Commitment phobia on revolvers. Help!

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bananarama

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I have always been fascinated by revolvers, the classic lines, the simplicity, but just like when I purchased my first 1911, I am having a hard time comitting to owning one. That being said shooting 38special is awesome, I truly love that cartridge.

I also have small hands so the massive heavy rugers have really no appeal for me.

Any pointers to 1 or 2 models I should be looking at. I get overwhelmed and I usually give up if Im faced with 27 models to choise from.
 
bananarama said:
I have always been fascinated by revolvers, the classic lines, the simplicity, but just like when I purchased my first 1911, I am having a hard time comitting to owning one. That being said shooting 38special is awesome, I truly love that cartridge.

I also have small hands so the massive heavy rugers have really no appeal for me.

Any pointers to 1 or 2 models I should be looking at. I get overwhelmed and I usually give up if Im faced with 27 models to choise from.
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Smith and Wesson 586 or 686 (the former is blued the latter is stainless steel).
It's a Single Action/Double Action and will shoot .357 magnum and .38 spcl.
Great gun and you don't have to change cylinders between calibres.
 
I had the same problem about 11 years ago; I now own 5 :).

I love having a revolver in the winter as I can shoot when there is snow on the ground and not be digging for brass in said snow.

I own/have owned 2 Ruger Bisley Vaqueros (45 and 357), a S&W 28, a S&W 27, a Ruger SP101 22, and a S&W 27. My hands are not big either; I like the Bisley grips, but a big Smith shoots easy with 38 loads and you can get different grips to fit you. A K frame 357 would be easy to handle, but they get beaten up by the 357 loads and are not as common as they sued to be. A Smith 686 is a good size for 357; I like the older ones as the quality is better (shot both).

I like the N frames (27 & 28) with a set of Hogue grips; a 38 load is like shooting a 22 in any other gun. That being said, they are BIG for a 357 load, but will take a tonne of punishment from 357 and not be phased.

I would suggest going to a local shop and seeing what they have to put in your hand. Just remember that a grip swap can make a difference too. I am going to be putting my 28 up on the EE in a few weeks actually, but it is probably something you want to handle before buying being as big as it is.
 
I'd recommend getting a S&W as well but if you go with a 686 or 586 you'll likely want to get a Hogue Monogrip for a L frame. They're for smaller hands. I'd recommend you stay away from Alfa Proj, Tarus, no matter how appealing their pricing is. A good revolver will retain it's value and will provide more pleasure during it's use. If it's not for you, it'll easily be sold used.
 
Another shout out to the 686 (4.25" Canadian). If your LGS has them try the 4.25, 5 and 6 inch for balance and see which is more comfortable for you.

The Hogue grips on them are very nice.
 
A .357 makes sense since you can shoot both .357 and .38 in it...probably a S&W 686 or Ruger GP100. The newer S&W's all have round butt grips which are a bit better for smaller hands (although I've got small hands and had no issues with a larger square butt N-frame Model 28).
 
686 and 586 would be my reco for DA/SA. For SAA, I'd recommend Ruger New Vaquero, Uberti Cattleman (El Patron) or Pietta if you want SAA only. The Rugers are pretty hefty and built like a tank but aren't true SAA clones.
 
If you’re happy with .38spl and feel no need/desire to shoot .357mag then my suggestion is a S&W K-frame, the S&W 14. If you may want to shoot .357 then I suggest a S&W K-frame, S&W 19 or 66. If you’re interested in a .22LR revolver I suggest a S&W K-frame, the 17. See a trend?

I prefer the balance of the K-frame guns to the L-frame; I prefer a muzzle neutral gun and find the L-frame full lug barrels too front heavy. Full disclosure, I haven’t tried the 4.25” 686 though it may fix the muzzle heavy feeling. The N-frame is a classic but big, heavy, and overkill for .38/.357.

My suggestion is look for a S&W 14 or 19. They can be had in the EE between $500 and $700.

I have no experience with single actions but will own a genuine Colt SAA someday.
 
