Tell me about revolvers for my 15 year old daughter

I would not even consider the Model 60 for your stated purpose but it's going to be difficult to find something better than the model 19 as it has a great trigger and adjustable sights which are needed for what you want her to do. Don't be surprised to find she may not want to to shoot the options or the gun you want her to. This boils down to me saying let the kid choose her firearm and shooting choices. It is her doing the shooting not you. Whatever she choose support her fully. My opinion only and worth exactly what it cost.
 
Started my grandson out on a Blackhawk with its 9mm conversion cylinder. Also introduced him to the wonderful world of single-action.
 
Cimarron Lightning .38 Special if she’s into the western genre…
 

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I'd suggest a 4" 357 of whatever make you choose. This imo is the best all around handgun made. Shoot anything from mild wadcutters to full 357 loads. That would take care of 99% of what most people use a handgun for.

My preference is a Ruger GP100.
 
At 15 kids are still trying to figure out what they want to do, and will try new things but then leave them behind quickly in favor of the next new thing. I would not drop too hefty of a coin purse on this particular subject, but I would make sure to spend enough.

Taurus 66 is a pretty reputable gun with a lot of potential, but it’s a 357. The 64 is essentially the same gun only 38spl and considerably cheaper. Inspect closely before buying, Taurus has put out a lot of good guns, but there’s a lot of lemons too.

Similar, Rossi has had a whole bunch of 38s that were well regarded, but there were also a bunch that were junk. A 971 in 357 would not scare me, but I doubt I would seriously look at any of their dedicated 38spl guns

Used S&W guns can be bought but the prices recently have gone anywhere from silly to stupid. A nice but not immaculate model 10 or 15 should not be more than $500 but they often are. Quite often.

Colt guns are a step higher in price than S&W on the used market, but quality wise are about the same.

If your looking at new guns, and aren’t afraid of the price tag, the Kimber K6 target seems like a really really nice option.
 
Consider putting a red dot (the mini reflex) on the 6" 66. It's even better. If I'm not mistaken, the 6" and the dot are not accepted in IDPA revolver classes, but it's a better gun none the less.

The j frames, Kimber, SP101 are all too small in the frame. A 66 with everything correct is pretty much perfect unless a person wants to shoot hot magnums.

If she really wants to do IDPA and the 66 won't be accepted, as much as I like the S&W, I dread buying a new one because their quality is incredibly shoddy. I can't say what's better, but I've considered abandoning S&W for an older Dan Wesson 15-2, a new Colt (new KC or new Python), a new Ruger (GP100) or maybe a S&W from the 5-screw era. I don't know. My last-remaining S&W is so close to being good, if I just get the last things fixed that S&W won't fix, it will be the one.
 
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Encourage the shooter to experience different grips and sight arrangements.
That said, I am a big fan of an M10 - it just has a good feel. I had hoped my
younger son would take to it - however he really liked the feel, grip and sights
of a Ruger Blackhawk with 6 1/2" barrel. He now has one with 4 5/8" barrel,
shoots primarily +p 38 Spl in it. Plus it is a good value compared to some DA
models.
 
My 13 year old daughter has fallen in love with my S&W 67-1. I can’t blame her. Impressive accuracy, fairly light weight, good all-around caliber; where’s the flaw? If she’s already proficient with the 66 but prefers .38s, I’d say look for a 67.
IMG_3011.jpeg
 
BJung said:
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?
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A 4" K-frame would be nice if your daughter can hold it comfortably.

Even though she has been shooting 38 Special, maybe look for a S&W Model 18 (4" 22LR). Softer recoil, fun to shoot and a good platform to move on to 38 caliber in the future.

It gives her an alternate to potentially higher recoil guns until she is ready.

A 4" Model 19 would be a good gun for transitioning to 38 caliber. Just remember, the Model 19's weak point is the forcing cone when shooting lots of full power loads. But, the current production Model 19's have supposedly been designed to correct the forcing cone cracking issue.

Don't worry that your daughter is not interested in shooting the semi-auto guns. It may come, it may not. My wife does not like shooting a semi-auto handgun because she sees the slide moving towards her face under recoil.

It is good that your daughter is interested in shooting.

Both my daughters started shooting a Beretta Minx, a small 22 Short semi-auto. It fit their hands and recoil was minimal.

As the got older, they transitioned to a Ruger Single Six and then beyond.
 
