Recomend Home Defense Revolver?

[Chef444]

I am interested in getting a revolver for home defense and light target practice. The reason I want a revolver is pure reliability. I was looking at the taurus line of .357. Particularly the 8 shot 4" barrel. You guys seem to have a real good knowlege of handguns. Could you recomend a brand and caliber for me? Haven't owned a gun before, but I've been shooting before.

My Main areas of concern are:
Reliabilty: Must fire when absolutely nessicary (isn't that what everyone wants?)
Stopping Power: One shot will put him down
Easy Handling: Be able to pull it out of a night stand and fire quickly.
Accuracy: enough to be able to hit something in the dark.
Range Firing: be able to go to the range and have fun with it.

Ok guys, I would aprechate your input.

Thanks,

Chef

 

[crazydog]

S&W 686 7 shots

I already did all the research, I was undecided between the Ruger (Very good gun too), but I decided for the S&W, best 357.

Regards,

 

[up_onus]

I say no airweight, maybe 40cal or 357, least a 4" barrel with some decent weight to it and whatever you SHOOT best.
Strictly for HD, CCW tho....diff story

 

[ugaarguy]

Could you recomend a brand and caliber for me?

Chef, my personal favorites in a 357 Mag wheelgun are the Ruger GP-100, S&W 686 - pre-lock 686 so you must buy used, and the S&W 66 - discontinued so must be bought used as well. I've also had good experiences with Taurus and Rossi wheelguns.

Reliabilty: Must fire when absolutely nessicary (isn't that what everyone wants?)

Test the gun after you buy it because any company can let a bad one slip out. However any revolver from a major manufacturer is a good bet for reliability.

Stopping Power: One shot will put him down

The "one shot stop" is an urban legend. There are no magic bullets. You must be prepared to engage the target and fire until it is no longer a threat. Shot placement stops attacks.

Easy Handling: Be able to pull it out of a night stand and fire quickly.

That's a subjective thing. You need to go to a gunshop and handle several to see what works for you

Accuracy: enough to be able to hit something in the dark.

Again, an unrealistic expectation.

Review the 4 rules.
1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded
2. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot/kill/destroy
3. Know your target and what is beyond it
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire

Look at 2 and 3. If you're firing into the dark how can you know what your target is and what is beyond it? If you don't know what your target is how can you know you want to point a firearm toward it to shoot? Get a good light like a surefire, streamlight, etc to keep with the gun so you can ID your target first, then aim and fire if you identify it to be a threat. On the same note use 38 Specials, not 357 mags, in the gun for home defense. Indoors the muzzle blast from a 357 will damage your hearing, and the blast in low light will kill your night vision - you'll be flash blinded for several seconds with your ears ringing. When seconds count you must be able to make a quick follow up shot or shots. The lower recoil and muzzle flip of the 38 special loads will further help with this

Range Firing: be able to go to the range and have fun with it.

A 357 Mag loaded with 38 specials will provide plenty of fun at the range. The ability to use full house magnums adds the big boom and recoil fun, and also makes the 357 Mag revolver a very versatile tool.

Keep asking questions and let us know what you're thinking.

 

[115grfmj]

another vote for the 686+

in 4"

 

[Sharpdogs]

I used to keep a 686 for home defense. Now it sits in the safe. The 686 had a 6 inch barrell. I replaced with a Ruger Security Six with a 4 inch barrell. Either one would do fine I just shoot the Ruger more. Any of the above recommendations are good choices. The Ruger models will last long enough to pass down to your great, great grandchildren. They are built like tanks.

 

[ProguninTN]

Ruger

How about a Ruger GP100 in .357 Magnum ?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I don't recommend a revolver for a home defense weapon. For that role, I recommend a shotgun.

A revolver makes a good back-up or alternative weapon, but that means a gun you would have on you, or stashed somewhere other than your safe room, should you be caught without time to reach the safe room.

 

[miko]

686+ (7 rd) in 4" or 6" would be my advice.
6" is better for home defence since the flash is lower, which may be imprortant in low-light conditions. It would also do well at a range.

