What do you consider to be the ultimate fighting revolver

[MCgunner]

So I believe he has "Been to the Circus and seen the Elephant" with a revolver. He traded in his M1911 for a SAA .45 due to a previous incident when he was carrying his M1911 "Cowboy Style" in his waistband and it discharged.

Ouch. I hadn't heard about that, but I do recall his actions in the 1916 incident, gave him some notoriety I believe, helps his rise in rank. IIRC, he was a cavalry officer and the '73 colt was a cavalryman's gun. Horses didn't really play in WW2 and he was a general by then, anyway.

I'm thinkin' the definition of "combat" should be in the OP. Are we talking WAR, or are we talking self defense? No, you can't carry a rifle into the 7-11 most places. I hear it's totally legal to carry a rifle in Texas, but I won't be the first to try it. LOL

Of course, another factor in barrel length in Texas is that we don't have open carry. That do make a huge difference. If you can open carry, you can carry comfortably (if you don't mind the weight) an N frame. Harry Callahan had his preferences.... I doubt I'd do it much, but I do wish that open carry bill had passed.

 

[charlie fox]

Classic: S&W Model 13 or 65, 3" barrel

Modern: Ruger GP100 fixed sights, 3" barrel

 

[MCgunner]

^Yeah, I like 3" guns, good ballistics, adequate sight radius, still concealable.^

 

[Drail]

S&W Model 57.

 

[billybob44]

My two favorites..

1. 4" S&W 681 (No Dash-no 'M') With C/T Laser Grips.

2. 4" Ruger GP-100 Stainless (Half lug+fixed sight).

For ME-Target sights for targets+Fixed sights for Fighting.

Both shoot GREAT with 158gr. bullets..Bill.

 

[barnbwt]

"Ultimate Fighting Revolver"
Something in 357, that is heavy enough to "knock a guy out", and tough enough to also block a katana


TCB

 

[PabloJ]

I actually own genuine fighting revolver. DI* Q24xx CAL .38. It was made in 1941. These are getting harder to find in all original condition, but there are plenty of Mosin-Nagants out there. The M-N is revolver and hammer rolled into one.

 

[Manny]

S&W 327 Niteguard. Eight shooter, moon clips for fast reload, scandium frame makes for easy carry. I'd put a Crimson Trace grip on and call it good.

 

[RealGun]

I wouldn't want a revolver at all.

This is the revolver forum, not the handgun forum

.

You quote out of context. Don't be a forum nahtsie, like you own it. It was a legitimate post. The topic is not necessarily any one person's definition of "fighting".

 

[WC145]

A "fighting revolver", IMO, is one that you would carry openly, and would be of appropriate size and caliber. For me that would be an N frame S&W in .45acp - they're accurate, reliable, effective, and the fastest revolvers to reload. I've got two that were built for action back when cops and others actually carried big revolvers that meant business and didn't feel "undergunned" because they only held 6rds. If I had to leave my FNP45 Tactical or 1911s at home and carry a revolver instead, I'd be comfortable packing either of these into harms way.

The first is an Austin Behlert customized 25-2, yes it is a snubby, however, it is as accurate as any 4" and a little handier in tight spaces. Before the factories started offering large frame, big bore snubbies, you had to go to a shop like Behlert's or Jovino's to have one made and they were built for business.


The other was built by Marc Krebs back in the '80s, it's a 28-2 that has been converted to .45acp, it has a ported 4" barrel (I'm not much for the huge port on a .45 but it's representative of what they were building back in '87), bobbed hammer, fixed sights, semi-Fitz trigger guard, and a ton of other work. An IL cop had Krebs build it, it's a cool example of a state of the art (circa 1987) fighting revolver that can still hold it's own 25+ years later.

 

[CraigC]

You quote out of context. Don't be a forum nahtsie, like you own it. It was a legitimate post.

Note the smiley and lighten up.

 

[Elkins45]

If I knew there was a good chance I couldn't avoid a gunfight tomorrow and for some reason I was restricted to carrying a revolver then I vote for either a 4" Model 19/66 or a 4" 586/686.

In reality if I knew I was going to be in a gunfight then I would carry a Remington 870 pump with magnum OOO buck and a Glock 20 as backup.

Since I don't know when I will ever be in a gunfight (hopefully never) then the chances are pretty good what I will be carrying if it happens won't be my "ultimate" choice. It will probably be a scandium J frame or a Kahr 9mm. It's hard to conceal an ultimate gun in business clothes in the southern summer heat, at least for me. I guess my point is that choosing an ultimate revolver is a fun academic exercise, but not necessarily one that reflects the guns that actually get carried.

Having said all that, please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard over this one:

 

[Torgy]

I think your LCR is the best revolver for civillian EDC purposes, but I'd have to go with the S&W 686 Plus or the Ruger GP .357 for home defense. I have an LCR in the .38 it might be my all-time favorite. The .357 was just too much recoil and noise for me. And the new Gold Dot .38 Spcl +P Short Barrel passed the FBI ballistics test.

