First time handgun buyer questions

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fishbulb

Joined
Sep 18, 2001
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I recently finished school, started a full-time job, and purchased my first house.

I have considered the purchase of a firearm for some time, but for a variety of reasons this was simply not a practical choice for me while I was a student.

This no longer being the case (combined with a newfound sense of "hearth and home" that comes from owning your own place rather than merely renting) I am once again seriously considering purchasing a handgun. I would eventually pursue a CCW but at first I would develop familiarity through training and at the range while also keeping the weapon available in the bedroom under the theory that "it is better to have and not need than to need and not have."

I have no delusions of actively venturing out and engaging a home invader in order to protect "stuff", rather I'd call the cops and hole up on the far side of the mattress with the weapon at the ready in case somebody decided to come through my (locked) bedroom door.

Also, frankly, guns and shooting certainly looks to be great fun. I would rather like to pursue it recreationally.

I would like some suggestions or input as to what to purchase. Currently the snubnose .38s are of the most interest to me. They fit my hands well and the lower purchase price and ammo cost leaves more funds available for practice and instruction. I would imagine that a .38 with one of those hotter +P loads would be credible (if not ideal) for defensive use. I could certainly be wrong, though.

I've no interest in magazine fed handguns, I am looking exclusively at revolvers. Cost is not terribly important, I certainly don't mind spending a couple hundred dollars more for a functionally superior product. I also don't care much at all about looks and "fit and finish" beyond the merely functional.

One primary question that I have is the quality or reliability of Rossi products. Of the various manufacturers that I've handled at local stores (Ruger, S&W, Taurus, Rossi) the Rossi's have felt the best in my hands, and (although ugly) they have what appears to be the simplest and most secure design; with very aggressive checkering on the control surfaces instead of grooves or dimples. I also like the all-steel construction more than the alloy construction that is used on the S&W products.

I hesitate to purchase one, though, because although I like them they are significantly cheaper than the Ruger and S&W products. This is not necessarily a problem as long as the quality is there. I don't, however, want to wind up with junk.

Like I said, I don't care about spending more for better, as long as better is a truly superior tool and not merely a prettier one.

The "built in Brazil" nature of Taurus and Rossi products is actually a plus for me, as I've had better luck with Brazilian-made anythings than I have with US made products.

So, I guess my question is twofold.

Generally, what should a first-time handgun buyer be looking for in a general purpose revolver that could someday be used for CCW? Is a short barreled .38 a good choice?

Specificly, are Rossi products a good value gun or a cheap crap gun or somewhere in between?

I'm not looking for a Ferrari on this one. Or even a Mustang, really. A Toyota Tacoma will do quite nicely.
 
Nothing wrong with a Taurus .38 at all. If you ever want an auto, the PT 111 is a great value as well.
 
I had a 4" .357. Great gun. Accurate, decent trigger and it came ported from the factory. I replaced the stock walnut with Hogue neoprene, they fit my hand better. Wish I still had it.

Frank
 
I'm not much of a revolver guy, but I've owned quite a few over the years. My impression overall is that S&W and Ruger are the best quality products in revolvers, with durability, reliability and accuracy being right there at the top. Taurus is better than it used to be, but still not quite the level of S&W or Ruger, although closer now. Rossi, I've never owned one, but my impression is that it isn't a weapon I would want to depend on. My best advice is to spend the extra cash, even if you have to save a bit for it and get a good weapon that will have all the qualities you need a gun to have. Don't go cheap, if you can help it.

One more thing. Ask lots of questions, like you're doing here. Go to the gun stores and talk to the clerks. Many of them are very knowledgeable about the different firearms in the cases, because only us gun enthusiasts would want to work in a gun store. :) Also, pick up some of the gun magazines and read, many of them do testing and reviews. You know, Guns and Ammo, Combat Handguns, etc. Any well stocked magazine/news stand should have some good gun mags for sale.
 
a snubby might not be the best first purchase. you will likely struggle with accuracy and after shooting a few rounds, your hand will get sore. most 2" revolvers are designed with weight and concealment in mind.

a good 4" full frame revolver in .357 is what i would recommend given your criteria. taurus is good, perhaps look at the ruger sp101 or gp100 again. great bang for the buck. and rugers are built like brick s**t houses. but taurus's are very tough as well.

with the longer bbl and heavier frame, shooting will be far more enjoyable. and with the .357, you can shoot inexpensive .38 specials.
 
I would highly recommend going to a firing range and renting the guns you are thinking of buying. When I first became interested in shooting, all the gun rags had guys like Jeff Cooper and Chuck Taylor singing praises about the 1911 .45. I almost bought one, but I didn't because I found I could shoot more accurately with several other handguns.

The choice of a weapon is a very personal choice. What's good for you might be totally different than what a friend, or writer likes.

Having said that, I agreed with what others have said here. I'd either get a S&W or Ruger, or a nice used Colt like a Python or Detective Special. Taurus isn't a bad choice, either, but wouldn't be my first choice. The only Rossi revolver I ever shot was one my buddy bought when he got out of the army in the mid 80's. I remember it had a terribly un-smooth, heavy action/trigger.

