Guest kunegos Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 So my wife and I were discussing home safety and defense this evening, and firearms were the focus. I have a Bersa .380 auto, but she is too unfamiliar with it to feel confident...long story short, she was all over the idea of getting a revolver. This is good news for me, as it has been on my list of things I would LOVE to have. My dad's Ruger with a 6" barrel is one of the most awesome firearms I have ever used. That's a lot of sugar for a nickel, so I'll get right to it. Let me hear your recommendations as far as brands, where to buy, value, etc. Like I said, I have a Bersa .380, which is not exactly top drawer for brand name, but it is a fine shooter. Thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarvDog Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 My 357 is a Ruger GP161 which I absolutely love. It's no concealed carry weapon but it is very accurate. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 [ QUOTE ] she was all over the idea of getting a revolver. [/ QUOTE ] my wife loved the idea of getting a revolver, so I bought her a .38 special. she put 10 rounds through it, looked at me and said "i don't like this at all" she could hit that target, and that was about it. get your wife a gun that she can shoot and be comfortable with. my advice is a gun like the browning buckmark. semi-auto .22LR, has a little bit of weight to it, solid feel, and you can accurately shoot 10 rounds in less than 5 seconds. if you do get a malfunction, you can clear it quickly and easily. you can purchase good ammo for a .22 people bad-mouth a .22 all the time, but I will guarantee you that none of those people bad-mouthing a .22 will be willingly shot by one to prove that they won't stop somebody. you get shot by any gun, even a .22, and it will hurt like ****. place your shots right and you can kill with any firearm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kunegos Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 I do have a Browning Buckmark .22, and she shot up a bunch of ammo last time we went out. I also had her shoot the .380. I think the problem is that with all the additional things to think about ie safety, magazine release, etc she is afraid that she won't be able to operate it in the hour of need. I hear what you're saying, and ideally we could spend enough time with a firearm to where she feels totally confident with it and could operate in her sleep. The reality is that we don't really have consistent access to a place to shoot, resources to shoot as much as I would like, time, yada yada yada. I like the idea of her confidence in knowing that at any time all she has to do is pull back the hammer and pull the trigger to defend herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 you might want to look at something like a spurless revolver if she is really set on one. ruger makes a .357 mag in spurless, but i really liked the s&w airweight.. 642 is the model of the spurless, 637 is the regular. those s&w airweights are really nice for compact and it could even be a good gun for her to have in her purse for concealed. I really recommend getting a hogue grip for a revolver though, they take out a lot of the "smacking" in your hand. just my 2 cents, but i'd think a .357 mag would be a bit much for most ladies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kunegos Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 Yeah I agree. This will be the at home, by the bed gun. She's definitely not ready to carry a gun around with her yet. How do the spurless models work? I think I have seen them but never really given them much thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 well, basically, the hammer is enclosed in the frame so that it won't catch on anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 Smith is the bomb as a revolver, but I sure like my Rugers. I have shot a few from Taurus, and those seem OK. If you get a Ruger, they are solid and heavy, as you know, which makes the recoil more tolerable. You could always load up some mild .38 spl loads for her to practice with, and then stoke it with +P .38 or full blown .357 mag. rounds for defense. Have you considered going with a more simplified auto, like a mid-size Glock in 9mm? No safties to mess with, so there is no distration there, and it shoots a bunch more times than a revolver before you have to reload, which is a snap with a magazine. I seriously doubt she'd have to reload in a defense situation, but after Katrina, you never can tell! As to where to get it, Gunsamerica.com is a good source for used guns. Good luck, and remember that the bedside gun is going to need a secure place to live if you have little ones around or visitng...had one of those tragic cases here this winter. HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 You might also look at a 22 magnum revolver. I think you would be suprised at the ballistics and the recoil would be minimal with the small caliber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2Hunt Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 I love my Taurus 66 in 357 with the 6 inch barrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest andymansavage Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 I have a ruger mark I .22 and agree with xen. If somone broke in while my wife was home she would have no problem putting 9 holes in somebody and that that would ruin a burgler's day. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] she was all over the idea of getting a revolver. [/ QUOTE ] my wife loved the idea of getting a revolver, so I bought her a .38 special. she put 10 rounds through it, looked at me and said "i don't like this at all" she could hit that target, and that was about it. get your wife a gun that she can shoot and be comfortable with. my advice is a gun like the browning buckmark. semi-auto .22LR, has a little bit of weight to it, solid feel, and you can accurately shoot 10 rounds in less than 5 seconds. if you do get a malfunction, you can clear it quickly and easily. you can purchase good ammo for a .22 people bad-mouth a .22 all the time, but I will guarantee you that none of those people bad-mouthing a .22 will be willingly shot by one to prove that they won't stop somebody. you get shot by any gun, even a .22, and it will hurt like ****. place your shots right and you can kill with any firearm [/ QUOTE ] Start off with a 22, but work her way up to something bigger! As fast as she can! What about the criminal that is sooooo full of cocaine that he doesn't feel anything but maybe a bee sting. That 22 will not be enough to stop him! I have read many stories about thugs who were all drugged up and even were shot with 22's. They still managed to kill their victims! Some died after they already killed their victims too, BUT THEN ITS TOO LATE! I would stick with nothing smaller than a .357! You can still shoot .38's from it as well! This way she will have something to grow with. Smith & Wesson still makes the LadySmiths. But the bad thing about them is the barrel length. Longer range targets will be tough unless she gets in lots of practice! But at least she will have a gun powerful enough to stop the idiot that might be drugged up! The lighter weight handguns will have more recoil which might scare her away even more! You must think about the weight of the gun! Too heavy, she wont like it, too light, the gun will rocket back harder, and wont like it! My wife will not shoot my Smith 686 with full 357's in it, but she will shoot the 686 with .38's in! Its only a 4" barrel, but its heavy enough to tame some of the recoil! Some women I know don't like hammerless revolvers. They say it is too hard to just pull the trigger to fire the gun. Which leads also to flinching and missing the target! Not good in a home defense situation! Unless you get a lighter trigger spring job done to it, but that could lead to some problems too! They even have HI-VIZ sights on certain models, a plus in low lights areas! This is my 686 4". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 anybody know if there is a revolver in .357Sig out? it's basically a .40 that has been necked down to 9mm, but sig felt that calling it a 9mmSig would make it sound too weak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 http://www.greent.com/40Page/ammo/357/357SIG-advoc.htm Here is some more about the .357 Sig, the page was long so I copied & pasted. .357 SIG -- A Solution in Search of a Problem? Several readers have contacted us to ask for our opinion of the .357 SIG cartridge, and its effectiveness for personal defense use, particularly when loaded with a 125-grain JHP bullet. Our usual response is that it demonstrates adequate performance, meaning that the bullets are capable of penetrating deeply enough to potentially inflict an effective wound. But it doesn't seem to perform any better than current 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP bullets in terms of penetration and expansion. We feel .357 SIG appeals to people who are preoccupied with velocity and kinetic energy more than with producing effective wound trauma. The velocity of the .357 SIG 125-grain JHP bullet doesn't appear to make it superior in penetrating automotive sheet metal, windshield glass or other hard barrier materials than existing 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP JHP bullets. In fact, .357 SIG demonstrates virtually identical performance characteristics as the other cartridges when fired through hard barrier materials. To ensure JHP bullets wouldn't over-expand and fragment when propelled at .357 SIG velocities, most bullet manufacturers couldn't simply take existing 9mm 124-grain JHP bullets, install them in .357 SIG cases and pronounce the result as ".357 SIG 125-grain JHP," because this would be a step backwards. Existing 9mm 124-grain bullets, designed for nominal 9mm velocities, would over-expand, fragment and under-penetrate. Essentially, they'd be re-inventing the 9mm 115-grain JHP +P+ cartridge. Therefore, the ammo companies had to design sturdier JHP bullets specifically for the .357 SIG; ones that wouldn't over-expand and fragment in bare gelatin. They succeeded in designing such bullets, but the bullets appear to be so resistant to over-expansion that they under-expand when passing through clothing. As a result, in shootings involving clothed people (the most common scenario), the .357 SIG 125-grain JHP bullet will more than likely over-penetrate and exit the body. In a strict wound ballistics sense, over-penetration is better than under-penetration because the bullet will at least have the potential to intersect and bore through vital cardiovascular structures. But over-penetration is also a waste of wounding potential. In comparison, many 9mm 147-grain subsonic JHP bullets demonstrate better penetration and expansion performance than .357 SIG 125-grain JHPs. Perhaps in the future the ammo companies will be able to develop better 125-grain bullets for the .357 SIG. But until this happens we feel .357 SIG is a solution to a non-problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 hmm, i went to that link you posted, it seems that for every negative response to the .357 sig, there are 10 positive, but most of it was how well it did in a semi-auto pistol... you'd think with how short the rounds are, somebody could manufacture a really compact revolver. be fun to try i guess i did think that this was interesting... For those interested in a semiauto that is