I`m thinking of giving my wife a

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revolver for personal protection while down south. A semi auto is not an option for a few reasons.

So I`m leaning towards a .22 magnum vs a .38

please discuss
 
true

firemachine69 said:
I was under then impression a short barrel resulted in lower velocities (and thus, energy).
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but the average gun fight is within 15 feet and CQBish....

with hollow points and escape the principle plan I`m thinking she would be better off with the 22
 
I'd say whatever she can shoot comfortably is the best choice. I'd imagine recoil from a .22 mag pistol is next to nothing, and make it able to get lead down range now.

I've read about multiple "less" effective rounds still creating damage beyond what they really should. One shot is bad, for sure, but two is 4x, and 3 is 9x....dunno if its true. Food for thought....

If she can shoot a .38 just as well, get that.:)
 
38 makes alot of smoke, and when my wife shoots at the range she hates the 38 so its a mental block thinking mode...she likes the 22mag and I figure as long as it works in her mind thats what matters.

Selfdefense is a mindset mostly
 
what kind of rounds are you using in the 38 ??

have you tried some JHP premium Self Defense stuff and not just the lead round nose ??

unless you can find a S&W model 48 with the 6" barrel your pretty much stuck buying a taurus for a .22WM revolver.... taurus 941B5 with 5" barrel and 8 shot cylinder. or the stainless model 941SS5
 
I agree the most important thing is to have a gun and ammo that your wife is comfortable but I'd be a bit leery of using a rimfire gun for self-defense. I have not had any experience with .22 Magnum but I've had the occasional misfire with .22LR, and I don't remember having any ammo-related misfires in the thousands of handgun rounds I've fired. As Westicle mentioned above I'd try different types of .38 ammo to see what worked best for having the least smoke. For something a little weirder you could try and find a 9mm revolver like a S&W 547 (although that'd be a little on the heavy side) or a discontinued 940.

If you're buying in the States and wanted to stick with .22 Mag I'd be tempted to go for the S&W Model 351PD-- 11 ounces, seven rounds, fibre optic sights...hmmm, that does sound tempting...maybe I'd be rethinking my initial rimfire reluctance.
 
Hey Wes,

Westicle said:
what kind of rounds are you using in the 38 ??

have you tried some JHP premium Self Defense stuff and not just the lead round nose ??

unless you can find a S&W model 48 with the 6" barrel your pretty much stuck buying a taurus for a .22WM revolver.... taurus 941B5 with 5" barrel and 8 shot cylinder. or the stainless model 941SS5
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Its for down south so the new smith 22mag snub is an option. Yeah i confess I've been letting her shoot with SWC's

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...d=10001&productId=14744&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y
 
Hi vel 38's can be an absolute pig in a lightweight revolver (I used to own a Bodyguard Airweight), how about 32 H&R magnum? Ruger used to make the SP101 in 32 mag, beats 22 mag, and isn't rimfire (reliability) but doesn't beat your hand when you shoot it. Also 9 mil could be an option but that would take some scrounging for.

PS I did find a solution to the Airweight's problem - PMC 66 grain tubular rounds, no kick what so ever, really loud, shot about an inch low at close range (1400 fps from a 1 7/8 inch barrel). Too bad they banned them.
 
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If you are buying in the States and can leave the gun there why not a .380 auto. Yards ahead of a .22, small and if she ever had to use it for self defense she will never notice the recoil.

All that said a compact 9MM like a CZ75B Compact would be even a better choice IMHO.

Take Care

Bob
 
Canuck44 said:
If you are buying in the States and can leave the gun there why not a .380 auto. Yards ahead of a .22, small and if she ever had to use it for self defense she will never notice the recoil.
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Even .25 and .32 are options in the States, although ammo might be a little harder to find/expensive.
 
As mentioned above you should have a serious look at Federal's new .327 magnum. The Ruger SP101 Compact Six-Shot Revolver looks like the perfect choice.
 
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