Now that they carry six beans in the wheel they are a pretty sweet little revolver. The CA Professional .32 mag with 7 shots and a 3" barrel has my attention too.
Pistol for a Wife
- Thread starter ackvil
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Now that they carry six beans in the wheel they are a pretty sweet little revolver. The CA Professional .32 mag with 7 shots and a 3" barrel has my attention too.
I've been enjoying the versatility of my Ruger SP101 6 shot with a 4.2 in. barrel. Not really a CCW piece, but it could be. It's also nice to be able to reload all of the straight walled .32s with the same set of dies. Powder puff through magnum.
The 642 is an excellent pocket carry. I think you and yours will be very happy with one. I know Mrs. Columbo is with hers.
Just an additional thought if you do go that route. One consideration down the road is whether to do a trigger/action job to smooth out that rough 12 lb. pull. Unlike the older Js and Ks, the more recent alloy Airweights just do not smooth out with round count.
An accomplished smith will do what is more of a 'smoothing' job on one, and not so much a typical trigger job; you don't mess with the hammer spring on these for a duty or carry piece, or you could get FTFs on some primers. Tell the smith it's a carry/duty gun and you want a "duty action job". The good ones will know exactly what that means, what steps to take, and what ones to avoid. It will come back MUCH smoother, with a subjectively easier trigger, but no less dependable and safe.
When Mrs. Columbo got her 642, I intentionally left it stock for the first several years, until she became very proficient with it. Once she had mastered trigger discipline, MOA and carry protocol with it, I had the action job done. It still presents a substantial trigger, but it is buttery smooth. Dramatically better. And probably why she now refuses to part with it. And I have tried over the years.
People do get attached to these little belly guns. After handing Mrs. Columbo my 365 this past weekend for a dozen rounds, she handed it back to me and said, yet again, like she does every time, "It's nice ... but I prefer my revolver".
And when I took hers to my smith for that action job, he grinned huge, turned sideways, and showed me his personal carry ... a 642. He was certainly the best man for that job.
So you might be joining a little cult with one.
Check the used gun market for the Smith & Wesson .32 Hand Ejector revolvers. They are built on the I frame size, perfect for petite hands. Chambered in .32 S&W Long, they are very accurate and with no felt recoil. BTW, stopping power is marksmanship.
americanhandgunner.com
The "I"s Have It - American Handgunner
As we’ve been told so often, there’s no “I” in team. But you do need it to spell words like interesting and iconic.
Check the used gun market for the Smith & Wesson .32 Hand Ejector revolvers. They are built on the I frame size, perfect for petite hands. Chambered in .32 S&W Long, they are very accurate and with no felt recoil. BTW, stopping power is marksmanship.
The "I"s Have It - American Handgunner
As we’ve been told so often, there’s no “I” in team. But you do need it to spell words like interesting and iconic.
A 32 long can definitely get the job done up close. Selecting an effective carry load can be a little more challenging with it, however. Best results with a minimum 100 gr. load, and during summer. A lighter load may have problems meeting the FBI minimums if your target is heavily-clothed.
What is the date of her class? It would be great for you to post a follow up post after and let us know what her thoughts and experiences were?
David Yamane is a member at the Liberal Gun Club as well as a sociology professor at Wake University. He teaches a Sociology of Guns Seminar and as part of the class his students make a range trip to experience pistols, rifles and shotguns and then write a report on their experience.
You can read the student reports here.
You can read the student reports here.
- Thread starter
- #128
September 29th. It runs from 6:00 pm to 10. Will report her reaction.
Good read.
- Thread starter
- #131
Well, my wife took her pistol course last night. She was nervous as we got to the range but felt better when she saw 15 women lined up to take the course. She learned the basics of gun safety and how to load and clear a pistol. She opted for a Glock 44 for her first try since this was the easiest to rack the slide. She spent about an hour on the range and did very well for the first time.
She said she was very nervous and that when she fired her first shot her hands were shaking. I told her she couldn't have been shaking too much since she hit every shot at about 25 feet.
She now wants to practice at least once a week and wants to take the advanced pistol training class. Plus, she said she wanted to try a gun "with more power" (in her words). She wants to try the S&W MP 380 Shield EZ.
She said she was very nervous and that when she fired her first shot her hands were shaking. I told her she couldn't have been shaking too much since she hit every shot at about 25 feet.
She now wants to practice at least once a week and wants to take the advanced pistol training class. Plus, she said she wanted to try a gun "with more power" (in her words). She wants to try the S&W MP 380 Shield EZ.
Not bad at all. I think women have a tendency to do better then men on their first goal, as they don’t walk in with preconceived notions about shooting, unlike a lot of men. They actually listen to the instructor.
“Go around” not “goal”.Not bad at all. I think women have a tendency to do better then men on their first goal, as they don’t walk in with preconceived notions about shooting, unlike a lot of men. They actually listen to the instructor.
- Thread starter
- #136
When my wife took her shooting lesson the instructor showed her a Smith & Wesson Shield EZ 380. She liked the weight of the pistol and she had no problem racking the slide. I ordered her 380 and it arrived today. She is quite excited and wants to shoot it on Friday. This from a lady who did not like firearms. In fact, she wants to get a safe so she can store it in her night stand.
Good,, even the non center of mass hits would be stoppers, save possibly the two on side of neck.
M&P Performance Center 380 Shield EZ. My Wife has a wrist replacement, and this is what she carries everyday. Very easy to rack.
