GF is considering a Taurus as her first gun (self-defense purposes)

[quickcanary]

Good idea? Bad idea?

She and I decided to take an NRA-endorsed gun safety class this past week. We finished the class this morning by going to the local police range and are now ready to purchase our first handguns. We've pretty much decided that she'll get a revolver and I'll get a semiauto.

One of the women at the range had a small Taurus .38 that my girlfriend really liked. It wasn't heavy at all, so I'm guessing it was one of their Ultralite models. The instructor said that a .38 revolver would be a perfect gun for someone just getting into firearms. He checked locally and said we should be able to get a Taurus .38 for $315-$365 depending on the store.

Thoughts, opinions, and suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[Sriracha]

For general advice, you might point out this excellent website to your girlfriend:
http://corneredcat.com/

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Remember, a short barrel revolver is harder to shoot than a 4" + barrel revolver. It will require practice but I feel she will be willing to put the required practice time in from what you say in your post.

Taurus makes a good produce though the trigger isn't as good as a S&W. I would suggest one of their "CIA" model .Snub Nose revolvers because the covered hammer won't snag. She might like the Spectrum Blue and Gold Titanium model they have http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=296&category=Revolver or one of the other CIA models they have available. http://www.taurususa.com/products/gunselector-results.cfm?series=CIA2 If she likes a Bodyguard type frame like I own then look at their Protector line. http://www.taurususa.com/products/gunselector-results.cfm?series=PR2 Make sure to look at the weight of each when you're on the site because the Steel and UltraLite models are all on the same page. They also cost a lot more, sometimes twice the price of the Stainless ones. The price you were told is for 20+ oz Stainless revolvers and the UltraLite revolvers are $600 and up. (probably a little less in the shops)

Welcome to shooting and welcome to the forum...

 

[quickcanary]

Thanks for your thoughts and for the welcome. She and I both plan on putting in a good amount of practice at the local gun club, and we were both visibly excited about this morning's trip to the range and each other's eagerness to get into the world of handguns. I have had some rifle experience but last Saturday was my first real experience with a pistol in years.

Here is my thread in the semiauto forum that gives a little bit more background on the subject than what I posted here.

Anyway I noticed that, like you said, when you're on the Taurus website and browse by frame size they list the SS and Ultralite models together. You mentioned the covered hammer and that's something I was going to mention in a later post. I saw those and presumed they would be a lot better for CC since they lack an exposed hammer that could get caught on something in a purse. Am I correct in assuming that all hammerless designs are SA?

Oh, and do you think she would be better off with a .38 or .357? Or is that purely a personal preference? Keep in mind the gun will be used at the range but will have the primary purpose of CC for self-defense and maybe put up at night in case the bad guys want to come a-knocking...

 

[Gustav]

No To A Taurus!

Hello and welcome
I would not go with a Taurus as I have seen more than a few go in for repairs better to spend a little more and have something that with proper care will last her lifetime even if it means going without cable TV or cutting back on eating out or driving less for a while save wherever you can and go for the best you can.
It has been my sad experience that when you buy cheap you end up having bought expensive because parts and sending something back for repairs at the minimum will cost time frustration and money.
In a worst case scenerio one can lose allot more if a firearm fails when being used for protection.
A Colt Cobra or Agent or Detective Special or any good new or used Smith & Wesson J frame will long outlast a Taurus.
She may also want to try out a .380 Browning BDA or Beretta 85 or Colt Mustang or Pocket Lite or any Kahr in stainless or polymer.
Many places rent handguns, see what she likes after trying out allot of different pistols.
Good luck

 

[quickcanary]

Thanks for your input, Gustav. I just did a bit of calling around and it looks like a S&W .38 will run roughly $100 more than a Taurus of the same caliber. One local shop has a S&W (Airweight?) which might be right up her alley. I forget the model # but a $100 difference isn't going to break the budget and we would both gladly pay more if it's truly a step up in quality. I will always pay more if I know the product is of higher quality and/or will last longer. We plan to keep these around for a while, so it appears we're on the right track by not wanting to skimp on quality.

 

[makanut]

No to Taurus, in most cases. If customer service is important to you, then definitely no. I've bought 6 Taurus revolvers over the past 2 years. 3 needed to be sent back to Taurus because of various malfs, including cylinder binding, light primer strikes, etc. I would strongly suggest no to Taurus. I recently bought an old Taurus 5 screw in .32 long that I checked out thoroughly, but generally I would not buy a Taurus.

 

[Soybomb]

Did she get to shoot the gun much? I've found most women absolutely hate snubs. The recoil is harsh, the trigger pull is hard, the recoil gets worse the lighter model you get, thhey're often not fun to practice with... The best thing to do is get her some range time with them and see if she can handle the double action trigger pull, can she shoot .357 out of a steel gun, out of an aluminum gun...maybe she'll want the wait of an aluminum framed gun but can only handle the recoil of .38spl out of it. Sadly there is no right answer, she'll have to find out what works for her.