Revolver time, gun nutz feedback needed for next purchase...

..ddubblettapp..

..ddubblettapp..

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Ok Gun-nutz, thanks for all your input on my last acquisition of the Glock 22 in .40 cal S&W, haven't fired it yet but it feels great in the hand! My next handgun purchase has to be a revolver. Looking for the classic all round impress your friends and frighten your enemies kind of pistol. Willing to spend around 1200 clams for this bad boy! Would you be so kind as to offer up your valued advice?...
Cheers!
 
Caliber? There's the ol' standby in .357 including the Ruger GP100 and the S&W 686. Those'll also shoot .38 special, of course.
 
or get a 44 mag they're more fun to shoot then a 357 and I have a 257 revolver its nice not having to chase brass around
 
Get a 44 mag revolver, and if you don't already start reloading,
44 mag is such a versatile cartridge to reload. Light loads like a 357 all the way to full 44 mag loads and anything in between.
 
For .357 Mag, if you want smooth trigger for more accurate shooting, I recommend SW686 plus (7 round). Its single action is so lightweight - almost like an action airgun!
386 XL Hunter, Model 327 TRR8, Model M & P R8 are also my favorite - light weight, 8 round cylinder and better accuracy - more expensive
 
The two most obvious choices in caliber would be .357 or .44 mag. If you chose a .357 you can shoot the inexpensive .38 special as well. If you chose the .44 mag you can also shoot .44 special. There is one more choice and it is a .460 Smith & Wesson and if you watch you can get them in your price range used. If you go this route you can also shoot .45 Colt in it as well as 454 Casul.

My choice of guns would be a Smith & Wesson. If you like stainless guns that get a 686 and if you like blued guns get a 586 in the .357 caliber. If you go with the .44 mag then the stainless model is a 629 and the blued model is a 29. Any of these choices will last you a lifetime if you look after it.

Graydog
 
Get them all. Luv revolvers, no more brass pickup :)

My fav lately:

686+ with bullseye kit (lighter spring) for DA. Really accurate with WC, recoils like a 22.
629 PC Hunter, 7.5" barrel with muzzle break. Long barrel give nice long site, muzzle break reduce recoil to 357 level.
50 S&W PC, when you want wrist injuries or attract attention.
 
I have a few of .357 revolvers and it is a good gun. The .38 special is similar to a 9mm IMHO. One revolver I have is a Ruger Convertable and it shoots 9mm and .357Mag from the same gun. I like that idea. I have mostly 6 inch bbls. and like that as well. The S&W revolvers are a little more money than a Ruger and are a little better quality maybe, but not as tough. Both are good products though. Getting a revolver in stainless steel costs a little more but not a lot. I have a couple revolvers that use moon clips, these are able to make a semi auto ammo work in a revolver. The clips themselves are a awkward to use, the clips clamp the rounds firmly and it is hard to remove the brass afterward. You will be amazed how much more accurate a good revolver is compared to your Glock, at least that is my experience. And of course you don't have to spend time looking for the brass.

With a revolver there are the single actions and the double actions(S/A D/A). The D/A have the ease of loading as an advantage and the trigger pull will fire the revolver. In the S/A you have to #### the hammer to fire and they are slow to load and unload. In D/A the trigger pull is heavy, say 10# pull and this takes some getting used to. A D/A can be cocked like a S/A and fired this way. The trigger pull is nothing than, maybe 2# say. To be honest I fire both D/A and S/A by cocking the hammer. I am not good with heavy triggers at all.

One last thing. Shooting a .357Mag is a joy even fun, as are all the similar rounds out of a revolver, like .40S&W, 9mm, .38Special, .45ACP even 10mm. Once you go up to .44 Mag it is a different ball game. Using the stock wood grips on a Ruger Super Black Hawk I couldn't hold onto the gun and had to change to Hauge grips. This helped but it isn't fun, at least for me. My .44 Mag is a safe queen end of story. I guess I'm saying shoot a .44Mag before you lay down your money, they kick like hell. Lots of experts on here will recommend guns like the .500 S&W but these guns are brutal in the kick department. Just expensive toys for the most part.

