First revolver recommendations

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tdk213

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I have a couple semi autos but I am really interested in getting a revolver. I have never shot one and I would love to hear some recommendations from some more experienced nutz. Im not trying to break the bank either especially being my first revolver. I am somewhat leaning towards a .22 for inexpensive shooting and I dont have a .22 handgun, but im not opposed to a center fire either.

Thanks guys
 
Don't make the mistake of buying a cheap gun just to see if you will like it, you will. Buy a Smith & Wesson model 17 Blued or a Smith & Wesson model 617 (stainless) for a .22 gun. If you are buying a center fire then get a S & W 357 gun. There are many models to choose from. At the start, to get used to it you can shoot .38 special and after that you can go to the 357 mag cartridge.

If you grow tried of the gun down the road smiths are always easy to sell.

Graydog
 
For a .22 get ruger sp101 around $500 or s&w 617 for $900 . Older s&w 17 are GREAT!!! and will cost $650.

Your next option is the .357 You can get the Ruger GP100 $700 or s&w 686 $900. Any older, blued s&w will also be an awesome purchase.

Do urself a favour and stay away from taurus or chartered arms. It'd be like getting a Yugo to see of you like car racing.
 
I'm finding (as of lately) I enjoy shooting my revolvers over my semi's.
When I'm in the mood to shoot "quietly" out comes the Ruger Bearcat (SA 22lr). If I'm feeling macho the Ruger SA Bisley Hunter and/or 460v gets the call:)
Decide if you want SA only or DA/SA and like the previous posters....don't cheap out but buy quality.
 
ruger single ten (ten shot revolver) :) in stainless 22lr or ruger convertible in 22lr and 22wmr out of the same gun!!!

If you are looking for a larger caliber and can get your hands on one , a ruger gp100 ..they are built like tanks and are able to shoot and withstand magnums all day (if you are so inclined)
Or a ruger convertible 357/9mm single action ..what a beautiful versatile piece with so much choice in ammo !
:)
Ruger revolvers have a touch less nicer trigger than the smith but they are only 1/2-2/3 the $

Also for consideration an older smith police in 38 :) good value and nice guns

Buy used ...revolvers last a long long time & less to go wrong as long as they index properly :)

As a poster above stated I also have a renewed love for my revolvers and find myself leaning towards them so much more often...
Something about a revolver :) definetely decide single or double

-single :more options...better prices (& if you want to get into cowboy action)
-double :more versatility quicker loading (& can get into modern competitive shooting)
Hope this helps :)
And yes ...buy quality..name brands matter sometimes and revolvers are one of these times :)
 
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graydog said:
Don't make the mistake of buying a cheap gun just to see if you will like it, you will. Buy a Smith & Wesson model 17 Blued or a Smith & Wesson model 617 (stainless) for a .22 gun. If you are buying a center fire then get a S & W 357 gun. There are many models to choose from. At the start, to get used to it you can shoot .38 special and after that you can go to the 357 mag cartridge.

If you grow tried of the gun down the road smiths are always easy to sell.

Graydog
Click to expand...

Indeed. +1 on that.
 
tdk213 said:
I have a couple semi autos but I am really interested in getting a revolver. I have never shot one and I would love to hear some recommendations from some more experienced nutz. Im not trying to break the bank either especially being my first revolver. I am somewhat leaning towards a .22 for inexpensive shooting and I dont have a .22 handgun, but im not opposed to a center fire either.

Thanks guys
Click to expand...

If you can find one take a hard look a the Ruger 4.2" revolver in stainless. It will run you around $600 but is worth it IMHO. The eight shot cylinder is nice as if you are into plinking, chasing cans at the range etc then the little Ruger is for you. The semi autos are less expensive and are fun as well but you did mention revolvers. The Mod 17 Simths are very nice but are six shooters, are large framed for the caliber but are god awful accurate. I gave mine to my son who will enjoy it long after I am gone.

Take
 
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I think a Ruger GP100 would make a good first revolver. Strong, good looking and not too expensive. Plus, you can shoot cheap .38spl but also load up .357's. Will be more fun than a .22.
 
