On an ankle or in a pocket, yes. For any sort of waistband or shoulder holster carry, no. Women being smaller I don't think pocket carry is even doable with a 2 inch, so there's not much reason for them to choose a 2 inch over a 3 inch.
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Womens Revolver suggestions please....
- Thread starter PaulR
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That's what I'm thinking, while a guy gets tagged for wearing a fanny pack, a woman with a purse doesn't draw much attention, so barrel length, within reason, shouldn't be a huge issue. I'm guessing 3-4 inch would fit in a relatively small purse. But then you have to worry about purse snatchers, but another problem for another discussion.
4” k-frame would probably be a bit much for purse carry, but I think a 3” J-frame might work, and it would be a lot easier to shoot than a 2”. It would be a bit harder to draw, though.
Biff Quizler
NES Member
Took my daughter out to shoot a few weeks ago and brought a few pistols....Glock, Sig... once she shot the S&W 640 that's all she kept loading up. Touch heavier carrying than the airlights but man... smooooooth trigger and the additional weight buffered the recoil of mid-hot .38's.
I've found rimfire revolvers trigger springs are a bit stiffer...
Had a 351PD (.22 mag)... looked nice, would NOT recommend, tough trigger and wasn't impressed with accuracy. Traded into a 2nd one, traded that one away as well.
I've found rimfire revolvers trigger springs are a bit stiffer...
Had a 351PD (.22 mag)... looked nice, would NOT recommend, tough trigger and wasn't impressed with accuracy. Traded into a 2nd one, traded that one away as well.
Well i'm not your wife so no clue what SHE feels comfortable in HER hands, but I can tell you this do NOT, and I repeat do NOT get a cheap Ruger LCR 38/357 . My wife bought one without shooting it first and while it felt very nice in her hands, it SUCKS painfully to shoot more than 5 rounds. She HATES it.
tinhorn
NES Member
Yup, I've learned to not trust ANY mechanical device. It's why I carry two.
You say that like it's a bad thing.
He needs some actual training and I bet he handles them better.
That's why .32's are making a comeback as no matter how light the revolver is the .32 makes it comfortable to shoot. Thanks to a few youtube videos the question of it being underpowered is no longer relevant as the demonstration shows them as capable as .38 in penetration and expansion.
An inch is not a huge difference. I'm a small lady, so I'm not carrying it the way most men might, and frankly, I can't. My 3" 60 is lighter than SP 101 DAO, and in a holster, there's no way it matters. More often than not, I'll carry in a pistol bag on the body - other ladies might opt for a handbag. It's important to be comfortable shooting the gun and to be able to use it well. The first gun a shop recommended to me was the 442 and I found it to be most unpleasant; fortunately, I also purchased a Beretta 92FS compact - and not a shock, the Beretta became my favorite for obvious reasons, and I loved shooting it. I don't buy guns to just carry them...
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Snub nosed revolvers are NOT lady's guns, nor are they appropriate for a beginner.
I assist a teacher who introduces women to handguns. We've had multiple instances where women show up with LadySmith snubs or model 60s. Unless they are experienced shooters, it's always a mess. The trigger pulls are too stiff, and the necessity of a long trigger pull to rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer makes it near impossible to keep the gun on target. The poor fit between female hands and the small handgrips exacerbates recoil, slowing the ability to get shots off within qualification time limits. Most women find them unpleasant to shoot, even with light .38 special loads.
In every case, these newbies fail even the most basic marksmanship tasks.
Also in every case, when the teacher hands them an EZ Shield, in 9 or 380, they quickly pick up the skills, and start hitting targets. All of them pass the qual by the end of the class.
And don't snicker at the EZ line of guns from Smith. Women have significantly reduced upper body strength compared to testosterone fueled guys, and many of them cannot cycle the slide of a standard handgun. This especially applies to older women. The slides on the EZ line of guns is easy to cycle, and women have no problems loading, unloading, and jam clearing these models.
I assist a teacher who introduces women to handguns. We've had multiple instances where women show up with LadySmith snubs or model 60s. Unless they are experienced shooters, it's always a mess. The trigger pulls are too stiff, and the necessity of a long trigger pull to rotate the cylinder and cock the hammer makes it near impossible to keep the gun on target. The poor fit between female hands and the small handgrips exacerbates recoil, slowing the ability to get shots off within qualification time limits. Most women find them unpleasant to shoot, even with light .38 special loads.
In every case, these newbies fail even the most basic marksmanship tasks.
