My daughter is looking at getting her concealed carry permit. She's been shooting since she was little ; God help someone who decides she's a target for any kind of crap..........

I've always liked a 9mm for concealed carry but thought I'd ask here. My concern is concealed carry in a small purse plus her size. She's 5 ft and 100 lbs. She shoots my 9s well and am lea IMG that direction for her.

Thoughts?

G43, but something would have to cover the trigger if she is carrying in a bag. Ruger LC9 would be a good on. S&W Shield, too. The Kimber Micro 9 is very nice as well. My wife prefers the Kimber to the others. Disregard the TRH horsechit about a safety being a liability.

Also, if you could find one, a 3rd Gen S&W 3913 would be great.

If a small, but not a tiny, auto is what's called for, and recoil sensitivity is any issue at all, she'll be far better off with a .380, especially if you don't go smaller than a Glock 42.

You want her to enjoy shooting it so she'll practice.

What does your wife carry?

Can she pull the 9mm slide back as well as the 380? My wife went with a LC380 for that reason. She like the feel of the LC380 over my LCP.

Let her choose both the cartridge and the pistol. If she chooses at least she will carry and use it

I found it easier to let my Wife decide on her own, what to carry. She tried a number of different platforms and calibers. Settled on a J Frame S&W in .38 Special.
She shoots it well, is comfortable with it, and practices. Problem solved.

9MM

Whenever I hear purse I always think revolver, J frame 38 special Speer gold,135gr five shot, six, lightest gun she can handle.

There are purses designed for concealed carry. In those, something like a Glock 42 would work fine. Certainly shouldn't just be tossed into a regular purse, though, unless in a proper holster. But you're right that a revolver is a good choice for that due to the long, heavy, trigger pull.

Don't think that the .380 will have less recoil. Between the two cartridges, there is a difference in the size of the pistol, with the 9mm being a bit larger. So when all is considered, they end up having nearly identical recoil in pocket guns.

My wife's EDC is a S&W M&P compact..........she shoots it nearly as well as her full size M&P. She carries it in a special (very attractive) purse for the most part, or in a jacket pocket if wearing an appropriate one.

The 9mm is a LOT more cartridge than a 380, IMO, & if she's an experienced shooter, there's really no reason to go with a 380 & most of the only slightly larger 9's are more shootable than some of the really small 380's...........not a big fan of mouse guns.

MM

a purse designed for the pistol would be fantastic, but I think a girl at her age would probably not go that route. This is why I say revolver, and I don't believe that her father would ever let her just dump a revolver in her purse without being in a holster. There's a lot going on inside of a purse a lot of things floating around to catch on a trigger.dirt and debris which are always floating around in a woman's purse :-)play havoc on semiautomatics even inside of a holster hence the revolver. At 5 foot and 100 pounds if she had a revolver with a heavy trigger pull she would most likely need to have a trigger job.

Obviously. If sizes are held roughly constant, however, .380 has noticeably less recoil, e.g., comparing the LC9 with the Glock 42. The 42 is even a bit lighter, and still has less felt recoil.

Hawk,

I think the G43 & 43 are the better comparison. And to me, the difference is muzzle blast, not actual recoil. The 9mm is louder so it seems more, but actual felt recoil is a wash...for me, in my hands. I've also found that the 43 is just more shootable since there's more grip area.

I can tell you for a fact that the Kimber Micro 9 has noticeably more recoil than they Micro .380.

The recoil characteristics of a snubnose .38 is not conducive to a "novice". They are just nasty, especially as compared to a .380.

A purse designed for a pistol has a dedicated compartment for the gun so nothing extra is it & it positioned for an easy withdrawal & access.

This is the one that my wide is using & besides the fact that it works for carrying, it's probably her favorite purse.

MM

Montana West Gun Purse

This. I've given shooting lessons to many females (easier to get to shooting accurately than males IME). I've not found one who objected to a 9mm over a 380, especially using ammo such as Hornady's Critical Defense Lite in a gun that is comfortable. I realize 380 is better than it was a few years ago, but 9mm is always my recommended minimum for an adequate SD pistol.

See how similar in size the 42 and the LC9 are? The 42 is a bit lighter, yet still much less felt recoil.

This ^^^^^

Take her to a range that rents a variety of guns and let her try them. Tell her that you're only going to object it she picks something unreliable or unsuitable; otherwise it is up to her.

It's also not a bad idea to find an instructor, preferably female, to give the basic instruction. Women often do better working with another woman.

The Ruger LC9S and LCR both have smooth triggers and, paired with Hornady Critical Defense Lite ammo, may give her the right combination.

I'd let her choose a Shield in 9mm if she's going the purse carry route.




