Check out the Kimber Micro 9. My wife has been very happy with hers. It is very easy to conceal and shoots accurately. It came with the 7 round magazine pictured but 6 round flush magazines and 8 round extended magazines are also available for it.
The 950 is kinda scarce these days. There are many better choices for a CC gun. I carried one as a BUG and a deep undercover gun, but I wouldn't rely on it as a primary weapon unless I had no other choice. Fortunately, there are far better choices.
To be effective, a .25 is for a well trained (VERY well trained) shooter. They just don't have the pep. A small gun that has more pep is the KelTec .32, which I liked a lot when I had one. As small as I'd go caliber wise and even then you can do better with a larger gun/caliber.
Right now, any handgun is hard to get so you pretty well are limited in choices. If you can find one a Sig 365 is small, has a good capacity, and accurate. Easy to shoot for a small pistol in 9mm. If you can find one and are willing to spend the cash.
In reality, you may be stuck with the .25 if you can't find anything else. If so, practice with it a lot. It's better than harsh language in an emergency.
Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
Didn't realize you were talking about a .25. The famous (Google him) Jeff Cooper had this to say about the cartridge:
“Carry a 25 if it makes you feel good, but do not ever load it. If
you load it you may shoot it. If you shoot it you may hit somebody, and
if you hit somebody, and he finds out about it, he may be very angry
with you.”
– Col. Jeff Cooper
I always get a chuckle out of this!
-Zorba, "The Veiled Male"
"If you get it and didn't work for it, someone else worked for it and didn't get it..."
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think the neighbor who suggested the Beretta 950 might have one she wants to sell. 'Nuff said.
Probably... Smart of you to check in. BTW they are neat little guns that are becoming a LITTLE collectible, but that is mostly what they have going for them. As a serious SD tool, there are better choices.
If you are seriously thinking something that size please try shooting one of that type gun before making a decision on it. Folks are attracted to small guns when they start out not understanding that the smaller they are the tougher they are on the shooter.
Didn't realize you were talking about a .25. The famous (Google him) Jeff Cooper had this to say about the cartridge:
“Carry a 25 if it makes you feel good, but do not ever load it. If
you load it you may shoot it. If you shoot it you may hit somebody, and
if you hit somebody, and he finds out about it, he may be very angry
with you.”
– Col. Jeff Cooper
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think the neighbor who suggested the Beretta 950 might have one she wants to sell. 'Nuff said.
Probably... Smart of you to check in. BTW they are neat little guns that are becoming a LITTLE collectible, but that is mostly what they have going for them. As a serious SD tool, there are better choices.
If you are seriously thinking something that size please try shooting one of that type gun before making a decision on it. Folks are attracted to small guns when they start out not understanding that the smaller they are the tougher they are on the shooter.
I am still intimidated by the size and weight of my .32 revolver. This makes me want a smaller gun, and I need to just stop being intimidated and get used to it. It's hard for me to get to the range so I can get some experience with it. I just need to find a mentor locally who will help me work my way through all this. Keep in mind, I've shot less that 100 rounds from a small variety of handguns and rifles, in my whole life. There's a lot of intimidation to get over.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think the neighbor who suggested the Beretta 950 might have one she wants to sell. 'Nuff said.
Probably... Smart of you to check in. BTW they are neat little guns that are becoming a LITTLE collectible, but that is mostly what they have going for them. As a serious SD tool, there are better choices.
If you are seriously thinking something that size please try shooting one of that type gun before making a decision on it. Folks are attracted to small guns when they start out not understanding that the smaller they are the tougher they are on the shooter.
I am still intimidated by the size and weight of my .32 revolver. This makes me want a smaller gun, and I need to just stop being intimidated and get used to it. It's hard for me to get to the range so I can get some experience with it. I just need to find a mentor locally who will help me work my way through all this. Keep in mind, I've shot less that 100 rounds from a small variety of handguns and rifles, in my whole life. There's a lot of intimidation to get over.
I get it. The mental aspect of shooting is the toughest part to overcome. I was training a man in his 50s a few days ago and every time I handed him a handgun you’d think he was getting a handful of Plutonium. We fixed that in two hours. It’ll take a plastic surgeon to get the silly grin off his face. Persevere, you’ll get there quick!
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think the neighbor who suggested the Beretta 950 might have one she wants to sell. 'Nuff said.
Probably... Smart of you to check in. BTW they are neat little guns that are becoming a LITTLE collectible, but that is mostly what they have going for them. As a serious SD tool, there are better choices.
If you are seriously thinking something that size please try shooting one of that type gun before making a decision on it. Folks are attracted to small guns when they start out not understanding that the smaller they are the tougher they are on the shooter.
I am still intimidated by the size and weight of my .32 revolver. This makes me want a smaller gun, and I need to just stop being intimidated and get used to it. It's hard for me to get to the range so I can get some experience with it. I just need to find a mentor locally who will help me work my way through all this. Keep in mind, I've shot less that 100 rounds from a small variety of handguns and rifles, in my whole life. There's a lot of intimidation to get over.
