Gun for Wife

[lowercase]

My wife has been dropping the hint that she would like a .357 Magnum revolver for hiking as a birthday present.

Actually, she wanted a large frame .44 Mag, but I talked her out of it because I knew that after a few rounds, she would never want to shoot it again. She also doesn't need a large-frame gun because she is pretty small.

I got her thinking of getting a medium-frame .357 with about a 4-inch barrel, but don't really have too good of an idea of what's out there. From talking to talking to friends and reading up on the subject, I have found a few candidates out there.

I checked out a Taurus Tracker with the 4-inch barrel. I liked the sights, ported barrel, and recoil-reducing grips. The gun wasn't too big, either.

I also want to check out the comparable S&W (can't remember the model), as well as the Ruger GP100.

Any thoughts from members who own such guns? Thanks

[Righteous]

her gun let her pick out what she wants

[lowercase]

Originally Posted by Righteous

her gun let her pick out what she wants

Well, I would normally agree, but she already has a $1200 Desert Eagle .50AE that she never shoots because it suddenly got too big the first time she hiked with it. It also had "too much recoil" the first time she shot it. (I'm not really sure what she expected from a 72.5 ounce pistol shooting .50AE rounds)

The Eagle has had a grand total of 18 rounds shot through it since she got it 2 years ago. Her last comment about it was; "Why did you let me get that thing?" LOL. She had been dead-set on getting a large-bore auto pistol and I had tried my best to talk her into getting something like a Kimber .45.

Anyway, this time, she specifically asked me for help- picking out her "hiking gun".

[HARDERTR]

Doesn't your wife understand...it's not the SIZE that matters...it's how you use it.

Sounds to me like your wife could benefit from some time at the range and a gun shop or two. Let her see how impractical a "hunting pistol" is when a back-up pistol is what you're looking for. If she's carrying a Desert Eagle, or 44 Mag, or 45 for that matter, it might as well be a brick....if she can't shoot it.

My wife has shot my 44 mag, and she can handle it pretty well, but she also knows her 357 Rossi is a much better fit for anything she'll ever face.

[big boomer]

S&W 686 L frame

[ShotInTheDark]

Originally Posted by big boomer

S&W 686 L frame

I agree.

I was asking a similar question about first handgun and was recommended the Smith and Wesson 686. I think it was a very good choice. Mine has a 6" barrel, which I preferred, but I think she would really like it.

[DWFan]

Compared to a Desert Eagle, almost any revolver is going to feel smaller. I might ruffle a few feathers here, but I can't see where the recoil of a short-barrel .357 Mag firing full-load ammo is going to be any more pleasant for her than a full-frame revolver firing a .45 Colt (or maybe even a .45 ACP). I don't own "such guns" now but my wife would sometimes carry a S&W M25. "Packin' a .45" was more reassuring to her than a .38 Special and she flat didn't care for the recoil and muzzle blast of my .357 snubby.

[TXplt]

Medium frame 4" .357 sounds great. I'd look at Smith, Taurus, and Ruger. All great guns. Shoot them and see what fits the best. Smith generally good quality and trigger, Ruger's also good trigger and very strong (sometimes a bit heavy--this can be a plus for shooting but a minus for carry), Taurus great value, and I personally like the gripper-style grips on my judges. I have Ruger SP-101 and it's a great strong gun (think about what you want the gun for -- if it's general shooting and home/car defense, the 4" bbl GP-100 .357 is great. If CCW, the 3" - ish SP-101 might be the way to go--). Have 4" Taurus Stainless .357 from a few years back--it's been a great gun as well with surprisingly good SA and DA trigger. My smiths are snubbies (642,340PD, New Model 40)--although the alloys are great for carry, the all steel for me are better for shooting in general. From the lightweight, the heavier loaded ammo is punishing to shoot on a regular basis, and I don't notice the extra weight from the steel as much as I used to. If I were going with a Smith, I'd seriously consider a steel frame unless she shot the lighter ones and didn't mind the recoil.

