I'm teaching a women-only protection and basic pistol class. But I have a problem--I'm a semi-auto guy, and I'm suffering from a dearth of revolvers. On one hand I'm excited about BEING FORCED TO BUY NEW GUNS; on the other hand I'm trying to find something super economical and something that I'm not going to be upset if it gets roughly handled.

A colleague who is into revolvers suggested that the S&W Model 10 should be the most inexpensive, goto-wheel gun. However, he bought all of his in the late 80s, early 90s when they were police trade-ins. From what I'm seeing now, they are becoming more of a rarity than a commodity. Police trade-ins now are all .40s and they are a dime a dozen!

If not the Model 10, what would you recommend as an inexpensive, teaching revolver, in .38 special?

Curtis

Taurus is cheap. Charter Arms is cheaper

Ex-police S&W 64. They sell for less than the .357 mag models (.38 only).

I like my Smith and Wesson 637. At $300, they are pretty much disposable...

Great suggestions so far.


You bring up an interesting point. I'd previously discounted them because I've heard of problems with them, but I'm not making a lifetime investment here. For demonstration and shooting 2x/mo they will probably be just fine!


Thanks for the recommendation. I've seen some of those--i'll dive deeper into that model.


Wow. they are $319 at Grabagun. That's tough to beat. I've heard that the J-frames are hard to shoot for someone with smaller hands. Have you found that to be true?

Guy at the Monroe WAC show had a 5 gallon bucket half full of Taurus (Tauri?) for under $200/ea.
I looked at a couple, handed them back to him and he threw them from 6 feet back into the bucket.
I winced, and they weren't even my guns.

Taurus revolvers are S&W copies.
Bought the wife a blue Taurus 2" M85, (S&W M36 Chief's Special copy).
Fired hot Winchester 110gr +P+ Treasury loads in it, never had a problem.

I bought a newer SS Taurus 2" M85 with a bobbed hammer.
Firing pin spring broke, and pretty much rendered the gun useless (firing pin would hang between cartridges unless the gun was muzzle up).
If I found a deal on a Taurus I'd go for it, but S&W is a better gun.

Charter Arms, had a police undercover in .32 S&W Long. That POS would lock up and the trigger wouldn't pull and the cylinder wouldn't open.
Had to work the trigger, hammer, and cylinder in sequence for awhile to get it to function.
Never buying another Charter Arms product again. Cheap crap.

My two cents. Especially if you are just buying a single unit or maybe two for starters since most folks will want to shoot pistols anyways.

I can't think of a quicker way to discourage a new or rookie shooter from revolvers than having them shoot a j-frame smith I love mine for carry and practice with it regularly but it is a chore to practice with due to the snappy recoil with even factory 38 Special loads. Leave the short barrel snubbies for an advanced class once basic fundamentals are well in tow. For j-frame the Smith 442/642 is a great choice but word has it the factory trigger on the newer Ruger LCR is quite good in comparison. So the LCR might be a great route for those folks that are just dying to shoot a snubbie in one of your classes

My personal preference is to L-frame 686 and N-frame 627 but they are quite heavy and newer shooters would likely find them a lot to handle. The L-frame grip does work for a lot of folks but the N-frame grip is a handful. And these guns are pretty heavy since it's a lot of steel to hold up out front. I wear size XL gloves for reference.

My recommendation for newbies would be a smaller k-frame like the Model 66 for shooting with 38 Special. Preferably one with a 4" tube, maybe up to 5" tops. The k-frame will work for a large variety of hand sizes and recoil will be way more manageable than with a snubbie.

Edit: Another recommendation would be the Ruger SP-101 in a 3-4" barrel length for shooting with 38 Special. A bit more affordable than a Smith Model 66, similar weight/manageability, and a beautiful gun built like a tank.

If I was buying a revolver for first time shooters, it would,be a Ruger GP 100. Grip fits most hands, recoil is lighter than a snubbie, and it is just plain easier to hit with. Always nice to start a shooter off with success. With that in mind I would not use a snubbie of any make to teach first-timers

I don't have big hands and don't find them difficult to shoot. Did not find a discernable recoil difference between the airweights and the sig p938 (about the same weight). My only issue is pinching my finger behind the trigger in double action mode when I use too much finger.

It's a good choice for teaching ccw. You can also get a full stainless steel j frame to help with the recoil if it's an issue. If you are teaching regular pistol courses, then the 686 is probably a better option.

In my opinion, no J frame is comfortable to shoot. Obviously some people don't find them objectionable, but most new shooters will.

True, but most people won't carry something larger than a j frame because it's harder to conceal.

Since he's teaching a self defense course, maybe start them out with a model 686 or 63 and then move them up as needed...

Spot on, all of you.

I need to demonstrate small and have 1 they can shoot. I have an LCRX in .38 on the way that should fit this bill well: easy to conceal and not as punishing as some of the J-frames. I'll probably add another snubbie, if only so they can tell their husbands that a J-frame isn't for them!

Immediately, I'm looking for 1-2 easy shooters so they have a great experience.

Sometime soon, I would like to add in one very large revolver so everyone can have bragging rights. My daughter still brags about the S&W 500 and a 460 she shot in her license to carry class back in MA. And she tells the stodgy guys behind the counter who disparage her because she's female to take a hike, because she's already shot something bigger than they have.

If I was teaching new shooters, I'd invest in a .22lr semi-auto striker-fired.
If I was buying wheelguns for it, they'd also be in .22lr.

We're on the same page. We provide a number of MkIII and MKIVs they use to start shooting and get qualified, which is four five-shot groups in a 4" circle at 10". That is all that is required. By that time, in my experience, they're safe and can manage the firearm (under observation, of course).

Afterwards, I bring out a number of carry, target, and home defense pistols. Those who are comfortable doing so can choose to shoot pistols calibered in .380, .38, 9mm, .45, and (probably) soon to be .357.

That's easy