newbie question: .38 sp

[Texas Tass]

I 'inherited' a Charter Arms Undercover .38 special recently...Went to the range (first time to shoot a gun...am pretty proficient with a bow btw) and I was able to handle the gun well. The instructor was doubtful that I would be able to handle the recoil, but ended with a nice group after 50 rounds. I went through the Texas CHL class and recently recieved my license...I like the gun, am comfortable shooting it, however it's weight is a little more than I want to carry on my person. Any suggestions for a newer lighter weight replacement?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Ric]

I would think if your pretty good with a bow then you should have good upper body strength and shoot fairly well. I have a Taurus model 85, light and easy to shoot well. At least for me.

Find something that you can carry and shoot well

 

[George S.]

Go to a gunshow that has a wide variety of revolvers and semi-auto pistol. You should try handling various handguns to see what fits comfortably in your hand and feels the lighest. S&W has some fairly lightweight and small revolvers in .38spl as does Taurus. There are also some lightweight semi-autos in 9mm and .40S&W that might meet your requirements.

If a shop has a range where you can rent different types, that would be the best way to see what works for you. You might try some light .357 loads to see how they compare to .38spl.

 

[cxm]

Keep in mind, if youi qualified for your Texas CHL using a revolver you are limited to carry of a revolver.

To legally carry a semi you would have to requalify and get a new license.

FWIW

Chuck

 

[Tacoma]

Ah, and there lies the catch. Lighter guns carry well but recoil more than heavier guns. (i.e a lighter gun in the same caliber will recoil more substantially. Grips and Gun weight have ALLOT to do with felt recoil as does ammo selection) Not implying you can't handle it, just thought you should consider it before you plunk down $600 on a 12 oz gun and find out you hate it. I'd suggest you try a few more before actually investing and $. Hard to beat S&W J frame revolvers. They come in 23oz ( new 357 Magnum frame), 19 oz ( old steel J frames), 15 oz (airweights) and now 12 oz (Scandium) flavors with a variaty of hammer /action configurations. They also have a HUGE aftermarket selection of grips, holsters etc. Best of all, there are LOTS of used ones floating around.

My personal prefferance is for the midweight 49 and heavier 649 models but have 36's, 49's, 60's, 640's...

 

[MICHAEL T]

I carry a CA undercover in my pocket now and then I've never thought of it as a heavy pistol It feels a lot lighter than my PPK or Firestar Much lighter and the recoil goes way up. You may not be bothered by the recoil ,but how much slower will that 2nd shot be.

 

[bobby68]

i'll second that warning about recoil.. lighter gun = more recoil.

Also, the 357 is nice because you can shoot both 38 and 357 when you want to. When i first bought my 357 the magnum recoil was uncomfortable. After a while though it didn't bother me at all. My wife has a ladysmith 357 (3inch barrel) and she never complains about the recoil either.

 

[Al Thompson]

Sounds more like a holster issue to me. What sort of rig are you now using?

As others have mentioned, lighter and smaller is easier to carry, harder to shoot.

I find that a good pocket holster (Sam Andrews) supported by a good belt works fine for my J frames.

 

[Johnny Guest]

What, about 16 ounces?

I recall that when Charter first introduced the Undercover .38, they advertised it as "A pound of protection." It sported a steel frame but an alloy grip frame - - Fell right between the S&W model 36 at 19 ounces and the M37 Airweight Chief at around 14 oz.

The Charter UC is right at the high end of what I consider a real pocket revolver -- Anything much weightier needs some kind of holster.

I really don't want to contend with the recoil of a .357 magnum any lighter than my 3" M65 at 31 oz. I'll accept the pain of 158 gr +P in my M37, but not as a fun activity.

Best,
Johnny

 

[walking arsenal]

a taurus 85 served me well for 2 years and ocasionaly does nowdays too.

they are light and acurate for a snub.

you can also get one chambered for 9mm.

 

[Texas Tass]

thanks for the info

Thanks for the information...I plan on doing a lot more shooting (of mine and a friend has access to a variety) to get a better feel for what I have and prefer. It sounds like mine is a decent, serviceable gun. I've not yet tried a holster...I have a pack/purse that I am carrying now that distributes weight better than what I had. A traditional purse/bag was too heavy on my shoulder with the .38.

I am going to shop for a holster of some type to see what is more comfortable. Any advice from other women on what is best (I am 5'/small framed, if that makes a difference)?

I appreciate the responses...there is so much information out there and sometimes it's hard to know where/who to ask!

Tass

 

[magsnubby]

If you like the Undercover you should check out the Charter Off Duty. It's a D/A only, conceled hammer that weighs 12.5 oz.

It's a pretty neat little gun. Recoil can be a bit stiff with some of the hotter +p stuff. I shoot mostly light loads and then finish up with a couple cylinders full of Speer 135 gr Gold Dots +p's.

 

[walking arsenal]

if your looking for an inexpensive holster of good quality i recomend the bianchi minimalist

 

[Cosmoline]

Re. holsters--I've found it's easy to pick up nice used ones for most Smith & Wesson frames. It gets much harder when you're dealing with Colts and Rugers and you'll probably have to buy new leather.

 

[Dienekes]

Strongly suggest a Smith & Wesson J frame with concealed hammer (M442, et al). No snag, double action, very high quality. This basic configuration is available in all steel, airweight, and very lightweight configurations. I personally prefer the 15 oz. 442 as a practical compromise. Light enough to carry all day but not so light as to really sting in recoil.

You will find the S&W a considerable step up from the Charter, which was made for the purpose of undercutting the Smith on price.

Concealment for women is problematical. I have three CCW ladies in the family. A good quality fanny pack seems to be the preference overall. Women can get away with wearing that kind of stuff whereas guys look a little funny with one. At least I think I do...Uncle Mike's makes a "belt pack" that I like.

Sounds like you did well with the CCW training. Keep it up.

 

[MrMurphy]

Assuming you can shoot well and hit fast with the .38 you have, a S&W 642 Airweight has an aluminum frame.

It's lighter for carry than all steel (I had an all-steel S&W 649, similar, for pocket carry), but not so light shooting it hurts. You can carry it easily and shoot the crap out of it to get good practice.

The 642 or 442 are about as lightweight a pocket gun (in a revolver) I will go, as the titanium and scandium guns are very light, but very hard on the hand (and having shot up to .445 Super Mag and .454 Casull, I'm no recoil wimp).

I'd recommend a good 110g Personal Defense load, or the new Speer 135 grain Gold Dot made specifically for 2" snubbie revolvers.