I just want to introduce myself

[Lilith]

Hi ladies:

My real name is Katie, and while this is my first post, I have been reading the almost innumerable amount of threads and posts that exist on this forum.

I am not your average person who collects guns, nor am I inclined to be one, but I did have a frightening experience some time back, which has prompted me to consider taking what I feel is a drastic measure. I live alone, and someone tried to break in to my house one night, and when I called 911, it seemed like it took the police forever to get here. The person I talked to was reassuring and comforting, but the whole experience was just frightening. I am a peaceful person, and I try not to be confrontational with anyone. But, there does come a time when a woman must stand up for herself, and this experience that I encountered made me realize that time has arrived, unfortunately. I've never owned a gun, and it concerns me that I am considering it now. But I do have to face the realities of life, and this experience has taught me that no one is safe from crime.

Having said all of this, perhaps some of you can help me decide where I should go, and who I should talk to about getting something that I can use if this ever happens again. If you have an alternative to guns, I would love to hear about the alternative as well.

Thanks,

Katie

[hung380]

Go to a gun store in your area pick out a pistol that fits your hands comfortably.
Look into a revolver type pistol in a .38 caliber. Ask the salesman for some firing ranges in your area and contact the range to see if they offer shooting lessons.
List the city you are from and some calguners will chime in and give you some reputable gun stores and ranges. Have fun shopping and welcome to calguns!

[ChibiPaw]

Hello Katie,

Welcome to calguns.net. I am Lynda, but ost people who know me from Calguns simply call me Chibs or Chibi in real life. I do understand fully what you are talking about being on the receiving end of violence, and also standing up to defending my loved ones. The only difference was that I was raised with friend who had firearms when I was little, but not my family when I was growing up. So I am no stranger to them, but I do see both side. I am very glad that you've made a decision to take responsibility back to yourself, but I am sorry you had to experience the reason the way you had.

Despite what it seems, there are quite a few of us here on Calguns. We're just less vocal than the boys. Aside from reading and searching this forum one of the better things to do is to get with someone local to you. There's really no substitute for hands on, and human interaction especially when you're starting out. Not so much different than learning how to drive a car, the responsibility of driving one, and of course selecting something that works for you. May I ask what area you are located at?

[Captain Evilstomper]

you don't necessarily need a gun, you could get a taser or pepper spray. but the best way to take the fight out of an attacker or burglar or rapist is a gun. you need to find out what you are most comfortable with, be it a pistol, rifle, or shotgun. and then you must practice with it and know it inside and out. taking responsibility for your own safety is not fun, but it is necessary. i'm sure that you can find many people here that can help if you have any questions, or that would be wlling to meet with you and walk you through things at the store or whatever.
good luck

[Nemo]

If you're in the Bay Area, I'm a volunteer teacher for a women's self-defense group. Take a look at www.girlarmy.org
Our next class, a 3-week basics (open hand, not weapons however) course, will be in the early spring in Oakland. The classes are cheap or free, depending on your need and finances. Nobody turned away for lack of funds.

[Lilith]

Thank you so much everyone for answering so quickly. I live in Redlands, and haven't seen a store with anything that I would be comfortable with having in my home. There is a Big 5 in town, but they have big guns, and I would be afraid of hurting myself. It is against my nature to hurt anyone, and it would be a horrible thing to kill someone, but I also don't want to be hurt. This is such an uneasy dilemma for me, but I feel that there is no other choice.

I just found a store called Turners Outdoorsman, and I asked them about buying a gun. The man I spoke to said that I had to take a test to buy a gun. When I asked him what kind of test it was, he said that it tested my knowledge about safety, and guns, and I have no idea what he is talking about. So this is quickly turning into a conundrum for me. How does a person buy a gun if they have to take a test, but have no knowledge about them ? Oh, I almost forgot, he also said that when I buy it, I can't take it with me because I have to go through a background check. I am thinking of just buying the taser or pepperspray. Do you have to take tests for those?

