Looking for Help in Purchasing Revolver

[Chiamare]

I am new to guns. I purchased a Ruger LCR 38 special but when at the firing range realized it was too much gun for me. Have since sold it. I would like to meet someone who has a 380 or 22 magnum revolver who would meet me at a firing range close/near Fort Wayne who would let me test fire these guns before I try to buy/find another gun. I lost $100 on the last transaction and don't want to keep losing $ but need to find a revolver for personal protection I am comfortable with.

 

[gregkl]

I don't live close enough, but you are on the right track now. See if you can shoot a few.

If you are going to carry it or use it for PP, you will get a fair amount of feedback that will state that a .22 is not enough for those purposes.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Garb]

Part of your problem is you chose a very small framed gun. Try a larger framed gun and see how you like it. I'm not an expert on revolvers but I would recommend a Smith and Wesson 686 or a Ruger GP100 in .357 magnum to start out. It will be a lot harder to conceal carry, but it will be sufficient for home defense and it won't beat the crap out of your wrist after only a few rounds. I also think purchasing a good .22 isn't a bad idea for the sake of practice.

 

[gregkl]

Part of your problem is you chose a very small framed gun. Try a larger framed gun and see how you like it. I'm not an expert on revolvers but I would recommend a Smith and Wesson 686 or a Ruger GP100 in .357 magnum to start out. It will be a lot harder to conceal carry, but it will be sufficient for home defense and it won't beat the crap out of your wrist after only a few rounds. I also think purchasing a good .22 isn't a bad idea for the sake of practice.

I may be flamed for being sexist, I apologize in advance, but a 686 is a repetitively heavy revolver. She probably won't like the recoil of the .357 magnum even with the added heft of the 686. There are plenty of .38 only revolvers that would fit and a .38 Special or a .38+P is a good man stopper.

Take a look at the 686, but also look at the Model 67. See which one feels "right' in your hand, then try to shoot one.

I recently picked up a Model 13 with a 3" barrel. It is a .357 so I could shoot those rounds through it, but the nice thing about it, it has a good feel to it. My wife, 5', 110 lbs thought it felt nice in her hands.

 

[ghostdncr]

I recently picked up a Model 13 with a 3" barrel. It is a .357 so I could shoot those rounds through it, but the nice thing about it, it has a good feel to it. My wife, 5', 110 lbs thought it felt nice in her hands.

Good advice, here. A 3" K-frame Smith & Wesson and any revolver of comparable size/caliber would be a MUCH better choice than your little Ruger. Although larger than the LCR, the extra size and weight will make shooting much more enjoyable. I'm reminded of the .410 shotgun quandry, in that many beginners get saddled with one. The .410, much like your LCR, is a gun for the finished shooter, not the beginner, due to the amount of skill and understanding needed to effectively shoot it.

By the way, many shooting ranges have revolvers you can rent for reasonable rates, which will allow you to shoot a number of different models to see what feels good to you.

 

[PGRChaplain]

I have a Charter Arms .38 Spc Revolver that is very controlable and about the minium I would use for SD. My son picked up a used Taurus ultralite .38 a few weeks ago. I think something like this would serve you well.

 

[Garb]

I may be flamed for being sexist, I apologize in advance, but a 686 is a repetitively heavy revolver. She probably won't like the recoil of the .357 magnum even with the added heft of the 686. There are plenty of .38 only revolvers that would fit and a .38 Special or a .38+P is a good man stopper.

Take a look at the 686, but also look at the Model 67. See which one feels "right' in your hand, then try to shoot one.

I recently picked up a Model 13 with a 3" barrel. It is a .357 so I could shoot those rounds through it, but the nice thing about it, it has a good feel to it. My wife, 5', 110 lbs thought it felt nice in her hands.

How can you tell the sex of the op?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

How can you tell the sex of the op?

Go to profile and it has her real name. Don't know a lot of men named "Gloria".

