This one's for the ladies

[TUFF99]

My wife is total beginner and is 5'2 with tiny hands. She has trouble with my guns, I am 6'2 with catchers mit hands.

What is your fav point and shoot wheel gun? For safety and ease of use, I think a heavy trigger wheel gun would be best but, im open to others(so is she).

I am doing the research but, she will pick in the end. She doesnt know enough to get herself started or pointed in the right direction.

[XD Gunner]

Smith and Wesson J-Frame, or Ruger SP-101.

[Melissa5]

+1 SP101

[DiscoRacing]

our daughter...who is 14 yrs old,,,aprox. 5 ft...and weighs only 70 lbs... uses my ruger security six 357 mag all the time

[longranger]

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=398493

[aarondhgraham]

Really!,,,
Live breathing ones,,,
Of the Human species no less.

~chuckle~

What I mean is that I have 4 lady friends,,,
Who enjoy going to the range with me.

I own:
S&W Mod 36 snubnose,
S&W Model 15 @ 4" barrel,
Colt Trooper Mk III @ 4" barrel,
Ruger SP-101 @ 3" Barrel.

They all like the Ruger SP-101 the best,,,
The S&W Model 15 comes in a close second,,,
Only one lady likes the Trooper (it's too big/heavy),,,
Not one really likes shooting the little snubnose S&W Model 36.

We shoot .38 special in all of the guns,,,
They just seem to like the fit and feel of the Ruger the best.

Go figure,,,

[shafter]

Just curious as to why you would think a heavy trigger is best?

[TUFF99]

Just curious as to why you would think a heavy trigger is best?

So the heavy trigger works like a safety. It reduces the chance of a ND during high stress situations and NO MANUAL SAFETY+HEAVY TRIGGER PULL= POINT AND SHOOT WHILE STILL BEING SAFE.

[aarondhgraham]

So the heavy trigger works like a safety. It reduces the chance of a ND during high stress situations and NO MANUAL SAFETY+HEAVY TRIGGER PULL= POINT AND SHOOT WHILE STILL BEING SAFE.

That's using the same logic as when some police forces required that revolvers be modified to DA-Only.

I see the logic,,,
I just don't agree with it.

It's putting false faith in a technology to solve a problem,,,
That really should have (needs?) better methodology.

It cracks me up that we still sometimes think Ladies can't learn proper handgun defense techniques,,,
It ranks right there with the notion that they should all carry snub-nose revolvers instead of semi-auto pistols.

This is the 21st century my friend,,,

[TUFF99]

It cracks me up that we still sometimes think Ladies can't learn proper handgun defense techniques

Its not a matter of ability. It is a matter of commitment to proper training. I have been active duty army infantry for 7 years and have fought in both Iraq and Afghan. I can tell you with absolute certainty, that without hundreds, if not thousands of hours of training, YOU WILL FAIL at defending yourself when you are being shot at.

Any system you can emplace to simplify your defense will greatly improve your chances of survival.

That being said, my wife does not have the time to train with any weapon to standard. Therefor, I will be pointing her in the direction of a "point and shoot" style handgun. Point the thing at the BG and pull the trigger.

No mag to fail, no slide release to find and push, no beaver tail safety, no thumb safety, no trigger safety and No SA/DA so she does not know how the trigger will pull.

You would be surprised how many battle hardend grunts urinate and deficate on themselves when being shot at and cant touch their finger to their own face. Nevermind dealing with a complicated piece of SD equipment.

I appreciate your chivalric ideals but, they have nothing to do with saving your life or the lives of your loved ones. I use a G26 for SD. Not beacause I like them but, beacause they are simple. I also practice much much more than my wife will(she says that, not me).

[461]

Well spoken and spot on.

[oneounceload]

Have your wife and yourself read The Cornered Cat? Good stuff, written by a woman for women (and men too)

[aarondhgraham]

First time bullets went whizzing by me,,,
I whizzed my pants while shooting back at them.

Come to think of it,,,
It didn't only happen the first time,,,
And I wasn't the only one voiding their bladder.

While I can't argue with your observations,,,
I can not accept your train of logic.

Why don't we arm all LEO's and military,,,
With "point and shoot" handguns?

Don't say it's because they are trained better,,,
Because that's not always the case.

I worked in and around LE for many years,,,
As a CSO and communications technician.

Most of the LEOs (and I do mean most) only practiced with their service arm when they were dragged kicking and screaming to the range.

I was military for 8 years,,,
Air Force stationed on Army compounds,,,
I saw the same thing there that I experienced in LE.

Unless the people had a personal interest in shooting,,,
Training with their pistols was a very low priority.

Is that the norm for LE?,,,
I don't know.

It was however my personal experience in the circles I was employed in.

What I was pointing out is the automatic tendency for people (gun salespeople, husbands, gun writers, etc.) to recommend that women carry snub-nose revolvers.

It reminds me of when I was a kid in the 1950's and heard men saying,,,
"I bought the little woman a car with an automatic transmission,,,
You know that those darlings just can't learn to handle a stick shift & clutch."

I appreciate your chivalric ideals but, they have nothing to do with saving your life or the lives of your loved ones.

I don't consider my ideas to be Chivalric,,,
(although I chuckled when I read that as I am a Knight).

I consider them to be the attitude of a man who has been enlightened by the almost always equal and often superior performance of women in almost every field of endeavor I have ever experienced.

