Good revolver for my wife?

C

chall8

Inactive
I'd like to get my wife a revolver for home defense, for when I'm out of town. I have a 12-ga shotgun (which she has shot but intimidates her) and am about to purchase a SIG, but want something without all the controls, etc. that might hinder her in a stressful situation. I also have a .22 pistol which she also likes bu of course this is not adequate for self defense.

She has shot 9mm's before (Glock 19 and 34) with no problems (i.e. she had fun and was not intimidated), so something with this level of recoil would be manageable for her. So, the basic requirements I'm looking for:

- Something with minimal controls that she can pick up and shoot.
- At the same time, something that requires deliberate effort to shoot (so no accidentals)
- Manageable recoil that does not intimidate.

There are so many revolvers out there and so I'm just not sure of what caliber and setup would work the best for her.

Thank you in advance for your ideas.

Chris
 
Oh yeah, one more basic requirement: I don't want to break the bank. Something in the $200-300 range would be fine. Thanks again.
 
Have a ?

Im not trying to be mean about this but if you are wanting to buy a gun for your wife then you need to take her to the gun store and let her try the guns, by this i mean if its a semi-automatic make sure she can pull the slide back, can handle the weight...ect... My b/f just bought a PT92 Taurus and I cant pull the slide back on that thing....lol. Yet the new Taurus Millenium Pro is a great weight and I can pull the slide back on that one.....now revolvers you still need to have her handle them to get the right weight, make sure the grips feel right....and basically just feels right in her hand....there isnt any person on here that can tell you how a gun will feel to her....thats something only she can tell. Maybe take her to a range and let her try different guns to find the one she likes...Well thats just a woman's opinion, but what do i know....:)
 
There's a lot of good choices out there, but a pat answer would be a 2"-4" barrel S&W K frame loaded with decent SD .38 Spl +p ammo. 6 shots, not as heavy as my L frame 686 (which my wife finds too heavy), but heavy enough to soak up recoil which should minimize the intimidation factor. Nice and easy to use, nice trigger, and they are known for accuracy and reliability.

There are several models to choose from, check out the S&W K frame line here. Of course, there's a fly in the ointment: It seems that S&W are phasing them out -- and for the most part already have done so. Meaning, you are probably looking at buying used. But then again, you would be looking at a used one just based on the price constraint. Even then, you should be able to find a good used K frame in that price range.

jlyn6573:
Yes, you are right about having her along and having her do the try-out. I'm faced with the same thing right now -- the need to get a suitable SD firearm for my wife. I got her to try out the ones I have -- she can't rack the slide on my Bersa .380 because of her arthritis, the 686 is just too much gun -- too heavy, too big, she likes the 422 but unfortunately that is just a .22. I took her to the gun shop and got her to try out a selection of various guns -- and no autoloaders at all were acceptable to her. She did said that she really wants a revolver, though. So I'm looking at a K frame for her, just like I've suggested to chall8 -- not too small for recoil control, but not too large, either. Grips can be changed, so I'm not that worried about that.
 
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We bought my mom a S&W Model 10 with a 2 inch barrel. Short barrel to be able to carry in purse if need be, has 6 shots and his a K frame gun so as heavy enough to cut down on recoil.
I'd get a used M-10 from a gun shot with a 2 inch barrel. Give it a good looking over, see if she likes the feel of it.
 
Take your wife to the gun store. Even if you want to surprise her, take her to the store and tell her the suprise is she can pick out any gun with the stipulations you've given. She'll pick a good one. If she gets an autoloader, just make sure she can wrack the slide. Good luck and let us know what you end up getting!
 
If she is OK with a 9mm glock recoil, you might be able to get away with a heavier J Frame (steel no lightweight alloy). Use Standard pressure .38 rounds. Gee a J frame revolver for a woman...let me think??? How about a used lady smith?
 
jlyn: No question, the gun has to "fit" her, and she will absolutely be an integral part of the purchasing process. I was just looking for some ideas on models with which to start looking, and finding the best fit from there.

Funny you should mention the slide, because she did not really like that part either when shooting the Glock. Another reason I'm thinking revolver.

