Wife wants a bedside firearm

[Inigoes]

M107A1

/EndThread

 

[hobiecat590]

This. If you can find one these days, .410 or 20 guage birdshead grip equipped 18.5" shotgun.

Mine is a Tac-13.

Cheaper option: Winchester 1200 or 1300 in 20 G w/ a folding adjustable stock w/ pistol grip. The stock helps mitigate the recoil but you can fold it if desired.

Handgun might be a Night Judge loaded w/ PDF rounds or buckshot. This is a surprisingly comfortable gun to shoot according to my wife. The option to use 410 shells instead of or with 45LC rounds is nice.

 

[joppaj]

M107A1

/EndThread

Ma Deuce or nothing. Layer up some sandbags...

 

[Inigoes]

Ma Deuce or nothing. Layer up some sandbags...

I was thinking of the Mrs wanting to be polite and suppress the M107A1, so the neighbors wont be woken by loud noises.

 

[Kman]

We've tried a lot of different options and my wife is most comfortable with a S&W model 13. K frame with 3 inch barrel. Loaded with standard pressure 158 grain 38 specials.

I'm sure there are more lethal and sexier options, but the round butt pachmayr grips and weight are what she's comfortable with and shoots well.

Glad she has an interest.

 

[Blaster229]

He said "bedside". It shouldn't have to be small.

No. But it does have to be EASY. We're talking maybe 5 yards to the bedroom door from the headboard.

A bedside gun isn't a "go clear your house" gun. She won't train long enough with a semi to learn how to clear a malfunction, under stress, at 3 a.m. with cobwebs in her eyes. Let alone having a spare mag for that reason.

No one needs to be concerned about recoil with a 1 or 2 shot self defense shot. They won't even notice it.

A 357 with no hammer. Ruger LCR is perfect. Can be fired from under a pillow, blanket, pj's, etc... Can't do that with a rifle or shotgun.

Always think worse case scenario. For me, for a female loved one, is her being pinned down. This is where a semi will not cut it.

Train with .38. There isn't any reason for her to ever fire 357 out of it. Why scare someone into thinking they don't want to shoot that?

Semi auto is ALWAYS the wrong answer to this question with this scenario.

 

[Mightydog]

One of these....if you can find one! I’ve been trying myself.

 

[czman]

Thanks. I'm going to take my wife to a range where there are rental sidearms and see what she finds easiest to handle. I'm more and more thinking a DA revolver in .38 Special, easy, reliable, more "sure" to operate than a semi-auto.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Thanks. I'm going to take my wife to a range where there are rental sidearms and see what she finds easiest to handle. I'm more and more thinking a DA revolver in .38 Special, easy, reliable, more "sure" to operate than a semi-auto.

My wife loves shooting service revolvers. She isn't a big fan of semis because "There is too much stuff going on all at once. I prefer a loud bang and nothing else".

 

[Jd2020]

My take on this is that it’s all about knowing the person. Plenty of women shoot a lot and are quite capable. Others, not so much. I have one friend who’s wife would be in more danger if she were holding a gun than if she had none, as bizarre as that seems at first glance. Nervous characters, and people who just generally do not like guns might honestly be better off with nothing. My other opinion is that for wives etc. who are capable of handling a gun but not regularly or easily, a shotgun is better than a handgun. A marginally capable shooter waking up in the dark and trying to respond to a threat with a gun is safer holding a shotgun. More effective towards the threat, and less dangerous to themselves and children etc. of course if your wife is further along the spectrum towards Annie Oakley then never mind.

 

[Jake4U]

My take on this is that it’s all about knowing the person. Plenty of women shoot a lot and are quite capable. Others, not so much. I have one friend who’s wife would be in more danger if she were holding a gun than if she had none, as bizarre as that seems at first glance. Nervous characters, and people who just generally do not like guns might honestly be better off with nothing. My other opinion is that for wives etc. who are capable of handling a gun but not regularly or easily, a shotgun is better than a handgun. A marginally capable shooter waking up in the dark and trying to respond to a threat with a gun is safer holding a shotgun. More effective towards the threat, and less dangerous to themselves and children etc. of course if your wife is further along the spectrum towards Annie Oakley then never mind.