Great thread. Thanks for starting it.

 

[mr.trooper]

S&W model 19, or a Webley MK VI.

 

[back40]

WC145, great looking krebs custom! curious though, what makes it a "semi-fitz trigger guard"?

 

[MCgunner]

I actually own genuine fighting revolver. DI* Q24xx CAL .38. It was made in 1941. These are getting harder to find in all original condition, but there are plenty of Mosin-Nagants out there. The M-N is revolver and hammer rolled into one.

I had a 1917 Smith for a time. I got it for cheap, was supposed to be "NRA good-VG", but it wouldn't function when I got it. I took it to a gunsmith who got it in working order, if a bit loose rotationally. He warned me to be easy on the old girl with loads. It wouldn't shoot lead bullets very well, shallow rifling. As I mostly shoot cast lead, I never shot it much. I shoulda (shoulda, woulda, coulda) kept it, but was offered more'n I had in it, so sold it. I only gave a hundred bucks for the thing. I'd kinda like one in better condition, but I guess it's a little late, now and, well, I still shoot mostly cast lead in .45ACP.

In good shape, I consider that old 1917 or even a M25, to be a FINE fighting revolver where concealment is un-necessary. Sure was quick to reload with the moon clips.

 

[sidheshooter]

As someone who owns both an RB 65-3 3" and a 4' 13, I've got no quarrel with the folks championing the K-frame .357s. Likewise, I also have a 3" 36-1, an SPNY and a model 12, so I get that line of thought as well.

But, darnit, usually by this far into the "best combat revolver" threads, cocked and locked has posted his standard drool-inducing pic of his 627 UDR no lock (and I've posted my standard standing "buy" offer for the same).

C&L appears to be slacking; I'm surprised that (almost) nobody else has mentioned the stubby 8-shot gun, or put up pictorial evidence.

8 rounds of buffalo bore +P 158 LSWCHP or Silvertip 145 on demand puts this thing just about into fighting auto territory... JMO.

 

[P5 Guy]

S&w 681

 

[Officers'Wife]

I would have to say my great grandfather's Colt DA. While it's only a 32-20 I'm familiar enough with it that I could probably hit my target even if I was scared enough to wet my pants. I'm told by those that have been there that is the criteria for a fighting weapon.

 

[MartinS]

There is some spectacular iron in this thread, formidable metal. But it seems that it's the little sawed offs, the J's, Colt D frames and LCR's that are the revolvers bought the most. And not for hunting, range guns or collector's items. It's fear and the allergy to victimhood that brings these underpowered, unultimate revolvers home. And they are carried everyday by the thousands. In a way they may be what's left of the fighting revolver.

 

[peacemaker45]

That's a title that'd have to go to one of the .45 ACP and moonclip guns. S&W 1917, 25, 625, etc. A well tuned example with the old long action, by preference.

Why? First, the revolver's Achilles' Heel is capacity. Thus, it's only sensible to make as easy to reload as possible. A sixpack of short fat cartridges does that pretty well. Second, .45 ACP strikes about as good a balance as you'll find between controllability and making big holes in the target, when fired from a steel gun of reasonable size.

 

[WC145]

WC145, great looking krebs custom! curious though, what makes it a "semi-fitz trigger guard"?

The "semi" or "half" Fitz trigger guard is one that has been thinned or partially cut away, supposedly to allow faster access to the trigger. It was considered an alternative to a regular Fitz Special style cut away trigger guard where the front half of the trigger guard was removed to allow unobstructed access to the trigger, particularly for pocket carry.

This is a poor pic but it shows how the trigger guard on my gun was trimmed-


This is a Fitz Special revolver, you can see how the front of the trigger guard and the bottom of the fram have been modified (hard to believe Colt offered this as a factory option back in the day!)-

 

[back40]

thanks for the pic. i'm familiar with the fitz specials, but have never seen or heard of the semi-fitz. very nice wheelgun.

 

[RealGun]

sifheshooter - <>C&L appears to be slacking; I'm surprised that (almost) nobody else has mentioned the stubby 8-shot gun, or put up pictorial evidence.

8 rounds of buffalo bore +P 158 LSWCHP or Silvertip 145 on demand puts this thing just about into fighting auto territory... JMO.

The gun pictured is awesome, but for me, an 8-shot cylinder in this .357 Mag caliber would make it bulky enough to become just an open carry gun. I also would not care to get too carried away with Buffalo Bore stuff without a longer barrel and more weight. I am thinking some of these guns are more fun to see, talk about, own, or handle than they are to actually shoot (or carry, or conceal). As a "fighter", okay I guess, but the short barrel really is about concealment, isn't it?

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

S&W actually put out the Texas Ranger Commemorative Model 19 revolver with a semi-Fitz cut triggerguard. Had I not been left handed, it would have impressed me more, but it is cut for a rightie. Probably the only time something like that has been done.