For my first

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burnse

burnse

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I will be buying my first handgun at the gunshow in Minneapolis in Feb. and I am certain I want a revolver (DA first, many SA's later), and considering I will be carrying at some point down the road (much sooner than later), I needed to know a few things.

1. Internal locks: I don't like them. Is it just SW and Ruger that have them in models?

2. I would much prefer .45 colt, but would be fine with .38sp/.357mag, and am not open to other calibers. I would also prefer a Colt to a Smith and Wesson or others, but money will be an issue. Used is not a problem. I am also okay with carrying upto a 4 inch barrel, and it must have a hammer spur.

What should I keep an eye out for?

I was looking at a Colt Viper, but 600 and people here advised against trusting it for carry.
 
It's personal preference but mine would have to be a S&W .357 Mag so I could shoot .38 Spec. out of it also.
 
I'd be looking at an S&W Model 19 with a 4 inch barrel. Long enough for decent accuracy and fun at the range but not too long to carry. And the frame is a bit smaller and lighter than the full blown N frames.

Lots of folks say they won't tolerate a steady diet of .357 Mag. So practice with .38Spl or .38Spl+P and save the .357 HP's for carry.

Best of all the M19 is a sweetheart to shoot. The trigger is smooth and light enough on DA. And something about the grips seems to let me produce groups that are just about as tight with DA as with SA.
 
I have carried a number of guns over the years, and my favorite concealability/capacity/lethality/reliability trade-off is the 2.5" S&W Models 19/66 (19 is the blued steel (or nickel) version and the 66 is the same gun in stainless). The model has already been recommended above by BCRider, but the square-butted 4" version is much harder to conceal than a round-butt 2.5" model. A high-ride holster can carry the short-barreled version on a belt under an untucked shirt or jacket at any time, and it can be a pocket gun in bulkier winter garments and jackets. Or, get a 4" Model 19 like he said (or a 4" Model 15/67, which is the same gun but .38 spcl. only, not .357), then get a smaller J-frame 5-shot or a 2.5" model 18 when you want to carry. My first revolver was a 4" Model 15 and it served me very, very well as a learning bed. I bought it as a gun to train a friend on 15 years ago - and slowly over time I fell in love with revolvers (especially S&Ws) and the autos rarely come out of the safes these days. If you told me 15 years ago when I bought that Model 15 that one day I'd own more revolvers than 1911s, I'd have thought you nuts. Now I own more S&Ws in .357 alone than I do 1911s!

As a new handgun buyer, consider the following points:

1) lighter recoiling guns will encourage competency and accuracy. Consider a .22, but if you want one gun to carry/shoot/etc., the .38 or a .357/.38 is a good compromise. A .44 or .45 is not going to help you gain skills as your very first handgun.

2) Work consistently for smooth trigger action - dry firing is your path to this success. Some professional shooters do up to 80% of their "trigger time" dry. My shooting has improved dramatically since adopting this practice/ratio about 10 years ago. Plus, you get to do 75% of your training at home, instead of always in expensive range sessions!

3) Consider a professional one day/two day cc course before carrying. Some states require it as part of the licensing, some do not. I believe it is wise whether it is required in your state or not.

4) Don't narrow yourself to having to buy "at the gun show in Feb." Take the time figure out what you might really like (which it seems like you are), but also take the time to find that gun at a good price. Deciding you have to buy at one place or one time will make you settle for an inferior gun, or a second-choice gun you may not be as happy with. This may entail hitting up pawn shops, used gun dealers, or gunbroker or auction arms and buying from a reputable dealer.

5) Study Jim March's "revolver check-out" and practice it ahead of time so you know how to do it and understand what each step is trying to detect and proove.
 
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A double action 45 Colt is going to be hard to find. I would love one myself but have only ever seen one a few times. The SW 625 is one I believe. I handled the mountain gun version and would have bought it that day if I could have afforded it.

Why only 45 Colt or .357/.38? A good 44mag using Specials would be a superb defense and hunting weapon, albeit a little big.
 
Limiting your preference to Colt products tends to cancel out your desire to buy a reasonably-priced handgun. Colts tend to be overpriced, both because simple brand snobbery and because Colt tended to focus its attention to the military market/1911's, leaving most of the revolver market to Smith & Wesson.

