G.I. Jane has returned

[CelticaFLM]

O.k. serious question.....not only will I be packing mace (lots of purse snatchings going on as well at grocery stores etc)....but I want a gun for myself...to have while i'm at home...just in case I need it. I want something that I can handle. I'm more at home with a shotgun.....but of course I don't want to blow my shoulder away if I ever do have to use it. Suggestions please? Also, it has to be safe...and not outrageously priced.....oh and legal thanks.

 

Oh and G.I. Jane was a nickname in High School ROTC...i'm not joining the Marines lol.

Edited January 3, 2008 by CelticaFLM

[ClayMeow]

"lots of purse snatchings" and your home was just broken into? Maybe it's not a gun you need, but rather a move

[IIxNullxII]

A 14 shot air powered BB pistol hurts like hell, and would detour someone without killing them. However, depending on your state laws, a .22 would do the job. .22s are inexpensive and easy to shoot, low recoil means you can keep your eye on the prize. Remember, two in the heart, one in the head.

 

-Null

[CelticaFLM]

Well despite my husbands warnings....I am not shooting to kill....but I want to be able to if need be. Now when I have a baby at home and D3 is at work...then I want to be able to protect my family. A grown man dead set on drug money etc is not going to be effected by a bb gun. The hubby has a glock....i'm just not comfortable with it....if it comes to it then I will use it. Like I said...i'm at home with a shotgun....i'm a country girl...we all know how to shoot one. I just need something cheap and effective ....something that looks intimidating and that would make a pretty loud noise if I fire off a warning shot.

 

 

Pfft...and Clay...you should know i'm too stubborn to move because of a few idiots....and besides.....crime is everywhere. The place I live now HAD a 0 crime rate.... I don't know what happened.

[94Camaro]

If you can't bring yourself to shoot to kill, IMO, you probably should not be considering a gun for self-defense. You MUST be prepared mentally to kill if the events so require. It doesn't matter how justified you were in pulling the trigger, you will still be investigated and things could go down the wrong way if events are interpreted in certain ways. Hopefully the DA would rule that you were acting in self-defense and the issue would never go to court, but you must leave a trail that, in the event it does go to court, cannot be twisted. A good attorney will probably make the case that if you had time to shoot to wound or to even fire a warning shot, then you probably weren't in enough danger to be pulling the trigger. Things would go downhill from there.

 

Now considering that, should you chose to go ahead and get a gun, your choice will depend on personal preference and what you intend to do with the gun. Will you be getting a CC permit and carrying? Or will this sit on your nightstand? You may want something a little smaller to carry than you would have sit beside the bed. The best thing you can do is go to a range/gun shop and handle/try some different models. Many places have rental guns to use on their ranges and you can get a feel for different weapons.

 

For an all around good gun, I'd suggest you check out the Springfield Armory XD line. Similar to a Glock, but in my opinion better and safer. The XD is one of the most "natural" guns that you'll probably find. The ergonomics are great and make it "easy" to control. It has a trigger safety like the Glock, but with the addition of a grip safety like on a 1911. If the trigger is depressed without the grip being fully seated in your hand, it won't fire. There is no external "lever safety."

As a woman, if you're going to carry, you may find a normal Springfield XD to be too thick to carry since the magazine is a double stack. The do make a "sub-compact" model that has a shorter barrel and grip that may be a little easier to carry if you so choose.

A new XD should run in the $400 - $600 range depending on model, comparable to a Glock. And for the reliability and durability of these things, that is way underpriced.

 

The other gun you might look at if the XD is too bulky/Glockish is one of the compact 1911 models. Stay in the major brands like Colt, Springfield, Kimber, Taurus, Para-Ordnance, Sig, etc and you can't really go wrong. Only problem is they'll be about double the price of an XD.

Edited January 3, 2008 by 94Camaro

[CelticaFLM]

I'm not going to carry it....i'm looking for a rifle/shotgun to stay in the house...hidden of course. I didn't say I couldn't kill....I said I'm not going to. If my life or someone elses is threatened then yes I could and would. Otherwise it's all for show..... just to scare anyone that could be on the property. There's nothing more scary than a ticked of woman coming to the door with a shot gun and the look of murder in her eyes. Also, I can always say that i'm just a woman and I don't know how to shoot....suuuure I hit his knee caps....but I swear I was aiming for his head :-p.

 

 

Thanks for the info Camero....I may eventually get a permit to carry but I doubt it. When i'm out.... i'm with D3...and we always have his glock to fall back on. It just isn't my style :-p

[IIxNullxII]

There's another option, since you say you're more at home with a shotgun. the Snake Charmer II shotguns are small, and easy to shoot. But it's sure to make some noise and get the job done in close quarters.

 

http://www.verney-carron.us/

 

[edit]

 

I forgot to add... I've seen these at the Bass Pro shops for $150-$200.

Edited January 3, 2008 by IIxNullxII

[CelticaFLM]

There's another option, since you say you're more at home with a shotgun. the Snake Charmer II shotguns are small, and easy to shoot. But it's sure to make some noise and get the job done in close quarters.

 

http://www.verney-carron.us/

 

[edit]

 

I forgot to add... I've seen these at the Bass Pro shops for $150-$200.

 

 

Awesome...I just happen to have a Bass Pro charge card :giggle:

[IIxNullxII]

I'm seriously glad the store is not closer than it is, and that I live in CA where the gun laws are ridiculous... I would be in there every month buying a new shotty or pistol.

[CelticaFLM]

Yeah well I won't mention the insane amount of money that the hubby and I charged their for camping gear.....it was ugly lol.

 

Anyway, I looked at the link Null. I like it....I mean...if I can shoot the big ole Winchester I can handle that pretty well I think :-).

[94Camaro]

That wouldn't be a bad option I don't think, but I'd be concerned about find ammo for it. Most .410 ammo I've seen is birdshot, and that is pretty useless against large targets. You'll probably want to keep something like 00 or 1 buckshot loaded for a defense application. If you can find a reliable source for 410 shells loaded with buckshot, I think you'd be set.

 

Edit: Looking closer at that, I personally would not use one since it is a single shot. I'd want to be able to make a follow-up shot. Or if there are multiple perps you may be in trouble.

 

Edit2: You know, the more I think about it, I'm just not sure I would put my life on a single load of 410. I'd suggest looking at maybe a Mossberg or Remington pump chambered in 410, or better yet 20 gauge. Find one with a pistol grip and/or folding/collapsing stock and you'll have something just as maneuverable as that snake charmer and more rounds just in case.

Edited January 3, 2008 by 94Camaro

[CelticaFLM]

Well keep in mind I have been told that I am to stay hidden if the house is broken into while i'm home. I'm not going all Rambo lol. This is only if I see someone on the property or some stranger comes to the door. It's a scare tactic really...but I want more than a BB gun. If it's serious then like I said...there's a Glock available. I dunno...i'm still thinking about what to get...keep the ideas coming :-).