Charter Arms 2" .22wmr or Taurus M380 1.75" .380acp

Charter Arms 2" .22wmr or Taurus M380 1.75" .380acp

  • Charter Arms 2" .22wmr

    Votes: 7 21.2%
  • Taurus M380 1.75" .380acp

    Votes: 7 21.2%
  • As always. . . something else. . .

    Votes: 19 57.6%

  • Total voters
    33
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Hasaf

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Location
Kansas
Here is the situation, my daughter has a strong preference for revolvers. To add to that, she is very recoil sensitive and has very small hands (she also came very close to failing the ROTC firearm training).

I already shoot, and reload, .380. That makes it a good fit there. I also can install spring kits to bring the Taurus trigger pull down. It has the advantage of being very lite. I am a little concerned with the moon clips; but they seem to be pretty available.

The Charter Arms is going to have even less recoil; but is shooting a less capable round. There are also the rimfire concerns.

Why not the Ruger 22 LCR? . . . Have you looked at it? Franky it failed the "too ugly" test. She didn't even have the LGS guy take it out of the display case. The S&W is hard to find and more than she considers reasonable.

I consider either of these to be less than great; but I am not really a revolver guy. I am leaning toward recommending the Taurus, this is largely due to it being centerfire. Any other thoughts?
 
Taurus. Much of perceived recoil is actually flinch from blast. 22 mag is pretty poppy. You can light-load .380 to make it a dull thud for practicing, and put some real peppy rounds together for carry. Just make the excuse that the (obviously different) carry bullet is much more expensive and shouldn’t be used for practice very much... that keeps the flinch from developing.
 
Being you're already considering a Charter Arms why not the Undercoverette in 32 H&R Magnum? You can also shoot 32 S&W Long and 32 Short.

A steel frame 38 Special using wad cutters is an effective SD gun and only a bit more in recoil than the 380 revolver. It can be further mitigated by something bigger than the "boot grip" with something like the Pachmyr Compacts.

Being "recoil sensitive" is mostly in the head IMO. Don't fight the recoil and don't be afraid of it. I had a 4'10" 85 lb agent that shot everything well Glocks, J frame 38s with +P ammo, 870s, MP5s, and M4s. Yes, she had very small hands.
 
"Being you're already considering a Charter Arms why not the Undercoverette in 32 H&R Magnum?"

That's my wife's SD handgun. She has very bad wrists. The recoil in 32 magnum is very tolerable for her. 32 S&W long is even less. I'd take either one over any kind of 22, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
 
I generally prefer revolvers ... but if I were in your shoes I'd be taking a concerned look at the da trigger pull of the Charter .22wmr. Small frame revolvers tend to have heavy triggers , as do rimfire revolvers. I read that the da trigger of the Charter is 12# ; I bet it is all of that. Could be a challenge for a small handed person.

That said , I like the idea of a .22 magnum revolver for s.d. for a woman , controversial though that might be. (to some folks) No slide to rack , not going to jam , no slide bite. I'd expect the revolver to point a lot better than the small semi auto. Me , I can put a J frame on target ; with a compact 1.75" barreled semi I may as well close my eyes - can't hit much of anything with 'em open.
 
I voted other. I am biased. If my daughter wanted a carry gun and had issues with recoil and hand strength I would select an S&W revolver in .38 Special. Ammo is always available and cheaper than .380.
 
Another vote for a Charter Undercoverette 32 H&R mag. It is a pleasure to shoot and still a capable cartridge. Mine is the plain stainless 16 oz version. Charter also makes two aluminum 12 oz versions in Pink and Lavender .
 
Actually, I had just plain forgotten the 32 H&R Mag Undercoverette. I had focused too much on finding an acceptable 327 mag (I failed at that). I will definitely float that one past her too. Certainly, I will let her have final say; but I know it will come down to, "I don't know, which one do you recommend?"

The bobbed hammer on the Taurus is a real negative. Quite simply, it would need to be replaced. Most of what I have read about the Taurus has also said that the springs need to be replaced too. That is a lot of work right out of the box. On the positive, it is purpose built for the caliber it is in, that makes for a lot smaller overall size.

