How do I decide on a reliable hand gun?

[Rem700]

I have never owned a gun or fired a gun. I would like to get a nice compact, reliable hand gun for protection. Who has the best prices locally for used hand guns? Then I noticed that there are to s of "conceal and carry" outfits that offer training. Can I get a recommendation on a good training course and instructor? I may consider private lessons since I am starting with no knowledge of using a gun. Please help!

First off buy Michael Martin's book or personal defense and carry, and read it several times. there is a LOT of information and good graphics in it, and you could spend a month in this place asking questions and getting 20 answers each which will add up about 1/10th of everything Michael covers.

http://www.amazon.com/Minnesota-Permit-Firearm-Fundamentals-Edition/dp/1606438093#_

Oh, and BTW, I am not in favor of a bunch of guys offering advice to their wife or girlfriend, or in this case, a total stranger on what to get in the way of a gun. Yes, some of us have been shooting for 4 - 6 decades, and know tons about guns, but it all about what WE like, which can have very little to do with what you may or may not like. The challenge I always offer to any guy who thinks he can pick out the perfect gun for some woman is to challenge him to go into a women's shoe store and pick out THE pair of shoes that she most would want to buy. So far no one has said they could do THAT.

Talk to sawgrass or wrench, but look out, they have Prada tastes in handguns!! $$$$$$

Yep your right I couldnt pick a pair of shoes, But there is a difference between making the choice for someone and listening to there likes and dislikes and guiding them so they can make there own decision.

[EAJuggalo]

Take TTousi up on his generous offer. Or come to any of the board meet ups and you'll find you have the ability to try just about any handgun available for just the cost of ammo, and maybe not even that.
Contact DonL and see when he has an NRA Women On Target event coming up, he usually does one in the late summer or early fall.

Other instructors that I would trust to do a good job without thinking about it are: Michael Martin, Andrew Rothman, Paul Blincow. These are all people that I have either taken classes from or know well enough that I wouldn't have a problem sending my wife to.

[LS3Miata]

Talk to sawgrass or wrench, but look out, they have Prada tastes in handguns!! $$$$$$

Sam, this line needs to be a quote in someone's signature. It was sawgrass that got me introduced me to the GI models and before I knew it, I had a CCO and a model 3 50GI.

To the OP, except the very generous offer from sawgrass to take you shooting. It would be a great learning experience.

[sgruenhagen44]

I like revolvers. That is just me. But if I were a women I would really like them. YOu can shoot them inside a purse. I just bought a Ruger LCR. Love it. Keep in mind, the smaller the gun the more likely you are to carry. I can shoot mine pretty dang well at 30 feet. Thats all I need it to do. I have five shots.

[Tronster]

To the OP, thank you for making an effort to take charge of your own personal defense and refusing to be a victim. Here's my two cents...

My wife has four 9mm pistols (an XDm, a Glock, and two Rugers) and no revolvers. I don't understand why people always suggest a revolver for women, as if a semiauto is too complicated for her to operate or something. Most any semiauto pistol by any major manufacturer will be extremely reliable when fed decent ammo and maintained properly, and will carry more ammo and reload faster than a revolver.

If your goal is to have a bedside pistol for home defense and one that you can take with you in the event of massive rioting or social unrest, a mid or full size pistol in 9mm will shoot very well with plenty of ammo onboard. If you want to carry it everyday then size and weight become more important, hense why people often choose smaller lighter single stack magazine pistols for everyday carry, but they tend to require more experience to shoot accurately and quickly because of harsher recoil.

Get some introductory and marksmanship training on a .22 pistol, and then move up to an effective caliber like a 9mm for your defensive pistol. And welcome!

[Rem700]

I like revolvers. That is just me. But if I were a women I would really like them. YOu can shoot them inside a purse. I just bought a Ruger LCR. Love it. Keep in mind, the smaller the gun the more likely you are to carry. I can shoot mine pretty dang well at 30 feet. Thats all I need it to do. I have five shots.

Inside a purse! If its such a great place to carry maybe you might want to consider a man purse.
Perhaps the OP doesnt carry a purse many woman do not.

[sgruenhagen44]

I like revolvers. That is just me. But if I were a women I would really like them. YOu can shoot them inside a purse. I just bought a Ruger LCR. Love it. Keep in mind, the smaller the gun the more likely you are to carry. I can shoot mine pretty dang well at 30 feet. Thats all I need it to do. I have five shots.

