What is the best revolver for HD?

1) spring life is affected by cycles of loading and unloading -- not by continuous compression. so if you unload your mag every night and load it every morning, then you might be wearing it out prematurely. however, if you load it and leave it loaded most of the time (aside from normal range use of course) then it's generally accepted that you're not shortening the life of your springs nor going to cause issues with chambering the rounds as you described.

2) i'm a fan of rugers -- ruger gp100 is a mighty fine house gun.

+1 with what blutarsky says. To add to his comments, you should consider magazines as expandable, and purchase a new one every year or longer depending on usage.

As for revolvers I am a great fan of the Smith and Wesson 686. They also have the
686 Plus which holds 7 rounds of 357 magnum. You can practice with 38's. The model 627 holds 8 rds. of 357 magnum.

Make mine a 3-inch K-frame with either +P (or +p+) "FBI" load, or downloaded "mid-range" .357...

But only if you insist on giving up on the G21.

Frankly, I can think of few guns that fit the bill any better than that Glock, especially since it seems to fit you well and you shoot it well.

If it were me (not that you asked) I'd get a cool old pre-lock S&W in great condition, just because I wanted to, and still use the G21.

13 + 1 of 230 gr JHP; c'mon... what's not to like about that?

The best revolver for HD is the one you can consistently hit your target with.

Further specifications (before anyone jumps on me for neglecting to mention): it must be where you need it, when you need it; reliable in function, and loaded with the ammunition that you can shoot most consistently.

First:

spring life is affected by cycles of loading and unloading -- not by continuous compression.

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Second: A Smith & Wesson K-frame like the Model 10, 64 or 67 (all .38 Spl) are great guns which you can probably find used in the $250-$300 range.

There is no "best" revolver for home defense, only what meets YOUR requirements.

Any pre-lock S&W revolver .38 Special or more powerful would be adequate.

Unless you have very small hands, a K-Frame is probably going to be easier to shoot and control with full power loads than a J-Frame. An N-Frame may be too big.

My favorite home defense revolver is a 4" S&W Model 29-2 loaded with 200gr. JHP .44 Special Blazers.

EAA snubbie in .357Mag . Its a Smith & Wesson copy. Very inexpensive, and mine goes bang every time I pull the trigger. At 12 yards, I put every round center mass. I paid $257 bucks at a gun show.


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1) spring life is affected by cycles of loading and unloading -- not by continuous compression. so if you unload your mag every night and load it every morning, then you might be wearing it out prematurely. however, if you load it and leave it loaded most of the time (aside from normal range use of course) then it's generally accepted that you're not shortening the life of your springs nor going to cause issues with chambering the rounds as you described.

2) i'm a fan of rugers -- ruger gp100 is a mighty fine house gun.

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I'll add that thermal cycling and corrosion will affect the springs as well. Not much you can really do about those except keep the mags as clean as practical. Shoot the guns often and you'll find the problems before they are problems.

I also think the GP100 is a great gun. I might also consider not ported versions of the Taurus 608 (mmmm 8 shots of .357 Magnum!) and the Smith & Wesson Model 27 or 28(or the 19 as it's lighter, but give me the 27 or 28). I'd prefer a 6 inch barrel, but 4 inches could be fine.

I have 2: a SW 625-3 45ACP and it's companion an XD45C. The XD is in the "living area", the SW in the bedroom on my wife's side. We also have a Storm 45ACP readily available. I try to stay with one caliber for HD.

The best revolver for HD is the one you can consistently hit your target with.

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That pretty well lays the foundation of it all. I run a SW 620 (7-shot) 4" with .38 SPL +P for HD. The 686, 620, or 627 you would probably have to find used without going over budget, but they're nice. Other earlier SW models would do the trick as well. The Ruger GP100 would certainly fit the bill as well and you should be able to find one under $500.

I do not see many used SWs in my area, so my answer my vary from other's here. If however I did see a used SW for $300 (like Springfield noted) I'd buy them.

