handgun for home/personal defense

[meat]

I have decided to go w/ a gun chambered for .38 special for a home defense/house gun. I decided on this caliber because I would like my girlfriend to be able to use this gun if ever the case may present itself. She really doesn't want to own her own weapon, but would like to be trained on the revolver for times when she is home alone and I am out of town. I have narrowed my choices down to 2 revolvers: the taurus model 85 in 3" stainless and the ruger gp-100 stainless in 4" barrel (the .357 w/ adjustable sights - i think it's model # is kgp-141). Here's my dilemma regarding the pro's and cons of each gun: My reasoning towards the model 85 is that it is a smaller gun that my girlfriend will be able to use and hold it a little more comfortably and that w/ the stainless frame it'll add a little more weight to reduce recoil. My only concern is that the .38 may not perform as well ballistically out of a 3" barrel to take someone down and that it only holds 5 shots. Regarding the gp-100, I'm worried that the grip of the gun may be way to large for her small hands. I do like the fact that it's a heavier gun because it'll reduce the recoil of the .38 to almost nothing and the 4" barrel seems to be a good length for the .38 to perform well ballistically (at least according to this web page: http://www.evanmarshall.com/towert/...owerfigures.htm)
Plus, I would have the added bonus of owning a .357 although personally i think that the round is to powerful and loud (deafining in fact) to use in a townhouse residence without going into the neighbor's residence and possibly endangering other's without knowing it. That said, the primary use will definitely be for home defense and it will be loaded w/ .38 special +P's. Any response or other insightful recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

[CastleBravo]

I'd say actually let her have something to do with choosing which revolver to get. Let her handle SEVERAL revolvers, preferably shoot them, and use her input to pick one. If you present her a revolver as a fait accompli she probably won't be interested in it; if you let her help choose it she'll want to use it herself. Basic human nature.

As for .357 Magnum vs .38 Special... bear in mind that with lighter (e.g. 125gr) hollowpoints .357 Magnum won't penetrate significantly more than anything else. .38 Special is a heck of alot easier to shoot, however.

As for the weight vs recoil thing: there is no free ride. Heavier guns are nicer to shoot but are heavier. A good thing for you to find out would be which one she is more adverse to -- weight or recoil? Consider this: I had a girlfriend who hated a heavy gun at all costs and was totally unfazed by recoil. She would shoot 200gr +P ammo out of a little Glock 36 and not get fazed. My friend's wife doesn't mind a heavy gun but is really bugged by recoil; she has most fun so far with a S&W 686 loaded with .38 Specials. And finally, another friend's wife is only happy with the biggest, loudest thing going and shoots my Glock 20C best.

The bottom line: you never know, so don't *assume* anything.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Castle Bravo right......let her help with the selection. Try as many as you can get ahold of. Not long ago was workin with three ladies, an assortment of handguns from .454 down, autos and wheels. 2½" round butt 19 turned out to be the most popular.

Different time, nuther lady; 6" square butt 19 was favorite.

Different guns for different folks. If it is comfortable, it will be fun to shoot. If it is fun to shoot, there will be more shooting. More shooting will begat more skill.

Work with the basics of safety and sight picture. If she becomes good with one gun, she will be good with any gun.

If your choice turns out to be a Smith n Wesson, PLEASE buy used.

Sam

 

[revolvergeek]

Ditto to what Bravo said. My g/f tried a variety of guns, liked the little 5 shots ok, but REALLY loved a Glock 19 and, oddly enough, a S&W 19 2.5". She ended up with the S&W because it fit our budget better (bought a Secret Service trade-in from RSR for $210). The main problem she had was with the noise and muzzle blast, not the recoil.

Your biggest problem with the GP100 would be the grip size. You can get a smaller grip from Ruger, Pach. Compacs and a couple different wood or rubber Houge grips, any of which might help. For fast double action shooting and good recoil control it she needs to have a good reach on the trigger and still be able to keep the gun roughly in line with her forearm

I would also recommend that you let her look (and shoot if possible) a S&W 19/66 2.5", a S&W 13 3" and one of the GP100 with the 3" barrel and fixed sights. All of these would split the difference in size/weight between the two guns that you have suggested.

