SAA for Home Defense

[il.bill]

My wife has strength and dexterity issues with her hands (it can be tough to age, but I guess it beats the alternative). After a considerable amount of thought and experimentation, we have settled on using a .357 Magnum Single Action Army Revolver as the primary Home Defense handgun. It is currently kept in the center drawer of our bed's headboard, loaded with five rounds of .38 spl. hollow point, leaving the hammer down on an empty chamber. We make other storage arrangements when the grandkids are visiting, but with just the two of us at home, it is readily available in our bedroom 24 hours a day. We practice regularly with snap caps, the usual drill consisting of taking the revolver out of the drawer, taking an appropriate position inside the bedroom door, cocking the hammer, and after declaring "Stop or I will shoot" firing off the five snap caps in succession.

Obviously we have an initial five shot limit, but the ease of use and the overall simplicity and safety of the single action revolver seem to make it a good choice. There is no slide for her to rack or safety to disengage. When I am not at home. she can load / reload the revolver and work the action even with diminished strength and dexterity, and keeping the hammer on an empty chamber means there can be no discharge without cocking it. We load it with the .38 spl. rounds because I feel that should be adequate for a defensive stand, and she is much more comfortable firing them for practice instead of the .357 magnums. We also get the benefit of practicing the procedures with her .22LR Heritage Rough Rider six shooter. She likes shooting our 9mm Hi Power, but cannot rack the slide every time. She also likes the S&W Model 10, but even that double action trigger pull is hard for her to work reliably.

The SAA Revolver is our home defense weapon of choice at this time - what do you think?

 

[Pilot]

I think it is a great choice, especially if she can shoot the pistol, reload it, etc. I've carried my SAA in .45 Colt as a woods gun many times Should be soft shooting in .38 Spl too.

 

[mortablunt]

It's not a bad choice.

 

[crazysccrmd]

It works, 38sp will certainly stop/kill at those ranges. Do you have access to more rounds and how quickly can she reload? If the BHP is reliable she would have 14rds ready to go with no worries about racking the slide. Even if the BHP had a stoppage halfway through the magazine she'd still get off 7rds. If she fires 14rds and needs more the slide will already be locked back so loading a new magazine would be simple. A lot of what ifs - boils down to whether or not you feel the initial 5rds is going to be enough.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

My issues exactly, nerve damage has made operating a semi-auto pistol problematic. However, I have a Ruger GP100 Stainless 4" and use it as a single action. That's 6 rounds, within 15+ feet. Thusfar, I have success hitting my targets. I'd rather be able to hit with 1-2-3-4-5-6 rounds rather than missing or having a FTF/jamming problem. Actually, the same requirements you look for in a firearm: RELIABLE ... ACCURATE.

 

[Zoogster]

I would get some form of long gun before I would settle for that.

There is many light weight long guns that require no hand strength to manipulate. A pistol caliber carbine may just be perfect.

You could prop it up someplace or keep it readily available with just the two of you.
If you had children around you may want to stick with a handgun for ease of securely storing it, but if it really is just to keep in the bedroom and only the two of you live there then a carbine might be better.



The long gun requires two hands, but she probably is using 2 hands to quickly cock the hammer anyways.
The pistol caliber carbine would give access to more shots, and be easier to shoot accurately.

 

[Old Fuff]

In theory they're many disadvantages when it comes to using a single-action revolver as a defensive handgun in this day and age, but they become meaningless if you can't shoot what would otherwise be a better choice.

For your purpose I would sooner recommend a Ruger single action, which has better (less likely to break) lockwork and all music wire springs. Also a transfer bar safety that is secure with a fully loaded cylinder.

Consider returning your model 10 to Smith & Wesson after discussing your problem with them. They can ease the double-action trigger pull and still have it be reliable.

As an alternative also consider a Smith & Wesson pre-model 10 (Military & Police revolver made during the 1930's and up to 1946 that has what is called a "long action." In these the trigger has greater leverage, that results is an even easier double-action trigger pull.

