357 magnum for my wife

Bigcim, I load my 357 Mag with good 38+P for HD to avoid magnum flash and blast should I have to use it indoors. The other nice thing on a revolver is that you can change the grips to fit almost any hand. Another good thing is that with a S&W you don't have to get a LadySmith, there are tons of gunsmiths who can slick up the action on any S&W. If its going to be her gun why not take her to the shop to pick the one she likes, and she can try some different grip options before she takes it home. I have smallish hands and the Hogue Monogrips work for me so thats an idea; I'm sure others will have more grip ideas for you.

My wife has a 3" m 64-3 with Hogue bantam grips that she really likes for homework and range time. It also fits great in a glovebox. It's loaded with CCI Gold dots SB.
A 3 or 4" K frame in .38 or .357 should serve her well.

I would go together to a gun shop and pick out what she likes.

If she is going to shoot 357's, I would suggest a larger framed revolver over the small easily concealable ones. Medium sized gun show approach is also a good one for selecting a revolver.

My wife came with a Berreta .25 ACP, which she gave back to her dad after I bought he what she 'wanted'. After shooting a number of rental guns at an indoor range, she decided on a CZ-75B in 9mm. Many thousands of rounds later, she decided a revolver, like I had, was in order. I made her a 65LS by adding some wood stocks to a police trade-in 3" 65. Loaded with .38 +P 158gr LHPSWC, it was a great 'stopper' - and appropriate for indoor use, when needed. She wasn't as fond of it as other revolvers. I had a new 2" +P rated 10 - same load - she said okay, although she was still not as fond of it, although she liked it better than the 65. She couldn't duplicate the pinpoint accuracy she enjoyed with that CZ-75.

Everything changed a year or so back, she picked up my 5.5" SS .45 Colt Redhawk and shot it... and proclaimed it HER house gun. I loaded some 250gr GDHP's at ~850 fps from it - similar recoil/POI as the 255gr 850 fps plinkers she liked. It should do quite well as a bad guy greetor in our home. My side has my 2.5" .44 Special 5-shot, an Airweight 296. Her side has a real hogleg! The key is to give her a choice, just steer her clear of high speed Magnum rounds. Remember, you don't want to start a fire in your home - or kill a neighbor... watch the collateral damage capability.

Stainz

I was headed to the gunstore with my wife, to let her pick out a gun about 2 years ago. She saw a 2" Ruger SP-101 and fell in love with its size and the way it fit her hand so well. She did not know I had one at home already, so I ushered her out the door as quickly as I could. Boy I really got the third degree about buying guns for myself then refusing to do the same for her. This went on until we got home and I handed mine to her. She immediately apoligized and asked "How did you know what I wanted, you are so intuitave sweetie " and walked away with her new gun..... . I have never seen her so happy about something so simple. She truly loves it andshoots .38 specials in it all the time. I keep it loaded at home with .357mag, 145gr. Winchester Silvertips. I was so distraught about loosing my gun to her I had to buy another..but this one has a 3" barrel..

All's well that ends well!!!!

I tried to get a .357 for my wife once.

But..... as soon as the guy met her he said, "Naw, she talks too damn much", and the deal was off.

Darn. I really wanted that gun.

I have an interesting situation with my wife and guns. She knows she needs to know how to use them, but she is very resistant to carrying one, especially since her employer is one of those "wise ones" who think if they ban weapons on site no one will ever shoot anyone else at work. :banghead:

I have two S&W .357 magnums. One is a 386 PD Airlite, a seven shot high tech revolver. It weighs 17 oz unloaded, and while it is a joy to carry, it is not a lot of fun to shoot. It is not so bad with regular .38s. At least, I don't think so. All the women (wife and daughters) have fired it with .357 rounds so that they know they can if they would need to do so.

The second one is a Model 28 Highway Patrolman. She likes shooting that one because it is a monster and absorbs a lot more recoil than the other. I replaced the original grip with a Houge and it fits her hand a lot better. It is the one that stays home where any of the women can get to it in a hurry if they need it. Now if I could just get her to carry one...

If you're planning on having her shoot full-fledged .357, stick with a larger frame--L or larger--with at the least, a 6"--and a Hogue grip is probably a must. A friend of mine shot my new 4" 620 with .357 (Hogue grips, too, mind you), and said that "they hurt"--while I was DA'ing them no problemo. She loved .38, though.....and now just one-upped me and bought herself a Dan Wesson . Ah well, it's always fun to introduce someone to wheelguns.

