I know S&W has the Airlight models. Are they all 38 Special, or do some shoot .357 Magnum? For either caliber, how much stronger is the recoil on an Airlight vs a steel body? I'd like to get something for my mom (she's 70, but a stout little 70 - most think she's no older than 55-60). It would be home defense only, not a carry piece for her.
Are there any con's to having a hammerless model?
Short barreled revolvers are almost the worst choice for home defense. This is not an indictment of S&W, but an indictment of all "snub nose" revolvers for the purpose indicated.
The short barrel J frame has a place, but that place is in a pocket for concealed carry. The weapon itself is a compromise between concealability and light weight to make carrying easy. That said, it is not the first choice (or even the second and perhaps not the third) for home defense.
The short barrel J frame, whether in steel, Airweight or Airlight (there is a difference) has all the worst characteristics for a self-defense handgun that is not a CCW piece.
It has less practical accuracy as sighting errors are more greatly magnified due to the short sight radius. The recoil is punishing even for a younger, stronger male. The cartridge capacity is low (5 rounds in .357 Magnum or 38 Special). The double action trigger is heavy and difficult for shooters of most skill levels.
With the advent of the modern "double action only" pistols which are reliable with 5 to 6.5 pound triggers, a trigger pull weight that a revolver cannot match with any degree of reliable ignition, it is questionable whether the snub nose has been rendered obsolete. That said, there are many of us oldies who love revolvers, but as much as I love the J frames, even I have to admit that the Glock 26 or the M&P Compact or Shield is a better choice. The pistols have lighter triggers and hold more ammo. 9mm ammo is perhaps 10% more powerful than the best 38 Special +P and the little pistols hold more rounds - double the capacity or more in the case of the Glock and the M&P Compact. The recoil spring and reciprocating slide of the semi-auto pistol soaks up recoil resulting in less felt recoil than the small revolver.
That said, even the little pocket autos are not a good choice for home defense as they still lack the sight radius, making accurate fire more difficult. Yes, they will do as well in a machine rest, but most of us cannot shoot as good as a machine rest can hold and sighting errors are greatly magnified by the short sight radius.
You indicate your mother is young for her age. That said, you know your mother and her abilities. To me, a double action only auto with no safety levers to disengage and the light trigger pull in 9mm seems a better choice. What you are getting, in effect, is a duty size 15 or 17 shot 38+P. Such a pistol operates like a revolver - if you want to fire, pull the trigger, and if not, do not pull the trigger. Loading or unloading is not a problem either. There are two steps for each type. On the revolver, open the cylinder, eject cartridges; on the auto, remove magazine, clear chamber. The auto has the advantage of only one chamber to check for clear status, rather than 5 or 6. Slide operation is easy if proper technique is taught. That manipulation is a matter of knowledge, not strength.
Thus, I recommend a duty size pistol in 9mm, like the M&P 9mm Full Size or the Glock 17 or 19. If you are dead set in favor of a revolver, then a K frame size in 38 Special, such as the S&W Model 64, which can be fitted with Hogue or other grips to help cushion recoil and better fit your mother's hand.
Here is a picture of an S&W J frame on top of a Glock 26. The Glock holds twice as many rounds, yet takes up the same "real estate." The M&P Compact holds 12 in the magazine and is about the same size. That said, however, I still recommend the bigger, duty size, autos such as Glock 17 or 19 or S&W M&P Full Size.
Take her to a range and let her shoot both types. I did that with my daughters and after trying pistols and revolver, both in "snub" size and full size, including both J and K frame S&W revolvers in 38 Special, and Glock 17, 19 and 26 in 9mm, they both chose the Glock 17. The M&P was not on the market yet. This occurred in different years (they are 3 years apart), and both said the same thing: The pistol was easier to shoot both as to trigger pull weight and accuracy and had less felt recoil. By the way, we did not have CCW at the time, so both were concerned only with self defense at home as opposed to CCW.
Remember, your mother is at least as capable as the female officers at NYPD and other departments who are taught to operate the Glock or similar action auto pistol - Los Angeles County Sheriff issues M&P 9 Full Size to its people, and they also have plenty of women. She can do it. Even if she becomes unable to run the slide now or ten years from now, it is irrelevant. The round is in the chamber and there is no need to run the slide to make the pistol ready. Certainly anyone strong enough to run a 12 to 14 pound J frame trigger with one finger is capable of racking the slide on an auto with the whole hand!
Good luck.
