Not one revolver in the safe - If you were to get ONE revolver what would it be?

[JRuby]

I have always had a model 28 S&W in either 4 or 6 inch. I am not rough on my guns but this one doesn't have to babied. I might consider a 27 in the future.

 

[Nosferatu]

ONE revolver? That's ridiculous. BT, DT. Never do it again.

My 29-2 6" will never leave me again.
My GP-100 10mm is my favorite shooter out of all my handguns.

 

[ma96782]

IMHO.......I'd start with a 6 shot, K frame, 4" bbl, S&W in .357 Mag. Blue or SS, your choice. YES, I'm a bit biased toward S&W revolvers because my first revolver was also a S&W. IMHO, S&W offers a good product at a reasonable price (considering what labor-intensive stuff costs nowadays).

YEAH, Yeah, yeah........38 special ammo can also be shot out of it. And, as an added benefit, you could save a bit on ammo costs vs. the .357 Mag.

BTW, IMHO the .38 special and 357 Mag cartridges are easy to learn how to reload. Yup......way back in the late '70s, I even started reloading on the .38 special cartridge. And, LOL......I started with a single-stage RCBS press.

Anyway.......IMHO, things can/will evolve from that first revolver purchase. And so.....IF you don't like it. It's still a desired firearm today. Thus, you will probably not have to wait very long when selling it (assuming a reasonable price).

Why a K frame and not the L frame?

Well, being that it's lighter and smaller.....those other individuals in your family (especially the ones with somewhat smaller hands) may/might just find it a "perfect" introduction to revolvers, target shooting/defense.

Forget about the J frame for now.

Aloha, Mark

 

[OldBroad44]

While you may not notice them often, there are plenty of competition decocker guns with 6 or 7 lb. double action and a single action just as you described, along with a short reset. Berretta and CZ come to mind.

Did you have any particular CZ in mind, and if so, why?

 

[OldBroad44]

IMHO.......I'd start with a 6 shot, K frame, 4" bbl, S&W in .357 Mag. Blue or SS, your choice. YES, I'm a bit biased toward S&W revolvers because my first revolver was also a S&W. IMHO, S&W offers a good product at a reasonable price (considering what labor-intensive stuff costs nowadays).

YEAH, Yeah, yeah........38 special ammo can also be shot out of it. And, as an added benefit, you could save a bit on ammo costs vs. the .357 Mag.

BTW, IMHO the .38 special and 357 Mag cartridges are easy to learn how to reload. Yup......way back in the late '70s, I even started reloading on the .38 special cartridge. And, LOL......I started with a single-stage RCBS press.

Anyway.......IMHO, things can/will evolve from that first revolver purchase. And so.....IF you don't like it. It's still a desired firearm today. Thus, you will probably not have to wait very long when selling it (assuming a reasonable price).

Why a K frame and not the L frame?

Well, being that it's lighter and smaller.....those other individuals in your family (especially the ones with somewhat smaller hands) may/might just find it a "perfect" introduction to revolvers, target shooting/defense.

Forget about the J frame for now.

Aloha, Mark

The K and L are both medium frame and both come in either square or round butt grip frames taking exactly the same repertoire of grips. So if a K frame revolver with a round-butt grip frame fits someone's hands, an L frame round butt can take the same grip and fit their hands just as well.

However, the L frame is a significantly heavier frame with an under lugged barrel that costs more weight but really absorbs recoil. These under lugged barrels also make the gun muzzle-heavy. Like the Colt Python. Even my 686 snubby is muzzle-heavy. I can fire it with full mag loads without the recoil bothering me. In addition, my hand can tell where the gun is pointing with a muzzle-heavy gun, which could matter if I was attacked and had to fire the gun from the hip or some other position were I couldn't bring the gun up into alignment between my eyes and the target. I love muzzle heavy revolvers. But if you prefer the traditional balance and/or want the gun to be as light as possible for the size, you might prefer the K frame.

 

[OldBroad44]

A Glock revolver, of course!!!

View attachment 1305593

Wow. Glock has managed to make even a revolver ugly!

 

[OldBroad44]

Revolvers have more personality. Semi-autos are just tools. For example, some of my revolvers (but none of my semi-autos) have names and apparent genders. Tanstaafl, a 6" Colt Anaconda .44 mag. Tansy for short. Buddy, my SW 686 snubby EDC 357mag. Belle, an 8 3/8" 629 .44 mag. And Thumper, a 9 1/2" Ruger Super Redhawk .44 mag. Tansy and Belle are ladies. Buddy is a gentleman. Thumper is male but I wouldn't exactly call him a gentleman. He accosted me when I was walking by in a gun show and looking for something else. He claimed that he and I were meant for each other . And if I took him home with me he would thump anyone who tried to harm me, which he claimed he could do with or without ammunition .