Yes. Why I also suggested a short barreled shotgun. They point more naturally and, once the shooting starts, she's more likely to hit something if she's not regularly training. She will need to practice pumping it as that fine motor muscle memory might freeze during a panic.

 

[Uncle Duke]

We've tried a lot of different options and my wife is most comfortable with a S&W model 13. K frame with 3 inch barrel. Loaded with standard pressure 158 grain 38 specials.

I'm sure there are more lethal and sexier options, but the round butt pachmayr grips and weight are what she's comfortable with and shoots well.

Glad she has an interest.

Gotta say, she also has good taste in revolvers.

 

[Uncle Duke]

My take on this is that it’s all about knowing the person. Plenty of women shoot a lot and are quite capable. Others, not so much. I have one friend who’s wife would be in more danger if she were holding a gun than if she had none, as bizarre as that seems at first glance. Nervous characters, and people who just generally do not like guns might honestly be better off with nothing. My other opinion is that for wives etc. who are capable of handling a gun but not regularly or easily, a shotgun is better than a handgun. A marginally capable shooter waking up in the dark and trying to respond to a threat with a gun is safer holding a shotgun. More effective towards the threat, and less dangerous to themselves and children etc. of course if your wife is further along the spectrum towards Annie Oakley then never mind.

I would suggest that a long gun can be great.....IF..... the situation is such that you can get to it.

 

[czman]

My wife loves shooting service revolvers. She isn't a big fan of semis because "There is too much stuff going on all at once. I prefer a loud bang and nothing else".

Over the years, I'd had a couple of problems at various ranges with semi-auto pistols...jams, FTF, one stovepipe, and on, horrors, a Glock, the mag repeatedly falling out. I can deal with that, but my wife cannot.

If I am out of town on a business trip and someone breaks into the house and is threatening my wife, I want her to be able to pull the trigger and be confident the gun will go bang. That's why I am leaning towards a DA revolver.

 

[eruby]

Over the years, I'd had a couple of problems at various ranges with semi-auto pistols...jams, FTF, one stovepipe, and on, horrors, a Glock, the mag repeatedly falling out. I can deal with that, but my wife cannot.

If I am out of town on a business trip and someone breaks into the house and is threatening my wife, I want her to be able to pull the trigger and be confident the gun will go bang. That's why I am leaning towards a DA revolver.

 

[MaxVO2]

*****I teach the NRA Personal Protection in the Home Course a couple of times per year. This is a very common question we get. A nightstand gun needs to be easily accessible, and easy to shoot if the person using it is not a regular "gun" person, or is perhaps not too comfortable with firearms. No way I would recommend a shotgun or other non pistol for this type of application. As others have said, this is NOT a go clear your house kind of gun - it's a last ditch under stress gun that needs to fire when you pull the trigger. No mag changes, no racking the slide on a semi auto or a pump shotgun, etc... No tap, rack, and asses, or functional clearing to clear malfunctions, etc.. Just point and shoot at probably less than 3 yards, most likely less than 3 shots... Usually someone trying to break in and do harm in such a situation gets the hint after the first round goes off...

There are plenty of more lethal, and fancier options out there - but a simple hammerless revolver like a Ruger LCP, or Bodyguard type revolver, etc.. with .38 special nothing fancy loads (no +p, ++p, etc..). If the person wielding the firearm is hesitant to pull the trigger because they are scared of the recoil - it's just another obstacle that may lead to bad outcomes. Revolvers, even ones with hammers are preferable to semi auto, a shotgun, an AR, an AS-007, SAW, etc... to someone who isn't a gun person. Obviously *anything* is better than no gun at all but the fewer steps to aiming and pulling the trigger the better IMO.