Dave

[quote=BamBam
a purse designed for the pistol would be fantastic, but I think a girl at her age would probably not go that route. This is why I say revolver, and I don't believe that her father would ever let her just dump a revolver in her purse without being in a holster. There's a lot going on inside of a purse a lot of things floating around to catch on a trigger.dirt and debris which are always floating around in a woman's purse :-)play havoc on semiautomatics even inside of a holster hence the revolver. At 5 foot and 100 pounds if she had a revolver with a heavy trigger pull she would most likely need to have a trigger job. [/quote]

A good womens purse designed to carry a gun has it's own pocket, typically in the end of the purse so all the lady has to do is swing the purse (over her shoulder) in front of her, and conspicuously slip her hand in the pocket and now all she's got to do is swing the purse off to the side and the gun is out and ready. Once her hand is in the end of the purse she has the option of just discreetly removing her hand, or bringing the gun out. Works well.

Your daughter would probably appreciate this

http://thewellarmedwoman.com/the-concealed-carry-purse

Well I don't think she is a novice, if you read his post he says she has been shooting since a little girl.

I know, that is why I said, A purse designed for the pistol would be fantastic.

I usually recommend either the Ruger LCR or S&W BodyGuard in .38 sp. to the ladies that have taken my CHL course if they ask.

When they ask me why, I tell them that it won't jam and all you have to do is pull the trigger. Another words KISS.

And far the ones that are going to buy a small semi-auto no matter what advice I give them, I recommend they buy the Glock 42 in .380, as it's the most simple to operate. And also has less recoil than the Glock 43 in 9mm and easier to shoot, IMO.

But of course, before I turn any woman loose with a semi-auto, I tell them that it's going to require much more training and familiarity with the pistol than they are going to in my 5 hour CHL course. And I usually steer them towards a NRA Certified Safety and Pistol Instructor.

Over the last 3 weeks I have taken 4 women to the range to shoot a LCP, G43, and a Shield, as well as a few other pistols and revolvers. They had very little experience and could handle the 9s as easy as anything else. Working the slides was the biggest hang up. Not necessarily because of strength, but because of technique and mind set. They all had problems hitting anything, but that takes practice.

I think needed size should determine chambering. If they will be using a bra holster or carrying while running/jogging, the 380 is probably best, otherwise a 9mm would be the better option.

I'd look at the steel frame kahrs in 9mm as well

with advances in bullets, the 380 isnt no slouch anymore for carrying

Try dry firing the LCP and the LC9 side by side. The LC9, being a striker type, has a much better trigger pull. I can't compare the recoil because I haven't shot either, just dry fired them.

Unless somebody is going to pocket carry there is no need to go with an LCP or similar.

The size of the LCP is a handicap and not always needed.

The LC9 and G43, and Shield size pistols are far easier to shoot and don't necessitate a boutique cartridge.

"Juice vs Squeeze" as one of our more famous cyber-bullies has pointed out.




Dave

I took a concealed carry class where the instructor turned off the lights so we could point and shoot in the dark.
A gent to my right was firing a Browning 380 and I remember that the muzzle blast was worse than my 1911 45 acp.

True, but still only a few bullets come close to the the 12" FBI penetration criteria (denim in front of properly mixed ballistic gel), and then those expand much less. A Hornady XTP, for example, penetrates as much as 11.5" (very close) but only expands to .41" on average. The excellent Federal HST expands impressively, averaging right at .5", but penetration only averaged 8.5". All are much less consistent than the larger (more powerful) cartridges as well.

The .380 ACP has come a ways, and is certainly better than wielding a baseball bat, but the 9mm still is where adequate personal protection begins (in my opinion).

I would agree with 'Flave on actual platform size. Something in the 'Compact' class is easier to shoot that the 'micro' sized guns that are popular for pocket carry. And if a lady is going to carry in a purse, the size is less critical. Good point to consider.

The Gold Dot .380 has been tested to penetrate about a foot in ballistic medium, and expand nicely.

Definitely one of the better choices, but doesn't consistently penetrate to 12". Still, a good choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTTuXpFChsA

you could shoot FMJ and get 12" everytime, put it in the vitals and it will still hurt... XTP does penetrate better than the HST in 380...so does the hydrashok....HST in 9mm is the cats ass though...
this is the best 380 video for micro pistol ammo:
https://youtu.be/GNtPHYwcDts

precision one with XTP ammo penetrated 13"+ in denim and bare...

reviews goldots around 6:00 mark

http://shootingthebull.net/blog/final-results-of-the-380-acp-ammo-quest/

Have not tried, nor am I familiar with the Precision One offering. Looks like it is worth playing with. I'm not surprised at the XTP recommendation. It does penetrate reliably, albeit with less expansion.

Good vid, and thanks for the link.