Ideal HD revolver?

[BluesBear]

My all time favorite "House Gun" is a S&W 1917 .45acp revolver. I highly recommend the Colt 1917 as well.

Anything similar to the 1917 configuation should also work as well.

 

[RWK]

MikeJ,

Thanks for answering the question in my earlier post. I am glad over-penetration is not an issue, since this simplifies my recommendations.

First -- and most important -- there is absolutely nothing wrong with the system (revolver and ammunition) you currently have. I would feel comfortable with that alternative . . . and I am hard to please.

Second, I like Jim March's fundamental suggestion -- and he is an expert, while I am a novice -- however, I would slightly modify it. I would load 3 or 4 rounds of top-quality, .38 Special +P personal defense ammunition (I favor Nyclads and LSWCHPs) followed by 2 or 3 rounds of a top-quality .357 magnum defensive load (CorBon and Georgia Arms Gold Dots are my current favorites). The advantage of this approach is simple: chances are excellent you will stop the "goblin" with the 3 or 4 .38 Special +P loads, but the 2 or 3 .357 magnum rounds are fired last in the event you have a "real" problem (e. g., multiple intruders, a felon on meth, and so forth).

Best regards.

 

[Hal]

I given more than a passing glance at a Ruger SRH in .480 Ruger.

It approaches a 20ga slug.

 

[JShirley]

Understand that the .480 is made for deep penetration in big game. I would be very careful about using it for HD if you have neighbors within 1/4 mile or so, unless you have tested in appropriate medium first.

 

[RandyB]

The recoil of a full powered load from a .480 would limit back up shots as needed. i.e. multiple bad guys. Though the idea of a .480 shooting a 250-275 grain JHP at about 800-1,000 FPS would be interesting.

 

[JShirley]

Well, yeah, with a well-designed bullet: but you're just talking about a .45 Colt load. No need to get all exotic.

 

[Hal]

Mannnnnn - I hate some things,,,,arrrrghhh!
(nothing directly related)

I had a nice long well thought out explanation to the "why a .480 Ruger " and had to scrap it. I looked at it and realized it *could* be misconstrued as a premeditated act.

The short line I guess is that *some* HD situations call for extreme penetration. <-- no, I'm not talking about shooting the JBT's when they come dressed in body armor. Think heavy cover for a BG...furniture - appliances etc. Sorry - if I go into more detail it could be read the wrong way.
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Obviously, hyper-bore calibers like the .454, .480, .475 etc family aren't suited for most suburban or apartment dwellers. Obviously, heavy magnums and hyper-bores are beyond the average shooter to deal with when it comes to recoil. I'll galdly concede those points.

(handgun)Recoil is a non factor for me. (longarm) recoil is a whole different ballgame. I max out at .30/30 levels w/longarms. A 12 ga is out of the question, and a 20 ga is just slightly above my tolerance level. Near .20 ga slug performance in a hand held has a great deal of appeal to me.

You gotta admit a 320 gr .480 Hydra Shok does have a lot of appeal

 

[HogRider]

For me the Ideal HD Revolver - if concealment is not an issue - would be something like an SW 625 with 4" barrel and a bunch of loaded moon clips.

 

[HSMITH]

For me the ideal HD revolver would be an 8 shot S&W 357, SUPPRESSED, with a 4" effective barrel and less than 6" more of suppressor. I would stoke it with a HOT loaded 125 JHP at silly velocity. Suppressed there would be little noise (compared to a normal revolver anyway), virtually no recoil, and bad guys with HUGE holes in them if shot.

What is the difference between ^^^^ and my actual HD revolver? Mine is only 6 shots and is not suppressed . It is backup for a bottom feeder of similarbut higher performance and carrying 15 rounds, and backed up by a 14 round 45 acp, then we get into the artillery.....

 

[vulcan]

I guess the best HD gun is the one you can shoot accurately & operate as second nature.

My wife's gun is a S&W 649 in .357 . It doesn't seem like a logical choice because its a snubbie, But this was the one she shot consistent & comfortable with. I keep it loaded with .38 glasers for her. I had her shoot 2 cylinders of the glasers to be familiarized. We normally shoot my .357 reloads at the range.

On my side of the bed, Its a S&W M24 .44 spl. I have autos, but IMO a revolver fits the KISS principle of a HD gun for me.

 

[cratz2]

I think I'd prefer to have a bit longer barrel than 2.5" if I was looking to buy a dedicated home defense gun. If a variety of people will have access to the gun (such as a non gun crazy spouse) a revolver is probably the way to go.

When we lived in the suburbs, a 4" 686 loaded with 4 rounds of Blue Glazers followed by two rounds of 158 Gr semi jacketed LSWCHPs was the house gun/load of choice. Out in the boonies, six rounds of the 158 Grs are what you'd face in the house.

But the 12 gauge is always better.

 

[foghornl]

My only .357 revo is a short-barrel "limited edition sheriif's model" Ruger Vaquero, so my first up HD handgun is a 1911. But (and this is the big pear-shaped but ) were I to select another .357, I would pick something along the line of the 4" GP-100, with 158-gr Gold Dots.

 

[Flipper]

Ruger GP-100 in 357 Mag. 96% stopping power launched from the epitome of reliability!

 

[Stainz]

My side... a S&W 296 .44 Special with Blazer 200gr Gold Dot HP's and a back-up speed loader with the same ammo. Her side... a 2" 10 with 158gr LSWC and a back-up speed loader similarly stoked. She'd rather have my 4" 625 and a couple of spare 230gr FMJ moonclips...

Stainz

PS Did I mention my six attack cats? I trust the BG's will be allergic...

 

[Shootcraps]

How do you SUPPRESS a revolver? Wouldn't there be some noise from the barrel/cylinder gap?


A good quality .357M with a 4 inch barrel is a great HD gun. It balances almost perfectly in the hand.

 

[Gary A]

Ruger GP-100, Stainless, four-inch, half-lug, fixed sights, loaded with 145 grain Silvertips.

 

[Z_Infidel]

My HD gun is a blued 4" Ruger GP-100 with an express sight setup. Big Dot tritium front with Bowen Rough Country V-notch rear. This makes for very fast target acquisition and sight alignment. Also good in low light situations.

 

[Brian Williams]

Suppressing a revolver involves either a weird contraption that covers the cylinder gap and the barrel or using a Nagant with its gas seal cylinder. When you pull the trigger on the Nagant the cylinder mover forward and the mouth of the case forms a seal with the barrel and closing the gap.

The tunnel rat Revolver, a highly modified S&W 29 snub nose, also solves the problem by using a shell that has a plunger, that when fired pushes the shot charge out of the shell but keeps the gases in the shell. I think the cartridges were made of steel and shot 3 or 4 pellets. IIRC the Tunnel rat revo is a classIII item because it is a suppresed cartridge.........