chris in va said:
Good for you!
Depending on how quickly you need to make a purchase, you might watch the Gun.Deals website's handgun deals for a few days.
Budget of $250
- Thread starter chris in va
- Start date
Good for you!
Depending on how quickly you need to make a purchase, you might watch the Gun.Deals website's handgun deals for a few days.
Cheapskate is right
When he says intimidated about all the hate Taurus fanatics, he is exactly correct about these people. I don't know what their problem is but I been shooting several Taurus revolvers and several compact and sub compact Taurus semi-autos for years. Just recently with the semi-autos but I gotta tell ya they are great little pistols. Many many rounds through a slim and a poly ply 22 in the last 12 months and not a single problem. Yes I had to adjust the clip lips on the 22 but that is true with most 22 clips. It was either S&W or Ruger even made a tool to do it for many guns for many years. I got about 200 bucks in both semis and am probably going to buy a Spectrum 380 very soon.
When he says intimidated about all the hate Taurus fanatics, he is exactly correct about these people. I don't know what their problem is but I been shooting several Taurus revolvers and several compact and sub compact Taurus semi-autos for years. Just recently with the semi-autos but I gotta tell ya they are great little pistols. Many many rounds through a slim and a poly ply 22 in the last 12 months and not a single problem. Yes I had to adjust the clip lips on the 22 but that is true with most 22 clips. It was either S&W or Ruger even made a tool to do it for many guns for many years. I got about 200 bucks in both semis and am probably going to buy a Spectrum 380 very soon.
One of the great aspects of the 380EZ is that it is not only a pleasure to shoot, but it’s actually fun! The locked breech combined with an adult sized grip make it shoot like a loud 22lr, there is no snap or flip. I’ve taken to calling them goldilocks as everything about it is ‘just right’, something I never thought I would say about a 380 (and can’t say about many other firearms).
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I hadn’t seen that mentioned but good for you in doing so
That said, throw in another $50 and get the EZ.
I’ve yet to find anyone that didn’t love it after trying it, especially if done side by side with other common firearms.
The only way to know for sure is for someone to try multiples and decide for themselves. But my experience thus far would indicate that the odds of someone not being able to enjoy shooting it, and not quickly becoming proficient with it, are incredibly slim.
chris in va
New member
My sister recently bought a Shield EZ, she seems to really like it. I'm just concerned 380 isn't enough for someone breaking into her house, hopped up on drugs.
As for Taurus, I've personally witnessed three different models spectacularly fail during a match and at the range, so I'm leery of the brand.
My stepdaughter really liked the Sig 938 and my P365 but $$$. The chances of her CC are pretty slim, this will probably be a nightstand ornament.
As for Taurus, I've personally witnessed three different models spectacularly fail during a match and at the range, so I'm leery of the brand.
My stepdaughter really liked the Sig 938 and my P365 but $$$. The chances of her CC are pretty slim, this will probably be a nightstand ornament.
Practice
Placement
Penetration
All outweigh caliber and 'expansion' when speaking of common SD handgun cartridges.
Don't take my word for it, nor that of the ballistic gelatin fanboys.....get out and hunt.
I've taken game since I was still single digit sprout, shotgun, rifle, and pistol. The differences between the common SD calibers are relatively insignificant, the spread between the largest to the smallest is generally less then that of the wounds created by deeper penetration -and- proper placement. I've dropped (instantly) ton+ beef with a single round of 22lr, placement.
People love to geek out over fractions of inches in jello, so called 'wound tracks' and 'trauma', it is largely irrelevant gibberish. But the ammunition manufacturers love it even more because they can sell boutique ammunition in pretty boxes at $2 per cartridge.
I would be more afraid of a 70y/o granny packing a Single-Six that was regularly practiced and confident, then some jello fanboy sporting a mag filled with $20 worth of caliber x/y/x that only went to a range a couple of times a year.
