In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Best Auto carry gun for a woman?
usnrlcdr
Member Posts: 25 ✭✭
My 25 yo daughter travels for business in her car throughout the year here in the Northwest. She does have her CCW permit. She has asked my advice on a good reliable car carry gun in case of car trouble/slide-off etc. (There was a particularly bad incident locally involving a woman with car trouble that has her thinking she may not be invulnerable!).
I was thinking of a S&W Model 60, 65 (Ladysmith?) or 36 for their proven reliability, effectiveness and power--particularly the .357 versions. On the range she tends to shoot revolvers much more accurately than my automatics. Since I prefer the auto's I thought I'd solicit your advice here. Any other models we should include before we plunk down the cash?
In my search of earlier posts there was a lot of info about good personal carry weapons but I am only interested in a handgun for concealment in a car. As always, thanks.
I was thinking of a S&W Model 60, 65 (Ladysmith?) or 36 for their proven reliability, effectiveness and power--particularly the .357 versions. On the range she tends to shoot revolvers much more accurately than my automatics. Since I prefer the auto's I thought I'd solicit your advice here. Any other models we should include before we plunk down the cash?
In my search of earlier posts there was a lot of info about good personal carry weapons but I am only interested in a handgun for concealment in a car. As always, thanks.
Comments
I prefer the PPK over the PPK/S. Though the PPK is no longer in production new ones are still commonly encountered on the shelf. The PPK/S remains under production.
In .380 caliber, the PPK is sufficient for personal defense at close range, particularly if modern, jacketed hollowpoints are used.
With careful reloading, I can push the Speer 90 gr. Gold Dot hollowpoint at 1,050 fps in my PPK. It's a maximum load and I don't shoot it often but this load would surely stop an aggressor.
The idea of a revolver in the vehicle may be better.
U.S. military dog handlers carry .38-caliber revolvers. Why? Because one hand is occupied with the dog's leash and it's difficult to cycle the slide on an auto with one hand. Long-time military doctrine (foolishly) dictates that soldiers carry their auto with an empty chamber.
The same problem exists in the vehicle, where one hand may be occupied by the steering wheel. Granted, the instances where you MUST fire while driving are very limited but it shouldn't be ruled out.
These instances include receiving fire or the threat of a shot from a car next to you, pulling away from a mob brandishing weapons, or someone trying to drag you of the car (in which case, one hand may be occupied fighting off the attack).
So, if she carries an auto in the car it MUST have a round in the chamber, have a full magazine and be on SAFE.
Whatever make, the safety must be easy to disengage quickly. The old 1934 Beretta had one of the worst -- a safety that had to be swung in a full 180 degree arc before it was disengaged. Often, you ran out of finger length before it was fully disengaged.
If she opts with a revolver, she should carry speed-loaders with a bullet profile that is easily loaded. Many semi-wadcutters and hollowpoints balk at entering the chambers from a speedloader. The best profile is a roundnose bullet, which just glides into the chambers.
I know ... I know ... roundnosed bullets dont' have a lot of stopping power. But given a choice between a revolver loaded quickly with one hand (remember the hand on the steering wheel) or struggling with a reload with the new Zip-Wham-Super-Ultra-ZX hollowpoint, I'll take a quick reload any day. Only hits count.
Another consideration: The bullet may have to penetrate glass, steel or heavy clothing to reach the attacker. The .380 and most .38 Special loads don't fare well against auto glass and doors. They're fine against heavy clothing if the velocity and bullet weight are high enough. The Glaser Safety Slug is useless against any kind of barricade, as are shotshells.
For the .38, I would suggest a bullet weight of 140 grains or more. The .380 is limited to mostly 85 and 90 grain bullets. You CAN load 115 gr. bullets intended for the 9mm in the .380 but velocity is low, around 850 fps. Recoil and muzzle blast are very strong, especially in a light pistol such as the PPK or PPK/S.
In a small auto, the 9mm or .40 would be a good choice for a car gun. However, recoil is often stiff and muzzle blast is great. It takes frequent practice to hit consistently with pocket pistols of 9mm, .40 or .45 caliber.
Here in the remote Utah desert I carry a Kimber .45 Auto in the car, loaded with 230 gr. jacketed hollowpoints. This gives me a combat pistol, if needed, but more often it provides me with a pistol to dispatch deer and cattle hit by cars. But for a carry-piece, the Walther PPK in .380 with the aforementioned Speer Gold Dot 90 hollowpoint is what I carry.
It is small, lightweight, easily concealed, reliable and accurate. The 90 gr. bullet at 1,050 fps is devastating, at least against wet newspaper.
I hope I never have to learn how it fares against humans.
When you shoot at an aggressor, no matter how justified, your legal, financial and emotional nightmares have just begun.
"A hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a .44!"
This is obviously a hope-she-never-has-the-need purchase but as an old GMC once told me, "Proper-Preparation-Precludes-Piss-Poor-Performance" aka "the 6-P's of life". Not much goes wrong with wheel guns.
Any thoughts or tips on where to store--glove box vs. under the seat? You want it when you need it so under the seat seems prone to shifting around but the glove box is more likely to be broken into.
A good weapon, like a Kahr, or a Glock , may be a bit expensive, but then this is a daughter. These autos have a long trigger pull somewhat like a revolver and have great track records.
Parents frequently spend 20 grand on a car for their kid. The 100 or 200 buck difference is not that big a deal.
Have her try them at a range that rents guns, or take her out with a friend who has the right ones to try. Shooting them is the best test.
Finally, the next biggest concern I would have is good classes on what is appropriate in a legal/social sense. We are in as much danger from the courts as from criminals.
Best of luck with her safety.
Eric
Greg
If she's going to carry in her purse, something like a Smith Model 649 Bodyguard filled with .38 Spl. +P's should do the job nicely. The Bodyguard with it's "no-snag" shrouded hammer makes for a very nice purse gun....and most women seem to be able to handle the "J" frame size pretty well.
In many respects, revolvers are easier to use, as noted above and many times elsewhere.
For theses reasons a snub nose revolver and a relatively low recoil, low blast loading is preferable. To an extent the lower power is mitigated by near point blank range.
redcedars
Also consider the possibility that the blast of a +P or greater load in a snubbie may scare her away from carrying a gun. I would rather have her hit a perp in the chest with a couple of wadcutters, than have her defenseless because she was gun-shy.
Neal
I use a EAA Witness in .40 that's ported, with a 12rd. Baby Eagle magazine for everyday carry-low recoil, accurate, smooth with almost any ammo, and a STEEL frame.
For car use; all she'd have to do would be to hang a jacket or open-top purse over the headrest of the passenger seat, and place a little Velcro on the draw side of the holster. Then just stick the weapon on the fabric of the passenger seat with the Velcro and casually drape the item mentioned over it. I recommend 13 rounds to start with, and an extra on the holster or visor(loaded, 1 in chamber, safety off).
The Walthers are neat little guns; but no .380 (sorry, James)will penetrate window glass (and hit anywhere near point of aim).
Taurus makes a 7 or 8 shot wheelgun that's heavy enough to soak up recoil, takes 38sp. for practice, and is chambered for a real defense caliber; .357 Magnum. With a 4-inch barrel (full underlug) and some judicious porting; she could very well have a Cadillac at Kia prices!
Oh yeah, NEVER LEAVE A LOADED FIREARM IN A CAR! Unloaded are the second best kind not to leave in a car! It's called a sidearm for a reason; let her get used to it being with her, and she'll keep it where it'll do the most good.
If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!