This week I had the awesome opportunity to meet with four ladies who are starting a women's shooting club. Hats off to this group of informed women who recognize they are potential victims and applause for their determination to do something about it.

    I especially want to recognize them for overcoming fear and prejudice to do that which is a lot of fun and will increase security for themselves, their families and their community.

    This column will be the first in a two part series that will attempt to answer some of the questions they asked of me.

    This is a complicated subject because there is no correct answer for everyone. There are simply too many choices and too many personal preferences. So, while I cannot provide an answer for anyone other than myself, I can offer up my ideas about simple common sense. These just might lead you to the right handgun ... for you.

    I think the most basic question to ask is if a revolver or semiautomatic pistol makes more sense. Both gun types have positive and negative aspects.

    Generally speaking, the revolver will only hold five or six rounds. That may not be enough. On the other hand, a revolver is much less prone to malfunctions. In fact, malfunctions are nearly unheard of with respect to revolvers. And finally, revolvers tend to recoil a bit harder which can make them more difficult to shoot.

    The semiautomatic pistol, depending on the one you choose, can hold fifteen or more rounds. Pistols tend to malfunction regularly if a shooter has a weak grip or weak wrists. This is generally more of a problem for women because the skeletal structure and muscle mass that supports the gun is typically lighter and weaker than is common in a man. The recoil spring in the slide acts as a huge shock absorber which tends to significantly dampen felt recoil and can make the gun easier to shoot.

    Let us consider a case earlier this month when a Georgia mother shot a home invader, identified as Paul Slater, to protect herself and her twin daughters. She had a .38 caliber revolver that held six rounds. When Slater located her and her twin daughters hiding in the attic, she opened fire. Six rounds were fired and five hit the mark. Slater fell to the floor and asked her to stop shooting. Standing over him, she told him that if he moved she would shoot again. The problem was, her gun was empty. Realizing this, she and her daughters ran to the house of a neighbor.

    Slater managed to get to his car and drove away only to collapse in another location. When shot, people tend to go in one of two directions, either they wimp out as Slater did, or they become angry and very aggressive. Thankfully, Slater is a coward. If he has gone the other way, how badly could this have gone for this mother and her girls?

    Now, let us imagine that this mother had been armed with a high-capacity pistol instead of a revolver. If she had been armed with a pistol instead of a revolver, perhaps she never would have been in a defenseless and unarmed position. If Slater had continued the threat, she could have continued to fight. However, if that pistol had been chambered with a round heaver than her hands and wrist were able to affectively handle, the gun might have malfunctioned after the first round leaving her effectively defenseless.

    As you can see, either handgun choice has an upside and a downside. Thankfully, this mother and her daughters were not harmed by this scum Slater.

    If you choose to purchase a revolver, the choices are pretty basic because, for the most part, they function identically. Simply shoot a few and buy one you like.

    If you choose to purchase a semiautomatic pistol, your choices are wider and therefore your decision is more complicated. You will need to use a bit of common sense. Let me share an example of the lack of it. The following is an excerpt from an online gun review that I read just today.     

    The review was for the Walther PPK pistol and it said, "While I do not expect to buy one anytime soon, nor will it replace the 1911 pistol that I normally carry, I can see it as a back-up gun in certain circumstances. For instance, summer wear when clothing is lighter and more abbreviated."

    As I said, there is no right answer for everyone. I would be foolish to tell another that their choice in a defensive weapon is wrong. However, in this case I will go out on a limb and say that this guy's shots are not even on the paper ... so to speak.    

    When we train in a consistent way, we begin to develop muscle memory. Good muscle memory is the thing that will enable us to do things correctly when stress is wildly high and things are at their worst. Now let us examine the statement from the gun review.

    There are a number of differences between the 1911 and the PPK, but the glaring difference is in the safeties. To disengage the 1911 safety, you thumb it down. To disengage the PPK safety, you thumb it up. In other words, the safeties operate exactly opposite of each other. As a result, when you train for the 1911, you un-train for the PPK and visa versa. So, for every good you do training on one system, you do an equal amount of harm with regard to the other.

    When things are at their worst in a time-is-life situation, will you sweep the safety up or will you sweep it down? The good news is that you have a fifty percent chance of doing it correctly. However, are you willing to risk everything on a 50 - 50 proposition?

    The common sense guideline that I promised is simply this. ... All of your defensive weapons should function in the same way. This will guarantee that any action you take with one pistol will work with every defensive pistol you own.

    And finally, I will share my thoughts on weapon selection for most shooters. I say most shooters because most people will not train enough to become proficient with more complex weapon systems. If you are one of these, look for simplicity. If you are dedicated to continuous training, any quality pistol is a good choice.

    When simplicity is important, these are the things I look for. Controls that work the same as my other defensive pistols. Controls that are simple and straight forward. When life and death hang in the balance, most people need the ability to draw and shoot without concerning themselves with details. I prefer full-sized pistols to carry and use whenever I can and a compact gun for times when the full sized version is not a good option.

    I look for one manufacturer that offers a full size pistol that meets my requirements and a compact version of that same pistol. I recommend the following as a good starting point. Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P series with no thumb safety, Springfield XD and XDM series with no thumb safety and the Ruger SR pistols because the narrow grip is good for people with small hands. There are others, I am sure, but I cannot recommend them because of my lack of familiarity.

    Good luck in your search and bring your common sense along when you shop.