Posted on 12/10/2005 1:02:11 PM PST by Melinda in TN
I'm a woman and I have a .357, though a .357 on a frame that small will kick like the dickens and it won't be ~fun~ to shoot, you certainly can. The benefit of the .357 is that you can load it with .38 if you wish.
None of my boys ever touched our guns and we always had them. Ditto when I was growing up, we never touched dad's shotgun. Mine are now grown and they both know how to use guns. I chose the Bersa for the fit to my hand. The Tauraus was not available at my gun shop at the time or I think I might have gotten it instead. My late husband's carry piece is a Rugar .9mm it's in the gun safe now. When our grandson visited (he's now 4) we locked ours up in the gun safe while he was here, wouldn't want to take any chances with one this young.
Looks a lot like my Tauraus ultra lite 38. I like the soft grip.
I really enjoy my 44. I go out to the range often.
I just bought two speed loaders and I am trying to get proficient with those. I spend lots of time sitting here unloading and reloading it.
I plan on getting a .45 soon...my 44 only holds 5 shots...I want more security than that!
Speaking as a certified Firearms Instructor, I agree with this completely! I just gave one of these to my recently married 24 yr old daughter as a house warming present. I'd taught her to shoot it when she was ten. Now all that remains is to make sure her hubby has the same skills as my little girl!
I really like the Ruger SP101. The three inch barrel conceals well and yet makes better use of burning powder than a two inch barrel will. Get a .357 because as has been stated you can shoot lower power .38SP loads for practice and there are plenty of low recoil, low flash defense loads out there. A .357 will have a stronger frame, too and be less likely to show wear from extended shooting. You should consider a DAO (Double Action Only) model (hammerless on the SP101) for self defense. The grip size on the stock SP101 was perfect for my daughters fairly dimunitive hands, but this is a variable that can be easily changed. I would also mount a front sight with a tritium dot in it for low level light shooting.
Other than the above, the only thing needed is a good holster/belt combo and a lot of practice. You guys should join IDPA and go shoot some matches. IDPA You'll make new friends and get used to problem solving in a tactical manner as well as drawing, firing and moving under pressure (substitute time for crime).
"Go with the 38 Special and change the grips"
Ha, I was going to write, go with the .357 and change the grips.
Do your target practice with a .22. The ammo is cheap.
Why one or the other?
Whatever, try out any gun you intend to carry. Since you are already carrying a .380 I presume you have a permit and are familiar with the many factors to consider in selecting a gun, one of which is NOT letting someone else decide what you should carry. It is your life on the line. Get whatever YOU are comfortable with.
Get the 357 Mag, use .38 special ammo in it .....if ya decide ya can handle the magnum ammo ya can trade up in ammunition . Something you can't do if ya buy the snub in 38 Special only......With the magnum flavor ya have options for the future.....as you develop skills that allow you to handle the recoil.
Above all else carry what you can hit with as noise and major caliber , stopping power, ballistics etc are piss in the wind if ya can't hit your target....
Best of luck to ya Melinda.....
Well, it seems to me your answer lies right in that sentence. Are you planning on packing heat as a fashion statement or to potentially defend your life?
LMAO ......You SCANNED a loaded gun ?!?!?!?!?.........:o)
What model is that ? Reversed the pic ?!?? Left handed revolver ???
I have a 696 S&W that I love along with a 329PD 44 Mag that I feed 44 specials here in the lower 48.
What ammo are ya feeding it if I may ask.... I use the CCI Blazer GDHP 200 gr commercials for carry loads.
Sorry for all the questions.....Stay safe !
No! Start with a .22LR and work UP. I start all my CCW students on my S.A. Ruger Super Single Six so I can identify and correct problems with technique. But we immediately progress to 9mm then 38 then 40 then 45...depending on student desires. Your carry gun should ideally not be in a smaller caliber than a 9mm. Practice with what you carry! Want less expensive ammo? I bought 50rds of 9mm this morning. Factory new ammo for $6.00. Or you can buy by the case. 500-1000 rds is not that expensive. Or you can buy reloads, or learn to reload your own ammo. But practice with what you carry! You might decide you want a 40 or a 45. When we got married, I bought my wife a M84 Beretta .380. She tried my Gov't Model 1911 and demanded I give her THAT. To keep the peace I had to sell the Beretta and get her a Colt Commander 45.
Hi Squantos!!
1)Yes...I scanned a loaded gun :)
2)Charter Arms, Bulldog, .44 Special
3)Would love to see pics of your guns
4)I use .44 S&W SPL 200 gr GDHP Gold Dot The box says "High performance cartridges"
I don't mind the questions. I appreciated all the help I got from you and others when I was deciding what gun I should get, and what ammo was the best!
Hmmmm I have a 44 Bulldog "PUG" also , stainless and love it. Do ya remember Harpseal ? He lived next door to the Charter Arms CEO in Clinton CT......:o)
I'm guessing ya reversed the pic as I didn't see the cylinder release/latch. The blued version with the underlug threw me off a bit...LOL !