Also in every case, when the teacher hands them an EZ Shield, in 9 or 380, they quickly pick up the skills, and start hitting targets. All of them pass the qual by the end of the class.
And don't snicker at the EZ line of guns from Smith. Women have significantly reduced upper body strength compared to testosterone fueled guys, and many of them cannot cycle the slide of a standard handgun. This especially applies to older women. The slides on the EZ line of guns is easy to cycle, and women have no problems loading, unloading, and jam clearing these models.
I wouldn’t suggest a revolver for someone who’s not an avid shooter. Yea you can just pull it out and soak the trigger but to actually shoot a j frame accurately and or reload one under stress. It’s difficult.
fencer
NES Member
FIFY
Abe Froman
NES Member
I will counter this argument that it could be the difference between "Don't! Stop!" and "Don't stop!"
Rat187
NES Member
Since these models are very light, I do understand I swapped the stock grips out on this Performance model .38 with a soft rubber Hogue grip. When it comes to protecting yourself with it, trust me, you’re not gonna feel the bite. not an expert by any means.
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honestly id consider some pocket autos, yes its more complex in how its handled, but a small 380 like a bodyguard 2 or a p238 is easily controlled and concealable. when i was shopping for a gun for my mom, i tried a 238 and loved how it shot, was a nice handy little thing. taurus does make a DAO 380 revolver, but as stated, the trigger pull is long and heavy on DAOs
also there are .32 cal revolvers out there, but id honestly prefer to use .32 mags over a .32 long load. if i had to choose between .32 long and .22 mag, id probably pick the .22 honestly. also, its a pain to get .32 ammo of any flavor most of the time, and if you do find it, its not cheap. if i was to bother with a snubby, something steel frame and beefy like an sp101 will help with recoil, but be worse to carry in the long run than something 1 pound loaded. at the end of the day, go somewhere you can rent a gun or try before you buy like cape gun works or mass firearms. something can feel great in the hand, like a 329PD, but actually shooting it can be a whole different ballgame.
www.taurususa.com
also there are .32 cal revolvers out there, but id honestly prefer to use .32 mags over a .32 long load. if i had to choose between .32 long and .22 mag, id probably pick the .22 honestly. also, its a pain to get .32 ammo of any flavor most of the time, and if you do find it, its not cheap. if i was to bother with a snubby, something steel frame and beefy like an sp101 will help with recoil, but be worse to carry in the long run than something 1 pound loaded. at the end of the day, go somewhere you can rent a gun or try before you buy like cape gun works or mass firearms. something can feel great in the hand, like a 329PD, but actually shooting it can be a whole different ballgame.
380 Revolver .380ACP - Matte Black 1.75" | Taurus USA
www.taurususa.com
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Tradeoffs for carry. Those Hogue rubber grips tend to also stick to fabrics and can slow down a draw or awkwardly catch and help print. I like the Pachmayrs as they tend to stick to clothing less but most of the time I carry Altamont wood grips on my 642 if it's a wheel gun going in a pocket.
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I'll say shooting strength is a different type of strength.
For $230, can't go wrong with the Filipino flint special
www.classicfirearms.com
Rock Island Armory 51283 Model 206 Revolver .38 Spl, 2", 6 Round, Black
Armscor 51283: The M206 Revolver is ideal for self defense and concealed carry. With a 2" fully shrouded barrel and standard hammer along with a fixed front sight with smooth channel frame-cut rear sight, it's designed to perform when it counts. This firearm comes equipped with a checkered wood...
www.classicfirearms.com
Rat187
NES Member
I tend to agree. I actually carry my 4 foot two less with the whole grips because of that problem but in a woman's pocketbook, I don't see where that's gonna be a big problem. The case in point I went out today and I just took my revolver stuck in my waistband. Spent five minutes in the store come out and when I got home, I found it had ridden up to cylinder above the belt line. Damn it, stick grips were so east to conceal....
Rat187
NES Member
Life is cheap in our old Possession/Colony...But Flips prefer 1911'sFor $230, can't go wrong with the Filipino flint special
Rock Island Armory 51283 Model 206 Revolver .38 Spl, 2", 6 Round, Black
Armscor 51283: The M206 Revolver is ideal for self defense and concealed carry. With a 2" fully shrouded barrel and standard hammer along with a fixed front sight with smooth channel frame-cut rear sight, it's designed to perform when it counts. This firearm comes equipped with a checkered wood...
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