Your daughter being comfortable and confident with whatever she uses is the biggest hurdle, if she's aces on those two aspects she will want to practice and improve her skills which will make her the weapon, not what's in her hand.
PS...take note of the part in your post I put in bold
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What he said...Practice
Placement
Penetration
All outweigh caliber and 'expansion' when speaking of common SD handgun cartridges.
Don't take my word for it, nor that of the ballistic gelatin fanboys.....get out and hunt.
I've taken game since I was still single digit sprout, shotgun, rifle, and pistol. The differences between the common SD calibers are relatively insignificant, the spread between the largest to the smallest is generally less then that of the wounds created by deeper penetration -and- proper placement. I've dropped (instantly) ton+ beef with a single round of 22lr, placement.
People love to geek out over fractions of inches in jello, so called 'wound tracks' and 'trauma', it is largely irrelevant gibberish. But the ammunition manufacturers love it even more because they can sell boutique ammunition in pretty boxes at $2 per cartridge.
I would be more afraid of a 70y/o granny packing a Single-Six that was regularly practiced and confident, then some jello fanboy sporting a mag filled with $20 worth of caliber x/y/x that only went to a range a couple of times a year.
Your daughter being comfortable and confident with whatever she uses is the biggest hurdle, if she's aces on those two aspects she will want to practice and improve her skills which will make her the weapon, not what's in her hand.
PS...take note of the part in your post I put in bold
Modern 380 ain't the 380 of yer youth. Today there are some formidable 380 rounds available including the newer sintered frangible rounds that push a relatively light bullet out of a short barrel at over 100fps and with relatively low felt recoil. The sintered frangible rounds have the additional advantage in a home defense scenario of crumbling on contact with metal, rock, brick or cinder block instead of ricocheting while they will penetrate dry wall or most hollow core doors.
For over a half century my at home always available handgun was one of my snubbies. When I was young and foolish it was loaded with 357jhp but as I became older and wiser 38 Special sjhp became the norm. But today the always available personal protection handgun of choice is a smaller 380 ranging in size from the largest being a Sig P230 or Beretta 380 (the model has varied over time but all about the same size) to the very modern Beretta Pico, Remington RM380, S&W M&P Bodyguard 380 or Ruger LCP. The last four specifically are regularly available new at $200.00 or less and have been utterly reliable.
While I tend to agree with your skepticism and own 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 pistols myself.....
Facts and data show .380 to be a very effective pistol cartridge, eclipsing both 9mmP and .45 ACP.
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/alternate-look-handgun-stopping-power
So the facts point to .380 being a good round for personal defense.
She can be confident her little .380 will do better or just as well as any other pistol cartridge commonly used in defense.
glockman55
New member
I bought a lightly used Canik 9mm and it turns out to be one of my best shooters, great trigger.. $275. I own Colt, Sig. Para. Glock, CZ, SW..Ruger..So....
Cheapshooter
New member
Cheapskate? LOL
Way back in 1980 I purchased a S&W Model 19 357 magnum. Beautiful gun and very accurate and powerful. Then we had our 3rd child and we were living in a small ranch house with drywall boarded walls. One day I realized that I was over gunned. That if I were to shoot at an intruder in the living room these bullets could easily pass thru 3 walls and into one of the children's bedrooms. We now live in a house that the neighbors on each side of us are less than 25' away. I don't need to shoot my children or my neighbors. I would rather pepper the intruder with many smaller rounds than one big magnum round.
scoobysnacker
New member
Ok, that tells me-
go with the Star BM from Centerfire. She wants 9mm, that's what it is. She likes the Sig P938... there's a P938 at my local range, as well as a 1911 Commander. The BM sits about midway between the two.
It's "smallish" but heavy, and that translates to easy shooting. Since she's looking home defense (I assume that's HD), you don't have to worry about the weight for carry.
Also due to the weight, I find it's one of the easier-to-rack 9mms, a factor that would be of use to some women.
