Help be decide if I should buy one of these

[chaim]

Hey guys, I'm going to make this quick since my sabbath begins in about 10 min but I have a couple things to run by everyone. I'll be back tomorrow night to see the replies.

I stopped by a local gun store earlier today (I got off work early so I had a few hours to kill) and saw a few guns that caught my attention, and I just got paid today and have some money left over after paying my bills.

I love 3" revolvers, I love .357mags. My S&W 65LS is a great gun, enough sight radius for accuracy (for me), very handy, and it would be a good CCW should I move to a CCW state.

I'm also interested in a good, small CCW gun in case I go to a CCW state for grad school next year (though it should be good at the range if I don't).

This is in the revolver section because 3 of the 4 guns I'm seriously considering are wheelguns.

-They had a beautiful 4" S&W 13-4. I love my 65 and this is just the blued version of the same gun (I'd have jumped on it if it had the 3" barrel). The blueing is very good and the grips are absolutely beautiful custom grips- more narrow than normal but very comfortable, very beautiful reddish toned wood (possibly rosewood), great lines, and they compliment the blueing perfectly. The trigger in dry fire, both SA and DA, was incredible (had to have had work). It was $325 (good price around here for a good as new used Smith).

-They had a 3" (or maybe 2 1/2") Ruger .357mag Speed Six in stainless. Beautiful gun, "felt" almost perfect in my hand. It felt very solid but plenty light for carry should that become an option. It seemed very handy and "pointable". The trigger was very good though a bit heavier than the Smith. It was a "pre-warnings" gun. It was also $325.

-They had a Colt Trooper III with a 6" barrel. There was some holster wear on some surfaces but generally the blueing was very good. I've been thinking about a Trooper but the trigger was a little disappointing after the vintage Smith and Ruger (similar to new Rugers or Taurus). The grips were Colt target grips so they were huge and strangely shaped (they were much bigger at the bottom). If it was a 4" it would be far more attractive to me. It was $350.

-The "wildcard" here is the used Kahr P9 they had. I've long wanted a Kahr and they soon won't be available here new (lock law) so used Kahrs will probably go way up in price. It looked almost new, was very solid, had a custom blue like finish (the shop owner thought it was K-Kote), it was strippled (is that the term) at the front of the grip and under the trigger guard (I could go without that) and the trigger had some work (or may have been the Elite trigger) and was absolutely wonderful for a DAO. It was $450.

Right now it is a virtual toss up between the Ruger, Kahr and S&W. I really want a 13 and this one was almost perfect, the Ruger was really calling to me, and the Kahr is something I've had in mind for some time and this one was a great deal (for here). I always have my eye out for good used guns (revolvers especially) and all of these are guns I wanted.

I had been leaning against buying any handguns until I know where I'm going to grad school (in case I go to a CCW state or a state with cheaper handguns). Also, there are a ton of long guns I want too.

I don't know what to do.

 

[VictorLouis]

The Ruger sounds by far to be the best deal. You don't see the 'pre-warning' models, least of all in stainless. I see by all four prices, and your reference to "around here" , that used guns are higher priced than in my area. The Ruger is the only one of the 3 that would command that(or near it) here. I bought a P9 while the demand was still relatively high, and I 'think' I paid that + tax when new.

 

[Trisha]

From a Pagan to a Jew, hello!

Chaim, lovely revolvers will always hold an undeniable allure. Having said that, I'd be predisposed to get the Kahr, as it is a marvelous CCW piece (and you already appreciate that specific trigger).

I see so many superb carry holsters for them that it adds to the desirability; and they're absolutely reliable (a girlfriend of mine has one as her primary carry firearm).

Good luck with your dilemma; and be sure to let us know how it is resolved, will you?

Hugs!

Trisha

 

[chaim]

This one is a real dillema.

I really love 3" revolvers, I've wanted to try a Ruger and this one was nice. A 3" wheelgun fits my criteria perfectly- small and handy enough to be a great carry gun, hefty enough and with enough sight radius to be good as a range gun. However, the trigger is "only" good and having dry fired the exceptional trigger on the 13 just before trying the Ruger it is harder for me to decide to go w/ the Ruger.

The 13 is almost perfect. The grips compliment the blueing and vice versa and it is beautiful. The trigger is incredible. With how much I love my 65LS I've long wanted a nice 13 to have its blue match. Also, with the trigger on my 586 I have come to really appreciate the triggers on older Smiths. Had this been a 3" I'd have jumped on it. I want to get it anyway but I don't necessarily want a 4".

The Kahr would be almost perfect as well. I do want a Kahr, new ones are no longer legal here w/ the built-in lock law and so as soon as the left over stock is sold off the used guns should skyrocket. Also, it fits my criteria just about perfectly- it is small enough to be a great carry gun yet it is heavy enough and has enough sight radius to be great at the range. This one had either a custom or the "Elite" trigger and the trigger is very smooth. The finish is a dark finish (good for concealment) yet being aftermarket it should be more durable than the Kahr blueing (which is notoriously bad). The drawbacks are that it is about $100 more, and it has the rough surface on the front gripstrap and the underside of the trigger guard (I could see that, especially on the trigger guard, being quite abrasive at the range).

Complicating things are that I was considering a new Springfield XD while I could still get one (no lock), a S&W SW99 or pay more and get a Walther P99 (no lock, I'd probably go SW99 to get it from an American company), a CZ or a rifle (one of serveral). I was also considering ordering a Taurus 450 (.45lc snub), a 9mm snub (when they are out) and a 94 (I still don't have a .22lr pistol).

Anyway, my likely options right now are one of the three at this shop or ordering one of the two currently available Taurus revolvers.

I will probably only be able to afford 3 of these by the time I go to grad school. ARRRGH.

 

[ACP230]

It was a tradition on TFL and is one here too. So, I feel compelled to say:

Get all of them!

 

[10-Ring]

Go w/ the S&W 13-4 & post pics

 

[chaim]

A couple questions.

Is the 3" M13 as rare as it seems (I never seem to see them) or am I just unlucky and missing them?

Is there any collectors value for a 13-4 (I doubt it)?


Here is what I'm leaning towards:

I may go ahead and get the 13. The way I figure I could at least have an almost perfect 13 with a beautiful trigger pull (man that was smooth) and I could still look for a 3".

I could put some kind of time limit on it and then if I don't find a 3", assuming there is no collectors value to the 13-4, I could pay the $214 or so to have Cylinder and Slide cut it, recrown it and re-sight it as a 3". Then I could have exactly what I want, even if I don't run into a 3" in a reasonable amount of time, and if I do I can have both the 3" and this beautiful 4".

I'll probably wait until the next gunshow since that is coming up in about a week. Maybe I'll get lucky (on either the 3" 13, or a nice used Mini-14 or a great price on a used AR or FAL). Only problem with that is that I have to then hope he doesn't sell this 13 should I not find what I want at the show (until my tax return comes I can only spend about $450 tops, and I'd like to be under $400 if possible). Normally, that wouldn't be too bad a gamble, he's only open 3 afternoons/evenings a week for about 3 or 4 hours each of those days, however he will be a vendor at the gunshow.

 

[DeltaElite]

Buy only one?
What the heck are you thinking?

 

[chaim]

OK guys, I made my choice. It actually wasn't any of these.

Check my new thread here to see what I chose:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16835