Need a snubby revolver for my wife....

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

anheiserglock

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
98
Location
Pa.
Told her what her christmas present would be. Told her they come in a variety of colors. Also to her it's under 500 bucks. (I had to think quick). Now all I need to do is find it. Hoping the members can steer me in the right direction. Most likely a .38, used for home defense.

I'm a polymer guy so the revolver thing is new to me.

Thanks for your help
 
Well, what does your wife like? Will she want SA/DA or DA only? What kind of capacity would work best? heh, if she's anything like my wife she might like the "cute" breast cancer awareness colored grips.

As for a good starting point
26310.jpg


The S&W Lady Smith can be had for around 500 bones if you look. Very reliable revolver, slim enough to pack anywhere, shoots the potent enough .38, 5 round capacity, incredibly handsome.

My wife's revolver is her grandfather's old Model 36. Same thing, but nowhere nearly as nicely finished. Great firearm. Over 40 years old, and still butter smooth.
 
Does she shoot a lot or a little?

Target groups or bang?

Why limit to 38 when the 357 can do both.

The heavier the firearm less recoil. If it's gonna be a "home defense only" no need to go with an airweight or ultra lite.
 
Is that what she wants? Has she tried one out?

These are questions that need to be answered before you go further. Too many guts feel a snub revolver is perfect for their wife overlooking the fact that they are probably one of the hardest guns to shoot well for a variety of reasons (small grip, short sight radius, heavy recoil, etc).

If it's for home defense a 4" K frame size revolver would be a better idea.
 
If for carry+HD, may I suggest a 3 inch at the shortest, for the shootability, and I agree on the ultralights - I have one, and after 10 rounds, I am done. Or, even better, let her pick out the gun - I went through 4 revolvers with the wife and a few autos before she discovered what she likes best. Have fun!
 
they are probably one of the hardest guns to shoot well for a variety of reasons
Click to expand...

Ditto that. I've been practicing for ten years now and I would only consider myself a marginally adequate shooter with a snub wheelgun. How much experience does she have with firearms?
 
they are probably one of the hardest guns to shoot well for a variety of reasons
Click to expand...

Ah but at what range and what standard? Granted, on a police qualification range of 25 yards to 5 feet, they are a real pain, but we should be careful not to apply that standard (or something similar) to a different situation. The farthest distance inside my home my wife may need to shoot is 20 feet..., that's less than ten yards. The average distance my wife would need to shoot is 0 - 12 feet, so could not a snub nosed revolver do well under those conditions? I agree that a 3" barrel would be better than the shorter barrels, so why not an SP101 in 3"??

LD
 
Most likely a .38, used for home defense.
Click to expand...


What Griz said:
If it's for home defense a 4" K frame size revolver would be a better idea.
Click to expand...

I have one of each. I carry the snub in my pocket wherever I go. If she isn't going to carry it there is no reason to buy her a snub. If she is going to carry, the difference in shoot-ability between the steel (21 oz) and the lightweights (13-15 oz) is considerable. Heavier is better.
 
Has your wife shot snubbies in the past? My wife absolutely despises Airweights and such. I mean she won't shoot them because they have such a stout kick (for her, I kinda like the Airweight snap :D).

I think you should really consider a Ruger SP101. It's a considerably heavier gun and it's much easier to shoot, and you have the option of shooting .357's. My wife enjoys shooting this one, and IMO it's the most fun snubby out there. I can easily put 100-200 rounds of full power .357 through it in one trip to the range without having hand pain, and it's barely any larger than a J-frame S&W.

Snubbies are hard to get the hang of, so you don't want her to end up with a gun she doesn't like to shoot. Without practice, it's not hard to miss a BG entirely from a few yards away.

Do you have the ability to rent anywhere? I'd try to get her to rent a few and make sure she likes the whole snubby scene.

So anyhow, my advice is go with the SP101. It's an awesome gun, and it's much prettier than those little fugly Smith's. :p
 
The average distance my wife would need to shoot is 0 - 12 feet, so could not a snub nosed revolver do well under those conditions?
Click to expand...

Because you have to figure that real world self defense conditions are going to be dramatically more difficult than range conditions. A lot of folks trying to use short guns in these close encounters still manage to hit nothing but blue sky and sheetrock. Heart rate, stress, confusion and the fact that the other guy is trying to kill you all add to the difficulties. I'm not confident in my ability to hit a man size target at ten feet in a real scenario unless I'm able to hit a man size target at fifty yards on the range. Maybe not even then.

