[liammtierney]

I just started a new work schedule where i am gone for 48hrs at a time on a regular basis and my wife expressed an interest in getting a gun for herself. The only handgun i have is a .45 and i fell like that will be too much for her to start with. She's only shot .22 before and am thinking of getting her a 38special. what has been tough is finding one that she likes, aesthetically. i know, i know...its a weapon for self defense, but she wants it to look a certain way...we are all guilty of it. She wants stainless, with 3" barrel, grips dont matter because of ease to change. we are on a budget as well. can this be attained for around $300? all the S&W and rugers ive looked at are out of our price range. ive never owned a revolver, so point me in the right direction.

any sort of generalized help or comments would be appreciated. thank you.

[RidgwayCO]

My 21-year-old daughter asked me to suggest some revolvers for her. The 7-shot S&W M351PD ended up being what she wanted. It weighs about 13 oz loaded. Seven rounds of .22 Magnum isn't anything to sneeze at, and she likes the way it looks (fiber-optic front sight, black metal, and rosewood grips).

If your wife insists on stainless, a used 3" M64 .38 Special might be to her liking. Police trade-ins would probably be around your price point.

[Duble Naught Spy]

Its not stainless but for $259 you can get a Rossi .38 snub plus P capable at Academy. My 9yr old daughter shoots it and loves it due to the big rubber grips.

The 3" model goes for $249.

Mike

[rd2007]

what is your price ranger? her description of what she wants is the Ruger SP101. Get it in .357 Magnum and it is a .357, .38, and .38+P. Think of it as three guns for around $450. I've read bad reviews of the Taurus revolvers and the same goes for a lot of the other more affordable revolvers. I doubt a Ruger revolver is ever going to break.
it needs the Hogue Monogrip, though

[DJinCO]

Or a Ruger.

Whatever you do LET HER PICK IT OUT!!!!

What you think will work may not fit her hand "just right".

I am a S&W revolver NUT and my wife picked a Ruger GP100 because it fit her hand and the trigger was comfortable.

Go figure!

[Oro]

I believe J&G Sales has some c.o./security guard turn-in DAO 64's for as low as $190 or so - you could get one home for less than $300 easily. They are 4" but unless she's going to conceal carry, that won't matter very much.

Yep, here they are:

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/smith-wesson/revolver/cPath/16_211_431

[frankiestoys]

My first choice would be a sp 101 38/357 I love mine
But with your budget ,these are avalible in 4 inch
a Rossi 851 or maybe a Charter Arms police 38

[woad_yurt]

If you could swing her over to a 4" barrel, there are always Models 64 and 67, which are easy shooting and very affordable. They sell for $300 on Gunbroker often. Or, like Oro said above, there are DAO-only 64s at J&G, which seem to be a very good deal.

Would she accept just one more inch?

[BlayGlock]

My wife is a small lady and she carries and shoots this:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=77468&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y

She had to have the pink grips. She had a Taurus 605 before that, and its a great gun for a lady as well. You can get new Taurus for about your price range. While Taurus sometimes has spotty quality, just look it over real good before you buy. There is a great sticky in the revolver thread about how to check out a revolver. I personally have had 5 taurus revolvers and never a problem.

www.budsgunshop.com has great prices, anda great to deal with. The price you see includes shipping to a local dealer and they usually charge around $25 or so for a transfer.

[Trebor]

Have her read www.cornerecat.com for more info on defensive firearms for Women.

[chuckusaret]

I just bought my wife a Ruger LCR-LG .38. It is a five shot, a 1.8" barrel, black and weighs 13 oz. If your wife is not an experienced shooter I would have her shoot the type guns she thinks she would like. Most indoor gun ranges rent guns for $5.00 or so. My wife fired 10 rounds thru her new LCR and hates it, recoil bothers her too much.

[liammtierney]

Thank you all so much. All this info will be taken in and I'll let you know what the final decision is with in a month or so. Thank you.

Liam

[sheephearder]

The best advice that you received is to let her pick the gun. I made the mistake of getting a gun for mine ( it did not work ). What you like or think will work best probably will not suit her. Take her some where that she can handle and shoot a number of different guns and calibers. :D

[OldMac]

Let her shoot several. She will let you know the right one. The ones I picked for my wife, she didn't like. She ended up liking my mil-surp Tokarev and settling on an ugly Glock. Accurate and comfortable with both so that settled it.

[goon]

I like the SP-101. I'd suggest one in .357 - you can always step it down to a .38 Special +P but you can't step a .38 up.
They are all stainless and come with 3" barrels. Many women have shot mine with Hogue monogrips on it and they've found it more comfortable than full sized automatics.

Agree on letting her pick it.
Simple logic... you pick the guns you want, I pick the guns I want, so why shouldn't women pick the guns they want?

[Wolfeye]

No offense, but did your wife explicitly state interest in a gun for protection, or is it just coincidence that she's asking the same time that you get a new work schedule? Not long ago my wife & I went camping and I took my .357 magnum for protection. She said having me armed made her feel safer at night. Around the same time she mentioned she'd like to get a revolver for herself, and I assumed it would be for camping or protection. It turns out she just wanted it for plinking, and that opened up a much, much wider variety of choices for her. It turns out she has a thing for single-actions.

As the others have said, let her choose. Revolvers may be easiest to use, but she might end up preferring autos. Heck, I'd even show her derringers; that's what my mom had. My wife took a beginner's class on handguns and was exposed to quite a few models, some of which she liked and some she hated. Your wife might benefit from the same thing.

All that said, I'd recommend a medium-framed .357 magnum like a Ruger GP100 or S&W 686+. They're popular guns, so finding used ones in good shape isn't hard. I'd stay away from smaller guns such as the SP101 or j-frames - they kick harder and are more difficult to eject/reload. You can usually find small grips for medium revolvers if your wife has small hands. Load the gun up with mild .38 specials until she gets proficient in shooting, then introduce her to .38+p defensive loads.

[searcher451]

+1 on letting her select the gun in question. In fact, the least qualified person on the panet to make that call for her is you, despite your best intentions. Take her to a range that rents guns, bring along as many potential candidates as you can get your hands on, and even invite your friends to bring their guns along. Bring plenty of ammo as well. Then stand back and let her test-drive as many as she likes until she finds the one that best fits her hand and eye.

[Guillermo]

Please offer more info.

Is this for home protection or will she be carrying it?

Do you live in a city or rural area?

House or apartment?

How large and or strong is she?

Obviously a heavier gun is going to have less recoil but be more difficult to carry. A slight person might have more issues with the weight that the recoil. In a rural area more "reach" might be advisable. Over penetration in an apartment situation might be a consideration.

All this said, a 4 inch 357 revolver like a Colt, Ruger or OLDER Smith can be very versatile as can the SP101.