Things You'll Need:
- Store that sells guns.
- Local shooting range.
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Step 1
Protect yourself.Protect yourself. I decided to write this article because my wife said that she wanted a gun for personal protection. She goes to work at 4:00am, and it is only her and one other employee at that time. Due to the significant increase in crime in our city recently, she wants to be able to protect herself if the need ever arises.
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Step 2
Beretta 92FS InoxBe comfortable with your gun. I own a Beretta 92FS Inox. As a male, I have larger hands and this gun fits me perfectly. However, it is far too large for my wife to handle comfortably. She needs something smaller, lighter, and more compact. If you ever have to use your gun for protection, you don't want to be struggling with trying to hold it. If you are not confident in your weapon it will show, giving the advantage to the other person.
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Step 3
Gun StoreHold different guns to see which one is most comfortable to you. To find the gun that is right for you and that you are comfortable with you will need to go to a store that sells guns. Some examples are Academy, Bass Pro Shops, a local gun store, etc. It is important that you take your time when shopping for a gun. There is no need to feel rushed. There are two main types of guns. Revolvers and semi-automatics. A revolver has a cylinder where the bullets are held, and a semi-automatic the bullets are held in a magazine, or clip.
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Step 4
Gun SlideTest different guns. When my wife and I went to the local gun range for her to look at guns, I learned something that I had never thought of. This is definitely something everyone should consider. My wife told the owner of the gun range that she didn't want a revolver. She said that it was too complicated. The gun range owner said that the revolver is the simpler of the two, and that there is far more going on with a semi-automatic. He then handed her a semi-automatic to hold. Then he asked her to pull back the slide. (The top part of the gun that holds the barrel). She couldn't do it. The pressure on the spring was too great for her to overcome. I had never thought of this. This is something that I do all of the time with no problem. He then asked her what she would do if the gun jammed and she had to pull back the slide to clear it. She would be stuck with an expensive piece of metal that was no better than a stick. He then handed her a revolver and showed her how easy that it would be to load. He also told her that if she ever had a round not fire, all she had to do was simply pull the trigger again, and the next round would be automatically brought into position to fire.
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Step 5
Holding the GunBrowse the selection of guns and narrow it down to a few that you would like to see. Ask the salesperson to hold a few. Take the gun in your dominant hand. DO NOT point it at anyone! Holding the gun at arms length take your other hand and support the gun. Does it feel comfortable in your hand? Is it small enough for your hand and to fit in your purse?
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Step 6
Pocket 9Determine which type of gun is right for you. There are two different types of each gun. There are single action and double action guns. The "action" refers to what the gun does. For a single action gun you have to pull the hammer back and then pull the trigger each time you want to fire. This is probably not the best type of gun for protection, simply because of the time that it will take for you to do this. You have to remember that if you are ever forced to protect yourself, you are going to be in a highly stressful situation, and the less you have to think about with your weapon the better. The double action is exactly that, the gun performs two actions with the pull of the trigger. With the hammer down, when you pull the trigger it pulls the hammer back and then releases it to fire the gun. You can also pull the hammer back and then pull the trigger. This is the type of gun that I recommend for personal protection, simply because of the ease of use. You simply have to release the safety, aim, and fire. If you feel that you want a semi-automatic, but want it to be small enough to fit in your purse, there are a lot of options available. For example the Bersa Thunder 380, the Pocket 9, etc. It depends on what works for you, and what you are comfortable with.
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Step 7
RevolverThink of all of the possibilities now, before you make a purchase. Another thing to consider with revolvers is whether you want a revolver with an exposed hammer of not. The picture at the beginning of this article shows a revolver with an exposed hammer. The picture here shows one without the exposed hammer. The thing to consider here is if you are going to carry the gun in your pocket or purse, when you pull it out the hammer may get caught on something. Not what you need in a situation where you need to have your weapon quickly. Buying one without the exposed hammer can help prevent this.
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Step 8
Indoor Shooting RangeShoot different guns. No matter how comfortable a gun feels in your hands, you won't know the whole story until you shoot it. Now that you have narrowed down your choices it is best to shoot each gun that you are considering. Check to see if you have a gun range nearby. It could be either indoor or outdoor. You may also contact your local gun/hunting club and they can help you. Make sure that you fire each weapon several times to get used to the feel of it. Some guns "kick", or have more recoil than others. This is the best way to get the feel of the gun. Practice often to improve your technique. The more you practice, the more comfortable and accurate you will become with your gun. Hopefully you will never have to use your weapon for protection, but if you ever need to you will be able to defend yourself. Consider purchasing laser grips for your gun. This is a laser that is built into grips that you install on your gun, or on the rail under the barrel. This will greatly improve your accuracy. It will put a dot on the target where your bullet will go. This is a tremendous advantage, especially in low light situations. You will no longer have to look down the sights to determine where your bullet will go.
Comments
Das-Obsfucator said
on 1/14/2009 Then there is the tried and true method. When she wants a new gun, she gets into my guns and steals the one she wants. The last one was a nice French made Manurhin / Walther PP in 32 ACP.
Mitestarossa said
on 1/7/2009 Excellent tips and very detailed.
Mindee94 said
on 1/6/2009 Excellent information. Very thorough and easy to understand. A sincere thank you!
AlishaV said
on 1/5/2009 My hands are really small, I never thought about how that would affect me choosing a gun. You make some great points, but I think I have way too hot of a temper to ever get a gun!