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Old November 7, 2012, 12:03 AM   #26
warnerwh
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Recoil from a .380 varies from gun to gun. A LCP like I use only weighs 9.4 oz. unloaded so there is no weight to help with recoil. A .380 in a Beretta model 86 is much easier to control because of weight. Same with the 9mm. The weight of the gun plays a major role in how much recoil there is. I have a P89 Ruger 9mm and recoil is very mild compared to my .380 LCP due to the size and weight of the gun. The recoil from a .380 or 9mm in a medium size gun is much less than 12 gauge shotgun. If your wife can shoot the 30-30 at all she can handle the recoil of many guns that are suitable for you.

I will second the revolver recommendation. Under stress of fight or flight having something simple to use can save your life. Also revolvers are extremely reliable. Semi autos that are sa/da are also simple to use and many can be carried safely with the safety off and hammer down. However if either of you have any trouble racking the slide on a semi auto then that is something you should not consider.

The main thing with any handgun you choose is practice. Dry firing at home with snap caps can improve shooting ability considerably and is free and to me fun. Under stress many people have shot at someone 10' away and missed multiple times. With practice you will automatically do what you have trained to do. Make sure your wife can handle the gun comfortably too.
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Old November 7, 2012, 07:34 AM   #27
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The Colt triggers are some of the worst that I own....
Unless Bubba has attempted to "tune" them, I find that hard to believe .......
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Old November 7, 2012, 08:31 AM   #28
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i maybe alittle one sided on this but id recommend a beretta cougar. as far as 45s go there easy to use and the slides are easyer to operate than glocks or springfield XDs. dont get me wrong revolvers are a good choice everyone here makes great points. But with a .357mag OP may be a problem. but its a personal choice you yourself would have to make.id agree with the others and see if you could test fire befor you buy.
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Old November 7, 2012, 06:55 PM   #29
johnwilliamson062
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Who said anything about 357 mag? Lots of revolvers in tamer rounds and any 357 can shoot 38 specials.

A lot of people have trouble operating slides. Not sure why, but lots do. If OP doesn't have arthritis he is heading into a stage of his life where it is extremely likely it will develop.

OP hasn't been back, so I think he lost interest anyways.
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Old November 7, 2012, 07:00 PM   #30
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I would go with a .38 Special in a revolver or 9mm in a semi auto pistol. I have arthritis in both hands and can easily handle the recoil from these. for ease of use I like my SIG P226 load it and use the de-cocker to make the first shot DA.
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Old November 15, 2012, 08:16 PM   #31
Elmer
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The Colt triggers are some of the worst that I own....
Quote:
Unless Bubba has attempted to "tune" them, I find that hard to believe .......
In just about any shooting event featuring revolvers, Colt hasn't been a factor for more than 50 years. Even a well tuned Colt pales in comparison to a good S&W trigger.

Colt DA triggers are notoriously hard to teach on. It would not be a recommendation I would give to a new shooter.
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Old November 15, 2012, 09:46 PM   #32
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Colt DA triggers are notoriously hard to teach on.
Only for those unwilling to learn the subject matter.
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Old November 16, 2012, 01:35 AM   #33
johnwilliamson062
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Colt hasn't been a factor for more than 50 years.
The police positive hasn't been manufactured for more than 50 years. The guns are all hand fitted back when doing so was reasonable. Get one and try it. Unless someone messed it up after it left the factory the trigger will be fantastic.
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Old November 16, 2012, 08:30 AM   #34
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A Smith and Wesson Model 10 in 38 Special would be a good choice. It's a basic no frills revolver that has proven itself over and over again. With quality ammunition it is more than capable of protecting you and your wife. I'm in my twenties and that's what I use most of the time even though I have many others to choose from.

The other handgun that has caught my interest lately that you may like is the Glock 19. It is extremely easy and simple to operate and 9mm seems pretty tame in this gun. Ergonomically it is perfect for my medium sized but strong hands. it may be worth looking into.

