Melinda,
Lots of good advice here. Truely sorry about what happened to you sometime back. As the brother of a murdered sister I am a very strong advocate of well armed respectable women. I know I'm a little late on this tread but here are my thoughts.
I'd take the option of the .357 mag. As others have pointed out, the option of .38 or .357 in the same revolver gives you the opportunity to upgrade to a more effective round. The big "to do" is practice, practice, and more practice. Did I mention practice?
Like my good friend Squantos, I carry a S&W 696 .44Special in a SMZ shoulder holster loaded with CCI 200 gr GDHP. I also prefer a .45 as well.
I hope and pray this individual does not get out of prison. Whoever killed my sister is still out there and I know the devastation it caused in my own family. Your defense is a God given right, all of us will definitely have you in our thoughts. Your should be looking forward to Christmas, not worrying about this low life coming after you.
Do what you have to do to protect yourself. Let us know what happens after the parole hearing, hopefully it will be good news.
Me thinks ya have trussell confused with Melinda TP !.....:o)
Squantos - Thank you for the ping to Tex's reply.
TEXASPROUD - I hope to be able to post good news...but I am worried because he knows how to work the system. He is a five time felon, and is only 52 years old now. He has been in for 15 years this time, and has gained the position of trustee...he is in the Robertson Unit in Abilene Texas.
He will hurt others if he is released...I pray they have sense enough to keep him in for the life sentence he was given!
I knew a gunsmith who, after an incident over the cash register of his store which involved a sheath knife to his throat, carried a Larry Kelly worked (Mag-na-Port Arms) stainless Bulldog with a 7/8" barrel and BOBBED HAMMER, with a smooth and reliable action job, and Glaser blues. (I personally STRONGLY advise against Glaser or any other prefragmented ammunition. There have been MANY dramatic failures with it of which I am personally aware, and as a 17 year, 17 kill veteran of an NYPD Stakeout team once counseled me: "What if he raises his hand, you blow it off, and he kills you anyway?!")
The spur-less hammer doesn't snag during a hurried draw, is reliable if the spring is kept strong enough to compensate for the lighter hammer, and can be thumb-cocked if desired, after slightly raising it with trigger pressure. The downside of hammerless designs is rather serious though.
Before holstering your revolver in anticipation of really having to use it in dire circumstances, it is advisable to perform the standard cycling test, which writer, instructor, and p.o. Massad Ayoob always emphasizes: load your revolver, point it in a safe direction (couch, bed, refrigerator....) and carefully, slowly, thumb the hammer back until the cylinder will spin. Rotate the cylinder to make sure that it rotates freely (!), and no foreign matter has raised a case rim enough to cause a jam. This is the old Hollywood cowboy and detective move, the real one, not with the cylinder swung out though, and it should be done more carefully, also for the sake of maintaining the integrity of the cylinder pin, the rod upon which the cylinder spins.
With hammerless revolvers, one must squeeze the trigger just enough to unlock the cylinder, and gently spin it around, then gently let the trigger back down...yuck.
It does afford a quiet and reflective time in which to ponder the reason for, and your preparedness to use it.
One other thing, to properly DRAW a spur hammered handgun, the thumb should be covering the hammer, as one would in preparation to cock a Single Action Army or other s.a. revolver. This protects the spur from catching on clothing, which could be rather inconvenient. Revolvers can also be fired from within a jacket pocket or handbag, which is a very handy thing to do, under unpleasant circumstances. I was acquainted with an elderly collection agent many years ago, who worked in a very dangerous high rise apartment complex, mostly. He advised me to do what he did, which is buy several thrift shop sport jackets, and learn what to expect by wearing them and shooting through the outside pockets. He carried a Sig automatic in one pocket and a .357 in the other. He said that "If it isn't already in your hand when you need it, it's too late."
Also, trussell, get some Militec-1 lubricant over the internet, and use it. It is actually a DRY metal treatment, carried by oil to begin with. Under heat, the heat of firing, it bonds to the metal, making it 17 times harder, therefore slicker, less friction. It really works, and is in widespread use throughout our Armed Forces overseas. One does not desire a dry, unlubricated firearm, but one DEFINITELY does not want one's primers compromised by oil in any way, especially when anticipating trouble. Clear nailpolish has been sucessfully used to protect primers and case necks, and I know this is almost the nth degree of paranoia, perhaps, but it always pays to be as prepared as possible. Mechinery treated with Militec-1 can be completely dry, thereby also not attracting dust and lint, and yet be fully lubricated and ready to go. If you may be carrying in a pocket, handbag, fanny pack, or purse, and on general principles anyway, serious people now use Militec-1, and are pleased with it. Innocent looking lint can disable a handgun. Why take chances, and why have your defensive instrument in an inconvenient place from which to draw it, if there are better, and more ready options?
May you never need to test any of these recommendations, and just have developed an interesting hobby by doing all this. You will also impress gun-owning men and women the world over, which could also be fun, too.