# recommendation for a revolver?



## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Can someone recommend a good revolver for me? I am a 50 yr old lady, have had only a few lessons in shooting and really prefer a small revolver.(as opposed to an automatic.) It would need to be a comfortable size, reasonably priced ( we have a great gun shop in town- new and used) easy to handle . I will be taking the CCDW course in a couple of weeks and was told to bring my gun, 20 rounds and my cleaning kit with me. 
Mainly want one for home protection, might carry it on me around my farm while I'm home alone and in the glove box of my car. I cannot be armed at my workplace at the bank. Thanks in advance.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

I have a S&W 36 Chief's Special that is just plain sweet, and it shoots very well.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

My wife bought a S&W bodyguard.. .38 +P.... It's a DAO, meaning Double Action Only, ,and has no external hammer.. It's very light with an aluminum frame, and I'm surprised by how well I can shoot 25 -30 feet with it for being so short... I'm actually better with it than I am my 1911.. 

Since it doesn't have a hammer on it, it is great for concealed carry since it won't catch on clothes, and being really light, I don't even notice I have it after a while.. It even fits well in your jeans pocket.

Oh.. has a built in laser too... which I find useless if you need your gun fast, because it's not so easy to turn on. A small button on top. The laser is what you are seeing right behind the cylinder.

They sell for right around $500.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

BTW... My wife wanted a revolver over an auto too so that is why she bought the Bodyguard... But then she started holding my CZ-82 and really liked it.. then she started shooting it... Now I have the Bodyguard, because she tends to grab my CZ.... *sigh*... 

The CZ has less kick, and fits her small hands almost perfectly... It's a lot heavier though... but she is a lot better with shooting it...


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

My wife has a Lady S&W 38 and a Glock 27 40 Cal. She prefers to shoot the 40 cal semi auto. Has less kick...


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Yep... I've found not too many women like the kick of a 38 snubby... She does like shooting my Security 6 with 38 in it though... a lot less recoil, but it's a lot heavier gun too.... I've been putting lighter loads in the Bodyguard for my wife... I need to sneak a +P in there one of these times... 

*evil grin*


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

I like hammerless in the snub-nosed .38, especially if you are going to carry it in a purse or bag- less potential for snagging.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

I have only used an automatic the one time. It pinched the snot outa the soft part of my hand too (I don't know what part of the gun slides back so fast?). And am I correct that automatics might jam? While a revolver won't? 
Some of you have mentioned the amount of kick, would an automatic have less of a kick? or is that more a matter of the individual gun?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Yes, if you aren't holding a semi-auto correctly, you can get slide bite.. Most guns now are designed to keep that from happening.. 

Yes, semi-auto's can jam.. I have a 1911 .45 that I've put well over 2000 rounds through, and it's maybe jammed once or twice, and I'm having a hard time remembering when and what caused it... 

I've got a .22 that will jam every third shot... I need to work on it.. 

The CZ-82 I bought recently hasn't jammed yet using 3 different types of ammo... I've put a couple hundred rounds through it.. 

A semi-auto can have less kick, because some of the recoil is taken up by the slide moving back.. however, the slide hitting the back of the frame can cause the muzzle to flip up a little higher than what a revolver will.. 

The same round used in different models of guns will all have a different amount of recoil. It depends on the weight of the gun, the barrel length, and whether it's a semi-auto or not..


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

This is what a CZ-82 is.. It's a smaller lighter gun, and for me, it's a perfect CCW.. I like it because it has a double stack magazine, which means the grip is a little fatter and fits my hand better.. My wife finds it fits her hand well to and she has a lot smaller hand than me.. 

You can find these for sale for around $250-300, but the paint on them may be rough... Fantastic shooting guns, and highly regarded because a nearly flawless trigger.. 

It is both single action, and double action.. 

It really is hard to pry out of my wife's hand... and she said she didn't like semi-autos... LOL.. go figure..


