...

[bud]

.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bud

[enfield]

Effective self-defense loads in even .38 Special are kind of 'snappy' in a small carry revolver.  In a K-frame Smith, they're much more pleasant, but the K-frame is not an easily-concealed pistol.   Maybe a .327 Mag?  I've never shot one, but I'm sure somebody on here has.

Maybe the solution is for her to carry lower-power ammo. 

[bud]

.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bud

[kieefer]

Lady Smith in .38 would be nice. My first thought was an LCP but you mentioned snappy.

Plenty of training may help with handling pretty much anything.

[chances R]

IMO the 38 special revolver is the worst gun for most shooters.....UNLESS....they have shot one, like it, and want one.  I have 'rescued' several shooters over the past several years that were given a  38 revolver to qualify in their handgun carry class.  Mistake.  While small and convenient to carry, they are hard to hold quickly and comfortably.  Terrible double-action trigger pull that is at least 10 times the weight of the gun (wonder why you can't hit anything?).  And most are limited to 5 shots.  So I would look at the Kahr, Shield, LCP, 320 Compact, or even some of the Glocks.

[56FordGuy]

I'm going to agree with chances r, a small 38 especially a light one like a 642 is going to be a handful to shoot, no pun intended. If she's going to practice with it and stay proficient, she may struggle with the recoil. Mine is steel with wrap around Hogue grips, it's manageable with regular .38 loads but +P stuff gets tiring after 20-30 rounds. The Airweight I had was pretty brutal even with light loads in it. There's just not enough mass in the gun to absorb the recoil. I'd suggest renting/ borrowing something at the range for her to use before you buy anything.

[nightrunner]

If you are looking at a revolver with lower recoil, I'd suggest a steel K frame in .32S&W long. My mother has one as a nightstand gun and shoots it fine even with a crushed right hand( right handed).

 

a .38 snub has recoil, I had a M&P340 which is scandium, even lighter than an air weight. It had more recoil with .38 +p than my Kahr pm40. Not an accurate comparison but nonetheless. 

 

If if she just doesn't like the snappiness of the pm9 try a mk9 ( steel frame) or maybe something like a browning bda (steel frame mid size .380)

[chances R]

If someone is looking for a fun gun to shoot, and shoot well, look at the.22  S&W compact.  Gun cheap (300), ammo relatively cheap and now available.  Also, with practice and training can be a very effective defensive weapon.  Ten shots at normal defensive range can be put in the face, groin, COM in a couple of seconds.  Quick reload, easy slide to manipulate.

Edited July 22, 2016 by chances R

[A.J. Holst]

I've got both a 2" and 3" SP101.

90% of the time, I'm shooting .38/.38+p 

Great for carry, plinking and home defense.

I do have upgraded grips, and had some work to make the action better.

25oz on the 2" if memory serves, so it's not a lightweight.

Maybe look at an MK9? Mine replaced the SPs for carry  and has similar shootability traits. I like mine a lot 

[enfield]

I wouldn't recommend a .22 rimfire semiauto for defensive carry.  No restrike capability.  A revolver in .22 is much preferable.  JMHO.

[xsubsailor]

As others have said, a S&W in .32.  Taurus also makes one, Ultra-lite model 731

 

 

[chances R]

32 minutes ago, enfield said:

I wouldn't recommend a .22 rimfire semiauto for defensive carry.  No restrike capability.  A revolver in .22 is much preferable.  JMHO.

Different strokes.....plenty of full size carry guns have no restrike capability.  Quality ammo almost never a problem.

[Garufa]

33 minutes ago, enfield said:

I wouldn't recommend a .22 rimfire semiauto for defensive carry.  No restrike capability.  A revolver in .22 is much preferable.  JMHO.

That is not entirely accurate.  PPK-style .22's are double action, giving restrike capability.

While a .22 for defensive purposes is certainly questionable and most would not recommend it, I would have no problem carrying my Bersa Thunder 22.  You can dump 400 grains of lead in a target with a quickness.  

[Raoul]

My opinion of the .22 as a self defense weapon is this: If I shoot you 4 or 5 times in the face with a .22 and you still want more, I done shot the wrong guy...

