Need revolver for Wife to shoot

[alphabrace]

Today I heard those words that every husband wants to hear from his wife...no not that but rather "I want to go to the range with you and learn to shoot". Of course I was pleasently surprised and thoughts like wow I can get more hardware and ammo now came rushing to my head! Anyway I was thinking about a 22lr revolver to get her started. I have a model 19 and a 9mm M&P but I know she will be recoil sensative so I got to ease on in softly if you know what I mean. Let me know your thoughts!

 

[foolproofoak]

model 34, my wife loves her j frames.

 

[thedr15]

Today I heard those words that every husband wants to hear from his wife...no not that but rather "I want to go to the range with you and learn to shoot". Of course I was pleasently surprised and thoughts like wow I can get more hardware and ammo now came rushing to my head! Anyway I was thinking about a 22lr revolver to get her started. I have a model 19 and a 9mm M&P but I know she will be recoil sensative so I got to ease on in softly if you know what I mean. Let me know your thoughts!

I suggest a 317 Kit gun in 22LR. A damn nice shooting revolver. I own one and it is real light weight and a good handgun. Your wife will like it!
If you are looking for a higher caliber, I would suggest a Model 10 in .38sp.

 

[Muley Gil]

I would get her either a 6" K-22 or a 4" M18. After she masters that, load your M19 with .38 special wadcutters and move up gradually.

Make sure you have good hearing protection and eye protection as well.

DON'T hand her your M19 loaded with magnums until she is comfortable with .38 special +Ps.

 

[exfebee]

I would suggest that you discuss her reasons for learning to shoot. First, is she wanting to be able to shoot for home or personal defense means. Perhaps you travel or she is alone at home sometimes and would feel better knowing how to handle & shoot a gun. Maybe its simply she wants to hang around with you more & go out to the range with you. Mine wanted to shoot for personal/home protection. If thats the case i would suggest a J frame S&W revolver in the .38 caliber. A new shooter can get flustered in a hurry if theres a pistol there that she would depend on & when the slide comes back might take off a portion of her hand, or she might forget how to take off the safety. Depends on the reason a lot. If just going to the range with you , the a .22 might be in order. Best of luck & keep us posted.

 

[akr]

22lr to get her started (revolver) and then a model (10, 64, 15, or 67--k-frames-all the same basically) after she gets used to it (you will need both guns anyway-lol). The latter guns are 38Sp, but only have her shoot 38Sp weaker load at first till she gets used to it. In my opinion, this is the perfect size gun for a woman to have (4" bbl) for protection, all things considered. I know she can shoot +P in the heavy bbl guns.

 

[NiklasP]

A Ruger Single-Six in 22Rf has been a good choice when I needed to start a new shooter with pistol. Easy to shoot and just heavy enough to soon learn to shoot well. And ammo cheap enought to shoot lots. One with dual cylinders lets new folks soon move on to more potent 22 Mag loads and provide a bit of recoil (50 grain Federals at 1250 fps).

S&W M60 with 5 inch barrel and using 38 Special WC loads recently proved a good next step. Previously, so did a Ruger Vaquero in 44-40 with light loads -- a Ruger Blackhawk in 38Special/357Mag and using same 38 Special WC loads is just as good, ditto for a K-frame or larger.

After 5 or so years of progressing to heavier and heavier loads (really less and less downloaded) my present lady student is up to "45 ACP" target loads in a Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt and even a few light 357 loads )158 grain LSW at 1200 fps) loads in that S&W M60.

All these revolvers have smooth actions, easy cocking and very nice triggers.

Nearly ALL autoloaders lost out because of difficulty with cycling slide.

Niklas

 

[tom turner]

Mine finally decided to arm herself after several local attacks on LADIES in this town a couple of years ago . . . that also motivated the sheriff to offer ladies-only classes (very well attended) that included firearms training! Once requirement? Bring your own handgun and 50 rounds of ammo! It took the sheriff months to train all who signed up, but I digress!

WHAT GUN IS CORRECT?

Like with guys, ladies like different things too so there's no definitive answer. So . . . I took 'em all, from .22LR, .32 S&W Long, .32ACP, .38, .357, .40S&W, .45ACP and .44 Magnum/Special.

Guns have to fit the hand well, plus the lady may have definite preferences.

Mine HATED the automatics! (Smart lady!) She had trouble even working the slide on the little .32 auto (Kel-Tec P32), and felt she couldn't even rack the slide on the 1911 .45.

Turning to the wheelguns . . . she absolutely loved my 3" barreled Model 65 (though I put Hogue "goodyears" on it to soften the recoil).

Although "big," she also really liked my chopped barrel, custom 25-2 3 1/4" barreled N frame revolver in .45ACP . . . though it was too big to CCW. She also did her best shooting with these two fine revolvers.


So . . . I let her use my M65 3" for a while but found she still thought it too big and "heavy" to always carry.

ENTER HER FAVORITE HANDGUN! . . .

I found another 3" barreled revolver used in a local gun store . . . a S&W J-framed Model 37 "Airweight."

1. The Airweights have a frame weight of about 16 oz. with a 3" tube (vs. about 35 oz. for the M65), thanks to their small size and aluminum frame!

