38 Special revolvers

I have a dan wesson 357 and an Argentine Pucara. DO NOT BUY A PUCARA
NO MATTER THE PRICE
They, or at least mine, is junk. Aluminum frame and pot metal innards. Undersized cylinders. I decided that at some point, I'm going to disassemble mine and destroy it so no one else gets stuck with it
 
Larry in wyoming said:
I have a dan wesson 357 and an Argentine Pucara. DO NOT BUY A PUCARA
NO MATTER THE PRICE
They, or at least mine, is junk. Aluminum frame and pot metal innards. Undersized cylinders. I decided that at some point, I'm going to disassemble mine and destroy it so no one else gets stuck with it
Click to expand...
Oh, I dunno, if the price were right Id snatch up a Pucara-
78108_1281194874.jpg
Oh, you meant the gun.....:D
Never seen one of those in the US, but they do look pretty crude in pictures. Yikes!
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
I had a late 90s M85 that was probably better than a contemporary S&W, nice polished stainless, wood grips, no MIM. Shoulda kept it.
Then I had one of their .44 Specials, 4-inch, wood grips with fixed sights. Maybe a little older, say '85-87. It always shot waaaaay left and ammo was hard to find (then as now), so it went down the road with no regrets.
Also had an 7-shot titanium .357 ported snub with the weird "heat sink" style rubber grips and the hammer lock- forgot the model number. Bought it new around 2002. Looked really cool, but was hella uncomfortable with anything other than .38 target loads.
IMO, Taurus had a "sweet spot" between about '88 and '98, but Im not interested in anything they've made before or since.
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Agree 100%. I've owned a number of older Taurus revolvers, from the 70-90's or so. 22, 38, 357, 44 Special...they were all nice guns. All were bought used, except one. That one was a Model 82 IIRC. A Model 10 heavy barrel kissing cousin if you will. I did shoot the snot out of that gun using wadcutters back in the day. I sold it when some other bright shiny thing caught my eye.

I've gotten rid of most of my revolvers over the years, but just a few weeks ago I got my arm twisted and gave in to a Smith and Wesson Model 67-1 Combat Masterpiece. There is just something about a revolver chambered for 38 Special. This one is going to stay. It really likes wadcutters.

image_50408705.jpg

I can't think of a reason to NOT have a medium sized (K-frame) revolver chambered for 38 Special. They're not the same as a similar 357.
 
I shoot more 22's than anything. After that, 9mm and 38 special are probably tied. Most of my carry pieces are 38 special.

I've owned a bunch of Taurus revolvers. Only one was unreliable. The rest had good, mediocre, or stiff triggers. The ones with good triggers are worth having, IMHO.

I've owned five or six of the Model 85's. They've all been reliable. The 856 is based on the 85. I owned an 856 briefly and did not like the balance or trigger. I actually sold it unfired.

If the trigger and balance of an 856 feel good to you, it should be an adequate SD revolver, range toy, plinker, etc.

This is my "practice gun" that keeps the wear off of my 642 and LCR. It's even uglier in person. :)

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

Taurus Model 85 38 special DAO

 
i currently have two taurus m85 38sp revolvers. both came to me slightly used, the first in 1985 and the second in 2018. both are very fine but the first feels more solid and was my only firearm for 25 years in a few sketchy places. i was most happy to have it. an older generation, used, factory bobbed hammer, double action only, m85 is my younger sister’s only handgun, kept bedside. she is a non-gunner and took to it instantly, liking its dao operation as “there is less to think about.” in fact, i would argue that most ordinary, suburban, non-gunners looking for a first, and perhaps only, centerfire defensive handgun would be far better served with a taurus m85/856 than a polymer wonder-nine blaster.
 
My 4” S&W Model 15 fulfills my 38spl needs very admirably. Frankly, if it were the only handgun I owned, I would feel very well armed.
The only 38spl made today that interests me is the Ruger LCRx 3”. 16oz, 3” barrel, adjustable sights…checks a lot of boxes for me for a lightweight field kit gun. Of course, they offer the same revolver in 357mag, at 21oz’s…
 
.38 Special is something you can shoot mouse fart loads out of for target practice, or load up to +P velocities if the firearm is designed to take it. Very versatile and good practice. Not as underpowered or innefective as some might get led to believe. Its been popular for a long time for a reason.
 
Speedo66 said:
Would I be wrong if I thought the only difference between a K frame in .38Spl. and .357 was the .357 was chambered an eighth of an inch deeper?
Click to expand...

It is OK to think of it that way conceptually, but it doesn't mean it's safe to simply re-ream the chambers on any old K-frame and then use full magnum loads. There were longevity problems with early K-frame Smiths in .357 Magnum that lead to the introduction of the L-frame.

