Sister's getting a pistol... SW .40cal
10-22-2009, 05:35 PM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
Sister's getting a pistol... SW .40cal
My sister has wanted a handgun forever, sincerely for personal home protection, but I think she thinks pistols are cool at the sametime.
Finally said she's getting one.
It's a smith n wesson, in .40sw, which I had thought would be a lil better than getting a 9mm.
What do you guys think about a .40 vs. a 9mm?
I think a woman should be able to handle a .40 without much issue right? she's no wimp, I guess it doesn't matter as it's already on it's way I think.
Any suggestions? I told her she should get a light for it, my personal view is a light is the way to go vs. a laser, especially if youre awoken in the dark?
What about one of those night stand safes that open by your fingerprints I think?
I think I'm just as excited as she is about the new purchase!
Finally said she's getting one.
It's a smith n wesson, in .40sw, which I had thought would be a lil better than getting a 9mm.
What do you guys think about a .40 vs. a 9mm?
I think a woman should be able to handle a .40 without much issue right? she's no wimp, I guess it doesn't matter as it's already on it's way I think.
Any suggestions? I told her she should get a light for it, my personal view is a light is the way to go vs. a laser, especially if youre awoken in the dark?
What about one of those night stand safes that open by your fingerprints I think?
I think I'm just as excited as she is about the new purchase!
10-22-2009, 05:53 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
My sister has wanted a handgun forever, sincerely for personal home protection, but I think she thinks pistols are cool at the sametime.
Finally said she's getting one.
It's a smith n wesson, in .40sw, which I had thought would be a lil better than getting a 9mm.
What do you guys think about a .40 vs. a 9mm?
I think a woman should be able to handle a .40 without much issue right? she's no wimp, I guess it doesn't matter as it's already on it's way I think.
Any suggestions? I told her she should get a light for it, my personal view is a light is the way to go vs. a laser, especially if youre awoken in the dark?
What about one of those night stand safes that open by your fingerprints I think?
I think I'm just as excited as she is about the new purchase!
Finally said she's getting one.
It's a smith n wesson, in .40sw, which I had thought would be a lil better than getting a 9mm.
What do you guys think about a .40 vs. a 9mm?
I think a woman should be able to handle a .40 without much issue right? she's no wimp, I guess it doesn't matter as it's already on it's way I think.
Any suggestions? I told her she should get a light for it, my personal view is a light is the way to go vs. a laser, especially if youre awoken in the dark?
What about one of those night stand safes that open by your fingerprints I think?
I think I'm just as excited as she is about the new purchase!
It will probably depend on how much shooting experience your sister has. Many people find that some pistols chambered in 40 S&W have an uncomfortable snap to them. I prefer the 40 over the 9mm as long as the shooter is accurate with it.
Lights are fine but a good set of night sights is better IMO. For a defense handgun, the XS Big Dot night sights are awesome. I don't have any experience with the safes that you are talking about but they look interesting.
10-23-2009, 06:32 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SE Wisc
Posts: 677
Everyone says a .40 is better than the 9mm. However i wouldn't want to be hit with either of them. Todays bullet choices make them much closer than people want to admit. but i would rather have a .22 that i could shoot accurately than a 40 or 9mm that jumped at every triggle pull. I would also rather have a handgun that fit my hand. The biggest mistake is people chosing a caliber over gun. Find the right gun first and worry about the caliber 2nd. A 380 is what i carry concealed. With the right ammo, it can be pretty potent, easy to shoot etc... i would choose 9mm as its easier for women to shoot over the 40s&w.
and there is no substitute for a 12ga for home defense.
and there is no substitute for a 12ga for home defense.
10-26-2009, 06:42 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: NC
Posts: 113
Has SHE ever SHOT a .40 S&W? You said you "think" she can handle it. Like a poster above mentioned, some of the compact ones, can have a pretty good rap to them.
If she can handle the round (and an auto), then it's obviously and effective round to use. So is a proper 9mm for defense. I would settle on which is affordable and easier for her to shoot.
I'm old school. For a woman, I always recommend a nice 2-3" 38spl revolver for home
defense.