I love my 44's yet I still pack either a 1911A1, a Glock 21 or a SIG 220 for my carry gun. My Girl Friday carries a 44 Bulldog albeit a "original" version without the underlug with the same 200gr Gold Dot Hollow Point's from CCI/Blazer.....She has Barimi Grips on it so she can wear it with her skirts at work with out a holster. That an a small E2 Surefire flashlight and 2 speed loaders w/ spare ammo are her choices for self defense.
Hope yer well, Always glad to help folks through the selection of a self defense rig. Common sense and a deaf ear when in a gunshop are best when being sold a gun by the guncounter commando.....some are good, most are really really bad gunslingers and just salesmen dumping crap on the public.
I think your choice was a wise , sound and solid one....best part was it was YOUR choice after ya took time to research . Smart move !
Stay safe !
I do remember Harpseal, I would love to live in the neighborhood like that...wouldn't have to worry about a lack of weapons for safety! :)
After looking at the picture again, I did reverse it...I was trying to get the excess edge off. It didn't work the way I wanted it to, but I forgot to reverse the picture again.
I carry mine in a conceal carry purse for now...I plan to buy a shoulder holster soon, so I can carry under my office outfits.
So far, I'm doing good...the day that scares me is the 23rd, when the guy goes before the board of pardon's and parole.
I trust freepers to give me better info on weapons than I would a shopkeeper :) I knew my freeper family wouldn't steer me wrong!
In my research, I found that the .44 special had a better kill rate than any of the other guns I was considering. I am planning my next purchase though...I am looking at getting a 45. I like my 44, but I want more than 5 shots.
Do you know any way to improve the sights on my 44? It is off slightly (you have to aim up and to the left), and I would like to correct that.
I'd definitely take the Taurus 605 and shoot 38 Special with it. It's about half a pound heavier than the Charter which will make shooting even 38 Special from it more enjoyable. Also, I don't think the Charter is recommended for use with 38 Special +P ammunition.
As to sights, ya have fixed sights on your Bulldog which is a very GOOD thing on a handgun used for self defense. If you watch the really good shooters, competition and combat shoothouse sorts with real world experience or not the mantra rant by instructors to focus on the front sight etc is BS.
Learn to "point shoot" at close combat ranges. You look over the sights vs using them to aim. Think of a trap or skeet shooter aiming a shotgun per se.... The only time I use sights in competetion or training is a shot longer than 25 yards on a noggin sized plate. My carry 1911A1 has no sights at all....the dovetails are filled and finished and the entire handgun is "melted" by a guy name clark long ago.
As a civilian I am in pure self defense mode vs offensive mode most alphabet agencies teach. With that in mind if the agressor is far enough away that I have to use sights then I go to cover, evade the threat at all costs. If such a situation should present itself that I would need sights I use the learned skill of "adjusted point of aim".
Not a perfect answer for all situations or all possibilities so the deal is practice, practice , practice and carry a handgun that is comnfortable for you to always carry so that you have it with you should the need arise. A handgun you can hit with fast and furious accurately. I think ya have a good selection with the bulldog in the manner ya carry it now.
Best suggestion I can give and get is to join IDPA and go to some of their shoots and compete thus ya get a sense of what ya can and can't do under just the simple stress of time much less fear of losing your life or taking one.......
Give it a try, idpa.com will get ya headed for your local club. Observe, learn good and bad, judge what works for YOU and practice your skills.......
Stay safe !
The titanium frame Taurus was an excellent choice IMO. It packs a major punch yet is lightweight enough for 'everyday use' as it were.
Add a couple of speedloaders to the ensemble and she's got 15 rounds of serious bad guy stopping power in the palm of her hand.
You, she, and our friend Squantos have the same choice in ammo as well. Those Gold Dots look like an ashtray...LOL
Anyway, you and Mrs. L seem to put to rest the ugly rumor that ladies can't handle big bore weapons. It all comes down to mindset IMO; mind over matter if you will. If you don't mind the recoil, then it doesn't matter!
Take care, stay safe, and watch your six. Remember, if something just doesn't feel right then it probably isn't.
Regards and have a Merry Christmas.
L
That sounds like good advice. Since both guns belong to my husband, the .38 will still be around if it turns out I can't handle the .357. We have two gun shops in the area that have indoor ranges. I'll shoot the .357 with .38 shells and see if I can and if so, I'll take the .357. The .38 is his carry gun so if I can use the .357, that will work out best. He bought the Taurus from a man that bought it new but said it was too powerful for him. He was shooting .357 magnum shells though. The Taurus feels much better in my hand than the Charter .38 Special does.
Is there any particular brand .38 Special shells I should start with? I would think the least powerful would be the thing to start with and work my way up from there.
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