Another suggestion might be a Ruger SP101. If you get the three inch barrel version and load it with quality 38 specials you would be in good shape indeed. I've never fired one but I imagine recoil would be pretty tame in that platform.
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Old November 16, 2012, 02:15 PM   #35
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Can't go wrong with a S&W mod. 36 Chief. 38 special.
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Old November 16, 2012, 04:58 PM   #36
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I'm a little younger than you are ...and have some arthritis as well in my hands....

a. Nothing wrong with a revolver. I think a mid-sized gun chambered in .357 mag ...and you can either shoot .38 spl's or .357 mag in it will be fine. By mid-sized I mean something like a S&W K frame ( model 19 or 66 ) ...and while some may have traditional wood S&W grips on them / some of them will have typical rubber Hogue grips on them ...dampening recoil a little as well. But the weight of the gun is your friend ..in terms of reducing recoil...and then picking the right cartridge. 158 gr in either .38 spl or .357 mag are very common cartridges. These K frame S&W's will come in 2 1/2" barrels, 4" barrels and 6" barrels....but I think a 4" is probably a good compromise...not too heavy or clumsy.

b. If you want a semi-auto ...stay with something in a 9mm. Again a gun with some weight is your friend. Arthritis - might mean you have to stay away from guns that feel too wide ( many guns in 9mm today - are double stack mags / where they increase capacity) but it makes them too wide.

A gun that is commonly available ...is a Sig Sauer 239 model ....its a single stack gun ...available in a couple of trigger options / I like the typical Sig DA/SA trigger with decocker. They hold 8+1 ..and they nice guns. They come with a hard plastic grip on them ...but again, consider putting a Hogue rubber grip on the gun ...with or without finger grooves. Personally, I like the Hogue with finger grooves. Helps me stabilize the gun a little. On days when my hands hurt a lot ...Sig 239 is still a gun that makes it easy to reach the controls. Again pick the right cartridge in a 9mm ....like a 124 gr bullet ...vs 115 gr or 147 gr...I think most 124gr rounds in 9mm shoot a little softer ...than the "snappier" 115 gr or the 147 gr rounds.

http://sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p239.aspx

If you don't like the Sig - look for other single stack mag weapons...( 1911's come in 9mm as well ...from Springfield, etc ) ...but they're more money.

and good luck in the process ...and have some fun with it..../ shoot as many guns as you can at ranges that rent guns, or maybe your buddies guns - before you decide.
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Old November 16, 2012, 09:03 PM   #37
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Go with the 38 spl in S&W k or L frame or Ruger sp 101 or GP100 in a 3 or 4 inch barrel. If you want a semi-auto make sure you and your wife can pull the slide.
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Old November 17, 2012, 12:16 PM   #38
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Where did he go?

36 replies and only a couple of them are good. I think we scared Tinknocker off.
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Old November 17, 2012, 02:31 PM   #39
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Quote:
Tinknocker

1st time hand gun buyer
My question is i am 70 years old and wife 66 we want to buy a hand gun but are worried about recoil. I was going to buy a 380 but was told it was hard gun to control. Any way if you have any ideas would like hearing about it. I do have a 30/30 and a 12 ga shotgun but the shot gun is getting to be alot for me and wife cant shoot it. We want it mostly for home ortection but i may go for a ccw after i buy a gun. Thanks for any help you can offer. Michael Grassel
Crow Hunter (post #5) raised some relevant issues for you to consider.

Some inexperienced shooters have difficulty in keeping their hands from dangerous places on short barreled revolvers. Some shooters tend to wrap up a small revolver and get injured from escaping gas from the barrel/cylinder gap.

In addition to considerations or debilitating arthritis in both men and women, some level of hand strength is necessary to operate the slide of an semi-automatic handgun. Many females lack sufficient strength and/or dexterity. My sister lacks the ability to operate a semi-auto due to injuries.

As to recoil, consider that felt recoil is a matter of the power of the cartridge fired and the mass of the handgun from which it is fired. For a given load increasing the mass reduces the felt recoil. Therefore, a 20 ounce "snubby" firing a .38 load will have more felt recoil than a 30 ounce 4" barreled K-frame 6-shot S&W shooting the same load. Depending on the load, the longer barrel may have less muzzle blast as well.

An additional factor is the size, shape and material of the grip of the handgun. These three factors have a great deal to do with how you hand perceives the recoil impulse. A small grip tends to be less controllable than a larger grip up to the point that the grip is too large for the shooter's hands and then it makes the gun less controllable. As to material of the grip, a hard material will transfer the recoil more abruptly compared to a softer rubber grip (such as Pachmayr makes). A rubber grip that fits your hand can greatly reduce the sensation of recoil and increase your control.

As a general rule, new shooters tend to become competent with revolvers compares to semi-auto in a shorter time. This is primarily due to the extra training needed to deal with the possible failures that may happen with semi-autos.

Only you can decide which path to take, how much skill you currently possess, and how much training & practice you will invest.
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Old November 17, 2012, 02:35 PM   #40
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36 replies and only a couple of them are good. I think we scared Tinknocker off.
His last activity was November 6th, unless he's been back without signing in.
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