Colt double-action revolvers in .45LC are uncommon and highly priced when found, so it's likely you'll end up with a .38 or .357 if you want a Colt DA revolver. I'd guess that the Lawman Mk. III is the revolver you'll have to settle for. It's the sleeper in the Colt line and doesn't get the price inflation factor that the Python or the Diamondback do.
 
burnse

Given your criteria, if I were in your position, I think I would be looking for a used 3" barrel S&W Model 13/65, or else a used 2 3/4" barrel Ruger Speed Six. Both of these models are sturdy, well built revolvers which should be able to provide you with many years of solid, dependable service.
 
Piraticalbob, I do not necessarily require Colt, but I just love the looks of them. And could you tell me more about this Lawman, though (like why it is often overlooked)?

C-grunt, the reason for my preferences in caliber are partly because I don't hunt. Not being a hunter leaves my reasons for ownership as "fun" and "defense". Also, in a perfect world, I would only own things chambered in .45 colt (outside of shotguns), but a reasonable defense piece, it seems, may need a different chambering until I am comfortable with carrying something a little smaller, and I do like .357 and .38 alright. Besides, both have a huge selection of ammunition types. I am just trying to keep it as simple as possible.

Speaking of ammunition, I forgot to mention that I prefer cast to jacketed stuff, so do I want to be looking for something with deeper rifling?
And since it seems that S&W will be my route, so could someone maybe educate me on some models which may strike a good balance between price and durability/reliability/accuracy while fitting my criteria? Finish isn't all that important, but I don't like MIM parts and I would never use an internal lock, so that would also be a no.
 
If you want to carry it .... a S&W M49 Bodyguard, .38spl

IMG_1696.jpg
IMG_2098.jpg

it's the same as a M38 but made of heavier steel
 
Hi,

I love S&W revolvers and certainly do not consider this a sign of snobbery. The above comment was definitely not "high road," it was offensive.

The .45 Colt revolver to look for would be a Model 25-5. The pre-2002 ones are made before they put the danged weep hole (lock) on the side which ruined 'em for me.

Find one before the mid/late 1990s and this will give you one with forged parts instead of the MIM (Metal Injected Moulded) little parts like the new ones have.

Look for one with the firing pin still on the hammer and you'll have no worries about any of the new stuff.

Best of all, these "vintage," pre-mid '90 S&W revolvers will be had much cheaper than today's list prices on the lock models.

BTW, S&W pinned the barrels until about 1982, so if you find one with a pin just above where the barrel screws in on the frame, you've got one that the barrel was threaded in rather than pressed . . .

I LIKE the pinned versions best.

As a point of reference only, here's a 25-2 (a .45ACP model) from 1980 that has the pinned barrel we like to find:

2256768new25-2plusmoonclips-edited.jpg


Also, the prior poster just posted to show a Model 49 J frame snubbie. It is also from the pinned barrel era.

BTW, S&W also made/makes a stainless steel version, called the 625-5. Again too, they make a 625-2 and 625-3 in .45ACP versions so make sure you ask if you are not sure.


Check out the classifieds on this, and on the smith-wesson forum (and especially there). Although scalpers abound everywhere, us "S&W fans" generally try to trade fair, and sometimes screaming deals will pop up for a few minutes or hours too!

Also, there are lots of collectors hanging out on the smith-wessonforum and they are much more knowledgeable than I. You can learn about all the variations doing a "search" function and be much better prepared to find a pristine used Smith that will save you money and avoid the lock and the cheesy new parts.

Heck, half the fun is "learnin' and lookin' for what you want!

Best wishes, and I hope this helps,

T.

PS: GET WHAT YOU WANT . . . life is too short not to thoroughly enjoy it!!!
 
So what prices should I be looking for on a decent and dependable 25-5 or 13?

And were there any modern Colt DA's in .45 Colt?


And S&Wfan, who's comment was offensive? If it was mine, I apologize.
 
Considering my financial restrictions, I am going to try out and most likely buy an Armscor model 200. $189 right now on centerfire systems' site, and It may be had cheaper around here.
speaking of...

MINNESOTA RESIDENTS!!
If anyone is interested in a Taurus 455 in .45acp, Bill's Gun Shop in Robinsdale has a used one for $400 even. It has a 2.25 inch ported barrel. That's all I know, but it's there.



Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I will keep an eye out for that S&W m13 and 25 for someday, but for now I am liking that armscor. I have heard good things, and it looks like a Colt Viper's ugly cousin, so I don't need to feel bad about the $600 viper sitting in my local shop.
 
It's too bad that S&W screwed it up for a lot of postential buyers by designing their revolvers with the ILS. But I didn't mine it at all and got my first 686 Plus (4" barrel) little over a year ago. A few months ago I got the 2.5" barrel version and I couldn't be any happier.
 
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