If you intend to carry, then 4" is better.

miko

 

[hornsmoker]

I agree with Vern, that a shotgun is first choice for home defense, but since Chef has many requirements, he should get both a revolver and a shotgun. Chef, the Taurus 608 you already have in mind is a great choice. You should look at it and the Taurus 66 side by side though. The 608 is pretty big, but it sure is sweet!..not exactly a small hands gun. Either one in 4" would be a great range / all around gun.

horsmoker -

 

[Chef444]

Thanks guys,

Great info. I obviously don't intend to shoot someone unless I have positively identified him as an Intruder. When my door comes crashing in and my dog is goin nuts, I'll ask questions later. HD is what I'm mostly interested in, I like the idea of using .38 sp ammo and firing Mag ammo at the range.

I'm leaning toward the S&W make for its smooth operation. This will help alot oin making a decision. Thanks again!

Chef

 

[Photoman]

There are many surplus Smith and Wesson .38 Special K frames on the market for $200 or so. I prefer the M64 because stainless steel is easier to take care of. Four inch barrel is good. Get some CorBon DPX ammo and your good to go.

Good points have been made regarding safety. I would add, please keep your gun locked up when not on or about your person.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Any Ruger or Smith and Wesson with a 4 inch barrel will do the job.

Taurus' reputation has been growing over the years, but I'd prefer a Ruger over the Taurus.

You might also look into CZ-USA who just bought out Dan Wesson revolvers, these are very well made and not terribly expensive.

 

[michael_aos]

I know everyone has their favorite, but the current conventional wisdom is an AR-15 for home-defense. That's my choice as well.

With that said, I've been toying with the idea of a car-gun, and I'm really liking the idea of a heavy 4" revolver too. Ideally it should be fairly inexpensive also, which suggests Ruger or Taurus.

I've looked at a few models, but I have a definite preference for S&W and they're not THAT much more expensive.

Mike

 

[Marshall]

Rem 870 short barrel shotgun.

Spend some time on The Shotgun Forum of THR.

 

[OldSchooler]

If you want a Home Defense hangun, the revolver is a good choice. Worked a hundred years ago, it will likely continue to do so.

Reliability: Must fire when absolutely necessary (isn't that what everyone wants?)
This is what a revolver is good at. Revolvers are mechanical, powered by your finger(s). Autos are powered machines, dependent on thier ammo for the motive force. Simple physics.

Stopping Power: One shot will put him down
No such thing. Sorry. You can get close and in the home shooting, it is often achieved. But there are no guarantees, especially if you dont place your shots well. The .357 is the Gold Standard for stopping power, but is a bitch to tame in the dark confines of a room. BLAST and muzzle flash, it si literally a cannon going off in the room. Penetration is something of an issue, too, in the home. Hi-powered bullets tend to punch through walls and stuff, into the rooms where your loved ones are huddled. I'd advocate a frangible bullet like the Glaser.
Caliber? You aint gonna like this: .357, but shoot .38 Special. Get a .44 Special if you can find a S&W, but then ammo might be a sourcing issue - naw, stick to the .357

Easy Handling: Be able to pull it out of a night stand and fire quickly.
All guns are just metal, wood/composites and chemical propellant. They dont care if they sit in the nightstand or the basement and will happily do so for years - decades even.
The wheelgun has no slides to rack, no safeties to fiddle with, magazines to inadvertently fall out, etc. Just pull the trigger. This can be said of the DA/DAO/SA auto, too, although the wheelgun has more "ergonomic" appeal. So it can be a trade off - except on price. A good, serviceable revolver from Taurus or Rossi will cost substantially less than others and a used sixshooter will usually come in cheaper than many, if not most, autos.

Accuracy: enough to be able to hit something in the dark.
The real problem with hitting in the dark is that you are SHOOTING in the dark. In fact, if you are shooting in the dark, then you haven't planned very well. At least get a rear-button flashlight and learn the Weaver Hold. Oh, and practice waking up in the middle of the night with the dog barking, the wife/S.O. screaming and your heart pounding in fear/anticipation of the snot flying in your face.

