I am looking for recommendations for a revolver pistol for my wife to use in home defense if a situation ever arises. I was looking at a S&W 442/642 to begin with, but got to thinking that since she is not going to carry, maybe I should consider something that is not as lightweight and will have less recoil.

She has never shot a gun and is totally scared of the recoil issue. Therefore I want to put something in her hands that is not going to frighten her off after the first shot... something with relatively low recoil will hopefully be at least a step in helping out.

She has very small hands, so I am thinking something on a smaller scale like the J frame would be good, but not sure which of these if any would have less recoil than the 442/642 and cost about the same.

Your experiences and suggestions are appreciated.

Most important thing: get her involved.

If she indeed wants a gun, she should do some research of her own and if possible, try different guns and different calibers. What you want might not exactly gel with what she wants or needs.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Buy her one of these,S&W Governor. Take her out to shoot it with some Federal 000 Buckshot then keep it ready to go at the house.

Getting her involved is easier said than done... and believe me, I have tried. She is not one to research and leaves that totally up to me. In this case she is only going to trust my decision for her. At this point all we have is a .22 LR auto that has virtually no recoil and a .357 Magnum that she won't even attempt to shoot. I have a Sig P238 and Kahr P380, but I am afraid even those might be more that she will care to handle... and I have no idea how those will compare to a 442/642 revolver as far as handling and recoil.

Seriously? That looks like a monster.

Welcome to the Forum.
The 442/642 revolvers are great carry guns for someone who is proficient in their use. For a beginner I would choose something larger and heavier, especially if concealed carry is not an issue. The Centennial revolvers you mention are pretty light, so they're going to have a good bit of recoil with anything but the lightest loads. Plus their trigger pulls are usually pretty heavy. Add the sub 2 inch sight radius and you have a revolver that will be very difficult for a beginning shooter to master.
I would recommend a K-Frame revolver. The M10 (blued or nickle) or M64 (Stainless) are excellent choices. Get at least a 3" barrel or a 4" would be even better for home defense. There have been millions of these made, and they can be purchased new or used for a very reasonable price. Then get a .22 revolver for extended practice sessions. The lack of recoil and much lessened muzzle blast will allow her to get a lot of experience without breaking the bank. Plus she'll have fun. She would obviously need to train with the .38 revolver too to get used to the added recoil.
I applaud you for wanting to protect the Woman you love. These are just my suggestions, but I think it's a good place to start.
Jim

Personally, if strictly for home defense, I would go a little bigger than
a J Frame, if funds allow that is. Our bedroom gun is a M686 Plus
(7 shot / .357 mag) with 3" bbl, but a 4" M686 has also filled that slot.

I have hands on experience using a .410 Revolver shooting critters and wouldn't
choose to use any of the .410 loads for self defense. A Governor isn't a bad choice
since recoil seems to be an issue, it could be used with the .45 acp option.
By using moon clips reloads would also be fairly easy for a non-gun person.....



In spite of it's looks the Governor weighs the same when loaded with
the heavier 250 gr. Speer .45 Colt rounds as my K Frame does with
Buffalo Bore 158 gr. Lead Semi Wadcutter Hollow points.

As always, your mileage may vary.....

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Ogy

Thanks guys. A couple of close to home invasions that have taken place here recently have been somewhat of a wake-up call for us. We have been training ourselves for the "what if" scenarios and she has finally agreed that she needs to learn how to use a gun.

I thought about maybe getting a little heavier semi-automatic DAO that we can keep loaded and ready to fire in the home. Something that either of us could use other than the short barrel 357 I have that would probably blind us in the dark anyway, but something that would be heavier than the 380's. Would the K, L or Z Frames have less recoils than a regular 9MM or .40/.45?

What I got my wife, who is not a "gun" person, was a S&W Model 10 Heavy barrel. She was able to learn to shoot it well quickly. I'm convinced it was the best choice for her.

I wonder how any of these revolvers would compare to the M&P 9MM, which is supposedly a very light recoil gun? I initially did not consider a semi-automatic because I feared her not being able to chamber a round or deal with a FTF/FTE... however, the M&P seems to be extremely reliable and a round will be chambered already when she picks it up.

For the wife, for home defense I would pick something in 38 Special with a steel frame and a 3 to 4" barrel.

I would also consider rubber grips. I would let her handle a 3" J frame and a 3 and 4" K frame, and get her the one she likes the best.

