I am Abn45bravo’s wife just to start out…
I bought a FN five-seven today as a carry (first pistol I have owned)… I think it was the wrong choice. I bounced back and forth from the 1911, M&p in .45 and a FN-9.
I like the FN five-seven and how light the trigger is and all the set up and I am accurate with it. BUT it is a 5.7, I feel like I am shooting a .22, which is not good if I was in a dark alley about the be raped…
What would you suggest for a carry?
Anything you will carry 100% of the time, train with it, become proficient with it, and comes in a effective SD caliber A Glock 19 is a jack of all trades pistol.
And friends don’t let their friend’s wives post online…bad things happen. :no:
The FN five-seven is a pretty large pistol. How exactly are you planning on carrying it?
Also, I would recommend a cartridge like 9mm, 40 S&W, or 45 over the 5.7. Give some of DocGKR’s information a read under the Terminal Ballistics section of the forum.
I already did that, and I would carry on my side, just like I would any other pistol.
You are going to get a ton of recommendations for the Glock 19 on this forum. A lot of Glock fans here, and for a good reason
My wife loves shooting Glocks, and does well with the Glock 17,19,23,etc…
She prefers the Gen4 guns without any of the grip extensions.
I should add that my wife also enjoys shooting smaller revolvers, and has trained with them as well.
Help with handgun selection and SD training by another woman can be very productive. Kay Miculek and the Babeswithbullets.com program comes very highly recommended.
Since you already mentioned a solid platform, the M&P45, maybe try a compact M&P9? Or, maybe a smaller 1911 platform, the EMP’s from Springfield are a fine 9mm platform for carry, albeit expensive.
Look into a 9mm polymer handgun of some stripe - they really are the wave of the future, to use a little hyperbole.
Glock 19 or Glock 26 or the M&P 9c are probably all solid choices for on the body carry for a female as long as you make the wardrobe adjustments to do so. A single stack like the Walther PPS should also be considered as it will give you considerably more latitude in the fit of your clothes. A .45 single stack, too, might not be a horrible choice if you enjoy shooting .45 - the Glock 36 springs to mind but they are sort of the redheaded stepchild of glocks. Honestly some pattern of 1911 pistol with slim grips also wouldnt be a terrible choice - maybe the springfield EMP or a CCO model - but they are heavy and, in my mind, the 1911 pattern is better suited for someone willing to spend a lot of time on the workbench with their pistol.
I can’t really recommend the FN as it lacks much of an aftermarket but their pistols do undeniably work.
Oh, and yes you are correct in your mistrust of the 5.7mm cartridge. Switch to a tried-and-true centerfire classic like 9mm, .40. or .45. Pick whichever one you feel comfortable with; the difference between the 3 calibers is like the difference between 20ga, 16ga and 12ga -sure, there is a difference, but your target probably won’t notice it much.
All things being equal, better 5.7 than nothing at all. Do consider looking at acquiring another pistol though.
How often do you (or will you) practice? I ask because that may be one consideration. Crimson Trace laser grips integrate fairly smoothly into the M&P line, so if you don’t get to practice much more than once a month, some type of alternate sighting system may be a good idea.
Otherwise, my only recommendation is to get the largest pistol that you will carry. I say this because it will be easier to shoot and the recoil will be less than the compact models.
If this will also be your nightstand gun, choosing one with a rail will enable you to snap on a light when you get home, assuming you wouldn’t want to deal with the extra bulk for carry.
No, no, no. See most people have practice in their head as going to the range and shooting live rounds. I would say 2/3rds of my practice involves at home drills. Example: 30 draw strokes, 30 reloads, 30 tap-rack-ready’s, 30 chest-ready to full ready, some snap cap dry firing, and others. I would venture to say this regiment helps me more than just simply shooting. I just do a 2 things from my a list a day, in just a matter of a few minutes. This morning before work I did 30 draw strokes from my IWB holster, and when I get home it will probably be some full speed tap, rack, and ready action.
Try these things. Since I started doing these things religiously I have become much more accurate and precise, and added some speed along the way.
If you won’t practice often (or at all) you have NO business carrying a firearm.
As far as I am concerned, lasers serve no useful purpose on a handgun, but to make it easier for lazy people to think that they are proficient with a handgun, and therefore that they don’t need to practice as much as they should.
My husband would make me practice at home, at the range and probably even walking to get use to what the draw would feel like if I was being attacked.
The reason I liked the FN five-seven is because of the light trigger, the 1911 I shoot pretty well and I am comfortable with it.
My husband has said Glock also, but I do not like the trigger on Glocks, I also shot the HK pretty well in 9 mil but it didn’t feel comfortable to me as something I would carry as self defense.
what did you dislike about the trigger? it can be learned, FYI. If the rest of the gun pleases you otherwise (capacity, size, weight, etc) worry about the trigger last.
what didnt you like about the HK?
I just bought my wife a sig p239. It is a single stack mag, witch make the grip a little smaller to fit womens hands nicely.
I never said nor implied that non-shooting drills were useless.
As far as the laser comment; I’m not going to argue about lasers here. My wife’s house gun has one on it. Do whatever you want. Here’s an article from the laziest of shooters, LAV:
http://vickerstactical.com/tactical-tips/crimson-trace-lasergrips/
I got a M&P 9 today.
That just proves my point when Larry says “Remember they are meant to augment the standard pistol sights, not replace them.”
I haven’t met anyone yet that wanted the laser to “augment the standard pistol sights,” but rather they all wanted something that would make them magically shoot better without practicing.
Good move, though if its full sized it might be a little hard to conceal under certain circumstances. Good pistol at any rate.