When buying a handgun for a woman, don't get lured into listning to all the gun-goobers
at the gunstore, telling you what you HAVE to get. Get what they can shoot.
My mother-n-law, HAD to have a .357 magnum. After half a cylinder, she realized she wasted $400. There was NO way she could have defended herself with that gun.
I bought it off of her, and picked up a used SP101 in .32H&R for her. She loves it
and shoots it alot. I KNOW she can defend herself with it.
My wife chose a S&W .32 long kit gun for her "drawer gun".
Whatever they can shoot, and shoot good.
I wish her the best with it.
Glad she chose to arm herself.
If she can handle the round (and an auto), then it's obviously and effective round to use. So is a proper 9mm for defense. I would settle on which is affordable and easier for her to shoot.
I'm old school. For a woman, I always recommend a nice 2-3" 38spl revolver for home
defense.
When buying a handgun for a woman, don't get lured into listning to all the gun-goobers
at the gunstore, telling you what you HAVE to get. Get what they can shoot.
My mother-n-law, HAD to have a .357 magnum. After half a cylinder, she realized she wasted $400. There was NO way she could have defended herself with that gun.
I bought it off of her, and picked up a used SP101 in .32H&R for her. She loves it
and shoots it alot. I KNOW she can defend herself with it.
My wife chose a S&W .32 long kit gun for her "drawer gun".
Whatever they can shoot, and shoot good.
I wish her the best with it.
Glad she chose to arm herself.
10-27-2009, 01:58 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Danville Va. U.S.A.
Posts: 2,324
Has SHE ever SHOT a .40 S&W? You said you "think" she can handle it. Like a poster above mentioned, some of the compact ones, can have a pretty good rap to them.
If she can handle the round (and an auto), then it's obviously and effective round to use. So is a proper 9mm for defense. I would settle on which is affordable and easier for her to shoot.
I'm old school. For a woman, I always recommend a nice 2-3" 38spl revolver for home
defense.
When buying a handgun for a woman, don't get lured into listning to all the gun-goobers
at the gunstore, telling you what you HAVE to get. Get what they can shoot.
My mother-n-law, HAD to have a .357 magnum. After half a cylinder, she realized she wasted $400. There was NO way she could have defended herself with that gun.
I bought it off of her, and picked up a used SP101 in .32H&R for her. She loves it
and shoots it alot. I KNOW she can defend herself with it.
My wife chose a S&W .32 long kit gun for her "drawer gun".
Whatever they can shoot, and shoot good.
I wish her the best with it.
Glad she chose to arm herself.
If she can handle the round (and an auto), then it's obviously and effective round to use. So is a proper 9mm for defense. I would settle on which is affordable and easier for her to shoot.
I'm old school. For a woman, I always recommend a nice 2-3" 38spl revolver for home
defense.
When buying a handgun for a woman, don't get lured into listning to all the gun-goobers
at the gunstore, telling you what you HAVE to get. Get what they can shoot.
My mother-n-law, HAD to have a .357 magnum. After half a cylinder, she realized she wasted $400. There was NO way she could have defended herself with that gun.
I bought it off of her, and picked up a used SP101 in .32H&R for her. She loves it
and shoots it alot. I KNOW she can defend herself with it.
My wife chose a S&W .32 long kit gun for her "drawer gun".
Whatever they can shoot, and shoot good.
I wish her the best with it.
Glad she chose to arm herself.
Could not agree more .In all reality if it comes down to "nut cuttin" you want simple and accurate.In the excited state you don't want to be worrying about safetys ,lights,lasers,etc.you want grab,point, shoot,and hit .Hard to beat the old reliable double action revolver.A good S&W air weight or Scandium in .22 Mag. will get the snakes off of your ass in a hurry.Just food for thought.
10-31-2009, 03:43 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: California
Posts: 347
Sister's Pistol
If she's set on going with an auto, I would recommend trying the .357 Sig round (necked down .40). Agency I work for went to that caliber after using the .40 cals. Recoil doesn't bother the women as much and the damage caused by the bullet has to be seen to be believed. As said in a prior post, with the new ammo things are infinitely better with all calibers but have her try the .357 Sig.
