# opinions on .38's



## BBRASH (Nov 21, 2007)

My wife wants a 38 to carry, says she's tired of her Kel Tec. Any opinions or recommendations on J frames, the new Bodyguard, LCR, or any others would be appreciated. Looking to stay under $450. Thanks, Boo


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## PompNewbie (Oct 1, 2007)

get a 357 and let her shoot 38's till she is comfortable stoke it with 357's for carry


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## paul s (May 31, 2011)

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/s...10051_126611_-1?N=39632047+4294965660&Ntk=All
Read the reviews on the link..


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## VA Boy (Feb 19, 2012)

PompNewbie said:


> get a 357 and let her shoot 38's till she is comfortable stoke it with 357's for carry


Yep. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would buy a 38 spl when a .357 will shoot .38 spl, .38 spl+P and .357 magnum. A Taurus 605 fills the bill. It's small, light and simple. No adjustable rear sight though. I am sure there are several guns in this category out there that would work just fine.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

I disagree to load carry ammo different from anything that she has ever fired before. It's better to have two .38 rounds center of mass than one .357 COM along with one miss. Handgun rounds of all calibers are rather lacking for takedown power, and the difference between .38 and .357 rounds is negligible to justify the difference in felt recoil, particularly if .38 is the most your wife is comfortable handling. I think the biggest mistake you could make is buying her a gun that she is afraid to shoot and become proficient with.


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## BBRASH (Nov 21, 2007)

She had a 2 1/2 barrel 357 and hated it, plus it was a bit heavy for carry. I would like to stay under 14oz and hammerless. She shoots my 40's and 45's with no problem so she's not afraid of the bigger calibers but as PC said I want her to be comfortable and confident with it.


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

The 642 is S&W's biggest seller for good reason. They are good guns.


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## helo_hunter (Oct 2, 2007)

How does she feel about double action only? Most ladies I have shot with do not like the heavy trigger pull.


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## BBRASH (Nov 21, 2007)

She's fine with DAO. It takes her a couple of rounds to adjust when she switches from her Kel Tec or one of the Glocks but she's good. I want to work with her on draw, point, and shoot with the short barrels instead of aim and squeeze like she would with the longer barrel guns.


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## chasin-tail (Oct 8, 2007)

PompNewbie said:


> get a 357 and let her shoot 38's till she is comfortable stoke it with 357's for carry



357'.s...if you miss you'll deaf'n someone!


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## Spectre Gunner (Sep 6, 2010)

A small .38 such as a J frame with good grips or maybe even crimson trace grips would be a good choice.


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## maxfold (Apr 19, 2008)

*38 small hands*

Yes a 38spl ,a 357 can and will shoot 38s s . A j frame s+w is my choice ,a 9shot taurus 22lr with small grip,3" is wifes choice /what she is comfortable with and trusts ,trigger pull 5lb most ladies like a med pull.get a bed buddy,holds holster at edge of pillow $6-8.00 .38s+w lighter kick .let her handle a few . Good luck maxfold


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## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

I don't understand what does she not like about the kel-tec? Semi-auto? Caliber? Why automatically go to .38? If recoil is the issue IMO it's a lot better to carry a .22 you are very confident in and can hit center mass with, than something bigger you are not. My point is not to carry a .22, but there are plenty of calibers other than .38.

Does she just want a revolver and not semi? To me why is that? I know they are easier but IMO when you have shot enough to comfortably carry a gun a semi should not be an issue. If she just wants a revolver that's great, I wouldn't limit it just to .38 is all.


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## Hook (Oct 2, 2007)

Spectre Gunner said:


> A small .38 such as a J frame with good grips or maybe even crimson trace grips would be a good choice.


Very good info. One does not need a ccannon to et the job done!


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## Burnt Drag (Jun 3, 2008)

Get her a model 29 .44magnum and tell her to buck up. LOL..


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## rufus1138 (Oct 29, 2012)

Stainless s&w detective special....snub nosed 38 special has just as much shock and awe value as a 357 or even some 44's the snub nose will get the job done its simple AMD easy to carry and reliable as the sunrise


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