Advice requested for my first wheelgun

[Cousin Mike]

First post here in the Revolver forum, hello all!

The very gun of any kind that I ever fired was a revolver. A pretty little chromed .357 / .38 spec, with a 2" barrel that a friend of my mom took me to shoot. I was hooked! The only problem was, I was 12 years old. Over time my thoughts on what I wanted changed. After another 9 years of dying to own my very own pistol, I decided on an auto, and it's basically been that way ever since. I'm now 26 and I have had nothing but auto's since I purchased my very first gun, except for a .32 H&R Mag. that my father gave me. He moved to Cleveland a few months later, so I gave it back. I never got a chance to fire it.

I had been thinking that maybe it was time for a wheelgun, but I want another 1911, and more Sigs, so on and so forth. I decided to come here and look around, and now nothing else will do. I need my own wheelgun.

Here's what I'm looking for. I would like something in .357 Magnum - or maybe .44 Magnum, if a smaller round can be fired from a .44 (like .38spec. from a .357Mag) for my girlfriend to try first. I hate to sound silly, but to be honest, I have almost no knowledge of revolvers at the moment. I'll be learning as I go. I'd like to stay under $700, and new is always nice. However, used is never a problem. Advice on brands, models? Everyone seems to like S&W I've noticed. I admit, I'm biased against the look of their auto's, but they sure make some pretty wheelguns. Same with Ruger and Taurus. Hate the autos, love the look of their revolvers.

My lady is afraid of them (revolvers), but I'm sure that will fix itself very quickly. When we met she was scared of guns. She didn't even like to be in the same room with them. Now she's as good a shot as I am with my autos, and even better with her own pistols. Women are amazing.

Much appreciation on any and all advice and opinions. And don't be afraid to post pics. I love pics. Thanks!

 

[redneckrepairs]

Reading your post carefully .... or as carefull as a redneck can ... Yes you can shoot .44 special thro a .44 mag .
I would still suggest a full duty sized 38/357 pick something like a 686/gp100/trooper ect... it wont scare her with most .38 special loads , and then you can shoot what you want . Mod 19/66 are fine except they were not designed to take a steady diet of .357 ( back then officers qualified and practiced with .38 special and only carried and shot a box ( 50 rnds ) a year of full house ammo )

 

[Tiny in Ohio]

I purchased a Ruger SP101 in December, and love it. It is the .357 with a 2.25" barrel, in stainless, brand new for $400. Handles recoil very well, not an airlite by any means, but a damn fine wheelgun. Will handle a steady diet of magnum rounds, and is quite pleasant with the .38s. HTH.

Tiny

 

[Outlaws]

Ruger Redhawk in 44 mag you can shoot 44 special.
Ruger GP100 in 357 you can shoot 38 special.
Ruger SP101 in 357 will kick a little more than the GP100.

Outside of a S&W J-frame in 38+P, I am not familiar with many double actions form other companies. but that J-frame might scare your girlfriend a bit.

Have you considered a single action?

Ruger New Model Blackhawk convertable in 357/38spl, with a 9mm extra cylinder.
Ruger New Model Blackhawk convertable in 45LC with a 45ACP cylinder. (you can get some HOT 45LC rounds if you look around...and the NM Blackhawk can handle them with ease)


All of these will easily be purchased for under $700.
The convertables will let you shoot some a lot of the same ammo I am sure you already have since you say you have a lot of autos.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

You'll have no problem finding something great for under $700.

IRT 44 vs. 357: though the .44Spl round has less recoil than the .44Mag, it is also as expensive if not more so than the larger round. Compare about 30c-40c/rd for the .44s to 20c/rd for .38Spl and .45ACP, and 10c/rd for 9mm.

Mainly based on ammo costs, you'd probably be happier with a .357 that you can also shoot .38Spl out of. If you really have a thing for big-bore but are leery of .44Mag costs (and aren't hunting big game or anything like that), perhaps a revolver in .45 ACP would do you.

