Guns

[DomnioMaestro]

heh heh.....darn life interfering again.....I missed this.

I really need to win the lotto......

 

[JCinPA]

@hydro-terp I bet it will run like a scalded dog. My Tank Commander does. I'm replacing a few parts only because I'm a tinkerer. No need, really.

 

[JCinPA]

Wow. I usually carry a larger gun, but for a quick trip for gas/mik, a run to Lowes for that nut you dropped and can't find, or to the grocery to get something the wife needs NOW, I often drop a 1980s vintage Taurus Model 85CH in my pocket holster in the front pocket of my jeans.

I looked at it today and it was full of lint and gunk, I haven't cleaned it in years. I know revolvers are always supposed to go bang, but I had abuse this gun terribly. Then I thought, "I haven't ever had the sideplate off this gun!" I sent it to Taurus around the turn of 2000 to be cleaned and slicked up, but I had never opened it. Having done trigger jobs on 4 Ruger revolvers, I thought how hard can it be?

Plenty hard. Rugers are wonders of simplicity. This gun is not. I wish I had a shot of it all gunked up with the parts still in it, but I got a shot after removing the internals to show how sludge it really was. Second shot is cleaned up with the parts installed again, (that was half an hour to figure out). Then all closed up. Shot it tonight and it's right as rain.

Don't let your snub get this dirty. It will likely still go bang, but it's just not right.

 

[{tpc}]

That doesn’t look dirty to me lol. Then again, i don’t have any guns in the house right now. Need to change that, with some of the crazy stuff that seems to find its way to me at times. Should talk to my dad, he has plenty lol.

Not to derail the thread, but what’s a nice one that isn’t too expensive that my wife might also be able to handle? We had a yahoo wander up and pound on our door late one night in a 18mph gusty snowstorm claiming to look for his lost “drone” in my yard. Local pd handled that one, and maybe he was looking legitimately but freaked out the wife when he started wandering the yard with his hands up.

Too weird!! Who flys a drone at night in a snowstorm?

 

[JCinPA]

@{tpc} I should have taken a shot with all those parts at the beginning. They were all black with sludge. I didn't think of it until they were out. It was plenty dirty.

I'll give you the NRA instructor answer, "It depends." Sounds like you are looking for one gun, not two (at least to begin), and one that your wife would be "able to handle". With correct training she should be able to "handle" anything you can. If you want to start a conversation, just message me. I've been coaching shooters for 40 years, and I'm taking the NRA Pistol Instructor course on 01/31, so I'll be "legit", lol.

Some guidelines, though. First, do not go for the smallest gun, their light weight makes the recoil quite heavy and is never pleasant. In the small, medium, large gun scheme of things, I generally recommend a medium size gun for a first purchase.

Second, don't be afraid of revolvers. They are not popular these days, but when I was first getting into guns, revolvers were king. The semi-auto craze came a decade after I got into shooting. If you think you and your wife would be willing to take a course (doesn't have to be the NRA Basic Pistol Course, could just be familiarization with an instructor and the two of you) you could consider a semi-auto. I suggest you practice with it at least semi-annually if you go that route.

Sounds like you want a bedside home defense gun. A simple (meaning easy to understand and operate) medium semi-auto like a Glock 19 is a good way to go. I'm not a Glock fanboi, by any stretch of the imagination, but they are about the simplest manual of arms for a semi-auto you can get. And not too spendy. Don't be afraid to buy used.

If you feel like either of you (or both) are not interested in regular range practice, I'd still suggest a revolver. They are about as easy to understand as a dinner fork. A 357 magnum can shoot 38 special rounds (more comfortable), and something like a Ruger SP101 5-shot with a 3" barrel would be a nice bedside gun, especially if you can find one used. Revolvers tend to be more expensive than semi-autos these days, though.

There are myriad other choices, though. If you want to chat, message me.

 

[hydro-terp]

I will second a revolver and propose a S&W 442 if you live somewhere that you might be able to carry. Don Hume makes a pretty decent pocket carry holster for the $. I chose the 442 so I shouldnt have to do the deep clean that JC just done. With a shrouded hammer it can go bang from inside a pocket if need be wo the worry of the hammer getting fowled with fabric. I also chose the 442 because someone posted somewhere that they had both the 442 and the 642 and preferred the 442 because it was hard to find the front sight with the silver 642. After handling mine I concur. I bought a bottle of neon green nail polish from dollar tree and touched up the front sight and that was a good improvement. But a snub is for bad breath distance .....

With a snub I wouldn't bother with any +p rounds as it's pointless with a short barrel. Also hollow points probably don't matter for the same reason. Just run wadcutters.

They sell larger grips etc so don't think you are married to what comes with it.

HT

 

[hydro-terp]

I will add anyone who could be using it in a self defense scenario needs to be comfortable with it. When I say that it has nothing to do w how it fits your hand. I mean not being startled when it goes off and managing recoil and all those kind of things and just handling it in a safe manner. That will take some range time.

HTH but good for you for thinking about these things.

HT

 

[{tpc}]

Thank you all for the reply’s! It’s very helpful. I could ask my or even her kids, who all are gun owners as well as having concealed carry permits, but I didn’t want to start the process through them and their own bias’s. We have gone to the range a couple times, but it was long ago, and I can’t remember if the wife participated.