Single mom — need home defense advice
I'm a single mom with 3 kids and I've never owned a gun. Had a scary situation last month — someone tried my door at 3am. I want something for home defense but I'm overwhelmed.
Where do I even start? Budget is around $999.
7 Replies
As someone who teaches a lot of women in similar situations - start with training, not gear. I'd be happy to recommend some instructors in your area if you want to PM me. For the gun itself, try a Glock 19, M&P 9mm, or Sig P320. All reliable, easy to maintain, and not too snappy. Budget some money for a quality safe and at least 200 rounds of practice ammo. The gun is just a tool - training is what saves lives.
Dan's right about training first. For $999 you've got good options - maybe a Glock 19 with a weapon light and some training classes. The 19 is big enough to shoot well but not too big for smaller hands. Skip the tactical stuff for now, just focus on basics. And seriously, get that training - a gun you can't use effectively is worse than useless.
First thing - good for you for taking this seriously. For home defense with kids, I'd recommend starting with a full-size pistol like a Glock 17 or Smith M&P 9mm. Easier to shoot accurately under stress than a smaller gun. But honestly? Take a basic pistol class first, then worry about buying. Most ranges rent guns so you can try before you buy. And invest in a good safe - kids and guns don't mix without proper storage.
Facts. I switched to the same thing about 2 months ago and it was a game changer.
My wife would kill me if I bought another one but this is tempting lol
+1 on this. My buddy had the same issue and switching to Tier 1 Axis Elite fixed it for him.
Good looking out for sharing this deal. Just ordered one.