Looking at Gunbroker, you can buy an S&W Performance Center 625 for as low as $615 new, and could probably find cheaper deals on used models if you shop around.

For .357, about any S&W K/L/N frame would probably suit you. I've seen S&W 586 for as low as mid-$200s used.

If this revo is primarily for fun, concur that you might want to take a look at a Ruger Blackhawk or Vaquero. These come in numerous chamberings, but you'd probably be interested in .357 or in one of the dual-cylinder convertible .45Colt/.45ACP models. With luck, mid-$200s used, high $300s new.

-MV

 

[chaim]

.44mag can shoot .44spl just like .357mag can shoot .38spl. Still, it is more a specialist/experienced shooter kind of gun. .44spl will cost you about as much as .44mag so you won't have the savings that shooting .38 out of a .357 will give you. It will give you the lighter recoil though. .44mag is at its best when you have taken up reloading, and even then they are usually large pistols (possibly too large for your girlfriend's hands- how large are her hands), they are heavy, and they are really made for specialized roles. The .38spl and .357mag are much better all around pistols, especially the medium framed versions (S&W K-frames, S&W L-frames, Taurus medium and "compact" frame, and barely the Ruger GP100).

So generally my suggestion is to look for a 3"-5" medium framed revolver.

For the nicest versions look for a used S&W or Colt revolver, preferably from the 60's or earlier. The fit and finish on these older guns simply can't be beat by anything made today, the bluing (on one that has been taken care of) is a work of art, the action will usually be smooth as silk with many a trigger that feels like a glass rod breaking. These days a used S&W K-frame can still be found in the $200-250 range (.38spl) or $250-300 range (.357) IF you don't mind one with the finish in rough shape- these can still be great guns mechanically. If you want one that still looks nearly new you will probably be in the $280-450 range on the K-frames depending on configuration (remember .38s are less in demand and cheaper than .357s, and in the same models a 2.5" or 3" M19/M13/M65/etc will be in higher demand with lower supply, and thus higher prices, than the 4" versions of the same guns). A used L-frame seems to command prices over $400 these days if it is in halfway decent shape.

New, you can't really go wrong with any of the big 3. S&W quality isn't what it used to be, and many (even those who don't mind locks generally) aren't happy with their lock design. Still, S&W revolvers are good guns, if a bit expensive. Taurus is cheaper, their quality is on the rise, but they aren't quite as nice as a S&W (and the S&W can be tuned to a nicer action than Taurus can if you bring it to a smith). Still, Taurus has some very nice guns, and they are probably the most innovative (check out all their options on the website). Ruger is probably the strongest, but it is also the heaviest and largest (a possible consideration if your girlfriend will shoot it and doesn't have decent hand strength). Rugers also tend to have the roughest actions of the three. They are priced somewhere between Taurus and S&W.

The S&W K-frames are in my mind the most versatile of the .357s (along with the comparable "medium frame" and "compact frame" Taurus). They are small and light enough for reasonable carry (in 2.5", 3" or 4" form), they are heavy enough to handle most magnum rounds comfortably (if you pick a grip that fits your hand well), and they handle better than the larger and heavier models. As for the claim that they aren't strong enough- rubbish. They only run into problems with large numbers of the lighter weight and higher velocity 125gr and lighter .357 fodder- stick with 158gr for your magnums and you'll be fine. If you want more peace of mind the L-frames are much larger and stronger (comparable to the Ruger GP100), they use the same grip frame as the K-frames so you can order any grip for a K-frame and it will work and that will help it fit a smaller hand better but it will still be a larger and heavier (and thus more cumbersome) gun.

In order my choices are*:
1) used 3" K-frame
2) used 4" K-frame
3) new Taurus Tracker or 66 (medium framed guns with 7 round capacity)
4) new Taurus 65 (probably a best buy value)
5) used Ruger Speed/Security/Service Six (about the size of a S&W K-frame)
6) tied- new Ruger GP100, used Taurus Tracker, 65 or 66, new S&W K-frame or used S&W L-frame
7) tied- used Ruger GP100, new S&W L-frame, new or used Ruger SP101 (it is smaller than a medium frame, but bigger than the S&W and Taurus small frame, probably too small for regular .357 use).

