Armscor M206 - .38 Special

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Blacksmoke said:
That is good to know. All the Charter Arms .38 two inch my local dealer carries are five round. I see it is also about 4 ounces lighter than the Armscor M206 and $120 more expensive.

I see that it is also built on the Bulldog frame. Kind of a low budget version of the Smith & Wesson 38/44 of yore.
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Actually nowhere near as larger, just a little bigger than their 5 round 16oz. revolvers. At 20oz. it's not heavy to carry all daily even in a pocket. It's a nice revolver...
 
chicharrones said:
I wish I had a 6 shot snubnose, too. Back when I got my Taurus 85UL (5 shot) I should have put up the extra money for the Taurus 856. Too bad Taurus doesn't make the 856 anymore.
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Why not buy the Charter Arms Police Undercover?

I know CA went through bad times and poor management for two Decades and several incarnations but the Ecker family has been back in control for years now and QC is back where it should be. I'm just sayin.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Why not buy the Charter Arms Police Undercover?

I know CA went through bad times and poor management for two Decades and several incarnations but the Ecker family has been back in control for years now and QC is back where it should be. I'm just sayin.
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It is worth considering. I've thought about buying a Target Pathfinder in .22LR for some time, too.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Why not buy the Charter Arms Police Undercover?

I know CA went through bad times and poor management for two Decades and several incarnations but the Ecker family has been back in control for years now and QC is back where it should be. I'm just sayin.
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The local stocking dealer in Taos lists them on their website. $415 which is a premium over manufacturer's list of $390.

I drove into Taos today with the intent of looking at one of those and the Armscor M206. Naturally, they were not open. They seldom are. Then I remembered an old gun trader and scrounger who also deals in old saddles, pack animal gear and other Western mountain outdoor stuff. I have not seen him in years and wondered if he would remember me. I drove out to his place and told him my tale of woe and need. How I had given my much loved Colt Detective to my wife years ago and was without a simple carry piece. He brought out a Ruger Sp101 which is a nice five shot revolver. I said no. Then he produced a brand new S&W 686 7-shot with a three inch barrel for the princely sum of $700. I had to pass. I was about to leave and he asked me to hold on one moment and disappeared into his tomb like vault. "Hows about sumpin like this?" has asked and handed me a nickel plated Colt Cobra from 1964- an alloy frame Detective Special with steel cylinder and barrel. "It is from the estate of an old NM Game Warden and there is a full flap holster which goes with it." Apparently, it was the Warden's duty gun from his days before the NM Department of Game and Fish issued sidearms to their officers. "I'll take $475 and through in a box of good ammo". Looking it over, there is a small ding in the top notch where it was dropped and the nickel is not as bright as it once was but still nice enough. The bore and chambers were clean and bright. The Colt checkered grips a little hand worn but uncracked. Lock up is tight. The action, well, if you ever squeezed a Colt, you know what that is like.

So, let's see, a Charter Arms for $415 or this Colt for $475 with holster and ammo? Not too hard to make that decision, I think. My quest it over.

I thank all of you who posted helpful suggestions and useful comments.
 
Sistema1927 said:
I was just in Taos this past week, and even popped off some "old school" rounds with some friends in their favorite plinking area between there and Eagle Nest.

My preferred 6-shot snubby, and the one I used, is a 2" S&W pre-10 M&P. Worn, but still a workhorse after almost 60 years.View attachment 224666
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That is a great gun. I was heading into that direction if I could not find anything else. The alloy frame Model 12.
 
Stumper said:
That is what I would call a HAPPY ENDING!
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We're going to live happily ever after. I wanted something I can eventually take into the Old Folks Home and handle when I am less robust. Turned 65 last week and realize my Ruger Redhawk might become too much for me down the road. I will go into an "NRA Approved" Senior Care Facility. An armed Senior Citizen is a safer one.
 
Blacksmoke said:
We're going to live happily ever after. I wanted something I can eventually take into the Old Folks Home and handle when I am less robust. Turned 65 last week and realize my Ruger Redhawk might become too much for me down the road. I will go into an "NRA Approved" Senior Care Facility. An armed Senior Citizen is a safer one.
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Hopefully it will be another 40 years before that is required. (Only the good die young!)
 
Oh my, you got very lucky on the third and the price. You did very well sir, very well indeed.

Someone gave me a Colt Detective a few years ago. Mechanically it's solid as a rock but outlooks like someone left it under the seat if a wet car for years. It was not the person who gave it to me, he got it that way. Getting back to the revolver, boy do I love shooting that Colt. The trigger is excellent, it's more accurate than I can shoot and it holds 6 rounds. What's not to love? When I do carry it, it's carried on a cross draw leather belt holster and it's loaded with the FBI Load.

You are going to love that revolver even if it only shoots half as well as mine. (but I'm sure it will shoot better since it's in better condition)
 
rbernie said:
The issue was that the center pin's lockup at the rear of the cylinder wasn't done into a milled recess in the frame. The M206 (at least the version that I bought some years back) used an insert nestled into the frame under the cylinder latch to position the center pin, and that insert was held into the frame by a thin piece of stamped steel held captive under the cylinder latch. The net result is that the only thing really holding the cylinder in place was that flat stamped piece of steel, and I found that I could move the cylinder more than 1/16" out of alignment with the forcing cone just by pushing on the right side of the cylinder.
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This is interesting and I have not heard of this one. I have read many RIA revolver reviews before I bought mine, a M200, just checked mine and it is solid!
 
Got to hold one today, good lock up, no play.
Good trigger,single and double action.
Fit was ok, finish was rough in places.
ordered one to be the wifes truck gun.
 
Can you take pics of the recoil shield from the left/cylinder crane side when yours comes in? I'd like to see how they're managing the center pin lockup these days. Thanks! :)
 
So - BikerDoc took a look at his new unit, and reported that the cylinder lockup is solid side-to-side. He also took a pic for us.

From this pic, it does look likely they changed the design to make it more robust - I cannot see any evidence that the left side of the center pin hole is NOT now milled into the frame. In the unit that I bought when they first came out, the material between the hand and the center pin hole was filled by an flat stamped steel insert, held in place by the hand and the thumb latch assembly.

From what I can see in the pic - the current production M206 should be GtG and my earlier comments should only be used to understand older production issues.

Thanks, Doc!
 

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That pic is from one on display mine is on order. Found out they also offer nichol plated one. They come with wooden and rubber grips
and one of my speed loaders fits it.
 
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