# learning to shoot and can't decide whats right for me..help please!



## woods1028 (Feb 16, 2012)

I am a 22 year old mom with another baby due in September. My husband is a truck driver whos only home for a week every four weeks and we are moving out of my brother's home and into a new neighborhood where this will be my first time completely alone pregnant with a two year old so my decision to start gun training is completely for the safety of my children and myself. I also have an ex that was abusive and with my husband always gone though there is a restraining order I still fear for my life and the safety of my kids so I am also looking at training for my concealed and don't think that defense training in maybe Krav Maga or similiar would be smart to overlook. My issue is deciding whats best for me to use for my gun training seeing as my husband's Glock 22C hurts my hand from the weight of the gun, but I do know some specifications that I would like to stick to which are:semi-automatic compact,no less than 10 round capacity (will consider no less than 6+),prefer the poly frame, a weight of no more than 29 ounces (anymore causes pain in my hand), and either a .380 or 9mm til Im fully comfortable. An older friend of mine that is more like an uncle to me did recommend a Glock 19 of which my husband prefers I have but more so the Glock 19C with an extended magazine so it gives me a three finger grip. Thoughts and advice on this would be great! Thank you ahead...


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## usmcj (Sep 23, 2011)

Shoes...... when you buy 'em, you try 'em on first...... if they don't feel good, you don't buy 'em..... if they feel good, and you buy 'em, chances are that you still might need to break in the shoes, and your feet.

Guns..... try 'em on first...... if they don't feel good, you don't buy 'em......... if they feel good, and you buy 'em, chances are that you still might need to practice with it, and enhance your ability to use it.....

Buying a handgun simply because someone else has one is just foolish. If there were a "best" handgun, we'd all own it, and there wouldn't be the huge selection of handguns to choose from. It's tough to try and convince your hands that a given gun is comfortable enough, to shoot enough, to become proficient with it. If you're not gonna become proficient with it, you're wasting your time, and money.

Hey ........

GO SHOPPING

Since you brought it up...

I had a pregnant (first trimester) lady inquire about firearms classes for her and her husband. I told her that I would be glad to teach her, but only upon receipt of a statement from her Dr. saying that it would be safe for her to do so. I've had several similar requests over the years, and have never received a statement from a Dr. saying it would be safe to shoot during pregnancy. That being said, *I haven't found any concrete evidence, either way*. I won't risk damaging the hearing of an unborn child, but here are a couple of considerations.....

Dangerous Decibels » Hearing Loss


A typical conversation occurs at 60 dB - not loud enough to cause damage.
A bulldozer that is idling (note that this is idling, not actively bulldozing) is loud enough at 85 dB that it can cause permanent damage after only 1 work day (8 hours).
When listening to music on earphones at a standard volume level 5, the sound generated reaches a level of 100 dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!
A clap of thunder from a nearby storm (120 dB) or a gunshot (140-190 dB, depending on weapon), can both cause immediate damage.
then this........

http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/C...nt_officer.htm

_Noise usually is considered to be detrimental during pregnancy. In most European countries, health regulations forbid pregnant women from working in surroundings with a continuous noise level greater than 80 dB or a rapid-impulse noise level greater than 40 dB, which is much less than the noise of a firearm [6]. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit for rapid-impulse noise is 140 dB, with additional regulations for continuous noise. The sound levels of firearms are about 125 to 140 dB for rimfire rifles; 140 to 150 dB for rimfire pistols; and 150 to 160 dB for centerfire rifles, pistols, and shotguns [7].

Intrauterine measurements showed that the fetus was not significantly protected against loud noises [8]. One study in human volunteers found a maximal intrauterine noise attenuation of 10 dB at 4000 Hz [9]. In a study of ewes, the noise attenuation was 20 dB at 4000 Hz, but the noise inside the uterus was 2 to 5 dB greater at 250 Hz [10]. In comparison, foam plugs offer attenuation of 12 to 20 dB and are considered to be the least effective hearing protection [7].