*I'm not sure where on my list I'd put the Colt. For a gun that will be for occasional range use it may be pretty high, for a gun that will see regular use or be used for self-defense purposes it will be low. They've been discontinued for a while now so spare parts won't be as easy to find as they once were, and the lockwork isn't as strong as Taurus, S&W and Ruger. Also, I'm not a big Colt revolver fan anyway (I like the trigger and cylinder release placement on S&Ws much better so I go for S&Ws in classic revolvers). A Colt fan would probably be better to comment on Colt.

 

[DoctorWho]

Very good advice Chaim,
There is nothing I can add to it.

I really enjoy My stianless steel Ruger Redhawk
w/ 7 inch barrel in .44 Magnum, but it is not for new shooters.

Shalom Alechem
Chaim !

 

[chaim]

Thanks for the compliment DoctorWho


I do need 2 additions to my comments though:

1) My 3-5" revolver comment is for general use. If it will ever be carried keep to that range strictly. If it will be strictly a range gun then a 6" should be added to the list (assuming it handles well for you when you get a chance to check them out).

2) I looked again at my list of perferences...While that is the order in which I'd prefer them, don't get the idea that a gun at the top of the list is a great gun and one at the botton I don't consider to be so good. All of the guns on the list are recommended, all will serve you well.

 

[Cousin Mike]

I was going over my post and was surprised how much information I left out of what I am looking for. First and foremost, all my guns are purchased for self-defense or home defense. So for me, a single action revolver does not seem very practical. I like to have fun at the range, and as all of us do, I hope that's all they will ever need to be used for. However, in any gun I purchase, SD/HD is my primary concern, and I will probably carry whatever I end up with from time to time - which probably leaves out anything with a 6"+ barrel. This is why the .44Magnum and .357Magnum are my only two real considerations. Quite frankly, I like the idea of what either of those rounds will do to someone/something should I ever need to use it in defense.

I am a large guy with large hands. I would not consider myself a new shooter, so to speak, I have about 5 years of regular practice under my belt with all kinds of autos in all kinds of calibers. I would definitely consider myself new to revolvers, but I'm not afraid the recoil of a .44Magnum in the least. I figure that a 6'1, 250lb. carpenter, 26 years old and in good health should be able to handle a .44 Magnum just fine.

The girlfriend is another story. She does have small hands, but likes large grips it seems. A 1911, for example, fits her hand perfectly. She held a revolver recently at Gander Mountain (a S&W .500 not because she wanted to buy it or shoot it, I think she just wanted to hold a revolver.) and said she liked the way the grips felt in her hands, although it seems to me she likes everything once she holds it. Literally, the only pistol I have ever heard her complain about the grip size/weight was a Desert Eagle... which is not comfortable in my hands either.

She's an excellent shot with pretty much any auto you hand her, and she likes my .357Sig a lot - so recoil, noise or flash doesn't intimidate her. For whatever reason, revolvers do... Any size revolver scares her, for whatever reason. She wants to shoot one, and wantsd to learn about them because she's been thinking about buying a new pistol. If she likes what I buy, she very well might buy a revolver for herself. Her words, not mine.

I still would rather start her off with something a with a little less "umph," just until she gets used to the feeling of shooting something with no moving parts to soak up recoil. After she realizes that a .44 Magnum won't throw her across the room (I always picture the old woman from Police Academy 5thrown into a stack of cardboard boxes after shooting Tackleberry's .44), she'll be more than willing to try any and every Magnum load she sees me shoot. This could quite possibly happen in one range session, knowing her.

