Need some advice????

[bersaguy]

Ok, I am in need of some advice about a wheel gun. B.t's wife is in the market for a wheel gun to keep on night stand and not for carry. She carries a 380 Body Guard but wanting a wheel gun for home defense. B.T. had an S&W 357 but she could not shoot it due to weight and recoil. They lady is 5ft tall and might weigh 80 lbs. Since I have very little to no knowledge on wheel guns I am looking for suggestions of what to look for that she may be able to safely use. She can shoot a Bersa Thunder 380 which is what BT taught her to shoot with and is very good with it. She has it but wants a wheel gun and going to sell the Bersa. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Bersa

[xsubsailor]

 I believe several companies make wheel guns in 380. The Ruger LCR in 9mm with critical defense loads would also be a good combo.

[Ronald_55]

Looks like Taurus makes one

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=856&category=Revolver

Do you think she coukd manage a lightweight. 38?

[DaveTN]

If she can’t handle the recoil of a heavy S&W shooting 38’s; she probably won’t be able to handle the recoil of a small 9mm.

[peejman]

22 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

If she can’t handle the recoil of a heavy S&W shooting 38’s; she probably won’t be able to handle the recoil of a small 9mm.

Yep. 

If she can't handle something like a GP100 in 38, there's not much else other than downsizing to something like a .22 mag.  I'd ask her to reconsider selling the Bersa. 

[MacGyver]

You're not likely to find better for soaking up recoil than the S&W - maybe download it with some low recoil .38 Special rounds.  That's going to be similar in recoil to a .380 coming out of that small frame Bersa.

She's going to want something with a steel frame to soak up recoil.  Maybe she could go to an older .32 Smith or something?

 

[AuEagle]

Ruger LCR in .22 or .22 Mag.

[Ronald_55]

If she really has to have a wheel gun, but can't stand the recoil, take a look at a Taurus model 94. It is .22LR. I have one in regular and one in UltraLite. Both mine are stubbies and I love them. Holds 9 rounds. They are not current production, but are fairly common. They also have a Model 941 that is a 8 round .22 Mag. I know people do not see the .22LR as a defense round, but sounds like her options are limited. 

http://www.taurususa.com/product-details.cfm?id=388&category=Revolver

Though if she is comfortable with  the Bersa, that might be the best bet still. Being confident and comfortable with a gun means a lot in a stress situation.

 

[Jamie Jackson]

I see you said her issue was weight and recoil...But can she manage the weight of the revolver trigger pull Bersa?

Is so, what do you think of something along the lines of a S&W 4" model 10 in .38 spl? A Model 10 loaded with 148 gr wadcutter ammo would still be surprisingly effective, accurate, and have a very manageable recoil.

imho the older Model 10's had some of the smoothest double action triggers I've ever run across.

Edited September 6, 2017 by prag
added a word...

[Jimbo100]

I am an old man so I wouldn't rule out old solutions.  A good quality revolver in Colt, Smith, or other name brand in .38 S&W or .32 Long may not be optimal but they are still plenty lethal.  I may be wrong but I think I recall that a .327 magnum will also shoot .32 Long or .32 H&R magnum.  

Personally I like a Smith K frame with a 4 inch barrel as an all around revolver.  I've got others and like them all but a 4 inch K frame is hard to beat.  If trigger pull is an issue then Wolff springs or Wilson Combat springs have done the trick for me in the past.   

 

  

[bersaguy]

Well, a buddy and I took her to a private indoor range about a week ago because she had never shot the 380 Body Guard. It was a gun B.T. carry as back up under his left arm while packing a Tok or 1911 on his belt. She did remarkable with the BG after she got past the size of the gun verses her Bersa. After about 8 magazines she began hitting center mass pretty much consistantly at 10 to 12 feet. Like I said she is not new to shooting. Just new to different guns. She has always wanted a wheel gun but B.T. kept her with the Bersa because she was so good with it. I have considered a 22 Mag for her and she said she was not all that particular with caliber as much as she is being comfortable with the gun, weight and recoil. She said if I can hit what I am shooting a 22Mag should stop about any bad guy won't it or at least really discourage them and I said I would think so. I have even considered getting a 22 mag wheel for my house. I have more faith in them than I do a 32 cal. when it comes to stopping ability. What are ya'lls thought on a 22 Mag and if you think it would do the job which 22 Mag would folks like to speak out about?  

[xsubsailor]

 Here's a good write up on the Ruger LCR .22 Magnum.

http://www.downrange.tv/blog/ruger-lcr-22-magnum-a-pleasure-to-shoot/31118/

 The Taurus 991 Tracker is another possibility. It holds 9 rounds.

Edited September 6, 2017 by xsubsailor

[Jimbo100]

I think .22 magnum is okay if she can hit with that and is comfortable with it.  My preference is centerfire ammo so I didn't mention .22 magnum.  

Still miss a Webley in 38/200.  It was a very soft recoil accurate revolver.  A Smith Victory model in 38/200 is also a nice shooting revolver.  That ammo is not generally available however and I like the earlier suggestion of a .38 special revolver with wadcutters or other lighter loads.  

Having said that good quality ammo in a .22 magnum along with accurate shot placement sounds reasonable to me.   

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Jimbo100

[TNWNGR]

Honestly if she can handle the recoil in a BG or Bersa  then she should be able to handle the recoil in a standard barrel S&W Model 10 or a Colt Police Positive. A Ruger Security Six or Speed Six would do the trick as well. Just stick with a standard velocity .38 Special round in it for her. Buffalo Bore offers one for older short barrel .38 Special revolvers.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=111

I've yet to encounter an older S&W K frame or Colt PP that a good cleaning and proper lubrication failed to improve the trigger pull. But if that fails to do the trick spring kits are easy installations. Thumb cocking a DA/SA works just fine for folks as well. 