I get it. The mental aspect of shooting is the toughest part to overcome. I was training a man in his 50s a few days ago and every time I handed him a handgun you’d think he was getting a handful of Plutonium. We fixed that in two hours. It’ll take a plastic surgeon to get the silly grin off his face. Persevere, you’ll get there quick!
I love that image! I was like that too, several years ago when I was doing the little bit of shooting that I've done.
I almost lost it when I got a scope bruise to my left eyebrow ridge, but some good conversation and schooling from someone I trusted got me over the willies.
Twinkle, you, and people like you, are the reason I get MAD every time I see a "funny" video of a new shooter being handed a firearm that will hurt them when they shoot it.
The idiots doing it seem to think it's funny to turn someone off to firearms and shooters in general.
Me too! YooToob is FULL of such idiocy.
-Zorba, "The Veiled Male"
"If you get it and didn't work for it, someone else worked for it and didn't get it..."
Twinkle, you, and people like you, are the reason I get MAD every time I see a "funny" video of a new shooter being handed a firearm that will hurt them when they shoot it.
The idiots doing it seem to think it's funny to turn someone off to firearms and shooters in general.
Yes, I felt pretty angry too, and that anger was part of the process. I knew from the beginning that this guy was not teaching me anything correct about shooting. He piled a bunch of hoodies and towels on the hood of his truck and rested the gun on the pile. Everything about it was uncomfortable! It was awkward leaning over the hood of the truck. I just didn't feel like I was in control.
Twinkle, you, and people like you, are the reason I get MAD every time I see a "funny" video of a new shooter being handed a firearm that will hurt them when they shoot it.
The idiots doing it seem to think it's funny to turn someone off to firearms and shooters in general.
Yes, I felt pretty angry too, and that anger was part of the process. I knew from the beginning that this guy was not teaching me anything correct about shooting. He piled a bunch of hoodies and towels on the hood of his truck and rested the gun on the pile. Everything about it was uncomfortable! It was awkward leaning over the hood of the truck. I just didn't feel like I was in control.
One day, while shooting prairie dogs, I was using my truck hood as a bench. Somehow...I managed to hit my windshield with not one, but 2 consecutive shots. When shooting a scoped rifle it's good to remember that the centerline of your bore is a couple inches below your line of sight.
Mike
"Walking away seems to be a lost art form." N454casull
Twinkle, you, and people like you, are the reason I get MAD every time I see a "funny" video of a new shooter being handed a firearm that will hurt them when they shoot it.
The idiots doing it seem to think it's funny to turn someone off to firearms and shooters in general.
Yes, I felt pretty angry too, and that anger was part of the process. I knew from the beginning that this guy was not teaching me anything correct about shooting. He piled a bunch of hoodies and towels on the hood of his truck and rested the gun on the pile. Everything about it was uncomfortable! It was awkward leaning over the hood of the truck. I just didn't feel like I was in control.
One day, while shooting prairie dogs, I was using my truck hood as a bench. Somehow...I managed to hit my windshield with not one, but 2 consecutive shots. When shooting a scoped rifle it's good to remember that the centerline of your bore is a couple inches below your line of sight.
I have tried several different ones for my wife. She settled on a Kimber micro 380 but still was not quite perfect. For her birthday last year I bought her a shield ez 380. She really likes it and as the name implies it is east to shoot. I hope when she gets complete confidence with it I can move her up to a 9mm which I would prefer over a 380 but carrying a 380 beats leaving a 9mm at home.
Howdy forum neighbor Twinkle! I have decided to sign up in the first week of September for the October Beginning Firearms Class! I am so excited. I have to go online and make it official! Wish me luck!
Howdy forum neighbor Twinkle! I have decided to sign up in the first week of September for the October Beginning Firearms Class! I am so excited. I have to go online and make it official! Wish me luck!
Best of luck, of course! You will enjoy yourself, meet good people and end up empowering yourself!
Another suggestion that's not been mentioned......Kahr PM9 or a Kahr variant of same.
9mm in a small frame that carries better than anything I've yet tried. A bit snappy in the recoil dept but nowhere nearly excessive, settles back down on target in the blink of an eye.
I once walked a 15 yard distant coke can up a hill with 7 consecutive rapid fire shots and the only time I looked at the sights was before the first shot. That little gun impressed me, because, as others here can attest....I'm no pistolero.
It's easy to carry, and I can hit with it. (In all transparency, I can miss with it, too.....sometimes really badly, but that's on me). What's not to like?
Mike
"Walking away seems to be a lost art form." N454casull
PM 9 is a fine pistol, but it is, indeed a bit snappy. And the trigger is long and relatively strong. Maybe Twinkle is a farrier or an arm wrestler with great hand/arm strength, but if she's not, that's a lot of pistol for a beginner.
Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
Yep, it's snappy, but it comes back down before you even notice it went up. Trigger is long, but smooth, and if sighting for bulls, good enough for what it is. It is a CC SD gun afterall.
My personal biggest complaint is it's got a hellacious strong recoil spring, (to be expected in a small 9mm), and to rack the slide you've better made up your mind beforehand that you're actually going to do it.
Mike
"Walking away seems to be a lost art form." N454casull
PM 9 is a fine pistol, but it is, indeed a bit snappy. And the trigger is long and relatively strong. Maybe Twinkle is a farrier or an arm wrestler with great hand/arm strength, but if she's not, that's a lot of pistol for a beginner.
Thanks for that input. I used to have the arm strength but it's not what it used to be, that's for sure.
Can someone explain to me what the term "snappy" means? Or is it something that needs to be experienced? Thanks.
PM 9 is a fine pistol, but it is, indeed a bit snappy. And the trigger is long and relatively strong. Maybe Twinkle is a farrier or an arm wrestler with great hand/arm strength, but if she's not, that's a lot of pistol for a beginner.
Thanks for that input. I used to have the arm strength but it's not what it used to be, that's for sure.
Can someone explain to me what the term "snappy" means? Or is it something that needs to be experienced? Thanks.
Some guns have recoil impulses that are strong but slow, more of a push. Other guns have fast and short recoil impulses, more like a snap. There there’s the intensity or actual force of the recoil which is another variable.
PM 9 is a fine pistol, but it is, indeed a bit snappy. And the trigger is long and relatively strong. Maybe Twinkle is a farrier or an arm wrestler with great hand/arm strength, but if she's not, that's a lot of pistol for a beginner.
Thanks for that input. I used to have the arm strength but it's not what it used to be, that's for sure.
Can someone explain to me what the term "snappy" means? Or is it something that needs to be experienced? Thanks.
Some guns have recoil impulses that are strong but slow, more of a push. Other guns have fast and short recoil impulses, more like a snap. There there’s the intensity or actual force of the recoil which is another variable.
Okay. That makes sense. It will make much more sense when I actually have the chance to feel what you're talking about.
"Snappy" is an imprecise term, and it all depends. I think it means uncomfortable and sharp but not painful. As I said before, I'm recoil sensitive and take precautions against recoil. And shooting more often gets you used to recoil so tolerance is increased and seen as something to be noted but not to be afraid of. After awhile, you'll (speaking for myself) get prepared for working recoil. ALL handguns have recoil; the hotter the load and the heavier the bullet generally means more recoil. Helping tame the recoil is the design of the gun and the weight...a 1911, for example, in .45 ACP has more recoil than a PM 9, but the weight of the gun makes the recoil more "pushy" than "snappy." (Opinion) The PM 9 is "snappy" and the grip is short so could be, your pinky finger can't help managing recoil. I had a PM 9 and can't remember if my little finger was useful or not. Very accurate little gun, though. PM has a "match grade" barrel, the CM doesn't not IIRC. The first Kahr I had had a longer barrel than the PM and was probably the most accurate 9mm I've owned, but I swapped it for a PM, which was smaller. Early Kahrs had strange magazine requirements, and I remember having to call Kahr and order special mags for the pre-PM pistol.
Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
Replies
To be effective, a .25 is for a well trained (VERY well trained) shooter. They just don't have the pep. A small gun that has more pep is the KelTec .32, which I liked a lot when I had one. As small as I'd go caliber wise and even then you can do better with a larger gun/caliber.
Right now, any handgun is hard to get so you pretty well are limited in choices. If you can find one a Sig 365 is small, has a good capacity, and accurate. Easy to shoot for a small pistol in 9mm. If you can find one and are willing to spend the cash.
In reality, you may be stuck with the .25 if you can't find anything else. If so, practice with it a lot. It's better than harsh language in an emergency.
– Col. Jeff Cooper
If you are seriously thinking something that size please try shooting one of that type gun before making a decision on it. Folks are attracted to small guns when they start out not understanding that the smaller they are the tougher they are on the shooter.
Mike
N454casull
Mike
N454casull
And butts!
After a long, hot shower.
Mike
N454casull
9mm in a small frame that carries better than anything I've yet tried. A bit snappy in the recoil dept but nowhere nearly excessive, settles back down on target in the blink of an eye.
I once walked a 15 yard distant coke can up a hill with 7 consecutive rapid fire shots and the only time I looked at the sights was before the first shot. That little gun impressed me, because, as others here can attest....I'm no pistolero.
It's easy to carry, and I can hit with it. (In all transparency, I can miss with it, too.....sometimes really badly, but that's on me). What's not to like?
Mike
N454casull
My personal biggest complaint is it's got a hellacious strong recoil spring, (to be expected in a small 9mm), and to rack the slide you've better made up your mind beforehand that you're actually going to do it.
Mike
N454casull