A buddy here at work has a S&W 14-4, 6" barrel, blued. He has had it a long time, except for the time his dad had it because wife didn't want gun around with small kids, and has rarely shot it. Kids are all gone now

There have been a number of breakins in his neighborhood lately, and he has been considering a weapon for self defense to keep around the house, and that wife can shoot comfortably. He has been considering trading the 14 for a 9mm semiauto.

Of course I am a wheelgunner at heart, so I am biased, but I am thinking he already has one of the most fun guns ever in that model 14. A great plinker, and with a self defense load, a great home defense gun. Also, if wife isn't going to be serious and practice once in a while, a wheel gun is always what I recommend since you can pull it out of drydock, point and click without worrying about racking, safeties, mags, etc.

If it were me, I would keep the 14, and if he is bent on getting a semiauto he can find a used one cheap. If he trades that 14 he should get money plus IMO LOL.

Opinions?

Welcome to the forum.

He should keep the K-38 Masterpiece and get the Mrs. a shotgun.
9mm's are nice too!

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"I also cook."

I've got both. If I had to trade one away, it would be the CZ. I paid $25 more for the CZ, but with my 6" Smith I find I am more accurate with my shot placement and it is far more enjoyable with which to practice. IMHO, your friend should keep his 14-4 and invest in a nice set of combat grips. My wife likes her S&W M19 4" for plinking and self-defense.
I've got a Mossberg 500 and she does NOT like or want to shoot it. Hope this helps.

Buy a sigma and trade with him...

Oh come on! At least make it an SD9!

Geoff
Who would be tempted...

I think he should keep the Model14. That's the practical answer. Sounds to me like he just wants a 9mm.

I don't know why people would want to get rid of a revolver to get a semi-auto for home defense, especially if they aren't avid shooters that know their guns inside and out. The last thing someone should be doing in a panic situation is picking up a dusty semi-auto and racking the slide while fumbling with the safety. Too much can go wrong in the heat of combat. In all reality, he won't need more than six shots anyway when dealing with a break-in. Higher capacities just make people want to spray more ammo, and that increases the risk of collateral damage. Even semi-auto guys I shoot IDPA with will take 3 and 4 shots on a target when only 2 are necessary, but I know I have to make my shots count with the revolver.

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386NG, M&P R8, M&P40c, 460 XVR

My Model 14 has served as a home defense gun on multiple occasions. It's perfectly adequate for that purpose. I've also learned to shoot it double action quite well at a man sized target at 50'. Seven yards is no problem at all.


I routinely carry a 2" Model 36 or a 3" Model 65 loaded with the Federal "FBI" load. The 6" barrel of the Model 14 isn't going to make that load LESS effective.

It's unlikely that I'll need more firepower than that. If I do, it'll get me safely back to my AR carbine or my Ithaca DSPS.

Al Gore's invention of the internet has convinced two generations of firearms owners that possession of a revolver implies certain death upon the appearance of a bandit meaning you harm. After all, if you believe all these tactical forums, a Ed Brown 1911 with 6 ready mags is required to go get the mail.
That ol' 38 will do a fine job defending the homefront. Backing it up with a easy to operate, cheap shotgun isn't a bad idea, but not required.

The 14 would be just fine for home defense. It will handle a wide variety of ammo from .38 short colts and .38 mid range wadcutters to .38 spl +Ps and not have to worry about cycling the action.

The long barrel won't be an issue in the home since concealment isn't a priority. Some people actually like a longer barrel for point shooting in low light because with practice they can learn to "feel" where the gun is pointing.

While there doesn't seem to be as many custom/replacement grips available as in the past, there are still some very good options and the owners should be able to find something that suits them.

A gunshop is only going to give him maybe 250 bucks for it. "Oh, no one wants that old thing any more, here, I'll give you x amount towards this Glock or XD".

And strictly speaking the Glock or XD will be a better weapon if someone is willing to learn to use it.

But that takes time, money, interest and practice. Lacking all that, put a Hogue Monogrip on the old Smith, get it checked to make sure it is good order mechanically, and store it next to a flashlight.

The 14-4 will do fine, as is. If he insists that he wants to "trade" it for a semi-auto or whatever, offer him $25 over whatever he is told it is worth in such a trade. I guarantee that you will find yourself an excellent revolver at a nice discount.

Keeping it, and combining with a good flashlight is certainly a viable option. He should study (and practice) some of the various techniques for employing both and pick one that works for him....same with the wife. Probably the easiest route would be to get a set of Crimson Trace laser grips for it, but he would be looking at about $200 for those, and the flashlight is still required for target ID.