I don't have a problem with a .32 S&W Long set up with a good defensive load instead of a .22 Magnum

[RED333]

Get the Lady a Heritage 22 with both cylinders. Let her shoot the 22LR all day and load the Mag at night. If she has to use the pistol she could shoot a 44 mag loaded hot and not feel a thing. I have one she can use as long as she needs to.

Edited September 7, 2017 by RED333
Because I can

[Dolomite_supafly]

What does she NOT like about her current gun?

If 22 magnum is her choice I would not hesitate to get a Keltec PMR. 30 rounds is hard to beat. Recoil is nothing and racking the slide is super easy. Trigger is nice and it has a safety, which a lot of women seem to want. If you ever get up my way both of you are more than welcome to put some rounds through it.

[Dolomite_supafly]

And did I mention it is lightweight, I mean REALLY lightweight.

[Grayfox54]

I generally don't recommend rimfires for self defense simply because centerfire cartridges are more reliable. I've noticed that since the shortage ended, misfires in .22 ammo seem to be much more common.  But then, with a revolver, all you have to do is pull the trigger again. So that might work. 

Don't overlook the various .32s. They're generally small frame guns that are easy to handle. Recoil is minimal and accuracy is superb. Something like a SP-101 in .327 Federal gives you many ammo options in .327, .32 H&R or .32 S&W Long. My late wife used a S&W Model 30 in .32 Long and was very happy with it. 

Has she tried a medium frame .38 Special? She should at least try one as I believe this would be the best choice for a house gun. 

[Ronald_55]

2 hours ago, Dolomite_supafly said:

What does she NOT like about her current gun?

If 22 magnum is her choice I would not hesitate to get a Keltec PMR. 30 rounds is hard to beat. Recoil is nothing and racking the slide is super easy. Trigger is nice and it has a safety, which a lot of women seem to want. If you ever get up my way both of you are more than welcome to put some rounds through it.

The image of a 5ft tall 80lb woman spraying 30 rounds from the hip at a home invader made me chuckle. Maybe I just need more sleep. 

[peejman]

8 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

The image of a 5ft tall 80lb woman spraying 30 rounds from the hip at a home invader made me chuckle. Maybe I just need more sleep. 

[bersaguy]

13 hours ago, RED333 said:

Get the Lady a Heritage 22 with both cylinders. Let her shoot the 22LR all day and load the Mag at night. If she has to use the pistol she could shoot a 44 mag loaded hot and not feel a thing. I have one she can use as long as she needs to.

LOL, I forgot you have got to meet her and you know how small she is. Do they make a double action Heritage. I thought they were all single actions. I have given this some thought and I know she said she would like to ahve a wheel gun but I think if I just let it rest she will just keep the Bersa on her night stand like she is now and carry the Body Guard as she has started doing.

I will only bring it up again if she does............JMHO

[Murgatroy]

I think a lot of folks fall into this fallacy that women 'need' a wheel gun. After all it eliminates the racking of a slide.

 

I bought my eleven year old daughter a S&W MP22 for her birthday. She can work the slide, load the magazine and clear malfunctions all on her own, and give her old man a run for his money on Battleship. 

 

Now, if she wants a wheel gun, like men want new guns, more power to her. Let her try several out. See if folks from here can take her out and show her a few, or rent them. I have several single actions, and I LOVE them. I have a double action snubbie and I like it too. However at the end of the day, it is nearly always my Glock 19 that does what I want it to do because I trust it. To the point of having multiples of it.

 

If she wants a new gun, she wants a new gun, that is awesome. If she wants a separate gun, not new, not different, SEPARATE gun from her carry piece for a nightstand gun, get her the same thing she carries. 

 

For the record my carry gun is a Glock 19 loaded with Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+. My nightstand gun is a Glock 19 loaded with Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+.

[bersaguy]

15 hours ago, Murgatroy said:

I think a lot of folks fall into this fallacy that women 'need' a wheel gun. After all it eliminates the racking of a slide.

 

I bought my eleven year old daughter a S&W MP22 for her birthday. She can work the slide, load the magazine and clear malfunctions all on her own, and give her old man a run for his money on Battleship. 

 

Now, if she wants a wheel gun, like men want new guns, more power to her. Let her try several out. See if folks from here can take her out and show her a few, or rent them. I have several single actions, and I LOVE them. I have a double action snubbie and I like it too. However at the end of the day, it is nearly always my Glock 19 that does what I want it to do because I trust it. To the point of having multiples of it.

 

If she wants a new gun, she wants a new gun, that is awesome. If she wants a separate gun, not new, not different, SEPARATE gun from her carry piece for a nightstand gun, get her the same thing she carries. 

 

For the record my carry gun is a Glock 19 loaded with Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+. My nightstand gun is a Glock 19 loaded with Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+.

I am not sure why she is not comfortable with her Bersa Thunder for a nightstand gun since she can just about drive thumb tacks with it. B.T. spent numerous hours with her at the range and spent no telling how much money in ammo until she was totally safe with it and totally comfortable with it. I did load 5 back up magazines for her to keep in the night stand drawer for the Bersa. That was another thing BT worked on was reloading the gun when the action locked open on empty. I'm not going to mention a wheel gun to her again and see if she forgets about getting one and just keeps the Bersa. She also has that 380 Body Guard and uses same ammo......JMHO

P.S. I went and looked at Wheel Guns on Buds and they sure are proud of them price wise!!!!