GUN STUFF

[Monsterlover]

I think it might be shotgun time.

They just caught three guys guilty of breaking into three different houses.  One of these is about a block from me.

I need something the wife can pick up and handle too.  She's ok with the 1911 and 9mm so I don't think gage matters, just looking for compact-ish and easy to pick up and operate quickly.

Ideas?  Favorites you have that fit this category?

[cokey]

can never go wrong with a mossberg 500..  surprised you didnt have a shotgun all ready..

[ducatiz]

can never go wrong with a mossberg 500..  surprised you didnt have a shotgun all ready..

the only complaint i have about the 500 is that the 590 is a better choice for upgrades. 

otherwise they are the same

[Monsterlover]

can never go wrong with a mossberg 500..  surprised you didnt have a shotgun all ready..

I don't have an AR either. 

I know, firearm staples.  Im working on it

I like the 590's.  They look menacing.

[cokey]

i was just giving him the bare bones option.. always better choice..   590a would be my pic

[ducatiz]

I don't have an AR either. 

I know, firearm staples.  Im working on it

I like the 590's.  They look menacing.

at this point, i would not buy an AR without a gas piston setup.  I've run them side by side, and the piston setup is so superior, you have to wonder what eugene stoner was smoking.

[WarrenJ]

A gun I like and use when training women is a Rem Youth 870 in 20 ga.  Regular wood stock, vent rib, preferably with choke tubes.  One of the best ways to get someone handy with their gun is to go learn how to shoot skeet with it.  You have to manipulate the gun, load it a bunch, shoot single and double shots, all in a pretty low stress environment.  Stations 1 and 7 typically give a good amount of confidence as they are easier, plus its fun and isn't perceived as negatively as taking someone out to learn how to shoot badguys in the house.  That can come a bit later after some familiarity.  They will have a far more positive attachment to the gun if they have some positive, fun experiences with it as opposed to being just a defensive weapon.  When you point out that hitting a clay pigeon whipping out of the high house at 70 mph is far harder than hitting a badguy down the hallway, its a good confidence booster.  

The 20 ga 870 is a little slimmer and easier handling than the Mossberg and not quite so rattley, which can be offputting to some women.  

[The Architect]

^^^^^ What he said! ^^^^^^

[WarrenJ]

I've found that a few rounds of skeet will build a whole bunch of important muscle memory things that are real useful for any shotgun application - in a way that is far less stressful and way more fun.  Its a better first step for some than starting from a hard nosed combat/defensive mindset.  After a couple rounds of skeet, a new shooter can typically load the gun without looking at it, can manipulate the action very effectively, is starting to develop the 'look down, shoot down" skills that can make a shotgun so effective, and has had fun and has increased their comfort and confidence level a step or two.  Thats a good basic foundation to start building from. 

[duc_fan]

What Warren said.  Especially about using skeet as practice.  Pump-actions are not intuitive (at least not to me or my wife), so shooting doubles is GREAT practice.

For my wife and I, the home defense 12ga is a Benelli SuperNova Tactical.  The ergonomics are fantastic compared with most other pump-action shotguns around.  We selected it when I had my wife "try on" every available variety of shotgun at a gun show.  The Benelli was easiest for her to shoulder and aim, the length-of-pull was good, and we both felt it had better balance than other pumpers.  Yes, it was more expensive.  Yes barrels and parts are ridiculously expensive ($400 for a factory barrel).  But it fit the best and worked the best, and in a defensive arm I put a very high premium on form/fit/function.  I take the same approach with sidearms.  There are lots of reputable brands and good models to choose from.  Once you have selected a subset of reliable, quality options, try them all on.  Go with the one that fits best and is most intuitive to use for you.  You don't want to be compensating for something that doesn't fit your body or trying to remember how it works in a firefight.

[the_Journeyman]

can never go wrong with a mossberg 500..  surprised you didnt have a shotgun all ready..

That's what we bought, it was actually my wife's idea.  We've got the pistol and shoulder stock, currently shoulder stock.  It'll take some training for my wife, she watched me fire some light bird load and immediately declined based on the observed recoil.  Bad part is, I've got some serious buckshot loads that would give considerably more recoil.  She's not seen those yet...

JM

[WarrenJ]

If you can find some women sporting clays or skeet shooters that your wife could go out shooting with, it would change the dynamic.  If they can see other women doing it and can interact with them, they realize that they can do it too.  The woman's name escapes me, but she is a pro shooter for MEC reloaders.  She taught some trap and sporting clays clinics at a womens outdoor event where my wife and I were teaching some rifle classes.  She could get after the gals that were not getting it done, far more effectively than a guy could in that situation.  It was fun watching her work and watching the dynamics of the new shooter gals in the class. 

The equipment is important, but the mental, emotional and psychological aspects of shooting, learning and performing competently is amazingly important too.  The longer I am involved in shooting, the more I realize that the mental aspects of shooting performance is about 90% of the equation. 

If you have any interest, look up Lanny Basham Mental Management.  He was a gold medal Olympian rifle shooter  in 1976 and has spent most of his life developing mental management tools for athletic and other performance.  He's got some pretty good stuff - applicable to motorcycling too.  I have used a lot of his techniques in International 10 Meter air rifle and 3P smallbore, but some of the techniques helped me a lot to learn how to ride a motorcycle at 45 years old instead of when I was young and fearless. 

If you are in or near the midwest some time, my wife and I could get her going in a day or so of low stress instruction geared to how she needs to learn.  Teaching your significant other adds another whole level of difficulty, even if what you are telling them is exactly right.  Someone else can tell them the exact same thing and they go "OH - I understand!"  Then they look at you and say "Why did'nt you tell me that?!"   Resist the urge to strangle at this point - its counterproductive!

[ducpainter]

<snip>   Resist the urge to strangle at this point - its counterproductive!

[duc_fan]

+1 

[WarrenJ]

I took my wife, from being a non shooter while we were going together in college to being on the cover of Women and Guns magazine, written up in the American Handgunner Annual and Tactical Shooter.  Don't think there wasn't some strained moments along the way.  Its important to put your ego aside and work with another competent person that your other can trust and respect to help get things across.  Its just a reality when dealing with family in a learning situation.  You also need to realize that what may work for a man, may just not work physiologically for a woman.  We are not the same, thank goodness.  Thats why having a wife or girlfriend work with other women shooters can be so beneficial.  Always try to find shooting partners that are better than you - it pushes you to learn and improve.