.22LR Snub Nose Revolver

The only thing that fits that description that I know of is the Taurus Model 94.
A Charter Arms Pathfinder would serve but it is only a sixshooter.

I won't go into what she needs instead of what she wants, you will get enough of that sort of advice here soon enough.

H&R/NEF used to make a little 9 shooter. I have one with a 2 1/2 inch barrel,..a model 929. You may find one on line in a serviceable condition, but it would cost almost as much as getting a Charter Arms new. Instead of .22 LR,..how about a 32 H&R or maybe a .38 Special with wadcutters. Pretty soft shooters,..but miles more effective than a .22

Now having said that,..I carried the little H&R for a lot of years. 9 CCI Mini mag solids in the face sure beats harsh words and sharp sticks.

+1 on the NEF .22. I have a 4" that is tough as nails. I have put 5-6000 rounds through in the last few years and all that has happened is the trigger smoothed out

NEF also made a .32 mag version. It would be a very manageable shooter since a revolver is ~28oz.

Here is a link to the .32 mag NEF on GB for $150
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=195150526

And a link for a .22 for buy now price of $175
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=195123541

How about the rest of the family kicking in some to the kitty, and buy her a Smith and Wesson 4 inch 617 with the 10 shot cylinder?

The 4 inch barrel gives it nice balance without the excess weight, and with 10 rounds on tap with a nice smooth double action, she can make life a bit nasty for an intruder.

She's family, ain't she worth it?

The NEF , H&R and Iver Johnson little .22's are rugged , serviceable and cheap..

I picked up this 8 shot .22lr Iver Johnson for around $100 this past winter. This one has seen thousands of rounds and doing just fine.

Bought the little H&R I have new in 1973 for 40 bucks in a high priced LGS near Baltimore. So many rounds through it since then I can't even begin to count. It's all steel. had to replace the grips a couple times from my own abuse of it. I have actually had it ran over by a truck,..really,....and it was dropped in a lake once while fishing,..and in more than one stream over the years running raccoon. It has always been a great little shooter, and still shoots as good as it did the day I bought it. Filled many a camp cook pot with it over the years. Still get's used for plinking when the kids are around.

Id take a look at Taurus if money is an issue.
make sure she can pull the trigger, some revolvers can be super stiff.
at any rate, load 'er up with some CCI Velocitors or Aguila Interceptors!

The S&W 317 is an alloy J-frame. It's very light, one of the lightest S&W makes, holds 8 shots (IIRC) but is not inexpensive (like any Smith). Based on what you've posted about your Aunt, I think she would be much happier with the 317 over the 617. The 617 is a fine gun, but it’s one of the heaviest revolvers S&W makes. Heavier than a .357 or .44 Mag, in the same barrel length (due to it's an all steel gun, has a tiny .22 bore, and the profile of the full lug all steel barrel).

love my 317's. so lite and accuracy is good.
no lock versions are about 450-500 on gunbroker.
3'' version would be better if she's going with a .22

i like the looks of those nef's...mite have to pick one up.

but she is bent on a .22LR.

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Would she consider a revolver chambered in .22 Magnum? I bought my recoil-shy daughter a Taurus Model 941, eight-shot revolver, chambered in this cartridge and she shoots it well. True, the ammunition is more expensive but she doesn't shoot that much, making the higher cost a relative non-issue. The added muzzle blast hasn't been a factor for her either. Finally, though the argument has been correctly made that .22 Magnums don't offer nearly the advantage in pistols over the .22 LR that they do in rifles, the fact remains that the .22 Magnum is more "potent" than the .22 LR, even when fired in a revolver.
When shooting a handgun in a self-defense situation in a caliber already compromised by its smaller size and capacity, even a little bit of extra "oomph" might make all the difference in winning the day. Just another option you (she) may want to consider and take into account.

2" S&W model 34-1

Only 6 rounds of .22LR, and kind'a pricey when found NIB; but what a great
firearm~! I found an individual with one that was a solid 98 per center, but
without box or doc's for $350 OTD. Its a factory nickel model, with target
sights and a square butt [really hard too find, as most are round butts]. It
joins several other snubbies in my collection as a "SAFE QUEEN"~!

Look for a used Hi Standard Sentinel on the auction sites.

The High Standard Sentinel is what I recommend also. You should be able to pick one up for less than $200.
I shot one and had a chance to buy it in about 1973 for $40 and passed. $40 was a lot of money to a college student back then. Shoulda bought it. It shot well.
I've got one with a 5" barrel but just not the same.

You can read about it and see pictures here.


http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Sentinel/sentinel.html

Since this is what your aunt wants, this would be a good gun to have.

And if you have to sneak a little financial help...well what are nephews for?



http://www.gunsamerica.com/95781288...h_9_Shot_Blue_Steel_S_W_34_Descendant_NIB.htm

I had a Taurus 94 snubby a few years ago, but traded it in because the trigger pull was so stiff. I tried replacing the springs, which lightened up the trigger, but then every 3rd or 4th round would not ignite.

You're turning your Aunt into a Gun Nut! Congratulations.

The Don said:

My Aunt is looking for an inexpensive .22LR Revolver with a round capacity of 9 in a snub nose. She is in her mid sixties and on Social Security and don’t have a lot of extra money to work with. There has been influx of B&Es and assaults in her town and she wants something she can carry. Any ideas welcome!

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See if you can talk her into moving up to a 22 Mag. Nearly the same recoil as the 22lr, but a lot nastier "bite" on the business end. A lot more "bark" too!

Good to hear that not only is she trying something more than a .22, but she's also practicing. Keep up the good work!

.38Spl wadcutter target ammo has a bit more kick than a .22 but not nearly the audio bark of a .22WMR. It's a very soft sort of push when shot from even a light model 10. Perhaps get her out to a range and try some out along with the .22 guns. Besides, if she's going to carry or have one she is sort of honor bound to practice enough to get decent at hitting what she is aiming for. Otherwise just giving her a gun with no practice is pretty risky.

The HP22A is a dandy shooter, but keep in mind it is a single-action gun. If she uses it for defense, she will need to train extensively to either keep it cocked-and-locked (and be able to remember to disengage the safety when needed-there are two of them) or carry it hammer-down on a live round (caution when lowering it!) and remember to thumb-cock it when needed.

If she is in her 60's I would skip the Taurus. I am not a Taurus basher, my model 94 was accurate, reliable, and I was happy with the build quality.

What sucks is the trigger is ridiculously heavy on that model. Usually when I went to the range and shot DA I would wear my finger out long before I wanted to go home. It is a very real possibility that she might have trouble with it being so hard to pull.

You can lighten the trigger by changing out the springs, but then it won't reliably fire. I am not sure if the tracker model suffers the same issue so you might look at it.

If you cannot find a used revolver in your price range, you could always try a Beretta 950 jetfire or bobcat. Its a semi auto with a tip up barrel so she wouldn't have to rack the slide. They can also be had for under 200.