The Undercoverette 32 H&R mag is a very strong contender. The only real negative, that I see, is that I am not set up to reload 32 H&R. I was never wild about a 22 wmr revolver. The next big issue is that It would probably be purchased sight unseen; so I can't show her one first.

As far as:
Being "recoil sensitive" is mostly in the head IMO. Don't fight the recoil and don't be afraid of it.
I agree; but imagined problems that exhibit themselves in real world application are real. She did shoot the M9 in training and carried a civilian version of one on a two week backpacking trip. However, she has made it clear that she doesn't want anything like it.
 
You might be able to view a 38 Charter Undercover at a local gun store or gun show. It’s the same frame, grip, and weight as the Undercoverette.
 
Other
38 special. I reload and it's a super easy and fun cartridge to load from soft shooting to barn burner. Much better performance compared to 380 for self defense. Could start with powder puff loads and slowly work her up to heavier while building her recoil sensitivity.
 
The Taurus with a sideplate will be easier to do spring and trigger surgery than a Charter Arms.

That said, if you don't want a bobbed hammer spur Taurus 380, try a .38 special with 148 grain wadcutters. That ammo shoots so softly in my Taurus 85UL, which I cut the hammer spur off of for easier pocket draw, BTW.
 
If she will shift her thinking to .38 Special with light loads, then she gets her pick of a huge number of revolvers, including used models of all brands, going back a couple of generations. The reason there are so many .38 snubs around is that the concept is a really good one, a rimmed medium-bore cartridge in a minimalist revolver.

Here is a resource to help you help her in picking out a good revolver and avoiding a bad one:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ll-if-a-particular-specimen-is-any-good.1430/

As to the things you actually inquired about, I have no experience behind a .380 ACP revolver. It seems to me that moon clips are a potential source of bother. But there is nothing at all wrong with the idea of a medium bore cartridge of modest pressure in a small revolver. It's pretty close to what I recommended already.

I have shot .22 WMR and, used as a revolver cartridge, it has good and bad points. Recoil is light but the report is sharp and shrill. The cartridge is happiest when all the chambers are uniformly and correctly sized and smooth inside: Else, it seems more prone than some to swell, stick or split. But in a carefully made revolver, all is well.

I like the cartridge because it is light and compact to carry and holds up better to being carried around in one's pockets than .22LR. (The LR's heel-based slug connection is inherently fragile.) If light weight and compactness of gun plus several refills is critical then .22 WMR would be my choice here.
 
I view aversion to recoil as a stage one goes through rather than a permanent condition. With that in mind, I'd go with TTv2's suggestion of the LCR in .327. It's ammo options are wide ranged - if the .327 is too much recoil for her, a .32 H&R round could be used. And if even that's too much, then she could use .32 S&W long (there actually are some less anemic rounds for this caliber being sold, e.g. Buffalo Bore.) When she gets used to .32 S&WL, she could then move up to .32 H&R.

I'd stay away from the two guns you mentioned. I had an LCR in .22 mag, and I sold it because the short barrel can't take advantage of the mag power. Yes, the same would be true of the .327, but even with the velocity reduction from a short barrel, there's going to be enough oomph from the .327 to do something worthwhile in terms of defense. The problem isn't so much the .22 mag round, it's the fact that the LCR .22 mag only hold six rounds. It might be better to go with the .22lr version, which holds (I think) 9 rounds.

Just as the .327 recoil could still be too stout for her out of that lightweight gun, the same could true for the Taurus .380. Maybe look for a heavier small gun? I'm thinking the Ruger Sp101 in .327 (I think they still make those) could be ideal. Not as concealable, but still small, and you're certain to find ammo that won't be too intense for her.
 
An all steel .38, the classic revolver seems to be the best fit for her. You can even load cowboy mousefart loads if she really is low on the totem pole of recoil handling. Maybe a Smith 60 or model 36 if taurus is a must check out the 856 that's 6 shots of .38 and all steel.
 
I view aversion to recoil as a stage one goes through rather than a permanent condition. With that in mind, I'd go with TTv2's suggestion of the LCR in .327. It's ammo options are wide ranged - if the .327 is too much recoil for her, a .32 H&R round could be used. And if even that's too much, then she could use .32 S&W long (there actually are some less anemic rounds for this caliber being sold, e.g. Buffalo Bore.) When she gets used to .32 S&WL, she could then move up to .32 H&R.

