Tell me about revolvers for my 15 year old daughter

[BJung]

I've been introducing my daughter to shooting, starting with air rifles and then with my S&W 66 - 6" barrel with .38 specials. She doesn't want to try my 9mm or 45acp and she is happy with the .38 special. I'm concerned that the 6" revolver is too big for her and a 4" would be better and introduce her to Bullseye and IDPA with the revolver. She's not bad, on her 7th shot ( empty cylinder ) she doesn't flinch. What would you recommend, a 4" Model 19 or Model 10 or something else?

 

[hey smepl this]

She’s ready for 44 mag

 

[Palladan44]

I'd suggest giving this 5" Colt King Cobra consideration. I have the 3" model w/out the adjustable sights. These guns are nice and compact, and shoot like a dream. This 5" target model comes with adjustable rear sight.

 

[Tallball]

When she was learning to shoot my daughter liked big adjustable sights better because their improved visibility helped her shoot better. S&W and Colt and Ruger and Taurus make plenty of medium-framed 38's and 357's. Whatever fits her hand best.

I have a S&W Model 64 (stainless Model 10) waiting for her whenever she lives off-campus and wants it, but big sights were a good learning tool when she was younger.

 

[adcoch1]

My daughter at 15 and my sister in law at 20 both loved my model 10, and passed up several other handguns I took with us to the range after trying them all, to shoot up the rest of my 38 special ammo. It was a fun day. I +1 the adjustable sights comment. Big target sights make it easier to be consistent and accurate, which ends up more fun in the long run.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

My 15year old Grand Daughter just loves my SP101, with reduced loads. Mine is .327FM and I wouldn't recommend that caliber for this situation. But in .357 Mag, with 38 Specials, it is nice and compact, has some weight to soak up recoil, easy to shoot and has fully adjustable sights.
That could be a consideration also.

 

[CajunBass]

A Smith and Wesson Model 15/67 (blue or stainless). They didn't call it the "Combat Masterpiece" for nothing. It's about the "perfect" 38 revolver.

 

[StrawHat]

Borrow a S&W Model 15 or Model 67 and let her try it. Her young eyes may not notice the shorter sight radius. Let her decide what works for her.

Kevin

 

[ontarget]

S&W model 15 or 19.
Great guns and like @CajunBass
Said, the 15 isn't called a Masterpiece for nothing.
IMO, revolver perfection.

 

[Bullet Bob]

And the lone voice from the past cried out in the wilderness: "Doesn't anyone start with .22's anymore?_

 

[CajunBass]

And the lone voice from the past cried out in the wilderness: "Doesn't anyone start with .22's anymore?_

I would have, had we been asked about a 22. We were asked about 38's however. Apparently the young lady already shoots 38's and is comfortable with them. Not an unreasonable choice for a beginner either, really. I started out with a Model 19, and 38's myself.

However, if there was interest in a 22, I'd change my recommendation to a Model 18, "22 Combat Masterpiece." Same gun, just different cartridge.

 

[jar]

I find I shoot and carry my Model 10 more often than my Model 19. It's slightly lighter and I find it more controllable. I'd agree that a 15 would give here a better sight picture and for competition would be the better choice.

 

[bdickens]

And the lone voice from the past cried out in the wilderness: "Doesn't anyone start with .22's anymore?_

The first handgun I shot, at 10 or 11, was a 1911.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I've been introducing my daughter to shooting, starting with air rifles and then with my S&W 66 - 6" barrel with .38 specials. She doesn't want to try my 9mm or 45acp and she is happy with the .38 special. I'm concerned that the 6" revolver is too big for her and a 4" would be better and introduce her to Bullseye and IDPA with the revolver. She's not bad, on her 7th shot ( empty cylinder ) she doesn't flinch. What would you recommend, a 4" Model 19 or Model 10 or something else?

Quit being concerned and just let her shoot.

As individuals, we like what we like...whether that's esthetically or practically. If it gives us joy in the world of firearms, we're far more likely to shoot it. If it turns out to be somewhat less than our imaginations tell us, it'll fade into the background in favor of something else.

Or, perhaps, it'll encourage us to develop our skills and handling abilities in order to better handle what it is that brings us joy.

Daddy's Little Troublemaker barely breaks three digits in weight, but she absolutely LOVES shooting my 5 1/2" Colt SAA in .45 Colt. And the first "real" gun she shot, by her choice, was my Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun.

She picked out her first target to shoot at by herself (a zombie target) and her first shot was a tight pattern centered on the head. I remember looking at her silently and she returned the look and said, smooth as can be, "Zombie, Daddy. It's gotta be a head shot!"

The first shot from her using my Colt SAA was smack between the eyes on the target, too. And her only pistol experience before was using my AMT Automag II (.22 WMR).

