Revolver For Wife. Hammer or Hammerless?

[partyboy6686]

So my wife is wanting a small frame snubby 38sp revolver. With the rise in crime she has came to her senses and wants to apply for a LTCH and start carrying. So I am going to take her gun shopping this weekend and hopefully buy something. I want her to see how the gun feels in her hand and make sure she likes it. But should I get one with a hammer so she can shoot it easier at the range in single action with the hammer cocked or go for a hammerless model and train her to learn how to shoot double action mode?

 

[possum_128]

That my friend, is up to her, not you or the members here. Let her choose the type of carry, be it a revolver with/without a hammer or some type of semi. After all, it will be her gun to defend her life with.

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

Single action would be more fun for her at the range. However, hammerless would be more convenient and easy for her to CC because the hammer wouldn't get caught on things in a purse/etc. I would say it depends how much she would shoot at the range, how she would carry, and more importantly, how she feels about the two options.

 

[indianachris]

S&W 642 would be a good choice if it fits her well.

 

[SERparacord]

That my friend, is up to her, not you or the members here. Let her choose the type of carry, be it a revolver with/without a hammer or some type of semi. After all, it will be her gun to defend her life with.

^This. have her try out many different ones.

 

[partyboy6686]

That my friend, is up to her, not you or the members here. Let her choose the type of carry, be it a revolver with/without a hammer or some type of semi. After all, it will be her gun to defend her life with.

She doesn't want a semi auto. She has been to the range with me and doesn't like the spent casing flying out of the gun.

Single action would be more fun for her at the range. However, hammerless would be more convenient and easy for her to CC because the hammer wouldn't get caught on things in a purse/etc. I would say it depends how much she would shoot at the range, how she would carry, and more importantly, how she feels about the two options.

Yea the hammer getting caught on something is a concern of mine.

S&W 642 would be a good choice if it fits her well.

The 642 is for sure one of the revolvers I would like her to look at.

 

[ryknoll3]

One thing to consider... if you get a revolver with a hammer for single-action shooting, make sure there's plenty of practice in double action as well, especially follow-up shots. Any defensive engagement is going to be double action exclusively, and that takes some practice to handle well, especially if all you're used to is the light, short single action trigger.

 

[dmarsh8]

.357 LCR. Use 38 sp.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I have a 642. And it SUCKS to shoot. And I'm not exactly recoil shy when it comes to handguns.

 

[indianachris]

I have a 642. And it SUCKS to shoot. And I'm not exactly recoil shy when it comes to handguns.

I didn't think it was bad at all when I shot it. I was shooting regular .38 not +.

 

[swmp9jrm]

Smartest thing is to let her try a bunch to see what suits her best. That said, here's my experience: my wife likes my Ruger LCR .38+P for weight and trigger pull. Unfortunately, she doesn't like the recoil. So I bought her an LCR in .22 magnum - double action, same size but slightly heavier than my LCR. She liked it till the first range trip, and found out what the trigger pull was like on the rimfire version - 16 pounds! Sooo, bought her a Taurus 941 (.22 magnum) that is SA/DA and has a hammer. In single action, trigger pull is only 4 pounds, and it made it much easier to shoot for her. Still 16 pounds in double action, but at least she now has something manageable. She has not found a semi-auto yet that she can rack the slide on, so these are pretty much out of picture.

 

[sloughfoot]

That my friend, is up to her, not you or the members here. Let her choose the type of carry, be it a revolver with/without a hammer or some type of semi. After all, it will be her gun to defend her life with.

^^^^^Very well said. Here is your answer. She may learn and grow like we all do.

 

[cwillour]

Although heavy in the purse, the extra weight of the 640 made it manageable for my wife to shot 38 & 38+p loads. 357 loads, however, were uncomfortable, so she simply carried the +p loads.

The Ruger SP101 is another option she might want to look at, since it has a few extra ounces to soak up recoil.

Regarding the hammer, I liked the slick back on the old 640 but feel more comfortable shooting a regular hammer (even in DA.) Plus the hammer helps a thumbrake retention strap work. HMMV.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

A lot depends on how she wants to carry it. For a carry piece, I'd recommend a hammerless if I was asked. Less chance to snag, and you aren't likely to be shooting single action if you have to pull in a defense situation. There are also "compromise" guns that have a round back and a recessed hammer, so they are both snag free and allow thumb cocking, but at the cost of a bit of concealability. The older Bodyguard comes to mind, but I'm not a big enough S&W guy to tell you all the models it came in.

 

[Mackey]

Go with the hammer. Trusty me it will be easier to resale if she graduates.
Honestly, she can learn to deploy any weapon if she trains with it.

 

[chezuki]

That my friend, is up to her, not you or the members here. Let her choose the type of carry, be it a revolver with/without a hammer or some type of semi. After all, it will be her gun to defend her life with.

/thread

Also, I would recommend getting her training rather than doing it yourself. No matter how great your relationship is, this kind of training and coaching will be absorbed better from an outside source.


Hmm... Notice I said Coaching... I wonder if anyone around here would be good at that sort of thing?

 

[Six Forty-Two]

I agree. The S&W 642 is not fun to shoot, but changing out the grips to Hogue Monogrips make it more tolerable. It would be a little bulkier to carry, but easier to shoot. The model 638 is the similar version with the round back and concealed hammer that was mentioned above.

 

[partyboy6686]

/thread

Also, I would recommend getting her training rather than doing it yourself. No matter how great your relationship is, this kind of training and coaching will be absorbed better from an outside source.


Hmm... Notice I said Coaching... I wonder if anyone around here would be good at that sort of thing?

Yea I was looking into some all female training classes. Im pretty sure BGF does them. Seen a sign on the wall last time I was at the range there.

 

[HoughMade]

Of course, whatever she wants is paramount.

But there's one model that is nearly the best of both worlds- the S&W 638- shrouded hammer

 

[Ryno300]

Good advice on here. It's definitely got to be her pick. We have a Taurus Ultra Lite 38 sp that my wife loves to shoot. It's got plenty of recoil, but she has confidence with it. I wish it was shrouded for carry easy. Had her try the Bersa Thunder in 380. I thought it would be a good carry choice for her with it being slim and having a safety option, but she just doesn't like semi-auto. I think the flying brass is part of it, but I think personal preference and confidence are the main drivers. Good luck and glad to hear she's moving in that direction.