Good cheap range gun

[LoadedDrum]

I am open to either new or used,.357 caliber, trying to keep it under $400.

Also, please forgive me for asking a dumb question as revolvers are new to me, but why do people buy .38spl chambered guns if the .357 can use both? Why give up the versatility when the guns are not really that different in price?

 

[bobby68]

i had to think about this for a minute too... i read one post that said security guards were limited to carrying a handgun no more powerful than a 38.

So that might be a reason, to insure that the user can not fire anything more powerful.

I was tempted to look at smith and wesson or rugers website to check the price difference... do you know what the difference is?

 

[armoredman]

Lots of excellent used revolvers for way under $400. J&G right now is selling lots of 3" Model 10s for $188. I have seen 4" 38s for $125 in great shape, as nobody seems to want a full size 38.
For $400 you can a whole lot is used, not so much in new, unless you go Rossi or Taurus, either or not bad at all.

 

[357Texas]

S&W mod 19-5 or 65-3 In 357

I got both for $250 ea and they have been real good for me. I also have a taurus 83 in a .38 cal I like it too. I work sec. and there are some sites where you can only use small cal when there. that is one reason I got it the other was the cost. ($150 take home with 2 boxes of ammo.) But I am still new here and learning myself.
John

 

[SouthpawShootr]

Look around for a used S&W L frame or Ruger GP-100 (there's some Canadian Mounted Police turn-ins around - the ones I've seen are very good condition with minor holster wear, usually around $300).

 

[Dienekes]

A couple of decades back a NYC cop named Jim Cirillo dropped 3 BGs in a fracas with one of those "cheap range guns", a Model 10 Smith. Not the optimum weapon but plenty good enough in the hands of a good man.

A .38 Spl is not my first choice but with the ammo available today it will get the job done. If the truth be told, 95% of all handgunners, young or old, can't do any better with the gee-whiz, gotta-have-it gun rag eye candy we are inundated with now.

 

[absolute0]

Get a Ruger Security Six

You can get 'em all day long on gunbroker or auctionarms for 200 bucks or so....which also leaves plenty of your budget left for ammo!

Kurt

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Not a .38/.357 I like the Model 31 for the range but

Not a .38/.357 I like the Model 31 for the range but lead bullet rules may keep a .32 S&W Long off many indoor ranges. For a pure plinking blacktailed jack rabbit gun a .32 is cheap to feed for handloaders - not much powder and not much weight of lead going downrange. For fans of a nice blue with pinned and recessed some of these can be a real bargain as used guns.

 

[Marshall]

Ruger GP-100

 

[Maxinquaye]

My pick would be a nice M19 for that price. I love mine!

 

[GUNKWAZY]

Wow...........

You're going to get a ton of different answers.
Some love Rugers, others Smith & Wesson and yes some love Colt's.

You're asking for a range gun ?

I'm guessing then that you will want a .357 with adjustable target sights.
Why not adjust the sights instead of where you're aiming the gun ?

Your main choices will be the...

Model GP100 from Ruger

Model 19 (K frame blue) Smith & Wesson

Model 66 (K frame Stainless) S&W

Model 686 (L frame Stainless) S&W

King Cobra (Stainless) Colt

The above would be the most common choices.
(You could also get into Taurus & Rossi. They both have some good choices as well.)

The Colt will take some work to be found under $400, but it can be done.

I've owned all of the above and here's what I've heard, learned & Read.

The GP100 is built like a tank and will last a lifetime for sure. The action is a little more stiff and feels more mechanical from the factory and not as smooth as a Smith or Colt out of the box. You should be able to buy a nice used 4 or 6 incher for $275-$325. They are plentiful, so you should not have to overpay for a nice one.

The Model 19 S&W is a wonderful gun. I've never heard anyone one complain about them. They shoot great and the actions are generally very smooth out of the box. The only drawbacks I've heard is shooting too many 125 grain .357 mags through these guns. If you are primarily going to shoot .38s you should never see any problems. These are Blue and have not been made for several years. You can still find a very nice one in the $300-$350 range.

The model 66 S&W is a great gun as well. It is the Stainless version of the model 19 (above). This would be a little more durable finish wise and would run right around the same price.

The 686 is a little more beefy than the 19 or 66 above. It is Smith & Wesson's "L" frame and are very durable. Nice actions out of the box and also can be found Ported & even a 686 plus version which would be a 7 shot version. Nice durable gun in stainless and should give you a lifetime of use and a nice used one should run you around $300-$400 depending on how old, ported or not, 7 shot. Overall I would say a very good pick.

The Colt King Cobra is built very well and should last a lifetime as well. The actions have been very nice out of the box and this is a very durable gun. This will be the most expensive of the bunch and will probably take your $400 to buy a nice one if you can find it. (Some people love Colt, some hate them because of the general cost). These came in both Blue and Stainless. You'll find about 10 stainless guns to each Blue one.

Now you need to decide if you want Blue, Stainless, 4 or 6 inch.
An 8 inch or 8 3/8 would work, but are not as readily available. Also are a little tougher to sell if you don't like it.

Hope this helps and good luck on your choice.

