Which revolver for a newbie?

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amolkapoor

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Hello guys,

I blew a hole in my pocket yesterday at Target Sports (and loved it!), so there goes my fun money for a a few days. It was my birthday, so didn't add up the cost of ammo before ordering, while getting carried away with excitement, lol! Still waiting for my RPAL, they are taking their time as I am a first time applicant, so getting by with Silverdale and Target Sports to scratch my itch. :p

I totally loved shooting a revolver for the first time, and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for someone new to firearms, looking for many fun and peaceful days of target shooting ahead. Here are the things I would look for in a revolver, I think(I'm new, so please feel free to correct me):
1- Shouldn't be too heavy, as I would like my wife to use it too on occassion.
2- Manageable recoil. Not crazy like a 12ga shotgun, of which I am still sore.
3- Under $1000, as I am not Mr.Richie Rich
4- Affordable ammo, so my guess was 9mm or .357 magnum/.38 special, but open to advice.

Thanks in advance for helping me with my research, I want to have my choices ready to order/purchase as soon as I have my licence delivered to me. So far I have shortlisted a Ruger 10/22 Takedown, a Ruger SR22 handgun(I like the single action double action, and it is for my wife primarily), a Stack on 8-gun cabinet from Amazon(It is black, $169 and free shipping, and I have to move later this year so won't be too heavy to move or too expensive to leave behind). Plus already bought eyes, ears and some shoot and see targets to keep in my little Cabelas range bag along with other stuff.

Can't wait to hear what you guys say! :)



Amol
 
22s are usually cheapest of the pile for purchase and definitely for feeding. Any 9 mm is a good all around item, but it must fit your hand, or you will have buyers remorse. Revolvers or semi is your call, but if you look around, most newer gun purchases are semiauto. Always try to shoot one before buying it. Sometimes it is hard to do in Canada, but depending where you live and shoot, there may be good used guns for sale locally, or you may find someone that will let you shoot a few rounds.

You can always buy a larger calibre revolver and soft load it. I have shoot some large calibre ones that had less recoil than my 9mm.
 
S&W 66 or a GP100 4.2" for light weight.

A Ruger Blackhawk for something a bit different.

I've not gotten into 9mm revolver and doubt that I ever will. My Blackhawk has a 9mm cylinder and it just leaves me cold. I'd sooner shoot 38 special, and I do.
 
I'd go with a .22 unless you have a good reason not to. Ruger sp101 is fantastic or an Alfa Proj is also great value. And with the $500 left over in your budget you can buy enough .22 to shoot for years to come
 
twoicebergs said:
22s are usually cheapest of the pile for purchase and definitely for feeding. Any 9 mm is a good all around item, but it must fit your hand, or you will have buyers remorse. Revolvers or semi is your call, but if you look around, most newer gun purchases are semiauto. Always try to shoot one before buying it. Sometimes it is hard to do in Canada, but depending where you live and shoot, there may be good used guns for sale locally, or you may find someone that will let you shoot a few rounds.

You can always buy a larger calibre revolver and soft load it. I have shoot some large calibre ones that had less recoil than my 9mm.
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I was thinking of a Ruger semi auto SR22 anyway, so figured look for another calibre, but maybe I'll go shoot some more different ones again soon so I can decide better. Definitely love the simplicity of the revolver over semi auto! :)
 
GP 100 is heavy in the hand but that makes shooting 38's in it a breeze. Mine kicks less than my Glock, and the added bonus of the heavy trigger is that if you shoot it double action your overall trigger skills will improve dramatically.
 
Mark-II said:
S&W 66 or a GP100 4.2" for light weight.

A Ruger Blackhawk for something a bit different.

I've not gotten into 9mm revolver and doubt that I ever will. My Blackhawk has a 9mm cylinder and it just leaves me cold. I'd sooner shoot 38 special, and I do.
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The one I shot yesterday was a Smith & Wesson, stainless steel with black polymer grip, .357 magnum, long barrel, and we loaded .38 special, which was $10 for 10 rounds. I'm guessing retail price for this ammo would be half or slightly less than half, as I've noticed they charge double from unlicenced shooters. Not sure of the model of the revolver though, was too excited to start shooting my zombie target with it, and it came apart after a few loads, so the RO had to take it back to the shop and I never got to check the model name.
 
