Suggest a .38 home gun for older gentleman

[The Real Hawkeye]

Hi Guys,

My hunting partner wants to get a .38 caliber revolver for home protection. This will be his only handgun in his house. He retired from the Army and in his early 70's. A great guy.

This photo was from an Axis deer hunt last summer on Molokai.

His son in law is in the Marines (Force Recon) so his opinion carries weight. What he suggested is a lightweight, hammerless, snubby. His point was that it could be put in your pocket easily and even fired from a pocket if necessary.

My question for you folks is: If you had to pick one .38 caliber revolver for your bedside...what would it be? (Note: this would only be a house gun...it's not legal to carry in Hawaii.)

Thanks,
Dave

Since it's for the bedside, there's no need to worry about portability or concealment, so might as well splurge and get a Model 10 with a four inch barrel and install a hand-filling aftermarket set of stocks.

 

[derek45auto]

I'm with everyone who says a M10/64 4".
Buds has a 4" M10 for $279 shipped, can't get better then that....

+1 another vote for BUD's police trade-in model 10

Used S&W Police Model 10 38sp Round Butt $279.00 SHIPS FREE

 

[shawn mccarver]

Sounds like a 4 inch round butt (the current ones are round butt) Model 10 or Model 64 is in order.

 

[sac-gunslinger]

have come to the conclusion that the 5-shot Airweight snubs in any configuration represent one of the most overrated, oversold personal defense options out there and are the crummiest .38 Special revolvers for actual use that Smith & Wesson has ever produced.

Yup, I would agree. BUT 642s are bought for carrying, not shooting.

I have carried a 4" medium frame revolver under a coat for 12 or 14 hours a day. T'ain't fun but the expectation of possible use overcame the drawbacks. As a civilian, we can reasonably expect far less chance of use so we will carry the gun a lot and need it very little. The M642 is far easier on my back than an M66.

 

[gunny4053]

Have him look at the model 49 bodyguard. J frame, 2" barrel, steel frame which does tame recoil pretty well, shrouded hammer so he can shoot double action or single action. 158 gr SWC will do the job without beating up him or the gun. Kinda like this one.



Gold dots will do the job well also.

 

[oberon]

4" Model 10.

^^^^^this^^^^^

 

[jframejoey]

3 inch J frame

I think a good compromise would be a 3 inch j frame like a model 36 or the newer 3 60 .357 with adjustable sights. Extra inch for sight radius, point shooting, etc. .357 is heavy and when down loaded with a hot .38 is controllable. Outside of the S&W circle I'd look at a Ruger SP101 with the longer barrel. Even at 3 inches a jframe can be tucked into a front or rear pocket. - Joe

 

[mgo]

I'm 74 years of age, so that places me in the "older gentleman" category of gun owner. The type of revolver that works best for me is a 4" or up to 6" k-frame pencil barreled with rubberized grips for ease of handling when in a big hurry. (and yes, if danger appears suddenly, you will be in a heck of a big hurry to get that revolver going)
The longer barrel places the firearm more within one's line of vision when instinctive shooting, which is the most likely way one would shoot. The luxury of aimed fire just won't be available under those conditions. Shooting in a hurry also usually means one handed shooting, because you may have a flashlight or phone in the other hand.
The longer barrel also reduces the report and flash of the revolver. That's a critical consideration for follow-up shots or other tactics. You've got to see and hear when there's grave danger.
If you have any doubts about the short barreled snub nosed vs. a longer barreled revolver, just shoot both at the range. The difference in report and flash will be screamingly obvious.
Multiply the sound and flash by a factor of ten in a darkened house and use your imagination as to the effects on hearing and vision. And remember +P .38 rounds are even louder than standard loads.

 

[rwsmith]

Be sure to come back.....

Be sure to come back after the purchase and show us which gun wins the contest.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

My favorite .38 spl has been the model 15 (or it's stainless version the model 67).

By the way I had no idea there was deer in Hawaii. I spent a few years there in the 80s and was told they only had wild boar which was introduced and not indegenous to the islands.

