Input On Revolver For Wife ---
- Thread starter Waveski
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If she ever had to sop a violent attacker once, I suspect that she would not.
Heck--Rex Applegate quit carrying a .38 S&W after five well aimed shots failed to stop an attacker. That experience led to the development of the Centennial.
My grandfather acquired a S&W Regulation Police in .32 S&W Long after six solid hits fired from it by a law officer almost failed to stop a violent felon.
Or not...
I said tell the person behind the counter that I'd be back in an hour to pay for it.
How that person responds to that would be the best way to deal with the situation.
Personally - if the person behind the counter didn't mention paying for range time &/or range ammo if the chance to try out the gun arose, I'd be very suspicious of the motives behind what they were trying to sell her.
There's plenty of time, after a selection is made & prior to the purchase - to "try out the gun" or discuss carry options or training or anything else.
I've been married to the same girl for 39 years - I let her make all her own decisions & not just with guns.
bdickens
Member
Barry the Bear
Member
Get her a glock 42 or 43 or the smith shield in 9mm, a snub nose revolver sucks for most people using one and yes I use one.
Actually, most women I know who have tried ot different guns under the guidance of an instructor have ended up buying semi-automatics.
I am not recommending a semi-auto. I am recommending trying several guns in the company of an instructor.
Exactly.
ThomasT
Member
This person shoots a lot of snubs in 38, 357, 32 long and 32mag, and 327 Federal. He has a little different test from the common ballistic gel. You can spend some time watching his test and he test several low recoil loads. Here is one of his videos and this will link you to more of his videos. Thay are worth watching if you are considering a snubby for your wife.
SteadyD
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As already mentioned by others:
Kimber K6s with crimson trace
Ruger LCR chambered in 327 but loaded with 32 H&R Magnum and a crimson trace
The Kimber has enough weight that at a minimum, wadcutters or the Hornady 90 grain critical defense should be manageable. Cost is a big factor here though.
The Ruger LCR with 32 Magnum is a lower recoil option that my wife really likes, and I do as well. The LCR is about 6 oz lighter and has a nice trigger as well, though not as nice as the K6s, in my opinion.
The LCR will be a lot cheaper, but ammo is limited and more expensive. The Kimber has better sights and trigger.
Kimber K6s with crimson trace
Ruger LCR chambered in 327 but loaded with 32 H&R Magnum and a crimson trace
The Kimber has enough weight that at a minimum, wadcutters or the Hornady 90 grain critical defense should be manageable. Cost is a big factor here though.
The Ruger LCR with 32 Magnum is a lower recoil option that my wife really likes, and I do as well. The LCR is about 6 oz lighter and has a nice trigger as well, though not as nice as the K6s, in my opinion.
The LCR will be a lot cheaper, but ammo is limited and more expensive. The Kimber has better sights and trigger.
ThomasT
Member
My uncle was a homicide detective and saw lots of people shot and killed. Knowing what he knew he gave his wife a S&W model 30 in 32 long for her personal gun. I never shot with her be he said she could drill the bullseye and the area around it consistently. I am sure the very low recoil helped. I have three 32 long revolvers and will say they are pleasant to shoot. Even with my hotter than factory loads I like to use.
WrongHanded
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I agree.
I also think the idea that a DA revolver has a "simplicity" advantage over such modern polymer striker guns, it just not true. If that kind of semi-auto is too complicated for a person, they shouldn't be driving a car, nevermind carrying a gun.
vintovka
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Our neighbor is a self sufficient 72 year old lady. She lives by herself and packs an early ruger lcr in .38 special on her beach dog walks. She hates it. Shes very thin and says the LCR cylinder sticks out to far and the hammer is incompatible with arthritis in her thumbs. I showed her my CC which is a RM380 which she immediate liked due to DAO, flatness and "natural point=ability" with finger grip mag, Never could afford a Rohrbach and all reasons i like mine and often forget its in my back pocket. Warned her that we think these have been discontinued, cannot really be slow cycled and the take down pin must be greased to stay put. All minor reasons for a back pocket lead squirter. If you can find one have wife try it.