I would have her shoot mostly 148 gr Wadcutters for practice and then only a few rounds of the chosen defensive ammo.

New shooter + smaller physical build + self/home defense = .22 magnum revolver.

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I'm with the banned ...

A used 4" K frame Model 10, 15, 67, etc. may be the way to go, but she must handle them herself. The gun must be comfortable in her hands or she may never enjoy shooting it or be able to become proficient with it. Also, unless you are going to inspect, clean and care for it regularly, a stainless model may be a better choice. A J frame IMO is too light to make a good home defence gun for an inexperienced shooter. Great for carry and personal defence, but the K frame Smiths are the perfect sized revolver for most people and most tasks. I say used because there are good deals to be found if you hunt a little and why spend money for a new one if its just going to be for her to use in case of emergency? It doesn't have to be pristine and if it sits in a drawer unloved by a non gun person for extended periods, why take a chance on messing up the finish on a new one? I recently purchased a 40+ year old Model 10 that mechanically is perfect and appears to have hardly been fired, but the finish, while not terrible, has some blemishes. I'm sure the previous owner bought it, shot a few rounds through it, then threw it in a drawer for 40 years. The models I mentioned are all .38 Spl, but you could opt for a .357 K frame and just shoot .38 Spl in it if need be. That would give you/her greater range of use. Get her comfortable with .38 then .38 +P and then move up to .357, or just let her stick with .38 if those are all she is comfortable with. As its been said before, a hit with a light powered cartridge is infinitely better than a miss with a high powered one.

Auto is a bad choice for someone who has no interest in guns and will likely never try to become proficient with them. There's always the possibility of a malfunction, and someone who is too weak to operate the slide, or is not familiar with the operation of the piece, will be left with nothing more than a small club and is in danger of it being taken away by someone that can use it. I have many autos and my wife cannot remember how to operate any of them even though they are all basically the same, and doesn't have the hand strength to operate the slides anyway. She used to go with me to the range frequently and shot all my guns, revlovers and autos, but could never keep the operation of an auto straight. She lost interest over the years and now a revolver truly is the only option for her. Though I doubt she'd remember that I have one hidden loaded for emergencies if she were to need it.

As to your other question about recoil, my K frame .38s have no more, and probably less, recoil than my 9mm Glock 17. Even the rubber gripped snubbies I've shot with .38+P have been quite manageable. Revolvers tend to exhibit more felt recoil sometimes because the center of the bore sits higher from you hand than on an auto, but given the mildness of .38 Spl, even .38 SPl +P, recoil is neglible in a K frame IMO.

Revolver, steel frame that fits her hand.
My wife likes the Model 36 with stock wood grips. As she said, it just feels right. She has not shot this one yet, but has shot a 442, a mustang, a p228, TCP PT738, and a 3" alloy frame 1911 so the recoil will not be an issue for her. The 36 is the only one she has ever picked up and said, I like the feel of that and the trigger pull is perfect for me.
A revolver has very little operational training for loading and unloading and is the original point and click interface.

A 12 Gage shotgun for home defense. A pistol is to buy you time to get to a shotgun or rifle.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Ruger GP 100 with a 3 inch barrel.
Loaded with a nice 38+P.
Whatever happens will be at close range.
The gun is heavy enough to absorb the recoil
and is as strong a gun as you can find.
In my opinion, in a home defense gun, adjustable sights are a waste
and a longer barrel just gives a bad guy something to grab.
Hence the 3 inch barrel.
We use the earlier model at home. The Speed Six.

Attached Images

	GP 100.jpg (24.2 KB, 90 views)
	Speed Six Pachmayrs.JPG (179.3 KB, 88 views)

I started my wife off with a .327 magnum, which also shoot .32 longs. 32 longs have no recoil, yet the 327 has 80% of the ballistics of a .357.
Load the .32's for practice, the 327's for SD. She'll never notice the recoil if someone's in the home.

This sounds like the way to go since you feel even a .380 might be too much.

Wheelgun, 3 or 4 inch for her.

What he said..

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Eccentric old coot

What .357 do you have? You realize you can turn a .357 into a.38 by using .38 ammo?

I sure wouldn't consider an auto if she's not willing to put in some time. In my personal experience, a wife or girlfriend can turn an otherwise boringly reliable auto in a jamomatic.

I like the Model 10 idea. The Colt .38s like the police positive special are another idea. A little smaller than the K frame Smiths but still give you six shots.

