beginner handgun

[Foreign Devil]

I want to introduce someone to shooting. Do you think .38 special in a 6" .357 revolver is a good place to start? I know they say you should start with a .22 but I have a .22 rifle and would rather not buy a .22 handgun just for that purpose.

BTW the gun in question is a S&W 686. It's a nice weighty piece and firing .38 in it seems pretty tame to me but maybe I'm just accustomed to it by now.

edit: I see I am a "senior member" now, do I get a prize?

 

[Brad Johnson]

It would be better if you could find a loaner .22 DA revolver, but a heavy-frame .357 loaded with light .38's will do in a pinch. Do you have a buddy that reloads? If you do, get them to load you a box using 115 gr FMJ in front of the minimum recommended charge of propellant.

Brad

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

I have a 686 4" -- sweet gun and a great choice. Why bother with a .22 when you have a 686? I shoot .38's through mine too. BTW -- I've had six Berettas -- another great choice and more bang for your buck. 9mm is a cheaper ammo that comes in bulk.

Laura

 

[Al Thompson]

Go for the 148 grain wadcutters for a first load. Very little recoil.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Go for the 148 grain wadcutters for a first load

Sellier & Bellot makes this load for like $6 a box. I believe www.CheaperThanDirt.com or www.Natchezss.com carry it. Even in a small little J-Frame, it's just a little pop. Lots of fun!

 

[stans]

I think a .22 is the best introductory caliber, but if you must use a 357, stoke it with 148 grain wadcutter 38 Special target loads. The recoil, although quite a bit more than 38 wadcutters, is very mild. Make sure you clean the crud out of the ends of the chambers before trying to chamber magnum length cases after shooting 38's.

 

[ducktapehero]

A big heavy 357 firing light 38 special loads would be great to teach someone how to shoot.

 

[gbran]

My 110 lb daughter started with my .357 Blackhawk, which she now owns.

 

[Mastrogiacomo]

You don't need wadcutters with a 686 -- the weight does it all for you and there's no recoil.

 

[Jim March]

Yes, 148 target wadcutters will turn that thing into a real pussycat in terms of recoil.

But there's other issues at play.

1) Do they have the wrist strength to hold up a gun that heavy? If it has a heavy 6" barrel, it's going to want to "nose droop"...so sessions of 50rds or less might be all you get. Depends on size and gender of shooter.

2) Does the gun fit their hand? Smaller grips with less (or no) material across the backstrap will reduce trigger reach for smaller hands, but at a cost in terms of recoil. Wouldn't be a problem with 148 target wadcutters, might be an issue with some of the hotter 38+P defensive loads (although that gun is heavy enough to soak those up quite well) and definately once you hit 357 horsepower.

3) Training ammo costs. Basic 38 practice ammo will run a minimum of $8 a box of 50; 22LR practice fodder is around $12 a "brick" of 500. For this reason, a good used 22LR revolver in the $250 range will *quickly* pay for itself if you practice in volume even if it's a second gun.

With all this said, that 686 has a big advantage: it will give a newbie a good basic home defense tool that they can quickly get up to speed with. That 6" tube will accelerate a 38+P slug to some serious speeds. A lot of very good shooters would feel more comfortable with these than with full-house 357s for indoor defense.

 

[Plinkerton]

I just got a 4" 686 and am currently waiting to pick it up. It is my first .357 and was highly recommended to me by many people on the S&W forum as a great beginner gun. I would say go for it, you'll like it.

 

[Ala Dan]

My Smith & Wesson 6" 686-5 has become one of my
most favorite handguns. I handload, and using the
158 grain L-BBSWC in .38 Special makes this weapon
a big "pussy-cat".

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Berg01]

A big heavy 357 firing light 38 special loads would be great to teach someone how to shoot.

Solid Advice; I have a S&W 27-2, 6" bbl, which is the definition of a big heavy .357; the recoil shooting regular UMC or Win Whitebox 130 gr jacketed or LRN rounds is negligible.

 

[BluesBear]

If you reload, try a swaged 148 gr hollow base wadcutter over 2.9 gr of Bullseye in a .357 case using a standard small pistol primer. Very mild target load with good accuracy.

For short range plinking a piece of 000 buckshot over 2.7gr of Bullseye is fun.

 

[matsaleh]

Bulgarian Makarov

My first handgun was a Bulgarian Makarov. Inexpensive, reliable, and built like a tank. Ammo is cheap too, and while you can't get it at Wal-Mart, it's readily available online, at gun shows, and at most gun stores.

As for its operation, it is accurate and handles easily. More recoil than the .22LR of course, but nothing like some of the stouter rounds mentioned above. Felt recoil is probably in the neighborhood of 9mm para even though the round is less potent, because the blowback action transfers more of the recoil to your body than a similar locked-breech design would (hope I'm not mangling the physics concepts here - just regurgitating stuff I *think* I learned).

While small, the gun is also powerful enough to be used for self-defense (somewhere between .380 and 9mm) if desired.

I think it was a good choice, and I would recommend it.

Cheers.