Firearms

[YetAnotherOne]

Long story but local law enforcement has recommended that some members of my family obtain concealed carry permits and not go unarmed. Among them is my sister who has very little experience with guns, they're recommending a Sig 9mm for her. I'm thinking a 229 Crimson Trace would be a good choice. Aside from, "Don't do it!" (not an option unfortunately though we all wish it were) anyone have any advice?

[Cleveland Metal]

Being there is low experience with guns, I'd recommend they seek an additional stress fire style, situational training on top of the initial training class required for the permit.

The Sig is a great weapon.

Typically for a novice user, I'd recommend getting good with the weapon in open site. When you are good with a weapon, it becomes point and click. I have some misgivings about inexperienced people, quick pulls and the mental issue of making sure laser is activated and then mentally looking for laser targetting. Stuff happens so fast in SD situations, you want absolute instinctual and ingrained point and click.

Not to say laser targetting doesnt have a place in situations where there is time (and safe distance) and you can use that dot on their chest to impress upon them the seriousness situation they are in. I feel this is more often LE oriented, and the civilian that is at a point that they are threatened so much that they actually need to draw, is often not in that position of intimidation.

Close in, where a gun can be taken, a female that decides to draws, usually needs to be prepared to fire with little time for the tables to be changed. IMO in fast SD situations, there's rarely safe time for a woman to safely "attempt" this sort of intimidation.

That said, Laser sites are pretty cool.

[Bengal]

The cops are telling your family to carry weapons???

Why???

[emperor_black]

+1

did you guys piss off the mafia?

[Tashtego]

I know shit about guns really but I've heard walther PPKs are good for a reliable concealed that's easy to use.

[YetAnotherOne]

John, many thanks that's just the sort of advice I was looking for.

I agree entirely that a civilian who finds themselves in a situation that forces them to draw their weapon will probably not have time for the potential intimidation factor of a laser targeting dot to be effective but we're talking primarily about fairly open outdoor spaces here so it's marginally more likely to be of use to us here than it would be in a close urban situation. My thought was that it would be more of a useful confidence booster for my sister and would allow her to come up to speed and gain a bit of mastery of the weapon more quickly. Of course I recognize the potential for her to depend on it and for that to slow her reaction time but I intend to work with her to wean her of it as soon as she’s gained some comfort and ability.

Excellent advice about the situational training as well, our local LE has volunteered that they’ll work with us as well as making their private range available.

As for the reason I’d prefer not to discuss it at length publicly. Suffice it to say that I come from an occasionally colorful family that, once a generation or so, erupts into fairly open conflict. I hope this all blows over in a year or two but it’s reached a point where we need to take some prudent steps to ensure everyone’s safety as best we can.

[Tetsuo]

The situational training is a must in my book. If one can't use it (and they are not experienced with guns as you stated) it is more of a danger to themselves and others and provide no protection.

[Cleveland Metal]

My thought was that it would be more of a useful confidence booster for my sister and would allow her to come up to speed and gain a bit of mastery of the weapon more quickly. Of course I recognize the potential for her to depend on it and for that to slow her reaction time but I intend to work with her to wean her of it as soon as she’s gained some comfort and ability.
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I'm seriously leaning to teaching right off with the laser as being a bad thing bro. They look cool, but it is backward learning. You need to learn to site off the weapon.

Sorta hard to explain in text. If you learn on, and rely on a laser site for a weapon, when it comes to distance, (especially daylight) you have to look around for where it is actually sighted. If you're not used to used actually sighting the weapon traditionally, you will probably take a bit to find it.

She (anyone) really needs to learn open site at first.

Explanation... You know how you sorta see something, and then you get binoculars to look, and it takes a second to dial in where it really is, it's sorta like that concept.

The more I analyze their useage, I almost have to say it's more LE oriented with usage on like an MP5 or AR carbine (not handguns) that are not shouldered. Situations like darker, close quarters with guns at ready but not actually sighted, like when sweeping/clearing a house. You can imagine the use.

Of course they rock on a taser as it will often shut someone right down on seeing the dot on their chest and knowing their gonna be hurtin in a second..

[DonP]

No love for a shotgun? I bought my first gun ever (a couch gun? short barrel) a few years ago to deal with neigbors. They've moved + we've moved so that's in the past.

[SlasZ]

Aah America, never seizes to amaze me

[YetAnotherOne]

I follow you John, that's the flip side and I'd thought of it as well. Seems kind of six-of-one half-dozen-of-the-other to me. But then I'm not an expert as I know some of you are, hence the question.

SlasZ - America is a great place, I wouldn't trade my life here for all of the peace, quiet and serenity in the world. Maybe America is just an acquired taste.

[GodOfRhythm]

I've never ever seen a real handgun. The closest I've come is seeing cops walking around with their firearm holstered. I think we're pretty lucky in that regard.

[Newc]

An armed populace is a wonderful thing

I'd strongly recommend that once she learns the "point-and-click", that she practice shooting from her hip. The cops told my Mother that years ago when she took a trip to the shooting range. He said you always see people on TV with both arms clutching the gun and their arms straight out in front of them, but that's the easiest way to be disarmed. He said if you hold it at your side they can be right on top of you and you've still got the gun, and they've got a belly full of lead.

[YetAnotherOne]

An armed society is a polite society, eh Newc?

[RacerX]

"Common and political criminals prefer unarmed victims"


(sign on my house door)