PlanForPlanB said:
I'd go with a .22 unless you have a good reason not to. Ruger sp101 is fantastic or an Alfa Proj is also great value. And with the $500 left over in your budget you can buy enough .22 to shoot for years to come
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Thanks, I hadn't noticed that revolvers came in .22, how do the Alfa Proj ones compare to Ruger in terms of finish, accuracy and reliability? I kind of believe in buying once, if possible, so wondering.
 
The Alfa is a copy of S&W design. While not a S&W in terms of fit and finish they are quite close. I don't think you'd be selling it to upgrade unless you fell in love with stainless over blued. The Ruger has a nicer finish but its downside is the heavy trigger pull. Not a bad trigger but definitely heavy. A Wolff spring kit for the sp101 however is cheap and easily installed so maybe not a big concern. Alfa's also have a readily available spring kit come to think of it but don't start off with nearly as heavy of a pull. Ruger is 8shot vs Alfa 9 if that matters to you. Ruger also has a fairly small grip if that type of thing bothers you. Pinky will most likely be off the grip. Doesn't bother me, I like the overall small size.
 
simpleman said:
Can't go wrong with a ruger gp 100
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Hello Simpleman,

I like the looks of the GP 100, hopefully I'll be able to find one I can try out. Have you had a chance to try the LCRx yet? I am wondering how much of difference in accuracy is caused by length of the barrel and weight of the revolver overall, as I'm trying to find something light for myself(recent tranplant recipient) and my wife(right shoulder issue) to shoot once a month.

Thanks for your advice.

Amol
 
PlanForPlanB said:
The Alfa is a copy of S&W design. While not a S&W in terms of fit and finish they are quite close. I don't think you'd be selling it to upgrade unless you fell in love with stainless over blued. The Ruger has a nicer finish but its downside is the heavy trigger pull. Not a bad trigger but definitely heavy. A Wolff spring kit for the sp101 however is cheap and easily installed so maybe not a big concern. Alfa's also have a readily available spring kit come to think of it but don't start off with nearly as heavy of a pull. Ruger is 8shot vs Alfa 9 if that matters to you. Ruger also has a fairly small grip if that type of thing bothers you. Pinky will most likely be off the grip. Doesn't bother me, I like the overall small size.
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Thanks! :)
 
amolkapoor said:
The one I shot yesterday was a Smith & Wesson, stainless steel with black polymer grip, .357 magnum, long barrel, and we loaded .38 special, which was $10 for 10 rounds. I'm guessing retail price for this ammo would be half or slightly less than half, as I've noticed they charge double from unlicenced shooters. Not sure of the model of the revolver though, was too excited to start shooting my zombie target with it, and it came apart after a few loads, so the RO had to take it back to the shop and I never got to check the model name.
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Sounds like a model 686 - pretty much the ubiquitous S&W .357. They come in different barrel lengths, though 6" is the most common. There's also the 586, which is the wood-stocked blued version - that's the one that I have.

They're a bit nose heavy, and no doubt a 5" model would be nicer, but they are fine guns.

For .38 special only you could look for a Model 14 / K38 Masterpiece on the used market - ones in G-VG condition can still be reasonable. If it's not THE best .38 special revolver for under a grand, I'd like to shoot the gun that purports to be its superior.

I just bought what promises to be a very nice one on the exchange and I'm stoked to finally have that itch scratched.
 
PlanForPlanB said:
The Alfa is a copy of S&W design. While not a S&W in terms of fit and finish they are quite close. I don't think you'd be selling it to upgrade unless you fell in love with stainless over blued. The Ruger has a nicer finish but its downside is the heavy trigger pull. Not a bad trigger but definitely heavy. A Wolff spring kit for the sp101 however is cheap and easily installed so maybe not a big concern. Alfa's also have a readily available spring kit come to think of it but don't start off with nearly as heavy of a pull. Ruger is 8shot vs Alfa 9 if that matters to you. Ruger also has a fairly small grip if that type of thing bothers you. Pinky will most likely be off the grip. Doesn't bother me, I like the overall small size.
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Thanks, I'll look into these. I'm thinking stainless steel finish so it lasts longer, plastic grip, cheap-ish ammo.

Any idea why revolvers cost more than pistols? In my untrained mind, they seem simpler, so not sure why they cost more.
 