You should think about getting into reloading.
 
JimmieA. said:
I have a few of .357 revolvers and it is a good gun. The .38 special is similar to a 9mm IMHO. One revolver I have is a Ruger Convertable and it shoots 9mm and .357Mag from the same gun. I like that idea. I have mostly 6 inch bbls. and like that as well. The S&W revolvers are a little more money than a Ruger and are a little better quality maybe, but not as tough. Both are good products though. Getting a revolver in stainless steel costs a little more but not a lot. I have a couple revolvers that use moon clips, these are able to make a semi auto ammo work in a revolver. The clips themselves are a awkward to use, the clips clamp the rounds firmly and it is hard to remove the brass afterward. You will be amazed how much more accurate a good revolver is compared to your Glock, at least that is my experience. And of course you don't have to spend time looking for the brass.

With a revolver there are the single actions and the double actions(S/A D/A). The D/A have the ease of loading as an advantage and the trigger pull will fire the revolver. In the S/A you have to #### the hammer to fire and they are slow to load and unload. In D/A the trigger pull is heavy, say 10# pull and this takes some getting used to. A D/A can be cocked like a S/A and fired this way. The trigger pull is nothing than, maybe 2# say. To be honest I fire both D/A and S/A by cocking the hammer. I am not good with heavy triggers at all.

One last thing. Shooting a .357Mag is a joy even fun, as are all the similar rounds out of a revolver, like .40S&W, 9mm, .38Special, .45ACP even 10mm. Once you go up to .44 Mag it is a different ball game. Using the stock wood grips on a Ruger Super Black Hawk I couldn't hold onto the gun and had to change to Hauge grips. This helped but it isn't fun, at least for me. My .44 Mag is a safe queen end of story. I guess I'm saying shoot a .44Mag before you lay down your money, they kick like hell. Lots of experts on here will recommend guns like the .500 S&W but these guns are brutal in the kick department. Just expensive toys for the most part.

You should think about getting into reloading.
Click to expand...

This is good advise.

Graydog
 
09outlander said:
When it comes to revolvers I'm a firm believer in the saying "Go big or go home", 44 mag would be the smallest caliber I'd consider.
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I'd like to chime in with the opposite viewpoint (not to say there's anything wrong with this idea). I don't find shooting .44 Magnums fun. I still have a scar on my knuckle from an old Blackhawk with a square trigger guard so maybe I'm traumatized, but I find .44s tend to get shot a little bit, admired somewhat, and generally be a big heavy novelty that shoots loonies. Even if you reload, the cost is significantly higher than .357 or .38, and I wouldn't be inclined to shoot it a lot. I'm not saying "stay away from big revolvers" but rather just to understand what you're getting into with them.

When you're getting a revolver, especially your first one, consider what you plan to use it for. I know we're limited to punching holes in paper short of ATC but there's a LOT of ways to punch holes in paper. Do you plan to have a recreational plinker, or do you ever plan to get engaged in organized shooting like PPC, Bullseye, IPSC, or IDPA? I know a friend who got into Cowboy Action shooting just because he loved his Ruger Blackhawk so much. If you think you might want to consider that someday, make sure you're buying a revolver that could be used in the games you want to play. It's not necessarily the first thing to think about when you're looking for a first revolver, but it can save you some money down the road. If you want to shoot competition, beware the cylinders with more than six shots--a lot of revolver division rules in gun games make them a liability.

Personally, I think the K-frame .38 revolvers are a great introduction to wheelguns for people looking for their first one and they can regularly be found at good prices. If you can find a .357 you like, they're awesome and fun but most people shoot more .38 than .357 anyway. A Smith and Wesson Model 10 or 14/15 will serve as a great gun you'd be proud to pass down to your kids and they can be found for under $500. They're also great for most gun games, since they were the basis of a lot of revolver divisions in competition like IDPA. Older M10/14/15s also tend to have super-sweet triggers, and with .38 loads they're guns anybody can pick up, shoot and enjoy.