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

as much as i like the Ruger LCR and think it is a great gun , when it comes to carry revolvers S&W J frames have had the market for 30+ years , and that means you can go into any store and grab a holster off the shelf and it fits.

since you may well need to try a few holsters to get that one that is just right , it helps to have selection on your side

felt recoil in most guns is more a function of weight of the gun VS energy pushing back , and energy pushing back is directly proportional to the weight and acceleration of the projectile 

a good grip that fits your hand can help with the transfer of energy to your hand and make it more comfortable , this is another place where the J frame has many options 

in an auto the bullet is already most of the way out the barrel before the action unlocks , so wile the slide can take up some of the recoil it doesn't get it all 

with guns the smaller the lighter the package/gun the bigger the felt recoil all other things being equal 

a 38 however is reasonable in recoil and many small framed women carry them regular and shoot them well , so i don't think most people should have any difficulty with them if they use a proper technique

everything can jam , the things that cause a revolver to jam are fewer , but if a revolver jams you need tools and a work bench to free it , if a auto jams you generally clear the action and go back to shooting 

poor shooting technique is often to blame for semi auto jams , this is called limp wristing it , the slide slides back ejecting the spent cartridge and loading the new cartridge it has to pus back against your hand solid enough that the frame doesn't move but the slide does it's a function of inertia if your hand moves to easily the slide and fram move back together and the slide may not travel far enough on it's rails to fully eject or to load the next round. 
ammo is the other most common cause of semi auto "jams" some bullet profiles just don't slid into certain chambers as well as others , if you use a ammo for practice for 200 rounds without failure it is unlikly that it will cause any problems when carried in the gun , unless something else changes like the chamber becomes dirty or you get sand in your magazine.

sand or an extremely dirty revolver can also cause the cylinder to fail to rotate 

a primer set back can also cause the cylinder to jam - this would be if you get a very light load and it has enough energy to fire the bullet , but the primer sets back but doesn't flatten like a standard pressure round 


but all in all revolvers generaly fail less than Autos , although it gets closer and closer as autos have been refined and torture tested to several thousand rounds with no cleaning or oiling under some really harsh conditions


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Is there any way you can borrow or rent a handgun from the shop for the class? I would look for a gun club or shop in the area with a range that would let you try several handguns. I went through several handguns before a friend finally decided they liked a Berreta .32 cal Tomcat which is a semi-auto. A Ruger SP101 revolver was too much even with regular .38s. She never tried it with .357 ammo.

That's why I suggest you try before you buy. The more you try, semi-auto and revolvers, the better.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

What I've found with that Bodyguard is that your hand fits up pretty high into the back strap, so you are holding the gun more in line with the barrel, and it tends to keep the muzzle flip to a minimum compared to a lot of other snubs..


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## K-9 (Jul 27, 2007)

Based on the parameters of use that you set forth I would recommend a S&W 66 with a 4" barrel. It is heavy enough that it is comfortable to shoot with 38 loads and can accept 357 loads is so desired, but is still light enough to comfortably carry. It has a good set of sights that are easy to see, they are very accurate and if it doesn't have a real slick trigger action, it can be tuned by a competent gunsmith to have one. Since you are wanting it for home defense, farm carry and glove box carry a real small handgun is not needed and they usually aren't that fun to shoot so you don't practice as much as you should. The 66 is readily available on the used gun market and the newer ones have a round butt style grip frame so smaller grips will fit if needed.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Visit your local gun shop , preferably one with an indoor range and do a bit of shopping and possibly test firing.

That aside , the older women with a snub revolver preference seem to favor Taurus alloy featherweight 5 shot models over the S&W steel models.

Of the seven over 50 year old females I know who have licensed to carry and purchased in the last two years or so, only one has gone with a Smith &Wesson.

My mother's Taurus featherweight while not to my preference is almost as accurate in her hand as my steel Colt is in my hand.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

My DSW prefers semi-autos, over revolvers. And she won't buy one unless it fires at least a 9mm cartridge. She like her 9mm's. She has a couple. But she'll fire my 1911 .45acp too.
I own a couple of both revolvers & semi-autos. But favor the revolvers.


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## psegnatelli (Sep 12, 2012)

If you want a revolver. And a small one. 
Here is what I like

S&W. Prelock
All steel
357mag

Here is why
S&w. Tried and true. 
Prelock- had 2. With the interal lock that locked themselves while firing
All steel- hardered on the hips when carrying but easier on the hands when shooting. I like shooting so I tend to do it a lot
357mag- it will fully eject 38specials so they fall to the ground. Abit more insurance should you need to do it in a fight.