 

[Fremmer]

Let her use the pistol that she wants to use, it'll work just fine.

 

[montanaoffroader]

I used a Colt SAA .357 for home defense for years, worked fine for me. As long as the two of you are comfortable with it, more power to you.

For your purpose I would sooner recommend a Ruger single action, which has better (less likely to break) lockwork and all music wire springs. Also a transfer bar safety that is secure with a fully loaded cylinder.

This strikes me as good advice, an extra bit of safety is always welcome.

 

[MedWheeler]

If she's happy and proficient with it, then it's the way to go. Seriously, there are few, if any, bad guys that are gonna soldier on with an attack once met with a counter-attack by someone using a single-action revolver in a skilled and determined manner. Literally thousands of BGs have been driven off, captured, or disabled by "Granny's old .22" and other so-called "lesser guns".
Speaking of .22 firearms, you could even leave the Heritage also at the ready as a backup or something to grab when in another room. In what status is the Browning kept?

 

[Frank Ettin]

When one has to struggle with physical limitations, one must make compromises. Certainly a gun your wife can operated effectively is better than one she can't. If she can manage the SAA, practices with it and is proficient with it, and as long as you understand and are willing to live with its limitations, it can be a reasonable choice for home defense.

However, considering that an SAA is pretty slow to reload, you might want to consider having two -- just in case five rounds isn't enough.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Unless it has been modified to DAO (double action only), the S&W can be fired in single action mode as well - and reloaded with readily available speedloaders.

But if the single action is what works best for her, it will certainly do.

One suggestion - when you are practicing, make a conscious decision to remove all live ammo from the room where you're practicing with snap caps. Then, it will take an extra effort to get a live round or rounds into the revolver after practice is done.

 

[sidheshooter]

I think that's a good solution. I am comfortable with, say, a Ruger sheriff's model SA for home defense. Of course, I am a whole lot more comfortable with other choices, but an SA revolver in hand beats wishes by a wide margin.

As others mention, Rugers safely gain a round, and two is probably better than one.

 

[Cosmoline]

I agree with zoogster. Is there some reason she can't lift a light weight carbine? Cocking and firing is only part of the issue. Knowing your target and most of all hitting it before it hits you are the most important factors. That's not easy with a short gun unless you're very proficient. And it's easy to screw up a single action if you're in a rush and haven't been practicing quick-draw techniques. They tend to do best when you have a little time.

But it's better than nothing.

 

[BSA1]

il. bill,

If you havn't done so you might want to read the comments in my thread about same problems my wife has:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=681280

Like your wife she shoots a single action revolver best but safely decocking it MAY be a issue.

I personally love the single action revolver and in fact am having a 41 Specail custom built for me.

 

[scaatylobo]

First rule of home defense

After all else is covered [ alarms & dogs etc ] is to have a gun you can use well.

If that is a SAA then so be it.

I see many other choices,but if the wife is comfortable then life is good.

 

[il.bill]

il. bill,

If you havn't done so you might want to read the comments in my thread about same problems my wife has:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=681280

I did not see the thread - thanks for the link.

 

[Old Fuff]

Fred Fuller's suggestion about using the S&W model 10's single-action mode might be a good one. You can substitute a hammer with a wide cocking spur to make thumb-cocking easier, and when lowering the hammer if you pull the trigger while holding the hammer and then take the finger off the trigger both will go forward at the same time, but when the hammer reaches its almost forward position it will be blocked and not fire.

For a different reason the same is true of current Ruger single actions'

The Colt SAA requires that the trigger be held back while lowering the hammer, and the hammer is not blocked to prevent firing.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A Hi-Power is way easier to rack if you cock the hammer first. Do you guys keep it in condition three or is it not reliable?

