Ok need a .38 special revolver for a lady, I'd have to be small enough for a purse, and would of course have to be reliable, and easier to shoot. Factory night sights would be a plus. If there is another round, larger than a .38 special but is as easy to handel, let me know.  Thanks

Smith and Wesson Airweights are a good choice. Rossi has decent pistols, Taurus being a few steps ahead of them. Factor night sights not sure about. There might be a model, but the experience I have with snubnose revolvers are usually notched frame and blade sight system.

I would honestly recommend getting one chambered for .357 mag whatever your choice. The reason being is if she can handle .357 mag great that much extra firepower. If she can't you can always use .38 +p or even plain ole .38 Special.

One word of advice is if you do get a .357 I wouldn't get an lightweight model, they have harsh recoil. Steel .357s even snubnose aren't too terribly bad. My better half shoots a steel snubnose with just about all available .357 JHP all the time.  We tried .357 first and then tried .38 and she honestly said it wasn't enough difference in recoil considering the ballistic loss.

I would suggest you NOT get the Airweight if you want her to actually practice with it. The steel frame models are a 5-6 ounces heavier, but are MUCH less punishing to shoot. J-frame snubs are difficult to shoot well if you practice a lot. They are almost impossible to shoot well when you are dreading the recoil with every pull of the trigger.

Quoted: I would suggest you NOT get the Airweight if you want her to actually practice with it. The steel frame models are a 5-6 ounces heavier, but are MUCH less punishing to shoot. J-frame snubs are difficult to shoot well if you practice a lot. They are almost impossible to shoot well when you are dreading the recoil with every pull of the trigger.

That is a good point. When I mentioned Airweights I wasn't thinking about it from a females perspective. Although my wife has shot my Airweight with +p's and didn't find it too awfully punishing but she only fired one cylinders worth also.

However, I still stand by my .357 suggestion. DO NOT get a .357 lighweight though. I've shot one(think it was a S&W 340PD) and never again!

ManiacRat461, I glad to see my question being answered by a fellow Texan. I am wondering what specific compact, non light weight .357's brand/model you'd reccomend for her to look at.

I have a 637 (airweight .38spl +p) and it's a VERY nice pistol  The trigger is the nicest I've felt on a revolver. (but I don't have a lot of experience with revolvers).  Shooting some regular 130gr jacketed .38 gets a little old after a box of 50.  I have not shot any +P loads, but I would bet it wouldn't be fun for more than a few cylinders.  

If you can borrow one or rent one, have her shoot one with some standard loads.  If she can get through a box or two without complaining, she'll be able to pump out 5 rounds or more in self defense using hotter loads.  

Before I go that far, I forgot to ask if she was a first time shooter. Cause if she is stop right here and get a .22 and take her to the range and teach her. Trying to teach someone on a snubnose .38/.357 will be damn near impossible. Might even scare her to the point of not wanting to shoot.

Sign her up for a class if you don't feel you are comfortable with teaching her. Improper grip on a snubnose be it .38 or .357 can be painful.  After she is taught correctly then move on centerfire caliber.

Ruger makes excellent revolvers, specifically the GP-100 and SP-101
Taurus has nice models as well.
Rossi is bottom of heap, I have two of em an older .38 spl only and a newer .357 mag. Quality is so so and they both are pretty damn reliable.
Smith and Wesson being top dog but they are also expensive, but worth it.

She is not a 1st time shooter, she currently has a 1911, but now needs something to put in her purse.

My only concern is that a .357 in a subnose will be more difficult to shoot than her compact 1911. If it is less, she may go for it. But my main question is this. Is a 38 special, with a good bullet (federal hydrashock), enough for personal defense? And if not, what is the next best thing?

Quoted: She is not a 1st time shooter, she currently has a 1911, but now needs something to put in her purse. My only concern is that a .357 in a subnose will be more difficult to shoot than her compact 1911. If it is less, she may go for it. But my main question is this. Is a 38 special, with a good bullet (federal hydrashock), enough for personal defense? And if not, what is the next best thing?

I'm not a ballistics expert by any means. But, many of people over the last several decades have been laid out on a morgue table from the .38 special.

Ohh my! Well, we'll have to shoot some and see what she likes best, thanks for the help.

I have to second the Ruger Sp101.   The .357 version is a very good gun.   It is heavy, a downside for carry, but makes for a very easy to shoot pistol.

But for the same size you can have a Glock 26.  Almost exactly the same size as a .38 snub, 10 rounds of 9mm,  relatively lightweight, easily upgraded sights, and will fit her hand if she can shoot the 1911.

If you want a more effective caliber: Glock 27 in 40 S&W.  

For all the crap that some women carry in their purses I would recommend one of the fully enclosed hammer S&Ws or Taurus'.  This type will keep all the gunk out of the action and doesn't have a hammer to hang things on. S&W models 642,442,340,640 and Taurus CIA 650 or 850.

Aud_VDW - I DO recommend the "J" Frame Airweights; just because they are +P rated does not by ANY means mean that it has to use them.  A standard .38 spl. load should be sufficiant to "Let the mean out" of anyone in desperate need of it...

Eric Howland
Savannah, GA.

Quoted: Aud_VDW - I DO recommend the "J" Frame Airweights; just because they are +P rated does not by ANY means mean that it has to use them.  A standard .38 spl. load should be sufficiant to "Let the mean out" of anyone in desperate need of it... Eric Howland Savannah, GA.

They are still painful to shoot, even with target loads. My wife will shoot my GLOCK 19, Kahr PM9, etc. all day long. I got her a 642 thinking it would be a compact, simple gun she would carry. She fired exactly ONE round through the gun and wouldn't touch it again.

I've been thinking about getting my finace a .38 snub nose. She doesn't like big recoil pistols, but think she would like the .38!

Quoted: I've been thinking about getting my finace a .38 snub nose. She doesn't like big recoil pistols, but think she would like the .38!

You might be suprised at the amount of recoil even with just a .38 spls. +P's and .357s can be hard to handle depending on the grip size and what material the frame is made of. It also just depends on the person shooting it. My wife is 5-03 and 120 lbs or so and shoots her .357 just fine. A friend of mines fiance is 5-10 and probably 140 or more lbs and refuses to fire hers with .357s or even +P .38s.

Let her try it first honestly. Try .38 spls and .38 +P if its rated for it. No sense in her carrying a pistol she can barely get 3 or 4 shots off with. Especially if its intended to be used defensively.
Snubnose are hard to be accurate with and require a lot of practice. Practicing with .38 spl when your carry load is +P or .357 is utterly ridiculous.