Woman looking for a good first gun.

Question

I'm taking a class to get my CCW and was wondering if anyone knows a good first time gun that would be good for a woman. I know nothing about guns so I have no idea. The gun would be for me practicing shooting and personal protection for at home and at work. Any feedback would be great, thanks : )

Answer 1

Any good class worth your money will have actual range time as part of it.  It is hard to recommend a handgun without knowing you and seeing you shoot.  The best recommendation is for you to get yourself to an indoor range which rents handguns.  Try out different styles and calibers to see what you like to shoot.  If your CCW class has only very little range time included, do yourself a favor and take additional handgun training.  The CCW permit is of no use if you can not securely conceal and quickly draw your weapon when you need it and then effectively hit your target where you are intending to hit it.  Time spent training and shopping now will pay off if you ever need to defend yourself.  

Answer 2

my opinion is a gun is a gun.take the class!if you want to shoot to practice you may find amo exspensive.if you stick to a twenty two(a revolver) you will find you can shoot pretty cheap.this will get you the feel of sighting in as you shoot.if you want a protection gun you can go and talk to a represinative of hand guns to get an idea and to handle the gun first.a protection gun will have more of a kick to it cause a twenty two has very little.but as i said take a class first.they have hunter safety courses all over the nation that would probly be your best and cheapest.and you would not have to use your own gun.so you can even see if you might be intrested.its not for everybody ill tell you.noisy noisy.dont forget to buy ear plugs.and use them

Answer 3

I advise you to buy a good .38 Special revolver, since this load does not have bad recoil, and a revolver is less complex than a semi-automatic. I favor Smith & Wessons for such guns, but Colts are good too, and Rugers are good values. Stick to these 3 brands. Practice with any gun you carry much. See how accurate it is and how reliable. I do not think you will have any problems with the guns I recommend. After you are good with a revolver, try semi-automatics. Cheap ones are not reliable, so you will spend more for a good semi-auto than for a good revolver. When you are ready for that step, ask again.

Answer 4

I was about to make recommendations and I realize I know nothing about you.  Go to a local range that rents guns and try a few out

Light guns are easier to carry but they will kick if you ever have to shoot it.  You have to find your happy medium.

Answer 5

Well, it's hard to make a recommendation without knowing your stature, etc.  That actually is a factor.  You definitely don't want to get too large of a caliber.  I feel pretty comfortable saying a .45-caliber will be too large for you.  I'd recommend a .22 caliber or 9mm.  If you choose a .357, go with a .38 special round -- it will have less of a kick.  If you are really tiny, even the 9mm may be too big for you.  You want to be able to maintain yourself well enough to take second and third shots if necessary.  While a .22 won't have the knock down power of larger calibers, the pistol will be easier to handle.  What good is knock down power if you have to pick yourself up, too?  Once you chose a size, practice with various rounds.  The more grains in a bullet, the more force it will have, which also means more of a kick.  A low-grain 9mm might be your best bet if you are smaller, but not super tiny.

There is also the option of a revolver or a slide action (sometimes called semi-automatic).  A revolver is what the cowboys in the westerns carried.  If you get a revolver, make sure you get a double-action so you only have to pull the trigger.  If you get a single-action, you will need to c**k the hammer manually then pull the trigger.  If you get a slide action, try working the slide before you purchase it.  You will need to be comfortable with it and have the strength to pull the slide back -- some require more strength than others.

When you go to take your test, check the laws in your state.  In Texas, if you take the test with a slide action, you can carry either a slide action or revolver, but if you take the test with a revolver, you can only carry a revolver.

Answer 6

I like the J-frame Smith and Wessons.  They are small 5 shot revolvers (which I favor for inexpierenced shooters) that are easy to master and to conceal and have a bunch of different options in holsters for different styles of carry.  There are "air wieght" models that are very light wieght indeed and also shrouded or hammerless models.  Take a look.