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My wife has decided, with all the home invasions, muggings, & hijackings etc., she wants to have her own CCW revolver. I say revolver because she has a little trouble with Arthritis, & cannot work the slides on most all of my semi's.
I'm thinking at least a .38 Spl. & she definitely wants Stainless. I know the SP101 is built to last three or four lifetimes, but have heard the trigger is a little stiff for her, also the Airweight S&W's have a great trigger, but lack weight to help tame the recoil. What to do ??????????

Experiment

Welcome to Guntalk-Online.

The reasoning for her to have a revolver is a sound one. If hand strength is a concern then utilizing one of these firearms is a viable option. One simply cannot argue that revolvers are not highly reliable in their mechanical operation. Trying out several models would be a good idea to find a model that fits your particular needs. I also wouldn't discount the airweight, remember this is a defensive weapon not a target gun. The trade off of weight for a slighter person may out weigh the recoil management concerns. In the event of an actual need to fire it several physiological aspects will also take over, like adrenaline which can provide much stronger muscle control in stressful situations.

R,
Bullseye

I have an Airweight (442). As Bullseye said, it is not a target gun. I shoot it enough to be familiar and proficient. Sometimes that's 5 rounds. If I like what I did, I stop shooting it. You can lighten the trigger a bit with a Wolf Spring.

Along with reduced power springs to add a comfort factor in the snubby revolvers, you can always replace the boot grip with a slightly longer style or a fatter profile. there are about a zillion grip options for j frame smiths out there. the sp101 can be smoothed out fairly easy as well a good gunsmith can do a trigger job on it if you don't feel comfortable doing the work.

Bullseye makes some good points. This is not a target gun that goes to the range
every weekend to shoot 100 rds, this is a SD gun that only gets periodic shooting
100rds/yr, or so. As great as the SP101 is, it is a mini tank. The extra weight it brings adds up.
It is amazing the strength one has in times of stress, besides, the recoil isn't bad at all with 38's
in a light weight gun. My friend has a S&W 15oz'er and it is fun to shoot.
I love the 38sp, it's my fav round.
Haka

S&W 642--I have 3--two with Crimson Trace laser grips. I carry one , my wife carries one and one is in the bedside quick-access gun safe. Snap caps and a lot of trigger time will both strengthen the hand and smooth/ lighten trigger pull (at least somewhat).

I gave both my wife and my daughter S&W Airweights a few years back. They both love them! My daughter goes to the range with me about twice a month and, at 25 feet, proceeds to put every shot through a 3 inch bullseye sticker! I don't think you can beat them for what they do.

Excellent shooting, especially for a light weight, short barreled revolver with a bit of a stiff trigger. Lots of folks have problems with these.

What can be added, not much except don't over look the auto's. Once the slide is locked back there is no need to do it again. And if she comfortable with condition 1 you have a good trigger right out of the box. There are several techniques that can ease racking the slide on a auto. With a auto she may be able to shoot a little more even though it may not be her carry gun.

Best thing to do is get her to a range that has rental guns and shoot a variety of guns. You never know what she might like.

hey locksmith;
my experience is similar. and as b'eye and others said no worries on the light weight. in fact i find it difficult to carry my s & w 36 snubbie for the weight issue. i digress, my wife likes the s & w 19 magnum trigger much better, its lighter. so it depends on her carry style. but i agree revolvers are uncomplicated and always go bang. if for any strange reason it goes click pull trigger again.
keep your powder dry,

max

You could learn to love a Model 19 very quickly.

I think the 'weight' issue is of paramount importance. I have two guns I consider as my carry guns, and are the only two I will carry. A Kahr PM-9 and a Beretta Bobcat (22lr). The Kahr is approximately 16 oz and fits comfortably in my pocket, within a Galco pocket holster. Just the same, with summertime comes light weight shorts that makes the Kahr seem a little bulky. That's when I replace it (75% of the time) with the Bobcat. The bobcat is smaller in size and weight, at 12oz., and is a pleasure to conceal. My point in all this is that, to me, weight plays such an important factor in concealed carry that some people bypass carrying in certain situations because of weight. Sure, a 45acp 1911 would be a great gun to have when the rubber meets the road, but for me, that's too heavy to lug around most of the time. Some people will only carry a 45acp 1911, and I respect that, but it's not for me. A heavy gun will simply "wear you down". With my two options of the Kahr and Beretta, or similar sized hgs, I get to the point where I forget that I am even carrying them. To me, weight is a primary concern for these reasons.
Haka

http://mouseguns.com/beretta/mb21a.htm
http://www.gunblast.com/Kahr-PM9.htm

Having suffered through continual Bobcat malfunctions, I've often wished I had went for a snubbie revolver. If it somehow doesn't go Bang, you just pull the trigger again. I would always trust a wheelgun more than an autoloader.

Had Ruger made one in .22 with traditional grips, that would have pushed Beretta down the list. I just can't warm up to Ruger's peg mounted grip design.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned the LCR. They are hammerless , lightweight and have a nice trigger.
I bought one for my wife but she can't handle the noise (believe it or not)
It is a nice shooting gun and Ruger is always good quality.