Who makes the best revolvers now-a-days?

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Ruger.... :cool:

Their GP100's and Redhawk's will eat anything you care to feed them.

The heavy ammo hitters like Garrett single them out as one of only three handguns that they say are safe for you shoot their 44mag +P 330g SHC Hammerheads in. Dan Wessons and the Taurus Raging Bull are the other two (these are not to be used in any S&W :rolleyes:)
 
Because you are not a competitive shooter...so you choose the better gun over the one easily fixed "in the pits"
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No, it's not a better gun. It's what I collect, what I appreciate more. If I had to choose a revolver with which to go in harm's way, it'd probably be the 4" 627 (8-shot) Pro made in 2011. But I'll sit in my man cave and admire a 40 year old blued S&W L-frame for hours while the 627 is ignored.

But yeah, when I shoot competively, it's autopistols ... Guillermo, methinks you just want to argue for argument's sake. The question was not, "Who made the better revolvers back in the day?"
 
I got a Taurus Raging Judge. Its good & fun. But still dont make them like the old days. Got a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug in .44 special. For $350 not bad at all,but time will tell how it holds up
 
I got a Taurus Raging Judge. Its good & fun. But still dont make them like the old days. Got a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug in .44 special. For $350 not bad at all,but time will tell how it holds up
 
Old Dog

A- not arguing

B- looking at the posts, it is not as though I am the only one who shares the opinion

Tell us, why do you collect older revolvers? (apparently it has nothing to do with quality)
 
Have you any familiarity with just how many rounds Miculek shoots competitively? The need for his revolvers to be supremely reliable and accurate?
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If I was shooting free guns and needed only ask for a new one, I would shoot new S&W's too. It's not like he has a lot of choice. Parts for older guns are drying up. As stated, new S&W's are more easily fixed "in the pits". You cannot simply say that because Miculek uses them, the must be good.


I think that most who bitch about the current state of S&W revolvers are simply repeating by rote the complaints about the lock and the use of MIM.
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Really? You think that my lifetime spent buying, shooting and studying this stuff is irrelevant. Oh, of course you do, it makes for a more convenient counterpoint. :rolleyes:


The question was "who makes the best revolvers nowadays" and I'm gonna interpret that as factory production DA revolvers (the SA revolver market is a niche, a fraction of the DA market), so I'm gonna go with S&W.
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Is that why there are so many companies making quality double action revolvers? Is that why we have more single action revolvers on the market than at any other time in history? Is that why the BEST revolvers made in the world right now are single actions? Methinks you can't see past your own nose. :rolleyes:


The company is so much more innovative that Ruger with regard to revolvers, it's not even close.
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I'm not much of a fan of Ruger DA's but how do you figure that? S&W is still using designs over 100yrs old that have changed very little in that time. Ruger is utilizing brand new in-house designs of the last few decades. S&W's only innovation of the last 20yrs has been to figure out how to make them as cheaply as possible.
 
Ruger....

Their GP100's and Redhawk's will eat anything you care to feed them.

The heavy ammo hitters like Garrett single them out as one of only three handguns that they say are safe for you shoot their 44mag +P 330g SHC Hammerheads in. Dan Wessons and the Taurus Raging Bull are the other two (these are not to be used in any S&W )
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That's a little unfair in that the old N frame is more svelte, not as heavily built, but easier to tote. And, then, Smith and Wesson DOES offer models that can handle super high pressures, the X frames. The Raging Bull rivals the X frame for size and weight, after all. It and the Redhawk are bigger and heavier than any N frame.

The built quality of the gun has little to do with how hot a load it can handle. Love my Rugers, my .45 Blackahawk especially, for the strength. They're also very well made for their price point and I would trust a Ruger before I'd trust a Smith and Wesson vs quality control out of the box guns. Just sayin, strength doesn't relate to built quality.
 