TT1900 hit it on the head

I have quite a few Smiths but I'm not a big fan of the full underlug L frames (I ended up selling my 586). If you love shooting .38 get a good Model 14 off the EE and i think you'll be very happy. I have other S&W's chambered in .357 but shooting .38 in my K-38 Masterpiece (pre model 14) is what I do more than anything else with revolvers.

When I want to shoot .22 it's my K-22 ....and my K frame 19 is fine for occasional .357 or I use my 27-2. (I'm not much for .357 though. I bought a case a couple of years ago and I have 850-900 rounds left

....and then there are all the comparable guns by Colt....but that's an argument for another time.;)
The thing about Colt's revolvers is that the market values are more about collecting than shooting. On that basis the Smith's are usually better value as shooters.
 
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I have a couple of K frames. One’s a M13 and the other a 547 in 9mm. Anytime you want to give them a try, PM me.



I agree with TT and Sailor, get the round butt K frames. The L frame grip is fine ( I believe it’s the same as the K?) but the heavy snout esp if you go with a 6” barrel tends to make the gun muzzle heavy. A 4.25” barrel is best.

If you mostly want to shoot .38Spl, a K frame works fine. The modern K frames will handle full .357s too so that’s another option.
 
Still alive said:
I have a couple of K frames. One’s a M13 and the other a 547 in 9mm. Anytime you want to give them a try, PM me.



I agree with TT and Sailor, get the round butt K frames. The L frame grip is fine ( I believe it’s the same as the K?) but the heavy snout esp if you go with a 6” barrel tends to make the gun muzzle heavy. A 4.25” barrel is best.

If you mostly want to shoot .38Spl, a K frame works fine. The modern K frames will handle full .357s too so that’s another option.
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Hummm I did not know that...
I love 38spl, love it, frankly one of my favorite calibres
 
If you're brave enough to buy a modern S&W revolver, the $850 K-frame 66 Combat Magnum 4.25" might be the ticket. Sleeved barrel is supposed to be more accurate and the half lug will make it less nose heavy. However, you will need to check the barrel alignment for a canted barrel on the new production models.

Everyone should have a revolver.....
 
johNTO said:
If you're brave enough to buy a modern S&W revolver, the $850 K-frame 66 Combat Magnum 4.25" might be the ticket. Sleeved barrel is supposed to be more accurate and the half lug will make it less nose heavy. However, you will need to check the barrel alignment for a canted barrel on the new production models.

Everyone should have a revolver.....
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I know intellectually that 99% of modern S&W's are fine but.....I've somehow acquired a prejudice against them..... a purely 'gut" feeling that they just aren't as good as the old stuff.

Mine range in age from about 40 years old to just over 100. They are all well made, good shooters and I love to think of the stories they could tell.

As has been suggested , if you are happy with .38 a Model 14 from the EE is a great choice. If you want to occasionally fire off some factory .357 a 19 would fit the bill. If you are thinking a a diet of a lot of hot .357 I might go a little heavier in terms of a gun choice.
 
bananarama said:
I have always been fascinated by revolvers, the classic lines, the simplicity, but just like when I purchased my first 1911, I am having a hard time comitting to owning one. That being said shooting 38special is awesome, I truly love that cartridge.

I also have small hands so the massive heavy rugers have really no appeal for me.

Any pointers to 1 or 2 models I should be looking at. I get overwhelmed and I usually give up if Im faced with 27 models to choise from.
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Ruger Bearcat
 
sailor723 said:
I know intellectually that 99% of modern S&W's are fine but.....I've somehow acquired a prejudice against them..... a purely 'gut" feeling that they just aren't as good as the old stuff.

Mine range in age from about 40 years old to just over 100. They are all well made, good shooters and I love to think of the stories they could tell.

As has been suggested , if you are happy with .38 a Model 14 from the EE is a great choice. If you want to occasionally fire off some factory .357 a 19 would fit the bill. If you are thinking a a diet of a lot of hot .357 I might go a little heavier in terms of a gun choice.
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I like the S&W revolvers and always have, but there does seem to be have been a quality issue with some of them the past few years. Some fellas have had some trouble with them being out of alignment and have had them sent back. Hopefully they got it resolved now.
 
S&W 66-8 in 357mag hands down is your best bet.

It’s s K frame, so it’s compact and prefect for small hands.
 
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