Mark-II said:
Sounds like a model 686 - pretty much the ubiquitous S&W .357. They come in different barrel lengths, though 6" is the most common. There's also the 586, which is the wood-stocked blued version - that's the one that I have.

They're a bit nose heavy, and no doubt a 5" model would be nicer, but they are fine guns.

For .38 special only you could look for a Model 14 / K38 Masterpiece on the used market - ones in G-VG condition can still be reasonable. If it's not THE best .38 special revolver for under a grand, I'd like to shoot the gun that purports to be its superior.

I just bought what promises to be a very nice one on the exchange and I'm stoked to finally have that itch scratched.
Click to expand...

How is the recoil with the .357 magnum vs .38 special? I only shot .38 special, found it manageable. I'd only shot handguns in .22, 9mm, .45 so far, so .38 in the revolver was like a special treat :)
I don't know if it is the action or beauty of the revolver, or the fact that most movies when I was growing up had revolvers.
 
First off the Alfa Proj is NOT a copy of the S&W. Lots of differences in both appearance and especially internal action. The only thing they have in common is that they use the same cylinder spacing so speed loaders for the K frame S&W guns will work for an Alfa.

This will be your first revolver. And from the sounds of it you don't have many guns yet. So as much as I like my own Alfa I'm going to suggest against it for you. Instead I strongly suggest a S&W. Why? Because they have a well proven 100 year history and you will have very few issues with finding parts or service for them. Alfa, on the other hand, is a new game and their track record is only a couple of years old now. If they go "Poof!" we, yes I have an Alfa, might end up with orphan guns with parts availability issues. As a new gun owner I doubt you want that sort of risk.

The 686 or the blued 586 version are both excellent guns with a long reputation. And having shot both brands I prefer the S&W over the Ruger for the trigger. Both can be slicked up and the trigger pull reduced with a spring kit but the S&W still retains a slight edge on the quality and sharpness of the trigger feel. You'll find fans in both camps but that's my experience on the matter. It hasn't stopped me from getting a couple of Rugers though. In fact if anything while I really like my Rugers it just confirms that S&W makes a better trigger.

GOOD .22 double/single action revolvers are not common and not cheap. In fact the list of good revolvers that are commonly available with good triggers is only two models long and they are all from one maker. We're talking S&W models 17 and 617. Blued or stainless respectively. All others are either badly made or have really nasty triggers. The currently available Ruger SP101-22 is nice and nicely made but the DA trigger requires the shooter to take up muscle building to pull without shaking the gun around. There's spring kits available but in the end the action in the smaller frame Ruger does not produce as nice a trigger as the bigger S&W revolvers. If you're willing to gamble on an Alfa this is the place to do it. An Alfa Project .22 set up with a Rusty Wood Trading mainspring swap is going to have a nicer and easier trigger pull than the Ruger SP101.

If you're after a smaller size grip and slightly lighter gun I would also suggest the S&W K frame guns. In particular the Model 10 with fixed sights or the model 14 with adjustable sights. Both are .38Spl only. But both are a delight to handle and shoot. The fixed sights on the 10 are not a big hardship. It shoots regular power 158gn loads to the Point Of Aim (POA) and for your wife if she wants a lighter recoil the 148gn wadcutter target ammo also shoots dead on POA while producing a soft thump worth of recoil that is very easy to take. The only downside to the fixed sights is the requirement for shooting the right ammo. But that isn't tough since 158gn is a .38Spl standard. The only downside to the K frame size guns is that we don't see many of them new in the dealer cases. So you have to be a little patient and buy used from a gun store or off the EE.

And yes, revolvers ARE that much fun regardless of which way you go. And WHEN the ammo prices eventually push you into reloading to cut costs .38Spl cases last many loadings before any splitting and with the large case volume they are very tolerant of slight variations in loading.
 
S&W Model 66. It will push to the edge of your budget but it will probably be a gun that you will keep for life.
 
BCRider said:
First off the Alfa Proj is NOT a copy of the S&W. Lots of differences in both appearance and especially internal action. The only thing they have in common is that they use the same cylinder spacing so speed loaders for the K frame S&W guns will work for an Alfa.

This will be your first revolver. And from the sounds of it you don't have many guns yet. So as much as I like my own Alfa I'm going to suggest against it for you. Instead I strongly suggest a S&W. Why? Because they have a well proven 100 year history and you will have very few issues with finding parts or service for them. Alfa, on the other hand, is a new game and their track record is only a couple of years old now. If they go "Poof!" we, yes I have an Alfa, might end up with orphan guns with parts availability issues. As a new gun owner I doubt you want that sort of risk.

