.357 for Wife

J

jeffelkins

New member
I've convinced my wife to switch from a Taurus 85UL .38 Spl to a .357 - We're going shopping this Friday.

Concealibility is not a huge factor. She will carry in a Coronado Leather gun purse and the gun compartment will easily hold a large pistol. She's also not a tiny girl... 5'9 with good sized hands. She shoots my M23 Glock well, but prefers a wheelgun for now.

She really likes the Taurus and so do I. However I seem to recall that the Taurus .357s were ported. Since she would more than likely have to shoot in low-light, I'd rather not have a ported weapon.

I'd be pleased to have your recommendations!
 
I don't know if all Taurus .357 revolvers are ported, but you are right to be concerned about the flash in low-light situations.

I'm a bit leery of Taurus revolvers. Once with a .38 snubbie I could shoot it just fine in trigger-cocking mode but this slender petite woman could only make it go "click.....click....click". After trading off several times and reloading and seeing I could make it go "BANG...BANG.. BANG" with no problem but her nonfiring problem persisted, we stopped by a gunsmith and found out that with her very slow trigger pull motion the cylinder wouldn't lock fully in position before the hammer fell, resulting in firing pin strikes off-center. My trigger pull made the cylinder slam into position just fine every time. I've met 1-2 other people who have also had the mis-strike problem.

Now, Taurus DOES have a lifetime warranty so if it doesn't work there's always the "send it to them for fixing" option.

I'd shop around. Lots of good used Rugers, Colts and S+W revolvers floating about.

Edmund
 
Greetings, I have never owned a Taurus firearm. Go to Four Seasons Homepage
(sorry, I don't have the URL) and read
their disclaimer concerning these hand
guns. I would prefer a Smith & Wesson
.357 Magnum; either a 66, or a 686 with
2.5 inch barrel. Or even a S&W Model 65
with 3" tube. :eek:

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Four Seasons: http://www.fsguns.com/

I was introduced to shooting by a friend of mine who packed a S&W .357 with a 4" barrel. She was about 5'7", around 110 pounds--very slim and willowy. I always got a kick out seeing people's expressions when we went to the range and she pulled out the Smith. I wouldn't rule out a Smith as there are many police trades which can be had for very reasonable prices.
 
I'm with everyone else. The *last* Taurus revolver that I owned was a M85. After sending it back to Taurus three times I replaced it with a Ruger SP-101.

If you're determined to upgrade to a .357 I would suggest that you have your wife shoot as many different models as possible. The smaller framed .357s can be pretty brutal. The increase in power doesn't mean much if she can't handle the accompaning blast and recoil. The S&W 65 is an outstanding choice (I like the three inch barreled model too). You can't go wrong with a Mod. 19 either. A Ruger speed six is an excellent gun if you can find one. Therer are quite a few good .357s to choose from. Taurus is actually pretty far down the list.

The satement about handling a .357 has nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman either. Quite a few grown men couldn't handle magnum loads out of my SP-101.
 
Get the lady a Smith & Wesson Model 65 Ladysmith with either a 3" or 4" barrel. It's a really beautiful gun and will give her lots more control and accuracy than the 85UL. I've had both and would highly recommend the model 65.
 
Shun ported guns that are to be used for defensive carry.

1) When fired from weapon retention positions, the ports direct hot gas and lead particles up into your face.

2) Muzzle blast and flash is dramatically increased. Try shooting one at night without hearing protection, from a weapon retention position. You get the idea...

I'm not a fan of Taurus revolvers. So I'd recommend the following:

In small frame, the S&W model 60 .357 with 3inch barrel and adjustable sights. Its stainless, 5 shot cylinder. Or... the Ruger SP101 in .357 with a 3inch barrel.

In medium frame, the S&W Model 65 with the barrel shroud. Frosted stainless, 3inch barrel, fixed sights.

Trust me, in .357 you really want a 3inch barrel. (and preferably adjustable sights)

[This message has been edited by dvc (edited February 10, 2000).]
 
I highly recommend either a S&W 686 with a 4" barrel or a S&W 60 with a 3" barrel. Both revolvers are .38 special/.357 mag. I have both and they are very fine weapons and would trust my life with either of them. I think you should check 'em out. However, if a BG comes in my house, I would grab for my Glock first...
 
