38Spl as a HD Weapon?

[Lawdawg45]

Funny you should start this topic. I just bought a used S&W model 10 4 inch for my wife. The K frame is a great home defense weapon with the heavier frame and 6 shot capability. Your option of the Ruger is a good choice also, ditch the Rossi though.

LD

 

[dp509]

Use factory ammo for self defense.

Use what your local pd or the FBI has used.

Nothing weird.

If you get a agressive DA he will use the reloads against you.

 

[jawn]

I just bought a 4" S&W Model 64-3 for this exact reason. Well, that and it was 200 bucks.

 

[roaddog28]

As others have mentioned a model 10 38 special 4 inch heavy barrel is a great choice as well as the model 64. But I also agree your wife needs to try one before making a decision. Just about any range I have ever been at will have a model 10 that you can rent and then let her try it. I have a model 10 4 inch heavy barrel that is my home defense weapon. I load it with Buffalos Bores LSWCHP 158 gr 38 +P. The Remington round is also a good one. This is the famous "FBI" that has a good record on the "street" and with law enforcement.
Good luck,

 

[Sulaco]

Yeah I appreciate all of the useful info and the opinions, but really, my wife may not be a shooter in the sense that she lives and breathes firearms the way we do, but she knows which end goes boom. I am confident that if she decided to, she could use it to defend herself. Otherwise I wouldn't waste my time and money.

Seems like lots of people have the same idea as me! Good to see!

 

[bsms]

Went shooting with my oldest daughter & son-in-law today. My oldest daughter likes shooting 22s. She tried my Model 60LS with Pachmayr Compact rubber grip (357 & 38), and my son-in-law's SP101 & 686+ (38 ammo).

Her shooting was OK with any combo. However, she didn't like the 60LS even with regular 38 ammo - more kick than she wanted. The SP101 felt good for recoil, but she didn't like the weight of the trigger pull. She enjoyed shooting the 686+ (3") with 38 or 38+P, and was surprised at how much the weight reduced the recoil.

She now is trying to decide if she is willing to carry the weight of the 686+ (37 oz) or not. If not, she'll carry a 22. The 38+P is obviously way better than .22 as a defensive round, but I don't believe in carrying any gun you aren't willing to first go shoot 200+ times. And since she enjoys shooting 22s out of a semiauto, that may end up being her decision. From my perspective, 10 rounds of 22 that you KNOW how to shoot are better than her having my 6-shot 44 mag Ruger Alaskan. The only time I pulled a gun, it was a 22 revolver, and the other guys didn't laugh at it for being a 22. I left without firing a shot, and joined the ranks that day of those who had deterred a crime without actually shooting anyone.

I'll add that my carry gun is a 686+, 3" barrel using .357 ammo. It is the biggest gun I'm willing to carry, and it is very comfortable for me to shoot with 357. It is the kind of gun that makes my wife shake her head at the cost of ammo...because that is what limits how much I shoot it!