Looking for lite weight S+W/Ruger 38 hammer gun (suggestions)

[Edward]

Looking for a limited use 38 for the wife ,I will be making mouse fart loads to ease recoil for a new shooter . The guide lines given to me are weight (under 15 oz) used /reasonable and simple .Got the simple down but not the rest ,been looking at
S+W airweights /some Rugers but I have never used small revolver and do not have experience with trigger pull . She can not operate double action /too difficult, health issues also reason for lite weight . My large frames have excellent single action triggers but none are suitable because of weight so any ideas would be welcome /Thanks Ed

[str8wal]

I have the ruger LCRx and absolutely love it. It is a bit snappy with +P 158's but standard 125's not bad at all. Trigger is sweet in both SA and DA and hammer is easy to cock.

[smkummer]

Those guns are safest when fired double action. The new Colt cobra has a 8 lb. double action pull but its now made of steel and is about 22 oz.. I carry a Colt alloy agent and its 6 shots and 15 oz. But its double action pull is at least 10 lbs to insure primer ignition. And yes, shooting something like 38 wadcutters and about 2.8 grains bullseye is a mild load. If she must cock the gun, make sure she is very very comfortable uncocking the gun. I know a friend that his wife ended up shooting a hole in the recliner has she attempted to uncock a revolver after the noise she heard was un announced friends coming over.

[FergusonTO35]

S&W 637 or Ruger LCRX will serve you well. I chose the 637 because there are pretty much limitless grip options for it. Mine is deadly with a Lyman 148 grain wadcutter over 3.1 grains Bullseye.

[mcdaniel.mac]

I really liked the LCRX myself. Reminded me a lot of the feel of my duty Model 64, but far lighter.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Being a S&W guy, naturally I love the J-Frame. Out of the box the LCR has the lighter trigger but the inexpensive Wilson Combat spring pack makes a J-frame a sweet little gun. My daily carry is a Model 442 no-lock with a Wilson Combat spring kit installed, using the lightest springs, plus a Cylinder & Slide extended firing pin. The pull is light and smooth with a crisp break and positive reset. I put the parts in the day I got it and it has gone bang every time. The kit has multiple weights of spring to tune to your preference. I also fitted an SDM cylinder release as i have them on my other revolvers and i like the sharp and grippy knurling. They don't make it specifically for J-frames so I had to fit it. I recently added a set of Altamont super rosewood grip stocks to it and next thing I will be doing is an XS big dot front sight as i have these on other guns and love them.

[country gent]

The J-frame S&Ws are solid performers. The newest version in titanium scandium are very light and useable. I have a 2" 340 that's great to carry and accurate. One with a 3" barrel would be even better with the added sight radious. Mine is chambered in 357 mag and loaded isn't heavy enough to make my suit coat droop or sag. Recoil is heavy even with my light wadcutter loads, 2.7 grns bullseye 148 grn HB. Wax bullet loads are a fun load for indoor practice though LOL. The extra inch of barrel would help some also. If a 3" version can be found.
Remember as weight goes down recoil goes up a good fit and right grips help a lot here.

[jmort]

Have a 360 and 13 oz .357 is really light. The Ruger LCRs are great guns. Have 5 soon to be 6 with the .357 LCRX. The .38 LCRX was perfect for my daughter with wadcutters. Love the 9mm models. LCR is a great choice with a trigger which is far better than the J Frames I have owned.

[psweigle]

Another vote for the Ruger, the all rubber grip means no metal digging into the hand. The hammer is easy to use and the single action trigger of the lcrx is great. I have turned a lot of scared shooters on to the lcrx 38 special with 158gr boolits and 2.8 grains of bullseye.

[KCSO]

I carried a S and W Model 38 airweight for years. Had the action done by Bill Laughridge and it was as accurate as needed and easy to shoot. For my wife and practice I used standard wadcutters 2.8 of Bullseye and a 148 and for duty Nyclad 158 semi wadcutters. One of my current backups is a M36 Bobbed hammer slicked action made in 1958.

[Edward]

Sounds like Ruger has a lot of fans and I am listening /Thanks Ed

[Bill*B]

The little model 37 "airweight" S&W weights less than 16 ounces, fully loaded with factory wadcutters. It's as reliable as your pastor, and packs a lot of punch for the pound.

[Bigslug]

There are a couple of 3", all-stainless S&W Model 60's that exceed your weight spec by a little (23-24 ounces), but you could be in a situation where a little more weight might be preferable to the more recoil you get firing identical loads through the featherweights. If she's been a non-shooter to this point, the perceptions can change a lot between handling ("Well this is light and cute") and actual firing ("MY GOT IT HURTS TO SHOOT IT!")

Those models also give you a little more sight radius and adjustable sights, so probably less frustrating to start on than a 2" nasal inhaler.

The 4" Ruger SP-101 kicks the weight up to about 30 oz, but it is becoming more of a serious target gun for the small handed. They slick up nice with proper break in, so the DA may not be beyond her with practice.

Probably a case of taking her shooting before taking her shopping.

[FergusonTO35]

If you can stretch the weight requirement some, the Rossi 461/462 is a darn good little sixgun for the money. It's the closest thing to a Detective Special or snubby K-frame you can find today other than the new Colt Cobra which isn't really available yet. Mine has a 3" tube and shoots much better than it has a right to. I would take it any day over the SP-101 I used to have which was the same size and weight, held one fewer round, and had a horrid trigger pull.

[rintinglen]

I have a foolish number of snubnosed 38's and have owned others besides. I'd look for a S&W Airweight 37 or a Bodyguard 638 if there was some overriding need for light weight. Other wise, I'd get a steel-frame revolver. A quarter pound more weight makes for a much more pleasant shooting experience.

[FergusonTO35]

The Taurus 85 is another to consider. My local shop sells bunches of them with few complaints. Stainless or aluminum for $300.00.

[charlie b]

My wife had a little Taurus for quite a while. Nice little gun. Better trigger than any of the Smiths or Rugers under the glass that day. I later had a 3" SP101 and I liked the trigger on mine. Not as good as my Python but still nice. Whatever you do let her at least dry fire them before buying. Different hands like different grip shapes.

[Edward]

Thanks for all the replys ,it is quite an education on small frames guns and as usual I am learning /Thanks Ed

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm in rintinglen's camp.

The alloy S&W J-frames are solid performers and once mastered, the gun itself is capable of excellent work. HOWEVER, snubnosed revolvers are difficult to master and I've never considered them to be a beginner's gun. The lightweight ones are great for concealed carry but a little more weight is nice when you're just punching holes in paper. Even with light loads, a steel J-Frame is a bit more pleasant to practice with than an alloy framed model.
If concealment isn't an overriding factor, I would look at a 3" barrel and larger grips. That combination will take you out of the snubnose class and a K-frame may actually be a better choice at that point. S&W made 3" J-frames with alloy frames and that may be an acceptable solution for the OP with the correct grip installed - but that's no longer a snubnose.

There seems to always be a correlation between females and small guns. Small guns are not guns for beginners. While I understand that two guns (one to start with and another for once the skills have been acquired) may not be in the cards; I think new shooters and snubnose revolvers is a frustrating mix.


I'm a huge fan of the DAO snubnose 38 Special revolver as a SD tool but it's not a beginner's gun.

[rond]

Have you looked at the Charter Arms? My son has one and they seem to be well made.