The 686 or the blued 586 version are both excellent guns with a long reputation. And having shot both brands I prefer the S&W over the Ruger for the trigger. Both can be slicked up and the trigger pull reduced with a spring kit but the S&W still retains a slight edge on the quality and sharpness of the trigger feel. You'll find fans in both camps but that's my experience on the matter. It hasn't stopped me from getting a couple of Rugers though. In fact if anything while I really like my Rugers it just confirms that S&W makes a better trigger.

GOOD .22 double/single action revolvers are not common and not cheap. In fact the list of good revolvers that are commonly available with good triggers is only two models long and they are all from one maker. We're talking S&W models 17 and 617. Blued or stainless respectively. All others are either badly made or have really nasty triggers. The currently available Ruger SP101-22 is nice and nicely made but the DA trigger requires the shooter to take up muscle building to pull without shaking the gun around. There's spring kits available but in the end the action in the smaller frame Ruger does not produce as nice a trigger as the bigger S&W revolvers. If you're willing to gamble on an Alfa this is the place to do it. An Alfa Project .22 set up with a Rusty Wood Trading mainspring swap is going to have a nicer and easier trigger pull than the Ruger SP101.

If you're after a smaller size grip and slightly lighter gun I would also suggest the S&W K frame guns. In particular the Model 10 with fixed sights or the model 14 with adjustable sights. Both are .38Spl only. But both are a delight to handle and shoot. The fixed sights on the 10 are not a big hardship. It shoots regular power 158gn loads to the Point Of Aim (POA) and for your wife if she wants a lighter recoil the 148gn wadcutter target ammo also shoots dead on POA while producing a soft thump worth of recoil that is very easy to take. The only downside to the fixed sights is the requirement for shooting the right ammo. But that isn't tough since 158gn is a .38Spl standard. The only downside to the K frame size guns is that we don't see many of them new in the dealer cases. So you have to be a little patient and buy used from a gun store or off the EE.

And yes, revolvers ARE that much fun regardless of which way you go. And WHEN the ammo prices eventually push you into reloading to cut costs .38Spl cases last many loadings before any splitting and with the large case volume they are very tolerant of slight variations in loading.
Click to expand...

Hello BCRider :)

Thanks for the detailed review. I think I should look more into Smith and Wesson and Ruger, as I like to invest in good things for the long term, even if it means saving up and waiting for it.

One last question, how much importance does an adjustable sight have over fixed sight? I used to think that guns would come perfectly sighted from factory, but am learning it all depends on where you are shooting, windage, etc. In my limited experience, I have enjoyed shooting outdoors more than indoors, but I know it might have to be all indoors October to March.

Thanks again for your time and valuable advice.


Amol
 
amolkapoor said:
How is the recoil with the .357 magnum vs .38 special? I only shot .38 special, found it manageable. I'd only shot handguns in .22, 9mm, .45 so far, so .38 in the revolver was like a special treat :)
I don't know if it is the action or beauty of the revolver, or the fact that most movies when I was growing up had revolvers.
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I can't add much to our fellow from BC. I will say that the only .22 handgun that I plan to buy is either a K22/model17 or a 617. I've just not yet weighed in the pros cons of 6 shots and a light barrel versus 10 shots and a less desirable full lug barrel. Honestly, I'll probably go with the K22 in the end. It's just a matter of finding the right one.

I've never shot factory .357. I reload my own. Some factory .38 /158 that I shot recently has more go than my handloads for that, and my .357 isn't anywhere near max because I load for accuracy first, and use the faster powders currently, because I can't buy 2400 for love or money.

I will say that .357 is IMO the single best all around revolver cartridge for range fun. Recoil isn't punishing like the bigger bores get to be, and you can load it down to .38 special levels. For me it ranks up with 45ACP for enjoyment.

.38 target loads are powder puffs that seem closer to a .22 in some ways, but I've always enjoyed them.

My only real ding against .22 is that I get no instant feedback on how I'm shooting since I can't see the holes until I bring the target in.


PS - I'll always opt for adjustable sighted guns first, though I did use to own and shoot a Model 10 when I was younger, and had no issue with it.
 
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