PackinMama

If I were you, I'd send it back to KelTec again. They'll get it running right even if they have to replace the whole gun - and it won't cost you a cent as long as you're the original owner. If someone else buys it from you, then they have to pay shipping to KT and I think it's like $40 flat fee, plus parts cost. KelTec used to honor the warranty to everyone, no questions asked.....but now that so many are being bought used, they've changed their policy.

I was loading groceries into my trunk at Walmart last week and a guy was begging a young couple two cars down from mine for some money. They told him they were in the same boat as him - broke. He then started walking my way and made eye contact with me.....I gave him the look that basically said "get away from me" and I shook my head "no" and he turned around and went the other direction. I kept my eyes out for him while I was finishing loading the bags into the trunk and noticed the Walmart manager and what appeared to be two security guys looking around the parking lot and talking on their walkie talkies. I guess someone reported the guy and they were trying to find him. I think being very aware of your surroundings is the best way to avoid trouble in the first place. Making eye contact and letting the person know that you are already onto them seems to help too. Criminals are looking for people that are oblivious to their surroundings. Always be aware of what's going on around you!

You never know when or where a threat will present itself, that's a fact. Hopefully, that incident will persuade her to carry on her person, not in the console. If so, then it was really a blessing in disguise.

If you're going to order one, I'd recommend the horsehide vs. the cowhide. It's worth the extra $15. Much softer and more sweat resistant than the cowhide. I also like the combat cut option....makes the draw a little easier IMO.

Definitely the best holsters I've ever owned!!! If anyone on here has never tried one, you are missing out big time!

That's great! My sister got her permit really quick like that too.....only problem with her is that she still hasn't carried yet. I really have no idea why she got her permit in the first place. I'm certainly glad to hear that your wife is carrying!!

I've been carrying a handgun for almost 20 years and used them for sport and home defense long before that. I absolutely HATE when I see that a woman has been the target of a violent crime and didn't have any means to protect herself. There is just no excuse and really no need for a woman to be completely helpless against an attack.....especially if she has children to protect as well. My advice to any woman is to get familiar with handling, shooting, and carrying a handgun. Get your permit and find a gun that you will be comfortable carrying ON YOUR PERSON. The key to feeling comfortable carrying a handgun is knowing that gun inside and out. Know how it shoots and put plenty rounds through it. Know how to clear a jam if the need arises, know how to take it apart and clean it, know it like it's an extension of your hand. The world is a bad place and we do not need to be helpless victims when we have the ability to carry a gun. Hope that helps! (Btw, even Jesus told His disciples to "sell your cloak and buy a sword" when He sent them out to preach the gospel. I'm sure that if they'd made guns back then, Jesus would have said "buy a gun!" )

I'm very happy to see all the comments about how you SHOULD NOT carry your gun in a purse. It is the absolute worst way for a woman to carry a gun. I learned the hard way myself after having my purse stolen with my carry weapon inside it. That was about 6 years ago and I have carried on my person ever since. It's taken a bit of trial and error, and has resulted in quite a few holsters that were purchased and then thrown aside.....as well as a change in dressing habits and also a few changes of my primary carry weapon.....but has been well worth the effort. I can now go out and feel 100% secure and comfortable with wearing my gun on my body with the ability to draw in less than 2 seconds. Some great ways for women to carry are belly bands, fanny packs, and IWB holsters if you can wear a belt. I've found that the Crossbreed Supertuck is my absolute favorite of all the IWB holsters I've tried, hands down. The K-Holster and the K&D Thunderbird Defender are close behind. A very important aspect of carrying IWB comfortably and securely is a good gun belt. It took me a while to realize how much a good quality dedicated gun belt helps when carrying IWB. It makes all the difference in the world. I personally have a K&D gun belt and love it, but I know there are others out there that are probably as good......just do your research and get one from a reputable maker.

Well....I get it. I think.

I have to agree with TGO David that a lightweight .38 snubby of some sort would be an excellent choice. They are so light that you practically forget that you are carrying them. Also, if you plan on carrying in a belly band, a lightweight gun is almost a necessity to prevent the belly band from sagging......especially with the 4" wide bands. If you have any trouble at all with the recoil of the regular .38 loads, there are many low recoil .38 self defense loads available. My elderly mother has a S&W 442 .38 and I bought her some Federal Nyclads (low recoil) for it and she can handle it just fine. The technique of racking a slide that "safeandsecure" mentioned is also a very good way for someone that has problems with pulling the slide back to learn. It takes a little bit to learn, but it will make racking the slide of any semi-auto much easier. There are a lot of different semi-autos out there and they are all different as far as how much effort it takes to rack the slide. I would suggest that you go to several gun shops and try a bunch of them out to see if one might be easier for you to handle if you are dead set on getting another semi-auto. I have a KelTec P11 and it's pretty easy to rack, but it's also well broken in. If you are looking for a good lightweight semi-auto to upgrade into from your Beretta, I'd definitely look real hard at the slim frame 9mm's out there. KelTec PF9, Taurus TCP, and the new Ruger slim 9mm (can't think of the model # right now) are all good choices. If you want something a bit smaller, the KelTec P3AT or Ruger LCP .380's are both good guns for the money. Good luck and let us know what you end up with!