 

[Super Dave]

Yea, we saw 500 head of deer running in one herd on Molokai (that's according to the guide). They just keep coming. He estimated there were 10,000 deer on the Molokai Ranch where we hunt.
One guy from Alaska said it's some of the best deer hunting in the world. I don't know about that.
Who would have thought? They have turkey, antelope and a bunch of other birds.

Oh man...I hate to bring this up but my buddy hasn't said anything more about the gun. I know he's interested...just not as interested as we are.

Take care,
Dave

 

[Super Dave]

By the way, the other guy in the first photo with my buddy is the guide.

This is me...

What's neat is all the different micro environments in such a small area.

And down by the ocean where the deer dig for the brackish water.

 

[jframejoey]

WOW

Just wow. That view is amazing.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Have him look at the model 49 bodyguard. J frame, 2" barrel, steel frame which does tame recoil pretty well, shrouded hammer so he can shoot double action or single action. 158 gr SWC will do the job without beating up him or the gun. Kinda like this one.



Gold dots will do the job well also.

That's a beaut alright, and I carry old Bodyguards myself, but since it's only a house gun, why should he disadvantage himself with a J-Frame, a two inch barrel, and only five rounds instead of six?

 

[sac-gunslinger]

Oh man...I hate to bring this up but my buddy hasn't said anything more about the gun. I know he's interested...just not as interested as we are.

That is because we are gun nuts and start foaming at the mouth at the least suggestion we could be buying another one. That's all.

 

[gunny4053]

That's a beaut alright, and I carry old Bodyguards myself, but since it's only a house gun, why should he disadvantage himself with a J-Frame, a two inch barrel, and only five rounds instead of six?

I don't see a J frame as a disadvantage as a house gun. I say that because we're talking a house, a rather confined area that doesn't require shooting at great distances. With a set of larger grips, the J frame easily fits the hand, is very controllable, and if 5 rounds won't do the job, a skatter gun might be a better choice. Of course, this is just my opinion, and because I use mine for this constantly. I drop mine in a pocket during the day, so if there's a BG at the door, I'm covered, and at night it's on the night stand with a couple speed strips.

All that aside, glad to see another bodyguard guy, they are great.

 

[Jdavis]

Many of you guys sound as if you think this gentleman is decrepit with one foot in the grave. If this guy can walk that terrain and shoot a medium to heavy caliber rifle to take his quarry, he is in pretty good shape. If it must be a .38spl revolver, a J or K snub should do the job. Let him make the final choice.
For those that worry about interior noise and muzzle flash let me tell you of my experience. Some time ago, I had an unexpected visitor in my home in the wee hours of the AM. I grabbed my Beretta 92FS and investigated. Upon exiting the bedroom door, I came face to face with the "visitor" who pulled a large knife. He was about 15' away when I fired the 9mm and missed but shattered the urn beside him and he fled. I never saw a flash or even heard the round. I suppose my stress level was too high to notice. The moral of story is noise and flash are the least of your worries in this situation. BTW, I now use a laser on my SD handguns (much easier for older eyes to use under stress)

 

[sac-gunslinger]

I never saw a flash or even heard the round. I suppose my stress level was too high to notice. The moral of story is noise and flash are the least of your worries in this situation.

When I was instructing I frequently had houseives in the class who had never been around guns. They were more worried about noise and recoil than badguys and would not be dissuaded that they would not notice either. After two days on the range all were asking when the big ammo would come out because they had not noticed noise or recoil.

When I reminded them about not noticing, the lightbulb would go on and they would say "ohhhhh......" BTW, these women were far better shots because they listened to and applied instructions about shooting. The cowboys who "didn't need no damn shooting class" were consistently beaten by the "housewives." I used to love to point that our to them.

 

[milkthe23]

Just my two cents!

If you want six rounds a Smith Model 10 4"w/ pac's, or a 686P if you want more. I have nerve damage in my hands and arms age 55. I can stand to fire the FBI Load. No Magnum ammo.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

What is the classic, steel, S&W snub nose revolver (model 10/64 of the small guns)?

Thanks,
Dave

A Model 10/64 2 inch snub nose. There is less barrel to use as leverage if the BG tries to snatch it. I recommend Crimson Trace grips zeroed for the gun/ammunition for home defense, especially for someone who isn't a dedicated handgunner, but that's just me.

ECS