Small Caliber Revolver

[billdotcom]

Hello All. Happy Memorial Day.

I believe owning guns, but I am not really informed on brands and models.

My wife has her carry permit but does not carry at this time. I have a couple of carry pistols and she shoots them from time to time but every time we do shoot I have to coach her thru the use of the gun, what to do, where the safety is, and such. She also is not excited about a lot of recoil. I would like to get a simple small caliber revolver that she would be more comfortable to operate.

My questions are, are there any 32 caliber revolvers still being made? Or other smaller calibers? If so any that stand out for a possible carry use? Any used models that I should look for? If I went to a 38 special is there any low power rounds available?

Thank you all for any assistance you can give.

Edit-- Ok, When I originally posted I tried to keep things short and to the point. I figured that I would be respectful of all you your time and net tell a life story. I also expected that several people would not assume lowest common denominator. May of you have offered your thoughts and advise and I thank you for that. The Undercoverette is absolutely something for us to look for, and the info about the .327/32 I was not aware of and gives me something to research.

For the missing information, my wife was raised with guns. She learned and practices absolute gun safety, to the point of worrying about what direction handguns are placed in the case so that when we open the case they are pointed down range and do not have to be turned around. Her issues are not safety or ability to shoot. It is simply keeping the manual-of-arms for each weapon. Because of her concern that she might miss something she will not handle our pistols alone. That is why she does not carry.

Both my wife and I don't get to the range as much as we would like. Unfortunately that is a bi-product of our lives, not enough time for all the things that we want to do.

For whatever it may be worth, I do highly recommend that you find a local range that offers a Valentines day special. My wife and I love it!

I hope that this adds to the original post and helps to reduce the need for assumptions. And has not made this post too long.

Thank you again for your advise.

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[CLT65]

There are very few options in .32 caliber for carry revolvers. .38 Special is really your best bet, Ruger and S&W make some decent lightweight models. .38 ammo comes in all flavors, and if you reload, they can be loaded down very light, almost like shooting a 22.

 

[oremike]

Charter Arms makes a small revolver called the undercoverette in 32 H&R. Ruger makes the LCR and SP101 in 327 Federal so you can practice with the 32 H&R and carry the much more powerful 327.

 

[bentoncity]

Hello All. Happy Memorial Day.

I believe owning guns, but I am not really informed on brands and models.

My wife has her carry permit but does not carry at this time. I have a couple of carry pistols and she shoots them from time to time but every time we do shoot I have to coach her thru the use of the gun, what to do, where the safety is, and such. She also is not excited about a lot of recoil. I would like to get a simple small caliber revolver that she would be more comfortable to operate.

My questions are, are there any 32 caliber revolvers still being made? Or other smaller calibers? If so any that stand out for a possible carry use? Any used models that I should look for? If I went to a 38 special is there any low power rounds available?

Thank you all for any assistance you can give.

Why not go to .380 for a bit more firepower & more common? Little recoil and tons of variants. Single stack, double stack.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!

I'm not going to apologize for the above because your statement (s) scares the living hell out of me and could darn well lead to 'your wife' being dead due to lack of training & situational awareness due to "lack of training"!

HOW hard is that to understand? YOUR WIFE..."could be dead" for Gods sake! Wake the heck up for her & your sake to live a full life.

Dan

 

[Alexx1401]

If you have to have a wheel gun .38 is the way to go. You can buy low powered target ammo if you need something with little recoil. If you like it's a super simple round to roll your own for too. Then you can make any kind of ammo you want for it.

 

[MrTwentyTwo]

How about a .357mag? Now hear me out..., I know, I know... The down side is it's a little heavier frame but the upside is, it's a little heavier, so it also helps to tame the recoil (get it?). Another plus... you can shoot light .38 specials in it, way downloaded or .38÷P loads on up to .357 light to heavy loads. It's a Win-Win! Lots of choices available from many different manufacturers, but I'm partial to Smiths. Get out a lot and practice, shoot lots of rounds and have a lot of fun! Again... a win-win!! Best of luck to you.

 

[Member 52301]

Have a blessed Memorial Day to you too.

Training and a gun safety class should come first!

