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Just when I thought she (my wife) had chosen her irons...


Kokak d' Frog

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So, I have asked a local shop to order me a pair of Uberti "Patron" SA Revolvers. And while I have been patiently waiting for the call, my wife (a.k.a. Butter d' Mouse) has found a new set of irons that have caught her eye and has asked me to research them.

 

She is interested in the Cimarron Thunderer, in 38 SP with a 3 1/2" barrel...

 

cimarron_feb_2016-217.jpg

Now my wife is 5' and has small hands. So I am thinking that the Bird's Head style grip frame, may in fact be a better match for her. She also wants the shorter barrel, 3 1/2", rather that the 4 3/4". Now my 1st instinct is to insist on the longer barrel, for accuracy. But I know I would be 'convincing' her and I should just let her choose her own guns.

 

I will be reloading a light, gallery load for her in these, to keep recoil at a minimum. While still letting her be able to play the game effectively.

 

So I am here to see if anyone has any experience with this revolver they can share...

 

As always, Thanks for all the advice.

Edited by Kokak d' Frog
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my wife shoots those, but with 5" barrel. called Lightings. (maybe the longer barrel?)

 

anyways, she likes them more than my Rugers. they are much lighter. I've loaded some 105 grn bullets and 130 grn bullets for her. She, nor I, can tell any appreciable difference in recoil between the 2.

 

Best advice I can give is if she wants to shoot, get her what she wants. they likely down in value, so you can get your money back.

 

if you are sharing a shotgun, get it cut to fit her.

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If possible find a revolver for her to handle. Some shooters love birds head grips and some don't. I think handguns are like shoes. Try them for fit before making a purchase.

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The .38 is probably the Lightning. I have owned 5 of them over the years. They are excellent for people with small hands. I love the 3 1/2 " . Like the 4 3/4" for shooting Gunfighter. Keep the loads light( I use .38 Short Colt brass) Send them to a good gunsmith. None of mine were great out of the box. One of them got better with use, others not so much. Used ones may still have the extremely soft firing pins. Good for about 200 rounds. There are also 2 different firing pin sizes depending on whether the firing pin bushing is under the hammer or on the cylinder side of the frame.

YMMV.

That's the view from my saddle.

Edited by Marty Mudd
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From what I have read, the differences between the Lighting and the Thunderer are:

 

  • Lightning is 20% smaller than the Thunderer
  • Lightning is only chambered for 38 SP
  • Thunderer is chambered for 357/38 SP
  • Lightning has a frame mounted firing pin
  • Thunderer has a hammer-mounted firing pin
  • Lightning has a crossbolt base pin latch
  • Thunderer has a thumb screw in place of the standard base pin latch

 

The article I found here has a good write-up comparing the 2 revolvers.

Edited by Kokak d' Frog
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You might also look into the deluxe version, which is a little more but comes with checkering on the grips. I handled a pair at a local store and nearly bought them right then they felt pretty good in the hand. I didn't because they weren't in a caliber I was reloading at the time and being in california you can only buy 1 pistol every 30 days.

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From what I have read, the differences between the Lighting and the Thunderer are:

 

  • Lightning is 20% smaller than the Thunderer
  • Lightning is only chambered for 38 SP
  • Thunderer is chambered for 357/38 SP
  • Lightning has a frame mounted firing pin
  • Thunderer has a hammer-mounted firing pin
  • Lightning has a crossbolt base pin latch
  • Thunderer has a thumb screw in place of the standard base pin latch

 

The article I found here has a good write-up comparing the 2 revolvers.

 

That is a pretty good description of the differences. The picture in the original post is a Lightning.

 

You might also look into the deluxe version, which is a little more but comes with checkering on the grips. I handled a pair at a local store and nearly bought them right then they felt pretty good in the hand. I didn't because they weren't in a caliber I was reloading at the time and being in california you can only buy 1 pistol every 30 days.

 

The Lightning does not come in a "deluxe" version with checkered grips. The Thunderer is available with turned down hammer and checkered grips.