[Deep13]

I realize that this is a subjective statement, but the SW 686+ is the best handgun ever made. I have a 4" model and had a HiViz front sight installed. I kept the factory rubber grips. Of course as is the case with any quality 0.357, it is accurate, tough, easy to clean, has the versitility of using either .357 or .38. It is cheaper to shoot than .44 or .45 caliber revolvers.

In addition to all that it has the best DA trigger I have ever shot. It is almost more accurate in DA operation than SA. At least it would be if the SA trigger was not so crisp. It is made of high-pressure, high-temperature forged steel. All it's internal parts are forged steel. The trigger and hammer are case-hardened. You cannot shoot this gun to death. What is more is that it is impossible to fire by accident. The rebounding hammer prevents any contact between the hammer and the internal firing pin unless the trigger is fully depressed. A shock to the hammer or a half-pull won't set it off. Plus the available accessories in terms of grips, holsters and sights is greater in number than the number of old people in Florida.

It is heavy, of course. If she wants something lighter, there is the five-shot model 60. One caveat, the J-frame revolvers are not as robust as the L-frame. They are side-arms and are not meant to be shot every week. And some people complain about the integral lock. If you don't like the lock, then don't use it. Of course, SW doesn't give them away. (Maybe she should sell that Desert Eagle.)

Ruger also makes nice revolvers. The GP100 is the full size model and the SP101 is the 5-shot compact size. They are both reliable, durable guns, although I suspect the GP is more durable than the SP. They are less expensive than SW especially in blued form. (The 686+ and the 60 are stainless only.)

[TXplt]

+1 to the Hi-Viz sights--these are great.

[Taurus Fan]

Smith&Wesson used to make a dandy k-frame .357 called the Model 13, had a heavy 4 inch barrel, I had two of them and liked them a lot. Don't know what they call them now, but they're a good gun for someone with smaller hands who wants something that's not too big and heavy.

[lowercase]

Thanks to all for the advice.

I went to a range yesterday and rented a Taurus Tracker .357 and a Ruger GP100. Both had 4-inch barrels.

I have to say that I really liked both. They were both very manageable in .357, and downright pleasant to shoot in .38 Special. The Ruger had a nicer trigger, but I liked the grips and ported barrel of the Taurus.

The local gun shop is selling brand new versions of both for what looks like really good prices. The Taurus was listed for $419 (MSRP $570), and the Ruger with a blued finish was listed at $449 (vs 590 MSRP).

I'm still looking to shoot the comparable S&W, and am thoroughly enjoying my "research" into getting a revolver for my wife.

[ander254]

as everyone has said, remember that the gun is FOR YOUR WIFE. let her shoot it. It doesn't matter that it fits good in your hand if your wife doesn't like it. I tried to pick a gun out for my wife and come to figure out, she couldn't rack the slide.

[jrswanson1]

Next time, take her to the range and have HER try them.

Jim

[rdale501]

Go ahead and pick er out one. If it don't fit just keep it and try another. Sooner or later you'll find something she likes.

[BaserRonin]

I tend to like the Smith 686 as well. The 686 with a short barrel is going to have more recoil with .357's then a .44, .45 acp, or .45 colt though. If you get the 686 you might find she is shooting it with .38's all the time. But thats fine too...and like rdale said, if she doesn't like it you can always keep it and buy her something else!

[Cyrano]

Back when I was the office computer guru, when my coworkers would come to me and ask my advice on what/which computer to get for use at home, the first question I would ask them was, "What do you want it to DO?"

I have to ask the same question of your wife, lowercase. I can understand her wanting to carry a pistol when she is out hiking. But what does she want it to DO?

You live in the Pacific Northwest. I am making an assumption here, that your wife hikes regularly in an area with dangerous wildlife in it. There is also the possibility of running across the infamous Two-Legged Rat That Walks Upright. But what, precisely, is the fear that is impelling her toward this purchase? That, as much as what wheelguns are available, is necessary knowledge to have before recommending a pistol.