generally comparable to a 4" 357 Magnum revolver, but has faster follow up shot capability, the 357 Sig fits the bill. The 357 Sig has a softer perceived recoil than a 357 Magnum revolver of equal size and weight. Although the SAAMI specs from a 357 Magnum test barrel is 1450 fps, a typical 4" 357 Magnum often generates about 1350 fps, which happens to be the same velocity as the 357 Sig caliber from a 4" barrel --- See Attachment 6. i can see your point in regards to "the criminal that is sooooo full of cocaine that he doesn't feel anything". but, what about the guy that walks up to her in the parking lot. face it, most criminals are cowards, which is why they prey on the weak, your wife pulls out a gun and it won't matter what caliber it is, the guy will probably pee his pants and run the other direction. and if he doesn't, hey, like i said, your wife feeling comfortable with the gun she has will be the biggest factor. something else that could be good for you wife is a video that will show her how her body will naturally reacte under pressure with the adrenaline pumping. if she has a 6" group, she can expect 12 to 18" under stress. take her some place where she can rapid fire her gun a few times so that she can see the difference between flat-out unloading vs slow, controlled shots. start will a small caliber and let her work up. the worst thing you can do is get her afraid of a gun and tell her that she has to get use to it. confidence is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosierbuck Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 Not many revolvers around for cartridges with a case neck are there? One that comes to mind is the Taurus in .22 Hornet. It probably adds some logistical problems to manufacture cylinders with a fully supportive chamber for necked cases. just a quick thought on the idea of a .357 Sig revolver... HB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 just thought it might be a fun gun, something different anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reloader Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 My wife had a co-worker in Virginia Beach that got her carry permit when her dad was concerned about ther and had a feeling something was up. She took the handgun class got the permit and practiced with her new purse cary 9mm. It turned out that she was being stalked by one of her neighbors for several months, and less than a month after she started carrying consistently he jumped out at her in her parking lot. He pulled a 9mm on her and demanded her purse while walking to within 6 ft...she reached for her purse as if to hand it to him, but before she could do anything he fired point blank into her chest. She staggered backwards and pulled her own weapon and fired in return...no clue how many rounds were fired but none actualy hit him unfortunately...however it did serve to scare him into running instead of finishing her off as she is sure he would have if she hadn't returned fire. she managed to dial 911 on her phone as she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. The bullet had collapsed one lung and just barely missed her heart causing unimaginable pain and great deal of blood loss. It had then exited her back and lodged in a car where the police recovered it. The shooter was arrested for an unrelated charge a week or so later and under interegation he confessed to the shooting, but then took it back later. The evidence was strong enough to get the conviction anyway but I do not recall what his sentence was. Primary point of that story is to illustrate the point Xen made that any gun is a good deterent even if you never hit your assailant...just pulling it may save your life in the right circumstances...though showing one at the wrong time can also cost you your life...don't pull/show it unless you are already in mortal danger...you never know when it will inspire fight instead of flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 [ QUOTE ] feeling comfortable with the gun she has will be the biggest factor. [/ QUOTE ] That is very true! BTW, I wasnt busting on the .357 Sig. It was the only info I could find at the moment! I never had one or shot one, that was not my answer for it as well! I just copied and pasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 [ QUOTE ] BTW, I wasnt busting on the .357 Sig. It was the only info I could find at the moment! I never had one or shot one, that was not my answer for it as well! I just copied and pasted. [/ QUOTE ] what good are forums if you can't get different points of view? i know for a fact that i don't have all the answers, i don't think anybody does. all I can offer is my 2 cents. I like seeing different views on all things. only way you can make a good educated decision is by weighing the good vs the bad. I think if I had to decide on a caliber for my wife, i'd keep her in the 9mm. i have shot the .357 sig, it recoils like a .40 but shoots a 9mm bullet. yeah, i know it comes out faster, but like that one article said, more chance of over penetration. don't know what the answer is, other than it's a sad fact that we have to worry about things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addct2hntng Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 lovemy S&W 357 great pistols !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xen Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Re: Let\'s talk .357 [ QUOTE ] Think ahead......can you financially afford to support 2 gun habits??? [/ QUOTE ] ahah, nice. good point. i can say that it is easier to buy new "toys" when your wife likes them as much as you... just as long as the bank account can stand it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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