First Revolver - .22lr vs 9mm?

[KKG]

As I said ANY of Quality wheel guns out there would be a fine Investment in the future as well as the present.

 

[ron]

I highly recommend a .357/.38spl as a first center fire revolver!

The 9 mm was not designed to operate in a wheel gun. I agree with SgtNambu a
4 inch or 6 inch 357/38 revolver is ideal for a beginner. Most new shooters are
more accurate with a wheel gun than an auto. 38 loads less exspensive and low recoil easy to shoot.
Most all revolvers shoot well with cast bullets. Not the case with 9mm. I have seen only
one 9mm shoot cast bullets well. The 38 special and 357 magnum are a perfect calibers
to start reloading. Common caliber to reload for. Lots of used dies, cheap brass and bullets.
I love shooting 22 handguns. Great for learning to shoot well. Not a fan of 22 revolvers.

 

[Argonaut]

WHO the heck has $2-3000.00 to spend on a .22 revolver to play with? And while you have your opinion for those of us not in the "I just won the lottery club" A Ruger Bearcat has plenty of quality to be refereed to the way I did. IMHO.

My Dads Bearcat bought new in 1967 for $37.50 has never had a single hitch and that going through 3 boys and more Cowboy fan jobs then I can count.

My Bearcat also a 1967 is barely on its third box of shells. It cost all of $400 with box and all paper work here a couple years back.

There is a difference between a useable fun gun and a quality one. Ruger never even called them quality. They quit selling them so they could promote the sale of there better single six that was always built at the same time. Don't confuse nostalgia with quality. Have you ever shot a fine Colt (Python or Diamondback) revolver? Even the good Smith and Wesson's require a lot of work to get close but the engineering of the Colt is such the Smith can't quite get there. The double action trigger pull on a Python is unmatched for a revolver with the only exception of a German revolver I fired....(can't remember the name...Will have to look it up......it was a Korth.....) in 1967 a new Diamondback would cost maby 4 or 5 times what a Bearcat did. There is a reason they are sought after enough to bring what they do today. They are wonderful and there are two few to satisfy the demand. Ruger has always built good useable arms with popular pricing. Never fine arms.

 

[KKG]

I've taught many NRA Basic Pistol Classes over the years and I've used a number of revolvers from my personal Collection for those classes. I think of one of the students making a remark that has stuck with me for many years. Referring to the Diamondback, She said "That's too Pretty to Shoot!" And, she was dead serious about the statement. I've chuckled about that remark many times.

The Colts are just simply NOT worst the difference in price but I guess if you've got Money to burn then you are welcome to spend it anyway you want.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

IMHO, single action eats up a lot of range time, and more patience than I possess in a modern world where everything

LOL!!! My late buddy and I used to sit a table with a picnic, our 6"
.357's, and a Six inch gong at 100m at his family ranch. We munched, BS'd and every ten minutes or so one of us would pickup
A revolver, index one round and let fly! Then we'd pull the muffs and eat some more!
REPEAT! We did this during the hot part of the day, while the critters shaded.
It would have driven teflon mad!

 

[teflon6string]

LOL!!! My late buddy and I used to sit a table with a picnic, our 6"
.357's, and a Six inch gong at 100m at his family ranch. We munched, BS'd and every ten minutes or so one of us would pickup
A revolver, index one round and let fly! Then we'd pull the muffs and eat some more!
REPEAT! We did this during the hot part of the day, while the critters shaded.
It would have driven teflon mad!

LOL! I'm not THAT bad Sarge. I'm probably guilty of overstating my... Oh look! A squirrel!!!

You make a very good point. Truth be known, I've enjoyed more than a few similar scenarios with an old rolling block Remington Model 6 or my dad's Western Field (Mossberg) bolt 22 rifle. Even with full mags in rapid-fire semi-autos, just taking my time.

Shooting with good company is the best (especially when everybody else is at work). There is a lot to be said for a leisurely day out in the sticks, BSing with a friend, occasionally picking a random distant target and mumbling "watch this."

 

[ditchtiger]

There is a difference between a useable fun gun and a quality one. Ruger never even called them quality. Ruger has always built good useable arms with popular pricing. Never fine arms.

I'm going to cover my head. This could get nasty.

 

[01rednavigator]

If I was going to get a 22 revolver it would be the Ruger SP101, very cool looking gun!

 

[ditchtiger]

If I was going to get a 22 revolver it would be the Ruger SP101, very cool looking gun!

Made sure to include picture of previous post for Caveman Jim.
Will be a good choice. Will never wear out. I had a Taurus Tracker but sold it as it was just to heavy with a 6" barrel for my old body or the grand kids. It was a nice gun though.

 

[KKG]

View attachment 406891 And another image from the internet.

 

[Certaindeaf]

With the limited case capacity of the 9mm and a large cast bullet like that, you would be in the 38 S&W range. The 38 special has a vastly increased case capacity.