I like 158gr lead semi wadcutter holllowpoints +p for carry. Good proven round. Will be abbreviated LSWCHP+p. If you can't find those I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Any Hollowpoint wether +p or not is better than roundnose or fmj (full metal jacket)

Also get a good flashlight with a tail button. Surefire or streamlight. I like G2x by surefire. If your going to use a gun at night you need to see why. G2x is a good solid light. 

Also check out semi autos. I love 9mm glock handguns. 3x more ammo in a glock 19 than a 357 snub. 15 vs 5. 2x more in a glock 26 with a gun the same size. 10 vs 5.

Also look up Women on Target. Great program


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Trailrider...if the slide was pinching your hand, you were holding the firearm wrong. Was there someone there to help you with how you were holding, your stance, and to watch you?

While I too am not a big fan of revolvers, I carry a Glock 26 9mm, with Hornady home defense rounds in the magazine. It doesn't have the kick your speaking of, a nice conceal carry, but with a round that will stop an intruder if necessary. 

Another nice pistol, is a Baretta Nano. Again, it is a 9mm, small, fits well in a ladies hand, and great for home defense or carrying around your farm. 

Please let me know if you need any other help. It is a great idea to go to a local gun shop that can let you hold and look at many different firearms, both revolvers and pistols. If possible, go out and shoot and use them. You may be surprised at the amount of woman who have revolvers and say they like them, but only do so to keep their husbands or boyfriends happy. I am an FFL (dealer) in Virginia, I help my husband with our female customers all the time and am currently teaching a good friend of mine how to shoot and pick out her first firearm.

I also can shoot pretty near anything in our own personal safe. My husband made a beautiful light weight, AR for me to shoot and was quite proud of himself. I am getting into long range shooting, which for me personally, is a challenge.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

My 55 year old wife likes her Ruger LCR.

She has three different holsters for it. Strong side, weak side/cross draw (mostly for while driving) and a flash-bang.

It is light, has a great trigger, and the factory rubber grips take a lot of the bite out of the snubby recoil. 

Snubbies take practice and concentration to master though....so understand that the light weight comes at a price!


Tim


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

My 52 yoa wife likes her EAA Witness 40 S+W. But if it were me, I'd offer her a Smith 38 revolver. In the OP "small" is mentioned. A 2 1/2" K frame is fairly small for purse carry, a 4" only a little bigger. A J frame is lots smaller. They used to make a real nice 3" model with adjustable sights. Very nice gun. 

The best idea is go to a range and try a bunch of guns and see what feels good. I wouldn't go bigger than a 38 or 9mm for a first gun, in fact a 22 is the place to start. 9 or 10 hits from a 22 are lots more effective than 6 or 15 misses from a 38 or 9mm.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Revolver.

Taurus, Ruger or S&W. Small frame.

Personally, I like the Smith.

Consideration: A 2" barrel is the most concealable, but also take a look at a J frame Smith with a 3" barrel.


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

My 68 year old wife (hope she doesn't see this age) likes her S&W Bodyguard. Shoots nice and the long trigger pull helps the safety aspect. Have to practice with it to get used to the trigger pull however.


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## Rockwell Torrey (Aug 14, 2013)

Revolver is the safest and easiest to learn on.

You can use 38 target loads in a 357. Makes it cheap to feed and practice with.

For after S.H.T.F a 357 will eat almost anything with 38 in it&#8217;s name. 38 short, 38 long, 38 special, 38 S&W, all the 357 loads, I have been told there is a Russian and a Chinese round that will fit. This makes resupply real easy. Anyplace, anywhere that sells ammo will have something that will fit. You could almost resupply on the dark side of the moon.

Stainless Steel is almost maintenance free. For long periods in the field this is a big plus.


I would suggest a Ruger SP101. I find them used SS 357 for about $350


Strange thought of the week: A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. I guess that makes me just a giant Peter.


