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Womens Revolver suggestions please....
- Thread starter PaulR
- Start date
JDL
NES Member
Snub nose revolvers in 38spl. and up, such as the S&W j frames or Colt subs. are a handful to shoot. Before making the decision on a revolver I would have her try some out. Also remember the lighter the revolver the greater the felt recoil. You may be better served with a smaller semiauto.
Depending on her experience level, you should at least consider a .22 or .32 caliber revolver as they are easier to shoot. Easier, but still not easy. As previously mentioned, they are basically belly guns at best, especially with the long heavy trigger pulls. Some are actually hard to shoot and hit anything more than 10-12 ft away. Sights tend to suck too, so whatever you choose, consider adding a pair of Crimson Trace Lasergrips to it so it will be easier to aim.
Buck F
NES Member
Ruger LCRX in .38+P is small, light and has a small hammer so you can shoot DA/SA which I think is a plus, particularly for women who may not like the long DA trigger pull. It's not as crazy light as a SW AirLight so it's much less unpleasant to shoot. Also comes in .22mag & .32
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
If I leave out some of the extra small solid frame H&R's I have, the SP101 is the worst DA trigger on a revolver I've ever owned. Even the .22 LCRx trigger is better, which yes, it's heavier, but the revolver weighs half as much and is easier to keep on target thru the heavy pull.
If given the choice of a free Taurus 605 or SP101, I'd rather have the Taurus. I think I'd rather have a Charter than an SP101.
tinhorn
NES Member
These were important factors for my wife, who was a brand new shooter. It was also important to smooth the serrations on the Ruger hammers so they didn't tear up her skin.
Small revolvers suck to shoot. The lighter they are, the more they suck. Most women are recoil shy. So giving them a high recoiling gun with a heavy trigger is generally a bad idea.
In addition, they are hard to shoot accurately without a lot of practice, which most people tend not to do because they suck to shoot...
If you are really stuck on this, then get an all steel revolver, budget for a professional trigger job (Greg Derr did a great trigger job on one of my K-frames), and get as long a barrel as is feasible given how it will be used. A 3" revolver is much easier to shoot than a sub 2" revolver.
If they have small hands, a K-frame probably won't work, so they will be stuck with a J-frame (which are significantly worse to shoot than a K-frame).
In addition, they are hard to shoot accurately without a lot of practice, which most people tend not to do because they suck to shoot...
If you are really stuck on this, then get an all steel revolver, budget for a professional trigger job (Greg Derr did a great trigger job on one of my K-frames), and get as long a barrel as is feasible given how it will be used. A 3" revolver is much easier to shoot than a sub 2" revolver.
If they have small hands, a K-frame probably won't work, so they will be stuck with a J-frame (which are significantly worse to shoot than a K-frame).
Ricky_Bobby
NES Member
We have an S&W 442 with a trigger job done by Dave Santurri. It’s not bad to shoot with +p ammo after the trigger job. Great for short distances. My wife is new to shooting and she has zero issues with getting it on target.
Like others have said
Find a shop that you can try before you buy.
If you do go with a Snubby they do make ammo for 2" barrels.
The LCR is nice, But get the 357 and shoot 38's out of it, They also Make one in 327 Mag
thegunzone.com
Find a shop that you can try before you buy.
If you do go with a Snubby they do make ammo for 2" barrels.
The LCR is nice, But get the 357 and shoot 38's out of it, They also Make one in 327 Mag
What is .327 caliber? | [January Updated]
What is .327 caliber? The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge that was introduced in 2007 by Federal Cartridge and Ruger. It is a high-powered revolver cartridge that is known for its impressive performance. The .327 caliber is known for its ability to deliver more energy than a .357 Magnum while...
thegunzone.com
Mine came with a trigger job.
I’ve had a revolver jam.