Main thing is that she has to like the feel of it and be happy with it, and then she will have more confidence in it and maybe go to the range and shoot it more.

 

[HK1]

not to incite a flame war.....but I consider a 9mm to be the bare minimum for any type of home defense handgun...and you will need hi caps with a 9mm...fortunatly there are several great 9mm with pleantiful hi cap mag supply....if you are talking less then 9mm and it will be a CCW then some of the smaller cartridges have some advantages especially with the smaller gun being able to more readily be concealled.....if you really want to be sure...maybe you should look at a 45...and maybe the idea of a handgun for home defense should be dumped in favor of a shotgun..say a 20 guage.....just some thoughts I have..every situation demands a different tool..but i believe anything smaller then a 9mm should be avoided..HK.out

*above all else....she alone has to pick and use what she is comfortable with.....the choice has to be hers and hers alone*

 

[PreserveFreedom]

One thing to consider...will you or your girlfriend be carrying this gun outside of the home at all? If so, the Taurus 85 will be a lot easier to tuck away. If it is strictly for home and range, I would get the Ruger. As mentioned though, get something she likes if she will be a primary shooter.

 

[CastleBravo]

A hit with a .22 Short beats a miss with a .45 any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Caliber is a secondary consideration (and all I shoot is 10mm Auto ).

 

[vanfunk]

I think the .38 is great...

And I'd also recommend a gun not on your original list, but a great one nonetheless. The S&W model 67, .38 special, 4" barrel, adjustable sights, stainless steel. My stepmother (61 yrs. old) has one and I have full confidence in her ability to defend herself with it. The myriad of grip configurations should make it easy to find one that fits. It's heavy enough to dampen recoil and steady one's aim, not so heavy as to induce tendonitis. 4" barrel is long enough to get good performance out of most .38 sp. defensive ammo. The S&W k-frame double action is smooth, and can be lightened easily if need be. Many of the ones on the market are police turn-ins, usually carried alot and shot little. I've seen a bunch in about 90% condition going for $175-225. Also, the stainless steel construction makes the gun appear to be bigger, which may increase the much-valued intimidation factor in a potentially violent encounter. Hope this helps!
vanfunk

 

[blades67]

Unless she has asked for a revolver, I think you are being condesending towards her by not giving her the option of choosing her own firearm. My Lady, by way of example, can shoot many of my pistols very well. She likes my G19 best. She has proven very capable with my P220 .45acp and G20 10mm as well. (The 20, with an M3 Tac light is our current home defense gun.) Let your lady find what she likes best without you deciding what she needs first. She may just out shoot you with your own gun.

 

[22Shooter]

Another option to consider is an SP101 in 357 with a 3" barrel. Any choice is a compromise, but this one would at least split the difference between the GP100 and the M85. Hogue makes a nice grip for the SP101 big enough for a full hand grip. It's heavier than the M85 to damp recoil, and more compact than the GP100.

I think your OK with a 3" barrel and 38 Spl. +P. Dale Towert's stopping power page has a comparison of 38 SPl. performance from 2" and 4" barrels if you want to get an idea of the relative differences.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

Ruger SP101 in .357. I have a Ruger SP101 in .38 +P for my nightstand gun. It is a fine gun. The .357 advantage is it will shoot .357, .38, and .38 +P. I bought my .38 SP101 because it was on sale at $230 bucks - hard to pass up.

 

[WESHOOT2]

CLEAR THINKING

Suggest the correct choice as KGP-141.

Your girlfriend will have no trouble (my 8-year old daughter shot the KGP as her first experience, and she's still tiny) and will thank you AFTER she fires a 38 snub LOL.

 

[Lord Grey Boots]

The small hands is an issue. I agree with the statement that SHE must pick one. Have her handle /shoot the GP100, an SP101, and a S&W Model 19.

Also stick with the lighter weight rounds. 110/125 grainers. Less felt recoil, but still enough power.

You want something she is comfortable enough to practice with, something she likes.

 

[Jim March]

Remember, there's two grip sizes available for GP100s...