[Jicko]

Handgun Safety Certificate Program

Info about the program: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/hscinfo.php

The actual study guide (all you need to know): http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/hscsg.pdf

No tests are needed for getting a Taser or pepper spray, if you want a pepper spray, you should consider Kimber's, it is much more effective than those regular spray can like pepper spray.



RE: getting a gun, you would have to wait 10 days after you paid for it. But before doing that, you should definitely try a couple out before jumping into one. Try to find a member in your area, and have her show you some different guns, and their operations first.

[Blue]

Handgun Safety Certificate Program

Info about the program: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/hscinfo.php

The actual study guide (all you need to know): http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/hscsg.pdf

No tests are needed for getting a Taser or pepper spray, if you want a pepper spray, you should consider Kimber's, it is much more effective than those regular spray can like pepper spray.



RE: getting a gun, you would have to wait 10 days after you paid for it. But before doing that, you should definitely try a couple out before jumping into one. Try to find a member in your area, and have her show you some different guns, and their operations first.

I got the Kimber pepper spray for my sister in law. She's always hated my guns since I scared off one of her early boyfriends and I was afraid that she wouldn't be open to carrying pepper spray, but she's actually really liking it. Every now and then I'll get a phone call thanking me for it and some story about how she was on BART or somewhere else and was freaked out because of this or that happening and she always seems to be putting a hand in her purse for the pepperspray. Kind of like a comfort item.

[hung380]

You have to take a handgun safety test for handguns and the salesman at turners sounds like he isnt much help. Did he offer you a study book for 50 cents? Go back get that book and it should take no more than 10 minutes to learn the whole book and take the test then ask for the store manager for help on purchasing your hand gun. you can carry pepper spray or taser gun when your on the go and have a gun for home defense. Taser gun only limits you to one shot and pepper spray is good as long as you dont accidently spray yourself when your in panic mode. PM me if you have any other questions and I can try to help.

[movie zombie]

and you can find the info for studying for free on the internet as well. its an easy read and an easy test....i scored 100% without much trouble.

look into a .38/.357 revolver. do not get a lightweight....do not buy until you've actually tried some gun rentals at a range. a stainless steel revolver is easy to clean and use. so is a blued one, for that matter. getting a .38/.357 allows you more flexibility re ammo. however, if you live in an apartment there are issues re having a gun that will easily shoot ammo through walls.

many ranges have rentals. some are better than others. see if you can get a friend to go with you. makes it easier. handle and ask a lot of questions about a lot of pistols. you'll soon weed out the jerks and find someone who is sympathetic. many who work behind the counter are ex law enforcement and some are very much into helping women find their place with a gun.

i rented guns at 2 different places and tried a friend's guns also before i made a decision. however, the gun is useless unless you learn to use it and that means going to a range and practicing, Practicing, PRACTICING.

i applaud your decision learn to protect yourself. there are many ways of doing that but ultimately in my opinion the best and most effective way for me is a gun that i know and know how to use.

while it is nice that the person on the phone when you called 911 was supportive and comforting, it doesn't beat knowing you can defend yourself should the need arrise.

movie zombie

ps i didn't stop with just one..........i found i like shooting and have purchased several revolvers and a rifle as well. i actually have a shopping list for what i'm looking for next!

ETA: also, don't discount a smaller calibre gun: more people are killed by a .22 each year than any other calibre. what is important is that you can use the gun and hit your target. a .38 is useless if you're afraid of it. you might also look to see if there are any NRA women's classes in your area. also, some rod and gun clubs have women's only classes.

[Lilith]

Thank you so much Blue for the book. I have it and will study it. In the meantime, should I just buy the pepperspray to have something ? I don't want to buy too many things, but I do want something now.

I have to apologize to hung380 because I mislead you. I only called them to ask about buying a gun. I didn't go to the store.

