Pick a .38spcl snubnose

[hoptob]

It sounds from your description that your wife is not an experienced shooter. Light snubs are considered among more difficult guns to shoot especially for a novice. Did she shoot any of the guns on your list? If she did not, you should take her to a range and let her try. I am thinking she'd warm up to heavier frames like K or L. If 4" bbl is too heavy for her, current production 686 is available with 2-1/2 and 3" barrels; GP100 -- with 3" bbl. There's also any number of very nice old revolvers that are much more suitable for home defense and a lot easier to shoot.

Mike

 

[jahwarrior]

why would you pick a small framed revovler for a home defense gun? those are for carrying, more than anything. if your wife needs a gun for the house, and she's recoil sensitive, then i'd get a 3" or 4" SP101, in .38 Special.

better yet, take her to the range, rent a bunch of guns, and have her pick one. 9 times out of 10, if you buy it for her, she won't like it.

 

[jglcolosprgs]

I want to buy one more snubnose revolver. It will spend its life as a house gun, never carried.

I have three choices:
Ruger LCR
Ruger SP101
S&W 637

Which would you choose and please explain your reason.

Thanks

The SP101 - of the ones you listed.

 

[Bellevance]

For a house gun, get a sturdy 4-inch K-frame, a Model 15 or a 19. My house gun is a 19-4 in the desk drawer. Snubs are designed for carry, not HD, and they're harder to shoot with accuracy. A heavier gun affords less recoil and faster follow-ups.

 

[Blue Brick]

Look at Speed Six.

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

I vote RUGER SP-101.

 

[ChristopherG]

A Smith & Wesson K frame like the model 10 (or 64 or a few others) can be got with a thin 4" barrel or with a 2.5" barrel. Grips can be got or modified to suit your wife's hand.

The weight that she doesn't like when just holding the gun will pay off when she actually shoots it. New shooters commonly (and understandably) think that a gun that points easily is going to be easier to shoot. It's not.

Also, the trigger mechanism of a K-frame is different from that of a smaller revolver--and the K frame can be made (through nothing more complex than shooting and dryfire) to be a smoother trigger pull than any J frame (or any Ruger) will ever be.

 

[NotSoFast]

Sp101. I just bought mine. It is rugged, relatively heavy and reasonably priced.

I would suggest, however, that you buy the .357 magnum 3 1/16" barrel version if you're buying new. You can still shoot .38 specials in it, but you can't shoot .357 magnum in the .38 special version.

Just sayin'.

 

[Guillermo]

While I agree that a 4 inch revolver is a superior house gun, remember that the first rule of a gunfight is to have a gun.

My elderly mother told me that she would not bother carrying a large heavy gun to investigate a noise in the house.

Understanding this I got her a lightweight snub. It rode around in a pocket, sometimes sat on the coffee table. Of course if she needed it the first shot had better count because she would have to go look for it before she shot again.

Ideal? Heck no. But at least it was more often on hand than if I would have gotten her what she could shoot well

 

[bannockburn]

From your list, I would opt for the SP-101.

From my own list, I would go with a S&W Model 10, 4" barrel, (or any K frame derivitive that you like); or a Ruger Service Six, 4" barrel, (or else a Security Six).

 

[BlayGlock]

House gun never carried eh? The SP101 would be choice because of it weight.