There is a very good reason the 38 Special K frame has been in continuous production for over 100 years.

The members who made the case to keep the K-38 are right on. Rule of thumb. If someone is so unfamiliar with handguns that they have to ask you which one to buy, stick to a revolver.

Bill

I think you only need three mags to go get the mail. The other three are for the trip back.

I enjoy living on the ragged edge, so my "home defense" guns (and carry guns) are not only 38 revolvers...they're five shooters to boot.

I do, however, keep an easy to operate, cheap shotgun under my side of the bed, so I guess I'm not completely wacky.

You won't find a more natural pointing gun for a high stress situation than what you already have.

Keep the Mdl 14.

A model 14 is a good revolver I have one or two and I used them for home defense. I like them alot.

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Stan

I walked the dog today with my Model 49 in my pocket, and NO RELOADS....
In fact, I wasn't wearing body armor, and I am not sure I was totally aware of my surroundings the entire time. I actually watched the dog and didn't "check my 6" for over 21 seconds.

It's a wonder I made it back alive

I second everyone who votes for keeping the revolver. I saw a shooter at an IDPA match last weekend have a double feed apparently due to limp wristing a Glock 17. She had a difficult time correcting the problem . Unless a shooter is willing to spend enough time to be competent with dealing with malfunctions a revolver is a safer bet. My wife is a good shot but she doesn't enjoy shooting so seldom practices. The gun I keep handy for her is a K or L frame S&W in 38 special.

Also, I have been teaching a carry permit class for about 10 years and I can't remember the last time a student opted for a revolver in spite of my describing the virtues of revolvers. TV and movies seem to have everyone convinced that semi autos are the best option.

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I like Ike.

Yeah, and they never malfunction, either. I like the full autos the best, as they are quite safe. Hundreds of rounds get sprayed at ranges close to point blank, and nobody gets hurt.

My instructor kept going on and on (and on) about the clear superiority of the semi-auto. To hear him tell it revolvers are harmless to bad guys (due to insufficient capacity) but deathly dangerous to your loved ones (due to lack of safeties).

I love my Dan Wesson 15-V .357 mag revolver, it is my favorite. I fits my hand, and points better than an auto. I do have a .45 semi auto behind the large cushion where I watch t.v., but the revolver is at bedside.

Worth repeating.

I've told this story before, but that has never stopped me from repeating myself. About every other year a female co-worker decides she is not feeling safe in her home and asks for some basic handgun range instruction. I drag out an assortment of hand guns and we spend a couple hours of safety instruction and the rest of the day at the range.

With one exception what they feel the most comfortable with at the end of the day is a basic Model 10. The combination of simplicity and control-ability is hard to beat for a new shooter. What surprised them most though seems to be that the particular pistil they are shooting is usually older than they are. As in "Do you still consider a 50 year old revolver reliable?".

The one exception to this was my wife, she took a professional CCW class and ended up wanting a Glock.

A few years ago I was gunless, when it came time to start over I did not have much expendable income. I assessed my needs and then weighed the choices within my budget. I wanted something that I could take to the range and shoot well, also I wanted something that would double as home defense. Since I live in the city and did not hunt much I figured a .357 magnum might be overkill and the a +P 38 FBI load would do just fine from as an HD round from a 6" target gun. Plus the K-38s are generally cheaper than the K-357s.

I bought a Model 14, a 14-4 to be exact, on the reputation of the breed. It was love at first squeeze. Nothing feels so natural in my hand, it points like my finger. I can't miss with it, even rapid fire DA it's just there. That is why to this day the Model 14 is still on my nightstand while the 870 stays loaded with 00 in the safe. The only other gun I own that comes close in number of rounds fired is my .22lr rifle.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Semiauto vs revolver is always a touchy subject. I was a LEO for over 30 years, with 23 years on a full time SWAT team on one of the largest 8 cities in the USA.

Due to my choice and rule changes I have used both.

Starting with a S&W 44 Mag, to a 1911, then back to the 44, then to a 45 ACP revolver, then to a Glock...

So I have gone, to and fro, back and forth....

I prefer the 1911, but feel I can still control my environment with a S&W 44 Mag or 45 ACP revolver.

There are some times that a revolver IS BETTER than a semiauto, no matter how well trained you are, and that is if and when you have to graple with the bad guy...

For most Civilians, they are better off with a revolver. Most times less than a cylinder full will solve the problem.

But, If you learn to use speed loaders smoothly and quickly, then you will not be to far behind what you can do with a semiauto.

And for most people the revolver will be more reliable...

I usually carry at least one of each...