Which gun to buy?

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Hoyte

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I have a choice between:
1. Astra 400
2. Two H&R 732s
3.High standard Sport King
4. Tokarev TT33
5. Charter arms 357 mag
6. Charter arms 44 special
7. Magnum Research mountain eagle
8. Ruger Mark II
9.Taurus pt22
10. A very sharp and sturdy stick.

All are about the same price +-$50

I plan on using it as one of my ccws. I have plenty of 22lr and 32 sw ammo. I’m able to get 9mm largo easily. The other calibers are a bit more difficult to find nowadays it seems.
 
For a concealed carry piece youre going to bet your life on?

Charter Arms, hands down. Either .44 or .357 will do fine.

Astra- rare ammo, heavy, unobtanium magazines, should have springs replaced before firing, difficult to chamber a round when the hammer is down.

All the .22s- lack of power, unreliable rimfire ammunition vulnerable to primer issues and moisture intrusion.

Tokarev- rare ammo (if a 7.62mm model), most dont have a thumb safety for carrying cocked and locked- some have a safety added, but it is crude and difficult to manipulate.

The H&Rs would be fine, assuming the timing is still good- Ive seen many that are not due to ratchet and hand wear issues- but are still second rate compared to a Charter.
 
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Thanks for the advice. It seems it’s between the 357 and the two h&rs. The h&rs are in perfect shape. What would be better, 12 shots of 32 (6x2) or 5 shots of 357?
 
As Nightlord40K posted above, the CAare about the only ones I’d consider as a CCW firearm...either the .357 or .44 Spl. The others would certainly be neat to have, but not in a ccw role (IMHO).
Good luck with your selection, let’s us know how it shoots for you. :thumbup:
Stay safe.
 
If you can get a High Standard Sport King .22 for $50 go get it quick. Make sure the frame isn't cracked and only use standard velocity ammo. Very accurate guns.

A good .22 is great for getting into handguns as the noise and recoil shouldn't distract you from keeping your eyes on the target.

When you get a more powerful weapon later on for CCW you won't have developed a flinch. The same applies to the Ruger MK-II.

Ruger used to offer re-bluing for $100 and included replacing parts and springs to make it like new.

I have a HS Duramatic and a Ruger MK-II, both shoot great.

Ruger & High Std left.jpg
 

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I wish I could find a high standard for $50. The $50 was the plus minute difference in price between all of them. I have a few and have had a few handguns over the years. The 22 I use now is an H&r r92. I’ve shot larger calibers before first handgun I actually bought was a 44 mag. Kept cutting the web of my thumb until I finally got the roll right and i was pretty accurate with it afterwards. That revolver is long gone unfortunately. I find high standards super interesting because of how you can swap out the barrels and the overall design. Whatever I choose I’ll definitely let you all know.
 
I wish I could find a high standard for $50. The $50 was the plus minute difference in price between all of them. I have a few and have had a few handguns over the years. The 22 I use now is an H&r r92. I’ve shot larger calibers before first handgun I actually bought was a 44 mag. Kept cutting the web of my thumb until I finally got the roll right and i was pretty accurate with it afterwards. That revolver is long gone unfortunately. I find high standards super interesting because of how you can swap out the barrels and the overall design. Whatever I choose I’ll definitely let you all know.
View attachment 951922 I have a thing for high standards also. But they are definitely not a self defense option.
 
If you're looking for a novelty gun to shoot on occasion, pick whichever one floats your boat.
I plan on using it as one of my ccws.
I wouldn't buy any of them for that use. There's an old saying, "uncommon guns are uncommon for a reason."
 
A Glock, M&P, HK, Beretta, SIG, etc., will probably function better, and you'll probably be able to find a holster for them fairly easily.

I can't imagine finding a concealment holster for any of the guns on your list would be easy.
 
For CCW the charter is the way to go. Grandpa carried one for 40 year's. I carried one for years.
 
If you're looking for a novelty gun to shoot on occasion, pick whichever one floats your boat.

I wouldn't buy any of them for that use. There's an old saying, "uncommon guns are uncommon for a reason."