I'm gonna disagree just a little with the folks that believe we have to start new shooters off with .22s. In my experience, many many young women enjoy starting with .38 Special (I raised two daughters both of whom had many friends). More than a few seemed to like the fact that they could actually feel the recoil and liked those sensations of shooting a "real gun." My Model 10s and 15s were always great hits, and later on, my 3" King Cobra (with .38 SPL loads) was very popular. A four-inch barreled .38 is a winner in my book. So yeah, a 4" K frame or Colt D frame might just turn out to be popular choices.
 
If she can shoot the 6" OK, I don't see much benefit going to a shorter barrel if she's just shooting at the range.

What's the weight difference going from 6" to 4" on a model 66? It can't be much and the extra weight helps with recoil.
 
The small-framed revolvers have stiffer triggers.

I always take my daughter to one of her favorite restaurants for lunch after we shoot. Makes it more fun for her. :)
 
I see lots of nice suggestions here, yet if it was up to me, I'd begin at the other end. Is she short or tall, fat or slim, strong or weak, clumsy or nimble? What fits her hands, which barrel length, caliber, weapon weight and trigger weight does she prefer? As you've already gotten her started, what kind of shooting does she enjoy? But most important, how limited is your budget?

My daughter loves my Manurhin MR 73, a 357 magnum with 6" barrel, weighing 37oz. empty. Costy, but worth it. Trigger is extremely smooth and set to 48oz, requiring Federal primers to operate flawlessly.
 
Orkanen said:
I see lots of nice suggestions here, yet if it was up to me, I'd begin at the other end. Is she short or tall, fat or slim, strong or weak, clumsy or nimble? What fits her hands, which barrel length, caliber, weapon weight and trigger weight does she prefer? As you've already gotten her started, what kind of shooting does she enjoy? But most important, how limited is your budget?

My daughter loves my Manurhin MR 73, a 357 magnum with 6" barrel, weighing 37oz. empty. Costy, but worth it. Trigger is extremely smooth and set to 48oz, requiring Federal primers to operate flawlessly.
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Wow, I'd love to try that Manurhin MR 73! I'll bet that's a sweet shooter!
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Quit being concerned and just let her shoot.
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Lo-Profile said:
If she can shoot the 6" gun you have easily without issue. Let her.
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^^^ I tend to agree. The little bit if extra weight is probably helping with recoil even with .38's, and the longer sight radius probably helps with her accuracy as a newbie. I would let her practice and get comfortable with what you have and once she gets the itch to compete and have a gun of her own, she should get the privilege of deciding what it will be.

JMTCs
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
First, see if she's willing to be part of the selection process.
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Similarly, my wife started going to classes. She picked a 4 inch 686 as hers - so I bought her one. During class, she discovered she did not have the finger strength in her weak side hand to fire it double action. Based on this learning, her next choice was a Kimber 1911 in 45 ACP. She was particular about the texture on the front strap and back strap, grips too. So she got her own 1911 versus any I already had. No complaints here!

See if your daughter will make a selection she wants. Support her through the learning, and her her through any changes. You are off on a wonderful and mystical journey….
 
I would also consider Ruger Security Six, 4" or 6". IMO, 6" barrel might be somewhat better choice since it has longer sight radius, about 6" (4" barrel) vs 8" (6" barrel), and that helps novice shooter. The difference in weights 4" barrel vs 6" one is negligible for this revolver.

Just make sure:

!. Barrel is inside nice and smooth. Some Security Six revolvers do not have the best barrel from the factory.
2. Cylinder locks solid, and revolver has a decent trigger. If trigger isn't good, any good smith could fix it for a reasonable cost.
3. Grips are OK for her.

Unless loads are 357 "Thermonuclear", Security Six should last several lifetimes. And if she wants later on something else, you can always get your money back. Just make sure that you do not sell Security Six immediately after she is getting another revolver. She might go back to Security Six after some time, and regret if it's gone. Ask me how I know this...
 
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My daughter is 15. She shoots a Colt Trooper with a six inch barrel. It has been a really good gun and will probably go with her when she moves on in a few years. She has also shot my Smith 19-2 and her Uncles Smith 27. But she much prefers the trooper. I load it with Speer Lawman 125gr standard pressure .38s. She is also almost 5'10 and strong as an ox.

Interesting enough she competes a little bit at summer camp with .22s and is a very good shot with a deer rifle. But she has zero interest in semi autos. Almost scared of them.
 
BJung - your daughter's physical size will determine her gun choice. I agree with some of the others in that a 4" barrel might be better than a 6". I have a 4" GP-100 as I personally found the 6" to be "nose heavy". The GP-100 may also be heavier than some of the other pistols suggested but I believe that is also one of the guns strengths. It may also be less expensive which will leave more room for ammo for practicing.
Good luck to you and your daughter ! :thumbup:
 
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