I think that most who bitch about the current state of S&W revolvers are simply repeating by rote the complaints about the lock and the use of MIM. Those who actually have a substantial body of experience with current production S&W revolvers aren't complaining too much ...
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I bought a new production S&W Model 60. I wasn’t worried about the lock or MIM. It was the canted and misaligned barrel and the off center rear sight that ended concerning me.

It was my second revolver. I’d recently bought a used 686-1 that’s been fantastic so I decided to get a new M60 3”. I’d read up on how to inspect revolvers. I checked cylinder play and alignment but didn’t check that the barrel was straight or the rear sight was where it was supposed to be.

My fault, I should have been more thorough, but then again, I shouldn’t have to check that the barrel is on straight. I sent it off the S&W. They sent it back saying everything is within their tolerances.

The front sight was canted off the top of the barrel and the whole barrel was pointed slightly to the left (from behind). The rear sight was off center to the right. I had to move it to near its extreme left to get it to center at 5 yards. Within tolerance though.

I traded it at a loss.

Those with “a substantial body of experience” probably check every little detail that I in my inexperience missed. That won’t happen again though. I learned my lesson. Check everything – and don’t buy new from S&W.
 
I can't get 20 shots through the Taurus without it locking up.
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I had the same problem with a Taurus .44 Mag. Tracker. I took it to a gunsmith. He said he refaced the cylinder because of burs left from the factory. Never a problem since. Cost me $60 bucks for the repair, though.

Poper
 
As has been mentioned, this thread was supposed to be about current production revolvers. That it quickly devolved into a new/old S&W rant was sadly predictable. Nonetheless, I know a few things about shooting a wheelgun competitively, so I'm gonna add to the thread veer just to clarify...

To claim new S&Ws are used by competitive shooters only because they're easy to fix is a gross oversimplification. Competition is hard on wheelgun. Sometimes they need tune ups. In rare instances, they'll even break. New and old. Loan me your chamois-babied revolver for even a single range session, and I may just make you cry. :cool: Nonetheless, my primary match gun has 50k-ish hard rounds through it, and it's held up just fine. If newer guns were relatively unreliable, they simply wouldn't be used by top wheelgunners.

Truth is, newer S&Ws just make better competition guns for a number of reasons: They're available in numerous configurations, they're as accurate as ever, easier to tune, aftermarket parts are available, ands frame-mounted FP make for lighter hammers. And they can be made (i.e. bobbed) far lighter than hammers with FPs. Replacing firing pins just happens to be much easier on newer guns that have frame-mounted FPs, but that's just a side benefit.

If you're convinced new S&Ws are used in competition only because they're easier to fix or because of someone's sponsor, I suggest making your inquiry at the Brian Enos revolver subforum, where many really excellent revolver shooters hangout. Be warned, though - they may not be as polite as me. :rolleyes:
 
Guess I might as well add my opinion:
My blue 6" GP100 (18 months old - aw, so cute!) is flawlessly finished, shoots 1" groups at 75 feet (on the bench - 3" in my hand DA), seems indestructible, fits everywhere like a bank vault, and if I had any grandkids I know it would outlast THEIR grandkids.
S&W has the rep, Colt has the history, Ruger has the capability.
 
To claim new S&Ws are used by competitive shooters only because they're easy to fix is a gross oversimplification
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I agree

It is a combination of "easy to fix" and "lack of choice"

Essentially there are only two choices for new production, double action revolvers for the competitive shooter.


The bottom line is that while the folks on this board love wheel guns...we are the minority. Not many people buy them (as compared to autos) and there is not the competition for this segment of the market.

Sad...but true
 
FYI

In the name of full disclosure, I was holding a decent Smith two days ago.

A friend of mine was given a new S&W 442.

Sideplate was perfect. Yoke was a decent fit. Trigger is "okay" but with some lube and burnishing it will be okay.
 