 

[Texan Scott]

While possibly not ideal (what is?), this is what you HAVE, and what you have PRACTICE with. I'm not disparaging the suggestions offered, but I doubt the need is so dire or the advantage to be gained is so great as to justify changing what you know works for you for something untried.
You've found a solution. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Rexster]

When I was wearing splints on both wrists while sleeping, to head-off a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome, I kept a USFA China Camp (SAA replica) at bedside, along with my Remington 870, because I could operate those with the splints in place. Of course, Plan A was to strip off those splints, time permitting. The Colt SAA was, in its time, a war-fighting weapon. Today, it can still do what it did back then.

 

[fireside44]

For your purpose I would sooner recommend a Ruger single action, which has better (less likely to break) lockwork and all music wire springs. Also a transfer bar safety that is secure with a fully loaded cylinder.

Consider returning your model 10 to Smith & Wesson after discussing your problem with them. They can ease the double-action trigger pull and still have it be reliable.

I'd have to agree with this. Say your not so dextrous wife cocks the hammer in anticipation of an intruder breeching the door. It never materializes. You now have to decock the weapon and it sets the firing pin on a live round. To get it resting back on the empty chamber you must now half cock and find the empty chamber, which means you need light.

She is not dexterous with her hands. The Ruger or other transfer bar pistol is critical in this situation in my opinion. I thought that it would be an okay idea until I tried to find that empty chamber in the dark. A lot of rehearsal to make it second nature. In a stressful situation the rehearsal can often go out the window. A true SAA makes a somewhat poor bedside weapon on account of this. But yeah, better than no gun at all I guess.

 

[il.bill]

Thank you all for your well thought responses. To answer a couple of questions: cocking a semi-auto hammer first does make it easier to rack the slide, but but she cannnot reliably chamber a round in any of those we currently own, and releasing a safety or cocking the smaller hammer itself are problematic with her hands; a small carbine is tougher to safely handle in the confines of our small house rooms, and I was concerned about the longer distance a bullet might travel out of a rifle towards the neighbor's home; a shotgun was my first choice, but she is very uncomfortable practicing due to the recoil.

We had tried our S&W Model 10, but even that DA trigger pull was too hard for her, and the small hammer was difficult to cock for SA. I never thought of substituting a hammer with a wide cocking spur to make thumb-cocking easier, but we will certainly be looking into it, as well as looking for a decent pre-model 10 Military & Police revolver made during the 1930's and up to 1946 that has what is called a "long action" where the trigger has greater leverage, resulting in an even easier double-action trigger pull. The point about the S&W or Ruger being significantly safer when lowering the hammer to decock the revolver is well made. Our current procedure would be to simply lay the cocked but unfired SAA on the nightstand pointing towards the closet until I or a LEO could safely decock it once the situation is diffused.

Thanks again for the input - it is helpful and appreciated. A hammer with a wider cocking spur for our Model 10 is top of the list, and it looks like we may start saving up to purchase a suitable caliber Ruger single action (she likes our Single Six, but as a .22 LR it is now just an emergency backup) or a long action pre-model 10 M&P.

The SAA revolver is certainly not ideal, but at present it is the home defense weapon we both can ultimately count on. One comment stands out for me: "The Colt SAA was, in its time, a war-fighting weapon. Today, it can still do what it did back then."

 

[Old Fuff]

A hammer with a wider cocking spur for our Model 10 is top of the list,

See if you can find a friend (or whoever) at a shooting club or target range that rents guns that has a revolver that is so equiped. If so you can see if they're possibilities before you go to any expence.

Because the hammer on any revolver falls through a greater arc then it does in double-action, the hammer spring can be at least slightly lightened if the D.A. is not used. In fact, at one time S&W made a kit (hammer and trigger) for target shooters that eliminated the double-action altogether and enhanced the single-action. It of course had the long/broad cocking spur as well as a wider fingerpiece on the trigger. It can be installed in any post-1957 .38 Military & Police or model 10 revolver.