I just bought my wife a nice pre-owned Taurus .38 Special with a 4” barrel.
She is a beginner with guns, but after just a couple of hours on the range yesterday, she was shooting great with .22 rifle, .38 revolver, and a little .25 ACP semi-auto.
Her preference? The revolver. “It’s less complicated”.
Where in Iowa are you? I lived in Slater, Kelley and Des Moines for many years.