Hi Pelican: As far as handguns go, the Smith and Wesson .38 calibre revolver is a very coomon weapon for men and women. The Glock 9 MM automatic is the current macho weapon of choice but an aggressive woman would use it too. The cartridge has four parts to it: a casing which encloses a firing cap at the rear that provides the spark that ignites the powder that explodes and fires the bullet. The bullet and the casing pull apart, and for that you would need pliers. People who do a lot of shooting save the expended casings and load their own cartridges because it's less expensive. Sorry, but I can't help you with shooting the lock. If it's a metal door, I'd think you'd have to worry about ricochet.
Hope that helps.
Jude