 

[SIGFAN]

38 SPECIAL IS A MILD ROUND AND LOOKING FOR LESS KICK LEAVES YOU WITH FEW OPTIONS. PERHAPS A HEAVIER GUN WOULD HELP. YOU ARE BETTER OFF WITH A GUN YOU CAN SHOOT ACCURATLY. .22 MAG IS A BIT LESS RECOIL BUT YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET A LCR IN .22 LONG RIFLE AND PUT HOT CCI 40 GRAIN VELOCITOR HOLLOW POINTS IN IT. THAT LITTLE REVOLVER WILL GIVE YOU EIGHT SHOTS. GOD FORBID YOU HAVE TO USE IT IN SELFE DEFENSE DUE TO ITS LACK OF KNOCK DOWN ENERGY BUT I STILL THINK IT WILL GET THE JOB DONE. GETTING SHOT WITH ANY BULLET WOULD HURT LIKE HELL AND WOULD SEND ANYONE RUNNING.

 

[LarryC]

Op, I read into your post that the recoil was to much for your hand / wrist. There are only a few things that affect recoil. Obvious is the choice of a smaller caliber. The weight, balance of the gun and type of grip can also affect the felt recoil of any caliber. Not sure why you are only looking at revolvers? Not really a bad choice, but the semi-automatics may also be something you should look at. As to carrying or use for home defense, a 22 mag. is not regarded as a cartridge with "stopping power". In other words although the round can be fatal (and often is) for a bad guy, many persons can function and continue an attack after being shot with a small caliber. There are a lot more effective rounds in 9MM and .380 specifically designed to "stop" personal attacks. I would suggest you find either a Gun shop with a range near you that will let you rent or tryout a few different handguns or ask friends who own handguns if you could try theirs out. I would if you were near Frankfort. I have .38's, .357's, 22 LR, 22 Magnum, .380's, 9MM, and some larger caliber I know would be to heavy for you to shoot.

 

[Mgderf]

Go to profile and it has her real name. Don't know a lot of men named "Gloria".

I did hear about "Boy named Sue" some time ago.

JetGirl is in her neighborhood. I bet she'd be able, and maybe even willing to help out.

 

[Bishop]

After reading the op's original post I had ideas as what to say, but you guys seemed to cover most of it. Talking about a 22, it's better than nothing. How does the old saying go, "The gun on your hip is infinitaly stronger that the one on your dresser." I have a p238(sig .380), xd .40 full size and and a 686. My wife is a small framed gal, (5'10, 120lbs), but shoots the .40 better than I do. Just like the feel I guess. I can tell you that my .380 kicks more than my .357, (2 1/2" barrel). If your not hung up on a revolver I would suggest trying the xd .40 sub compact. Never tried one personally, but it has to be close to the original. As far as revolvers go, I can't talk enough good about my 686. I love it. I find it so great with the .357 that I haven't even tried .38's through it. It's a snubby and I love it.

 

[No2rdame]

I think the best advice is to go to a reputable gun shop, preferably one with a range so you can practice at, and buy from there. It may take some time to find a shop you're comfortable with, but to find a good shop make sure the person behind the counter treats you with respect, doesn't make you uncomfortable, and takes plenty of time finding out what your needs are and which firearm best suits you. You might have to travel a distance to find a shop you're comfortable with and that meets your needs.

The gun suggestions people have given are great, but the number of options provided may be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to find some of the guns depending on demand at some shops.

 

[echoagain]

A quick internet search brought up at least one Fort Wayne gun shop with an indoor range 'Freedom Firearms'. I don't know if there are others as well, but I'd stop in and speak to them about your needs and see if they have rental guns or maybe even just some used guns available that they would let you try on their range.

 

[Morgan88]

How many rounds have you fired from the 38 special? Is this your first experience with guns/handguns. I understand wanting to be comforable with your gun. That is very important.

 

[Mrmonte]

In my experience, the LCR recoil is about the same as a S&W Airweight in 38. The steel frame J frames absorb alot more recoil than the polymer of the LCR or Aluminum J frames do.