Used (Police trad-in's) model 10's or 64's (a stainless 10) are somewhat cheap. 38 caliber, 4" barrel, may have some finish issues but the works and barrel are fine for shooting. Budsguns has 10's for $269 free shipping, J&G Sales has 64's $279-$310 DAO, there's another place that has 64's DA/SA for around $300.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

The .357 we have now is the Ruger SP101 with a 2.25" barrel. I have order some .38 ammo just to see how it fairs. It is in mint condition, so I might see about selling it and picking up one of the Model 10's.

What's wrong with the Ruger? Heavy frame and rubber grips handle the recoil very nicely. Definitely easier to shoot than a J frame IMO.

With .357 ammo it has some pretty serious recoil. As stated, have ordered some .38 ammo to try out.

I'm facing something like this with my wife. With respect, I don't think it's going to end well if you START with any combat-capable gun. The best way to unplug the fear of the unknown is to create a pleasant, successful experience (read: .22!). I've borrowed my buddy's 4" K-22 for this role with another new, female shooter. After she got comfortable with the .22, and could consistently hit her (close) target, THEN we explored other options. That woman ultimately chose a 3" Model 60 of current design. She shoots .38 +Ps in her blaster. She chose this option for herself after shooting a number of other options, including some bottom feeders which also fit her.

I wish you well with your wife. (Wish me well with mine).

PC

I started my wife on that gun w/ .38 rounds. She really had no problem w/ the recoil. The MP 360 with .357 shells is a whole other thing. Brutal. For anyone. Just trying to help.

Have you considered a shotgun instead of a handgun? For home defense purposes, why not go with a 20 gauge shotgun? My fiance can't handle 12 gauge.... she shot one shell once and knew she couldn't even train with it. She can manage the 20 though... she still doesn't like it but can train with it enough to be comfortable with it.

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- The Federalist #46 -

We have a 20 gauge pump, but I think it would be a bit much for her. It ain't all that bad for me, but it has some kick to it and I doubt she would be that confident with it. It not as easy to handle and you can't just pull the trigger over and over... must release the safety since it is not dual action. Too many negatives for confidence if she were to get in a pinch. I think picking up a DA pistol, point and pull the trigger is her best bet for success if something did occur.

I am with Homechicken and others on this one. My wife's first gun was a M15-4, 4", magna grips with Tyler T. She picked it out. This was her gun for years, and she shot it well, although she does not like to shoot. Then I brought home a M12-3, snubbie and well....I have not seen the M12-3. Hey, I have a great gun for your wife! How about MY M15-4?!

With respect to other here. I wouldn't give my wife a .22 to defend herself from a wild squirrel attack much less a home invasion. A few months back a local woman shot a bad guy 9 times and still didn't know if she killed him. She escaped to call 911 at a neighbors house. The police did find him dead on the back porch 30 feet from the bedroom where she shot him.


My wife currently has a Ruger LCR that she carries, and keeps on the night stand. She says her next purchase will be the Governor large caliber don't seem to bother her.

All seriousness get the wife involved, and see what she is comfortable with.

I have a .22 auto that I will probably let her shoot first... then the Ruger .357 with .38 ammo. Then I will probably let her shoot my Kahr P380. If I am brave enough, I might surprise her with a .357 load. Nahhhh... I don't think I would survive it.

You're on the right track. I taught all my kids to shoot starting with a .22 semi-auto shooting balloons and clay targets, just having a ball.

They then asked to shoot a 9mm or .38 and went up from there. My 10 year old prefers an M&P9c over a .40 or .45, and the .357 is too heavy for him to handle well. So he goes back and forth between a .22 and 9mm regularly now.

Your wife will get there....

I ordered an M&P 9mm (full size) for myself, since I don't own a 9mm. From what I can find, it has a very low recoil, so she should be able to shoot it too. I may look at a compact 9mm for myself as well... just to have one. I need to increase my collection and I am finding it enjoyable target shooting, more so that when I was younger and had other things on my mind.

Agree with the full size M&P 9. It's really easy to use.

If this is just for home a shotgun is a great choice. A shotgun worked for that young lady in OK that downed the BG with a shotgun when he broke down her door a couple months ago!!

How about a 3" Model 60?

I am going to let her shoot these others I have first, before I make any final decisions on whether to buy her anything else.