Because it's a black powder case. And no, if you put three measly grains of Bullseye under a 165 grain slug in a 9mm I guarantee it'll be way beyond 38 S&W. lol

 

[teflon6string]

If I was going to get a 22 revolver it would be the Ruger SP101, very cool looking gun!

View attachment 406891

Good one Red! A bit spendy, but I'd jump on the Ruger SP101 too:
- stainless finish
- rubber grip
- hi-vis front sight
- adjustable rear sight
- double/single action
- 8-shot capacity
- handsome appearance
I'm guessing HKS will eventually make a little speed loader for it, and maybe Hogue will come up with a cheap sheriff size grip (my similar size H&R is also decidedly petite). I assume a pistol like this would be around for decades to pass down when I'm toes up.

 

[Mark W.]

There is a difference between a useable fun gun and a quality one. Ruger never even called them quality. They quit selling them so they could promote the sale of there better single six that was always built at the same time. Don't confuse nostalgia with quality. Have you ever shot a fine Colt (Python or Diamondback) revolver? Even the good Smith and Wesson's require a lot of work to get close but the engineering of the Colt is such the Smith can't quite get there. The double action trigger pull on a Python is unmatched for a revolver with the only exception of a German revolver I fired....(can't remember the name...Will have to look it up......it was a Korth.....) in 1967 a new Diamondback would cost maby 4 or 5 times what a Bearcat did. There is a reason they are sought after enough to bring what they do today. They are wonderful and there are two few to satisfy the demand. Ruger has always built good useable arms with popular pricing. Never fine arms.

So in your opinion the only quality gun is the most expensive? I grow tired of this and will now politely bow out.

 

[Argonaut]

So in your opinion the only quality gun is the most expensive? I grow tired of this and will now politely bow out.

No not necessarily, it is about fit, finish, function, design the quality of the metal and treatment parts are made from. Frequently that does go to cost but not always. I rarely take cost into consideration when evaluating an item, cost comes last and can be a deal breaker. This conversation was about quality.......has nothing to do with cost until someone considers buying one.

 

[KKG]

I really don't think there are many folks on this Forum who don't consider the DOLLARS very early on when it comes to an Firearm!

 

[Certaindeaf]

"Quality" is a subjective thing. The Colts go out of time about 4-5 times faster than a Smith and a DA Ruger will stay in time much longer than a Smith.

 

[drstrangelove]

The Ruger Blackhawk 357/9mm convertible in stainless is awesome. I changed the frame on mine to a Bisley with black micarta grips and love it for cheap ammo range shooting. You'd think the accuracy might suffer with the minor bullet diameter differences like with the single six 22lr vs 22mag, but I have not found that to be the case. The blackhawk frame is built like a tank. Just not a gun you could screw up if you tried.

 

[Argonaut]

I really don't think there are many folks on this Forum who don't consider the DOLLARS very early on when it comes to an Firearm!

Then how would you know what is good and not just cheep? There aren't that many to choose from. Is it too difficult to know what is the best or high quality instead of inexpensive? Is that how you choose a wife. The cheapest or best for the money?

 

[Member 34319]

I like many here agree the 22lr would be a way better choice for a range purpose pistol over the 9mm.

I was lucky enough to get a Colt single action army with both 22lr and 2mag cylinders. Super fun range gun.

Single actions are slower, make you spend more time working the gun than shooting it. I enjoy that more than I did earlier in my shooting days where it was all about shooting as much as possible.

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

Normally I wouldn't give away this secret, as I used to buy every one I could find, but I have more than enough in my collection now to keep me happy.

The answer you seek is:

High Standard Double Nine

Seriously, folks, these are some of my favorite .22 LR revolvers in existance! Sure, they're not as nice as the Colt, S&W, or Ruger offerings, but they can usually be found for around $200-300 depending on the model and condition.

They are a 9-shot double action revolver, as the name implies, and have an alloy frame with a steel cylinder and barrel. They come in every configuration imaginable, with lots of different barrel lengths to choose from, too.

There's the western series (W prefix) like the Durango, that look like a single action. There's also the Sentinel and Sentinal Deluxe (R prefix) that look like older police revolvers. I even have a snub-nose version and a 4" kit gun! I'd say most of the western versions have a 5.5" barrel, and the Sentinels tend to have a 6" barrel.

I have a really beat up western model that goes with me almost every range trip, and also accompanies me when hunting or camping. I've shot the thing so much I actually got it to start keyholing due to the lead build-up on the crown, but a good cleaning brought it right back on target. Almost every range trip I warm up and wind down with it, often shooting steel plates at 30-40 yards with it. Once the trigger is broke in it's not bad at all, even in double action.

They're not the most robust due to the alloy frame, but they have quite a bit to offer for their price range. If you ever see one in the wild, I'd highly recommend taking a closer look at it, but make sure to message me first!