Beginner's Revolver that's NOT a .22?

[Caliper_Mi]

LJ, sounds like you aren't so much a beginner as much as just a first time revolver purchaser. A .357 mag from any reputable brand should serve you well. Shoot anything from .38 wadcutters to hot magnum loads, as much as your wrists can handle!

I don't get all the people here down on the .22 though. Seems like if you don't shoot .22 you've gotta be either pretty well off or just don't shoot much. Several times a month we have steel plate handgun shoots at my club. All of us are big into guns and most everybody reloads, but by the end of the match we are cleaning up the 22 cases with a snow shovel. Sure, 22LR doesn't have the big boom, large holes and defensive capability of the larger centerfire rounds, but it is affordable to go and shoot hundreds of rounds and lets you practice all the basics that translate directly to centerfire.

Another good reason to have at least one .22 pistol and .22 rifle is for new shooters. Plenty of people who have never been around guns find shooting even a .32 ACP or .223 to be more gun than they expected. With 22LR you are 99% sure to not scare anyone off and help bring more people over to our side

 

[mdauben]

I would not suggest a revolver for ANY beginner that is NOT a .22LR. Ever.

My first pistol was a 9mm and my first revolver was a .357. I was shooting handguns for several years before I bought my first .22 handgun and I don't see any problem with doing things that way. Admittedly rimfire ammo is cheaper but IMO that is it's only real "beginner" advantage and if the OP wants to forgo that benefit there is no real reason not to.

 

[22-rimfire]

Since you do have "experience", I would suggest a 357 mag revolver such as a 4" Ruger GP-100 in which you can shoot either 38spl or 357 mag. The S&W Model 15's are great too. Essentially I suggest any Colt, Ruger or S&W revolver with a steel frame in 38spl or 357 mag.

 

[toivo]

OP is a beginner to revolvers but not a beginner to shooting or to handguns. For him, I think a used Colt or S&W in .38 Special would be just fine. But for a first firearm or first handgun, I agree with the .22 rimfire option. Look at it this way: A new shooter needs to shoot a lot. A box of 50 rounds of .38 Special will run you $15 to $20. That same $15/$20 will get you 500 rounds of .22 rimfire. That's a lot of practice.

There are obviously differences between practicing with .22 rimfire and with larger centerfire calibers, but the basics -- sight picture, breath control, trigger control, etc. -- are the same.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Thanks guys, I've been shooting continuously the last 7 years, but I've been around guns since I was 7 so if you put it together, I've been around guns for 14 out of my 21 years. In that time, I have shot a few pistols, but up until March of this year, I never owned one.

I bought my 9mm Astra A-90 and have already put 500 rounds through it before I've had this grip/gunsmith/gripmaker probem. And I've been wanting a revolver lately, so I figured I'd ask about them and get some ideas on which is a good one.

 

[sm]

This is the original poster's thread title.
Anyone that knows me, knows how much I feel the .22 revolver is the best handgun gun to learn on, and to to continue quality practice with.

But he asked for a non .22.

For those that look down on the .22 rim fire, I recall wisdom of Mentors shared with me:

As one ages and matures, the appreciation of the .22 rim-fire goes up exponentially.

Mentors are gone, I have become them, and their wisdom still rings true today.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I don't have a problem with the .22. I want one I can practice with, and carry once I get my CCW permit. I have a Marlin Model 80 in .22 that I absolutely love, just don't another firearm in that caliber. I used to go through 500 rounds of .22 in a week. I don't wanna triple that lol

 

[Iggy]

I started out with a .22 about 45 years ago. Went to a .38 and on to a .41 magnum for a duty weapon for many years. I'm back to .38s and .22s.. I'll bet I fire 50 .22 to one magnum round these days.

Since the OP is already a shooter, maybe a medium framed S&W,Colt, or Ruger in .357 and enjoy the .38s you can squirt through it.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I'm interested in the Ruger GP100 in 357; or what about 327 Fed Mag? Or just save up for both? How much do each of them cost?

 

[Ash_J_Williams]

My first pistol was a 9mm and my first revolver was a .357. I was shooting handguns for several years before I bought my first .22 handgun and I don't see any problem with doing things that way. Admittedly rimfire ammo is cheaper but IMO that is it's only real "beginner" advantage and if the OP wants to forgo that benefit there is no real reason not to.

It is? Not manageable recoil, or ease to find (I've been unable to find .38, .357, or 9mm at Walmart for months, but .22 by the thousands), or cost of the firearm itself?

I'd hate to spend the cash to shoot several hundred or thousand rounds of .38 or 9mm.

 

[FreddyKruger]

i vote you go for whatever you want in 357Mag. And while you are new to it, just use lighter 38Special loads. It will get you used to a revolver and centrefire and then when you want to, just get some bigger stuff going. saves you buying 2 guns and is beginner friendly. only thing that is the problem is the cost of ammo compared to 22lr, but if you reload or know someone who does it shouldnt be too much of an attack on the wallet.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

If i go the way of 327 I'b be able to use more than two different calibers

 

[CraigC]

My first pistol was a 9mm and my first revolver was a .357. I was shooting handguns for several years before I bought my first .22 handgun and I don't see any problem with doing things that way. Admittedly rimfire ammo is cheaper but IMO that is it's only real "beginner" advantage and if the OP wants to forgo that benefit there is no real reason not to.

