Recommendation on small caliber revolver for wife

[walton6467]

Wife wants to carry, but doesn't trust that she would know how to clear a jam on a semi-auto and wants a revolver. At the same time, she is going to need a smaller caliber due to her strength. Can someone recommend a small caliber revolver?

 

Thanks. 

[Chucktshoes]

I know it’s not the question that you asked, but small revolvers suitable for carry, even in smaller calibers, are generally awful to actually shoot and use. If I may offer a bit of a recommendation outside of your actual ask, maybe have her take a firearms familiarization class from a local range where she gets to try and use several different handguns. The benefit may be twofold in that she may discover more confidence with a semi automatic pistol, but also may help discover what will actually work for her. 

[peejman]

12 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

I know it’s not the question that you asked, but small revolvers suitable for carry, even in smaller calibers, are generally awful to actually shoot and use. If I may offer a bit of a recommendation outside of your actual ask, maybe have her take a firearms familiarization class from a local range where she gets to try and use several different handguns. The benefit may be twofold in that she may discover more confidence with a semi automatic pistol, but also may help discover what will actually work for her. 

This.

My wife had the same concerns. The rental .38 snubby we tried was the single worst pistol I've ever shot. She said my .45 compact was easier to shoot, and settled on a Shield 9.

[Grayfox54]

I've told the story many times about my wife's arthritis in her hands. She finally settled on a 2" S&W Model 30 in .32 S&W Long. She could shoot it very well and the recoil didn't hurt her hands. 

If you were to buy something in .327 Fed Magnum, she could shoot .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Federal Magnum all out of the same gun. She could try the various cartridges and settle on whichever one she could shoot and handle the best. 

I really think that .32s are highly under rated. 

[Choatecav]

1 hour ago, walton6467 said:

Wife wants to carry, but doesn't trust that she would know how to clear a jam on a semi-auto and wants a revolver. At the same time, she is going to need a smaller caliber due to her strength. Can someone recommend a small caliber revolver?

 

Thanks. 

I'm gonna break ranks and say that you are thinking correctly for the answer for your wife.  I went through this very thing with my wife and I also tried to steer her toward a semi-auto.  We tried the Shield, the XDs and the Ruger LCP.  She is not a "gun person" but did take some lessons with all of these.  The problem is that while we enjoy handling semi's and dropping mags and clearing jams, etc. some do not and factually, most women are in that group.  Even the basic "racking of the slide" does not come natural and easy for most women.  I am not saying all but most.  So, in a moment of fear or excitement it is not a good time to experiment with this question when her life hangs in the balance.  

So, we tried several revolvers and she ended up with, and still carries, the Ruger SP101.  This revolver is a bit heavy, but it's mass is a friend when firing and shooting .38 caliber rounds with a very mild recoil.  It is crazy reliable and has a buttery smooth trigger.  

Semi's do give more rounds but while stylish, must be handled with frequency to be comfortable and reliable.  

As Clint Eastwood said as "Dirty Harry"...."That's a helluva price to pay for being stylish."

Edited July 22 by Choatecav

[eRay]

36 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

I've told the story many times about my wife's arthritis in her hands. She finally settled on a 2" S&W Model 30 in .32 S&W Long. She could shoot it very well and the recoil didn't hurt her hands. 

If you were to buy something in .327 Fed Magnum, she could shoot .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Federal Magnum all out of the same gun. She could try the various cartridges and settle on whichever one she could shoot and handle the best. 

I really think that .32s are highly under rated. 

This would be my solution. My wife likes a S&W Model 637 in 38 special. I have considered a .32 long for her as well. Only drawback is a lack of different hollow point ammunition in .32 long.

[Grayfox54]

5 minutes ago, eRay said:

Only drawback is a lack of different hollow point ammunition in .32 long.

HP expansion in .32 Long is pretty much non-existent. Just ain't enough velocity for reliable expansion. 

The load we settled on was the Mag-Tech 98gr SJHP. Good velocity, very accurate and decent penetration for a .32 Long. 

[RED333]

My wife carries a Ruger LCR IN 38 +P. No hammer, just point and shoot.