In contrast, even a newb can be trained on a simple bolt action rifle and be able to nail man-size targets at extended ranges. With a shotgun a newb can be blasting fast-moving clays out of the air after a few training sessions. The shoulder arms are just a lot more sensible.
 
First time to the range with her M36 and CT grip my wife shot several dozen rounds all CM at 21ft. That'll work just fine for in-house defense.

I didn't coach her, just gave her targets and ammo and showed her how to operate the target carriage. In fact, she had her own lane.

She wouldn't have listened to me anyway.:eek:
 
+`1 to what has been said. For home defense you cannot beat a 4" .38 revolver. I would consider a S&W Model 15 to be the perfect gun for your needs.
 
Also think revolvers often make a poor choice for females. So far I've found heavy revolver triggers and weak little hands don't mix well
 
True, but I don't have heavy actions on any of my revolvers.

And there are no stronger hands than a lioness protecting her cubs.
 
MAYBE, just MAYBE, you should let HER pick out the type of gun SHE likes. This is not jewelry, and she really needs to pick it out. Take her to some range that rents and let her try as many as possible - and don't be offended if she decides that she likes something different than what you think she should have...

just sayin'..............
 
Ah but at what range and what standard?

The average distance my wife would need to shoot is 0 - 12 feet, so could not a snub nosed revolver do well under those conditions?

First time to the range with her M36 and CT grip my wife shot several dozen rounds all CM at 21ft. That'll work just fine for in-house defense.


I'm not confident in my ability to hit a man size target at ten feet in a real scenario unless I'm able to hit a man size target at fifty yards on the range. Maybe not even then.

Thanks for illustrating that point Cosmoline. You see plenty of people post their targets of 12" "patterns" at 7yds on the range and think it's good enough not realizing when you're facing off with a bad guy who's trying to kill you is a totally different story. This is one reason I'm not a fan of laser sights. They have their place (limited) but to rely on them in a SD situation is fooling yourself AFAIC.
 
Also think revolvers often make a poor choice for females. So far I've found heavy revolver triggers and weak little hands don't mix well
Click to expand...
Don't forget racking the slide or remembering what switch and what button does what.

OH wait that a semi auto. Simple is better sometimes.
 
I am a woman, that I am sure:p so if you ask me, I'll tell you not to go out and buy me a gun. I want to choose the gun I am going to have, not be chosen for me. I like to feel it in my hands, see if it fits, how well I can hold it...if it is a present, then I will let you pay for it.

But then, what do I know? I chose my two guns, a Glock 23 which is my primary carry and a Bersa Thunder 380, my BUG. I am happy with both and I paid for them both. Christmas will be easy this year for dearest hubby to chose a gift for me. I want upgrades to my Glock.
 
Heavy revolver triggers and weak hands.......that's what the single action is for. Nothing wrong with cocking the hammer.

My wife has a flat latch Model 36 no dash made about 1960 I recently bought her. A much better gun than a new one in my opinion.
 
Does she like small revolvers?

The long, heavy trigger pull, crude sights and stout recoil really make them a poor choice for a beginner shooter. If she shoots all the time and likes the gun, great. J frames are nice...I don't care for the triggers but they go bang. Easy to conceal, etc.

However make sure it's what she actually wants and is able to shoot. Ability is the key here...a lot of experienced shooters have a hard enough time scoring hits with a snubbie. Put it in a new shooters hands and you're asking for trouble - and a wife that may not like shooting very much.

I'm not saying she shouldn't get a snub...just make sure it's the right choice. Keep in mind (IF she's a new shooter) that more enjoyable and easy to use gun will keep her interested and willing to shoot over a hard to use gun.
 
It's got to be light enough that she'll carry it. For self defense a J-frame would do nicely.

000_0126.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
Revolver for CCW for wife.
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
Kymasabe
K
T
  • Locked
Revolver for the wife
Replies
18
Views
739
langenc
L
S
  • Locked
Recommend revolver for my wife
2
Replies
44
Views
2K
Guillermo
G
B
  • Locked
Revolver for wife w/ disability
Replies
24
Views
770
Bezoar
B
W
  • Locked
BS Meter Went Off, Need Advice
2
Replies
41
Views
2K
Bear41mag
B
Back
Top