DA revolvers, regardless of size, caliber.
Fairly cheap to practice. You can get a 22 rimfire revolver to practice with.
Fewer shots necessary to prove reliability.
How many people have fired a few hundred rounds of FMJ ammo and decided to try the defense HP they bought to find out they wouldn’t feed or cycle without issues.
Wider ammo choice. Revolver will feed and FIRE any ammo in the correct caliber. It is NOT ammo sensitive as in Autoloader. Misfires are easily corrected (PULL the Trigger again)
Much easier for beginners. (I don’t care what you say)
An inexperience shooter (even an experienced shooter) may even hit the mag release button under pressure. Most people don’t realize what pressure is really like (heart rate, panic, deciding on real threat or not) during home defense situations.
You can’t load a round backwards.
Easier to unload and make safe..
Did I mention NO LIMP WRIST PROBLEMS. LoL
There are grips available for revolvers for a better fit to your hand.
Less likely to accidental discharge with its DA trigger NO MATTER HOW COMPETENT YOU ARE.
Revolvers are Efficient
The revolver’s first advantage is efficiency; the revolver requires no manipulation of the gun beyond operating the trigger in order to fire. There are no extra buttons or levers to push, which means that there are no buttons or levers to forget to push.
For most new shooters the more complicated something is, the easier it is to forget something when you’re distracted.
Even highly-trained and experienced shooters forget to deactivate the safety on their auto pistols when faced with a new and distracting shooting challenge.
Revolver Reliability Another major attribute of the revolver is reliability; the revolver will generally have a longer mean time between failures than that of even the best autoloaders, meaning that it will shoot more rounds without having mechanical issues that affect its operation. Of course that’s not to say that revolvers never malfunction, only that they do so less often than a self-loading handgun.
Part of that reliability is the fact that the revolver will shoot a much wider variety of ammunition. With an autoloader it’s necessary to thoroughly test the gun with any specific type of ammunition because they are somewhat picky about bullet weight, shape, and velocity. Many experts say that an autoloader should be tested with 200 rounds of any ammunition that you expect to use (which today would run into an awful lot of money).
Revolvers Will Fit Anyone
The revolver, can get a good fit simply by changing the grips. Because the revolvers’ grip size and shape isn’t dictated by the need to fit a magazine, there is much more leeway in how big or how small the grip can be made. In many cases it’s possible to take a revolver which doesn’t fit the shooter well, make a grip change and end up with a combination that works well.
This is true regardless of whether the gun is too small or too big for the hands. Larger and smaller grips are available, and in extreme cases it’s possible for a gunsmith to modify the grip frame to make an even greater change.
Revolvers Don’t Use Mags
Of course, there are no magazines necessary to operate the revolver, which is an often-unappreciated advantage. Magazines are a weak spot for the auto loading pistol some are fragile, and can wear out.
The Revolver Trigger is Heavy
A very real advantage in an adrenalin-charged incident is the long and heavy trigger offered by the revolver. In the confusion of a defensive shooting, there is the very real possibility that fingers will stray into the trigger guard, and there are enough videos of trained police officers inadvertently discharging rounds when in a tense situation sometimes resulting in death. I would never suggest relying on a heavy trigger as a safety device, but must also acknowledge that it does provide another layer of protection to even the best safety habits.
