questions from new girl

[DaveTN]

Pshhh... you were a cop, so I'm not even going to talk about how well some of the boys in blue shoot.

Oh, ok. I lied. Have you seen how badly some of those guys shoot?!?

cops as a whole are lousy shots, and a 1911 makes a great carry gun - even for those of us who aren't trying to show how manly we are.

Oh, I’ve seen it first hand.

However I think we had a little better financial and legal backing than she may have.

But hey… if she’s using a girly round like a 9mm in an APARTMENT COMPLEX, a few “fliers†will probably be okay with the neighbors.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

This thread seriously makes baby Jesus cry.

[Guest Steelharp]

"Shake... and bake!"

[TGO David]

"Shake... and bake!"

THAT just happened.

[The Rabbi]

This thread seriously makes baby Jesus cry.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[Guest canynracer]

Oh, I’ve seen it first hand.

However I think we had a little better financial and legal backing than she may have.

But hey… if she’s using a girly round like a 9mm in an APARTMENT COMPLEX, a few “fliers†will probably be okay with the neighbors.

yeah its the financial backing that makes it all good

ummm...is APARTMENT COMPLEX capitalized for a reason?? is it cause people dont miss with anything OTHER than "girly 9mm?"

...I love it when people call any bullet "not powerful enough"

ever think about the calibers the bad guys are using to kill people??? 22's 380s, 9mm...

but whatever...y'all are the experts...

[Guest canynracer]

Well, that's what *I* carry...

Remember kids, a 9mm is just a .45 set on "Stun"

I kid, I kid.

Right, but you are not having first time women shooters pulling the trigger just to show how cool you are....are you??

...and "stun" works...in fact, it works 16 times if necessary

[Guest Len]

Correcto-mundo.

It's all about baby steps. You don't take a new shooter and turn them loose and expect good things to happen.

[TGO David]

ummm...is APARTMENT COMPLEX capitalized for a reason?? is it cause people dont miss with anything OTHER than "girly 9mm?"

I gather he was emphasizing the apartment complex setting because of the close proximity of one person's living space to the next person's living space. You really don't want to be shooting something that would over-penetrate in a setting like that.

.357 Magnum or .357 SIG would be really bad choices. A 9mm may not be such a bad idea if you're shooting light loads with high expansion characteristics. You want the projectile to stop inside the bad guy anyway, but you definitely want it to shed a ton of velocity when it hits something like drywall or other construction materials.

I'm still saying she would probably be very well served with a .38 caliber revolver of some sort. Because she mentioned wanting to carry it in her pocket while walking the dog, a J-Frame with enclosed hammer makes a lot of sense to me.

A 9mm would be another option but a lot of female shooters have difficulty manipulating the slide on automatics because of having weaker wrists / forearms than their male counterparts. Also many female shooters find it difficult to load ammunition into magazines. My wife had problems with both of these things with her Smith & Wesson M&P 9C. In retrospect, she probably should have gotten a small revolver instead.

[Marswolf]

Yeah, 9mm handguns and rounds suck. That's why I still carry one when I go out of country.

[Guest canynracer]

I gather he was emphasizing the apartment complex setting because of the close proximity of one person's living space to the next person's living space. You really don't want to be shooting something that would over-penetrate in a setting like that.

.357 Magnum or .357 SIG would be really bad choices. A 9mm may not be such a bad idea if you're shooting light loads with high expansion characteristics. You want the projectile to stop inside the bad guy anyway, but you definitely want it to shed a ton of velocity when it hits something like drywall or other construction materials.

I'm still saying she would probably be very well served with a .38 caliber revolver of some sort. Because she mentioned wanting to carry it in her pocket while walking the dog, a J-Frame with enclosed hammer makes a lot of sense to me.

A 9mm would be another option but a lot of female shooters have difficulty manipulating the slide on automatics because of having weaker wrists / forearms than their male counterparts. Also many female shooters find it difficult to load ammunition into magazines. My wife had problems with both of these things with her Smith & Wesson M&P 9C. In retrospect, she probably should have gotten a small revolver instead.

Ahh...see now that made sense

Like I said...I do agree on the revolver..I was giving the semi-auto option, I dont think more than a 9mm is necessary when it comes to semi auto

[Guest canynracer]

Yeah, 9mm handguns and rounds suck. That's why I still carry one when I go out of country.

Im sensing sarcasm???

[Marswolf]

Im sensing sarcasm???

De moi?

[towerclimber37]

I would suggest using a glazer round if you live in an apt (and I DO live in an apt...).

the design is such that it will liberate almost all its energy in the first thing it hits.

[Guest smturner99]

First of all - I really really appreciate all the helpful posts there are a lot of good helpful guys here.

Thanks for all your help.

I just wanted to ask a couple other things to clarify some things that have been said

-

Ok - I'm a little confused about a few things - 3 things, sorry if these sound stupid, but I wanted to make sure I understand the numbering system so I know what you guys are saying "minimum xx size" :

1. tell me if this is in the correct order of size from smallest to largest (I'm not sure where the 9 mm goes):

.22

.38

.357

9 mm

.45

?? Are those in the right order going from smallest to largest? (But the .38,.357 and 9 are all the same size?)

2. - mike.357-can you check below - do I understand correctly?

.22 gun = .22 bullets only

.38 gun = .38 bullets only

.357 gun = .357 bullets OR .38 bullets

9 mm gun = 9 mm bullets only

.45 gun = .45 bullets only

so you are just saying if I got a 357 I could shoot both, but that is the only gun like that.

