TexasCHLforum.com

I am a young, single woman who lives alone. After a home invasion by an unknown intruder, I have decided to get my CHL. Can anyone recommend a small handgun for me? My friend has a Bersa Thunder 9 UltraCompact Pro for sale. Any opinions on this gun?

Thank you all for your help.

You can get a gun without a CHL. You don't say much about your experience with firearms. Nothing beats a shotgun for home defense...IMHO... Of coarse.

Just saw the part about small handgun... I have a Kahr pm9 I carry a lot. My daughter has a Glock 26 she likes... I had it duracoted in pink for her . My son likes his Kahr p380 while I am not real thrilled by the .380 as a self defense caliber. It's better n nuttin.

Get a Glock 19.Will not regret it.

Have not heard good or bad comments about that bersa.

Just whatever you decide, try to shoot it first in a range, needs to be comfortable in your hand.
Just my $.02
Good Luck.

Go to your local gun shop, find a women CHL instructor and ask her for an afternoon at the range. Ask her to shoot different guns and make your decision based on that. I did that for my wife and to my surprise she favored a .357 magnum revolver over 9MM and .380 semi-autos. Blew me away. Nobody should assume what would be a good choice for you, but you.

Jrangel wrote:Get a Glock 19.Will not regret it.

Have not heard good or bad comments about that bersa.

Just whatever you decide, try to shoot it first in a range, needs to be comfortable in your hand.
Just my $.02
Good Luck.

While I agree with the "shoot it at the range first" comments... I am not sure the Glock 19 is a "small" handgun.

Thank you for your replies. I already have a shotgun...which is why the home invasion didn't turn out so bad! Lol! Just wanted something to carry in my purse.

Texaskd - the best gun for you is the one that fits YOU. All the recommendations here are good, if they fit your hands.

If you tell us what part of the state you are in, we can probably recommend someone to help you.

I agree with the suggestion to try before you buy, much as you would test drive a car before buying that make and model as your primary vehicle. Along those same lines, any suggestion of a "best gun for women" is rather like suggesting a best car for women. Buy the one that fits you and your needs.

I live in Lufkin, TX.

As Crossfire mentioned find one that fits your hand and you can shoot comfortably. Practice is what will make you proficient not the gun. Anybody who mentions a specific gun is giving you bad advice so take it with a grain of salt. What works for my wife will not necessarily work for you and visa versa. Shoot as many as you can before purchasing one. Think about revolver versus semi as they both have advantages and disadvantages...... Be an imformed buyer as it will be to your benefit in the long run and quality versus cost should be part of your decision.....

Texaskd wrote:I live in Lufkin, TX.

Well, that's perfect! You live close to one of the best instructors in the state - Jerry Young in Diboll. Call him up. You can't do any better than Jerry.

Here is his website: http://www.pdtraining.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Texaskd wrote:I live in Lufkin, TX.

Longtooth, one of our Moderators, lives in the Lufkin area and he's a CHL instructor. You may want to contact him by and see if he can help.

Chas.

Salty1 wrote:As Crossfire mentioned find one that fits your hand and you can shoot comfortably. Practice is what will make you proficient not the gun. Anybody who mentions a specific gun is giving you bad advice so take it with a grain of salt. What works for my wife will not necessarily work for you and visa versa. Shoot as many as you can before purchasing one. Think about revolver versus semi as they both have advantages and disadvantages...... Be an imformed buyer as it will be to your benefit in the long run and quality versus cost should be part of your decision.....

I completely agree. Any mention of a specific firearm should be nothing more than a suggestion that it is worth checking out.

on Longtooth (Jerry Young). He would be a great choice to help you get going!

Texaskd wrote:I live in Lufkin, TX.

I live just outside Lufkin. Signed up for your CHL class yet? I highly recommend, Jerry Young. His name on here is Longtooth. I just got my CHL. Jerry is a great guy and an excellent teacher. The class was informative and fun.

I'm not familiar with the Bersa. My daughter loves to shoot my 40s&w. A big pow but she's still able to control it. Give the Bersa a "test drive". Ken's Pawn Shop has a used keltec pf 9 I've been looking at. Don't believe you can test fire it but you could see how it feels compared to the Bersa.