Revolver for my wife

[Kelor]

I've decided to stop fighting the fact that my wife doesn't feel comfortable with anything semi-auto. There are even a couple of guns that she has a very difficult time racking. We shoot often up at the cabin, but regardless of the amount of shooting, she's just not that comfortable.

I'm looking for suggestions on a revolver. I would prefer to have the 9mm round, so it uses the same ammo as her Kimber, and is easier to shoot than a bigger round.

This would primarily be a bedroom gun.

Thoughts?

[yuppiejr]

Ruger LCR.

http://www.personaldefenseworld.com/201 ... -lcr-9mm-4


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[MXGreg]

I've got a Taurus 905 in stainless. Shoots good and it's affordable, you can find them for less than $400. Only problem is some brands of 9mm don't snap into the "stellar" clips very tight (Remington, some Federal). Winchester holds tight and I've carried a couple loaded clips in my coat pocket for over a month without a round falling out.

My girlfriend is the same way, doesn't care for the semi-autos. She bought herself a Charter Arms "The Chic Lady" in .38 special. Pink frame with polished SS barrel, cylinder, trigger, and hammer. She likes it and shoots real good with it.

[Ironbear]

Little hard to find but I really like the S&W 940.

[Snakeman721]

Find one for .38 special....around the same power as a 9mm and ammo is cheap and easy to find. Or you could go with a .327 federal mag. Eats .327 fed mag, .32 H&R mag, as well as .32 H&R. Ruger had the very well built SP101 in 327 federal mag, but I think they discontinued building for that caliber. You might be able to find a used one. You can certainly get any .357 mag revolver and shoot .38 special out of it. Most, if not all revolvers that shoot 9mm will have to use moon clips. The ones that don't, have problems with case extraction.....mainly, it is slow and cumbersome to remove the cases when the built in extactor can't grab the case rims.

[farmerj]

Taurus 85 or 605. 85 is a +P .38 Spl and the 605 is a .357 mag revolver. Both have a transfer bar safety in them. EAA makes a nice little revolver too, but there's no transfer bar in that one. Both are in that $350ish to $400ish ball park too. My wife settled on this revolver for feel, balance and shootability for herself. She's all of about 5'4".

[Kelor]

Thank you for the comments. I hope to get something this afternoon.

[LePetomane]

For a bedroom gun, I would get a .357 magnum and shoot .38 specials. I have a S&W 686 with a 4" barrel and I can shoot it all day without raving to worry about the recoil.

[Seismic Sam]

If I'm not too late, you should go to Bill's and rent some revolvers to see what she really likes. Women think differently than men, and what might be no big deal to you could be a game stopper for her. My general challenge to any guy buying a gun for his wife is to go to a place like DSW shoes, walk up and down the rows of shoes, and pick out the EXACT pair of shoes she is going to buy. I have an open offer of a $100 bet you can't do this, and you know you have no chance to make the right pick. Why are guns different than shoes, just because you have lots of gun experience??

[Ghost]

If I'm not too late, you should go to Bill's and rent some revolvers to see what she really likes. Women think differently than men, and what might be no big deal to you could be a game stopper for her. My general challenge to any guy buying a gun for his wife is to go to a place like DSW shoes, walk up and down the rows of shoes, and pick out the EXACT pair of shoes she is going to buy. I have an open offer of a $100 bet you can't do this, and you know you have no chance to make the right pick. Why are guns different than shoes, just because you have lots of gun experience??

This let her pick out what she wants.

[westhope]

The 9 mm is a semi-auto cartridge, not a revolver cartridge. Yes, it can be made to work, but you are adding unnecessary complications when the 38 Special or 38 Special +P can duplicate the performance with none of the problems of using a 9 mm in a revolver.

And yes, have her pick out the gun, not you. Have her shoot as many as possible.

With the proper instruction, most women are able and comfortable cycling a semi-auto.

[yuppiejr]

Reviewing data from BBTI's (Ballistics By the Inch) for 9mm vs 38 spc 2" barrel firearms with a range of ammo types, the 9mm is pushing, on average, 200 FPS faster, and producing 100 ft/lbs of energy more than the .38 SPC loads tested. The 38 SPC is only equal to the 9mm in downrange effect if it's fired from a handgun with at least a 2" longer barrel than the 9mm, or if you compare the best .38 SPC+P+ loads to standard pressure 9mm which add significantly to recoil, flash and unnecessary wear and tear on the .38 SPC firearm.

According to the Massad Ayoob review of the 9mm LCR, when he compared it with the 38 SPC version of the same gun the perceived recoil as observed by himself and a small statured (5') female shooter was LESS with the 9mm revolver. He also indicated the platform was completely reliable, accurate and the moon clips allowed speedy reloads.

My wife also prefers the simplicity of a double action revolver over a semi-automatic handgun in any flavor, but I'd echo the others that have advocated for letting yours test fire some different options and then decide what to buy. A full size 4" double action revolver loaded with quality .38 SPC defensive ammo is certainly a good choice for a "nightstand gun" and there are examples to be found for $400-$500 depending on options/condition (Ruger GP100 or used S&W K-frame). However if she likes the smaller LCR form factor she/you also have a firearm which is of equal terminal effectiveness to the larger .38 but has the utility of being a viable carry gun for either of you as well for around the same price, brand new with a warranty, and uses a common ammunition that you already have around.

[Grandpa Rex]

+1 on letting her pick. I agree that the .357 is the direction I would steer her but that is about all the steering I would do. The GP00 or S&W 686 may be a good starting point because she may be more likely to practice than with a smaller framed option.

Get her involved in the shopping experience so you can score sympathy points for the shopping process you go through on your next aquisition.

[Seismic Sam]

As far as 9mm vs 38 Spl, the standard loading for a 9mm is a 124 grain projectile, while the standard loading for a 38 Spl is a 158 grain projectile. Thus the velocity difference. Yes, they do make 147 grain 9mm bullets these days, but it took more than a century and some misguided marketers to come up with that idea.

On a related subject, the GM of Oakdale Gun Club has a 38 Spl she got from an old Uncle who happened to be an FBI agent under Hoover. By today's standard's it looks quite unassuming and not very powerful. However, this gun was on the hip of the Uncle posing as a General Store manager when two of Al Capone's torpedoes came through the door to get some food and booze up in Northern Wisconsin, where Capone sometimes vacationed. The final score was FBI 2, Murder Inc. 0.

And as far as shooting instruction, I would leave that to Wrench or Sawgrass on this board, or some other female instructor, because again guys just don't get it.

[Ghost]

Most, if not all revolvers that shoot 9mm will have to use moon clips. The ones that don't, have problems with case extraction.....mainly, it is slow and cumbersome to remove the cases when the built in extactor can't grab the case rims.

Moon clips are not required on the LCR. Moon clips will make it faster to reload. It depends on how many reloads a person carries. You can have the initial rounds in a moon clip and eject them easily then reload with a speed strip or another moon clip. By the time you reach the third reload you should have been on your way out or at least finding cover.