# help with new gun for wife



## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

Does anyone's wife carry a revolver? We have kinda narrowed it down to a LCR or a Lady Smith, but are open to suggestions. She has handled both guns, but we (she) are still on the fence on which way to go. She is sure she wants a revolver. Any input would be appreciated.

byrd.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

My wife carries a SW Bodyguard. Nice gun but snappy to shoot. Has your wife shot the guns or just handled them? I have a J frame also and it's a nice gun too.


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

I had bought the wife, now X, a Smith 626 357 2" combat grips. She liked it. I had to take it away during our divorce. She really was pissed when I gave it back to her w/o any ammo afterwards.


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## BigV (Nov 11, 2004)

You can"t beat S&W!
The Lady Smith is very light and shooting it will become very uncomfortable quickly especially +P ammo. S&W also have a very stiff trigger and I have had to do trigger jobs on the two I have purchased (for my mom and wife) to make the trigger pull lighter. I would also suggest a hammer-less model as most women I know prefer purse carry and an exposed hammer could cause snagging issues when trying to quickly remove it from a purse. 

I recently purchased a S&W 640 in .357 magnum for my daughter. She shoots a lot and .38 ammo is cheap (and I re-load .38) so she practices with .38 and carries .357 magnum loads for self defense. 

The S&W 640 would be my recommendation.


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

My wife just took the ccw class at a friends place. She found that she really hated anything small because of the recoil. She said that guns that looked more "lady freindly" were cute, light and the recoil was uncomfortable for her. She did like some of the heaviear .45's with a single stack so they fit her hand. She qualified with a .45 and fell in love. Yesterday she went and got her gun. It brought pain to my wallet and joy to my heart when she showed up with a .45 Kimber CDP II ultra carry! She loves that gun.

My sister in law took the class with her and they both agreed that the single stack .45's (or .40's) were their choice for ccw. I'd suggest having your wife shoot a couple heavier guns after shooting the smaller ones just to be sure. Just don't let them shoot Kimber unless you're able to buy one! They ain't cheep!

A



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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

Mine carries either the S&W 642 or the Bodyguard .380. The 642 is carrying Speer 125gr GDHP +p ammo. She likes it. Usually carries it in a Blackhawk Serpa paddle.


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## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

bobk said:


> My wife carries a SW Bodyguard. Nice gun but snappy to shoot. Has your wife shot the guns or just handled them? I have a J frame also and it's a nice gun too.


Does your wifes bodyguard have the built in laser? We are going this weekend to look at one with the laser on the side and was curious about the ability to replace it if it goes bad.

She has not shot the SW or the LCR, but she has shot J frames and other small frame guns. We have an older .357 security six that she likes shooting at the range. She also likes shooting my Rock Island .45 but definatly wants a small revolver to carry.


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

buzzing byrd said:


> Does your wifes bodyguard have the built in laser? We are going this weekend to look at one with the laser on the side and was curious about the ability to replace it if it goes bad.
> 
> She has not shot the SW or the LCR, but she has shot J frames and other small frame guns. We have an older .357 security six that she likes shooting at the range. She also likes shooting my Rock Island .45 but definatly wants a small revolver to carry.


The bodyguard 38 does have a built in laser on the side of the frame. Should anchor with a couple screws.


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## silverbullets (May 18, 2009)

Either the S&W 642 air weight or bodyguard .38 spl, or the ruger lcr are good choices. If she wants a .357 look at the ruger klcr


Great Lakes Outdoor Supply


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## bunkeru2k (Aug 26, 2005)

do not look at anything that says "Lady" on it. Quite frankly, do not look at anything that is super lightweight. Even if you want a .38, buy the .357 mag model. If she wants to sell it later, the .357 models will resell at a higher price.

If you can find one, the 3" barrel version are a VERY nice sweet spot for revolvers. S&W makes a ton of good revolvers, as does Ruger. Do not let other people pick for her....take her and let HER pick out exactly what she wants. Gun stores (and men in general) tend to push women into the lightest and smallest sized revolver they can find. That is generally a HUGE mistake. Lighter means more felt recoil. Most of the guys who try pushing that crap onto a lady would not make it through 20 rounds with the gun they recommend for women.

If I was looking for J frame, I would be looking at a Model 60 or 640. If I wanted an option for more than 5 rounds, I would look at a 686+ (which incidentally I did just buy). The 686+ is a bit thicker, but gives you a 7 shot revolver in .357 mag or .38 special +p.


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## Socom (Nov 3, 2005)

Definitely have her shoot anything before buying it. All .380s (and I suppose any gun) shoots differently. 

My wife loves the sig p238. It is styled like a 1911 and handles recoil better than any .380 I have ever shot. They also make a 9mm model now.


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## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

Settled on a 642 S&W and she is very happy with it. It is a little snappy, but no were near what she or I thought it would be. Now she wants one of the purses she saw at the gun shop that has the built in holster, really nice carry purses with the option of left or right carry. Thanks for the input guys.

Byrd


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

It's an option, but I'm really not for purse carry. If she sets the purse down, she risks loosing the weapon. If she's purse snatched now he's got a gun. There are myriad carry options for on the body CCW, some female specific. 

Look here: http://looperleather.com/ Lisa Looper is the manufacturer of the ladies line. My wife uses a Flashbang holster most of the time. Better link for the flashbang: http://flashbangholster.com/


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## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks for the links SC, I will show them to her tonight. she already has more purses than I do pants.


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## DMinn Angler (Feb 13, 2012)

Darn....when you said new gun for Wife....I was getting excited about trading my wife...


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

buzzing byrd said:


> Thanks for the links SC, I will show them to her tonight. she already has more purses than I do pants.


Sure thing. My wife's the same way with purses but when she started carrying she agreed with my concerns about purse carry. Also, because of her normal clothing (dress clothes) she can't usually carry on the hip. So after some trial and error she finally found some good options.


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## MuskieLuv (Oct 29, 2007)

DMinn Angler said:


> Darn....when you said new gun for Wife....I was getting excited about trading my wife...


That's funny!!


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## buzzing byrd (Feb 27, 2008)

DMinn Angler said:


> Darn....when you said new gun for Wife....I was getting excited about trading my wife...


lol, thats awesome.


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## dock dabber (Mar 20, 2005)

LC9 great cc gun. 7 to 10 feet is all you are shooting. anything outside that range you are going to have some good explaining to do. I myself think the draw and trigger pull is most important. Keep pulling to you hear it click.


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## 7thcorpsFA (Mar 6, 2010)

Ruger LCR in .38 Special or other lightweight .38 revolver. Simple, small, safe and always goes boom! Oh ya! Silky smooth trigger and excellent accuracy with my LCR. I never go outside without it.


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