SwampWolf
Member
Yes and yes. My wife does not have particularly weak hands but she can barely manage a da pull on either of the J-frame revolvers I (we) currently own. So we set off on a search for a revolver that she could easily pull the trigger of in da mode. After squeezing many triggers on many revolvers at several gun shops over a couple of months or so, two candidates emerged: the Kimber and the Colt Cobra/King Cobra. Both revolvers have great triggers but we opted for a King Cobra. What a sweet trigger pull!
Thomas Traddles
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The LCR .22, 22 mag have very stiff triggers. I would not recommend them. I owned the 22 mag for 2 months and sold it. I had purchased the 38 LCR at the same time. The trigger on the 38 was vastly superior.
SteadyD
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Good point. The LCR 22 triggers are nothing like the centerfire LCR triggers.
J-Bar
Member
Most of us have gone through several carry guns; it’s very unlikely that your wife’s first gun will stay with her the rest of her life. So hop on the bus and enjoy the ride. Buy her what she likes now, and be prepared to swap it out someday. There are worse things than shopping for a gun with your wife!
No, don't have her try it out first.
First step, get a bigger gun safe. Then:
Buy one that you really like then have her try it. If she doesn't like it then buy another that you really like. Repeat.
Tip, start with .44 mag, then 10 mm, etc and work your way down.
Eventually, with the law of averages she will like one.
First step, get a bigger gun safe. Then:
Buy one that you really like then have her try it. If she doesn't like it then buy another that you really like. Repeat.
Tip, start with .44 mag, then 10 mm, etc and work your way down.
Eventually, with the law of averages she will like one.
SwampWolf
Member
Why in the world would I trust a "behind the counter" clerk, in conjunction with my wife's "wants", to decide which gun is best for her? I know there's the old (and largely exaggerated) argument that the worst person to make a gun choice for a woman is her husband (making her conform to his ill-advised, prejudiced preference) but, while that may be true in some cases, it's not at all true for everyone. The uninitiated gun buyer, man or woman, may have no idea what their "wants" should be.
My guess is that many, if not most, THR members know more about what's best for their wife than the average Cabela salesperson behind the counter does-a person who might even benefit financially by pushing a certain brand or another onto a buyer. I think most of us here know enough about shooting and guns and enough about what's most appropriate for new shooters, to be a good firearms and shooting mentor. And if you're not sure about your abilities and good common sense, take her (or him) to be trained and coached by someone who does.
bikerdoc
Moderator In Memoriam
Gun for wife
Sounds like good trade to me.
I'll be here all week!
Don't forget to tip your servers!
Sounds like good trade to me.
I'll be here all week!
Don't forget to tip your servers!
Barry the Bear
Member
Sounds like the type of person the Smith EZ shield was made for. My mother have severe arthritis and could not reliably pull the trigger on her Taurus 905 anymore so my brother and I went in half on an ez sheild and she loves being able to load the mags and rack the slide.
Sistema1927
Member
I'm a firm believer that the ladies should pick out their own guns. That said, she might want to look at the 3" SP101 in .327 Fed magnum. If full house .327 loads are too much, she can step down to .32 magnum and still have a decent defensive revolver with 6 rounds.
skfullen
Member
You beat me to it!
It is--and I also like the gun
Monster Zero
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I would have her shoot a 3” sp101 with some .38’s as suggested above. Try before buy, unless you want to inherit her cast offs from the process
Yes, of course find a place you can rent and try.
That said, my wife is petite and... not a kid anymore, and she shoots an SP101 better than I do. She has a 3", I have a 2.25", and it doesn't matter to her she shoots them both well, although she doesn't like +p loads.
Alternatively, you might give one of the new Colts a try, word is people like them. Or Kimber... Or not...
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