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/s-w-k-vs-l-frames.237804/
 
I posted about the guns because they were the first I had seen and they looked nice. I though to call attention to them. Shouldn't have bothered.
 
I currently have 2 S&W J frames in 38+p a 442 & 637. I have owned 2 others a 642 I gave to a family member and a model 10 4" with a tapered barrel. Liked them all. The model 10 was really accurate until the barrel warmed up then the groups really opened up.
As far a Taurus revolvers I have a 605 357mag and 415 41mag. Both are accurate and trouble free. I would feel that the 856 would be a nice option for carry...
 
Speedo66 said:
Would I be wrong if I thought the only difference between a K frame in .38Spl. and .357 was the .357 was chambered an eighth of an inch deeper?
Click to expand...

Yes.
In the first place the difference is .135", not an eighth, or tenth, or whatever some hack writer may have said.
In the second place, the K-magnum cylinder is also about that much longer, therefore the barrel tenon is shorter.
Early K magnums had recessed rim chambers but Smith finally caught on and quit bothering.
 
I think you know you want one!

Did they have 2 or 3 inch barrels?

I had a 3 inch 856. Got traded towards a 686, but it was a nice gun. Carried well. Matte stainless and came with 2 rubber grip options , nice. Night sight front.

All for like 300 and a little change.

You might need a 38. Very versatile. From wadcutters to heavy 38 hardcast. The lswchp load does very well from a 3 inch barrel.

It was a handy little gun you didn't mind using, getting dings here and there. Went on a few road trips. I think the 38 is a more versatile round than the 9mm. Maybe you should just handle one!
 
Smith M10 38 spc and Ruger SP101 22 LR are my primary range companions.

I do have 2 Taurus’, 38 and 22LR also! Both broken. I keep them around to remind me to NEVER EVER buy another Taurus.
 
PXL_20221127_174954360.jpg
Despite by fanboy obsession with moonclip fed revolvers, I have been dragging this Model 10-11 around in the woods for the past 8+ years (and the occasional IDPA match). This ammo is a new reload that I started using in early October. 148gr Round Flat Hollow Point from Matt's bullets. So far its terminal performance is very good at 38 Specials velocities. Lot of critters and varmints have been dealt with with this revolver.
 
Jim Watson said:
Yes.
In the first place the difference is .135", not an eighth, or tenth, or whatever some hack writer may have said.
In the second place, the K-magnum cylinder is also about that much longer, therefore the barrel tenon is shorter.
Early K magnums had recessed rim chambers but Smith finally caught on and quit bothering.
Click to expand...

Yep. The cylinder on a Smith and Wesson 357 is just a tad longer than the cylinder of a 38 special. Between that, and the lighter tapered barrel, and lack of an ejector rod shroud, the 38 is lighter, a little more "svelte" is the word I like to use, and a little quicker handling, given the same barrel length, at least in my opinion. The same can be said for the Model 24 (44 Special) vs the Model 29 (44 Magnum).
 
jag1954 said:
The only 38 Specials that I'll ever need.View attachment 1117426
Click to expand...
Maybe, but once you shoot a box of wadcutters through a smooooth 6” Model 14 you’ll be needing one more :thumbup:

B5BEE08B-B2A9-435E-848B-06768DBA0BAF.jpeg

J/K. You are well armed with your Model 10 and 642! :thumbup:

I had a 1988-vintage Taurus 66 6” in satin nickel. It was a good, reliable gun that I packed about while fishing up in the redwoods on the North Coast of Ca. It was sold, with a few other guns, when I was between jobs and needed to keep a roof over my head.

I still have a 4” Taurus 94 9-shot .22 LR and a 4” 8-shot Taurus 941 .22 WMR in the safes. These guns suffer from the dreaded Taurus rimfire revolver ten-ton trigger pull, but other than that they’re as fun and reliable as my old 66 was.

I have a bunch of .38 revolvers, and another batch of .357’s lurking about. The mid-bores (.357/.38/9mm) are my favorite handguns to shoot by far… and I can always find room for another .38 (or .357) if one happens along that I like. ;)

Stay safe.
 
"In fact, I would argue that most ordinary, suburban, non-gunners looking for a first, and perhaps only, centerfire defensive handgun would be far better served with a Taurus m85/856 than a polymer wonder-nine blaster."

Couldn't agree more. If it's going to be stuck into a sock drawer and shot once a year or never, a revolver is a better choice.
 
.308 Norma said:
View attachment 1117310
This is the Smith 38 Special that has mostly resided in a desk drawer in the living room ever since I bought it from a co-worker for $100.00 almost 25 years ago. If "I could think of any good reason" to replace it with a $100.00 bill, I’d go to the credit union come Monday morning and get myself a brand new, crisp $100 bill. Then I’d sell the revolver and take my wife out for dinner at a fancy restaurant with what was left over. ;)
Click to expand...
 
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