If you started out with something else, you short changed yourself. There is simply no better tool for building shooting skill and avoiding bad habits than a good .22LR. Period, no way to argue against it. Simply put, shooters who appreciate and properly train with a .22LR (rifle and pistol) are better shooters. No way around it. There is no substitute for trigger time.

 

[Black Knight]

I started out with a Colt Python in 357 Magnum loaded with 38 Spec+P. As others have said it would be difficult to beat a 38 Special or 357 Magnum loaded with 38 Specials. S&W, Ruger, and older Colts would be a good place to start.

 

[Watsonville]

357 4" shoot 38's out of it then buy some 357 158gr's or be smart buy a 22

 

[doc2rn]

I am with the S&W mod 10 crowd especially if its got a 3" barrel.
Autos are nothing like revos, as you will see.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Definately keeping all these in mind!

 

[evan price]

If you look around you can find one of the police trade-in S&W Model 10's for $200-ish.

I picked up a 10-6 4" heavy barrel for about $150 recently. It's no beauty queen but she shoots well.

38 special...can load it mild or wild or anything in between and it shoots great. I shoot my reloaded 38 spls for the price of 22 rimfire. 2000 shells per pound of powder.

I would advise anyone thinking about it that if they find any inexpensive police trade revolvers, they don't hesitate, most LE and security agencies have switched to semi-autos. Some prisons and such are clearing out their armories but that's going to be it. I still remember my local gun store about ten-fifteen years ago with shelves full of .357 Magnum Colt Troopers and S&W 19's and such and they were under $300. Nowadays, good luck.

 

[redraidermgr]

Like a lot of people ahead of me have suggested definitely check out a new or used .357. I have an old S&W Model 19 that I love dearly. Check your local gun shops or pawn shops for a good deal for one with decent bluing that is in good repair. Also I would second getting something with a 4" barrel. Taurus makes some good quality cheap guns (you get what you pay for but I have shot a couple of their longer barreled revolvers and they were very accurate and fun to shoot) but they are not made in America. If you want to buy American go with a used S&W (S&W new is very expensive but are usually very well made) or a Ruger (great and durable guns but not the same fit and make as some of the very old school smiths).

 

[madcratebuilder]

Do you want a DA or SA? Ruger, Colt, S&W, Dan Wesson all have good choices. A .357 well allow you to shoot .38spl also. If you prefer to start higher on the food chain a M27 or M29 S&W would be a good choice. The magnum calibers cost more to shoot, a good reason the learn to reload.

 

[oldfool]

OP title was at least partially misleading, since corrected twice
He is not a beginner, just looking for a 1st centerfire revolver
so.. although I, like many others, am a strong advocate of 22 rimfire revolvers #1, it's not what he wants

As others have said, any all steel 4" to 6" barrel 38/357 will do, preferably a DA/SA (with hammer spur). I would go "full size" frame 1st to decide if revolvers are for you before dropping to smaller frame sizes.

4" to 6" barrel (vs shorter) for the sight radius and because you can actually put mag load powder charge to useful work if/when you go mag. SA/DA because it will let you learn "both ways", before deciding if DAO is for you. 357 aka 38/357 because it is THE most versatile for ammo selection, even more versatile than the 32/327 flavors, and will give you the option to step up to full 357 mag.

All time #1 best choice being any S&W k-frame, although that pretty much means used old model S&Ws.

Other excellent choices include -
Ruger GP100
S&W 686
any of the old model Ruger "Six" models (as in speed six, security six)
any of the old Colts, of course, Cobra, Python et al.
any of the old Dan Wessons

But unless you know wheelguns well, which I presume a newbie to wheelguns might not, the "good old ones" may be tough to pick out, and some (Colts in particular), pretty pricey. The used S&Ws (model 10s, and sixty-somethings) are pretty doggone common though, and not real pricey.

Taurus does make some good revolvers... and some not-good... hence I myself will not recommend to a new shooter, not unless they ask about a specific model/caliber/vintage.

Good luck OP, and welcome to the world of wheelguns !

PS
but if you change your mind about rimfire, start hunting good deals on k-22, k-17, k-18 S&Ws and/or old Colts..
(your very 1st revolver in rimfire likewise really ought be a DA/SA until you get a better feel for SA and DA, and a full size frame model will give you a better experience for then moving on to shooting full frame size centerfires)

 

[stevekozak]

Any K-Frame Smith in .38-.357 with barrel 4+ inches would do you fine. The smooth triggers on these older Smiths and shooting .38 ammo will help ease you into the the revolver genre.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I prefer the DA over the SA, only wouldn't mind if it were both. I don't like the look of the hammerless, it makes me sick. I'm a lot about aesthetics so, lol.

I guess I'll look for one in .357 and find a cheap reloading set up and practive with light loads of .38 until I'm ready for a mightier load. The revolver I choose would have to be on my person about 99% of the time, I plan on using it for CCW.

 

[oldfool]

double tap

 

[Quoheleth]

Comparing costs

I paid over $600 for my Smith model 17 in .22. Box of ammo - 550 rounds for $15.

I paid $190 for my last K-frame (model 10) this summer. Not real pretty, but it's solid and accurate. My reloads cost me about $5/100; factory stuff - when I spring for it - is about $25/50.

While ammo costs more for the .38, I have a lot less invested in the gun. It costs me more to shoot the .38, but my initial investment was less. The .22 costs less to shoot but a significantly higher initial investment.

Q