A revolver: where a bullet comes out everytime

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Deepsix

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A neighbor of mine, frightened by several unnerving incidents of late in our neighborhood, has decided to buy a handgun that both he and his wife can share as needed (she has felt threatened by loiterers near her car where she shops at night). I'm not competent to provide good advice, but I'd like to pass on what I learn here.

This neighbor is not an esthete. A gun to him will be like a hammer is to a carpenter. While he's casual about tools, he's fussy about dependability. He'll want a bullet to come out every time he pulls the trigger even if he doesn't lavish loving attention on his gun. He's prejudiced in favor of revolvers because he associates the word "jammed" with pistols. Cost and recoil will be important factors. Considerations such as trigger creep are irrelevant as long as the bullet comes out every time. His wife is no sissy, but she's not a large person — Dirty Harry's .44 would not be appropriate.

What should this guy be looking for?
 
Nods

For house duty? Ruger SP100 in 4"bbl. For CHL, and SP 101 in 3" bbl. Grin - maybe both - his and hers guns :D

But if you just want the basic tools for self-defense, nothing fancy, I bet its tough to go wrong with either (or both ) of those two.
 
Revolvers are one of the most reliable types of guns you could ever want. Load one and let it sit in your drawer for 10 years, and if you ever need it you know it will still shoot just fine.

I would recommend the Ruger GP100 in .357

He can shoot .38 special to get his aim up, then use .357 for defense.
 
+1 on the .357. If they can both handle .357's use them as house defense loads. If not, you can always go .38 +P.

4" is probably the best bet.
 
I also recommend Ruger SP loaded with .38 +P to start in 3" for carry. The Ruger brand will eliminate any question of reliability and it's affordable. Since your friend is "fussy" then this will also fit the bill in that Ruger has been called "an engineer's gun" in terms of quality, as differentiated from S&W. In addition, since there is a woman involved the grip is one of the most female friendly in the revolver world for .357. Ordinarily I would recommend a budget brand to a newbie but the minor problems inherent in those that we complain about on these boards (like Rossi or Taurus) are not something a newbie can overcome as easily as an experienced handler. best of luck
 
A big bargain is still to be found in police surplus Model 10/15 S&W's. They are safe, solid and reliable and most have been fired very little.

I saw several in excellent condition at a recent gun show for $229.

Jim
 
The first thing they should do is get some training in how to properly and effectively use a handgun. Even if he views it as "just a tool" he need how to correctly use that tool.

Who knows, after he takes a class, maybe he'll have a better idea what gun meets his needs and he can decide better for himself.

I recommend the NRA Basic Pistol class as a good intro to handguns. Give him the link to the NRA page at www.nra.org and tell him to look for "Training opportunities."
 
When I showed my neighbor our board haul, he was staggered by the number of responses and the quality of advice we received. Not one to dither, he made up his mind quickly. RobertCohn's observations about the Ruger, especially about it being "female friendly," was the deal maker. Further, when he learned the Ruger was stainless and pretty much immune to rust, he began to salivate.

Frankly, I salivated too when I read Jim Keenan's remark about seeing several surplus S&Ws for $229 at a gun show. I live in central coastal Florida and don't think there's any kind of a Smith around here for less than $350, but I'm inspired now to check gun shows. I was astonished to learn there's one scheduled in the next town in three weeks. Who knows, I may come across a surplus Smiths too.

Now, there are two of us chomping at the bit here in FL — we might both be lucky in a few weeks.
 
Deepsix -- Before you shop gunshows, read the sticky above entitled: Revolver checkout: how to tell if a particular specimen is any good. Good stuff there. As for the weapon, a police turn-in S&W revolver with 4" barrel shines for me, especially if it is stainless. For self/home defense, I'd load it with the so-called FBI load, offered by all the major manufacturers: +p .38sp lead semiwadcutter hollow point (check www.brassfetcher.com on what this load does in ballistic jelatin; very impressive). Howerver, I would practice with something less stout, and much less expensive. My .38sp range ammo is the std pressure 148gr Wadcutter from www.mastercast.net -- an outstanding reloading service. Prompt, reliable and inexpensive. Especially inexpensive if you send them your spent brass in exchange (same number and type). I send them a thousand cases by USPS Priority Mail for nine bucks and change. Any other way I know of costs more than twenty dollars.

Cordially, Jack
 
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At least consider a Taurus Revolver.

I own a Taurus model 608 .357 mag. Large frame. Would be O.K. for the Husband, but too heavy for the wife. The Taurus model 605 might be a better choice size wise for carry and weight wise for the wife. Fourteen year old grandson shot some 38 specials out of mine and also a round of .357 Mag (158 gr)with no problem. Happy with mine.
 

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a used smith and wesson model 64.. 350.00 and couldnt ask for much more than that in a beginner SD gun...or a long time gun owner for that matter.
 
When I said "female friendly" I meant in the weight, balance and ergonomics of the frame which many females find "friendly" to "point and shoot" over revolvers with bulkier displacements...the recoil from a .357 is something your female will have to decide for themselves. That's why many here are recommending he/she start with the .38 spcl. +P ammo for practice, a lighter load you can use in the .357 as well but with more power than a .38 spcl.

When you practice, use the .38 or .38+P; but for home defense, load the .357 or the +P (for your friends I would choose .357 for home defense until they are comfortable and fearless with .38 or +P aiming abilities). I have my .357 loaded only with +P hollow points in the night table, but I am military trained and confident with that lighter load; however, when carrying outside or traveling with my family on vacation, I do carry .357's, which are universally acknowledged to be the number one thunder-striking shock round that will likely put an end to hostilities no matter where the assailant is hit.

Truth be told you will not care about muzzle flash or noise of a .357 when correctional center escapees choose your home to visit one night. FWIW I've even read reports where the human fight response registers such an increase in adrenaline that it actually protects the ear drums and people don't even know they just fired a .357, much less record any physical damage.
 
If you buy the 357 just remember that the muzzle flash and crack a 357 can produce can both take your hearing from you to some amount and the flash out of a short barrel can blind at night both the bad guy and the shooter, + recoil can be fairly stout. Shoot the 38 special rounds and some of those are much better out of a short barreled gun and they do make a better shooter than bang'n away with 357.
 
considerations

With agreement about the Ruger SP-101, I would like to add the S&W
model 21 in 44 special.

Alright; larger frame and the "Lawyer lock," but without the flash bang of the magnums and as the reports go, "moderately" more effective than the ubiquitous 38 special. I think so too.

I don't think her female hand will have any trouble taking a grip or reaching the trigger on the mdl 21. Refer to topic posts here on THR.
 
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