Movie zombie, you are so knowledgeable, which gun would you choose ? If a .22 kills more people, should I buy the .38/.357 revolver ? You also mentioned a .38. What is the difference between the .38/.357 revolver, and a .38. I am such a novice at this.

I promise I will practice, but it will have to be between trips. I fly to alot of places to meet with clients, so I don't know how much I will be able to practice.

[B.D.Dubloon]

I got the Kimber pepper spray for my sister in law. She's always hated my guns since I scared off one of her early boyfriends and I was afraid that she wouldn't be open to carrying pepper spray, but she's actually really liking it. Every now and then I'll get a phone call thanking me for it and some story about how she was on BART or somewhere else and was freaked out because of this or that happening and she always seems to be putting a hand in her purse for the pepperspray. Kind of like a comfort item.

Dude come on. You can't say something like that and then not explain it. I am sure I'm not the only one who wants to hear about you peppering some guys truck with a gauge or whatever happened. Spill it.

Oh, and welcome Lilith. I think you'll be well served with a .38 or even a .22 vs. pepper spray or a taser. The test is very easy and you will pass it no problem.

BDD

[aplinker]

Since you're in Redlands, take a look at this post.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=140000

It's not too far. I'm sure maddog can give you some more info.

You should see if there are any calguns women who would be willing to accompany you to an indoor rental range where you can try things out yourself.

[nick]

Thank you so much Blue for the book. I have it and will study it. In the meantime, should I just buy the pepperspray to have something ? I don't want to buy too many things, but I do want something now.

I have to apologize to hung380 because I mislead you. I only called them to ask about buying a gun. I didn't go to the store.

Movie zombie, you are so knowledgeable, which gun would you choose ? If a .22 kills more people, should I buy the .38/.357 revolver ? You also mentioned a .38. What is the difference between the .38/.357 revolver, and a .38. I am such a novice at this.

I promise I will practice, but it will have to be between trips. I fly to alot of places to meet with clients, so I don't know how much I will be able to practice.

Welcome to the forum, Katie. To answer your question, while where your bullet goes, or shot placement, is probably most important in stopping the attacker, the size of the bullet and the powder charge behind it also matters. For instance, heavy clothing can stop some bullets, or they may not penetrate far enough to stop the attacker. As such, while .22 caliber is better than nothing, a higher caliber is advisable in order to be able to protect yourself reliably. The .38/.357 revolver she meant is any revolver of suitable size that can shoot both .38 Special and .357 magnum calibers. .38 Special has less recoil, and isn't as likely to overpenetrate, while .357 magnum is a powerful round that was originally designed to penetrate car doors and such (it used to be widely used by the police). The beauty of such revolvers is that they can shoot both calibers, since the bullet diameter is the same for both. The reason .22 was recommended for target practice is that it has less recoil and it easier for new shooters to shoot without getting tired of recoil. However, it's quite subjective. For example, my girlfriend started with .40 caliber half a year ago (we didn't have a .22 handgun back then), and when we did get a .22 handgun, she didn't like it and called it a firecracker.

So, as people said before me, go to a range, rent and try a few guns for yourself and see which one feels best. You don't need any certificates/whatever else to shoot at a range, those are only required to actually buy a handgun. Also, most places have ranges, so you can practice even when you travel.

Anyway, once again welcome to the forum. Feel free to ask questions, there're plenty of good people here who'll be glad to answer them.

[CSACANNONEER]

Lilith,

Welcome! First, your thought about you hurting yourself with a longgun is interesting. It is actually much easier to have an accident with a handgun than a longgun. Before you go out and just buy something, I would suggest that you find someone local to help you and take you shooting a couple times. You may find that you enjoy shooting trap and then you'ld need a shotgun. You may find that you really like percission shooting so, then you'ld need a rifle. You may decide that you only want your first gun for self protection which would mean that you'ld probably want a shotgun or handgun. Find your local range and see if they can suggest a firearms instuctor to you. He or she should be able to do the above and then you don't have to meet someone off the internet.