Pocket pistol for mom

[TexasRoadDawg]

My mom wants to get her CHL since she travels alone out of state a lot. I took her to Saxet this weekend and looked at some pocket guns. She liked the Kel-Tec P3AT and the Ruger LCP because of their small size and weight. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Is the Kel-Tec a good buy for her?

 

[Dawico]

They are both good guns. Is she experienced with guns at all? If not, I would recommend a small revolver like a LCR or airweight. She could shoot standard 38 special with little recoil, ammo is less expensive and easier to find for practice, and the operation is simpler. No slide to rack, safety to manipulate, or limp wristing issues. Just some things to think about.

 

[Hondo]

I have a P32 and a LCP and they have been reliable and make great pocket pistols. However I would encourage your mom to shoot one before she buys one as they are not everyone's cup of tea once they shoot it. Has she seen the J-Frame Airweight or a Bersa?

 

[Texasjack]

The LCP is a terrific pistol. There's a non-Ruger forum just for the LCP and the posts are overwhelmingly positive. But a .380 has a pretty good 'bite' (because of it's small size) and she might not like it. See if you can find a friend or two with small pistols that will let her try shooting them so she understands what she's getting into.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Bring her out to the shoot at the end of the month - I'll have a P232, P238, Model 10 S&W an' a coupla other compacts she can plink which to see which she prefers...the P232 may be gone by then, though - I'm thinkin' 'bout sellin' it since I got the 238's.

 

[chubbyzook]

ive been playing with my p3at for a few weeks and have flawlessly put about 300 rounds through it. it easily conceals and it pretty acurate for what it is. but i do recomend a revolver for woman. so she doesnt have to rack the slide before firing

 

[dadoo]

I hope mom's not going to NYC with whichever pistol she picks! Them Yankee's are pretty fiesty when it comes to guns. Only the BG's are allowed to carry them.

 

[TexasRoadDawg]

I would rather her carry a revolver for the aforementioned reasons. Thats what she originally wanted, and she really liked the LCR. But when she got her hands on a Kel-Tec, she loved the size and slim profile. I think thats what she has her heart set on now. She knows a little about guns, and she has shot my Glock a few times. I'm definitely not going to let her start carrying until I get her up to speed though.

 

[TexasRedneck]

A wheel gun would likely be a good choice, then. Have her also check out the S&W Model 10 - VERY compact 38 with a good track record...

 

[navyguy]

I would rather her carry a revolver for the aforementioned reasons. Thats what she originally wanted, and she really liked the LCR. But when she got her hands on a Kel-Tec, she loved the size and slim profile. I think thats what she has her heart set on now. She knows a little about guns, and she has shot my Glock a few times. I'm definitely not going to let her start carrying until I get her up to speed though.

Women always seem to be drawn to small light guns. But, we all know that smaller is not always better from a recoil and shot ability stand point. You ought to find a Kel-Tec for her to shoot before you buy. Also, consider that even Federal Low Recoil 38 Sp yealds about 25% more energy than a Gold Dot .380, and recoil out of something like the LCR or SW Air Weight is very manageable.

 

[Moss_Berg5150]

I too was at the SATEX gun show this weekend and I ended up picking up a Kel-Tec PF-9 for my wife. I now this is not the pistol you are asking about but I wanted to chime in on Kel-Tec as a brand. It does have a little kick to it and it was a little small for me to get my hands around, but my wife really likes it and we only had one misfeed and I think it was operator error on my part. They are a very affordable and from what I'm reading the reliability is descent as well on the Kel-Tecs. However, ff your mother is in harms way, or like you said she travels a lot, than I would reccomend the revolver over the semi-auto just for piece of mind.

 

[TexasRedneck]

hehehe - reminds me of my wife....she has a model 10 S&W an' loves it...a Combat Masterpiece and loves IT....an' now several Kimbers an' loves THEM.
Now she wants ta shoot one of my Wilsons. I love her to death - but if she even THINKS she's gettin' mah Wilson Sentinel.....it is ON!!

 

[Texasjack]

Salesman at a local gun range tells me that women have been going crazy for the PX4 Storm compact.

 

[AR1911]

depends

How old is Mom? How is her hand strength?
Most women can't rack the slide on a traditional semi-auto.
My wife is no sissie, but she can't rack the slides on ANY of my small autoloaders - P32, P3at, lcp, Llamas, COLT .380S etc.
So now she has a Beretta Tomcat. The tip-up barrel eliminates the need to rack the slide.
And the broad grip spreads the recoil.

 

[Butchbird]

My Mother got her CHL at age 82 -- When she was 84 she shot a home invader with the Taurus 85CH she loved to shoot -- She passed away years ago but I still keep that gun in the house -- She didn't have the hand stregth to use an auto but she sat in the living room working with her revolvers so she was sure how to use them -- I feel an all steel revolver is the best for most people anyway around the house -- No saftey --no slide -- pull the trigger and it goes bang -- I carry autos mostly these days but for a house guns I use revolvers -- Most women are not going to practice enough to develop the skills to use any but the simplest auto -- So I vote for a good revolver in 38 Special or less for most women -- just my opnion

 

[Texas42]

How old is Mom? How is her hand strength?
Most women can't rack the slide on a traditional semi-auto.
My wife is no sissie, but she can't rack the slides on ANY of my small autoloaders - P32, P3at, lcp, Llamas, COLT .380S etc.
So now she has a Beretta Tomcat. The tip-up barrel eliminates the need to rack the slide.
And the broad grip spreads the recoil.

Come on.

Most women can rack most slides. It is a matter of technique, not strength. Most people don't get a good enough grip in the slide. Nothing wrong with a revolver(. . . well except the 5 round cylinder), but I disagree with the idea that a woman should go with a revolver over a semi-auto weapon because another person assume the person is: too weak to operate the slide, too stupid to understand the working, or unable to operate the gun because of the reliability of revolvers over semi-auto's.

This isn't a "revovler vs semi" debate. It is about not needlessly limiting the options of a person in what gun they buy.

 

[lance22]

I hope mom's not going to NYC with whichever pistol she picks! Them Yankee's are pretty fiesty when it comes to guns. Only the BG's are allowed to carry them.

Present company excepted, of course.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Some of us yankees put the good ol' boys to shame

Go ahead - show us what ya got.....here's a couple of mine jest ta help ya start.

View attachment 2268
View attachment 2267


The pics are outta date.....ah've added 4-5 long guns, an' 'bout 9 or 10 pistols since then....

 

[Texas42]

sigh. . . .Your right, it would look better with a few extra long guns and handguns. : P

Still a nice picture.

 

[TexasRedneck]

<sigh> Thanks....looks like ah'm fixin' ta add a 2nd Mdl. 97 shottie to the bunch as well....woe is me.....