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## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Thanks for that input Rockwell. That's good advice. I also think the revolver is the easiest to learn on. 
At my CCDW course the instructor told us to place the fire arm on the desk, then dismantle it for cleaning. He showed us all how to clean the weapons and put them back together. When he came to my table he laughed, spun the cylinder back into place and said "your done, that was simple!" I like the simplicity of the revolver I used.
I still have not purchased one yet, finances always an issue. But I'm leaning toward a similar revolver.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Along the lines of the SP101, if you can find a nice Ruger Security Six, they are really nice guns, and a touch cheaper than the SP101 if you buy used... Still a .357 and will shoot just about anything you can fit in it like the 101 will.. .


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

My wife and I prefer revolvers chambered for the same round we use in our 1911 pistols. That way we only need to purchase one caliber - the .45acp cartridge. Another reason we prefer the .45acp for our revolvers is that the round is loaded into the revolver with the use of a moonclip. With a moonclip, six rounds can be loaded in the same time as a single cartridge is loaded in other revolvers. In other words, we can load our revolvers as fast as we can load our 1911s.


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## Pinetop Hunting (Aug 1, 2013)

What is its intended use jolly? Male or female?


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

This S&W AirLite PD .45ACP for my concealed carry










but I changed to rubber grips.

or any of these other two for walking around. 










or this one for dressier occasions. 










I love wheel guns. Of course, I learned to shoot with this one...


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## SteveD(TX) (May 14, 2002)

Those little .45 revolvers are great, but MOST women not used to shooting a handgun will probably not like them. Even a .38 in a small gun will give a fair amount of kick. If you are looking for low price, personally I'd try to find a used Ruger or Taurus in a medium frame - 4" barrel. I have an old Taurus model 83 that is not huge (but too big to carry comfortably). I shoot quite well with it and it's rugged and reliable. Or maybe a .357 that will hold the .357 round for self defense as well as the .38 for cheaper rounds with less recoil. You can usually find a used Taurus for less than $250 at gun shows around here. I paid $175 for mine maybe 7-8 years ago. For concealed carry it's hard to beat the Ruger LCR.


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## paradox (Nov 19, 2012)

I have a unique perspective on this question. We have a home range. And many of our friends are gun enthusiasts. So a couple of times a month we seem to end up with a visitor who is interested in getting a gun and wants to try some out. These would be friends and family of our friends who come out to our place to shoot. 

What they decide they like after shooting several different kinds of guns is very rarely the thing they thought they would like when just picking them up and handling them. Also it is rarely the thing their friend or family was recommending for them 

Opinions are great, but what works great for someone else may be all wrong for you. If at all possible - please go to a range that rents guns and try some out before you jump in with your checkbook.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

New England Firearms or Harrington & Richardson snub nose 32 magnum revolver. Not pretty but they shoot great, reliable & have had children as young as 6 shoot it comfortably. Unfortunately you'll have to find one used.
By comparison e new Smith & Wesson bodyguard has half the weight & twice the foot pounds of recoil so it feels like it kicks four times harder.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Back in the day, I probably sold 50 of those, made by NEF. Most of them in 32 H&R Magnum(although most people shot 32 S&W Longs, because of cost). 

$89, in the box.

Pinned barrel, rudimentary sights, heavy trigger pull...but, very reliable and they made a great, simple to use weapon for people who did not want to spend a lot of money or did not use a gun heavily.


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## Ol Tex (Oct 4, 2007)

My wife and I both prefer revolvers because of the safety and reliability factors and because due to arthritis, we don't have strength to rack the slide on some semi-autos. Our favorite caliber is .38 spec + P. Plenty of power with minimal recoil. Our bedside gun, besides the 12 G. pump, is a Colt official police .38 sp. revolver, our vehicle gun is an older S&W .38 sp. + P service revolver, my wife's carry piece is a S&W J frame .38 sp. + P airweight hammerless snubby revolver, and mine is a Taurus J frame concealed hammer .38 sp + P revolver. Not having to buy numerous calibers of ammo is a big +. We find these are ideal for us. YMMV.
Johnj


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## credee (Aug 17, 2013)

wow. a 1911 that won't outshoot a .38 snub? something's very wrong with that picture. Is the barrel ringed, rusted, scarred up?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

credee said:


> wow. a 1911 that won't outshoot a .38 snub? something's very wrong with that picture. Is the barrel ringed, rusted, scarred up?