Inside a purse! If its such a great place to carry maybe you might want to consider a man purse.
Perhaps the OP doesnt carry a purse many woman do not.

That cracks me up because two of my friends have said this "My wife carry's an LCR and she loves it!"

[Seismic Sam]

I like revolvers. That is just me. But if I were a women I would really like them. YOu can shoot them inside a purse. I just bought a Ruger LCR. Love it. Keep in mind, the smaller the gun the more likely you are to carry. I can shoot mine pretty dang well at 30 feet. Thats all I need it to do. I have five shots.

So you're a guy, and you think you have ANY clue about all the stuff in a woman's purse?? And you think that there isn't ANYTHING in a average woman's purse that could get in a cylinder and jam the gun, or get wedged between the cylinder and the frame and cause a jam, or the trigger and the guard so you couldn't fire it?? Or worse yet, get jammed down the barrel and cause a kaboom IN the purse?? Do you know for a FACT that there are NO eyeliner pencils available that are sub 38 caliber??

Oh, and how about firing a $400 dollar gun through a $1000 dollar purse? You have to eat a $1000 dollar loss just to defend yourself?? Oh boy, will that help your head clear and focused on the perp, or what??

[TTS]

Wow, another thread where someone asks a question and it turns into a pissing match! Great work guys.

[mmcnx2]

If you would like to try a variety of handguns I would be happy to offer you a variety to try. And just confirm this is not an out of line offer, my wife and or daughter who both shoot(very well I mightadd) will tag along.

I have a 9mm, 22, 40 and 45 in auto, 38 and 45 in revolver that you are welcome to try at a range.

[westberg]

My wife has carried in her purse going on 10 years and has yet to catch anything in it. She has it in a pocket holster. It's really funny how some members can turn questions and methods into a your gonna blow your head off.....

[sgruenhagen44]

My wife has carried in her purse going on 10 years and has yet to catch anything in it. She has it in a pocket holster. It's really funny how some members can turn questions and methods into a your gonna blow your head off.....

Agreed. Sam has made it well known quite a while ago that he dislikes me. I was more just kidding around than anything. All of that aside I do really like my LCR and would recommend it to anybody. Purse or not.

And for the record sam. I have four sisters, I'm pretty well versed on purses.

[sawgrass]

Talk to sawgrass or wrench, but look out, they have Prada tastes in handguns!! $$$$$$

Sam, this line needs to be a quote in someone's signature. It was sawgrass that got me introduced me to the GI models and before I knew it, I had a CCO and a model 3 50GI.

To the OP, except the very generous offer from sawgrass to take you shooting. It would be a great learning experience.

I hope I get to see and shoot your new Volkmann! I've never seen one, but would sure like to.
Looking forward to a thread FILLED with pics! ETA: I just saw the GB pics. OMG, that is a BEAUTIFUL gun.
I am jealous as all hell! Start a thread, fill it with pics and please tell me what those grips are made of!

As far as the OP, I think we should do a range day and ttousi should buy us lunch.
I learned quite a bit when I renewed my carry permit with Tom.

[Hmac]

Wow, another thread where someone asks a question and it turns into a pissing match! Great work guys.

Are you kidding? You're surprised?

[Seismic Sam]

My wife has carried in her purse going on 10 years and has yet to catch anything in it. She has it in a pocket holster. It's really funny how some members can turn questions and methods into a your gonna blow your head off.....

A pocket holster is the ONLY way you should be carrying a gun in a purse, or a murse, and that's fine, but you have to fish it out of the purse and then unholster it, which might be a problem. That's a personal choice. THIS person was talking about a gun in a purse, and firing it IN THE PURSE, which is way different. I don't think you can draw a pistol out of a holster INSIDE a purse with just one hand unless the holster is clipped into the purse for a fast draw, and then you'd want to just pull, aim, and fire. So the only way to reach quickly into a purse and fire a gun from inside it is if it's loose in the purse with all that other stuff in there.

To be quite honest, I have no idea how much stuff my wife has in her purse, but I know I don't want to start looking through the jumble sale she has in there, and I sure wouldn't want a loaded and unholstered gun in there mixing around with all that stuff. ONLY a GUY would think of something that unrealistic, and good luck aiming gun inside a purse, and what if you have something in front of the barrel? Firing a gun THROUGH a purse as a self defense strategy is a ridiculous premise on the face of it, and an uncertain one to boot. That was my point.