[BigK]

Knowing my wife CAN shoot, but doesn't practice, makes me even more concerned that 5 or 6 rounds won't be enough. I'm less concerned about her pistol jamming and her not being able to clear it than I am about her revolver running out of ammo. I may not be certain she can clear the jam, but I am definitely certain she could not reload that revolver fast enough to stay alive.

Edited July 22 by BigK

[Tom B]

 I too am concerned my wife wouldnt be able to clear a jam.

So she carries a Smith 317 8 shot 22 revolver. I know, I know folks will say its only a 22.

Its almost all aluminum and weighs nothing. 3" barrel, and I put some smooth wood grips on it so it doesnt snag.

But she feels comfortable carrying it. And who am I to argue with her-lol

[BigK]

43 minutes ago, Tom B said:

But she feels comfortable carrying it. And who am I to argue with her-lol

Amen! If she's carrying a gun that's the biggest hurdle already defeated.

[Darrell]

We bought a Ruger LCR in .357 mag for my 5 foot nothing, 100 pound wife. She just didn't have the hand-strength to rack the slide on a semi, but she's well-able to point and shoot the revolver. We do NOT load it with .357 ammo, though, instead going with 38 SPL. The extra weight of the .357 revolver tames the felt recoil when shooting .38 SPL, and she handles it just fine.

Now, she's not going to practice dumping a cylinder and using a speed-loader, but she can put six round on-target without any fuss.

[papa61]

The best gun to have in a gunfight is the one you have with you. To that end I have drifted to smaller/lighter over the years for daily carry. If the situation merits, I have other options. My everyday everywhere is a Kel Tec P32 with a Kimber Micro9 as second. A CCW is primarily defensive, we as enthusiasts tend to overlook that in our daily choices just because we like it. All that said, 5-6 rounds is sufficient for a daily CCW in most instances.

Not even going to get into the issues I've had trying to find something for my wife. But my sister has arthritis and needed something light and easy to load and shoot. She settled on Taurus PT22 with the tip up barrel. The P32 and P3AT have no exposed hammer, and no external safety. Excellent options for me. The 32ACP has low recoil as well. For revolvers, I agree with the .327 mag options with .32 long for the stated objective. virtually jam proof, no safety, no slide or magazine to manipulate. .22LR or .22MAG would be second. Personal fit is most important, have the intended user handle several different models of both revolver and semi auto and explain the balance between light weight and recoil. Don't forget situational awareness stops more gunfights than Dirty Harry's 629.

[Garufa]

A .38 Special snubnose of some variety might actually be an option if you used wadcutters.  Very low recoil and surprisingly effective.

[Choatecav]

2 hours ago, Darrell said:

We bought a Ruger LCR in .357 mag for my 5 foot nothing, 100 pound wife. She just didn't have the hand-strength to rack the slide on a semi, but she's well-able to point and shoot the revolver. We do NOT load it with .357 ammo, though, instead going with 38 SPL. The extra weight of the .357 revolver tames the felt recoil when shooting .38 SPL, and she handles it just fine.

Now, she's not going to practice dumping a cylinder and using a speed-loader, but she can put six round on-target without any fuss.

That's great....  When my wife went to take her shooting test for her carry permit (back when you had to do that) she took my vintage Colt Python with 4" barrel but fired .38's instead of .357's.  Felt like shooting a BB gun.

[JohnSutton1980]

My wife took a Woman’s beginner handgun class at a local range to me. In that class they use exclusively 22LR. A Glock 44, Browning Buckmark. Ruger etc. She really liked the Glock, as do most with sense, the following week we went and bought a new Glock 44 and that’s what she still carries 3 years later. I have tried several different times to get her to a 9mm. But she is just like her husband and is stubborn. We researched the 22lr “defensive” ammo and settled on the newer Federal Punch. Using an aftermarket 18 round magazine, I feel confident she will be ok. Or really puss someone off.

[TripleGGG]

25 minutes ago, JohnSutton1980 said:

My wife took a Woman’s beginner handgun class at a local range to me. In that class they use exclusively 22LR. A Glock 44, Browning Buckmark. Ruger etc. She really liked the Glock, as do most with sense, the following week we went and bought a new Glock 44 and that’s what she still carries 3 years later. I have tried several different times to get her to a 9mm. But she is just like her husband and is stubborn. We researched the 22lr “defensive” ammo and settled on the newer Federal Punch. Using an aftermarket 18 round magazine, I feel confident she will be ok. Or really puss someone off.