I'd stay away from the two guns you mentioned. I had an LCR in .22 mag, and I sold it because the short barrel can't take advantage of the mag power. Yes, the same would be true of the .327, but even with the velocity reduction from a short barrel, there's going to be enough oomph from the .327 to do something worthwhile in terms of defense. The problem isn't so much the .22 mag round, it's the fact that the LCR .22 mag only hold six rounds. It might be better to go with the .22lr version, which holds (I think) 9 rounds.

Just as the .327 recoil could still be too stout for her out of that lightweight gun, the same could true for the Taurus .380. Maybe look for a heavier small gun? I'm thinking the Ruger Sp101 in .327 (I think they still make those) could be ideal. Not as concealable, but still small, and you're certain to find ammo that won't be too intense for her.
Centerfire .327 LCR has a lighter trigger than any rimfire LCR. Also more reliable.

I never recommend the .22 Mag LCR for anything because of the capacity. The 8 rounds that the .22 LR LCR holds is much better and the .327 holds the same as the .22 Mag anyway.

The .22 Mag LCR is one I wish Ruger would just stop making.
 
I'll toss in yet another nod toward the Undercoverette. Had one in my hands a few years back in a store, and really should have left with it. It was an older unit, probably from the mid-80s. I already owned two old Undercovers (three, now.)

Remember that .32ACP is also on the list of loads that can be shot from the Undercoverette. Sometimes, they're all that's on the shelf in the store.

I also agree with The Evangelist Cowboy above in use of a solid .38 snub (like any of my Undercovers) loaded with a light-shooting load, such as the Cowboy Action loads, if she can effectively shoot nothing stronger.
 
YOU DON'T BUY A WOMAN THE GUN THAT WILL BE BEST FOR HER, YOU BUY A WOMAN THE GUN THAT SHE WANTS!!!!

And you don't ask a bunch of guys what gun you should buy for a woman! LOL!!! That is just crazy! (Taking a gun she considers ugly and putting even uglier pink grips on it WILL NOT make it a gun a woman will actually carry! LOL! :rofl:)

If she is considering a .22 wmr take her to see a couple variations of the North American Arms .22 wmr mini revolvers (They are made in Utah). I carry one on occasion when I can't carry anything else. I have NEVER had a miss-fire with .22 wmr. Buy quality ammo and it will fire when needed. She might fall in love with the cute little guns... then again she might hate them.

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You deciding which gun would be best for your daughter will just result in a gun that is always in her dresser drawer and never carried by her. Are you also going to decide which shoes she should buy? Tip, women don't buy a pair of shoes they don't want because that is what the shop happens to be carrying that day... they shop around until they find what they do want.
 
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ruger lcr or lcr-x in 22lr. ask daughter to handle, not just look. reliable. no recoil. less flashbang. cheap ammo for lots of practice (familiarity and shot placement). mine is loaded with vipers, at 10’ i can dump its 8 rounds in palm sized groups clean through 3” of duct taped printed matter and plywood backing. a decent, soft shooting ccw.
 
I also vote for something that will fire 32 H&R. Personally I’d try to overcome any aesthetic issues with the LCR and go with it in 327. Best of luck.
 
I'm pretty much in the .38 Special loaded with wadcutters camp. Have yet to find a new to revolvers shooter who has tried a S&W J frame with 148 gr. target loads and thought it was too much gun for them to handle.

Some years back the wife of a friend of mine wanted to get her CCW license. She didn't like her husband's Taurus Model 85 snubby or his S&W Bodyguard .380. She definitely preferred a revolver so I bought her a S&W Model 638 with a 2.5" barrel. She loved it and really did very well shooting target loads through it to begin with. Gradually she worked her way up to some +P self defense loads and became accustomed to using them.
 
I've got a S&W 431pd in 32 H&R magnum and a Charter Arms in 22 magnum. I shoot the 431pd better due to the heavy trigger on the Charter Arms. I practice with 32 S&W in the 431pd but carry it with Hornady Critical Defense 32 H&R magnum.
 
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