While I like .32, I've lost interest in .327 especially for the LCR now that Ruger is naking a .32 H&R Mag that's a bit lighter and cheaper. The main reason why is people are opting to use .32 H&R or S&W Long in these and due to the dimensions of the .327 chamber they are losing velocity shooting that ammo in a .327 over had it been shot in a .32 H&R Mag chamber.Like others have said
Find a shop that you can try before you buy.
If you do go with a Snubby they do make ammo for 2" barrels.
The LCR is nice, But get the 357 and shoot 38's out of it, They also Make one in 327 Mag
What is .327 caliber? | [January Updated]
What is .327 caliber? The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge that was introduced in 2007 by Federal Cartridge and Ruger. It is a high-powered revolver cartridge that is known for its impressive performance. The .327 caliber is known for its ability to deliver more energy than a .357 Magnum while...
So, I wouldn't suggest a .327 LCR here and the reason I suggested the .327 Taurus is it has a 3 inch barrel and a bobbed hammer.
cjmass
NES Member
Revolvers definitely can jam. When I had my S&W 357 magnum airlite J frame Model 340 PD, I had it jam several times with certain brands of ammo because the heavy recoil in such a light revolver caused bullets to jump the crimp and protrude enough to prevent the cylinder from rotating and causing a jam. I also had this happen with a Ruger SP101 in 9mm which had sharp recoil sufficient to cause bullets to jump the crimp and jam the gun. These types of jams in a revolver are not quick to clear since you must open cylinder and eject the cartridge with the protruding bullet. Much slower than clearing most jams on a semi-auto.
APFSDS
NES Member
I hate to admit it, but I really like my G3C. Like, what a glock 26 should have been. Better trigger, better ergonomics, takes glock sights etc.
TBH the concealment revolvers I have shot are miserable. Snappy, massive fireball, terrible sights, heavy long trigger. My GF can handle a P365, Glock 26, Taurus G3C just fine. If she can't rack the slide get suppressor sights or a slide racker back plate.
Just keep in mind that if the bad guy can grab the cylinder, it's not gonna go bang. More legal instruction is needed by most people, even the USCCA course doesn't spend enough time on it in my opinion. Having a solid background on the legal side of things opens up the distance part of the decision on when you can legally use force.
Everyone always asks why cops get off on 'iffy' shoots? They know how to present themselves legally.
Everyone always asks why cops get off on 'iffy' shoots? They know how to present themselves legally.
That's why it's important to carry an airsoft pistol too. Something realistic like an all metal licensed gas blowback Sig P229. You 'accidentally' drop it, bad guy goes to pick it up thinking he got the drop on you and you light him up with the real steel.
All we're doing is giving suggestions on what to look at and what to avoid. OP is focused on a revolver, it's a simple and effective option and people are suggesting avoiding 2 inch snubs because they are hard to shoot well with and 3 inch is much easier to shoot with. Some have suggested rimfires, I wouldn't because those triggers are heavy and IDK if a woman would be able to be effective with them or if after a cylinder enjoy shooting it.
The first thing to do for an introduction is get them to enjoy shooting first. Even if a 3 inch revolver is bigger than desired, it's a means to an end and she can always get a smaller one later.
Clicks obviously, but gun owners run the gambit from nearly retarded to genius level.
I have not been around revolvers that much, but real question:
Is a 3 Inch barrel 'that much' harder to conceal than a 2 inch? I know carrying semi autos, barrel length isn't normally the major factor in printing. It's the grip. Granted a 6 inch 1911 uber match would be a problem unless wearing a jacket, but IWB, barrel length really doesn't matter that much. I'm not even considering open carry, because I think that's dumb to start with (unless the only way you can carry).
Is a 3 Inch barrel 'that much' harder to conceal than a 2 inch? I know carrying semi autos, barrel length isn't normally the major factor in printing. It's the grip. Granted a 6 inch 1911 uber match would be a problem unless wearing a jacket, but IWB, barrel length really doesn't matter that much. I'm not even considering open carry, because I think that's dumb to start with (unless the only way you can carry).