Used, warranty, etc... I've ordered 2 of these from other vendors (Classic and I think Gunprime). One came in pristine shape, the other was worn but attractive... but then I noticed a small crack on the slide. No matter, I sent in an email and we had a painless exchange. And got another pristine one in return.
Parts- due to the large amount hitting the market, there's actually parts right now. Numrich has the firing pin (this is the only common breakage, from dryfiring without a snap cap).
The grips are fine for OEM plastic, and there's some really nice wood ones on the market. At that point, the gun looks a lot nicer than most anywhere near the price point, and my experience is that they shoot just fine. Mags are getting tight, but there's still some around if you look.
My Star BM has been excellent. The fit and finish are very nice. Some officer carried it and took very good care of it. Doubtless he felt well-armed.
My BiL is a firefighter who lives way out in the country and bought a Taurus G2 on the recommendation of a LEO friend. His has been flawless. I bought mine due to his good experience. Mine has also been flawless. It's worth it to pay the extra $25 or so for the stainless slide, since the blued finish isn't that good. The trigger is kind of odd, but I shoot mine well. Mine really was an excellent bargain for $225 brand-new with a stainless slide. It seems to be exactly the same size as my Glock Model 26. They can use the same holsters.
The S&W SD-whatever is an inexpensive entry-level pistol. I bought the 40 caliber version used for $200. The trigger kind of sucked, but it was completely reliable.
If you can find a surplus/used S&W 915, those are some nice pistols. They are kind of medium-sized with an aluminum frame. They're basically a "budget model" S&W third generation with simple sights, but with good internals (unlike the 910). I got one for only $215 a couple of years ago and have been extremely pleased with it.
The old Ruger P-series pistols are kind of clunky, but they are workhorses and inexpensive. A couple of months ago I got a P89 in excellent condition for $225. It shoots well and will doubtless outlast me.
My BiL is a firefighter who lives way out in the country and bought a Taurus G2 on the recommendation of a LEO friend. His has been flawless. I bought mine due to his good experience. Mine has also been flawless. It's worth it to pay the extra $25 or so for the stainless slide, since the blued finish isn't that good. The trigger is kind of odd, but I shoot mine well. Mine really was an excellent bargain for $225 brand-new with a stainless slide. It seems to be exactly the same size as my Glock Model 26. They can use the same holsters.
The S&W SD-whatever is an inexpensive entry-level pistol. I bought the 40 caliber version used for $200. The trigger kind of sucked, but it was completely reliable.
If you can find a surplus/used S&W 915, those are some nice pistols. They are kind of medium-sized with an aluminum frame. They're basically a "budget model" S&W third generation with simple sights, but with good internals (unlike the 910). I got one for only $215 a couple of years ago and have been extremely pleased with it.
The old Ruger P-series pistols are kind of clunky, but they are workhorses and inexpensive. A couple of months ago I got a P89 in excellent condition for $225. It shoots well and will doubtless outlast me.
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Cdnn sports has the Sar b6p compact for $249+change.
Downside is the pink frame (unless she's into that). 13 round double stack, da/SA/safety, CZ design, comes in decent molded hard case.
I have the big brother (Sar K2P). It's been a very reliable pistol. The Sar CZ style pistols are well made and offer some real nice features for the price. They're comfortable in hand. Mine takes CZ mags and I'll bet the compact does as well.
I think someone else mentioned the S&W M&P Shield 9mm. Palmetto State has them for 249.99. That'd be another good choice.
Downside is the pink frame (unless she's into that). 13 round double stack, da/SA/safety, CZ design, comes in decent molded hard case.
I have the big brother (Sar K2P). It's been a very reliable pistol. The Sar CZ style pistols are well made and offer some real nice features for the price. They're comfortable in hand. Mine takes CZ mags and I'll bet the compact does as well.
I think someone else mentioned the S&W M&P Shield 9mm. Palmetto State has them for 249.99. That'd be another good choice.
