Taurus 380 revolver or???

[Lester Polfus]

I've got some mild hand arthritis I'm trying to keep from getting worse. My 638 is strictly a wadcutter-only gun nowadays.

My 640 Pro (all steel) with +P .38 Special loads is just fine and is incredibly mild with wadcutters. I wonder if the .357 frame LCR, an all-steel J-frame, or an SP101 is the ticket for her. Start with wadcutters and work your way up the power scale until you find the edge of her comfort zone.

Or just stop at wadcutters. To get a .38 Special JHP to expand, you usually have to bump the velocity up quite a bit.

The 640 Pro's sights make it shoot like a much bigger gun. The Wiley Clapp SP101 is also a very nice gun.

[BillSWPA]

Great point.

The honest answer is that she is very familiar with and SAFE carrying a revolver. She has not had enough training with semi-auto pistols. She is a working, single mom with limited time & resources. It would be a heavy lift to get her dialed in to my satisfaction. I am more comfortable with her carrying a revolver at this time.

If I could get her out to the range more often & etc, a G42 or something similar would be the logical choice. Right now a light recoiling revolver seems to make the most sense.

To confirm that I understand correctly, recoil is the big issue, and pulling a DA trigger is something she can handle without difficulty?

What is the largest size revolver she would be able to effectively and comfortably conceal?

[SecondsCount]

Great point.

The honest answer is that she is very familiar with and SAFE carrying a revolver. She has not had enough training with semi-auto pistols. She is a working, single mom with limited time & resources. It would be a heavy lift to get her dialed in to my satisfaction. I am more comfortable with her carrying a revolver at this time.

If I could get her out to the range more often & etc, a G42 or something similar would be the logical choice. Right now a light recoiling revolver seems to make the most sense.

After spending hundreds of hours on a range teaching women to shoot, the key is to put something in their hands that they enjoy shooting. If she hasn't already, let her try a semi, either in a 22LR or a even a 9mm, and let her decide.

[JCN]

I took my Wife, Daughter, and Granddaughter to the range the other day. We had a great time. Getting my girls out for a bit of practice i always good.

My Daughter has some health issues. She was experiencing a lot of pain shooting the 638 with 125gr light practice loads. It affected her shooting quite a bit. She carries an LCR in 38 special. We have been discussing replacing it with something with less recoil.
She was comfortable shooting my wife's M64 4" with the same loads, so I think something with a similar recoil impulse might do well.

I know we could go with an LCR in 22lr worst case, but I would like to find a better option. Has anybody tried the Taurus 380 revolver? Any other ideas?

Thanks for your help

I know that it might seem controversial but it's totally okay to practice with a larger / heavier version of your carry gun to work on fundamentals that will carry over.

I think practicing with a K frame and carrying a J frame is totally reasonable.

[onehalfmvsquared]

I would go with a heavier gun and wadcutters, like a SP101 loaded with 38 wadcutters.

And I love my G42

[4given]

To confirm that I understand correctly, recoil is the big issue, and pulling a DA trigger is something she can handle without difficulty?

What is the largest size revolver she would be able to effectively and comfortably conceal?

Yes, it is the recoil, not the DA pull that is the issue. I don't know the answer to that but an all-steel snub might work.

[4given]

I've got some mild hand arthritis I'm trying to keep from getting worse. My 638 is strictly a wadcutter-only gun nowadays.

My 640 Pro (all steel) with +P .38 Special loads is just fine and is incredibly mild with wadcutters. I wonder if the .357 frame LCR, an all-steel J-frame, or an SP101 is the ticket for her. Start with wadcutters and work your way up the power scale until you find the edge of her comfort zone.

Or just stop at wadcutters. To get a .38 Special JHP to expand, you usually have to bump the velocity up quite a bit.

The 640 Pro's sights make it shoot like a much bigger gun. The Wiley Clapp SP101 is also a very nice gun.

I'm using wadcutters in all my 38 snubs right now but they are a little spicier than Federal Match and the like. I suppose I could load up something similar and see how they do. Also, I think an all-steel snub might be the answer.

[4given]

I would go with a heavier gun and wadcutters, like a SP101 loaded with 38 wadcutters.

And I love my G42

SP 101 ... Humm ...

[BillSWPA]

Yes, it is the recoil, not the DA pull that is the issue. I don't know the answer to that but an all-steel snub might work.

I hesitate to recommend something at this price for someone with limited resources, but a Colt Night Cobra might work well. Colt D frames are not significantly more difficult to conceal than J frames except for pocket carry, and are very comparable in size to an LCR. They shoot like larger guns, particularly with the steel frame. She gets 6 rounds instead of 5.

[onehalfmvsquared]

SP 101 ... Humm ...

I have a 3", but they make a true snub nose. Only 5 rounds, but all steel and on the heavy side