Noise exposure during pregnancy has been associated with several disorders, including miscarriage [11,12], intrauterine growth retardation [13,14,16], preterm delivery [12,15,16], hearing loss in babies and children [17], altered immune response in the fetus [18], and hypertension [12]. A combined exposure to noise and lead seems to have an increased toxicity, causing heart lesions, which are not observed for those agents alone [19].
_
For information only.....


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## Brevard13 (Nov 28, 2010)

It had never accured to me that a baby could lose hearing while in a womb. And to think I learned about it on a gun forum.


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## usmcj (Sep 23, 2011)

Well, Ma'am, as I put in bold type, I have not seen any positive proof on either side, but in my opinion, even a chance of damaging an unborn child would cause me to avoid the range until you can safely leave the baby with someone and you go shoot.

My wife used to be amazed at the household noises that would cause the fetus to jump. I can only imagine how a fetus would react to a gunshot. I know, there will be those who say, "my wife shot howitzers while carrying triplets, and never had one problem". It's up to the parents, but as an instructor, I'll wait for the first doctor to send me a note... but I won't hold my breath.



> And to think I learned about it on a gun forum.


 well, most of us old guys didn't get old being stupid.... :smt1099


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

Mighty sound advice on this .......JJ


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

woods1028 said:


> I am a 22 year old mom with another baby due in September. My husband is a truck driver whos only home for a week every four weeks and we are moving out of my brother's home and into a new neighborhood where this will be my first time completely alone pregnant with a two year old so my decision to start gun training is completely for the safety of my children and myself. I also have an ex that was abusive and with my husband always gone though there is a restraining order I still fear for my life and the safety of my kids so I am also looking at training for my concealed and don't think that defense training in maybe Krav Maga or similiar would be smart to overlook. My issue is deciding whats best for me to use for my gun training seeing as my husband's Glock 22C hurts my hand from the weight of the gun, but I do know some specifications that I would like to stick to which are:semi-automatic compact,no less than 10 round capacity (will consider no less than 6+),prefer the poly frame, a weight of no more than 29 ounces (anymore causes pain in my hand), and either a .380 or 9mm til Im fully comfortable. An older friend of mine that is more like an uncle to me did recommend a Glock 19 of which my husband prefers I have but more so the Glock 19C with an extended magazine so it gives me a three finger grip. Thoughts and advice on this would be great! Thank you ahead...


The Glock 19 or 19C should both have three finger-grooves on the frame, even with the normal magazine; only the small subcompact Glocks like the G26/G27/G33 have two finger-grooves on the frame and need an extended mag to provide a spot for the third finger.

The G19C is very mild-recoiling, with minimal muzzle flip, but it does seem a bit louder than a stock G19 (as do most ported or compensated versions of normal handguns). Depending on the ammo it was loaded with, the G22C might be made more manageable with lower-powered ammo, like lighter-bullet low-velocity target loads (still fairly effective due to the size/weight/flat-point configuration, I would think).

On the subject of shooting while pregnant, another concern is exposure to airborne lead, or lead dust from targets/holders, range surfaces, and cleaning weapons. Lead is very bad for children and babies, and I've heard some doctors advise against shooting and other types of lead exposure during pregnancy. I'm not a doc, so check with your doctor to be sure.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

For learning purposes you could get a pellet gun and start learning basic safety trigger control and sighting, noise level min. and you get the basics started. Good luck in your quest and enjoy, I raised 4 around shooting and they have grown up to like shooting and respect all firearms now I have a grand daughter that is getting started shooting.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

MMM, I beleive you are confusing Glock models. A magazine extension on a Glock 19 so you can get a three finger grip? I believe you may have or are thinking of a Glock 26, unless you have extremely large hands, as I know of no one that cannot get three fingers on the grip of a Glock 19, which in my opinion is a great choice. I may suggest a Beretta PX4 Storm compact as well. It's what I carry and it is a fantastic firearm.


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