re: Is a .38 revolver a good gun for a woman?

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Light snubbies are good for concealing and bad for enjoyable shooting.

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^^ Which also means she'll probably never get very proficient with one.

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I've never shot a .38 so I don't know what the recoil on it is.

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Recoil in a small (airweight) .38 revolver will be "about like" a tiny 9mm.

I'd worry more about the trigger pull weight on a small conventional S&W revolver. They are very reliable, but most women have a really hard time dealing with the trigger.

The little Rugers seem to have lighter triggers, as do the Bodyguard revolvers. But all are gonna suck compared to a Kahr or Glock trigger (so marksmanship will usually suffer as well).

I teach ~ two dozen women a year how to shoot (private lessons that last ~ 3.5 hours). About 1/3 of the time they want to bring a small airweight revolver -- usually picked by their husband (but sometimes the wife). Most of these women have never shot a handgun (some have shot a little) and most start out scared of pistols.

The lessons are always conducted with a Glock 19 -- starting with .22 LR ammo (in an AACK), and ending with 9mm FMJ. THEN, after we're finished with the lesson, I ask them to load up their revolver. The difference is night & day, and gives them a personal, hands-on comparison. EVERY single one of them complains about the revolver's trigger and every single one says they are headed home to tell hubby to get them a semiauto.

2" groups are the norm for these women shooting the G19 (I guarantee 3" groups or the lesson is free). Their groups with the J-frame revolvers are usually anywhere from 10" to 18" -- and after 10-15 rounds they usually say their hands are sore from the revolver's recoil.