My own limited experience teaching a girl to shoot was surprising. I expected my medium frame revolver to be the easiest for her, but she very much preferred the auto. The problem was hand strength.

She had difficulty pulling the DA trigger on the revolver, and didn’t like cocking the hammer for each shot either. Just too much effort. I don’t think men truly appreciate the difference in grip strength between the sexes. I know I didn’t.

So even though an auto may be a lot of effort to prepare to fire for many girls, loading a mag and racking a slide, the ease of firing seems to more than make up for it.

I’m just saying.

Revolvers feel lots safer for those days when the gun has to go in the holster and out of the holster and in and out and in and out. Especially in the winter when this happens in the front seat of a truck in and out of the center console with jackets and sweaters and such.

Days when I can check for a round in the chamber, put on the gun in the morning and then touch it next that night before turning out the lights are Glock 19 days.

Days when I am working somewhere or going somewhere where I can’t carry and the gun will be on and off and on and off are S&W days.

Oh SURE, and I’ll bet when the attacker is looking down the barrel of your 1911his 1st thought is determining whether the gun being pointed at his head is loaded or not…..

Where do they come up with this stuff?

My apologies for sidetracking the comments on your blog. Done here…

KJ

Huff. Puff. Bluster. Political correctness! Defensiveness. Blah-blah. I hate you.

Can I call ‘em, or can I call ‘em? :D

The best part was the part about how I “…personally dislike revolvers.”

That must be why I own fifty or so of the things, carry two, and keep a third next to the bed.

Way to miss the point of what I was saying, Matt.

Read what Kathy is saying: It’s the same thing, but she’s being nicer about it.

If after I instructed them, they always picked semi-autos, that would be a confirmation of bias as well. You will also note that I did not indicate that all women, universally, prefer revolvers, and some have selected semi autos BUT the majority I have dealt with have not.

@ Pax
What do you mean “a modern weapon”? Like something that uses a center fire metallic cartridge? Are you equating revolvers with flintlock dueling pistols?

I’m not in the business of telling people what they have to buy and use for their own personal security. In fact, I’ve never been paid for any instructional services I’ve rendered. Since I’ve never taken my position as an educator as license to tell someone what they should think and how they should act and what they should like. So you’re right. I suppose that is a reflection of my character, as well as why they came to me, and not to someone like you.

The polymer barrel came from Blade Tech: http://www.blade-tech.com/Training-Barrel-pr-1018.html

I live in a large city and know many people who have never been around guns. A few times a year some friend or coworker will ask me to take them shooting because they’ve never been. And I’ve seen a potential problem with semi-autos.

At least half of the new shooters I’ve taken to the range have serious problems with limp-wristing. I’ve seen them jam up Glocks, Sigs, and a CZ75B. They also tend to get easily confused by the controls. I’ve seen several people drop out a mag while shooting. Usually with a bit of instruction and practice they get over these problems. But it’s a concern. Self-defense is a reflexive act, and the amount of practice makes a big difference.

So when they ask for advice on buying a handgun I always ask a question. “Tell me honestly, do you plan to come to the range fairly often and spend some real time practicing, or are you likely to throw it in the nightstand and forget it until you may need it?”

With willingness to practice, I recommend a semi-auto. Collecting dust in the nightstand, I recommend a revolver.