If a person does not practice gun safety and is not a SAFE shooter - would you really trust them to shoot NEXT to you at a range or in the woods?

You absolutely have to DRILL good shooting habits into any person at any age whether they are a relative, friend or just another Newbie or Oldie person shooting.

That goes for people who conceal or open carry and they RARELY or never go to the range to keep up their skills or take a refresher course even if the course is something out of a NRA handgun book or something like that with a follow up at a range.

This applies to rifle and shotgun shooters too!

Stay safe and DRILL good shooting habits into ALL people's brains and shooting habits.

Best wishes to both of you.

Old Lady Cate

 

[Member 52301]

Why not go to .380 for a bit more firepower & more common? Little recoil and tons of variants. Single stack, double stack.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!

I'm not going to apologize for the above because your statement (s) scares the living hell out of me and could darn well lead to 'your wife' being dead due to lack of training & situational awareness due to "lack of training"!

HOW hard is that to understand? YOUR WIFE..."could be dead" for Gods sake! Wake the heck up for her & your sake to live a full life.

Dan

^^^

This x 1,000!

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

Hello All. Happy Memorial Day.

I believe owning guns, but I am not really informed on brands and models.

My wife has her carry permit but does not carry at this time. I have a couple of carry pistols and she shoots them from time to time but every time we do shoot I have to coach her thru the use of the gun, what to do, where the safety is, and such. She also is not excited about a lot of recoil. I would like to get a simple small caliber revolver that she would be more comfortable to operate.

My questions are, are there any 32 caliber revolvers still being made? Or other smaller calibers? If so any that stand out for a possible carry use? Any used models that I should look for? If I went to a 38 special is there any low power rounds available?

Thank you all for any assistance you can give.

Third reply from me to you here.

Disclaimer: I never owned a 32 caliber gun but I did look at some OLD ones back in the late 90's in single action revolvers. They were beautiful guns but I decided against that caliber due to how I was planning all of my guns due to specific calibers and ammunition sharing. This is when I first started to shoot and buy all of my own guns.

Your wife should not be carrying a gun (Open or concealed.) if she is NOT aware of how a gun operates or HOW TO SHOOT IT SAFELY.

She needs to be trained as I said in my other posts and as one man stated here.

SHE should be the person picking out her OWN HANDGUN not you. What fits and suits HER not you.

What about a 22lr d/a revolver to start her out if she is the type of person (Woman or man.) where RECOIL OR NOISE bothers them from the gitgo?

Many people do NOT have those issues. I didn't as a Newbie in my late 40's but not every person is like me.

Smith and Wesson MODEL 317 Kit gun - J frame d/a revolver. Three inch barrel. I don't like their NEW front sights but it would work for your wife or something like that gun. The new one has a HI VIZ fiber optic green sight not the metal old style sight.

Model 317 | Smith & Wesson

www.smith-wesson.com

I did own one (Model 317.) from the late 90's and on until I stopped shooting all handguns due to my arthritis, etc. Mine had the old style metal front sight. IT was a very nice handgun.

The one man mentioned .380 semi automatic pistols. I never owned one of them but they do INTEREST me as my husband ages. I need to study that caliber some more too.

A 38Special IS a very sweet round to shoot but your wife should try one out IF that is possible before SHE decides if it is too loud or if the recoil bothers her too. I can suggest some there if you would like some info about that too. I used to shoot a Smith and Wesson MODEL 60 and some other 357Magnum/38Special and Plus P rounds out of various d/a and s/a revolvers too. I used to shoot a bunch of 38Special ammunition out of those d/a and s/a revolvers.

Best wishes to both of you again.

Old Lady Cate

 

[turq]

If you decide and it is a revolver fit a Hogue Overmolded Rubber grip WITH finger grooves.
Maybe in aqua . Just not pink , they remind me of 'safe' guns.

 

[41mag]

many people are afraid of what they THINK is going to be "too much recoil" etc, rather than what that noise/recoil actually IS.

A few regular training/practice sessions can do wonders to discover those realities. Good luck on your mission.

 

[oremike]

Hello All. Happy Memorial Day.

I believe owning guns, but I am not really informed on brands and models.

