Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Home Defense Pick: Young Ladies

Not sure what subforum to stick this question in, but what are your thoughts on "house guns" for the high-school through college-age ladies who might find themselves at home alone sometimes? Not talking gun-savvy hunter types, but more the type that gets instruction and practice fairly regularly for the purposes of defense. This might be a 90lb 14yr old or a 130lb 20 year old, as kids do grow up a fair bit in those years.

My pick in the past has included a double action, steel frame, 38 revolver,often placed near the middle of the house, but not visible, generally in a thumbsnap holster. I'm thinking of supplementing with a short-barreled SxS 20ga with extra rounds in a stock sleeve. Of course I have multiple other defense guns available for myself, but it seems simple is likely better in my house full of women. This is for a more rural setting, not an apartment scenario. And I'm thinking about realistic, high-stress situations, not fun times at the range with Dad/instructor standing right behind them and telling them what to do.

Thoughts/experiences/input?

10/22 is/was my choice.

Your picks are fine for people who can't/don't/won't train much, but it sounds like your team is more dedicated than that. People who've had good initial instruction and who train every month or so should be able to run something like a 9mm Glock with ease. Recoil is about like a steel-framed 38 plus they have almost triple the ammunition.

Once they get up to speed on the pistol, start talking about prevention, avoidance, and survival. Work through possible defense scenarios in your own home. How do you respond if someone kicks in the front door? How does that differ from when they kick in the back door? How does that change when you're in a bedroom vs. when you're in the kitchen? Focus on tactics, use of deadly force law, positive target identification, how to shoot with a handheld light, etc. Then get them off of the range and into a shoot house where they can learn how to safely pie a corner, shoot on the move, shoot in low light, etc. Honestly, one of the most important skills anyone can learn is how to safely move with a loaded weapon, yet nobody ever talks about it and nobody practices it.

Picking hardware is barely the tip of the iceberg.


Okie John

If there is a gun store with a firing range, take them to it and let them try several different ones that they themselves pick-out to shoot. that way they will get the one each prefers...IMO

Not a terrible idea. I was going to suggest a Remington Youth Model 870 20 gauge or a Ruger PCC 9mm with white light and red dot sight.

Hardware is indeed only the tip of the iceberg, as Okie John says. And I'll be sure to have lessons on the more pressing points of when/where/how firearms are employed in defense.

In our setting, we can practice a good bit at our leisure, so I will also make sure that auto handguns are familiar and understood. I've got four identical XDM 9mm pistols around the house and in vehicles. My wife understands those. Just seems to me that there is some merit in a dummy-proof revolver or break-open shotgun to keep in places where the kiddos always know they can find them.

Regarding the 10/22 option, it sounds like Ruger was trying to replicate that familiarity in their 9mm carbines they introduced a few years back. That was one of the few options on my "short list" of viable house guns. In my mind, it was pretty much that or the shotgun.

While S&W 4" stainless K frames have been my go to house handguns I now keep my S&W Shield EZ9 by the bed now and a M65 357 handy elsewhere in the house. I have a Maverick 88 20" 8 shot 12ga hand too.

A PCC carbine would be an excellent choice. High capacity, negligible recoil, cheap to practice and fun to shoot. Loaded with good ammo, it's nothing to be dismissed off hand. Cost wise, a good 870 or 500 in 20 ga. would move a lot of lead quickly. In handguns, you're XDMs would fill the bill and you already have them on hand. A good G19 would do nicely also.
Training, training, training and know your state and local laws.
Jmho

My 17 year old knows where the G19 is.
It's loaded and just needs jerked out of the holster.
For all intents and purposes it's an easier to shoot 38,
with 2 1/2-3 times the ammo.

This is where I started my wife. Saved her more than once while we were single. Very easy to learn. AR's and Glocks are not that bad either.

Small frame ( J Frame) S&W 38 Special! For the novice.....virtually infallible while under duress! memtb

Having taught the NRA Person Protection Course for over 20 years to about 500 people, close to half women, I would say your choices are excellent. Last thing I would ever throw into your situation with young women, who are not trained gunfighters, is a semi auto anything...because if it malfunctions they will fall apart...the absolute simplest gun that will go bang every time till it is empty is what they need.

This isn't going to be a gun fight...this is someone going to be breaking in to get a piece of azz and as soon as the first round goes off they will set the new USA record for the 100 yard dash... And if he stays around for another second there are five more where the first one came from....

Bob

Went thru the same process a while back. Wife ended up really liking the Sig 238. Her response was it was easier for her to handle. Keep the Sig 365 for myself and sent it to the Sig Armorer. I did not like the sights and they changed them our and polished up the internals. .

I generally find myself in agreement with RJM ‘cause he doesn’t get his panties in a twist and get over the top. Quite a few of us, myself included, tend to subscribe to bigger is better - like hunting deer in WV with a 300WM. Having said that, I find myself wondering if a good 22 mag revolver wouldn’t get the job done. The lethality of the 22s is often overlooked. And it’s a heck of a lot easier to shoot well for someone who may not spend a lot of time at the range.

for a long long time the house gun was a ruger mark I.
yeah, only a .22 but 8 or 9 rounds in a few seconds one could make a person leak.
these days its revolvers, just for simpilicity of operation.

The house people know where the revolvers are. I have my heavier equipment. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

I used 10/22's because my wife and children were so adept with them due to shooting gophers. There really wasn't a problem they couldn't quickly resolve and they are all deadly accurate with them.

I gave my a Beretta 92F Compact, but if I were to do it again I would probably get her a Glock 19. It has a simple point click interface.

I don't doubt that kids seen around the property using .22s, and carrying squirrels and chucks are a real preventative for ne'er-do-wells and burglars.

A stick in the ground spinner target in the yard is a complication they don't need or want.

How about one of the beretta carbines or Rugers.