Newbie question about gun choice

A .357 magnum revolver is fine if you ever plan on shooting .357magnums. If not then a .38sp revolver will be lighter and may balance a little better in your hands.
Consider adjustable sights as they allow you to change the sight settings as you use different power levels of the cartridge. Also they are bigger and easier to see which helps out a new shooter.
If you get something like a S&W M15, a blued 4 inch .38sp K-frame, then you can also get the matching M18 which is a blued 4 inch .22lr K-frame and not have to learn anything by switching back and forth shooting them.
 
Standard pressure .38 specials are by no means hard recoiling and are about perfect for a beginner. +p .38 Specials are viable as a defensive round.

I'll stand witht he others who recommend you look around before buying. A 4" revolver in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum (you can shoot .38s from a .357) would probably be the best idea. Think used S&W or Ruger (Security Six's, from Ruger, go for about $200 around here, and are smaller and lighter than the GP-100, but still handle .357s. If you chose to stick with .38s, a .357 gun may be overkill, but probably would never wear out).

Another important thing is buy a gun that FEELS right to you. Make sure it fits your hands, that has a lot to do with how comfortable it will be to shoot.
 
.38 is a great learning caliber.

Not that my handle would indicate ANY sort of favortism :rolleyes:

My first handgun was a .38 M&P. Shoot it once a week about 100 rds at a time. Federal makes some great wadcutters that have a middling light bullet and not too bad a price. About $8 a box round here. As for the recoil, it will be nothing unmanageble. If you take your time, focus on what you're doing, and be safe, it will be a pleasure for you to shoot. Try starting in single action, cocking the hammer between rounds, to learn the basics. It might help to have someone with some experience around to help.
As far as the price, it seems a bit much. my M&P was $160, and I haven't seen many go over the $200 mark. Most important of all, handle it and fire it before buying. Don't purchase it if you're not comfortable with it.
 
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