3. Towerclimber said he would shoot glazer - what is a glazer?

Also - Tungsten - you said...

"I would strongly encourage you to rent or borrow and shoot a .38 Special revolver of some sort at this point. I would also strongly encourage you to not give much consideration to the idea of carrying a .22, .25, .32 or even .380 for self defense." - - you listed 38 twice - as I should shoot and as it should not be considered for self-defense."

Why would you say to look at it (38) and then that it wasn't good for self defense? is that a typo?

Once again, I appreciate your help. I've learned so much in just one week.

God Bless,

Sarah

[Guest tngunman]

a .380 and a .38 are not the same.

[Guest smturner99]

oh really?

I had no idea.

Numerically, mathematically they looked the same to me.

thanks,

Sarah

[creeky]

A .38 special, and a .380 are two different calibers. If you sat them next to each other the .38 would be roughly twice as tall. Basically it travels faster and hits harder.

Glazers explained (from a website)

These look like Blue pencil erasers, big fat plastic coated bullets. The glaser slug is a copper cup filled with liquid teflon and lead shot, sealed with a plastic cap. When it hits the target the cut ruptures and the contents spill out. as the projectile is light it travels very fast, and when it hits it spills out and expands in a spherical shape. this allows almost perfect energy transfer and massive shock and wounds. This also means it can't ricochet or shoot through any target, making it a 'Safe' round.

The website Box O Truth has done some testing of different calibers and Drywall. Simulating waht happens when bullets go through walls. This paticular link shows what A "Glazer" slug can do.

(I had a snub nose .38 for quite a while and kept 'Glazers' in it while I had it at home.)

I must admit I am very proud to see you learn so much, so quickly.

[Guest Mugster]

oh really?

I had no idea.

Numerically, mathematically they looked the same to me.

thanks,

Sarah

I posted before on caliber/bullet diameter stuff. You might go back and look it over a little. Sorry if its hard to read

[Guest ETS_Inc]

Sarah,

.380 and .38 aren't the same thing. I know, I know, that sounds ridiculous, but that's the way it is.

The .380 round was invented by a gentleman named John Browning, to be used in semi-automatic pistols made by Colt. The correct name for the round is .380 ACP, for Auto Colt Pistol.

The .38 Special round is actually the .38 Smith & Wesson Special Cartridge. It was invented by Smith & Wesson for use in revolvers. It is a little longer than the original .38 S&W cartridge, and more powerful, hence the different name.

The .357 Magnum round was developed to get higher performance out of the .38 Special cartridge. The added performance meant higher pressures, which some of the smaller and older .38 Special guns couldn't handle. Since the .38 Special and .357 cartridges have the same diameter, they'll fit into the same firing chambers, width-wise. (The firing chambers are the holes in the cylinder of a revolver where you put the cartridges.) However, since the .357 Magnum cartridge is longer than the .38 Special, you can't fit it into a revolver chambered in .38 Special. A revolver chambered in .357 Magnum will have firing chambers long enough to hold either round.

Firearm cartridges are classified based on the diameter of the base of the bullet. There are two different ways of doing the classification, usually based on where the cartridge was developed. If it was developed in America, it will be designated using hundreths or thousandths of an inch; a la .38, .380, .45. If it was developed in Europe, it will be designated in millimeters; such as 9mm. Some rounds are known by either classification, though - a .380 round is sometimes called 9x17, the bullet is 9mm wide, and the case is 17mm long. The standard 9mm round, aka 9mm Luger or 9mm Parabellum, is a 9x19mm round - the bullet is 9mm wide, and the case is 19mm long.

Confused yet?

[Mike.357]

Sarah, what you asked me is correct. The only one of those that IS substitutable is the .38 special in a .357 magnum.

And the .38 is very acceptable for self defense, just to be clear.

Somebody said

lot of female shooters have difficulty manipulating the slide on automatics because of having weaker wrists / forearms than their male counterparts.

I say we, at least the guys here, all know why our wrists and forearms are

stronger, yikes

[Guest smturner99]

Mugster and everyone, sorry if I am asking something you have already told me. Please forgive me.

Mike.357 - are they going to give me handouts or something in class?

someone sent me pm with some recommended books - will I get anything in class?

[Guest dotsun]

Ask until you're sure you understand completely. And don't think no one else will benefit from this thread besides you, there may be lots of other people that have some of the exact same questions that you have but are afraid to ask.

In fact, cleaned up a bit (OK a lot) this would make an excellent sticky.

[Guest ETS_Inc]

Sarah,

Whether or not you get any books in class is going to depend on the class you take. If you take an NRA Basic Pistol class, you'll get the first one I recommended "NRA : The Basics of Pistol Shooting." The other two are available commercially, though.

For the rest of you, the other two were:

"The Concealed Handgun Manual: How to Choose, Carry, and Shoot a Gun in Self-Defense" by Chris Bird

and

"Handgun Basics : Safety & Handling" published by the American Association of Certified Firearms Instructors

These are all three excellent beginner's books. They cover the basic fundamentals of marksmanship and choosing the right gun and carry method for the reader.

[Guest GT_Rat]

Definitely don't worry about asking about something that may have been mentioned before. If you are asking again it obviously wasn't explained in a way that made sense to you before.

Remember that the differences in ammunition is not only the diameter of the bullet but also the length of the case. The bullet being the part that comes out the barrel and the case being the part left in the cylinder of the revolver or ejected out of the top/side of the gun.