budget gun for the recoil shy

[Stengun]

Howdy aacx,

Question about revolvers. What do you guys think about Rock Island? I can see a 2" .38sp on buds guns for like $240. The online reviews talk about it having a rough finish (which we do not care about), but overall its getting good marks. Anyone have some personal experience with these?

Probably a decent revolver for the price, but for a little more money you can buy a used S&W or Ruger which would be a higher quality handgun.

Paul

 

[indyyy]

I don't know very much about Rock Island - but noticed most of the reviewers @ budsgunshop said they changed the grips and one mentioned that the wood grips it comes with doesn't give very good control of the gun. You might look into what grips would cost + shipping and add that into your cost.

 

[S&W645]

You might want to look at the guns made by Heritage instead of the RI revolvers. Link Removed < Shameless plug for a local company that does make a nice revolver for a reasonable price. Bud's sells them as do others. Buy Heritage Manufacturing Co Revolvers The .357 Magnums can also shoot the .38 Specials.

 

[S&W645]

Howdy gunnerbob,



The misspell stuff is for idiots like you to get their panties in a wad over. I usually just blame it on the iPhone auto-correct but if it gets your pantiesn in a wad I'll take credit for it.

If a .22 is all you have then it beats a stick or rocks.

Many people have been killed with a .22 handgun but many more have survived even after being shot numerous times.

Also most people that were killed with a .22 handgun were murdered and were NOT BG that were killed a SD shooting.

A fairly recent shooting that I know of involving a .22 handgun was a shooting between a husband and wife.

The wife caught her husband in bed with another woman ( I've known the woman for over 25 years ) and the man got dressed and went to his Mom's house in Little Rock. The wife followed him and confronted him on the front porch. He started bragging about screwing the other woman and the wife pulled out a Jennings J22 .22LR semi-auto pistol and shot her husband 6Xs in the side and back as he fled back into the house.

He bled out before the EMTs arrived. It actually took him about 5 minutes to die and he was able to walk over to a chair and sit down AFTER being shot 6Xs.

Will a .22 handgun kill someone? Sure. But it would NOT be my first choice for a SD handgun especially for a new shooter.

Practice gun? Sure. SD gun? Wouldn't be my first choice, especially against someone that's intent on killing me.

Carry on dipwad and grow up. You remind me of my daughter's 26yo boyfriend........he's a dumbbutt punk kid that doesn't realize he's a dumpbutt punk kid. Maybe in 10 years or so he'll grow up and realize he was a dumbbutt punk kid but for now only time will tell.

Back the the OP question:

For a SD gun for someone that's new to handguns, especially women, I would recommend a .38 Special revolver. When I met my Wife she had never fired a handgun ( grew up hunting, shooting longguns but never a handgun ) so I have her my S&W Model 15-3 .38 Special. It's loaded with Rem. 125gr JHP STD Velocity and can keep them inside 3" at 25' when fired double action and a small ragged hole when fired single action.

Paul

And you do realize that it also is possible to survive multiple hits from a 9mm for quite a while too, right. Try 19 hits from a 9mm and two hits from a 12ga before one drug crazed BG was brought down by a cop. And a cop wearing a bullet proof vest has been killed by a single shot from a .22LR. Placement can make a world of difference. And in under 5 seconds my Kimber 1911 ARF can put 10 rounds of .22LR into a head sized object at 15 yards. Do you think that you would survive that? I wouldn't want to try it. But that said, I don't carry it often as my usual carry gun is running .45ACP+P JHPs. Two to the chest, one to the head. Less time spent, and much more lead.

 

[northstar19]

I agree that a .22 can be good for self defense. I recommend either the Ruger SR 22 or the Smith and Wesson M&P 22. These are the best: the former is smaller, and the latter is larger. Load with CCI Stingers. Then practice a lot. Shot placement is everything. And shot placement is easiest with a .22. And lots of practice. But then practice is very enjoyable, and very cheap, as well, with a .22.

 

[northstar19]

The reviews are very strong for the Armscor M200 (4" barrel) and the Armscor M206 (2" barrel). And very inexpensive. About $200 online. .38 Special ammo. Has recoil about like the 9mm.

 

[r1derbike]

Wife settled on a Taurus 85 ultralite with Hogue grip. I had to soften-up the trigger pull with a few thousand dry-fires with much spent brass in the cylinder. That did the trick for her.

A wheel gun was her only option, as a mangled arm kept her from racking all semi-autos she tried, even with instructor help.

A 9mm semi with speer gold dot +P ammo would be nice, if possible. Try them all, buy only once.