I would try got get my hands on a S&W model 60 or something similar with a steel frame to try if your wanting a small framed revolver with more mild recoil.

 

[9mmfan]

I may be flamed for being sexist, I apologize in advance, but a 686 is a repetitively heavy revolver. She probably won't like the recoil of the .357 magnum even with the added heft of the 686. There are plenty of .38 only revolvers that would fit and a .38 Special or a .38+P is a good man stopper.

Take a look at the 686, but also look at the Model 67. See which one feels "right' in your hand, then try to shoot one.

I recently picked up a Model 13 with a 3" barrel. It is a .357 so I could shoot those rounds through it, but the nice thing about it, it has a good feel to it. My wife, 5', 110 lbs thought it felt nice in her hands.

The beauty of the 357 magnum frame is that you can shoot 38 Special out of them, plus the heavy frame pretty much negates any recoil the 38 Specials have. If I lived closer I'd let you shoot my GP 100. My son doesn't like shooting 357 magnums out of it, but he loves shooting 38 Special out of it.

 

[Hurley]

We had a similar story

My wife was interested in a revolver several months ago after her first trip to the range with me. She didn't like having to rack the slide of a semi-automatic, and wanted something she could just load, point and shoot. She also didn't care for the recoil of my snappy little Ruger LC9. So, we talked about 22 revolvers. The soft/zero recoil of 22LR and not having to deal with the slide appealed to her.

We bought her a Ruger LCR22, and she was thrilled. She fired hundreds of rounds with it and enjoyed them all. Months later she told me she would like to get her LTCH. I was floored, but very happy. Then she told me she had been doing internet research and felt like she need something with more stopping power (I always felt that way, but I had to let her get there on her own). Long story short, we bought her a S&W 642 and a Crimson Trace laser grip. Now, the j-frame is small and snappy, much like the LCR38. However, the Crimson Trace laser grip, I believe it was model 438, has a recoil absorbing rubber pad on the back of the grip. Even so, her small hands are a little sore after shooting a 100 round box of Winchester white box .38. We also kept the LCR22, and she uses it for muscle memory training (both guns are virtually the same size and weight).

Her S&W .38 snubby with Hornady Critical Defense ammo is now a part of her EDC. You need to be comfortable with any gun you buy, but if you ever have to use it in self defense or the defense of your family, you won't even notice the recoil.

As someone mentioned earlier, most indoor gun ranges offer hand gun rentals. Spend some time with the range personnel, a female shooter if at all possible, and spend a few bucks trying out different handguns. Consider it an investment toward your future gun purchase and your personal protection.

And of course, to INGO!

 

[t-trader]

........... Not sure why you are only looking at revolvers? Not really a bad choice, but the semi-automatics may also be something you should look at. ......... There are a lot more effective rounds in 9MM and .380 specifically designed to "stop" personal attacks. I would suggest you find either a Gun shop with a range near you that will let you rent or tryout a few different handguns or ask friends who own handguns if you could try theirs out. ..........

I agree with this post.

My wife can shoot my Airweight .38 but the snubby has more recoil and also is louder which can cause intimidation in a less confident shooter.

She carries a Ruger LC9 which being a semi auto uses some of the gases in the recycle thereby reducing the recoil. Also has a larger grip which positions the hand better to handle the recoil.

I would suggest trying one out at the range and seeing the difference.

 

[XtremeVel]

I am new to guns. I purchased a Ruger LCR 38 special but when at the firing range realized it was too much gun for me. Have since sold it. I would like to meet someone who has a 380 or 22 magnum revolver who would meet me at a firing range close/near Fort Wayne who would let me test fire these guns before I try to buy/find another gun. I lost $100 on the last transaction and don't want to keep losing $ but need to find a revolver for personal protection I am comfortable with.

If you are new to this, I would strongly suggest investing a little into some basic training. There are instructors around that will even provide guns for the class.

After you learn safety, and a few fundamentals, you might be shocked at what all options might open up for you, not to mention the valuable knowledge you'd gain.