I have to agree with TGO David that a lightweight .38 snubby of some sort would be an excellent choice. They are so light that you practically forget that you are carrying them. Also, if you plan on carrying in a belly band, a lightweight gun is almost a necessity to prevent the belly band from sagging......especially with the 4" wide bands. If you have any trouble at all with the recoil of the regular .38 loads, there are many low recoil .38 self defense loads available. My elderly mother has a S&W 442 .38 and I bought her some Federal Nyclads (low recoil) for it and she can handle it just fine. The technique of racking a slide that "safeandsecure" mentioned is also a very good way for someone that has problems with pulling the slide back to learn. It takes a little bit to learn, but it will make racking the slide of any semi-auto much easier. There are a lot of different semi-autos out there and they are all different as far as how much effort it takes to rack the slide. I would suggest that you go to several gun shops and try a bunch of them out to see if one might be easier for you to handle if you are dead set on getting another semi-auto. I have a KelTec P11 and it's pretty easy to rack, but it's also well broken in. If you are looking for a good lightweight semi-auto to upgrade into from your Beretta, I'd definitely look real hard at the slim frame 9mm's out there. KelTec PF9, Taurus TCP, and the new Ruger slim 9mm (can't think of the model # right now) are all good choices. If you want something a bit smaller, the KelTec P3AT or Ruger LCP .380's are both good guns for the money. Good luck and let us know what you end up with!

Wow. With your size limitations, I'd go with a smaller and thinner gun, like a Kel-Tec P-11 or PF-9, or a Kahr PM9, or maybe the new little Ruger 9mm. I'm 5'11" and 250 lbs. and I have to wear a really loose shirt over my jeans to conceal my Glock 23 (same size as the G19). I love my Kel-Tec P-11 with a Crossbreed Supertuck. As far as holster recommendations, and if you're looking at carrying IWB (in waistband), I'd go with a Crossbreed Supertuck in horsehide, a K&D Thunderbird Defender, or if you want a more value priced holster, the Kholster is a great choice as well. You really can't go wrong with either of those three. I will tell you that the Kholster is the most depth and cant adjustable, then the Supertuck, then the Thunderbird. Thunderbirds are awesome, light, and really comfy, but they don't have a lot of room for adjustment. The Kholsters are probably the most adjustable holster that's made and they are also very comfortable, just a bit heavier because of having more leather on them. For me, the Supertuck is just perfect......not to heavy, super comfortable, and just enough room for adjustment. Good luck finding one that you like! Oh, and remember, the key to having a good holster fit and work properly, is putting it on a good stout belt that's specifically designed for carrying a gun. (I love my K&D gun belt!)

I agree 110% about NOT carrying a gun in your purse. Definitely not a good idea at all and I've explained that several times in several different threads. If it's the only way that she'll carry a gun, then it's certainly better than nothing at all....but if she ever really needs to use it, it will most likely not be of any use at all in her purse. Bad guys and bad situations tend to come real fast and without warning and the gun needs to be on your body somewhere. AS for a gun recommendation.....I'd give her the LCR. Just get some low recoil .38 loads for it. I put Federal Nyclad HP's in my elderly mother's 442 and she handles it fine. That would be the perfect gun for her IMO. There are several manufacturers of low recoil .38 rounds out there....just google it. You'll find a bunch.

From another woman's perpective..... I would never recommend purse carry to anyone - and I know from experience that this is not a good idea at all. Think about it....when a bad guy assualts a woman, it can go several ways, but 99% of the time, it is a surprise and it happens FAST. If a woman has her gun in her purse and a typical assault and/or mugging happens, she is not going to have the time to reach the gun or (in most cases) the physical strength to overpower her attacker to get to the gun. If the gun is on her person though, she can reach it quickly whether she is grabbed from behind or in front, and even if she is being held it would be possible to get to a gun on her belt (especially if it is carried "appendix carry style" at the 1-2 o'clock position). Much more possible than trying to get to the gun in her purse, which the attacker could have already ripped off her. If purse carry is the ONLY option, then by all means it is better than nothing at all. However, there are many, many more options for carrying on your person that would be a thousand times better.