Oh, by the way.... Grips/stocks can make a big difference in the comfort of your revolver. If you go with a "K" or "L" frame S&W there's a grip that will fit you one way or another. You can have plastic, wood, rubber, Target, Combat, finger groove, smooth or checkered.
There's something that will work for you. Buying a S&W is like buying a small block Chevy. Everyone makes parts to fit it. The other mfg's may be a little tougher to find what you're looking for. (Just a thought)

Jeff (GUNKWAZY)

 

[russlate]

The only practical reason for getting a 357 over a 38 spl., is that the extra strength of the 357 guns lets you fire the +p+ pressure loads that are above SAAMI specs with some degree of equanimity.

There are stories around that some departments and agencies did not want to dance around justifying letting their officers use magnums. So they bought 38 spl. only chambered guns to keep the boys in blue from loading up magnums when they hit the street. Then they turned around and ordered extra hot ammo loaded to departmental specs. ( i.e. "light magnums" ) way above the SAAMI 10% extra pressure loads marked +P. These +P+ loads weren't all that bad. Less recoil, flash, etc., and easier to hit with than the mags, nice balance of oomph and controllability.

I keep +P+ loads in my speedloaders for use in my mags. And if some find their way into one of my 38's, they probably won't do that much harm.

 

[ruger357]

S&W 19, 66 or 686.

 

[Dr.Rob]

A good used Ruger, SW or Colt will fit the bill.

I stupidly passed on a King Cobra in near mint condition for $350 last year.

In fact you can almost buy a new Ruger for that price. If you buy used you can afford some leather, ammo and speedloaders.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

A nice Detective Special perhaps??

 

[mjb]

I think the reason people still purchase .38 specials is because the gun isn't as heavy as a .357. There are a lot of old .38 spls with 4 to 6 inch barrels on the used market that are offered a good price. Also, as has been noted previously, most security officers that are issued revolvers use the .38 spl.

 

[Marshall]

I stupidly passed on a King Cobra in near mint condition for $350 last year.

Dr. Rob, don't you hate it when that happens? I would love to find a NIB or as NIB bright stainless King Cobra in 6" or snub, I have a 4". Oh, I need to add, at a decent price.

 

[P. Plainsman]

Fair number of good choices.

A brand new, blued Ruger GP100 is not hard to find for under $400; I have even seen a few stainless ones advertised near that price. It is a great revolver, rugged and more accurate than you might expect. Mine handily outshoots my S&W Model 19. (Granted, the Smith is thirty years older... )

You can take a GP to the range as much as you want and shoot any ammunition you like in it. The trigger may start out stiff, but it improves. Mine began as a B-/C+ trigger (pre-grade inflation); now, after 1500 rounds or so, it rates a B/B+.

Despite my earlier comment, the discontinued S&W Model 19 is a classic gun, handy and beautiful, that is typically found with a nice combat trigger. It is iconic enough that I suspect they will slooowly creep up to collector prices as the years roll by. However, Smith made a blue zillion of 'em, so right now you can find very decent examples for $300 and minty ones for about $400.

Almost all Colt double action revolvers either are, or will soon be, collectibles, so if you see a nice one under your price point I would grab it.

 

[chaim]

There are a ton of good .357mag used revolvers out there and a couple good new ones for $400 or less.

Used just about any from S&W will fit the bill (the L-frames around here go $350-450 used, the K-frame $300-350). Any Ruger will work (though I'd personally perfer the Single/Security Six over the GP 100) and should be $400 or less. Taurus used will be under $300 (some under $200 possibly) and all but the oldest ones should be fine. I'm not a big fan of Colt revolvers overall, but there are some great ones (pretty much any of the magnum revolvers should be fine), and all Colts are decent if you are a fan.

New about your only decent choice will be Taurus. The 65 and 66 should run between $300 and $400. The Trackers are around $400 (probably between $350 to a tad over $450 depending upon your area).

New you may be close to the Ruger GP100. In some locales it should be very close to $400.


As for why do people buy .38s, there are many reasons.

New, it is true that not many medium frame .38s are sold v. the .357 because the price difference isn't usually that great. However, sometimes there will be a sale that will make the difference enough that someone may go with a .38.

In the smaller framed revolvers people often buy .38s over the magnums due to the lighter recoil and greater controllability.

Used, there is a definate price difference, and there are many classics in .38. The price difference for a .38 K-frame S&W can be $50-100 less than a comparable condition .357mag sometimes.

Also, there are three non-price differences why some pick a .38 for their .38s and use a magnum for magnums. Some people think that there is more accuracy when they shoot a .38 out of a .38 v. shooting a .38 out of a magnum. Some feel that the .38 out of a .38 also gives more velocity (and thus power) than a .38 out of a magnum. Also, shooting .38s out of a magnum leaves more to clean in the magnum's chambers which if not properly cleaned can eventually lead to dangerous power spikes. All of these issues are caused by the longer magnum chambers and shorter cartridge length of the .38.

 

[Black Snowman]

I had a Taurus 669 ported 6" that was an incredible range gun and I got it used for $250. Sold it to a friend to fund another Taurus I wanted more. I have a S&W and a Ruger too. The internal machining isn't quite as good on the Taurus as it is on the S&W, but it's trigger was actually better. Might have been worked on before I got it. Solid, reliable, accurate, and inexpensive. What more could you ask for?