My wife loves the Glock 44 as well. She also has a Walther in 22lr. She practices a lot and can dump every round in very tight groups. Too me, staying proficient is much more important than the caliber. 

[ianb]

Lots of wisdom in this thread. 

Where you hit is way more important than what you hit with. 

Choose the gun you will carry. I'm a big fan of the Keltec P32 but I'm learning to love the micro 9

Practice. Lots.

[Moped]

I’m another fan of the .32 revolver! There are several out there to chose from. Taurus as really up their game with QC, so you might look at a 327. As noted early it will chamber .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag and .327 Fed Mag.  Charter Arms makes the Undercoverette in .32 H&R Mag. Ruger makes the LCR and the SP101 in .327 Fed Mag. S&W makes the 432 in .327 Fed Mag. All these are 6 shot revolvers. Most are under 20oz. Most have a 2” barrel. Prices start in the high 300s and gun up from there. These are current production guns, but there are a bunch of older models not made anymore in .32 S&W Long too. I recently purchased an older S&W Pre Model 30 I-Frame for $440 out the door at my local LGS. It’s a sweet heart to shot with wadcutters. A couple of years back I passed on a Rossi, because I was being cheap (and stupid), that I could have had for $300. It had a perfect Nickel finish. 

https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers/small-frame-revolvers/taurus-327/taurus-r-327-matte-black-327-fed-mag-2-in

https://charterfirearms.com/collections/undercoverette
 

https://ruger.com/products/lcr/specSheets/5452.html
 

https://ruger.com/products/sp101/specSheets/5784.html

https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/model-432-ultimate-carry-revolver-32hr-mag-black-with-no-lock

[Will Carry]

I bought a Charter Arms Pitbull in .380 for my wife.  It has a six-round cylinder and a 3" barrel.  I love it so much that I kept it and gave my wife my Walther P-22. I like this revolver so much I bought a Pitbull in 45acp. I carry it on occasion. 

Pros: The trigger is as good as any of my Smith and Wesson revolvers in single or double action. It is accurate, holds 6 rounds instead of 5 and has a lifetime warranty. 

It has no recoil. 

Cons: The same device that allows you to extract an automatic casing makes it a little difficult to reload. You get use to it but I wouldn't want to have to reload during a gun fight.  That is why I carry a backup gun.  

Edited July 23 by Will Carry

[.38SuperMan]

Another fan of .32 S&W long. I’m another old guy with arthritis and can still handle moderate recoil but why beat up my wrists and do more damage. I recently traded a beautiful nickel Smith M37 for an unfired 1953 Colt Cobra in .32. I had never owned one and never fired one but all it took was the first time. I’m crazy about this gun. It hardly weighs anything and .32 is extremely mild. I’m not sure there’s any more recoil than my Smith 317 22. 
 

I’m hesitant to let my wife shoot it because she’ll say it hers and I’ll be out my .32. I’m thing I’ll let her try it and if she wants to carry a .32 I’ll pickup another Cobra or Detective Special in .32 or a 2” Smith 30 or 31. 

[chances R]

Ones has to shoot before you can get a jam.  If you are not carrying, well the cart is in front of the horse.  Most of us started with small calibers and that is what I recommend with most new shooters, especially women. There are some exceptions.  If you think .22 is not acceptable, hold my target for me.

I have instructed many new shooters and the most common mistake I have seen, both male and female is trying to start with snub 38s.  Some people can’t pull the trigger dbl action.  Most are surprised at the recoil.

Get quality instruction and a large sampling and let the shooter decide.  I always tell husbands and boyfriends, if you don’t buy their shoes, don’t buy their guns, let them decide by trying them on.

 

 

[Nomad]

Start with a 22 until she is not scared, then move to a .38.   A .38 is more than capable.

[Chucktshoes]

4 hours ago, chances R said:

 I always tell husbands and boyfriends, if you don’t buy their shoes, don’t buy their guns, let them decide by trying them on.

I love this line and am providing you the courtesy of letting you know I am unashamedly stealing it.