Need your opinions on the Charter Arms Lady 38 special revolver. Need one for the wife at home. I handload, so ammo isn't an issue. They seem to be moderately priced. Thanks , Sarge

for a home gun and not a carry gun I would be looking at what she shoots the best size matters less go to a range that rents and let her try a bunch.

trigger makes a big difference make sure she can hit with it double action if you go revolver

far to often men want to get a lady a small gun and too often women are drawn to a pretty gun possibly a small one

American Rifleman did a very nice article a few years ago then did it again a year or two later they took a bunch of women and a dozen or so guns they had women instructors and they had a range of women shooters from competitive to novice and they had them review and shoot all these guns.

in the end the gun the fewest actually liked or shot well was a revolver

you might be surprised the glock and some other semi auto guns emerged on top

you should read this Ladies Pistol project 3 with links init to 1 and 2 https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/4/8/right-for-you-ladies-pistol-project-3-results/

also don't rule out a carbine rifle for home use if it isn't something she will be carrying on her my aunt even years out of the army her go to gun come hurricane season iis the AR-15 in a M4 configuration although she did just pick up a Sig P365 as a side arm she shot a bunch of different guns at a range before deciding that was the one she had to have.

her only pistol experience had been the M9 in the army and my Uncles Glock 26 which they had been trading off when taking the dogs out or going outside post hurricane.

when a woman with an M4 walks out the door people get polite again in a hurry again.

I caution against a rifle or carbine in the house. It will just about blow your eardrums out and it will go thru your house and the neighbors as well. A good friend had a 45 auto go halfway thru his house and halfway thru his neighbors only stopping in their brick chimney. I like a short shotgun and a good load of 4's or 5's.

Home defense with no intent to carry, I'd get my wife a 20 gauge.

Even the racking noise of working the slide should make any intruder pause

x2, but I would still want her to have at least one gun she could carry if worst came to worst. Read the downplaying MS 13 Post- it's not like the guberment is going to protect us.

very B rated revolver...taurus is a way better gun...I had a part break after less than 100 rounds...double action pull is pretty much unusable...wouldbe just about my last choice...used ruger or smith?

I own a Charger Arms revolver. It's fine for an inexpensive gun. But I agree with wannabe - you can get a nicer gun with the Taurus without spending much more money.

I also think a long gun handgun combo makes the most sense. start with what she shoots the best as I would venture the budget for 2 may not be there currently

if you have ever shot a handgun inside it is also not quiet , shorter the barrel louder they get

I hang a pair of electronic hearing protection off the magazine in the 223 rifle if there is 2 extra seconds to put them on then do if not they will fall to the floor , once on one hand can reach up and turn them on , you can now hear a floor board creak across the house yet will not be injured by the noise of shooting if you need to.

pistol caliber carbines have gotten good and more affordable the price of the Ruger PC carbine is about 450 can use Ruger or Glock mags , 9mm so one ammo , one mag type and run a long and short combo.

for transport the PC carbine is a take down it fits in a case that looks nothing like a gun case.

an expanding bullet choice placed in the target limits the over penetration issue through walls , anything that will be powerful enough for a stop will also go through some walls

if you choose 223 v-max go through fewer walls when they fragment as personal protection ammo it is called Hornady TAP-Urban I haven't tried walls but they seldom exit animals of any size.
v-max through walls https://how-i-did-it.org/drywall/results.html

the only thing racking the slide does is let intruders know where you are