S&W make nice guns, the older ones are great deals sometimes. I have a S&W 19-3, a .38S/.357Mag and it could be the best gun I own but it has had custom work done to it. I am a big fan of the Ruger Convertables. For the price of one gun you can shoot two cartridges. For example: .45ACP/.45LC, 9mm/.38S/.357Mag, .22LR/.22Mag. There are other rare ones as well. For a .22LR the .22Mag is kind of cool, a little expensive. If you get the .22 go with a longer bbl as the .22Mag is a rifle cartridge and the short bbl wastes the mag. energy. The issue of single action vs. double action is worth consideration. The DA guns all cost more to start with. I shoot all my revolvers in SA anyway so that is one less issue. The trigger pull is fairly heavy in DA and feather light in SA. The biggest issue is slower to load and empty but that isn't a awful problem. The biggest advantage of a revolver is you do not loose the brass in the grass or snow. The second big advantage is the revolver is much more accurate for me at least. I recommend Ruger single action, for the cost difference go new if you save less than $100-150.
 
I really appreciate the feedback. I do like the sounds of some of those convertibles. Do all .357mag shoot .38s as well or is it only certain makes and models. From what I can tell not all of .357 shoot 9mm though or do they?
 
Any 357 will shoot 38 special. For 9mm you will need a conversion cylinder. IIRC only the Ruger blackhawk has this feature at the moment. Any S&W 357 is worth having, but in the Ruger I far prefer the older Security Six. Blued guns usually have smoother actions than stainless as well.
 
I have tried a couple of the Ruger Blackhawk 9mm/357 mag convertables. In my experience they are a waste of time. I have not used one that would shoot the 9mm worth anything. The 9mm and the 357 are different dia. cartridges so do not expect much from the 9mm side of things. Just my two cents worth on this subject.
Graydog
 
tdk213 said:
I really appreciate the feedback. I do like the sounds of some of those convertibles. Do all .357mag shoot .38s as well or is it only certain makes and models. From what I can tell not all of .357 shoot 9mm though or do they?
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Yes any 357 mag will shoot 38 special as well...just not vice versa :)
The convertible 9mm/357/38 is a great gun...very versatile affordable to shoot and looks great too the only thing better would be the "Medusa" which is my dream revolver give it a google :) 20 something calibers out of one gun...no cylinder changes (due to the unique cylinder) .very few were made if I remember right only about 500?
 
colt45cz75 said:
Any 357 will shoot 38 special. For 9mm you will need a conversion cylinder. IIRC only the Ruger blackhawk has this feature at the moment. Any S&W 357 is worth having, but in the Ruger I far prefer the older Security Six. Blued guns usually have smoother actions than stainless as well.
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Hmm neat if it's true..will have to look into that (regarding blued vs stainless) ...I didn't know that. :)

For the poster above that said they are a waste of time... I do not feel this to be true at all...if you are looking at a revolver and interested in 357/38 versatility why not have a 9mm cylinder as well. .. they are still capable albeit not as accurate when shooting 9mm (very accurate in 357 or 38) due to diam. Difference ..but what a great SHTF tool and Ruger revolvers are built strong :)
My 2 cents
 
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All .357 Mags will shoot .38 Special. The .38S will not shoot .357Mag. Some of the S&W revolvers will fall apart if feed a steady diet of full load .357Mag. my S&W 19-3 is an example of this. It is much lighter in build than the Ruger GP100 or S&W 686. I have a few of both S&W and Ruger, the S&W are a little smoother but barely noticeable IMHO. You can buy two Rugers for the price of one older S&W and the S&W isn't that much better. As far as the 9mm being inaccurate in a .38S cylinder the 9mm round is .002 inch smaller than a .38S. If using lead bullets that shouldn't be an issue. The gun is more accurate than I am. I don't use the word accurate and hand guns in the same sentence.
 
JimmieA. said:
As far as the 9mm being inaccurate in a .38S cylinder the 9mm round is .002 inch smaller than a .38S. If using lead bullets that shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

Careful how you word that, 9mm shouldn't be fired in a .357/.38 Sp. cylinder, they are not interchangeable.

Very likely dangerous, I just removed the cylinder from my Blackhawk .357 and a 9mm drops right in with enough of a rim that somebody might try to fire it.

Very bad idea.


BTW, that Blackhawk .357 6 1/2" barrel is some kind of sweet!!
 
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