Choosing a revolver

[jrou111]

I also have a Taurus Tracker 44mag and I LOVE shooting it. IMHO it's easier to shoot than a .357 Blackhawk. It hits hard with 240gr loads, so make sure to have a TIGHT grip (with your second hand supporting your front hand). It's quite a blast, though it sends a shockwave that you can feel in your teeth, and has a nice 12" fireball.

 

[ARTiger]

If you go with a .357, the Taurus is a good gun, but a GP 100 is better (and a good value) IMHO, S&W's even better.

If .44; the SA Ruger .44 mags shooting .44 spls are as other have said fairly tame.

All depends on what you're using the gun for . . . . the .357 to .44 magnum category is a big range.

 

[sheep]

Okay, good stuff

To 461 - Yea, okay - you got me.. obviously I don't have that great of a grasp on the variety of ammuntion and the power behind each load, nor do I dare creep into the handloading and reloading part of this world at this time. Nor do I claim to have that knowledge either, don't burn me for it I am here to learn. Thank you for replying though, it is nice to have guidance from senior members!

That aside..

I am getting great feedback though and part of that is exactly what you said, it's too much. So, thanks to the Tracker owners who responded, after going and browsing at PDHSC and holding a few different guns in my hand I think that I am going to go with either a Ruger gp100 or an S&W - whatever I like when I go.

Again - backtracking on what I had said earlier, I do not like recoil yes - but that doesn't mean that I am going to shy away from anything with a little kick - or a hell of a lot of kick. The .45 and .357 loads that I shot (federal premium) in whatever grain etc. they were completely managable. Let's pretend for a minute that I had never said that (and boy do I regret it).. as far as quality and power is concerned I think that my best choice would be to go with a .357 Ruger, or S&W.

Am I on the right track?

I know that a longer barrel and a heavy gun would be idea, I am liking the idea of a heavy gun, but I have a thing about barrel length - you can read into that as far as you want. Anyway, I would prefer something with a shorter barrel so that I could carry it, secondly, I do not like the way longer barrels look. I may sacrifice a lot of energy and a little accuracy with a shorter barrel but ultimately I want to be able to use this gun. If I hate the way it looks, handles, and packs - why buy it?

Anyone out there have a nice, packable, but stout .357 - something that feels rock solid that they would most surely recommend? I have to get to class but I will check when I get back.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[JNewell]

For a bunch of different reasons, including unlikelyhood of needing to return for service and ease of doing so if it ever becomes necessary, I'd stick to Ruger or S&W.

You are unlikely to ever wear out a GP100 or a 686.

A 4" barrel is an excellent general purpose choice.

If the budget is strained, buy one used.

Check the sticky at the top of this forum list for how to evaluate before buying -- applies equally to new and used revolvers.

Good luck.

 

[John Ross]

Sheep, you need someone to let you shoot a bunch of bigbores on one day.

Get hold of GRNC and buy a ticket to their annual fundraiser. I'm it, putting on a MG shoot for them on May 6. I'll bring a bunch of big revolvers and let you see what your tolerance level is.

JR

 

[Janitor]

Anyone out there have a nice, packable, but stout .357

Well - lots and lots of good wheel gun suggestions in this thread.

But from the "packable but stout .357" request, and not knowing your physical stature or how you dress, I'd say a 2 1/2" S&W 686 would fit the bill. And no doubt you'll hear of several others that will, probably just as well. I simply happen to like Smiths.

The .357 is a great load. Easy to find off the shelf ammo that won't beat either you or your gun up, and there are plenty of stiff, fire breathing loads if you need them.

Of course ... there's always .44 special/mag, 45LC, ...

 

[MrBigStuff]

SHEEP-

Get a Ruger Alaskan in .480 Ruger. Great looking 6-Gun. Recoil is not over the top though; kind of like a .44 magnum with a hot load. It's more loud than anything and it punches big holes. Order some Buffalo Bore 410 grainers for some serious power.

 

[wanderinwalker]

sheep,
Put me in the "find somebody to let you try a couple" camp. Personal preferences and individual gun-fit make recoil an entirely subjective thing.
EG: I find my 6" Smith and Wesson 629 to be one of the more comfortable .44s I've ever fired (and it's been a few). I like single-action Rugers in .44 as well, but as a blanket statement "the SA is more comfortable" just isn't so.

As for what to get, you might find yourself well-served with a S&W .45LC Mountain Gun, either the 625 or 25. As noted earlier, outside of speciality ammo, nothing you'll find in that caliber will be untolerable.