 

[Kennydale]

Look at Ruger SR9E (I never shot the 9). I do carry the SR40C and considering the snappiness of the .40S&W the Ruger design absorbs it well.
Link Removed
It comes with one magazine though.

 

[Deanimator]

You might want to look at the guns made by Heritage instead of the RI revolvers. Link Removed < Shameless plug for a local company that does make a nice revolver for a reasonable price. Bud's sells them as do others. Buy Heritage Manufacturing Co Revolvers The .357 Magnums can also shoot the .38 Specials.

Interesting guns, but NOTHING I would recommend for self-defense, ESPECIALLY for a novice, unless NOTHING else was available.

There's WAY too much involved merely in loading and unloading.

Needless to say, there's no such thing as a "quick" reload.

 

[aacx22]

We delayed a week, as her husband got sick. I don't want this thread to break down into a flame fest, so please try to stay cool all.

Here are some limiting factors. My sister is new to guns. She's interested, but because they are new to her she is also cautious. She didn't like firing my brother's 9mm sig. She said it hurt her shoulder. I'm not sure if her shoulder is really that sensitive or if it was bad form or something. A couple of weeks ago, she went shooting with my brother again, this time she was shooting a .22 and enjoyed her experience.

What I am thinking is to get her to try a relatively easy load .38. I think that a revolver is going to be easier for her to learn on. If she doesn't like the .38, I'll show her .22s. Once she gets comfortable with a gun she likes, she can start taking some lessons and then more options should open up to her.

 

[Bikenut]

We delayed a week, as her husband got sick. I don't want this thread to break down into a flame fest, so please try to stay cool all.

Here are some limiting factors. My sister is new to guns. She's interested, but because they are new to her she is also cautious. She didn't like firing my brother's 9mm sig. She said it hurt her shoulder. I'm not sure if her shoulder is really that sensitive or if it was bad form or something. A couple of weeks ago, she went shooting with my brother again, this time she was shooting a .22 and enjoyed her experience.

What I am thinking is to get her to try a relatively easy load .38. I think that a revolver is going to be easier for her to learn on. If she doesn't like the .38, I'll show her .22s. Once she gets comfortable with a gun she likes, she can start taking some lessons and then more options should open up to her.

Again... my advice is to take her to a gun shop that has a range and rents guns. Let her try a bunch of guns both revolvers and semi autos for feel and let her shoot them and ... do not try to steer her towards anything no matter what your thoughts/opinions are... just let her make up her own mind and choose her own gun no matter what kind of gun or what caliber it is because...............

The gun she likes is the gun she will shoot/carry.... and the gun YOU like is the gun she will toss into a drawer and ignore.

The above is the voice of experience.................

 

[aacx22]

Again... my advice is to take her to a gun shop that has a range and rents guns. Let her try a bunch of guns both revolvers and semi autos for feel and let her shoot them and ... do not try to steer her towards anything no matter what your thoughts/opinions are... just let her make up her own mind and choose her own gun no matter what kind of gun or what caliber it is because...............

The gun she likes is the gun she will shoot/carry.... and the gun YOU like is the gun she will toss into a drawer and ignore.

The above is the voice of experience.................

I appreciate your advice. I am taking her to a place to rent firearms. It sounds like I'm driving this, but I am only helping her at her request, because she is a bit intimidated to get started. My whole plan is to help her to find something she likes so that she has a good starting experience, then she could join me when I shoot when she wants, join a shooting club, etc... with the knowledge and experience, she'll be able to take whatever next steps she wants.

 

[Bikenut]

I appreciate your advice. I am taking her to a place to rent firearms. It sounds like I'm driving this, but I am only helping her at her request, because she is a bit intimidated to get started. My whole plan is to help her to find something she likes so that she has a good starting experience, then she could join me when I shoot when she wants, join a shooting club, etc... with the knowledge and experience, she'll be able to take whatever next steps she wants.

Please don't misunderstand. I think what you are doing is a very good thing. I'm just trying to pass on my own experience not only to you but also to all the guys who tell beginners that this gun or that caliber is what is best when what is the best gun/caliber is whatever the beginner happens to like and will shoot.

After all... folks aren't beginners forever and once they get started with a gun/caliber they like who knows what they will decide to try next. But the thing is to get them going first.

And you are doing that "get them going first" part.:biggrin:

 

[r1derbike]

Some ranges have ladies' days, with instructors. Costs bucks, but after she picks-out her piece, mingling with other women on the firing line is healthy. Heck, leave the instructors out and find some ladies who like to shoot and have been in it a while, and storm the doors. Sounds like fun!