Like I stated,,,
I understand your logic,,
I just can't agree with it's conclusion.

Aarond H. Graham, MS, KMZ

P.S. My carry weapon of choice is a S&W Model 36.

[XD Gunner]

although I chuckled when I read that as I am a Knight

a kahnighit?

[melchloboo]

To try and help the OP, the question is what is the gun for? Fun at the range? Concealed carry? Home defense?

[TUFF99]

To try and help the OP, the question is what is the gun for? Fun at the range? Concealed carry? Home defense

?

Mostly for HD/SD while driving and at the house. And some fun at the range. No CC

[mchris80]

My wife is small as well, 5'2", and her favorite gun to shoot at the range is my 4" 686 plus with .38 spl in it. Accurate and simple with minimal recoil. You can load it up or down for different purposes. I bought her a PPKS and she likes it as well but the problem is that she sometimes struggles with pulling back the slide.

[aarondhgraham]

Yeppers,,,
A real live ku-nig-it.

Back in 2006 I was granted a Patent of Arms and Knighted by the Grandson of Haile Selassie for some charitable work I did for an orphanage in Ethiopia.

That and $2.50 will get me a cup of coffee at Starbucks,,,
But, if I ever get to meet the Queen of England,,,
She will be obliged to call me Sir.

Trippy, ain't it.

[melchloboo]

Then is it fair to say that concealment is not an issue?

My wife is 5'3" <100# with smallish hands.

She shoots at the range and home defense a 4" S&W 686 .357 but mostly light target load .38 specials, occasionally .38+P just to feel what we keep the gun loaded with. She loves the gun. It is not so big as to be heavy, but not so light as to make recoil an issue that interferes with practice at the range.

She carries a 2" 638 (j-frame) snubby, because its the smallest revolver I know of. She doesn't love that gun, but its purpose isn't for fun. Recoil is a little harsh, so she doesn't train as much with it. Mainly she can conceal it, unlike the 686.

So I would say lean towards something a little larger, even if that seems counter-intuitive, because you want the gun to have some weight to keep felt recoil down. A K-frame like the 686 with 3" or 4" barrel is just about right, then you just need to find her grips that work with her hand. If you take the grips off a K-frame, you see that but for the grips just about anybody can fit their hand to the gun, its just a matter of finding the right grips: thin, thick, backstrap cushion, grooved, etc... A j-frame might seem to fit a little better, but the recoil might make shooting no fun. You could get a .22, but then the gun isn't great for defense.

The Ruger gp100 in a 3" or 4" is a good choice as well. The sp101 might be too light.

A revolver is 100% the way to go, KISS.

As for the "heavy" trigger, yes nowadays many off the shelf revolvers have some unfriendly triggers. Keep in mind that:

1. With time the trigger will smooth out, probably several thousand shots or dryfire pulls. Dryfire a thousand times and you'll usually have an improved trigger.
2. It is fairly easy to have aftermarket springs installed (springs are about $10, its a DIY job or a cheap gunsmithing job) that will give a much more pleasant pull but still reliable ignition.
3. For a little more than a spring swap, a gunsmith can do a simple action job, usually for about <$50 depending where you live.
4. Is kind of random, some new revolvers have great triggers, but the same make and model right next to it might be a little heavier or grittier. So if the shop will let you dryfire among several, do so and see which feels smoothest.

[Ian0351]

My wife loves her 4" Taurus model 82, and its heavy trigger. She usually fires single-action, and is great shot for a beginner. Revolvers are great for the ladies, but stay away from the snubbies, as they have significantly higher recoil and diminished accuracy. Put some pretty pachmyer grips on there and she'll love it! Ruger SP101 is also a great choice, especially in the 3-1/4" barrel.

[Blue Steel]

Remember that just because a gun is small doesn't mean it is good for small hands. IMHO 2-inch detective specials are an experts gun. The light weight, short barrel, and self-defense loadings all work against the novice shooter.

If your wife wants a revolver, I would look at the Smith & Wesson Model 13 or Model 65 in three or four inch barrel. This is a good midsize revolver chambered in .357 magnum (which allows you to shoot .38 special ammo as well).

A good full size auto would also be a good choice. While I also disagree with some of the thought process behind a heavier trigger, if you are set on it you can get a Glock 17 and add the NY+ trigger group.

[MDB]

A S&W Lady Smith of course.

[Don P]

The wife has the following and she does not have big hands. Sig 232, taurus 941UL, S&W60 Snub nose, Glock 26, Glock 36, and a Beretta 92fs

[smee78]

A lady Smith model 65, stoked with 38's at first untill she gets some range time with it. I also found put that the little lady can work the slide on my p6 so we are going to try that out at the range next time we go.

[CarbineCaleb]

She will likely like one of these mid-sized revolvers - Smith & Wesson 3-inch bbl Model 64 (33oz, 6 shots), or Ruger 3-inch bbl Model SP101 (27oz, 5 shots).

The pictures aren't exactly to scale - the SP1-101 is smaller than the 64. Neither is a big gun, but they are still big enough to shoot relatively tamely compared to the real pipsqueak revolvers.



You can also get smaller grips for the S&W if it's still too big for her like these round-butt smooth from Ahrends:
http://www.ahrendsgripsusa.com/tactical.htm

...and you can get an SP101 delivered with a trigger job (which will need it more than the S&W) from Gemini Customs (skip the porting and other crap):
http://www.geminicustoms.com/RugerServices.htm