[Guest]

Hello everyone My name is Jana and i'm Ty's wife. He told me what a good clean family community this forum was and that there are a few women on it also. Which is good because I have a few questions about pepper spray and possibly getting a pistol to carry. I tried a Sig P232 and liked it alot after Ty taught me how to hold it so it didnt jump and scare me. So im looking for something small and have no idea what to try, or what caliber or where to carry it or how to carry it. Any suggestions would be really helpful. Also should I post my questions somewhere else? im not to familiar with forum etiqutte

 

[GeneticsDave]

Welcome to the forum!

Glad to hear you are interested in means of protecting yourself. From what I have heard, gel sprays are the best regarding pepper spray, supposedly it's harder to wipe off and lasts longer. As far as firearms go, I would start with a 9mm and see if you like it, if it's too much then try a .380 ACP. If you can handle the 9mm, then try a .40 S&W. If that's too much then stick to the 9mm, if not try a .45 ACP (see where I'm going with this?) - you want to carry the largest caliber you feel you can handle. For firearms, there are too many to choose from. Some of the most popular amongst women are revolvers (due to simplicity and reliability) and the baby autos (Glock, Springfield XD Sub-compact, Walther PPS, Walther PPK, North American Arms Guardian, Kel-Tec, etc). There are many to choose from. Since a firearms is an expensive investment, I would recommend going to a range and renting a few (usually only $5-10 to rent). You can get a better idea of whether you like a gun before you drop half a grand. Finally, regarding where to carry, most women don't like carrying inside the waistband at the 4-o-clock position that is common amongst men. SmartCarry is an option as well as on the belt or an ankle/thigh rig. If you have room in your pockets, there is also pocket carry with a pocket holster (small firearms only). I would try to avoid carrying in a purse or bag - it's best if the gun is always on your person; you'll always have it with you if you need it for protection, it won't get stolen and there is less chance of an accident by someone finding it.

Feel free to post any time, we are happy to help. When you have narrowed your list down to a few guns, jump back in and we can argue amongst ourselves regarding which one is 'best' :lol: Ultimately, the decision of which gun to carry is a very personal one.

P.S. I would recommend checking out the website: The Cornered Cat, it's a great site for women who are thinking about carrying.

 

[mqeqeshe]

Welcome. The main concern most women have with handguns is their hands aren't very strong. So sometimes it will be difficult to pull the slide back or operate the other controls on a semi-auto pistol. This only gets worse as you go more powerful, and more recoil is also a problem for delicate hands. So unless you have fairly strong hands, I wouldn't go above a 9mm in a semi-auto. But a revolver is also a great choice. I'd suggest trying one or two before buying. There are a ton of them out there that are small and .38 specials are extremely common (about the same power as a 9mm).

Generally you're supposed to post questions in the sub-forum that fits them best. People on this forum are pretty laid back though. And usually if you put something totally in the wrong spot it will be moved for you by one of the moderators.

 

[xmirage2kx]

Welcome to the forum. My best advice is go hold a ton of different guns, and out of the ones you like rent rent a few. You can always find a carry option that works for a gun you really like.

 

[Car Knocker]

Welcome to the forum, Jana!

 

[Jeff Johnson]

Welcome to our forum, Jana!
Kudos to Ty for getting you to join us. I've yet to get my wife interested in the forum even though she carries.

Lots of good answers already above...

Every person is different. What feels good to one may not to another.
I recommend going to the gun stores and handling as many guns as you can to find something that fits your had well. Then if you can rent some, do so, to see how well you can handle it.

When I started to get interested in handguns, I decided to take the NRA Basic Handgun Course. I did so because I wanted to have the confidence of knowing what I was doing for the sake of safety. It was well worth it. I took a course in which the instructor had a large array of handguns that he allowed me to shoot. That way, I learned the differences between single-action and double-action guns, as well as revolvers and semi-autos.

When my wife agreed that it would be a good idea to know how to shoot, she took the same course (that's one that I was able to convince her to do even though she hasn't joined the forum :lol.

I believe that it is actually better for you to learn shooting from a class like this rather than from your spouse. I've read the same opinion from women who own guns.

Before you go shooting, please make sure that you learn and carefully follow all the NRA gun safety rules.

Thanks for introducing yourself. I hope that you will participate regularly here. We definitely need more women on the forum, if only to keep us civil...

 

[packingmama]

Hi Jana,
I would also recommend trying different guns out before you buy one. A lot of guys would say not to get a .22, but I disagree. A .22 is a good practice gun to start with. Unless you are just totally against small calibers. ? Some woman are afraid of guns with too much power and if you are not familiar with guns start small and move up! That way you won't be intimidated. I don't know your history with guns but I am just going off that you don't know much. I could be wrong but I am just making suggestions. I grew up around guns so I am comfortable with them and have shot many different ones. I carry a baby Glock 9mm on me all the time, I have many others but my favorite to shoot is my Walther p22
which is a .22 caliber if you didn't know. Again I would suggest starting small then as you become more familiar and comfortable definitely get a bigger caliber to carry. You don't want to just piss someone or something off you will want to do some damage. Carry at least a 9mm or there abouts for protection is what I would recommend. Anywho will I see you at the monthly events? I would love to meet other woman who carry frequently or who is at least interested in carrying.

Also like Jeff said take a course or two on handgun safety.

 

[mahanl9]

Welcome to the forum Jana, I totally agree with packingmama start smal and work your way up and try different firearms until you find a caliber that you are comfortable with.
If you have any questions or concerns just ask and I am positive someone will have an answer for you....

 

[Tarzan1888]

Jana Welcome.

You have been given some great advice.

I want to make one more suggestion.

There is a web site, about women and guns, that is by a woman.

It is so good that I recommend it to both men and women, but especially women.

It is called The Cornered Cat.

www.corneredcat.com

Take some time and study this site and then bring your questions here.

Good luck;

Tarzan

 

[divegeek]

Awesome site, Tarzan. Thanks.

 

[Strategic Tactical]

Jana, as an OC (Pepper Spray) instructor I have been sprayed by several diferent types. I have been sprayed by the MACE brand Gel and was not impssed with it. I actually had to be spradyed with it two times before I helt any type of effect. The stuff that I use and carry is FOX OC. This stuff is VERY VERY hot. When you are looking at pepper spray, there are a couple things you need to consider. how big or small do you want it? Is there a lot of wind where you are normally? Feel free t oask me any questions that you want and I'll do my best to help ya. Just private message me. Be safe and good luck.