M638 for a Newbie?

[RidgwayCO]

I was talking to my brother-in-law's girlfriend over Thanksgiving dinner, and she confided that she had found the handgun she wanted. When she stated "A dealer back home has a S&W model 638 in .38 Special that I really like!" I congratulated her on an excellent choice, then casually asked if she'd ever shot one. She said "Not yet! I was hoping you might have one I can try out before I buy." We set up a shooting date for today.

To make a long story short(er), the M638 with standard (not +P) .38 Special ammo had way too much recoil for her. She shot a cylinder-full, and then handed the revolver back to me, saying "That's too much for me. I can't imagine taking that to the range to practice." Just so she didn't get discouraged, I let her shoot her fill with my M617-4 10-shot (which she loved). Surprisingly, she also liked my "M691" (custom M681 in .44 Special) and shot it very well. Per her instructions, I'm to keep an eye out for a M64 or M65 with a 3" or 4" barrel, for her to use with .38 Special.

I guess the reason for this post is to confirm (yet again) that the extremely lightweight revolvers are really guns for "experts", and are not usually appropriate for beginners.

 

[enfield]

My 638 isn't exactly fun to shoot, buy my wife's NAA Guardian .380 bangs the heck out of my trigger finger knuckle.

I'd rather shoot the 638 . . .

 

[GatorFarmer]

Try wadcutters and/or changing out the grips for a different style. People are surprisingly adaptive. One of my first handguns was an 8 3/8" 29-5. A lot of people would claim that was a bad choice, but I simply taught myself to use it.

2" .38 K frames can also be found. Some people do shoot these better than they can any J frame for various reasons.

 

[Dream to Dream]

Is it odd that I enjoy getting the heck banged out of the web of my hand by shooting +P loads out of a 642 with T-grips and magnas?

It's been two days and I'm still sore. Can't wait to do it again!

 

[Old cop]

Most new shooters, especially women, find the Airweight J's not to their liking. I start new shooters with my S&W .22 then move to my 638, but with oversize rubber grips and soft shooting wadcutters. Many still do not like it, but like others said it (the Airweight J) is not an easy gun to shoot.

 

[Heifer]

I have a 638 and I think it is a great carry revolver. I know a few women who carry Lady Smiths (model 60's) in their purse and on their hips with winter clothing, and do not mind the recoil of .357's because of the increased weight of their guns. The 60's are pricier, but worth the investment for a primary carry gun if the person likes it.