Need revolver suggestions for wife's carry gun

T

tnxqso73

New member
Hello, everyone

I am new to the forum.

We have been working with a S&W 642 and she finds the trigger pull to be a bit too heavy to be reliable for her. Does anyone know of a similar revolver with a lighter pull? Perhaps there is a female who has had to address this problem who can comment?

I have encouraged her to keep working with it to develop her strength, but would also consider looking at different guns.

I also understand you can have a factory trigger job done, not to mention other gunsmiths have some specialized procedures to sweeten things up a bit. This is fine, but can anyone comment as to whether it's actually worth the expense?

Thanks
 
Take your wife to the gun shop and let her browse until she finds the gun that is right for her
 
The 642 is a rock solid carry. I wouldn't find another gun, you just need the rebound spring lightened up in the gun - a gunsmith can do the job quickly and inexpensively. Also, the more you fire it, the lighter the spring tension will be.
 
I have the 642 and it is the gun I trust the most. The trigger pull got easier after I did a lot of dry fire, and it helped me to concentrate on correct hold and pull. The best thing I have found for practicing with it is a $15 fingerless motorcycle glove I found at Walmart. It has padding in the palm and made a big difference. Also you may want to buy a Hoague grip, it is longer and stops the recoil.
 
My wifes Charter Arms Pink Lady. I had it laser engraved with the cancer ribbon and the word "Survivor" under the bbl. Trigger pull is smooth and light. She likes shooting lite cowboy loads for practise. Carry's full power loads.


lftside.jpg

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You didn't mention how much experience your wife has in shooting revolvers. If she
has limited time behind the trigger of any revolver, she should not be attempting to
learn how to control a "snubby." Short barrel revolvers are difficult to control, even
or experienced shooters. All short barrel revolvers, even those with really good
triggers, have excessive recoil that make them difficult to learn to control.

Therefore, start her out with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches and let her shoot
it until she is comfortable handling the recoil. Sometime in the future, somewhere
down the road, you can let her learn to use a snubby.

Also, a good trigger job is invaluable, for any handgun.

Good luck!
 
My wife has the Smith 432-2 Pro Series .327 Federal Magnum. The ballistics on the .327 mag approach those of the .357 and you can shoot any of the .32 ammo in the gun. The trigger is the best I have ever seen on any J-frame, and I have several. It is better than my Colt Cobra, which is saying a lot. It comes standard with night sights and a fluted barrel.

It also holds 6 rounds.

The only problem is that they are hard to find.
 
Wow! Nice to see I can get quick replies with solid suggestions.

We're definitely going to continue to work with the 642 as well as take a look at the LCR.

One last thing if you don't mind: is it safe to dry fire the 642 (without snap caps)? I didn't want to take any chances.
 
Why isn't she asking the question? :)

1. Has she had the basic instructions in a good class?
2. What has she been shooting? If she is still a novice and doesn't have a gun yet, she's no where ready to carry anything!

When she has had the right instruction, she will be able, willing and eager to shoot all different kinds of guns and discover for herself what she wants to shoot and then, when ready, to carry. She will make up her own mind, and then probably change it a few times as she learns and gains experience.

DO NOT attempt to choose a gun for another person. Pointless, and counterproductive. Encourage the training and opportunities she has to learn and choose for herself. A good instructor can help her evaluate her particular needs, body type, hand structure, etc. so she will have solid, personal information on which to base that choice. But, in the end, she will be happiest with what "fits" her and feels comfortable to her.

I've been teaching women to shoot for many years. I've never once found one who didn't actively (and occasionally passionately) want to choose the gun for herself.
 
With trigger time it will get better and a good action job will make it a lot better real quick. Just going to a gun shop and putting your hands on diffrent weapons will not do anything for the wife. She has to shoot the weapons that fit her hand to see if she can control the weapon with recoil and not scareing her half to death.
Bill
 
Did your wife go to the gun shop and choose a revolver of her own accord or did you or the clerk lead her in that direction? Just curious.
 
I clearly see I should have provided a bit more detail.

As far as I'm concerned, we are both novices. We did not purchase the revolver; we are borrowing it. Obviously, I would be unwise to make any kind of decision for her. I understand she needs to come to her own conclusions and choose what suits her best. I would not stipulate anything to her.

We have been shooting our Glocks (a 19 and a 26) for about six months now. She likes either of those just fine, but this issue of a revolver came up after our CCW class.

We both agree a revolver could have some advantages we hadn't originally considered: concealability, safety, reliability, etc. So, this is an option we are exploring. We're not out for the Glocks if either of us choose a revolver for primary carry because we can employ them in home defense.

I understand there is more to gun training than standing back 21 feet and trying to hit a target. I also agree it would be irresponsible to carry without proper training.

Since I have no experience with revolvers, I was attempting to discern whether or not the trigger pull on this particular model (S&W 642) was pretty much par for the course as far as these types of guns are concerened. Also, what kind of modifications are feasible/worthwhile. Are there any similar guns that we might go to the store and look at?

Thanks
 
CCWlady said:
I have the 642 and it is the gun I trust the most. The trigger pull got easier after I did a lot of dry fire, and it helped me to concentrate on correct hold and pull. The best thing I have found for practicing with it is a $15 fingerless motorcycle glove I found at Walmart. It has padding in the palm and made a big difference. Also you may want to buy a Hoague grip, it is longer and stops the recoil.
Click to expand...

Good information, thank you.
 
This particular forum has a bunch of true and valid points. If it helps, the most popular guns purchased by women in my store are the Ruger LCR and various configurations of the S&W Airweight series. These revolvers are usually accompanied with Crimson Trace lasergrips. The CT grips are not only a great self-defense tool but an excellent training tool for dry firing with snap-caps. Dry firing with a laser provides instant feedback and can make anyone a better shooter. Keep in mind that practice does not make perfect...Perfect practice makes perfect. While trigger jobs are an option, I know some gunsmiths who simply wouldn't recommend or perform one on a gun that you intend to use for concealed carry or home defense.
 
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