If you're talking to me, I need a little tighter barrel bushing on it, and it wouldn't hurt to put a longer spring guide on it.. I can hit what I want, it just doesn't hold the tightest groups.. Still a pretty accurate gun though..


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## credee (Aug 17, 2013)

considering how hard it is to group well with a .38 snub, you need more than a bushing. the full length recoil spring guide has no effect on the accuracy at all. I suggest that you get some handloaded "duds", loaded with the same bullet that you normally use. Load a magazine with your eyes shut, using live ammo mixed with the (unprimed, no powder) duds. watch your front sight very carefully and see if it twitches when you hit the dud when you "fire".  the slambang operation of the .45 auto tends to make people flinch a lot.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've been shooting for years and years.. I'm not flinching.. Even on a rest it's not as consistent as the bodyguard.. I just need to sit down and do some better fitting.. I also set my trigger up different than you typically see.. there is no take up, and it's a very hard crisp pull.. No idea what the weight of the pull is, but I'd guess 8 lbs or more... If I lightened it, I know it would be more accurate, but I wanted it set this way for safety in a tense situation... 

I can hold a really nice tight group wit my CZ.. I can hold a much tighter group with this snub than my 1911.., even my wife who's a beginning shooter can hold them pretty tight.. it's just a heck of a great shooting gun... I've had other snub 38's that weren't very consistent at all..


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## credee (Aug 17, 2013)

if a lighter trigger helps your shooting, then it's NOT the gun's accuracy, it's YOUR acccuracy with the gun. mostly 'accurizing" guns is about raising the shooter's EXPECTATIONS of accuracy. then he concentrates more. I've proven this several times. I've done nothing but trigger jobs, handed the gun back to its owner, let him shoot it, and he's amazed at the 'accuracy job" that I've done.  yet I did no such work. then I told them so, and ask if they still want to spend yet another $500 or so. Most do not. 

I once made an adapter for the J frame smith .38's, for my Lee machine rest. My M60 would group 2" at 25 yds, for all 5 chambers, using match wadcutter ammo. With me firing it from sitting braced, I could sometimes get 3" groups. but that was after I pinned on a larger front sight and installed a dovetail rear sight into the top rear of the frame.  but a decent 1911 can beat that level of accuracy, quite readily, and VERY few shoot a .38 snub anything like that well, especially in DA mode. 

what matters, for defense, really, is how fast and how often, you can hit a 10" circle of his chest, at 10 ft.  most such shots miss the man entirely, due to fear, blast, bad light, movement, etc. That's with autoloaders. "Accuracy" is normally much worse than that, in combat, with .38 snubbies, used in DA mode, too.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I could bend my spring back and lighten it a lot, but I prefer it like it is... Yes, I like a light trigger on my other guns, but on that gun, I like the feel as it is.. Like I said though, the biggest issue with it is, I really need to get another barrel bushing and fit it.. The one in it now is a POS and I didn't do any fitting for it.. It was just something I had laying around.


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## credee (Aug 17, 2013)

you can swage open the bushing with a tapered pin punch, it will help a lot. I've seen the muzzle's swaged open, too, with a ball bearing and a hammer, back in the day. even a standard bushing, tho, should group 2" at 10 yds, and almost nobody is going to do that, DA with a 38 snub. NOBODY thinks that they are flinching, until swiss loading with duds or video proves that they are doing so.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Problem is, the bushing it a little too big.. I need a tighter one. What I need to do is find one too tight and mill it out..


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## credee (Aug 17, 2013)

Normally, that's done with a lathe. you also have to turn down the OD of the rest of the barrel, to allow free movement of the slide as it cycles. Nothing like that sort of fit is necessary to get 2" groups at 10 yds. That sort of stuff is for when you are trying to get 3" groups at 50 yds. It has nothing to do with defensive work, much less what can be done with a snubbie revolver.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Yes, I meant turn it on a lathe.. sorry.. mind must have been elsewhere..


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