5 shot 38 special?

[Okie4570]

A small 38 revolver would be a safe and easy to function gun for the lady but I feel that a good compact 9mm auto would be a better choice. A compact nine holds more ammo, is faster to reload, and for most new shooters the trigger pull makes it easier to shoot compared to the double action pull on a snub nose revolver. I would suggest taking her to the range with the revolver and and a good compact nine like the Glock 26 or S&W shield and see which gun she shoots best.

Agreed.......unless she's unable to find a semi that she can work the slide on. Good suggestions above about trying out as many models as possible. My wife started out shooting a semi auto, and was amazed at the increased noise and muzzle jump of a snubbie over a semi, and didn't care for them because of it.

 

[saddlebum]

I'll disagree 5 shot 38's are hard to shoot and harder to shot well.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I'll disagree 5 shot 38's are hard to shoot and harder to shot well.

Without a doubt. It's definitely a "close up" firearm.

 

[Mitch Rapp]

My wife hates any of the small revolvers. She loves Kahr 9mm, and 380 and absolutely covets my Glock pistols. She still hasn't forgiven me for selling the baby Glock 27....

 

[YukonGlocker]

Would a 5 shot 38 special Smith and Wesson make a 22 year old woman a good safe and easy to function first pistol for personal carry? My daughter is taking her class and I am asking for ideas for her first personal pistol.

It's a great choice. For specific recommendations, it would be helpful to know how she plans to use it (e.g., range shooting only, home defense, kept in a car, off-body carry, on-body carry, etc.)?

 

[Rod Snell]

My daughter is taking her class and I am asking for ideas for her first personal pistol.

IMHO, she needs to shoot enough to make up her own mind. My experience with women shooters in First Steps Handgun is that Dad or Hubby have less than 50% success picking out her gun and presenting it to her. She won't have any trouble if she learns to shoot and tries out all types of interest, partially because it is her choice, and she will naturally work harder to get good.
I did a class for 5 women in one family, ranging in age from 20 to 60, and two picked revolvers while 3 picked autos. Dad had picked out Bersa semi autos as the ideal guns, but 2 could not rack the slide or hit a barn with them. Mom picked out a K frame revolver as her house gun, and could pop a dinner plate at 10 yrds after a couple hours lesson.
I had one woman in a class pick a .40 compact as her favorite, and sure enough she went out and bought her own, and still carries it.

 

[SPDguns]

Would a 5 shot 38 special Smith and Wesson make a 22 year old woman a good safe and easy to function first pistol for personal carry? My daughter is taking her class and I am asking for ideas for her first personal pistol.

Absolutely.

 

[dennishoddy]

IMHO, she needs to shoot enough to make up her own mind. My experience with women shooters in First Steps Handgun is that Dad or Hubby have less than 50% success picking out her gun and presenting it to her. She won't have any trouble if she learns to shoot and tries out all types of interest, partially because it is her choice, and she will naturally work harder to get good.
I did a class for 5 women in one family, ranging in age from 20 to 60, and two picked revolvers while 3 picked autos. Dad had picked out Bersa semi autos as the ideal guns, but 2 could not rack the slide or hit a barn with them. Mom picked out a K frame revolver as her house gun, and could pop a dinner plate at 10 yrds after a couple hours lesson.
I had one woman in a class pick a .40 compact as her favorite, and sure enough she went out and bought her own, and still carries it.

Pretty much what I did with my wife. We traveled to Wilshire, Village tactical, and H&H for her to fondle and shoot guns on the range. rented several at the ranges. My suggestion for her was the Glock 43. Pull it out and pull the trigger, but she was adamant that the Sig P938 was the one for her. We went to the range at Ponca so she could shoot Sunday morning, and she did quite well on the target. Let her shoot my competition Kimber in .45, and she fell in love with it. Her groups were much tighter than with the 9mm.
Just too big of a gun for her purposes though.
She is getting her CCL, and we have a lot more trips to the range in between and afterward. Shooting the forward falling steel.....she liked it.

 

[HoLeChit]

IMHO, she needs to shoot enough to make up her own mind. My experience with women shooters in First Steps Handgun is that Dad or Hubby have less than 50% success picking out her gun and presenting it to her. She won't have any trouble if she learns to shoot and tries out all types of interest, partially because it is her choice, and she will naturally work harder to get good.
I did a class for 5 women in one family, ranging in age from 20 to 60, and two picked revolvers while 3 picked autos. Dad had picked out Bersa semi autos as the ideal guns, but 2 could not rack the slide or hit a barn with them. Mom picked out a K frame revolver as her house gun, and could pop a dinner plate at 10 yrds after a couple hours lesson.
I had one woman in a class pick a .40 compact as her favorite, and sure enough she went out and bought her own, and still carries it.

This. My girlfriend used to carry a Ruger SR22, and loved it. She now carries a Glock 42. I take her shooting at least once a month, and she's been shooting for several years. I had her try out my all steel and very heavy Ruger SP101 .357 with a 2.25" barrel, and she hated it. She complained that shooting some mild 38spl rounds hurt her hand. So I would def suggest having her take it out and shoot first.

 

[Shadowrider]

IMHO, she needs to shoot enough to make up her own mind. My experience with women shooters in First Steps Handgun is that Dad or Hubby have less than 50% success picking out her gun and presenting it to her. She won't have any trouble if she learns to shoot and tries out all types of interest, partially because it is her choice, and she will naturally work harder to get good.
I did a class for 5 women in one family, ranging in age from 20 to 60, and two picked revolvers while 3 picked autos. Dad had picked out Bersa semi autos as the ideal guns, but 2 could not rack the slide or hit a barn with them. Mom picked out a K frame revolver as her house gun, and could pop a dinner plate at 10 yrds after a couple hours lesson.
I had one woman in a class pick a .40 compact as her favorite, and sure enough she went out and bought her own, and still carries it.

This is definitely good advice.

Some points to add that I've seen are those that tend to be afraid of guns will pick the smallest one they see like an airweight .38 snub. They think it won't be as loud and kick as much. Then they go shoot and unknowingly find out it's the worst possible choice they could have made (hard recoil, hard to hit with without lots of practice) and they get turned off to shooting in general. The .38 snub has a lot of reasons for lasting as long in the marketplace as they have which have been touched on here already. In today's world with multiple attackers I'd strongly push her towards a compact doublestack 9mm semi auto like a M&P 9c, Glock 19, baby glock, etc. They are just easier to get proficient with, more pleasant to shoot, hold more ammo which is usually cheaper AND actually more powerful than a .38 Special. All of those are good things...