Nothing wrong with the guns previously mentioned IMO. There are lots of cheaper guns that are completely reliable. I've seen $300 guns that I'd trust my life to over a $1200 gun. Just because a gun costs more doesn't always mean it will be more dependable.

Carrying your Sig concealed and comfortably would depend on a couple things. First, your size and build. Second, your typical fashion and clothing choice. If your real small, it would be hard to conceal this size gun on your person. You will need to be on the average to large size to pull that off I would think. Clothing choice is the next deciding factor. If you can wear jeans with a belt or even slacks or dress pants with a loose fitting top, there are a couple options that I could recommend. If you wear a dress or skirt regularly, the Sig would be pretty hard to carry on your body IMO. With jeans and a belt, I'd go with a good IWB holster like the Crossbreed Supertuck. You can't hardly find a better and more comfortable holster than the Supertuck. Some people also like the M-Tac's but I've tried both and personally prefer the Crossbreed. It's depth and cant adjustable and super comfy. The one thing to remember if you want to carry on a belt is to be sure to buy a good gun belt. A belt that is made for carrying a gun is much thicker than a regular dress belt and it will support the weight of the gun without sagging. Just search on here for "gun belt" and you will find some great recommendations. If you wear pants without belt loops, there are a couple other decent options out there. A Smart Carry or a belly band would work very well to wear under the pants. If you're not comfortable carrying your Sig on your body then I definitely wouldn't hesitate to look for something smaller that you will be able to conceal and carry in comfort. Even a .380 on your person would be better than the Sig in your purse! Hope this helps!

Oh, btw, Hornady Critical Defense is a good HP round for this gun....doesn't have a sharp edge to get caught on the feed ramp and extremely accurate with good expansion. Also, keep it nice and wet during the first 200 rds. Let us know how your wife likes it.....and how it shoots too!

I can verify that EMP's are not known to be very reliable until WELL broken in, and then can have problems feeding HP's. A quick trip back to Springfield for some reaming and polishing seems to fix the problem though. It's a beautiful gun and a sweet shooter for sure.....just don't give up on it until you've shot 500 rds. and then send it back to Springfield if it's still giving you problems...they'll make it right for you at no cost. It's quite possible that the newer models might have the bugs worked out already. Mine was a fairly early serial number.....6XXX range.

Absolutely!

Check this video out HERE. It's a small framed girl that shows several different ways that she carries her Ruger LCP. Excellent video, very informative and well done.

Bubbas and I have already discussed this via pm, but Bubbling Springs Shooting range located in the Cherokee National Forest in Greene co. might be a good place for this. It's in an extremely rural area and is not supervised at all.

I thought it was pretty cool when she said that she goes metal detecting on the beach open carrying with her shoulder holster!! That's awesome!! I used to go metal detecting all the time before my knees got bad.....always carrying, just never open carrying. Wouldn't that be a sight to see on the beach? A young girl in a bathing suit or short shorts and a tank top walking down the beach with a metal detector and a shoulder holster rig?! I can just imagine the looks on peoples faces! I wonder if anyone has ever called the police on her? If she really does do that, I can't see that not happening eventually.

I must have been writing my post when you posted yours chap, sorry. If she wants a supervised range, then that wouldn't be for her. I think Coal Creek has a ladies night on Wednesdays (you'll have to double check on that)....that might be a good time to go there. If I remember correctly, I think they even let the men that accompany the ladies in for free......again, you'd better double check.

I don't know where in Knoxville you are.....but if you want to take a beautiful drive out east a bit, I can recommend a great place to go. It's in the Cherokee National Forest in Greene County not too far from Del Rio. Just head out 40 east and get off in Newport, then get on Hwy 25 north toward Hot Springs and Asheville. After you pass Del Rio, look for Hwy 107 and hang a left. Go about a mile or two and you'll see a sign on your left for Bubbling Springs Shooting Range. It costs $2 per vehicle and there's a little box that you put your money in. Usually there's no one there.....once in a while there might be one other car. There are three shooting benches and no range marshall there. You can pretty much do whatever you want to do and shoot at whatever you want to shoot at. I've taken everything from targets to cases of cheap soda or even pumpkins and squash to shoot at. You can practice rapid fire, shooting from your holster, whatever. While you're out there be sure to check out Meadowcreek Fire Tower (gorgeous views!) and Paint Creek (camping, fishing, crystal clear trout filled water, picnicking, beautiful scenery!).....make a day of it. You won't be disappointed! Feel free to pm me if you would like any more info on the area.

Excellent video!!! Thanks for posting! Watch this one girls, it has some great ideas for women's concealed carry options!