Also, don't discount the Single Action revolvers. As Jimmie said, a lot of people end up shooting DA revolvers SA anyway, so you can always just cut to the chase with an extremely cool gun like a Blackhawk or Vaquero.

Regardless of what you get you're sure to be pleased. Wheel guns are the real guns.
 
.44Mag IS a lot of fun. But it's not the best gun to use for learning to shoot well. And if costs a small fortune to feed it if you don't immediately get into reloading.

So my suggestion if you want a new gun would be a S&W 686. Or if you enjoy the look of a classic blued gun a S&W 586 or Model 19. Both with let you shoot some .357Magnums now and then and will accept .38Spl for serious accuracy sessions.

I prefer the S&W over the Ruger for the trigger travel. In DA it's a nice long smooth build to the release where the Ruger has a little "click" just before the hammer releases. And in SA mode there's simply NO creep with the S&W while the Ruger still has a slight travel.
 
..ddubblettapp.. said:
... Looking for the classic all round impress your friends and frighten your enemies kind of pistol....
Click to expand...

Well, the classic standby, as others have mentioned, its the S&W 629 .44 Mag. But an old blued Model 25 in .45 Colt (or a Colt New Service) would be a very nice piece of kit as well. Not as easy to find but they're a classic, too. Few firearms say "CLASS" as suavely as a big ol' blued N frame.

Have a look here: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/174961-smiths-45-colt-ctg-ultimate-25-625-discussion-thread-edited-2-3-2012-a.html

:) Stuart
 
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DrSpaceJam said:
I'd like to chime in with the opposite viewpoint (not to say there's anything wrong with this idea). I don't find shooting .44 Magnums fun. I still have a scar on my knuckle from an old Blackhawk with a square trigger guard so maybe I'm traumatized, but I find .44s tend to get shot a little bit, admired somewhat, and generally be a big heavy novelty that shoots loonies. Even if you reload, the cost is significantly higher than .357 or .38, and I wouldn't be inclined to shoot it a lot. I'm not saying "stay away from big revolvers" but rather just to understand what you're getting into with them.

When you're getting a revolver, especially your first one, consider what you plan to use it for. I know we're limited to punching holes in paper short of ATC but there's a LOT of ways to punch holes in paper. Do you plan to have a recreational plinker, or do you ever plan to get engaged in organized shooting like PPC, Bullseye, IPSC, or IDPA? I know a friend who got into Cowboy Action shooting just because he loved his Ruger Blackhawk so much. If you think you might want to consider that someday, make sure you're buying a revolver that could be used in the games you want to play. It's not necessarily the first thing to think about when you're looking for a first revolver, but it can save you some money down the road. If you want to shoot competition, beware the cylinders with more than six shots--a lot of revolver division rules in gun games make them a liability.

Personally, I think the K-frame .38 revolvers are a great introduction to wheelguns for people looking for their first one and they can regularly be found at good prices. If you can find a .357 you like, they're awesome and fun but most people shoot more .38 than .357 anyway. A Smith and Wesson Model 10 or 14/15 will serve as a great gun you'd be proud to pass down to your kids and they can be found for under $500. They're also great for most gun games, since they were the basis of a lot of revolver divisions in competition like IDPA. Older M10/14/15s also tend to have super-sweet triggers, and with .38 loads they're guns anybody can pick up, shoot and enjoy.

Also, don't discount the Single Action revolvers. As Jimmie said, a lot of people end up shooting DA revolvers SA anyway, so you can always just cut to the chase with an extremely cool gun like a Blackhawk or Vaquero.

Regardless of what you get you're sure to be pleased. Wheel guns are the real guns.
Click to expand...

This is a great post. I have all the revolvers mostly right from .22 to the great big .500S&W and you absolutly correct DrSpaceJam my big boys don't get used anywhere near as much as the smaller ones do. I shoot a lot, as much as 40,000 rounds per year and most of my shooting is done with .22 and .38 caliber guns. Don't get me wromg none of my guns are safe queens. I am just saying the big boys are used way less then the smaller ones are.