[chances R]

The problem is that too many shooters expect non-shooters to step up to the plate with no anxiety, no fear of recoil, and complete confidence to skillfully manipulate, properly grip and fire a handgun.  This only develops fear, flinching and bad habits.  Plenty of people have successfully defended and killed with a .22; both legally and illegally.  Is that my choice of defensive caliber.....no, but neither is a handgun.  Simply saying that because of the above, or weakness of grip and hands sometimes it is better to be able to confidently handle a .22 and become very proficient and confident, then step up to any other weapon of THEIR choice. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by chances R

[mikegideon]

4 hours ago, 56FordGuy said:

I'm going to agree with chances r, a small 38 especially a light one like a 642 is going to be a handful to shoot, no pun intended. If she's going to practice with it and stay proficient, she may struggle with the recoil. Mine is steel with wrap around Hogue grips, it's manageable with regular .38 loads but +P stuff gets tiring after 20-30 rounds. The Airweight I had was pretty brutal even with light loads in it. There's just not enough mass in the gun to absorb the recoil. I'd suggest renting/ borrowing something at the range for her to use before you buy anything.

Yep. The most brutal recoil I own is an airweight J frame. They're nice to carry, but kick like a horse. My steel frame of the same size is nicer to shoot, but weighs more for carry

[DaveTN]

Is she going to carry it or just use it for home defense? The heavier a handgun is the less felt recoil there will be. A 4” S&W K or L frame is a creme puff shooting 38’s as compared to a J frame.  Can’t beat a 4” 19/66 or 586/686 for a home defense gun and it is a worthy target/range gun.

For carry maybe a S&W 940 9mm if you can find one, although I don’t know there would be a lot of difference in the recoil of the .38. Or both the Ruger SP101 and the LCR are now available in .327 Federal Mag.

[kieefer]

Yeah maybe a .38 is a bit much for Mom. .22 or .22 Magnum?...and there is a .380 revolver out there too.

Edited July 23, 2016 by kieefer

[Oh Shoot]

4 hours ago, Gotthegoods said:

I've got both a 2" and 3" SP101.

Dollars to donuts, I'll bet we're talking about purse carry here. Don't know many ladies willing to tote an extra 2 lbs in one, unless they already carry like a laptop size bag or something.

- OS

[TNWNGR]

Find her a 3"Barrel S&W M-36 SQ Butt and stoke it with standard velocity hollow point ammunition. You can find a slightly larger set of grips for it which will make it feel better when shooting. If the hammer's a concern then have it bobbed. It's an easy gun to do an action job on comfortable to shoot. Most likely you'll have to shop around and find a used one but they are out there if you look. A Ruger SP 101 is another good choice but it's heavier and a bit more bulky.

[enfield]

10 hours ago, chances R said:

Different strokes.....plenty of full size carry guns have no restrike capability.  Quality ammo almost never a problem.

Finding quality .22 rimfire ammo IS a problem.  Revolvers don't have restrike problems.

[mikegideon]

1 hour ago, enfield said:

Finding quality .22 rimfire ammo IS a problem.  Revolvers don't have restrike problems.

Yep. If it doesn't go the first time, you should call it a dud and move on. 

[bud]

.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bud

[Grayfox54]

I've taught several women to shoot and everyone of them liked the size and weight of a J-frame .38 UNTIL they shot it. Not one of them wanted  anything to do with a J-frame .38 after that. 

When my late wife's arthritis got to the point where she could no longer handle the recoil of her Detective Special, she found a nice 2" S&W Model 30 in .32 S&W Long and fell in love with it. This J-frame is small and easy to carry while the .32 long has very little recoil and is much better than a .22. Loaded with the Mag-Tech hollow points, this make an acceptable self defense gun.

[DaveTN]

1 hour ago, bud said:

Thanks, nightrunner! 

I had overlooked the most obvious first step for someone who is already set-up to carry the PM9, shoots it well, but wants less felt recoil- the all steel MK9. I'll be on the hunt for a used one this weekend.

I appreciate all the replies. With me having not even fired a revolver more than a handful of times, I had no idea that .38 special was "snappy" too. I will be looking into the S&W K-frame that several of you mentioned, and specifically one chambered in .32s&w long as also mentioned.

Mom's a good shooter and we practice together often. As mentioned in the original post, she shoots her PM9 well, so I'm certain the MK9 is the fix we're looking for.

I have a MK40 and I doubt it’s the fix you are looking for. Now I know the mighty 40 is a beast compared to the weak 9mm, but I don’t think there is that much difference in recoil. 

Youi aren’t showing where you are, but if you are in the Murfreesboro area I have plenty of handguns you could let her try. Unfortunately I don’t have anything in 9mm. I have an MK40, M&P’s in all sizes, J-frames, K-frames, and L-frames, she could try.

Maybe someone on here has some .327 or .32 stuff she could try?