She has to be able to handle it effectively. At the same time, it has to have enough oomph to do the job she is asking of it. Weight also is a factor that will synergize with those factors to determine the final selection, in two ways. A heavy pistol won't recoil as badly and can make a heavy round easier to shoot. On the other hand, it has to be carried, and hikers pare weight from their field load-out wherever possible. A lighter pistol will intrude less on the primary activity of hiking, but may be much harder to shoot accurately if it ever come to that.

The first thing I would do is take the short-barreled handguns out of the competition. You want something for which loads can be tailored to the danger(s) you wife expects and how much recoil she can handle. That, in my opinion, limits you to only three pistols: the Colt New Model Army M1917 revolver in .45 ACP; the S&W Model 1917 revolver, also in .45 ACP; and the Taurus Judge with a 5 inch barrel, in .45 Long Colt/ .410 gauge shotshell.

If she is worried only about the Two-Legged Rat, I'd frankly go with either of the first two pistols; there's nothing to choose between them. However, if it's wild animals she is worrying about, the Judge is a better choice because of the variety of loading you can give it.

If it's snakes she is concerned with, a .410 round with No. 9 shot will stop them easily. If it's something like bears or cougars, two rounds of .410 No. 4 buckshot should serve to discourage them; and if it doesn't three loads of .45 Colt hollowpoints certainly will. And in the case of Two-Legged Rats, if the No. 4s don't kill them, the .45 Colts will.

On balance, I think a Taurus Judge might be the best pistol for your wife. You ought to try her on one.

[TXplt]

Yeah....I do love my Judges (and they're great pistols) but I'm not sure I'd start someone out on them.....They are great for home/car defense (that's what I use mine for), but I don't use mine as a primary CCW just because of the wide shot pattern and bulkiness (mostly in urban areas--the wide dispersion gives me pause). I think they do make great field/hiking/ranch guns though. But my gut feeling in this case leans to the .357. The .45 colt is a great round (especially w/the BB std press hvy .45 rounds). You do need to be sure to evaluate what you want to DO with the pistol you're getting. Bottom line is it would be best if she could shoot the guns and see what she likes. Before buying the judge, I would most definitely have her shoot it and see what she thinks (or, you could shoot it and if you liked it and she didn't you just got a new pistol and you can get her a .357). Judges DO have the hi-viz front sight and ribber grips like the tracker.

[lowercase]

Cyrano

Many thanks for your reply.

My wife wants a gun that to take along while hiking in the woods where the primary threats would be bears (black and griz), mountain lions, and the good ol' two-legged, upright rat. My wife specifically wants a revolver for its reliability, and wants a magnum for its power against something large like a bear.

Other uses for this gun would be for keeping in the car or home. My wife likes the idea of having a powerful revolver for auto or home defense, as do I.

I steered her away from a .44 Magnum due to the recoil. She dislikes the recoil from her Desert Eagle, and I'm pretty sure that its slide and sheer weight (72.5 ounces unloaded) makes it tamer than most .44 mag revolvers. She really doesn't believe me about the recoil from a .44, so we are headed to a gun range to rent one as soon as she gets back in town from a trip.

I also steered her towards a .357 so she could use .38 special to practice. I like .357s specifically because they offer this flexibility.

I was going to make this gift a surprise birthday present, but after reading the replies, have decided to make sure that she shoots and picks out the gun that she wants. If she isn't crazy about the gun, she'll never take it anywhere. I would like her to get a gun that she wants to take to the range, rather than just getting the gun that I want her to carry. That wouldn't be much of a present.

I definitely like your suggestions about the colt New Army, M1917 and Taurus Judge. If I were getting a revolver for myself, I would be getting a M1917. I checked one out yesterday and loved it. I'll be checking out all three with my wife.

Once again, thanks. I truly appreciate the advice.

LC

[Farmer]

Gun for Wife

Oh, i thought it would be a good swap!!!!!!!!!!!