Suggestions on first handgun

[GRIZ 3,369]

i hadn't thought of a revolver, thanks for the suggestion i will defiantly try one when i can get over to a shop/range.

 

The popularity of the K or L size frame revolver has waned over the years but IMO a 4" 357 Mag is just about the do it all handgun. As others have said you can use a wide range of power loadings to match your skill level and needs. 38 spl target loads, std loads,+P,+P+, and full magnum loads give you a power range that no semi-auto can match. Big enough to shoot well but small enough to conceal (if that's a concern later down the road). Learn how to use a DA revolver well and everything else is easy. Learning DA revolver shooting is not hard in spite of what some may say. Millions have done it for well over 100 years.

 

Come on after all you said you would defiantly try one.

[Anselmo 87]

For most smaller women, I will always recommend a revolver. My wife is far from weak, but still has trouble manipulating the slide on anything other than my .22s.

 

A nice 4 inch 38 special is damn impossible to beat for a home defense weapon from a grab and shoot perspective. It's just about as idiot proof as you can get, it's soft shooting and it's powerful enough to take care of business.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Oh yea I mean godfather, dudes shady.............

 

I know this firsthand through my Airsoft team's dealing with him. Oh the dirt I can dish out...

 

Please don't let the gun just sit in a safe - you need to train with it to be proficient. Having a gun is one thing. Having one and being able to hit your target is another thing.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

If it's gonna sit in a safe and not get used I'd go with a revolver. The mechanics are just a better choice for that.

[jokerman 2]

Lots of good suggestions and advice in the earlier posts.

 

My two cents: If you or your wife are truly new to firearms, there's no better way to start than to seek out and take an NRA course. You will learn lots of new information, meet some great people, get to see and handle different firearms, if your wife is a little leery of guns, it will help get her over that, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, the rules for safe handling will get introduced and start to burn their way in to your brain. Super important to start right and know how to stay safe, especially with kids in the house! Enjoy!

[joecs1 11]

.357 steel frame revolver with a 4inch barrel using .38 spec HP ammo. Why?

 

1. Easy to handle, aim and pull the trigger.

 

2. Most HD situations are in tight areas, clearing a room, etc. Anything longer than 4inch barrel will be more dif in these situations

 

3. most HD situations are in low light. Going with a hotter load( +P or +P+P) will flash from the barrel more so than 38 spec, causing you to see spots and degrading your temporary vision. .38 cal has plenty of stopping power

 

4. A 357 is slightly heavier than a .38 cal handgun which is a good thing, giving you and your wife more recoil control.

 

If you dont need to, or want to spend a lot of $, you can buy something used. As said though, there is no right or wrong. However you said you wont be practicing much due to the lack of time. IMO, a simi-auto requires practice, making a revolver a better long term investment in your personal saftey. With regular practice a semi can offer different plusses. But, based on your orig post, I cant offer a different opinion. As an FYI.... I am lucky to get my wife to the range once every year and a half. No matter what she shoots, she is pretty good. She does not enjoy shooting the semi's, but she can. She does struggle with them, racking the slide, and an occasional limp wrist causing a failure to eject(FTE), one in every hundred or so. Now the weapon has to be cleared which is difficult for her. There is just so much more that can go wrong with a semi and not with a revolver. This being said.... When your life is at stake, you can afford as little to go wrong as poss! But, still, try before you buy. Good Luck!