Study the Ruger pictures carefully, and you'll see that fixed-sight GP100s come with a smaller factory grip than adjustable-sight variants. The smaller grip is more of a "round-butt" and is also shorter.

The small grip can be retrofitted for about $30 total.

At the gunshop, have her try out the feel of the smaller grip on a fixed-sight gun. You can then buy an adjustable-sight gun if you want, but order the smaller grip. It's similar in size to an SP101 grip.

 

[Quakemaster]

Don't sell yourself or your girlfriend short. Just because she is a girl does not mean she can't handle bigger stuff. Sorry, that is just sort of what I read into it - and maybe it was because I felt the same way about my wife who shoots a .45 very well now.

You don't really want a gun for home protection that is just for ease of use. You may still get a gun that has great ease of use, but buying a gun really should be accompanied by some real instruction and practice on a regular basis. Even if you girlfriend doesn't intend to shoot much, she should have at least one class to get plenty of hands-on proper instruction and then YOU need to get her to the range as often as possible and if she doesn't want to go often, then try for at least once a month so that if the time comes to use the gun, it isn't 4 years since she last handled it. Maybe it is she who will be taking you? I am not saying she has to be a great marksman, but being proficient may determine whether she lives or dies. Of course, the same goes for you. I assume that your girlfriend doesn't know much about guns given that you seem to be the one making the decisions, so please take no offense.

What others have mentioned about shooting a variety of guns is a great idea. You may find there is a great compromise gun that matches your needs and hers with no significant detractions. If you don't have the guns, rent them. It is a little pricey of an evening, but totally worthwhile. YOu may go through 10-15 guns and end up with an evening like an expensive dinner. Since you can't test drive new guns, you have to rent. Remember, you would not buy a new car without test driving, so at least test drive the model by renting it first.

For my wife and me, we did the .45 thing. I thought it was really cool that my wife had a big gun, and then for a while, she was shooting better than me!!! That hurt my ego a little and then I realized that nothing could be better. She can take care of herself and she doesn't need me to be there to save her and if I am there, I feel like I can't have a better person backing me up in our home. It is cool to be a team with your significant other.

 

[swatman]

HK1,
I am not sure I totally agree that with a 9mm you NEED hi Caps. I often find I am quite comfortable with a NON hi cap Glock 26 thanks

 

[HK1]

i do believe that with a 9mm you will definetly need hi cap mags..a cheap and very well made 9mm is the CZ 75 and the hi cap mags for it are around 25 bux if you look...I..and im not alone in this..believe that 9mm is not all that reliable for stopping power..."with 9mm"..i am not about to get caught with a 10 round mag....practice yes..but,....if my life was on the line and i had only the 9mm at my disposable it had better have more then 10 round capacity..9mm and the smaller stuff demands more then 10 rounds....my 2 cents..HK out

 

[Rusty S]

With ccw classes all over my state, I'd suggest sending her to one or more such classes. By herself or with a girlfriend. Sign her up at a community college firearms course. And shut/glue your lips together. If possible take the same class(es), but a different section, only if you can learn from it instead of sitting in the back row and sniping at the instructor.

 

[Rebeldon]

Between the Taurus M85 and the Ruger GP100, I'd recommend the Taurus, simply because you are concerned about your girlfriend's grip. The GP100 does have a larger grip and she might not feel secure with it if she has to extend her trigger finger too far.

If your girlfriend wasn't in the picture, I would agree with your reasoning about the GP100. But since others have mentioned alternatives to your two choices, I'll throw in my two cents. Take a look at the Taurus M627 Tracker. It is a .357 magnum with seven shots, and has a 4" barrel. It has "Ribber Grips", which are very comfortable and really do absorb some of the recoil. I have a buddy that loves his Tracker.

 

[GunFool]

You know I still get a laugh out of this 'gotta have hi-cap mags' argument! I mean, if you need more than 10 rounds of 9mm to take out the biggest baddest troll in the 'hood, then you need to MOVE! Forget the extra 5 - 7 shots! Sheesh. And if you need more than 10 rounds to hit that troll in the small confines of your house then you need some serious range time, not a bigger mag! That said, 17 is better than 15 is better than 10...but it's never a 'must have' situation.