But, stay away from the lighter-frame/small grip combo. Bad idea for the hotter loads.

I don't know too many women that thoroughly enjoy shooting .357 Mag loads. If that's what you're going to buy her, a large frame would definately be best. I think the Lady Smith in .38Sp would be a great gun.

This K frame model 66 was mine until she claimed it. Too big for carry (although it would probably fit in some of those monster purses women carry) but works fine as house defence gun. She shoots mostly .38s but also likes to shoot the Win white box 110grs most because of little recoil at the range. She can handle the heavier bullet loads but tires after 30 rds or so. At home it's loaded with either those .357 110 JHPs or +P .38 LSWCHPs.

these are the wife's



this is my mothers..


I know that you were asking for revolvers, not autos, but this is what they carry or shoot. My wife is insanely accurate with that 22, it's kinda frightening...

if anybody has pics of thier wives guns i will show her to get an idea of what she likes

Click to expand...

Pictures won't help. She needs to actually have the gun in her hand to know if she really likes it or not. Something can look really nice in a picture but be a terrible fit for her. My S/O absolutely adores the 2-tone CZ-75, but it is just too large for her small hands. The CZ-83 fits her perfectly so I will hardchrome the frame so she will have the 2-tone that she likes so much.

For a small frame .38/.357 revolver I recommend the Ruger SP101. It is bigger and heavier, but the weight and larger cushioned grip make it easier to actually shoot. There are several .357 loads that are relatively mild to shoot (e.g., Winchester "White Box" 110-grain, Federal "Personal Defense" 130-grain Hydra-Shok) but have more power than the .38 Spl., or simply use one of the myriad of .38 Spl. loads. It comes with 2 1/4" (the most common) or 3 1/16" barrels.

SP101 DAO

After much trial and error...Me pushing a nice J frame Smith, My wife settled on a Walther PP in .32. She is very accurate with it. Its loaded with ball for reliability and penetration. Would it be my first choice in a home defense gun? No. Does she feel confident with it, safe double action trigger pull, reliable? Yes.

Getting hit with a handful of .32's has got to be more disconcerting than being missed with anything else.....

Let her play with a bunch of different guns. If she's into it and decides she wants one, let her decide.

Without a doubt, the single most effective, yet easy to shoot, revolver for home use is a recent (+P rated) S&W Model 10. You can still buy decent police trade-in examples from $200 up at pawn shops and gun stores, while new ones will run you $440 or so. Recent examples will have a round butt gripframe, permitting a wide variation in grips, from boots to target-style. A call to S&W will determine it's suitability for a lfe of +P's, but even one not so rated will be fine with a few loaded for emergency. My 2" 10 has Remington's R38S12 +P 158gr LHPSWC's loaded. My wife can hit rebounding small metal plates at 12-15yd quite regularly with my mild .38 reloads. A few of those +P's, or even the newer Speer 135gr GD's, won't deter her, either. A home is not the best place for wide-open .357 Magnums - the possible collateral damage to both your ears and perhaps your neighbor's life is a real concern.

Stainz

Here's a few pictures of my wife and her 4" Ruger GP 100.

#1 Rule of picking a gun for your wife:

Let her decide.

Rule #2? See Rule #1.

If you think that's silly, let her pick your next pair of shoes for you, without knowing your shoe size.

Mike

Do you mean "designed for" or "marketed to"? They're different.

Really, I can't see how a woman is any different from an equivalently sized man in regards to hand shape, etc. The idea that you "need" a certain gun to work for a woman is not valid, IMO.

I'd do this...go with her to the gun shop/range and have her rent some guns. The one she likes best was designed for her.

Mike

3" barrel, stainless steel, 357 mag. J frame S&W or Ruger SP-101.

Go for the Lady Smith. +P rnds have plenty of punch with-out punishment. Lite enough for her to carry, if that's what's needed. And it's marked(marketed) for her speciffically. This means that you were only thinking of her in this decission. Lots of times, us guys, like to buy a magnum "for her to use", that we don't mind having ourselves. That shows thru like Double D's in a wet t-shirt contest. Get something that's for her only and shows it. Then get something that matches, for you, so you can practice together.
kid

She should look at the S&W model 65 Ladysmith. It has a 3" barrel and an extremely smooth trigger.