This will be my gun only. She will shoot it, and become familiar with it, as she does with all my pistols. I will be the only one to carry it and it will stay on my side of the bed at night. Finish is somewhat of an issue. I don't want something that looks 150 years old, unless it is, in fact, that old. However, I'm not one to bitch about a tiny bit of holster wear or something that can be easily touched up in the future. I only require that it goes bang when I pull the trigger, and that the little copper ball goes where I pointed the weapon.

The Tracker seems to be gaining the edge the more I look around. They sure are lookers if you ask me... I've been giving them the eyeball recently online and will probably be going into my local gunstore this week to see if they have any. I still like the look of several other makes/models though, so I still need to narrow down what I'm looking for a tad bit, although I don't think one could go wrong with 7 rounds of .44 or .357 Magnum... especially for the cost.

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far for your advice and opinions. I am already learning a lot just sticking around here and reading.

 

[chaim]

Mike, from what you are saying I'd definately go with a .357mag K-frame S&W or similar size from another maker (like the Taurus Tracker). A 3" or 4" barrel will work quite well for carry. The guns are strong enough for limited use of ANY .357mag load, regular use of the 158gr .357mags, and near unlimited use of .38 and +P. You can also use the 180gr monsters without destroying your hand (though you will definately feel it). It will probably be a great gun (with the right grips) to introduce your girlfriend to revolvers, and since you will carry it sounds about perfect for your needs.

SD/HD is my primary concern, and I will probably carry whatever I end up with from time to time - which probably leaves out anything with a 6"+ barrel. This is why the .44Magnum and .357Magnum are my only two real considerations. Quite frankly, I like the idea of what either of those rounds will do to someone/something should I ever need to use it in defense.

Once you have been "introduced" to revolvers with that .357mag you should also consider some other big bore revolvers other than the .44mag. .45LC can be loaded to more powerful levels than the .44mag, there are some decent self defense loadings, as well as lighter rounds which your girlfriend might enjoy. .41mag is, well, perfection- the only problem is you must reload to really enjoy it to its potential (the commercial ammo selection is limited and expensive). .41mag is good for most game in the US, it will work for bear defense, and in certain loads it is near ideal for self defense. It is also a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. Of course, .44mag is a nice round too. If you like the Tracker all three big bores I've mentioned are available in 5 shot versions of the Tracker (so they'd be much more concealable than the large frame revolvers they are usually chambered in).

 

[swampdog]

Do yourself a favor and make your first revolver an older S&W. You won't regret it.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/2440/2440-newfirst-1.htm

The model 27, 28, 19, 66, 586, or 686 will fill your .357 need.
A model 29 or 629 if you must have a .44. If you can find a 629 Mountain Gun without a lock, buy it.

Have Fun, but be warned, revolvers are addicting.

 

[Outlaws]

I would just like to note that a 44 and 357 are very good stopping power, but inside I a house I would choose a 45acp. I haven't shot a gun inside a house before, let alone without earphones, but speaking from experience outside (since you say you have never owned a revolver), revolvers are MUCH louder than autos. The sound doesn't get projected forward as much so it seems to come and smack you in the face. That in conjuction with the reverb off the walls of a enclosed area (which is already going to be aweful) seems like it would be a double whammy.

I can shoot my P90 (45 acp) for a full clip and only have a moderal ring. But my old 357.....wow. One shot and I couldn't hear for about 30 seconds and then would be in that muddy hearing/ring state for the next hour or so.

 

[Cousin Mike]

The sound doesn't get projected forward as much so it seems to come and smack you in the face. That in conjuction with the reverb off the walls of a enclosed area (which is already going to be aweful) seems like it would be a double whammy.

Thank you, Outlaws. This is typical of the information that I need - I had no idea that revolvers are that much louder than auto's. Even though it makes sense to me now, I just never considered it before. I do have a pair of those electronic ear protectors - the ones that magnify low-level sounds and protect your ears from anything over 85dB. I tried them at the range, and they work well. Anything louder than a hand-clap, the microphone won't register, and they perform just like standard hearing protection. I just hope if it ever comes down to that, I remember to grab them.

