Good revolver for a newbie?

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22-rimfire wrote :

"Maybe you could upgrade the old 22 revolver to a better 22 revolver?"

I'll second that. With the cost of .22LR ammo, "plinking" can stay cheap. Shot a Ruger Single-Action the other other evening, and now I think I want one.

If youre going for the self-defense/plinking angle :

For concealed carry, something along the lines of a J-Frame sized, or Ruger SP-101.

Home Defense, "Plinking" A good Ruger GP-100 in .357. If carry isn't in the picture, go 6" barrel, extra weight, extra control of blast. Miss mine. If concealed carry may be considered at a later date, 4" version of same.
Nothing wrong with a single-action either, choose adjustable sights.
 
One revolver if you run onto one is the Colt Trooper Mark III in 357 mag which came in 4, 6, and 8" barrels. I have the 6" and it is absolutely my favorite one to shoot at the range. You can find one in the $400 price area in as-new condition if you look. It is a highly underrated 357 revolver. Very strong, accurate, and smooth trigger. After I got this one, I sold off my Python if that gives you any idea of the trigger.
 
Ruger makes the 5-shot .357mag SP101 with a 3-1/16" barrel too which would be a good starter .357.
 
Last I looked J&G Sales had SW model 10s for well under 300 bucks.

My local store has a Ruger Blackhawk .357 with I believe a 6 1/2 inch barrel for around 320. Actually it might have been 295.
 
I do reload. Only rifles and shotguns at the moment, but the guys at the Armory have a machine for sale for pistols.
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This is OT but just a quick comment. A rifle cartridge reloading set-up should work for pistol cartridge reloading.

.38 reloads would cost about 10-11 bucks per 100, using bulk cast lead 158 grain bullets. If you cast your own, less than half that. You'll find out that the cost of your ammo will soon overtake the purchase price of your gun.
 
Like others have said, save up and get a good revolver because a cheap revolver will not make you happy! (I said cheap, not inexpensive) Save up for a used Ruger GP-100 or S&W M686 with a 4" barrel. I would suggest a 6" barrel if it's only for the range and target practice. When you buy a quality handgun it will last longer, retain it's value, have less a chance of breaking down and it will shoot better and more accurately. Don't waste your money on junk.... (IMO of course)
 
This is OT but just a quick comment. A rifle cartridge reloading set-up should work for pistol cartridge reloading.

.38 reloads would cost about 10-11 bucks per 100, using bulk cast lead 158 grain bullets. If you cast your own, less than half that. You'll find out that the cost of your ammo will soon overtake the purchase price of your gun.
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Not so sure if the stuff I have will work on pistol rounds. I'll talk to some guys at the shops nearby about them.

Someone sells molds for .38s on the consumer/user market? Who?
 
You can find bullet molds/moulds here or at castboolits.com or ebay. You can get 357 dies that will work for 38 spl. Pay a little extra and get carbide dies so you don't have to prelube the brass cases for resizing.
 
I forgot to add Ruger Blackhawk single action series to the list of revolver choices. Heck for strong, it could conceivably last a couple of generations.


Someone sells molds for .38s on the consumer/user market? Who?
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.358 158 grain SWC or RN molds are made by several mfrs. For beginners and budget conscious casters, I'd highly recommend LEE tumble lube molds and their 20 lb melting pot. My LEE casting set-up is really inexpensive and cost was easily recovered after molding 3,000 bullets, even if you have to pay 20c cents per lb of wheel weights.
 
Bflobill 69 and several others contributing on this thread are 100% on target. Go with quality, no cheapies. Look for a S&W Mod 19 or 66. Colt Trooper is a great idea too. Out of the box accuracy is excellent as are the tiggers on each.
 
Like others have said, save up and get a good revolver because a cheap revolver will not make you happy! (I said cheap, not inexpensive) Save up for a used Ruger GP-100 or S&W M686 with a 4" barrel. I would suggest a 6" barrel if it's only for the range and target practice. When you buy a quality handgun it will last longer, retain it's value, have less a chance of breaking down and it will shoot better and more accurately. Don't waste your money on junk.... (IMO of cours
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+1..........consider the purchase as an investment....also, buying a cheapie because you can't afford a quality gun now, will only cost you more money in the long run. Unless you need the gun today, I suggest you continue to shoot the .22 untill you can afford what YOU want. Take this time, go to gun shops and fondle as many different models as you can and find the one that fits your hand the best. The most accurate handguns for me are the ones that feel most like an extension of my hand......those that feel awkward to me, shoot awkward. The more time you spend shopping, the more knowledge on the different models you will acquire....before long you will know exactly what you want

The guns primary purpose: To shoot tight groups at 10-15 yards and to be fun to shoot (no hassle cleaning and maintenance).
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I too suggest a medium frame gun, and agree that if it is a range gun primarily and maybe a hunting gun secondary, a 6'' barrel would be the best. If the secondary usage would be sd/hd than a 4'' may be a better option. Again barrel length and weight will factor on recoil and sight plane.....snubbies tend to be brutal with magnum loads and are more suited for ranges expressed in feet and not yards. The ''no hassle cleaning and maintenance'' sounds like a stainless model would be the best bet for you.
 
I have a Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag and I just bought a used S&W mod 65 in .357. I LOVE the trigger on the smith. I never knew what I was missing in the "built like a tank" blackhawk until I felt the buttery trigger squeeze of my smith. I love both guns but they are as different as night and day. My Blackhawk is my back up woods gun when I'm hunting with my .44 henry- but my smith is my EDC even with the 4" barrel that seems to disapear in my pocket.
 
A couple of people have mentioned the S&W Model 10 revolver. Yesterday I was at a friend's farm and I got to burn up 150 rounds through my mid-1960's S&W Model 10-5. After I got done shooting I was really grateful I have this revolver...it was a lot of fun to shoot, plus it is fairly accurate. Plus the more I fire it, the more accurate it becomes...LOL, I'm still a learner when it comes to handguns.

I'm really glad I bought this revolver. Like I said, it is from circa 1966-1967, with a standard weight 4" barrel, fairly certain it was a former Police Dept. revolver, hopefully it was used by the "good guys", or at least used legaly...LOL. I paid $175 for it at a gun show about 4 years back.

The only thing I wish is that is was .357 Magnum instead of just .38 Special. I plan to buy a .357 Magnum in the future for backpacking use, not much of a dire need for that right now in Toledo, Ohio...LOL.

Thanks
Mark
 
Newbie Revolver

My first ever handgun was a S&W Model 66 Police Trade in. I really wanted a Sig 226 but they had just gone up in price from $369 into the low $400 range putting it further out of reach. The Model 66 was $240 and came with a duty holster and speed loader rig. What really sold me was the trigger, it was silky smooth in double action and the single action broke like glass, I was sold.

Today you can find police trade in's with a number of suppliers but you have to look around. I now have a Ruger p90, $290 from Ivanhoe warehouse and a Glock 22, $299 from Aim Surplus. Both of these came with holsters, magazines and mag holsters for cheap money. Both had some holster wear but were in top shape and internally they appeared unused. CDNN always has a number of trade in's to look at, that's where I would start.
 
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