Thanks for taking the time to reply and for your ideas!
 
If it's for home defense purpose and she won't have to carry it, no doubt, get a 6" barrel, like a S&W model 14 . This will be much more controlable than a J frame, the 4" extra of barrel lenght will give an increasing + of velocity and then a bit more of expension for the loads she will shoot,the extra round in a home defense situation can be usefull and, of course, it's much easier to hit a target with a longer barel than with a short barrel.
My advice, a S&W model 14 6" barrel loaded with some 38 +p 158 grs Lead Semi Wadcuter Hollow Point, back it up with 3 Safariland Comp II speed loaders and a good flashlight, then she'll have a great home defense package. For training u can find some used inexpensive S&W model 17 with the same 6" barrel. The good things with the model 14 is that if she begin to enjoy shooting sports, the model 14 is very accurate.
 
My local gunshop has a .357 Taurus with 2" barrel for $296 and a really nice Rossi .38 special for $325.

personally, for your wife, I'd recommend a S&W 432.
 
I would definitely be looking at revolvers instead of autos based on the criteria you set; you're certainly right about that. For a home-defense situation, for an average female not heavily "into" the shooting sports, I'd go with either a J or K-frame .38 revolver with a four inch barrel. I'd also put some grips on it that the wife finds comfortable, assuming she doesn't like the ones that come on it (which is all too common). Obviously, the best choice would be a Smith and Wesson, but if you want to keep the price down to the $300 or so range, look to the Taurus. A Taurus 605 (which is actually a .357, but .38s work just fine) is a very good quality, steel, J-frame that would likely fit your lady's hand nicely. I suggest this one because it is a bit heavier than the average which means a bit less felt recoil. If you want something a bit larger, look at the Rossi line of revolvers. Here's a couple of places to begin your search:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/

http://www.taurususa.com/

http://www.rossiusa.com/
 
One thing to bear in mind about the snub nose....

It's harder for someone to grab it away from you. Not that ideally someone is going to get that close, but in a close up fight, it can make a difference not having that big "handle" sticking out in front!:eek:
 
Thank you for all the suggestions, I really appreciate it.

I was originally thinking a S&W Lady Smith or something along those lines, and from the suggestions it looks like I was on the right track. We'll go take a look at some of those other models and get one that fits the best.

Thanks again.
 
chall8 said:
I was originally thinking a S&W Lady Smith or something along those lines, and from the suggestions it looks like I was on the right track. We'll go take a look at some of those other models and get one that fits the best.
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I didn't think of that one, Chall, but it would certainly be an excellent choice. The Smith 36 is a classic revolver, all steel, +P rated and shoots like a dream. It also can be had with a barrel longer than 2" if you want. We males often forget about the 36 because it says "Lady Smith" instead of "Testosterone Source" on the frame. :D
 
She like the Glock 19, so go with it. If you feel she needs something 'deliberate' to shoot - then I recommend a unloaded black powder blunderbuss. :D
 
I bought one of the police trade-in S&W Model 10's with a 4" tapered barrel as a house gun for my wife, and she loves the thing. Cost was around $250. Also got her a crossdraw holster to go with, for carrying in the woods around our cabin upstate.
I'm constantly amazed at the accuracy of this little thing. At our cabin range we have a 14" gong hanging at about 85 yards, and you can get a surprising percentage of "clangs" with it from the bench.
 
In the price range listed, look at a good clean used S&W 586 or 686 with a 4 inch barrel. While the gun is a "357" use 38 (or better 38 +P) for her. The weight of the gun will really control the recoil of a 38, but is not so heavy as to tire her out when practicing. My wife can dot an i at 25 yards with her 586 (using 38 +P ammo) which builds the confidence to use it if necessary. BTW, you can ask the Copperhead that was trying to nail her puppy dog about using and hitting <L>.
 
Good revolver for my wife?

J frame or K frame Smith or equivalent, whichever fits her hand better, loaded with the max load that she can deal with. Ask yourself this, if you were Mr. Rapist, which .38 or .357 load would you not mind being shot with? Whatever she settles on will be better than screaming, begging, or trying to call 911.
 
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