2. She could shoot that little Airweight well, due to the 3" barrel!

3. The 3" barrel kicked a whole lot less to her vs. my M37 snubbie too. Again . . . the longer the barrel, the less the recoil!

She's now found HER perfect handgun . . . and her Sheriff Department instructor told her she shot it as well as most cops at the range too!!!

Simple - Safe - Easy To Shoot - Accurate - Easy To Carry . . . that's a 3" J-frame.

T.

PS: Teach her to grip any handgun, and especially a revolver, with a high, firm grip. This places the barrel (bore axis) nearly as low as the hand . . . GREATLY reducing muzzle flip, torque in the hand, AND felt recoil. It will make ANY handgun easier and more fun to shoot well.

PPS: Start her with 140 grain target .38 Spl. WADCUTTER ammunition. The stuff is super accurate . . . and very, very gentle on the hand. Of course, eye protection AND hearing protection is an absolute must.

 

[FotoTomas]

My wife tried all I had and fell in love with the Beretta 92D Centurion I carried on duty and off. She hated my S&W revolvers. All of them.

Today I am issued a SIG and my wife is happier that the Centurion stays home now. Even so the S&W Model 38 Bodyguard is my EDC and the Model 19 Combat Magnum gets some belt time as well. I still love my revolvers.

 

[PeterCartwright]

Congrats, for whatever reason your wife decided to shoot. As for finding the right gun, one thing to consider is hand size. Presuming she has average (i.e. smaller) hands, I think a 3", steel J frame in .38 Spl. has a lot to offer. Ruger's SP101 would be another viable option. If her hands are larger, a K frame might do just fine. On the other hand, if she prefers lighter or flatter guns, I've had fine service from my Kahr K9 and more recently P9.

It would be really nice if you had some friends who would allow your wife some exposure options to determine what SHE prefers. Some ladies do very well with 1911s in good old .45. Short triggers can be had to reduce length of pull. In any case, I'm envious of your opportunities to shoot with your spouse.

PC

 

[BSkerj]

My wife also wanted to shoot so I took her out to our gun range and let her try my 642 with a light reload that I loaded for my daughter who loves shooting it. My wife was still weary of the recoil.
Low and behold a LNIB 4" 317 became available to me and I bought it for myself..my wife wanted to try it and fell in love with it. I more or less gave it to her. I keep the 642 as a bedside gun with the piece of mind that if she ever needs it she has trained herself on how to shoot with the 317 and in a stressful situation training will take over and she will be able to shoot the 642 as well as she does the 317.

 

[TSQUARED]

I have seen too many novice shooters discouraged by starting with a "he man gun" and loads. Start a new shooter with a quality 22 revolver, S&W K-22, 617, 317 or 63 depending on your preference for frame size. When the new shooter become proficient in it's use both SA and DA then switch to mild loads in a 38 Special revolver. As familiarity and competence progresses change to full power loads.

 

[WVfishguy]

I bought my wife a beater M10 a couple of years ago. I thought she'd shoot it once, scream and drop it (she's not the most athletic person I know...)

Now she has her CC license and lays claim to a bunch of guns in the safe, with her favorites being a 586 no dash and a 1968 vintage Python.

Recoil doesn't bother her in the least - she shot full power loads from my .44 Redhawk last week, and full house .357s don't bother her at all.

I'd recommend a old Model 10, or a Ruger Security/Service/Speed Six for women. The weight seems to suit them, and with .38s, the recoil is mild. Importantly, the trigger pull is light and smooth, and won't hurt their fingers.

 

[Spotteddog]

A .22 wheel gun 4" or longer barrel is the preferred start point. Whether borrowed, owned or rented. Once the sighting concepts are dialed in, your Model 19 using 148 grain full wad cutter target loads will send her on her way towards a lifetime of being able to shoot anything that goes bang! Just tell her the truth is, if you can shoot one you've shot them all.
Your a lucky guy!
Congratulations!

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
Just what I need ,,,more people wanting 3in J and K frame
guns--- now the price will go up again!!
I am Kidding, there are few guns better than a 3in in any flaver
and cal, that the grip fit the shooters hand.

 

[dbarale]

A couple more points:
- Trigger pull on .22 revolvers may be slightly heavier than on a centerfire. Start her single action the move on to DA but be aware that it will feel heavy to her at first.
- Start with reactive targets, up close. I love ballons at 5 to 7 yards. Puts a big smile on a new shooter's face when they pop 'em.
- It you're using a K frame, the female shooters seem to love the hogue bantam grip. Don't ask me why, I guess it just fits their hand.
- J frames are cute but, unless it's a 3 or 4" barrel, they are hard to shoot. Stay away from the snubs at first.
- Eyes and ear protection! My wife is not as sensitive to recoil as she is to muzzle blast...
- She may tire quickly, don't force it if she's done after 20 rounds.
- Indoor ranges can be intimidating, if possible shoot outside.

So what to pick? K frame in .22 or .38 using light wadcutters. 3 to 6" barrel but don't assume that she will stay with it.
Let her try whatever she wants and let her decide what she is comfortable with.
For mine it's ruger 22/45, M60 Ladysmith for carry and Security Six with wadcutters at the range. She hates semi-autos...