So I say let her shoot whatever it is she has a hankering to shoot...and let her pick something else as her own experience and tastes guide.

The beauty of firearms is, of course, that we can have more than one...as many as we like, in fact. Some will be more suitable than others for a variety of reasons.

You know what she's going to remember out of all this? She's going to remember things like "The first gun Daddy let me shot was (gun)!" "The first time I hit my target was (memory)." "I can't believe I could handle that gun when I was XX years old!"

So let her shoot whatever she wants while you explain the ins and outs of whatever it is she's shooting. Her experience doing that will bring REAL meaning to things like weight, recoil, trigger pull, SA/DA, etc. From that, she'll be better able to choose something that fits her for a particular use.

 

[1nighttrain]

The S&W 10 is a great weapon for training, it’s big enough to absorb the recoil yet not so large that it’s intimidating.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

First, see if she's willing to be part of the selection process. The fact that you are willing to do something like this should further endear you in her eyes (always useful with teenagers!), help increase her interest in shooting and be a tacit acknowledgement of her maturity. But as RetiredUSNChief advises, try not to overdo or overthink this.

Second, see whether you can find a grip that fits her well. Whatever she decides to shoot next will be more comfortable and satisfying if she can grip it solidly and have adequate reach to the trigger.

 

[J-Bar]

I know she is too young for concealed carry, but you may find she likes the smaller grip on the S&W Model 60 series. The more recent ones with a 3" barrel, adjustable sights, chambered for .357 Magnum, shoot .38 Specials just dandy with little increase in recoil.

 

[The Bushmaster]

As you can see from my avatar I enjoy my M-10s. The 2" barrel is my wife's. She love it and really enjoys shooting it. She once told me that if you want it you would get one bullet at a time.

 

[Pat Riot]

I would let my daughter choose by shooting those models, if available to shoot. Do you have a range that rents guns nearby or perhaps a friend that can loan you a revolver or several to try?

My daughter and my wife surprised me in regards to my guns that they like most when shooting. At 15 my daughter decided my Colt 1991A1 .45 ACP was her favorite. It was her gun at that point. At 39 it’s still her favorite.
My wife did not like any of my revolvers until she shot my S&W 327 Night Guard .357 Magnum 8-shot revolver with a 2.5” barrel. It’s our bedroom gun.
The guns that both of them chose as favorites were last on my list of what I thought they would have chosen.

Years ago my Mom told me that I shouldn’t hope to ever truly understand women. She was right, of course.

 

[bannockburn]

BJung

I would start her with a .22, something like a Model 34 or a Model 17. From there I would move her up to a S&W K frame .38 Special, such as a Model 10 or a Model 15, with a 4" barrel.

As for ammo CCI MiniMags are a great choice to begin with .22s as I have found them to be very reliable and accurate too. For a .38 Special I would recommend going with a light target load like a 148 gr. wadcutter, just so she can get accustomed to dealing with a DA trigger.

 

[IWAC]

The first handgun I shot, at 10 or 11, was a 1911.

The first handgun I shot, at 10 or 11, was a 1911.

non sequitur

 

[Starter52]

Another vote for a 3" Model 60 with adjustable sights.

 

[nofendertom]

I would say, just give her the S&W Mod 66 -- 6in. But make sure it has grips that fit her hand.
Since you are introducing her to revolvers, let her get a lot of shooting experience before attempting any shooting games. She's not going to carry it at her age (15).
Cleaning it and learning how it works are all part of the shooting experience.

 

[Lo-Profile]

If she can shoot the 6" gun you have easily without issue. Let her.

Possible grip change to fit her hands better would be all I'd think about.

 

[MrBorland]

I took my 15-year old daughter to the range for her first time last year, and she did very well and had a lot of fun. She mainly shot .22LR, and biggest thing I had her shoot was my 4" 686, loaded with factory .38spl, and she didn't have an issue with it.

a 4" would be better and introduce her to Bullseye and IDPA with the revolver.

If your daughter is interested in Bullseye and IDPA, a 4" K-frame with adjustable sights (models 66 and 19) would be, IMO, and excellent choice. I'd stay away from J-frames, as the trigger pull is generally pretty stiff, and not good choices for Bullseye or IDPA. As indicated above, my daughter handled my 4" L-frame 686 just fine, and if IDPA's a possibility, the extra mass can help tame the recoil, even if it's relatively mild. If action shooting (e.g., IDPA) weren't in the mix and she wanted a revolver, I'd suggest a 4" K-frame 617 .22LR (again, I'd skip the J-frame). If target/bullseye only, I'd recommend a Ruger Mk or (if its in your budget) a S&W Model 41.