Coyote Hunter
Single-Sixer
Yesterday was a first in my 61 years - I bought two firearms on the same day. 
We had been looking for a home defense handgun for my wife for some time now. She is a leukemia survivor and can't tolerate recoil. (The medicines that saved her life also destroyed some of her joints and accelerated her osteoporosis. Both of the shoulder joints and a hip have been replaced and I am concerned that heavy recoil might actually cause broken bones in her hand or wrist.) For the time being, she keeps her Ruger Super Single Six (she calls it her "Annie Oakley gun") loaded with .22WM defensive loads. The problems with the Super Six revolver are multiple – slow reloads, single action (cock before each fire, unlike a SA semi-auto), and relatively small cartridge (albeit much better than a .22LR or my High Standard .22 Short).
My wife can't work the slides on most semi-autos, including my .22LRs, .380, 9mm and .45. After much looking and evaluation, we decided a double-action revolver with a swing out cylinder would be best. The cartridge I decided on was the a .327 Federal, which offered a good balance of low recoil with high velocity and energy. Moreover, should the .327 Fed have too much recoil, it could easily be downloaded or simply replaced with .32 H&R or shorter, lower recoil cartridges. For myself, a 4" GP100 would have been the choice but my wife has small hands and the SP101 fit her much better. I searched the gun shows and local dealers for a 3" SP101 in .327 Federal but couldn't find one. (We did find one at Cabelas in Sidney, NE, last weekend but that is out of state.) Eventually I decided online was the only way I was going to get one. After some seller evaluations at gunbroker.com, I opted for one being offered by richiespng for $463, NIB.
The RugerSP101 in .327 Fed was purchased yesterday in the AM as a Mom's Day gift. It and some ammo will be shipped to a neighbor who has a FFL. In the PM I couldn't go home after work - it was Book Club night and the women were meeting at our house, no men allowed. Instead I worked a little late, then headed up to Gander Mountain with intent to drive on up to Sportsman's Warehouse after rush hour to see if either had any .327 Fed ammo for the SP101. Afterwards I intended to have a nice dinner out and read a few more chapters of "Helmet for My Pillow", a Marine's account of his war from boot camp through the pacific. (A good read and highly recommended. Those who have read "The Pacific" will recognize much.)
Gander didn't have any .327 Federal, no surprise, but while perusing the handgun cases I ran across a Beretta 950B (6.25 caliber) that looked to be in good condition. With nothing but time on my hands, I asked to take a look. Big mistake.
The Beretta was an older model but in mint condition. The 950 is a diminutive (palm sized) single action semi-auto with a tip-up barrel. The 6.25 cartridge is better known on this side of the pond as ".25ACP". Pictures of the gun can be found in the encyclopedia under the heading "Mouse gun". Still, concealability of the 950 and similar Berettas have always intrigued me and the tip-up barrel means my wife could load it without racking the slide, something she would have difficulty with if she could do it at all. The Beretta came with the original box and owner's manual and had obviously been shot very little. The price was $149.99 and I couldn't pass it up.
After buying the Beretta I headed a few miles up the road to the "Firing Line" to see what they had for ammo. Bought a box of Speer Gold Dot defense loads and a box of American Eagle FMJs for plinking and practice. Afterwards I retired to Carraba's for a glass of wine and dinner, Beretta in my pocket, Browning 9mm in the car.
All in all, a pretty darn good day. The Ruger SP101 in .327 Fed will arrive in a couple days. In the meantime, I can't wait to get the Beretta to the range!
[Full disclosure: The Beretta is more for me than my wife, although I told her it was hers "until we get her something better". That means until Mom's Day when she gets the Ruger SP101, which she doesn't know is coming.]
We had been looking for a home defense handgun for my wife for some time now. She is a leukemia survivor and can't tolerate recoil. (The medicines that saved her life also destroyed some of her joints and accelerated her osteoporosis. Both of the shoulder joints and a hip have been replaced and I am concerned that heavy recoil might actually cause broken bones in her hand or wrist.) For the time being, she keeps her Ruger Super Single Six (she calls it her "Annie Oakley gun") loaded with .22WM defensive loads. The problems with the Super Six revolver are multiple – slow reloads, single action (cock before each fire, unlike a SA semi-auto), and relatively small cartridge (albeit much better than a .22LR or my High Standard .22 Short).
My wife can't work the slides on most semi-autos, including my .22LRs, .380, 9mm and .45. After much looking and evaluation, we decided a double-action revolver with a swing out cylinder would be best. The cartridge I decided on was the a .327 Federal, which offered a good balance of low recoil with high velocity and energy. Moreover, should the .327 Fed have too much recoil, it could easily be downloaded or simply replaced with .32 H&R or shorter, lower recoil cartridges. For myself, a 4" GP100 would have been the choice but my wife has small hands and the SP101 fit her much better. I searched the gun shows and local dealers for a 3" SP101 in .327 Federal but couldn't find one. (We did find one at Cabelas in Sidney, NE, last weekend but that is out of state.) Eventually I decided online was the only way I was going to get one. After some seller evaluations at gunbroker.com, I opted for one being offered by richiespng for $463, NIB.
The RugerSP101 in .327 Fed was purchased yesterday in the AM as a Mom's Day gift. It and some ammo will be shipped to a neighbor who has a FFL. In the PM I couldn't go home after work - it was Book Club night and the women were meeting at our house, no men allowed. Instead I worked a little late, then headed up to Gander Mountain with intent to drive on up to Sportsman's Warehouse after rush hour to see if either had any .327 Fed ammo for the SP101. Afterwards I intended to have a nice dinner out and read a few more chapters of "Helmet for My Pillow", a Marine's account of his war from boot camp through the pacific. (A good read and highly recommended. Those who have read "The Pacific" will recognize much.)
Gander didn't have any .327 Federal, no surprise, but while perusing the handgun cases I ran across a Beretta 950B (6.25 caliber) that looked to be in good condition. With nothing but time on my hands, I asked to take a look. Big mistake.
The Beretta was an older model but in mint condition. The 950 is a diminutive (palm sized) single action semi-auto with a tip-up barrel. The 6.25 cartridge is better known on this side of the pond as ".25ACP". Pictures of the gun can be found in the encyclopedia under the heading "Mouse gun". Still, concealability of the 950 and similar Berettas have always intrigued me and the tip-up barrel means my wife could load it without racking the slide, something she would have difficulty with if she could do it at all. The Beretta came with the original box and owner's manual and had obviously been shot very little. The price was $149.99 and I couldn't pass it up.
After buying the Beretta I headed a few miles up the road to the "Firing Line" to see what they had for ammo. Bought a box of Speer Gold Dot defense loads and a box of American Eagle FMJs for plinking and practice. Afterwards I retired to Carraba's for a glass of wine and dinner, Beretta in my pocket, Browning 9mm in the car.
All in all, a pretty darn good day. The Ruger SP101 in .327 Fed will arrive in a couple days. In the meantime, I can't wait to get the Beretta to the range!
[Full disclosure: The Beretta is more for me than my wife, although I told her it was hers "until we get her something better". That means until Mom's Day when she gets the Ruger SP101, which she doesn't know is coming.]
