Who makes the best revolvers now-a-days?

Go older

edited to be nice to new guns.

go with the older guns.

I have to agree, the older guns are the best made guns. I'm not happy with any of the new revolvers being offered by any company. Even the S&W Classic line isn't very classic with a hole in the side plate and fit-n-finish that is not finished at all...

Take your time and hunt the used market and I have a feeling you will make yourself very happy.

I think I'll pop some popcorn, grab a cold beer & sit back and laugh my ass off at the various factions shrieking like monkeys on this one.

shrieking monkey alert

you cannot by a quality revolver these days

Guillermo said:

you cannot by a quality revolver these days

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Dang, I bought a Python just the other day. I thought it was a good one. I didn't see an expiration date on it.

i am a big fan of rugers. built like tanks and, IMO, very nice looking. pretty dang accurate too!

The k-frame (size) was king when 357 revolvers ruled the world. Funny how the 19/66 and Security Six are not in production anymore. What does that tell you? Think about it???

My experience with S&W N Frames

I have owned in the past and shot a 1960 vintage M-29 and 1975 vintage M-27 plus a pre hole none dated M-29.
If you want shiny buy a older S&W if you want to shoot buy a newer gun.
My go to revolvers are 625-8's with holes.
I'm a school trained S&W revolver smith that has modified my own guns, I compete in USPSA and ICORE and Bullseye, Steel Challenge with wheel guns.
I used to shoot metallic silhouette and a bit of PPC with a small dose of bowling pins.
My new 625-8 have been better guns to compete with and have given me very little problems.
I'm talking about ten pounds over the past four years of Clays, Bullseye and WST powder through my 625's that would have my older guns crying for the factory.
The 642 in my pocket is a MIM gun and its held up better then my old M-38.

Dang, I bought a Python just the other day.

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LOL

you cannot buy a new quality revolver these days

Don't listen to Guillermo, he sold his stock in Saf-T-Lock (S&W parent) too early and is missing out on the lavish dividends

Seriously though, I just picked up a NIB Ruger GP100 blue 6", seems like a high value, if not high quality revolver from what I can tell.

I had, and still have, high hopes that CZ can revitalize the Dan Wesson line, once they pull prices back into the breathable atmosphere.

I own 13 revolvers, the only one to give me trouble is the Taurus. I know people snivel about newer S&W's, but my 629's and 686's (-1/-3/-6) have never failed me, and I shoot the dash 6 the most. I can't get 20 shots through the Taurus without it locking up.

My Ruger's are like mini tanks, they're built great but don't expect a nice fit 'n finish. I have a GP from '88, a SBH from '92, another GP from '02, and a newer SP101.

Can't speak to new S&Ws as my "youngest" is almost thirty years old. The folks I know who have new Smiths certainly aren't complaining. I think Rugers are a better value (cost for accuracy/reliability) based on prices at my LGS.

I prefer to look for older revolvers rather than buy new. I enjoy the hunt and, if patient, can stumble on great deals. My K-38 and K-22 were obtained that way for a fraction of their new counterparts.

Jeff

wlewisiii said:

I think I'll pop some popcorn, grab a cold beer & sit back and laugh my ass off at the various factions shrieking like monkeys on this one.

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My Wisconsin raised wife says don't forget the cheese and brats! Shrieking monkeys are optional but likely.

Jeff

New - Ruger (fewer "idiot" safeties - even if they come with the manual printed on the barrel - and tough as nails)

Old - Smith and Wesson (some of the finest machines ever made, reliable, dead accurate)


They would both be S&W if they didn't start putting those stupid internal locks on their revolvers. I REFUSE to buy one of those.

I have some older Smiths and some newer ones. Older ones have a definite quality to them in terms of fit and finish. Newer ones I think of as being more for work (CCW, etc.), and while not as finely finished as those in the past, are still perfectly suited for the task at hand.

Pretty much the same thing with my Rugers as well.

Another Ruger vote here.. SP-series is hard to beat in current-production revolvers.

ruger

SP-series is hard to beat in current-production revolvers.

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And a hearty AAAAAAMEN.

I'll buy a new Taurus or Smith, have in the past and my fave carry revolvers are Taurus, but I'll look it over real close. I look the Ruger over, too, but I hardly ever find a flaw in a NIB Ruger. My most accurate DA revolvers, though, have been Taurus. Their accuracy impresses me. I've not fired one that wasn't superbly accurate. Got to check 'em, though, just like a new Smith.

Except for one, all new.
Another ruger fan here. got 4.
Like my 3 Smiths also.
Have a Taurus 605 3inch that is fantastic.

Bikemutt brought up Dan Wesson.

They are producing, albeit in small quantity, revolvers that are not filled with injection-molded parts.

They are the best, last hope for the revolver.

But if history gives us a clue as to the outcome, it won't be pretty

New production guns from S&W and Ruger (my only experience with NIB) are perfectly fine. If you can get past the aversion to the internal lock, then the quality is top notch for mass produced machinery. Buy S&W for a more refined machine, buy Ruger for a work horse.

All of this caterwauling about poor current production quality overlooks a major factor; There was no internet 50 years ago to tell us 50 times over every time a lemon made it through QC. These days, if a bunny farts in Fargo you can see it on 3 different video channels and 20 forums within an hour. There most certainly were a comparable measure of QC issues back n the day, we just didn't' hear about every one.

Korth still makes a hand-built quality gun, but you'll pay for it

Freedom Arms is still in business

Doug Turnbull does nice work

Ruger. Hopefully the rumors about Colt making DA revolvers will come to fruition, or the current company calling itself S&W will be purchased by a gun company, but currently Ruger revolvers are the only ones worth owning.

Freedom Arms is still in business

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I'd like to see FA make a DA revolver.