"revolvers" is a pretty broad field... even "DA revolvers" covers a lot. I hafta ask, best DA revolver for WHAT? Hunting? I'm not a handgun hunter... if I were, I'd use a Ruger SA... DA? I've no idea.
Rimfire? Ruger SA or S&W DA... not impressed with Ruger or Tuarus DA .22s lately.
Ultralight small frames? Still S&W, if at all. Not a fan of them, and my experience with Taurus UL has been MEH. Not horrible, but not stellar.
Oddly, for an all-purpose 38 or 357 house/ car gun, I'd be just as happy with a Taurus 82 as a Ruger SP or GP, espc. for the money. Basic DA 38s are one of the things Taurus has done well for a while now IMHO. Used S&W 10/64s are fine, but I wouldn't pay want they want for a new one.
 
If you're convinced new S&Ws are used in competition only because they're easier to fix or because of someone's sponsor...
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What else is a shooter sponsored by S&W gonna use???


Loan me your chamois-babied revolver for even a single range session, and I may just make you cry.
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And you think old revolvers got to be old by hiding in the safe???


If newer guns were relatively unreliable, they simply wouldn't be used by top wheelgunners.
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Again, what other choice do they have? It should be painfully obvious that anything available new, with easily procurable replacement parts would be first choice in any sport that is hard on equipment. Just because it's the best tool for THEIR job doesn't necessarily make them the best tool.
 
Guillermo said:
being as polite as you is unlikely on any forum.

You are always courteous and diplomatic
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Aw, shucks, G. :eek:


CraigC said:
What else is a shooter sponsored by S&W gonna use???
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Suggestions on the internet abound that top wheelgunners are "all" sponsored, and given their guns, and have no choice in the matter. Of the really excellent revo shooters I know, factory-sponsored guys are few and far between, and AFAIK, weren't "given" their guns. They could freely use a pre-lock S&W if they chose to, but choose not to.

CraigC said:
And you think old revolvers got to be old by hiding in the safe???
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No, but heck, I have a few vintage blued guns, and even I wouldn't dream of putting them through what my match gun goes through in a single session. Wanna loan me a purdy gun for a few weeks? ;) I (sorta) promise to be (sorta) gentle :D


CraigC said:
Again, what other choice do they have?...Just because it's the best tool for THEIR job doesn't necessarily make them the best tool.
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They could use pre-lock guns with forged parts (for which replacement factory parts are available), but very rarely do.

At any rate, I wasn't making any case that new guns are superior in all ways, but rather that they are used by competitive wheelgunners for reasons other than they're simply easy to fix in the field when they presumably & inevitably fail.
 
Mr. Boreland,

With all due respect...a competitive shooter needs a revolver that has ready parts and factory support. There is really only S&W in that category.

As you have pointed out, for these purposes, MIM guns are better for this.

So since the competitive revolver shooter does not have, practically speaking, any other choices...the answer is that they make the best. Because no one else is supporting them.
 
Guillermo said:
As a competitive shooter...other than a new S&W, what have you considered?
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As I indicated earlier, I could opt for a pre-lock S&W with a hammer-mounted firing pin. In fact, I have, on loan, such a .45acp 625 that I could use for IDPA ESR. 'Tis a fine gun indeed, but in practice sessions, I've been underwhelmed by it, so I haven't used it in matches. When I get serious about ESR, I'll buy a new 625, tune it, and shoot the livin' batsnot out of it. ;)
 
Mr Boreland

Listening to you and David E, two outstanding competitive shooters, have inspired me. (especially on the other thread discussing "spits")

I have purchased a shot timer and am going to get more serious about my fast shooting.

Perhaps then I will join you on the MIM/new S&W bandwagon.

:what:

But we will have to see
:evil:
 
Guillermo said:
Listening to you and David E, two outstanding competitive shooters, have inspired me. (especially on the other thread discussing "spits")

I have purchased a shot timer and am going to get more serious about my fast shooting.

Perhaps then I will join you on the MIM/new S&W bandwagon.
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Yowzer!! :what: :eek:

If you find yourself in the NC area, look me up - you can try out my newfangled stuff before you get too crazy. :D I'll bring my 5-screw K-38, and we can make a day of it. ;)
 
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