by Galia Berry
One of the most frustrating things for a woman who has made the
commitment to own a gun, either for concealed carry or home defense,
is just which gun to acquire.
Although well-meaning, it isn't real helpful when BIG guys, whose
hands are the size of baseball gloves, recommend their favorite
gun, which is often ill-fitting in the smaller hand of a woman,
or they suggest a gun they think a woman can manage, which might
be a "mouse" gun in a less effective caliber.
A trip to a gun store can often leave a woman more confused than
ever, due to the vast array of choices. Even when she finds a
grip that fits her hand nicely, that doesn't mean she will enjoy
shooting the gun due to felt recoil, caliber, etc.
"Gee," you think, "what's the big deal if I don't
'enjoy' shooting the gun, as long as the firearm I've chosen has
a reliable reputation? After all, I'm only going to be using a
gun in the event of a confrontation in which my life is endangered,
which is (hopefully) a rare occurrence!"
A gun is not a talisman. Don't buy a gun if you think that you
will wave it around just to scare somebody away. You must be prepared
and committed to back up any threat you've made in response to
an assailant, if the key elements of ability, opportunity, and
jeopardy exist. A gun does not have some magical power to protect
you in and of itself. Like a computer, a gun is nothing more than
hardware, a "dumb" machine. Your brain and your hands
are the software - - your power to think and to act. But to do
that you must have skill, a skill that is acquired and maintained
through good instruction and constant practice.
If you don't enjoy shooting the firearm you've chosen for self-
defense purposes, practice will become a burden and one that you
avoid. You will find all kinds of excuses not to go to the range.
But with a gun that you value, you may find yourself rationalizing
procrastination for those tasks you'd rather avoid, because they
take away from your range time!
The key to finding the right gun is spending a lot of time doing
on-hands research. When was the last time you bought a car totally
on impulse? Didn't you check out various reports as to reliability,
price comparisons, and most important, didn't you take it on a
test drive?
Unless your best friend is an avid gun collector, the optimal
way to decide which firearm is the right gun for you is to go
to a range that rents guns. The fees are quite reasonable since
there is usually a single rental fee, plus range time. In other
words, you can try out as many guns as you wish within the amount
of range time you've paid for. Rental guns often take a lot of
abuse, since they are not cleaned as often as is recommended,
but there is no better way to put a gun through its paces than
to try it out yourself. This will help you decide if you prefer
a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol, as well as capacity, caliber,
size of grip and barrel, ease of target acquisition, accuracy,
etc.
Here are a few suggestions for guns you may wish to try:
Heckler and Koch HKP7M8: The "Rolls Royce" of
9mm semiautomatics, especially in price: this gun costs around
$1000 new. What are you getting for that kind of money? Just about
the most incredible out-of-the-box accuracy and smoothest trigger
to be found anywhere, bar none. Its unusual design features a
cocking mechanism on the grip that you squeeze. . . with a little
practice, it is simply a joy to shoot. 8 round capacity, single
stack magazine. Great for small hands!
Smith & Wesson 3913: A 9 mm semiautomatic pistol that
is both small and light, it is ideal for concealed carry. Reliable,
too - I've shot a few thousand rounds through it with nary a misfeed
nor malfunction. Its fit and finish are a bit rough (though manageable)
from the factory, but a quick trip to my local gunsmith to smooth
the trigger/action and safety settled any complaints. Holds 8
rounds, single stack magazine. I like the aftermarket rubber Hogue
grips better than the original S&W grips. Ideal for small
hands. Also available in a Ladysmith version, which has a slightly
more tapered frame, but the safety is not ambidextrous (a minus
if you're sharing your gun with a lefty but a plus for snag-free
draws if you are right-handed). Does not acquire the target as
quickly as the HKP7M8, but then, it's half the price!
Colt Detective Special: A .38 special revolver that has
been around forever, though the last production run lacked the
finesse of previous editions in fit and finish, so I'd try to
go for a used, older model. A heavy gun, but ultra reliable, it
holds six rounds, unlike other revolvers of this size that hold
only five. The ramp sight is not great for precise, quick aim
but if you get the snubby, you are probably talking about a confrontation
that's real "up close and personal" anyway.
Here are guns that I have not personally shot with, but other
women have recommended to me:
Smith and Wesson Airweight revolvers: their name says it
all. All alloy frame and small size make it an ideal gun for concealed
carry.
Taurus 85 concealed hammer revolver: A .38 special snubby
that's small, inexpensive (around $200) and reliable.
The Browning HiPower: accurate, very manageable recoil,
and reliable, too. Although it is a big gun, it fits nicely in
a small hand. It is most desirable as a home defense gun, less
so for concealed carry. A semiautomatic pistol in 9mm caliber,
it has a pre-ban capacity of 13 rounds.
The Kahr K9: this is a relatively new, small 9mm semiautomatic
pistol that was built to handle very powerful loads. Pay a bit
more to get the optional nickel finish, though, as the standard
finish is prone to rust.
Yes, I know I haven't covered .357 or .45 caliber guns. My heavily
biased reasoning is thus: with proper grip and stance, the heavier
recoil of the .357 revolver should be manageable for most women.
In my own experience, however, the greater muzzle jump makes acquiring
the target for second or succeeding shots, when shot rapid-fire,
much more challenging. Accuracy of shot placement often suffers.
With model 1911 .45 semiauto pistols based on the Colt prototype,
few people end up with a "standard" out-of-the-box gun.
This gun has a vast array of possible aftermarket customization
available, which adds greatly to its base price. These guns are
also more finicky about the type of ammunition they will take,
often resulting in malfunctions/jams. On the plus side, the 1911
.45's tend to fit a woman's hands very nicely; recoil is definitely
manageable.
Do you have a favorite gun? Please click on the "comments"
option and send in your suggestions.
Copyright © 1996 - Galia Berry, All Rights Reserved, Reprinted
with permission