[IGETEVEN]

Originally Posted by RL357Mag

Especially in gun-unfriendly states, like mine! Any a$$hole that breaks into my home or threatens me or my family will never see the inside of a court room! We do not have a "castle doctrine" in NY, but I would still rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6...

Indeed, and we do have the "Castle Doctrine" here.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by EmilyATL

I don't know if the guy at the gun store was just trying to get me to spend more on a 9, but he told me several times a 380 doesn't have much stopping power and is not good for home defense. Is that true? Granted, I hope I never have to use it on an intruder, but even if I did, I'm certainly not hoping to kill someone. I just want to stop them.

From my article in the Knowledge Base:

Regardless of whether justified or not, you will feel sad about killing another human being. It is better to be sad than to be room temperature.

Use your head (your most powerful weapon) and only draw and fire your weapon to save you or someone’s life. This is the only righteous shooting. Anything else will find you in a cage or a box. Long before you put yourself in the ‘shoot’ position, you better have completed all the legal requirements that allow you to be there. In addition you must complete the following personal conditions;

1. Training,
2. Understand and accept the moral obligation that the issuing authority extracts from you when you applied for the CCW license,
3. Training,
4. The moral mettle to take a life,
5. Training,
6. Know and keep up on the laws covering carry in the location you are armed (political boundaries and building restrictions),
7. Training,
8. At a bare minimum have a gun rights lawyer’s phone number on your cell’s speed dial,
9. Training,
10. Retain that lawyer if you can afford it,
11. and did I mention training?

EmilyATL, I hate to be blunt but, if you need to think in a PD situation you will die. You MUST be in control at all times! The second you surrender that control you simply become a spectator.

[UnderFire]

Well put, cane!!

EmilyATL, try a S&W .38 SPL +P in a "J" frame such as a model 36LS.
I don't believe that the AirWeights are the best for you and the S&W 686 is a .357 caliber.

[EmilyATL]

Originally Posted by UnderFire

Well put, cane!!

EmilyATL, try a S&W .38 SPL +P in a "J" frame such as a model 36LS.
I don't believe that the AirWeights are the best for you and the S&W 686 is a .357 caliber.

I could've sworn it was a 686 I shot. In any event, it was definitely a 38 because I only had one box of 38 ammo.

So, this may be a stupid question, but do all revolvers have a recoil? Maybe you don't notice it if you're an experienced shooter, but I was all over the place with all of the 38s I tried. With the 380 I was pretty much right in the center of the targets (and pretty close with the 9mms). Is it just a matter of training or do I just need to try different revolvers?

And thanks for the advice and tips to all. I definitely understand that I need to have some training!

[UnderFire]

Originally Posted by EmilyATL

I could've sworn it was a 686 I shot. In any event, it was definitely a 38 because I only had one box of 38 ammo.

So, this may be a stupid question, but do all revolvers have a recoil? Maybe you don't notice it if you're an experienced shooter, but I was all over the place with all of the 38s I tried. With the 380 I was pretty much right in the center of the targets (and pretty close with the 9mms). Is it just a matter of training?

And thanks for the advice and tips to all. I definitely understand that I need to have some training!

.38 Special ammo can be ran through a .357 revolver.
Yes, all firearms have recoil, some more than others.
With practice you'll be able to do the same with a .38 revolver, but
it's all what you're comfortable with.

[Stormbilly]

Were you shooting the revolver single action or double action? If double, that may be why you were all over the place. Double action trigger pulls definitely take more practice and are more difficult than the single action trigger pulls that you are doing with the semi-autos you're firing. Despite this, I still think revolvers are the best gun to start with since they are simpler and less can go wrong. I know everyone says smith and wesson are the best revolvers, but I really think that ruger GP-100 and SP-101 are great first revolvers. You may want to try out some hogue grips on the SP to tame some of the recoil though. I actually think that the new rugers have at least an equal trigger pull to the new smiths, and in many cases (the LCR particularly) have a better trigger pull. I was in my local gun shop the other day and checked out a smith 686 and a ruger GP-100. I was surprised that the trigger pull on the ruger was noticably smoother. Of course the GP was also a bit heavier too. But if weight is an issue, the new SP-101's have an equal trigger pull and are much lighter than the GP's.

Just some thoughts

and, btw, great post Cane. Good food for thought.

[EmilyATL]

Originally Posted by UnderFire

.38 Special ammo can be ran through a .357 revolver.
Yes, all firearms have recoil, some more than others.
With practice you'll be able to do the same with a .38 revolver, but
it's all what you're comfortable with.

Thanks for the info! Clearly I have a LOT to learn...

Originally Posted by Stormbilly

Were you shooting the revolver single action or double action?

There was no hammer on the 637 I tried - so I'm assumming that means it was double action? Again, sorry if that's a stupid question. The Ruger LCR was definitely much easier for me to shoot than any of the S&Ws. I've already booked my first class (which includes quite a bit of range time), so hopefully I'll find something I like! After all of the research I've done, it definitely sounds like revolvers are the way to go. Even with a fair amount of training, I don't know that I'd be able to clear a jam in a semi-auto easily or quickly in the heat of the moment. Maybe the Sig P232 will be my second gun...

Again, thanks everyone for helping someone as clueless as me!

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by EmilyATL

Thanks for the info! Clearly I have a LOT to learn...Again, thanks everyone for helping someone as clueless as me!

You are never clueless when you have the insight to ask questions!

[GatorDude]

I may be over-simplifying here for a new person, but here is my two-cents worth. There are three types of revolvers: single action, double action, and double action only. The single action revolvers are guns like the Ruger Vaquero and Ruger Blackhawk. They are similar to the guns late 19th century cowboys used. Generally, they aren't used for self defense anymore.

The double action revolvers are like the Ruger GP100. You can either just pull the trigger or you can cock the hammer and then pull the trigger. If you pull the trigger, it's a longer heavier trigger pull. If you cock the hammer and pull the trigger, it's a lighter trigger pull, but the gun is more likely to go off.

The hammerless, double action only, revolvers like that Ruger LCR are for self defense. You can't manually cock a hammer. People use them for self-defense for a couple of reasons:

1) Typically, people cock the hammer on a revolver for accuracy. They pull back the hammer and then the trigger pull becomes much lighter and they can shoot more accurately. But, in a nervous high stress situation, it's much easier to pull that lighter trigger accidently and have the gun go off.

2) In some situations, the hammer on a revolver could snag on clothing when you are drawing the pistol and slow you down in a high stress situation.

You might want to check out the writings of Massad Ayoob as you enter the world of handgun ownership. You'll find he has a pretty level head on his shoulders and he has good advice on guns and legal matters related to self-defense. Good luck!

[SapperLeader]

Safeties on revolvers are really redundant and unnecesary. Just like those on longguns with hammers. If you dont wanna shoot, DONT COCK IT!!! The hammer IS the safety! Nothing at all against S@W, but you are only paying for the finish on the weapon. Any Smith will be in the shop for re-tuning two or three times while the Ruger GP, or SP is still pounding high intensity rounds downrange. Nothing wrong with pretty, but pretty isnt what saves your hide.