My wife has her carry permit but does not carry at this time. I have a couple of carry pistols and she shoots them from time to time but every time we do shoot I have to coach her thru the use of the gun, what to do, where the safety is, and such. She also is not excited about a lot of recoil. I would like to get a simple small caliber revolver that she would be more comfortable to operate.

My questions are, are there any 32 caliber revolvers still being made? Or other smaller calibers? If so any that stand out for a possible carry use? Any used models that I should look for? If I went to a 38 special is there any low power rounds available?

Thank you all for any assistance you can give.

Just my observations, first buying a woman a gun is like going to the naughty store to buy her sexy underwear, you'll both be happier if you let her get what she wants on her own.

Next, maybe some training other than by you would be of help. It removes the husband vs. wife issue.

Lastly, if she does decide on a revolver you can look for ammo that is sold as "cowboy" or "cowboy action". These are generally down loaded to be pleasant to shoot all day in light weight guns.

On a personal note, over the years, I've bought my wife a whole slew of guns that I "knew" were perfect for her and they sat in the safe un-loved. Finally she bought a Bersa Thunder in .380 acp. Her reason for that purchase was one I'd never thought of, it looks like James Bonds gun. So by allowing her to find and get what she wanted on her own, it has opened up the door so to speak and now she has a Stainless Steel Rossi carbine in 44 Mag and a Ladysmith. Now she's been looking at .22's and a 20 ga shotgun.

 

[edzz]

In recent years Smith & Wesson and others have produced a variety of 6 shot.327 magnum revolvers on their "J" frame. These .327's can also use .32 ammo just like a .357 magnum uses .38 special. The problem with the .327 is the scarcity of the guns and the ammo. If the .327 ammo and firearms were only more common...

That said I tend towards the 5 shot.357 / .38 school. I commonly carry a S&W model 60LS in .357 loaded with a factory load developed for the short barreled revolvers (lower flash and recoil). If I want something lighter I have Smith & Wesson model 38 & 642 revolvers chambered in .38 special.
With full power loads they can all be a bit of a handful to handle and are not for the recoil shy. Shooting .38 special in the stainless steel framed model 60 isn't bad nor are light or low recoil defense .38 loads in the alloy Model 38 and 642. For carry in the .38's I use factory protection low recoil loads.
I have Crimson Trace laser grips on these revolvers both for low light and for training use. Very nice to be able to learn target accusation by drawing and bringing the revolver on target than activating the laser to see where you are actually pointing it. Do this enough and soon enough at shorter ranges the sights become redundant. The laser is also great to practice your double action trigger pull. With the revolver empty and laser activated you can really see how much you are moving your point of aim when pulling that trigger. With a lot of practice it's easy to develop a good grip and smooth trigger pull.
For me I use the rubber over molded Crimson Trace grips on the .357 magnum and their hard (cheaper) plastic grips on my .38's. The plastic is less clingy and smaller for pocket carry however doesn't do anything to mitigate the recoil. For the recoil sensitive I'd be inclined to go with the rubber grips on the .38 also.

If the .327 Magnum were more common I'd gladly carry it and would appreciate the extra shot.

All that said your best bet is to find a range that rents guns and or a ladies night and let her find what she wants to shoot. That's how my wife came home with our first Smith & Wesson 9mm Shield.

 

[goodratter]

"Undercoverette" 32 magnum. Has enough power for protection.Yet is as calm and comfortable as it gets. Price is in the 400 range. Shootable for all age groups. Reliability is unmatched. Training basics=Always make it enjoyable, maybe bring the youngsters along. More attention is payed when having fun.

 

[pharmseller]

Will she carry a .32 gun in her pocket for fun?



P

 

[billdotcom]

Why not go to .380 for a bit more firepower & more common? Little recoil and tons of variants. Single stack, double stack.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!
BUT MORE IMPORTANT is training! If you have to coach her over and over again, then she's not learning jack squat. That's a HUGE PROBLEM IMHO!

I'm not going to apologize for the above because your statement (s) scares the living hell out of me and could darn well lead to 'your wife' being dead due to lack of training & situational awareness due to "lack of training"!

