LOL (Lots of Laughs or Laugh Out Loud depending on your genre).
I couldn’t even begin to count on two hands how many times I’ve read this line in online forums or stood a few steps away at a gun counter and listened to the clown behind the glass tell a man he needs to start his girl on a snubnose revolver.
Want to know what guys who recommend this are really thinking even if done so subconsciously???
“Listen, women aren’t good at doing man stuff, like gunzing. Which means you need something simple to operate that the scared, vulnerable and confused little chick will be able to operate if things get dicey. She’ll have too much trouble maneuvering an auto-loader with all those moving parts and scary levers. Let’s not make things more difficult on her than they need to be. In fact, maybe it would just be better if you let your man carry a gun and defend you instead.”
Here’s the long and short of my argument: Because of these shortsighted characteristics they recommend a firearm with a heavier trigger pull, a LONGER trigger pull, is less accurate requiring more control, experience and practice than 75% of the currently available smooth shooting autos out there?
YES, it’s a pull-the-trigger-at-the-bad-guy gun. YES it has a small profile and footprint and conceals well. YES revolvers are traditionally reliable and function is easy to get the hang of. YES I frequently carry a Ruger LCRx 38 Special snubby and LLLLLLOVE it. All of these things that reflect true of the snubby however neglect the fact that even at close range it takes loads of practice to be accurate and the recoil with defense loads can be a real handful and potential turnoff to a noob.
In the same light, how many of the same arguments from above ring true with the outstanding offerings of modern compact and subcompact magazine fed 9mm and 380 pistols we have available to us today?
My wife refuses to carry a snubby. HATES them. They’re a major challenge and wants to be able to accurately hit the assailant before he/she’s on top of her (that wasn’t a tranny slam). Not always a choice we get to make, but if it comes to that I want her carrying what is confident and I’ll know she’ll carry rather than something she’ll leave at home.
My mother on the other hand refuses to carry anything BUT a snubby 38 Special. Formerly a Taurus 85 Ultralight hammerless and now a Ruger LCR which she swears by through and through AND shoots confidently and well. But it’s because her entire childhood was spent shooting only revolvers and it’s what she is most comfortable and familiar AND accurate with.
Let’s give the ladies a little more credit for what they’re capable of learning and applying when it comes to firearms. If they choose to carry a revolver then great, there are plenty of outstanding options to choose from. But let’s not force it on them. Be willing to take the time to let them practice, get familiar and learn just like any of us would with a new weapon.
The End.