you know how hard it was for me to resist responding to this thread...I use to teach self defense with a hand gun for women at my gun club...everybody has an opinion, but I only taught one thing...survival...most women aren't attacked in their homes, although it happens, most attacks happen in parking lots as they go to their cars. There was a lot to the course, but the just of it, simply have your keys in your weak hand, the REVOLVER (no hammer preferred) in your strong hand, INSIDE the purse. If attacked, scream "I have a gun, I will use it" fire thru the purse, hammerlest will continue to fire, with hammer may continue to fire, semi-autos will have one shot then jam on whatever is in the purse...women do not have time to reach for and pull out a fire arm and aim...won't happen if attacked...proven this many times in our training sessions...knife fights, boy could we talk about that...feather weight .38 special, hammerlest, good name brand hollow point ammo...my .02 only .....and by the way, the women listened and learned very quickly, the men...that is another story...