HOW hard is that to understand? YOUR WIFE..."could be dead" for Gods sake! Wake the heck up for her & your sake to live a full life.

Dan

Dan

Copy-and-paste insults are not helpful and shows an inability to communicate. Expressing your concerns once would have been sufficient. Also acknowledging that your concerns are based on assumptions would be appreciated. Being rude is easy, Trying to help another takes thought and consideration.

As I had specifically pointed out that she has concerns handling pistols, your initial suggestion of a .380 shows that you did not even consider the information presented.

Given that you didn't consider what I had written and instead chose to give repetitive insults it seems to me that you want to put down others in order to make yourself feel superior.

I have edited my original post to add more detail, I do hope that this added information will help alleviate your fears and allow you to come out of your "safe place".

Thank you for your input, but I will be considering the advise that others have shared.

 

[billdotcom]

Third reply from me to you here.

Disclaimer: I never owned a 32 caliber gun but I did look at some OLD ones back in the late 90's in single action revolvers. They were beautiful guns but I decided against that caliber due to how I was planning all of my guns due to specific calibers and ammunition sharing. This is when I first started to shoot and buy all of my own guns.

Your wife should not be carrying a gun (Open or concealed.) if she is NOT aware of how a gun operates or HOW TO SHOOT IT SAFELY.

She needs to be trained as I said in my other posts and as one man stated here.

SHE should be the person picking out her OWN HANDGUN not you. What fits and suits HER not you.

What about a 22lr d/a revolver to start her out if she is the type of person (Woman or man.) where RECOIL OR NOISE bothers them from the gitgo?

Many people do NOT have those issues. I didn't as a Newbie in my late 40's but not every person is like me.

Smith and Wesson MODEL 317 Kit gun - J frame d/a revolver. Three inch barrel. I don't like their NEW front sights but it would work for your wife or something like that gun. The new one has a HI VIZ fiber optic green sight not the metal old style sight.

Model 317 | Smith & Wesson

www.smith-wesson.com

I did own one (Model 317.) from the late 90's and on until I stopped shooting all handguns due to my arthritis, etc. Mine had the old style metal front sight. IT was a very nice handgun.

The one man mentioned .380 semi automatic pistols. I never owned one of them but they do INTEREST me as my husband ages. I need to study that caliber some more too.

A 38Special IS a very sweet round to shoot but your wife should try one out IF that is possible before SHE decides if it is too loud or if the recoil bothers her too. I can suggest some there if you would like some info about that too. I used to shoot a Smith and Wesson MODEL 60 and some other 357Magnum/38Special and Plus P rounds out of various d/a and s/a revolvers too. I used to shoot a bunch of 38Special ammunition out of those d/a and s/a revolvers.

Best wishes to both of you again.

Old Lady Cate

Hello Cate, and thank you for your replies.

I have added more detail to my original post. I hope that the added info will let people know that safety is not being over looked in our house. I had tried to keep my post short and it seems that it was too shor.

I will look into some milder rounds of 38 spl and she can see how they may be for her. This whole question is really about finding options for her to try.

Thank you again for your input.

 

[SavageGerbil]

The sp101 in 327 is a good option, if she'll be willing to deal with the weight. Caliber was designed to deliver decent power with reduced recoil, plus a sixth round in the cylinder. I always liked Ruger's button style cylinder release, too. I believe they make the LCR in 327 as well.

Another idea for the range, sometimes the blast can be as unpleasant to people as the recoil, but the recoil still generally gets the blame. Double up on hearing protection, plugs and muffs. If it's part of the problem, it'll help. If it's not, you're only out 50 cents on a wasted pair of plugs.

 

[billdotcom]

Charter Arms makes a small revolver called the undercoverette in 32 H&R. Ruger makes the LCR and SP101 in 327 Federal so you can practice with the 32 H&R and carry the much more powerful 327.

Thank you for this information. This is very helpful.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Consider this:
Charter Arms Pathfinder Standard Revolver | 72324

22 WMR, 2", Double/Single Action, Stainless Steel Frame, Black Rubber Grip, Fixed Sights, Matte Stainless, 6 Rds

Cost about $325.00

My take: low recoil with 'enough' power.