Pistol for the ol lady

[Aaron]

I wouldn't count out revolvers but that is just me.  If you are set on a semiauto I would go with a compact Glock or Springfield XD or S&W M&P.

One thing to keep in mind though:  if this gun is for the "ol lady" it needs to fit her.  Let her pick it out and make sure she can get a comfortable proper grip on the weapon.  Also make sure it is something that she will shot enough to be proficient with.

Another thing to consider is ammo.  I know in my neck of the wood .380 is almost impossible to find at a reasonable price but Wal MArt seems to have 9mm and .40 almost every time I go in there.

I personally carry a 1911 Govt. in .45 ACP until I can get me a Ruger SP101 or a .38 snubbie

[bass or bass ?]

.380 is simply too underpowered. Personally, I carry a S&W model 59 9mm highcap mag or my S&W 629 4" .44mag. My wife has no problem with the model 59, however, I want to get her something chambered for .357 Sig. Comparable recoil, more knockdown/killing power.   Gun control------the ability to hit your target!!

[bassnleo]

The best carry gun is the one that is actually carried........

That being said, I agree with the poster whom suggested taking your wife to the gun shop (and range if possible) and seeing what gun she can effectively shoot and carry.

With todays vast choice of calibers and ammo choices you can certainly find a combo in a small frame auto or revolver that will do it's job.

Regarding the post about the drop gun..... :-X

[ohioriverrat]

I suppose I should apologize to all the folks out there that were traumatized by my reply to this thread. When I read the original post, I had a flashback (no, not from LSD). I guess without a lot of detail I should explain so you MAY not think I'm a nut case.

Back I the mid 70s I was in the Air Force and my wife was diagnosed with cancer. She had many experimental (for the time) treatments at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethezda. After these treatments, I would come to DC from Dover Air Force Base, take her to Union Station, and put her on a train for our home in West Virginia, where she could fully recuperate from the treatments.

One time I could not get to DC to pick her up (can't even remember why now). So she got a cab and went to Union station alone. It was INSIDE the station in the late evening that she was attacked and beaten up. She was not sexually assaulted but was robbed of her purse and overnight bag. This happened INSIDE a FULLY LIT train station. WITH PEOPLE present. She was not seriously injured, but in her already weakened state, she could not seriously fend off the attack. It took her a long time to recover from the attack. It took even longer for her to mentally work through it. She would NOT go back to that train station. Until...

Long story short, one of my cop buddies suggested personal protection for my wife, and he ( and a couple of his cop friends) came up with the firearm and the plan. They did this because they had seen first hand the hassles that came with self defense in that area. They had seen guys go the prison for (so called) protecting themselves. And even in justified cases, the victims were interrogated, re-interrogated, subjected to Grand Juries, saddled with lawyer fees, and, in general their lives were put into months and months of turmoil.

Now I know that sounds like no big deal to you if you are convinced that you're in the right. But at the time, Good Samaritan laws were not in place, self defense laws were not yet written, concealed carry was not for the masses yet, and it was illegal to have a handgun in DC (still is I think). So at the time, the two solutions were to defend yourself and take your chances with the system, or defend yourself and then melt into the crowd.

Things have changed in parts of the country in these many years, but not everywhere. Read some of the self defense stories floating around. You will read were the victim was hailed as a hero for defending themselves, but you will read just as many times a self defense case going to the Grand Jury or further.

I'm also informed last night that she no longer carries a weapon of any type. We live in an area with little crime and very little violent crime. So there is no longer a need for self defense here. By the way, my wife is a very good marksman.

Like I said, it was a flashback.