K-Frame. You pick the model, the barrel, round or square butt, blue nickel or stainless.
Less muzzle heavy feel than the L-Frame or Ruger GP. You decide whats best for you. Maybe consider the wheelgun as a back-up to the .45 you are using.

Depends on you and where you live.
If you're surrounded by people and their homes all around, you might consider something with more up close oomph and less effective range.
You're responsible for those bullets, no matter what.

Your springs won't lose any "sproing" just from sitting there.

I do prefer to load Glock magazines to one or two rounds below capacity, as it makes easier to seat the magazine on a closed slide if the magazine isn't full to the max.

Its really hard to screw-up a revolver, so just about any one that suits you will be just fine. I like S&W K-frames, and Ruger Security-Sixes and GP-100's.

You can trust your Glock without question.
Spend your money on ammo and practice.

I prefer my 6" GP100 loaded with Hornady 158 grain HP's for night stand duty.

i have a s&w airweight in .38 sitting on my night stand. Nice and light which is perfect for my situation. I wear gym shorts to bed so if i hear a bump in the night i grab my .20 gauge that has 9 rounds of 3 buck ready to roll and put the .38 in my pocket. It is light enough that it doesnt weigh me down

Re springs: My father gave me a box of pistols. The mags had been fully loaded through nearly fifty years of storage. They all functioned perfectly. 1920s Mauser and Walther, P-38, 1911, Radom and others.

Absent stretching in tension beyond the yield strength of the steel, spring steel of decent quality doesn't "go bad" in compression. Consider the number of cycles of the valve springs in a car engine in 100,000 miles. Gazillion? Something like that.

My favorite revolver for HD is a double action .45 Colt, if you can find one. I really like the .357Mag but not for HD. Too loud and too much muzzle flash.

Best HD Revolver?

This one. Pfeifer- Zeliska .600 Nitro Express Magnum.

...Or a used S&W M64 would be nice if you don't want to be blind and deaf after you shoot it inside the hacienda...

Les

SECONDLY, what is a good revolver to use for HD that would be within the range of $200-$500?

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Answer: Any 4 inch barreled, .357 Magnum, used police service revolver made by Smith & Wesson, Colt, Dan Wesson, or Ruger.

Chambered for .357 Magnum, but actually loaded with an appropriate-for-HD .38 Special load. I'd suggest using the old law enforcement standby...the so-called FBI Load...158 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoint (LSWCHP).

The extra weight of the .357 frame/barrel helps to easily tame .38 recoil, ensuring controlled and repeatably accurate fire (if you do your part).

The four inch barrel offers better sight radius than a shorter snub nose, ensuring better practical accuracy (again, if you do your part).

Fixed sights are simpler, but adjustable could come in handy for regulating a particular load for best Point of Aim / Point of Impact at the range.

Specific recommended models...

Ruger: Speed Six, Security Six, or GP100

Colt: Lawman, Trooper, or ".357"

Dan Wesson: Model 15

Smith & Wesson: Model 19 (Blue) / Model 66 (Stainless Steel); Model 13 (Blue) / Model 65 (Stainless); Model 686 (Stainless) / 681 (Blue); Model 581 (Blue) / 586 (Blue); Models 619 or 620 (Stainless), or Model 28

...The Colts & Smiths can still be found in the used market, in 4 inch persuasion, for at or under $500 bones. At a bit lower price, Rugers or Dan Wessons can usually be found around ~ $300 - $350.

Download your Glock mags by two rounds and they will still be perfectly fine after setting loaded long after you die of old age.

Fully loaded, the springs will take a set and weaken over time, as Glock over-compresses thier springs slightly in an effort to get more rounds in them.

If you shoot a couple boxes of ammo through them every week, they won't last a lifetime though.

rc

Use your Glock as-is. Your springs won't wear out from keeping them loaded, it holds more rounds than any revolver, is proven reliable, you can add a light or laser to it, and as a .45 it's not lacking anything in power. My opinion of course(except that most this is factual).