Graydog
 
DrSpaceJam said:
...Personally, I think the K-frame .38 revolvers are a great introduction to wheelguns for people looking for their first one and they can regularly be found at good prices. If you can find a .357 you like, they're awesome and fun but most people shoot more .38 than .357 anyway. A Smith and Wesson Model 10 or 14/15 will serve as a great gun you'd be proud to pass down to your kids and they can be found for under $500. They're also great for most gun games, since they were the basis of a lot of revolver divisions in competition like IDPA. Older M10/14/15s also tend to have super-sweet triggers, and with .38 loads they're guns anybody can pick up, shoot and enjoy.....
Click to expand...

So true. If the OP can forgo the "wow the friends and neighbours with BIG" thing, one of these would be the cat's whiskers:

SWModel14-3.jpg


Model 14-3, made around 1967. :)
 
I would strongly suggest the .357 over .44 as well... Big bore is fun, and certainly has its place, but as an all-day all-around revolver you can't go wrong with a 686. I loooooove my 4.25 686! Just my two cents!
 
I'm going to jump into this thread as I too am also considering my first revolver purchase.

My experience so far:
I am an established shooter, got many 1000's downrange, not worried about any learning curve.
Right now I shoot a 9mm 1911, an M&P9, and a 44 Desert Eagle.

I reload for all these. I can reload for 44 for significantly cheaper then factory, to make matters worse, I have a paint bucket full of 44mag Cast Gas check bullets I've worked up loads for, and tested in my Marlin 1894 but cannot use in my D'Eagle.

That being said, I'm hung up on whether I should go 44 mag, or stick with 357.

Option in 357 so far locally are; a flawed but awesome 686-3 6" or a 19-4 6", with the rumour of a 27.

The 686 is flawed cause it has "too good" a trigger job. One of those jobs where if you push on the hammer while cocked, you can get it to drop without touching the trigger. However, I know the shop owner well, and he's let me have my way this gun, I've probably spent a solid hour an a half the past week or two sitting off in the corner on my own fondling and inspecting it.
I've had the opportunity to dry fire and test it plenty, unless this problem can get worse, it seem perfectly safe. It takes some good force to drop the hammer, and well, it does make for an awesome trigger. It's telepathic.

The 19-4, is a really good price, or so it seems to me, and I kind of like the classic blued look. It looks just like the Daisy Pellet gun I have that I got as a kid and grew up with. It has a nice trigger, the action tests safe and solid. Lockup and timing seems tight and correct. My hangup is that I feel I would rather the L frame for the extra weight for accurate target shooting, and overall robustness, as I do like to play with hot rounds sometimes. Also, this gun does not have the newer nicer sights that the 686 has with the orange front and white rear. Not a deal breaker, but it is a nice touch.

I don't know anything about the 27, other then a buddie mentioned that a fellow member at this club might have one for sale. (We have like 5 ranges in my city) Said it was an 8". A big N frame 357 with that long a barrel just seems odd to me, but I suppose it would offer the most of what I'm looking for as the point of getting a revolver to me is to have the maximum accuracy advantage a handgun can offer for the purpose of maybe shooting groups and a consistent 50y print.
The weight an radius will give me that, but to heavy could induce some muscle shake.

As I am a fan of matching calibres, the fact that I'm 44 ready is a selling point on the other end of the spectrum. However, the money I save with the 19-4 over the 686 could buy me dies and get me started.

There is a listing posted at my local club for a 629 6" that has peaked my interest. I have not contacted the guy yet to find out if it's still available.
There is also the option of waiting out the EE for one to pop up in my budget range, it does happen eventually. Just saw a 629 5" sell for a price I would of been willing to pay. I would rather a 6" for the extra radius, as mentioned
Another local shop has many new offerings, tho' I'd rather buy used. I'd have to layaway and save more to buy new, unless I got that cute Ruger Blackhawk they have, but I'd rather a modern style double, and again, it's only like a 4.6 or 5".

Hopefully this isn't tl;dr.

Let me know what you think.
 
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