Personally I think that .357 is a bad choice for CCW, the 4" is too big for most practical forms of carry, and the cartridge simply isn't suited to shorter barrel lengths, forget about porting causing too much flash in low light, just try a regular load out of a 2" Bbl at night and you'll see what I mean. Remember that .357 was designed as a hunting cartridge and as such (for me at least) is confined to K frame 4" or larger and the trunk of my car or as a house gun. .38 spl will kill just fine and always has done, if she shoots standard pressure go with Federal Nyclads, if your wife really wants to trade up in terms of power then get her a quality J frame 2" Bbl that can handle .38 +p and shoot 158gr LSWCHP +p loads. When she comes to use it, lord forbid, it really will prove to be her second best friend,

Regards,

------------------
A Person Is Smart
But People Are Stupid

Mike H
 
Thanks for the suggestions folks!

Believe it or not, her first carry piece was a monster single action .44mag! About 30 years ago we were working at a large university hospital in Texas that had a bunch of parking lot rapes and assaults. The .44 was the only handgun we owned and she carried it in a canvas shoulder bag.
 
If I remember correctly, the .357 magnum was developed in the 1930's for law enforcement that needed more penetration than the .38 special offered. It was designed from the beginning as a defensive round, not a hunting round.
 
I bought my wife a S&W model 65LS, 3" bbl, stainlessm, .357 mag. It has nice wood grips on it. It's currently in our nightstand loaded with Federal Hydra-shok 110 grain .38's.

BUT, she still insists on using my Ruger GP100, 4" bbl, full underlug, .357 mag, Hogue monogrip. The heavier Ruger handles the recoil much better, although she typically shoots only .38's in either gun.

NOW, stay away from any Taurus gun. I bought a Model 85CH, ported, 2"bbl and SENT IT BACK TO TAURUS THREE TIMES. It still does not function properly, either the cylinder will fail to advance or the trigger will stick back. I have given up on them fixing it! I WOULD NOT TRUST MY LIFE TO A TAURUS. I am kicking myself for not not spending the extra $100 for the S&W Model 637.

Also, ported is no good for a carry / defence gun as stated above by dvc. Ported guns are best for target shooting and competition.

------------------
Blackie
NRA, GOA, ISRA
 
Ruger Sp101 small profile, STRONG action. Nice price.

Smith 649 bodyguard ( think that's the 357 version) its lightweight which means it will kick, but the shrouded hammer makes a nice draw. Expensive.

Colt Magnum Carry. It holds six instead of five, and its got a "real" sized grip. Ergonomicly, I like it the best. Moderately priced, but now discontinued.

Dr.Rob
 
Taurus revolvers are good guns! I would take it to a gunsmith and have it checked out.Also have him put in a Wolff spring kit that elliminates most of the above problems.
Taurus revolvers come in ported and non-ported. The key lock is also an OPTION. If you worry about Taurus, don't buy one. It's good to be confident in your carry gun. If you are looking for an inexpensive gun that works well right out of the box, look into the Ruger SP101. Smith and Wessons are also good but a little moe money. I personally carry a 1911 but my best friend is a Smith "wheel-gun" man. Both of us are very confident in our carry guns. And that's all that counts!
CALVIN
" want MORE gun control? use BOTH hands! "
 
I'll throw my vote in for the S&W 65 ladysmith. My wife and I shoot the standard 4" version a lot, and she really enjoys it. Our local gun shop has a barely used Ladysmith for $300, which she has taken a shine to, mostly for aesthetic reasons. The 65 would be tough to beat.

--Mercator
 
cjb: Taurus had their try at fixing it... I should not have to spend money on something that is under warranty to have it work right.

Also, I think that all the new Taurus have the "key lock" dohickey, but this one does not (bought it just as they were coming out with the key lock).

For those who don't know - the Taurus Key Lock is built into the gun - it uses a small hex head wrench (key) to lock the action.

Smith 637, I'm saving up fer ya!


------------------
Blackie
NRA, GOA, ISRA
 
I have a Taurus .357. I'm 5'2 and don't have any problems handling it. However, I don't do CCW at this time. I have been looking at something smaller for exactly the reasons discussed above -- especially with someone my size, the dimensions of the .357 are somewhat foreboding when it comes to CCW.


------------------
*quack*
 
I stand corrected on the origin of the .357, I still think it unsuited to snubbies and CCW in general. If anyone desires that level of firepower in a concealeable package that has a strightforward action similar in many respects to a revolver in DA, then go for a 10mm sub-compact like the Glock 29 (good grief did I really say Glock),

------------------
A Person Is Smart
But People Are Stupid

Mike H
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top