Also good is a S&W .44 Magnum Mountain Gun or a short-tubed Ruger Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk (depending upon caliber preference of .357, .41, .45 Colt or .44 Magnum, of course). Load some .44 Specials or cowboy-action .44 Magnums or even .44 Russians in the .44 Magnum and it is a fun plinker, with more bullet mass than a .357 or a .45 ACP.

Of course, a 4" DA .357 revolver would work as well, depending upon your circumstances. I tend to fall into the crowd of if it's a .44 or .45 I like it already, but the .38 and .357 are very useful in their own regard.

Maybe that helped, or maybe it was just a bunch of spouting off at nothing.

 

[Stainz]

I would consider a 2"-3" snubby later... after honing my skills on a proper plinker. The new S&W 4" 620 replacement for the 66 retained the partial lugged barrel but added the thicker frame, which allows a bit more beef at the front for the barrel's forcing cone, and the taller opening of the 686 which permits the included seven-shot cylinder. This way, you get the great pointability and looks, in my opinion, of the K-frame S&W's and the best features of the L-frame, while weighing only .9 oz more than the predecessor 4" 66. The K & L-frames all take the same grips, of course, so that would even be the same. My local 'pusher' has a new 620 for $489 - quite a bit less than any 686. I would suggest you at least consider one. You could load it with el-cheapo .38 Specials for plinking, +P level for protection, or even some hot .357 Magnums, should you need the power to subdue a wayward refrigerator. Seriously, see what you think of the 620 - sort of a short underlug version of a full-lugged 686P. Good luck!

Stainz

 

[wheelgunslinger]

Sheep,
If you're leaning toward a 357, ponder the idea of a Dan Wesson model revolver. They have quickly interchangeable barrels that come in lengths from 2 to 12 inches, and are very accurate, nice looking, well built wheelguns. The ability to change barrels will give you more options. It makes the gun you plink with able to be the gun you carry too.
Barring that, Taurus can be a great cost effective choice. You have a lot of good choices in the 357 market.

 

[sheep]

perfect

Now this is the kind of stuff that I was hoping to get to. It is going to take some time to go through it all but everything has been very helpful. I am going to take a closer look at the Ruger gp100 though I might need to take some time to fire a few different revolvers before spending the money. Thanks for everything, the guide to finding a quality specimen was nice too.

 

[JNewell]

Just to throw one more pebble in the pond...

A very viable alternative to the .357 options is a S&W Model 629 with a 4" tube. If you can find a mountain gun variation, that's fine...if not, the difference is only 3 ounces - less than 1/4 pound. It will shoot .44 Special loads (forever) and you'll enjoy the experience. It will shoot standard .44 Magnum loads without undue stress on the gun or you. (If you want to shoot heavy bullets - over 250 grains - with any frequency, you probably want a different revolver.) I am not mentioning the Ruger Redhawk because it's more gun than you need for .44 Special/"standard" .44 Magnum loads.

I just want to join the chorus here pointing out that a big bore does not have to be a punishing shooting experience.

 

[Greek]

I would go with a .357 S&W or Ruger. You can always use .38 Special to practice or to plnk around with.
I don't have experience with larger calibers than the .357 so offering an opinion on those would not be appropriate.

 

[13.45]

i'd definitely recommend that you test-fire a selection of calibers (.357mag, .45LC, .44mag, etc.) in various makes/models of handgun prior to making a purchase

 

[Busta Prima]

I just bought a SW model 625 and based on what you asked for in your first post in this thread, THIS is the gun you should be looking at.

It's a real pleasure to shoot. The moon clips make for a fast reload and an easy way to carry ammo around. It has minimal recoil - a heck of a lot less than a .44 magnum! (disclaimer: I haven't tried it with self defense loads).

I bought this because I wanted a large frame revo for the collection and I wanted another gun that could shoot my favorite caliber, .45 ACP.

I can barely keep this out of my shooting buddies hands. This gun is SWEET! I just wish they had a nickle finish instead of the satin ss. I got the 5 inch barrel.

It seems to love lead bullets and it's very accurate and has a nice trigger pull. I'm thinking of having it worked to make it even smoother.

Check one of these out before you make your final decision.

 

[Dienekes]

Check out the saying below.

You didn't say anthing about going fishing on Kodiak Island. If you are just looking for a good tool, get a quality 4" .357--maybe a GP-100 and carry on.

If you are looking for a toy, "let your heart lead your head."

 

[sheep]

gun store

I'm going to go put my hands on a few this afternoon after class - will report back this evening.


- edit : a few different revolvers at PDHSC
Just to clarify