For me I really have to find a balance between novelty and function. If I hate the look of it, Im going to hate carrying it and will start to look for something else. If I like it but its absolute garbage, then its pretty useless, so I have to find something I like, but has a proven track record. For the charters, from what Ive read the older ones are pretty iffy, but since they redid themselves in I think 2005, theyve been alot better.
 
I wouldn't pick any of them as MY CCW. But I would pick the sport king if I wanted a cool old gun, or the Ruger MK2 if I wanted a gun just to shoot.
 
Which one will blow out your eardrums in a bedroom in the middle of the night and you didn’t have time to put on your shooting ear muffs? I hate the muzzle blast of a short barreled .357.
 
.357’s generate a good bit of velocity, but they generate a good bit of recoil and muzzle blast in order to attain that velocity...especially out of small revolvers. These can shoot lighter .38 Spl and .38 +P loads, which would be my choice in a small .357/.38 for ccw.

The .44 Spl uses a larger diameter/heavier bullet fired at a more sedate pressure and velocity. A good JHP like Hornady Critical Defense 165 gr or a lead SWC-HP like the Federal 200 grain load is ideal... if’n you can find any nowadays.

Now you never specified whether the charter .357 is a 2” snub or a longer barrelled “target bulldog”which can Make a difference in controlability with magnum loads and carryability around the waistband.

The .44 Bulldogs are usually 5-shots, with barrels from 2.5 to 4”.

Both are effective rounds that can be both fun for play and effective for defense depending on the chosen load.

Personally I’d go with the .44 Spl., but mainly because I’ve always wanted a Bulldog .44. The .357 is probably more practical, and will be cheaper and easier to shoot it a lot with .38’s if you’re not a reloader...yet. ;)

Stay safe.
 
.357’s generate a good bit of velocity, but they generate a good bit of recoil and muzzle blast in order to attain that velocity...especially out of small revolvers. These can shoot lighter .38 Spl and .38 +P loads, which would be my choice in a small .357/.38 for ccw.

The .44 Spl uses a larger diameter/heavier bullet fired at a more sedate pressure and velocity. A good JHP like Hornady Critical Defense 165 gr or a lead SWC-HP like the Federal 200 grain load is ideal... if’n you can find any nowadays.

Now you never specified whether the charter .357 is a 2” snub or a longer barrelled “target bulldog”which can Make a difference in controlability with magnum loads and carryability around the waistband.

The .44 Bulldogs are usually 5-shots, with barrels from 2.5 to 4”.

Both are effective rounds that can be both fun for play and effective for defense depending on the chosen load.

Personally I’d go with the .44 Spl., but mainly because I’ve always wanted a Bulldog .44. The .357 is probably more practical, and will be cheaper and easier to shoot it a lot with .38’s if you’re not a reloader...yet. ;)

Stay safe.

They're both the 2,2.5 inch barrels. Seems to be that the general consensus is the 44 spl charter. Which makes the decision easier because there was also an eaa windicator in 357 as well but in order to contact those sellers I would have to pay for armslist, which i don't plan on doing.
 
For me I really have to find a balance between novelty and function. If I hate the look of it, Im going to hate carrying it and will start to look for something else. If I like it but its absolute garbage, then its pretty useless, so I have to find something I like, but has a proven track record. For the charters, from what Ive read the older ones are pretty iffy, but since they redid themselves in I think 2005, theyve been alot better.
Before you choose anything off your list, figure out how you plan to carry your gun, and then see if you can find a holster for that gun and carry mode.

The availability or lack of availability of holsters may help make your decision.

I'm a holster fan, and I really enjoy helping folks find a holster for their gun, but I've lost count of the number of threads from various members who have bought some gun that was discontinued several decades ago and are now looking for a holster for their gun, for say appendix carry, or a shoulder holster, or some other odd ball combination that just isn't readily available.

Edit to add: You also may want to determine which gun offers defensive ammunition, that is available, at a price you are willing to pay. That may also steer your selection process in a particular direction.
 
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