The M&P is awesome for home defense, thats what I just switched to. But I'd think a nice little .38 spl would be pretty good as well. Either way, you have to make sure she is willing to practice with the gun at the range at least once in a while, b/c if you find out that she is not comfortable shooting whatever she gets then most likely she will not want to use it when/if the time is needed.

Could not agree more Matt... and I am about to set us up a pretty nice home range. I think target practice will become a hobby for us.

I went through something similar with my girlfriend a while ago. The trick to get her to practice and try different gun was going to the range with two other couples.

We'd shoot in the morning, then go somewhere nice for lunch and finally go see a movie or a theatre play. It worked like a charm for everybody involved.

I used a 617 to teach my girlfriend the fundamentals, she was soon getting pretty decent groups (although DA shooting was a bit frustrating for her at first). She tried several of my .357s, first with mild .38s and then with .357s. They were OK but she wasn't thrilled with revolvers in general, so I ended up buying a 9mm M&P with which she became quite proficient.

I always thought that a revolver was a better idea, but she learned to handle the semiauto and was comfortable with it. So I kept my mouth shut.

I have always feared the jam situation with the semi-autos, but the M&P appears to be extremely reliable, so I don't think I would fear it as much as some others that have had their issues. One good thing is she could get off 3 times as many rounds with it than she could a revolver and possibly have better aim.

Stagecoach double barrel with tactical light, with a P238 that she carries. She wasn't much for guns either but then came a point where she wanted to learn. Now she can handle her own with confindence.

The Model 10 suggestion is a good one. If she does have small hands, a .38 "J" Frame is also good, but stay away from the alloy frame models, as they are "all carry, no shoot" (emergency BUG's only) versions. Stick with the steel frame models unless you decide to go with a .22

I have recommended a 3" SP101 to a number of female friends who have been looking for a HD gun, but actually think that a K frame like the 66 or 19 in 2.5, 3, or 4" version might be a little better. Just that they're not generally available on gun shop shelves these days. I can't believe that S&W hasn't reintroduced K frame 357 yet.....

I dont necessarily agree that a K frame is the right choice for a woman. A J frame like a 36, 37 or 60 in .38 spc with 2" or 3" barrel or one of the newer hammerless DAO J frames like the 442, 642, etc is what you want.

The smaller J frame guns are smaller, lighter and fit a woman's hand better than a K frame. And the DAO ones are just point and shoot. It's also easier to conceal a J frame than K frame.

My 4'10" 92lb Lady shoots my Governor in .45ACP just fine. Much less recoil then my 642. Then she dumps it in her handbag and it disapears. Women are lucky with that!.

I really don't think J frames are a great idea for inexperienced shooters, even less for light build female novices.

Trigger pulls tend to be a bit worse than on K frame guns, which makes it harder to master them in DA. They are also quite light (even the steel ones) so recoil is going to be worse. J frame sights are also usually harder to pick up than those on K frames. Reloading a larger revolver quickly is also easier.

With the right grips, K frames can fit small hands without any problems (heck, so can the larger L frames), especially round butt guns. My girlfriend (who's small and not a gun person at all) handles a round butt 686 with wood magnas rather well. Stout .38 loads are quite comfortable for her to fire in a big gun like that.

J frames are fantastic guns, but the OP is asking about home defense weapons, so being light and easily concealed is not a crucial advantage.

My experience with about a half-dozen women, ranging in size from very petite to 6' tall, is that they all like shooting my 2.5" 66-1, and that they also like the SP101 although they like the K better. Almost none like shooting DAO J frames, like the 640-1. None like 1911s either. In fact, they almost uniformly dislike semi-autos. Mind you, all of these women have been novice shooters. A couple of them have gone on to become quite skilled and they then become more interested in different types of handguns, both revolver and semi auto. The comment they seem to have about semi autos is that "there's too much goin' on."

I got the .38 ammo in today, but it will be the weekend before we can shoot the SP101 we have... provided it is not raining. Then we will try to figure out which one will work best for her.

Good luck this weekend. The SP101 is a nice revolver. I hope she can handle the SP with .38 ammo. It'll make the decision easier. You know you'll have to buy another gun either way, right? If she decides she likes shooting the SP101 w/.38 ammo, you'll give that to her and buy yourself another. If she doesn't, then you'll still have to find her one.

In addition to the Ruger, I have a Kahr P380, M&P 9mm, XDM Compact 9mm and a .22 LR... and about to pickup a 442 just to have one.