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Try before you buy. I thought that these would be good for my wife so she handled one at a local match. The shape of the handle caused the gun to slip almost completely out of her hand.

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I have used the 3-3/4" Lightnings as great revolvers for teaching youth and small females to become acquainted with Cowboy Action Shooting and become adept at it. They have held up quite well and are accurate with low recoil using both handloads and commercial ammunition.

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These are my Lightnings. Both are in .38 Long Colt

 

1877s_zpsafb27b72.jpg

 

The top one was made in 1880 something. The bottom 1900 something.

 

Cool, guns, fun to shoot. Very comfortable to shoot, but not SASS legal.

 

If the Cimarrons (Which are SASS Legal) feel anything like these old Colts, your wife should enjoy them just fine. In fact, you may like them so much that you'll decide you want a pair for yourself.

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frog,

where are you? i have a pair she can try. my wife shot them till she pretty much wore them out and now shoots a full frame with gun fighter grips.

she can try these lightnings, my thunderers or her GF grips. send me a PM with contact info or tell me where you shoot. we live in norco and you can usually find us at west end or cajon on saturdays.

CC

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From what I have read, the differences between the Lighting and the Thunderer are:

 

  • Lightning is 20% smaller than the Thunderer
  • Lightning is only chambered for 38 SP
  • Thunderer is chambered for 357/38 SP
  • Lightning has a frame mounted firing pin
  • Thunderer has a hammer-mounted firing pin
  • Lightning has a crossbolt base pin latch
  • Thunderer has a thumb screw in place of the standard base pin latch

 

The article I found here has a good write-up comparing the 2 revolvers.

The Lightning sold by Cimarron comes in .22LR. 32WCF/.32H&R Dual Cyl., .38SPL, and .41Colt. Barrel lengths vary from 3 1/2" to 6 1/2".

see http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/products/revolvers/single-actions/lightning-model-p-jr/lightning-1.html

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Yep Jim. What I was referring to is that the Lightning when listing being able to fire 38spl, it does not mention 357. So I am assuming that unlike other 357 chambered guns, that can also shoot 38spl, the Lightning does not have that ability.

Edited by Kokak d' Frog
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  • 2 weeks later...

So...

 

Thanks for everyone's help and direction. I had someone that had the exact model I was looking for, Cimarron Thunderer 3 1/2 " barrel in 38 spl, and got the wife to handle it. Fit her hand perfectly. So after that we ordered the 1st one (1 in 30 law in Ca stinks) from Davidson. Picked it up earlier this week and tried it out at the range last night. I am truly impressed with this little pistol. At 10 yards it was dead on. I also brought along some of the "gallery" loads I made up and it felt like I was shooting a 22.

 

The best part... The wife loved it and can hardly wait till we can get her second one, next month. In fact she loved it some much she suggested I think about getting "myself" a pair... LOL. Mission Accomplished!

Edited by Kokak d' Frog
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If ,,, Big If you ever want to come shoot in Canada barrels shorter than 4.20 are not allowed on pistols to be brought into Canada ...

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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Yep Jim. What I was referring to is that the Lightning when listing being able to fire 38spl, it does not mention 357. So I am assuming that unlike other 357 chambered guns, that can also shoot 38spl, the Lightning does not have that ability.

OK, I understand now.

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10 farmers, 10 opinions. How great if she could shoot both the Lightnings AND the Thunderers!

 

A good friend of ours, about 5'3" and a small lady has had the opposite experience that Hoss mentioned. She had shot Lightnings (standard grips) for years. When going to the heavier NMV's (again the standard grips) it was much more pleasant for her to shoot because the heavier pistols took a bit more of the "bite" off- using the same light loads.

 

If the Birds head grips feel right, the heavier Thunderer may be more comfortable to shoot...or not... :D

 

Ahh the adventures we have!

 

Best,

TS

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The weight of the 3.5" Thunderer is perfect for her and no troubles shooting the light loads and the Birds Head grips. Fit her hand perfectly and the pistol did not try to roll in her hand while shooting.

Edited by Kokak d' Frog
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