First Revolver

** All the guns below were purchased for less than $500:

For economy and quality I would recommend the Ruger Security/Speed/Service Six variants. Built strong, accurate, reliable, and usually much cheaper that a S&W L frame 357. I have dozens of 357 revolvers and most are Rugers and S&Ws with the odd Dan Wesson thrown into the mix. And Ruger is usually less expensive for great quality. I also like and own K frame Smiths which can be had cheap but they can't handle loads like the Ruger or L frame Smiths can.





From your criteria I assumed you were looking for a larger gun than these but if your goal is more concealed carry then the Ruger SP101 or J frame 357s from S&W are also very good guns. They can usually be found without too much expense. Also there are numerous grip options available for these guns from large to small.

You would do quite well to peruse the J&G Sales and CDNN web sites. They regularly handle lots of police and security company trade-in revolvers and tend to have terrific prices for guns that were "carried a lot, shot a little."

For .38 Spc., you can get model 10s and 64s for less than $300. Fantastic, classic gun for very little money.

.357s of various kinds go for a bit more.

I have a pair of Ruger SP101s and a S&W 686Plus. For your $500 limit, its a no brainer. Ruger SP101. Its a fantastic revolver, handles 357s with ease and is quite a looker as well. If you want a larger grip, there are numerous grip options available. I have a 3" with hammer spur and a 2" with bobbed hammer. Either is great, but the bobbed hammer is better for carry. I like them both. There is also a new 4" .357 SP101 that looks nice. All SP101s are very close to $500 new

J&G has Model 64's for $279
http://www.jgsales.com/smith-wesson...er,-used,-very-good-condition-s-w-p-5825.html

Ruger GP100 is right at the $500.00 limit and worth every penny. The best revolver out there if you like them built like a tank. If you look around you can find some deals on this gun. Especially, in the used market. The one I bought had less than 50 rounds through it and I paid $425.00 complete with everything it comes with new. I could have been told it was new and I wouldn't have known. Good luck and let us know what you get.

i would recommend the rugers as well. gp100 for a great all purpose gun. sp101 if you plan to carry it a bunch. the 3 inch gp100 is a nice balance of both, and you would have plenty of grip choices.

You should definitely also look at used S&W of one of the following model #'s 10,15,64 (.38 spl.), 13,19, 60, (.357). These S&Ws IMHO have the best chance of satisfying your requirements and staying within budget. A caveat though, have an experienced revolver guy assist you in selection. Used gun buying can be something akin to used car buying without the benefit of good experienced advice. Also, your budget is right on the edge of possible to get any of the .357's in good order.

Just in case you missed this sticky...

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=1430

I'd suggest

the GP-100, strong, accurate and a trigger with great potential, coil springs.
That being said, be on the look out for a S&W M-19, a sonnet in steel; beautiful to look at, a joy to hold, and heaven to shot, DA or SA. And I'm a .44 and up guy

GP stands for General Purpose, and IMO the 4" is the best "General Purpose" length. Since you have experience with a GP... go for it. This revolver is top notch.

If you're focused on something with a 4 to 6 inch barrel I'll jump in and further sing the praises of the S&W Model 19. A superbly balanced gun which shoots extremely accurately in the 6 inch model. And with a Wolff spring kit installed it begins to feel like it has a match style trigger job. Add on a little internal smoothing by a good revolver smith and it WILL be a match grade trigger even in double action mode.

If the ability to shoot some .357Mag isn't a big deal for you then the equivalent to the Model 19 but chambered for .38Spl only is a Model 14.

In both these K frame examples the guns have the adjustable rear sights. This is nice as it allows you to play with a wider variety of loads and adjust the POA to match where each load shoots. The fixed sight revolvers pretty much need to use the load that the guns were sighted in for. In most cases that means 158gn bullets at some specific power level.

There is a wide variety of grips for almost any revolver available from a variety of makers. So fitting your hands is simply a case of finding an option that you like.

The J&G guns are a good price but the bobbed hammers and DA only action would mean that you won't get to experience the delightful S&W single action trigger feel. Plug they are fixed sights. For a first revolver I'd suggest that it would be nice to have a gun which can be more flexible in the shooting modes and have adjustable sights.

I would without a doubt buy a used Ruger GP100 or Smith and Wesson 19/66/586/686 with a 4" or 6" barrel. You can buy aftermarket grips for any of them. Barrel length and blue or stainless is personal preference, so I can't advise on that.

Handle and inspect very carefully for "home" gunsmithing screwups.

I bought a used Smith and Wesson 29-2 with a 6" barrel from Gander Mountain about 7 years ago. I paid $400 plus I bought the warranty for $19.99. Due to my lack of knowledge, the gun had issues I was unable to detect until shooting it at a later time. Gander sent it to Smith and Wesson under the warranty and I got back an incredible gun.

Best $20 I ever spent.

DC Plumber said:

I would without a doubt buy a used Ruger GP100 or Smith and Wesson 19/66/586/686 with a 4" or 6" barrel. You can buy aftermarket grips for any of them. Barrel length and blue or stainless is personal preference, so I can't advise on that.

Handle and inspect very carefully for "home" gunsmithing screwups.

I bought a used Smith and Wesson 29-2 with a 6" barrel from Gander Mountain about 7 years ago. I paid $400 plus I bought the warranty for $19.99. Due to my lack of knowledge, the gun had issues I was unable to detect until shooting it at a later time. Gander sent it to Smith and Wesson under the warranty and I got back an incredible gun.

Best $20 I ever spent.

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That's awesome that they warranty used guns!!

I need to find one of those shops near me.

Ya, it was a good deal. I don't know if they do that anymore.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but this may be pertinent.

My gun and a rought forcing cone and a jeweled trigger and hammer. When the hammer was pulled back, you could push on the hammer with your thumb and the gun would fire. That is a good test to do right there when looking at used revolvers. Smith and Wesson recut the forcing cone, set the barrel back for a nice close barrel/cylinder gap, rebuilt the trigger mechanism and sent me the old parts. The finish on the gun was about 95%, so it is a beautiful shooter that is TIGHT. All for $20! Gander even had to pay for shipping.

Shop wisely. I got lucky. If I hadn't bought they warranty, my $400 wouldn't have been such a good deal.

mesinge2 said:

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Where do you get those speedloaders?

rromeo said:

Where do you get those speedloaders?

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They're 5 Star Speed loaders and I wholeheartedly endorse this product. I have been using them for years and I have never had issue one.

Other than my Wife's GP-100, I had been away from wheelguns for two decades. Then I found an offer to trade a XD40 subcompact of mine for a SW 36 J-frame. Now I'm watching for more!