 

[Nosferatu]

Revolvers have more personality. Semi-autos are just tools.

You've not had a semi-auto that refused to feed then. That dude was an as$hole!

 

[DLS]

If I had to trim my revolver herd to just one it would be:

Ruger GP100
4.2 inch barrel
.357 Mag

 

[oremike]

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if the OP ended up with a revolver and if so which one. If not I have an assortment and don't live too far away if he'd like to test some out.

 

[OldBroad44]

You've not had a semi-auto that refused to feed then. That dude was an as$hole!

I once had a Jennings .22 semi-auto that consistently jammed on the first round, so was a single shot. I gave it to a friend who sometimes needed something very tiny and concealable and who figured a single shot was better than nothing. That just meant it was a defective tool.

 

[orygun]

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if the OP ended up with a revolver and if so which one. If not I have an assortment and don't live too far away if he'd like to test some out.

@Helocat , did you buy one, or was it a passing fad?
I've had that happen to me. For a time it's on my "hit list", then "Ehh. Nevermind."

 

[benchmark]

I have nothing against wheel guns. For some odd reason, I just don't own a single one. Lots of bolt actions, single shots but everything else takes a clip or a magazine. The first handgun I shot was a nickel plated .38 Police Special snub nose SW, which seems like the one to get for history's sake. BUT I don't have a desire to go to the range and plink away with it and I am not going to suddenly switch my EDC to it.

So for a wheel gun what would be the "fun" one to have? I mean fun to shoot. (If I own it, I shoot it) I also like to do my own reloading so I would roll my own for it too, so I can speed it up or slow it down as desired.

Ruger GP100, unless your definition of fun is something 'snazzy'.

 

[redmond]

K22 is the best shooting and most fun revolver I've shot. Not a self-defense or bear/cougar gun but you will enjoy it!

 

[Capn Jack]

Few things beat an old "Smith". $65.00 at a gunshow in '62

 

[Helocat]

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if the OP ended up with a revolver and if so which one. If not I have an assortment and don't live too far away if he'd like to test some out.

@Helocat , did you buy one, or was it a passing fad?
I've had that happen to me. For a time it's on my "hit list", then "Ehh. Nevermind."

Holy thread Resurrection! Ok 2019 not too old

Yes I ended up with two wheel guns.

SW 686 with. 7" barrel .357
SW Chief special snub nose .38

The .38 is a copy of what my grandfather carried. It was to go to my sister but before she got it it was stolen. This was also the first handgun I ever shot.

I got the .357 so I could test loads I was working up for a few friends that could not get ammo. They had brass, projectiles were available and I had the rest in my stock. They have kept training these past 3yrs.

@oremike thank you for the offer!

 

[echo1]

K22 is the best shooting and most fun revolver I've shot. Not a self-defense or bear/cougar gun but you will enjoy it!

View attachment 1306013

Same with this guy. Very accurate plinker. PAX


(not my picture)

 

[Knobgoblin]

Few things beat an old "Smith". $65.00 at a gunshow in '62

View attachment 1306015

$65 was a mortgage payment in 1962

 

[OldBroad44]

Holy thread Resurrection! Ok 2019 not too old

Yes I ended up with two wheel guns.

SW 686 with. 7" barrel .357
SW Chief special snub nose .38

The .38 is a copy of what my grandfather carried. It was to go to my sister but before she got it it was stolen. This was also the first handgun I ever shot.

I got the .357 so I could test loads I was working up for a few friends that could not get ammo. They had brass, projectiles were available and I had the rest in my stock. They have kept training these past 3yrs.

@oremike thank you for the offer!

Hello @Helocat . I participated even though I realized the thread started in 2019. I figured in this era of focus on semi-autos your question would be of ongoing interest to others. Have you been shooting your 686? Do you enjoy it? Are you a handgun hunter? If so, for what? Has the 686 remained just a fun shooter, as you anticipated? Or become more?

 

[orygun]

@OldBroad44 ,
I'll give you my perspective on this. When I started CCing (very early 90's) it was with a Model 60 in 38 Special. It shortly got replaced by a double stack Officer sized 1911 in 45ACP. I carried one or another 1911 without fail until I got my 60-15 a couple of years ago. Depending on dress and activities for the day, the 1911 may still get the call, but I'm honestly a little surprised how much I like that little revolver. When I did have the 686+, it got the call and the 1911 stayed home when I was headed to the woods.

Somewhere I have an ad in the wanted section of the classifieds asking for another prelock 686+ 4". All of this talk is making me think I need to bump that.