Also, if I'm correct, aren't those Taurus Tracker's ported? I'd imagine that would wake up everyone in my entire neighborhood. Nice to know that if I couldn't make it to a phone after a HD/SD situation, the entire city would call 911 for me.

Once you have been "introduced" to revolvers with that .357mag you should also consider some other big bore revolvers other than the .44mag. .45LC can be loaded to more powerful levels than the .44mag, there are some decent self defense loadings, as well as lighter rounds which your girlfriend might enjoy. .41mag is, well, perfection-

It's funny you mention it chaim, I'm actually very interested in both rounds. I've heard a lot about the .41 Mag over the years, and .45LC has intrigued me for a few months now. Recently I've been seeing a lot of guns chambered for it online and at local shops. Then I saw something about it on the history channel. I opened up a box of ammo at my local store one day and took a look for myself, and knew I wanted one. Very nice, very heavy round. Brutal looking.

Taurus has a model I saw online that shoots .45LC and .410ga - and it's a pretty little thing! Is this typical of revolvers chambered for .45LC?


Sir swampdog, you sound like my uncle. That's cool. The uncle I'm speaking of is a Vietnam veteran, and retired detective - he knows his stuff. Thanks for the link, and I will definitely be asking around about a Mountain Gun (with no lock, of course). How much do you think I could expect to pay if I am lucky enough to find one?

 

[Blacklabman]

S&W L-Frame 686 or GP-100 with a 4" or 6" barrel.
Because of their look's, feel, balance, and trigger I favor S&W.
You can also get 7-shot L-Frames(686P) and 8-shot N-Frame(627).

The 686P asnd 627 are fun to shoot, are great for night stand, and woods carry, and rock in ICORE.

IMO the 4" .357mag is the most versatile revolver made.
It can be loaded with .38Spl's or .357mag 125gr and 158gr JHP's for Self Defense.
For Deer, Hog, and Black Bear hunting out to 50 yards, it can be loaded with 180gr LFN's.
This same revolver, is also legal for the gun games( USPSA, IPSC, IDPA).
Buy some speedloaders or have the cylinder modified to take moonclips, and enjoy.

In .44mag's I would suggest the 5 or 6" S&W 29-3E or 29-4 and up. A 629-4 and up, along with the 5.5" Redhawk.
These will work fine with .44Spl for Self Defense, 240gr for deer, and 310gr Hammerheads for Elk.

Frankly, I would go with the 4" .357mag for the above reasons.

As you can tell, I do not like sub nose revolvers, ported barrels, or the 20ft long ungainly contraptions.

 

[ugaarguy]

Cousin Mike,

As outlaws said, the 357 Mag has quite a bit of blast & flash in confined areas. Part of this is because of the gap between barrel and cylinder, but it is more a result of the snap of a high pressure cartridge. Even 9mm out of an auto is VERY loud in a confined space. The 45 ACP and 38 Special are lower pressure cartridges with much lower blast & flash. Heavy 38s, like the old "FBI Load" of a +P 158gr Jacketed Semi Wadcutter Hollow Point, have proven themselves as low blast & flash loads that are still very effective man stoppers. I think a S&W K-Frame like a 13, 19, 65, or 66 would be great, as would the slightly larger L-Frame 586 or 686. You also can't go wrong with an old used M&P or Model 10; these are 38 Special only, and blued steel, but you can get one around $200 most places. For the money they make a great first revolver.

 

[ARTiger]

I'd go with a .357 vs. .44 just for the economics of it. Lots of cheap .38 special stuff out there to practice with, whereas .44 special costs as much as .44 magnums.

For a first wheelgun I would not hesitate to recommend the Ruger GP 100 4". . . . Strongest .357 out there and can handle a steady diet of even maximum magnum loads. They're accurate, very well made and cheap. (Only marginally more than a Taurus pricewise, but well worth it.)