Range Firing: be able to go to the range and have fun with it.
Of little consequence. Fun is fun, no matter what, but it's a separate issue. All guns are fun to fire - it's in your nature.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The real problem with hitting in the dark is that you are SHOOTING in the dark. In fact, if you are shooting in the dark, then you haven't planned very well. At least get a rear-button flashlight and learn the Weaver Hold.

It's a good idea when selecting and setting up your safe room to choose a position where you can place a night light at the far end of the hall or approach, to backlight anyone coming toward you.

One disadvantage to a handgun when shooting in bad lighting conditions is that the positioning of your hands gives you little clue as to where the muzzle is pointing. A shotgun, which separates the hands, and has a buttstock for a spot weld, is much better for hitting in very low light conditions.

 

[michael_aos]

I'm pretty partial to .44 Special as well. Wish I could find something like a stainless 4" K-frame in .44 Special.

Closest thing I've found is my 629 Mountain Gun .44 Mag that I keep loaded w/specials.

 

[michael_aos]

Reminds me of another thread....

I decided I only wanted to shoot .38 +P's and load .38 +P's, so it seemed silly to me to buy a .357.

Bought this Model 67:

And since I was already set up for .38's...

 

[Huddog]

Chef I recommend you go to the range and handle and shoot several weapons to see what you like and with what you are comfortable. If the weapon is to be used strictly for HD, I must suggest you look into a shotgun. While their is a current trend by experts and in the magazines to recommend the AR 15, it is expensive. You can buy the shotgun and .357 revolver for the price of the AR and have money left for ammunition for practise. You are getting good advise from the forum but ultimately you have to make the decision. For what it is worth I have always been a S&W revolver man but recently bought my first Ruger, a G-100 6" in .357. If you are considering a used weapon I suggest you look at the thread in this forum on how to check a used revolver.

Good Luck and happy shooting

 

[Terrierman]

Rather than tell you what to buy, I will tell you what I have. I can get what I want so this is what I think is best. For us at least. In a drawer in my bedroom is a 6" S&W 686. It is the six shot model. It has been blueprinted and had some light custom work. It is a very good revolver that I am highly confident in and with. It's loaded with Speer Gold Dot +P .38 specials. It's a backup to an 870 in the closet loaded with 5 rounds of 2 3/4" magnum #1 buckshot. The chamber on the 870 is empty. There are another six rounds of the same load in a butt cuff. My wife has a .20 Gauge 1100 in her closet loaded with buckshot too. The chamber is empty on it as well. She carries a Beretta Tomcat in .32 ACP and it is never very far from her reach. The chamber on the Tomcat is empty too. I think our weapons are safe and we are set to repel all boarders.

 

[Ichiro]

L-frame sized .357 revolver is my vote. If it was purely for home defense, I'd suggest a used S&W model 10 (.38 special), but .357 in a hefty gun is a lot of fun. Shooting .357 can also go a long way toward curing any tendency to flinch when you fire .38s.

As to being able to leave a revolver sit for years and then pulling the trigger to fire a shot, I suppose that's true, as long as you don't use crappy lubrication that gums up.

I used some substandard lube on my GP-100 and stored it in a cool safe. When I took it out a week later for some dry-fire practice, I had a hard time opening the cylinder to unload it. After unloading it with a hard push of the ejector rod, I had an equally hard time turning the cylinder by hand. This gun would NOT have fired if I needed it to.

Breakfree CLP fixed the problem, and I suggest you use it on your revolver.

 

[OldSchooler]

I agree with the Magnum -> Special concept. Knowing you have the option of shooting Mags for when the occasion calls for it just seems prudent and a good value to me.

We mentioned shooting the gun in the house. I did this a few years ago. I got a metal trash can and filled it with sand/dirt and we put it in an old house on my firends property. Then we shot our guns into it, wearing only foamie earplugs.

Loud is not the word. The blast is confined and seems to reverberate, amplifying the sound even more. No matter what we fired it was beyond loud. The Magnum was worse, the 9MM in an auto the lesser. This is a good experience, one that serves to prepare.

 

[Legionnaire]

4" .357mag/.38spl steel revolver. Ruger GP100 or S&W 686 would be where I'd start.

 

[115grfmj]

I also agree that shotgun is a better choice...

for home defense but as the poster asked about revolvers.........