Protection Advice

[deadhead133]

A girl I know is an Assistant D A in a Texas city. She has never owned a firearm, and now her life has been threatened and she is going to begin carrying. She has asked for my recommendation as to a carry weapon. I am going to suggest a Sig Sauer P229 in 40S&W along with the proper training of course. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I communicate this to her?

Larry

 

[K-DUB]

A girl I know is an Assistant D A in a Texas city. She has never owned a firearm, and now her life has been threatened and she is going to begin carrying. She has asked for my recommendation as to a carry weapon. I am going to suggest a Sig Sauer P229 in 40S&W along with the proper training of course. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I communicate this to her?

Larry

Yeah.

Tell the girl you know to take a course first, then try out a few different firearms, and THEN she can make an educated guess as to what she'd be comfortable carrying.

 

[dagwag77]

She needs to find a firearm that feels good for her, not necessarily one that feels good for you.

 

[Raoul Duke]

Yeah.

Tell the girl you know to take a course first, then try out a few different firearms, and THEN she can make an educated guess as to what she'd be comfortable carrying.

Bingo, we have a winner here. No further advice needed.

 

[Cross-X]

Tell her to get a S&W snub revolver. It can go with her anywhere and keep her safe.

 

[stixnstones]

Once she's selected a handgun, join a club, practice and then practice some more.

 

[highlander]

She should inform the local PD/Sheriff's office and the lead DA about said misanthrope who made the threat if she knows who or not while choosing a weapon and getting a LTC . The DA might be able to give her protection detail till they find out if the threat is credible.

 

[hikerlt]

+1 on her finding the right gun that she can handle, that she can work the action, and that she feels comfortable with.

As an example, my wife didn't have the hand strength to work a semiauto action OR to pull the trigger on a double action revolver. By taking the class, she found that the tip-up barrel Beretta semiauto in .380 was perfect for her.

 

[CRSIII]

An ADA in Texas and she can't get advice from a Ranger? Sad.
Anyway, I'd go with K-DUB's advice.

 

[packingungal]

Agree.

 

[M1911]

A girl I know is an Assistant D A in a Texas city. She has never owned a firearm, and now her life has been threatened and she is going to begin carrying. She has asked for my recommendation as to a carry weapon. I am going to suggest a Sig Sauer P229 in 40S&W along with the proper training of course. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I communicate this to her?

1) If she has medium or small-sized hands, the double-stack 229 will be too big for her, and the DA trigger pull may be too stiff as well.
2) .40 has significantly more recoil than 9mm in most medium-sized guns. For a novice, 9mm is a better choice.
3) A 229 is a pretty darn big gun for most people to conceal.
4) The DA/SA transition takes a fair bit of training to master. For a novice, she may be better off with a gun that has a consistent trigger pull -- e.g., Glock, Sig DAK, HK LEM, etc.

There are many good guns, but she'll have to figure out what fits her hand and works best for her. What works for you may not work for her.

Furthermore, what is far, far, FAR more important than her choice of gun is the training she receives. If she gets the gun, puts 50 rounds down range, and proceeds to carry it around in her purse, it will be next to useless for her.

 

[Underwhere]

A girl I know is an Assistant D A in a Texas city. She has never owned a firearm, and now her life has been threatened and she is going to begin carrying. She has asked for my recommendation as to a carry weapon. I am going to suggest a Sig Sauer P229 in 40S&W along with the proper training of course. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I communicate this to her?

Larry

Sig 229 in 40?

I'm 5'8" and 180lbs
A sig 229 would be too heavy for me and to carry a 40 without having carried anything before is a little much.

I carry a 9mm myself.

I wouldn't tell her what gun you would carry as someone already suggested. Find one that will fit her.

I also don't like the idea of DA/SA personally but that's just preference.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Yeah.

Tell the girl you know to take a course first, then try out a few different firearms, and THEN she can make an educated guess as to what she'd be comfortable carrying.

She needs to find a firearm that feels good for her, not necessarily one that feels good for you.

+1000 The above are spot-on!

 

[maee]

A lot of women can't properly rack a slide or really deal with the stiff springs you find on your typical semi-auto 9 mm or .40S&W. Thats why she may be much better off with a revolver.

 

[USMA-82]

There are LOTS of places to get training in Texas. Just Google "Firearms Training in Texas" and see what you get.

Best bet is to attend a class where you have the opportunity to try out a variety of handguns to see which is the best fit for you, and what you can shoot accurately. THEN decide what to buy. You can't decide for somebody else.

I would also advise that this is not a "take one class and you're all set" thing. A person who decides to carry for self-defense must commit to a lifetime of continued learning and practice - or stop carrying.

Good luck!