Handgun Advice

[slgrieb]

Elder Child wants to get her own pistol and a concealed carry permit. I've had my old Browning Hi-Power for 30 years or so, and I'm really out of the loop when it comes to newer handguns. I'm leaning toward buying her a Glock 26, but I'm open to advice.

[Gazzak]

Why does she need to carry a gun?

[slgrieb]

I don't think she really "needs" to carry a gun. She has some basic self defense skills and carries a couple of knives, so handgun ownership is sort of a coming of age ritual. I'm a Texan, so I might (with some justification) be considered barking mad. But I didn't raise either of my daughters to be victims. Both my kids can shoot well, but EC wants her own firearm. She's 19, and can get a concealed carry permit. I want her safe, and I consider that having her well armed is part of keeping her safe.

[Pinnacle-Project]

I think at least 50% of this thread will soon contain information that has nothing to do with which model is best.

[Pinnacle-Project]

Okay, I might as well contribute to the side topic of this thread.

I support people's right to carry a gun in their purse/holster while they go about their everyday activities because it is a freedom our forefathers fought for. However, I think it is a waste of money and does more harm than good when a conflict comes up.

[Gazzak]

I don't think she really "needs" to carry a gun. She has some basic self defense skills and carries a couple of knives, so handgun ownership is sort of a coming of age ritual. I'm a Texan, so I might (with some justification) be considered barking mad. But I didn't raise either of my daughters to be victims. Both my kids can shoot well, but EC wants her own firearm. She's 19, and can get a concealed carry permit. I want her safe, and I consider that having her well armed is part of keeping her safe.

Thanks for the honest answer. I'm not looking for a fight, I'm genuinely interested why you'd arm your daughter. Obviously it's completely different over here and something that shocks me to hear is considered normal over there, hence my curiosity. Is it really that dangerous in Texas though to warrant a gun or knives?

[3fingersalute]

Elder Child wants to get her own pistol and a concealed carry permit. I've had my old Browning Hi-Power for 30 years or so, and I'm really out of the loop when it comes to newer handguns. I'm leaning toward buying her a Glock 26, but I'm open to advice.

My personal advice is a small revolver, most likely a 38.

I personally don't think you can go wrong with a revolver for reliability and ease of use in a conflict situation. If (god forbid) the situation ever arises where you need a gun for self defense you're going to almost certainly be panicking. With a semi-auto you need to make sure you have a round racked into the chamber and possibly remember to take the safety off (depending on models). With a double action revolver as long as it's loaded it's as simple as pointing and pulling the trigger. Even if you normally shoot single action and forget to cock the hammer, pulling the trigger will still shoot.

Glocks are awesome guns, I own a 21 and a 26. However, I don't think they're the best carry weapon for somebody who doesn't spend a lot of time working with them. First of all, they have no safety other than the trigger mechanism. This means you need to either carry with the chamber empty or make sure you're conditioned to not put your finger inside the trigger guard until you're ready to shoot. If you carry it empty, then you need to have the extra second or two available (and remember) to rack it when needed. The other drawback I see to Glocks is once you have one chambered, there is no way to "decock" it so if you rack it and don't use it and prefer to carry empty you need to eject the round.

I personally carry concealed on a daily basis (except for when working). I have a snub-nosed 357 that is my daily carry piece and I practice with it a good bit. I love my Glock 26 but still don't feel confident enough with it to carry it. Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.

[CeeBee]

I am partial to Glock because of their reliability. If this would be carried in the purse I'd say it's a no-no. She'd need to keep it chambered and a lipstick can get into the trigger guard.
Better off with a revolver since it can be operated with a single hand.
Caliber is not that important, I would personally go for a smaller one - no overpenetration and ability to fire a second shot quickly if needed. .32/7.65mm is more than enough, it used to be the standard of many police forces in Europe.

[Overdrv]

SIG SAUER P220 with .22 Rimfire Conversion Kit

[Overdrv]

SIG SAUER P220 with .22 Rimfire Conversion Kit

.22 to start then remove the conversion kit after she is trained and used to the feel of the weapon.