I picked up a few of the surplus Star BMs some years ago when they first started showing up here in numbers (I miss the days of $99 surplus guns). They are nice quality, great shooters, and still a pretty good bargain. But I would not consider them good beginner or novice guns, just my opinion.
To the OP.... I understand if you have a reasonable mistrust of Taurus, having seen three of them fail (somehow). Seeing a particular brand fail can create a phobia. Sometimes this is deserved, many times it is not. I would be curious to know which models of Taurus "failed". The original PT111 was notoriously unreliable. That is why they updated it with the generation 2 pistol... PT111 G2, which is now simply called the G2 or G2C.... and has even spawned the creation of the single stack G2S.
I researched online the G2 before I bought mine. I could not find any negative comments about their reliability at all. The only negatives were about the long travel for the trigger before it would engage and release at the rear of the trigger guard.
I've had mine for maybe 3 or 4 years, and have put probably at least 1500 rounds through it. I have honestly had zero failures with it.. of any kind. It has gone bang every time I pulled the trigger. The accuracy is better than necessary for a carry gun, with the trigger being a not quite crisp single action. Ergonomics are almost perfect for me, and it has a safety, which is a requirement for me in a carry gun that is not a long DAO kind of trigger.
Compare that (along with all the other great reviews, reliability wise) against some of the "good" brands out there. I also happen to be a member on a couple of Sig forums, since I also own a P938, and my wife owns a P238. There are numerous complaints from Sig owners of failures to feed, eject, parts coming loose, guide rods breaking, magazines not working properly.... honestly, if I had read any of those reviews before making my purchase, I likely would NOT have bought my 938.. we got my wife's 238 because she loved the feel of it, and could easily rack the slide. She still loves it, and looks forward to range trips with it.
I have learned that a "name" does not necessarily mean all good things, or all bad things. I could have purchased 3 of my PT111 G2's for the cost of my one Sig P938. While my Sig has not given me any trouble yet, it's family history is less reassuring than my PT111's family history. I trust my Taurus completely, and would buy another one with no hesitation. I also recommend them highly. I'm still learning and working on developing that kind of trust in my Sig.
I also have, and trust completely, a Ruger SR9.... It's larger than the Taurus, but it's accurate and comfortable to shoot. So far, it, also has been flawless.
Good luck with your search for your daughter's pistol.
I researched online the G2 before I bought mine. I could not find any negative comments about their reliability at all. The only negatives were about the long travel for the trigger before it would engage and release at the rear of the trigger guard.
I've had mine for maybe 3 or 4 years, and have put probably at least 1500 rounds through it. I have honestly had zero failures with it.. of any kind. It has gone bang every time I pulled the trigger. The accuracy is better than necessary for a carry gun, with the trigger being a not quite crisp single action. Ergonomics are almost perfect for me, and it has a safety, which is a requirement for me in a carry gun that is not a long DAO kind of trigger.
Compare that (along with all the other great reviews, reliability wise) against some of the "good" brands out there. I also happen to be a member on a couple of Sig forums, since I also own a P938, and my wife owns a P238. There are numerous complaints from Sig owners of failures to feed, eject, parts coming loose, guide rods breaking, magazines not working properly.... honestly, if I had read any of those reviews before making my purchase, I likely would NOT have bought my 938.. we got my wife's 238 because she loved the feel of it, and could easily rack the slide. She still loves it, and looks forward to range trips with it.
I have learned that a "name" does not necessarily mean all good things, or all bad things. I could have purchased 3 of my PT111 G2's for the cost of my one Sig P938. While my Sig has not given me any trouble yet, it's family history is less reassuring than my PT111's family history. I trust my Taurus completely, and would buy another one with no hesitation. I also recommend them highly. I'm still learning and working on developing that kind of trust in my Sig.
I also have, and trust completely, a Ruger SR9.... It's larger than the Taurus, but it's accurate and comfortable to shoot. So far, it, also has been flawless.
Good luck with your search for your daughter's pistol.