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My wife took both an NRA Basic Handgun Safety course and her CHL course through Crossfire Training. She is carrying a .38 Special snubnose revolver currently, packed with +P ammo, because it fits better in her purse (which is designed for concealed carry). That said, she qualified for her CHL with a Glock 19, and she is currently investigating different on-body carry options so that she can start carrying the Glock instead of the revolver.

VeryMotley,

You might want to check out this thread where another of our lady members asked a question similar to yours. There are 4 pages of good info there that will put you a long ways ahead in your search.

Just be cautious if you go into a gun shop. Many gun store commandos will try and shoehorn you into a one-sized-fits-all-women's gun category. They will try and sell you the tiniest auto or the shortest barrel snubbie they can. Probably in pink.
I have a Kel-Tec .380 and a RIA .45. The Kel-tec is harder to shoot, less accurate, and plum wears me out after about 50 rounds. I carry the big 5" full size 1911 now that I've gotten a much better holster for it.
Find what feels good in your hands first and foremost. You should be able to manipulate the action of whatever firearm you choose with ease. Try and find a range that rents whatever you're looking at and try it out.

Excellent recommendations from all. I'll only add that if you want to go up from 9mm, try the .40 and .45 before going to the 10mm. And try the full sizes and subcompacts. My wife likes the G22 better than the G27 and she has tiny hands. I prefer the G27, but since it's my carry weapon it's what I practice with the most. There is a slimline .45 that Glock has to offer if you think the .45 might be for you.

C-dub wrote:Excellent recommendations from all. I'll only add that if you want to go up from 9mm, try the .40 and .45 before going to the 10mm. And try the full sizes and subcompacts. My wife likes the G22 better than the G27 and she has tiny hands. I prefer the G27, but since it's my carry weapon it's what I practice with the most. There is a slimline .45 that Glock has to offer if you think the .45 might be for you.

Glock 36

VeryMotley, if you're in Sachse, it's just two or three miles to the Garland Public Shooting Range. I'd be glad to meet you there and let you shoot my guns. I have a Sig P226 in 9mm and a Sig P239 in .357 Sig. The P226 is a full size service weapon. The P239 is a compact weapon designed for concealed carry. My wife doesn't like either one. She says they're too heavy, and she has trouble racking the slide. Your opinion might be different, but at least you'd be exposed to a couple of higher caliber weapons.

The range also has some weapons you can rent, as well as ammo for sale. The cost is $10 for a lifetime membership and $10 to shoot, so your first time out you would need to pay $20 and sit through a brief safety video. My wife asked me when we were going to the range again, so we'll probably go Saturday.

If you're interested, PM me. You can bring your .22 if you like. I'll bring targets, ammo for my guns and hearing protection.

Same offer as Baldeagle. I could meet you at The Bullet Trap. They're in Plano, Park Blvd @ Avenue K. I only have 9mm and .45 calibers, but you're welcome to try them if you like. And just like the Garland Range, Bullet Trap has several handguns you can rent to try out, but they force you to purchase their ammo to use in the rentals.

-Jeff

I think all the responses of everyone else is ignoring one thing... she said that money is "tight". Therefore, I suggest that she keep the 22LR revolver that she already has. You want something small, accurate, reliable and light. You're familiar with the gun, so you're accurate with it. Plus 22LR ammo is cheap. That's important since money is "tight". I bet that a 22LR revolver is much lighter and smaller than any "real" defensive pistol. Revolvers are real reliable to boot, too. And to the poster that suggested that the OP go to a gun store... do you work in a gun store? Gun stores have to make money so they're probably gonna "trade" her $500-600 revolver for a $250-300 Kel-Tec or S&W Sigma. That means she's lost $300 in the deal. If money is "tight", how can she afford to lose $300?

I suggest that you Keep the 22LR revolver that you already have and get a CHL when you can afford it. For now, go to the range and practice with that revolver. Being a crack shot with a 22LR is much better than being a bad shot with a 45ACP. Lots of people successfully defend themselves with "just" a 22. Yes, I know, it's a horrible self defense caliber, but remember, the most important piece of equipment you own is NOT the gun, but your brain. Keen situational awareness and a good flashlight will keep you out of trouble 99% of the time. The average perp is not someone high on acid that will keep attacking after being shot multiple times. The average perp is looking for an easy score. No perp is going to think that a gunfight is an easy score. I'll bet that just hearing a "bang" and seeing a gun is enough to make most perps run. The gun is the LEAST important item in your self-defense arsenal because it is your LAST resort.

For self-defense practice, I suggest that you go to the next Dallas Pistol Club competition and participate. These are great events to go to because your shooting technique will be critiqued by others. It's like getting free instruction and training. Spend your money on range fees and ammo to become a more effective shooter. Live life in condition yellow (be aware of your surroundings).

The next step is to get your CHL. This can take months (mine took 9 months!), so it's best to get the ball rolling on this as soon as possible.

The LAST step is to get a new gun. You can wait until your tax refund or a raise at work to get that. Buying a gun is easy and takes just minutes, so it's not necessary to get the ball rolling on this now. Just wait until your finances are better.

Would I use a 22lr for self-defense if it was all I could afford? You betcha! Having a gun is better than not having one, regardless of caliber. Besides, 22lr kills more people than any other caliber (due to the fact that the round is so cheap and plentiful). Due to 22lr having zero recoil and guns in 22lr are real light, I can fast draw my 22lr glock and shoot half a dozen shots into a quarter at 10 feet in under 1 second, roughly. I couldn't even do that in my dreams with a real 9mm glock. The width of a human spinal column is roughly the width of a quarter. Hmmm....

Million mom march against guns participant hated her husband's gun. After she used it to defend herself against home invaders, she's now an advocate of the 2nd Amendment. Being anti-gun, she only allowed her husband to keep a 22lr revolver in the home. After she shot the BGs, she had an "epiphany":
http://www.kc3.com/self_defense/susan_gonzales.htm

Papa Johns delivery guy successfully defends himself against TWO ARMED MEN with a 2 shot 22lr derringer. On a pizza delivery guy's minimum wage salary, that was all he could afford. This was in Lufkin, Texas:
http://www.usacarry.com/forums/general- ... bbers.html Nobody wants to have a gunfight with 2 armed men using a 2 shot 22lr derringer. However, if you have to choose between buying an expensive high caliber gun with no money left over for ammo and range fees or keeping the 22lr that you have and practicing enough to become a crack shot with it, I invite you to notice that the latter choice is wiser.

P.S. famous gunwriter Chuck Hawks recommends that if you use 22lr for defense, then you should use CCI stinger or Remington yellow jackets.