In a very stressful situation, people will devolve somewhat to a base level of training, and someone who isn't super comfortable shooting or who doesn't practice much, if at all doesn't need more things to possibly go wrong or to forget when seconds count. We show videos of good and bad things that can happen in situations like this - the bad is a semi auto not racked, or safety on, or other such thing and pulling the trigger does *nothing* when someone is basically on top of you or really nearby.

I have several Glock Semi autos throughout the house ready to shoot (condition zero), but I shoot thousands of rounds a year, compete some, and the firearms I regularly use are like extensions of my hand. If needed, I would use the pistol to get to my rifle, body armor, ear protection, my snuggy, etc.. but that's kinda an unlikely scenario in most cases. I just have a phone, my gun w/flashlight, and that's it.. Call the cops, leave the speaker on and do what I have to do to stay alive, safe, and not soil my shorts too badly..

One more thing.. I live in MoCo - a notoriously anti-gun county - even a "good" shoot with everything done correctly will still cause considerable stress and other issues that may not be immediately apparent (financial).

If you need to use a firearm in self defense in your home, obviously any gun that does the job and keeps you alive is good, but *please* consider more than just firearm choice for an HD gun beyond revolver, shotgun, semi auto, etc.. If you have a Glock or other such handgun with a slide backer plate, I am of the opinion it is probably NOT a good idea to have a custom one with statements like "Kill em all", a grim reaper, punisher, skull and crossbones, etc.. It may seem like a little thing and innocuous - but a good lawyer trying to make the guy who broke into your house seem like a victim (he was hungry, needed money for work boots, kids and baby mommas to feed, whatever..) will use stuff like that innocuous backer plate to make you seem like a bloodthirsty killer just waiting to kill someone breaking in to your home versus you just calling a social worker, the police, your financial planner, etc.. to help the guy in need, who was looking to satisfy his needs with your stuff, your life, your kids lives, etc.. I wish things weren't like this, but it has to be said.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

 

[eruby]

*****I teach ....

I realize I am an ISTJ/Monk/loser/OCD maggot, but why does every one of your posts start with four, or five asterisks?

Is it the device you use with which to post?

 

[czman]

If I leaned that far, I'd fall over.

 

[alucard0822]

This is one of those answers that never changes. If you're going to let her shoot different types of guns at the range, wait until she's done that and then ask her which one she liked best. If it's a viable defensive gun, go with that one.

Pretty much this. I've taken a lot of new shooters to the range and most end up with similar results. Avoid compact stuff, tougher to use, tougher to make hits, more recoil. Seems about the same number of people have difficulty with heavy DA revolver triggers as those that have difficulty racking slides. Revolvers are MUCH more difficult to reload, and it needs to be done more often. The old "snubby revolver or shotgun" recommendation for new shooters, especially women is outdated at best, they are the HARDEST to run and load with the most recoil. Within a couple hours I can coach a new shooter to put 12 rounds on a target within a minute with a revolver, within 30 seconds with an auto, or under 10 seconds with a PCC. For the vast majority a PCC is the easiest to shoot and handle, and an easy recommendation for home defense.

 

[eruby]

Pretty much this. I've taken a lot of new shooters to the range and most end up with similar results. Avoid compact stuff, tougher to use, tougher to make hits, more recoil. Seems about the same number of people have difficulty with heavy DA revolver triggers as those that have difficulty racking slides. Revolvers are MUCH more difficult to reload, and it needs to be done more often. The old "snubby revolver or shotgun" recommendation for new shooters, especially women is outdated at best, they are the HARDEST to run and load with the most recoil. Within a couple hours I can coach a new shooter to put 12 rounds on a target within a minute with a revolver, within 30 seconds with an auto, or under 10 seconds with a PCC. For the vast majority a PCC is the easiest to shoot and handle, and an easy recommendation for home defense.

PCC = Pistol Caliber Carbine?