I agree you might as well get a .357 so you can shoot either .38's or .357's. It you aren't going to be carrying CCW, I'd get something like a K frame with a 4" bbl. If you are planning on carrying concealed, a 5 shot J frame would probably make more sense. If you get an Airweight, or a scandium or titanium frame, be sure to fire some full house .357's from a rental to see if you can deal with the recoil - believe me, it's substancial.

If you want a gun that does a decent job at both, you might want to try and get a S&W "FBI Special" like Jodie Foster carried in Silence of the Lambs. It has a 3" bbl, so you get decent velocity, less blast and flash, and full length ejection.
 
I'll put in another vote for the 4" Ruger GP100. They are built like tanks and have a stellar reputation for accuracy as well. I also really like the S&W 686, but Ruger's tend to be just as good for less money.
 
Congratulations on a realistic assessment of your needs, and your intention to train and familiarise yourself with your choice of revolver.

Congratulations also on your choice of calibre and type. So many people seem to leap on the "Bigger bullet/excessive power/massive capacity/bells & whistles" bandwagon.

Statistics indicate that most confrontations are resolved without a shot being fired. Even if powder is burned, the "average gunfight" involves only 1.5 rounds being fired.

I would recommend a 4" barrel in a stainless finish. The shorter barrels are, as Morimotom has pointed out, mainly for CCW. I would go with stainless for ease of maintenance and for added visibility. A felon is more likely to see a bright revolver in your hand in dim light (when most attacks occur) than a dim, blued one.

It might be worth your while considering a .357 revolver. You can use it for its entire life with .38 ammo with no ill effects, yet "power it up" should the gun bug bite, or your needs change.

Have you considered a S&W Model 66?

It used to be that revolvers like the S&W Model 10 were available at low prices due to their perceived lack of "sexiness." A wise man can exploit that, and equip himself with a fine piece that'll do everything required at a good price.

The first thing you should do is join the NRA:

https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp

Don't let your government abuse your rights and confiscate your handguns, as mine were...

Safe and happy shooting!

maximus otter
 
Go with Smith and Wesson. Quality, factory backing like you would'nt believe, holds their value, and a zillion gunsmiths know how to tweek them. Realiability is 100%. I have one model 64 I bought in 1972 and a model 60 in 1977. Both have had unkown thousands of rounds thrugh them with zero malfuctions. Same for the little model 34 kit gun I bought in 1960.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
I would also advise staying away from Rossi's. I fired one once and once was enough. It wasn't even remotely accurate. My personal favorite for revolvers are old Smith and Wessons. I have a 4" barrelled .38 from the 1960's that is still very accurate and reliable. In fact I believe it's better than the ones they're producing today. Ruger also makes a very reliable weapon.

You probably should get a larger revolver to begin shooting with. Snubbies are very difficult to shoot accurately even if you're already a good shot. It's not a great idea to try to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship with them, you'll only get frustrated unless you're a prodigy. Personally I would recommend a Smith and Wesson Model 686 or a Ruger GP100 with a 4" or 6" barrel. You can fire inexpensive .38 Specials for target practice and familiarization, then load up some .357's for self defense. Don't discount used revolvers too, if you find something you like. Most stores offer short warranties on used guns. If there's a problem, they'll pay to get it fixed. It takes a lot of shooting to wear out a quality handgun.

One more consideration, if you have the funds. Seriously consider getting a .22 revolver or autoloader to practice with. You'll quickly find that centerfire ammunition costs will limit your shooting, unless you're really rich. .22 ammo is so cheap you can fire thousands of rounds a month for $50 or $60. There's no better way to improve your marksmanship than high-volume practice with a nice .22, plus they're a whole lot of fun. I'm a big fan of the Ruger MK II and MK III. The Browning Buckmaster is also a very good buy. Ruger makes some good single action revolvers in .22, and Smith and Wesson makes a few .22 double action revolvers but they're quite expensive.

Best of luck. :)
 
Here's another vote for the 4" Ruger GP100. You get your choice of ammo (.38 or .357), it's built like a tank, and very reliable.

- Mark
 
Another vote for a S&W. If revolvers are what you are looking at then Smith and Wesson is as close as you will get to 100% reliability. My recommendation would be to rent some S&W revolvers and see what you like best. My top recommendation would be the new 2" snubnose 686. It's a large frame revolver thats very easy to shoot, it has adjustable sights, 7 round cylinder, and a 2" barrel so it can still be concealed pretty easily. They're not ungodly expensive either, you can probably find one for around $550.
 
Roadrunner said:
One more consideration, if you have the funds. Seriously consider getting a .22 revolver or autoloader to practice with. You'll quickly find that centerfire ammunition costs will limit your shooting, unless you're really rich. .22 ammo is so cheap you can fire thousands of rounds a month for $50 or $60. There's no better way to improve your marksmanship than high-volume practice with a nice .22, plus they're a whole lot of fun. I'm a big fan of the Ruger MK II and MK III. The Browning Buckmaster is also a very good buy. Ruger makes some good single action revolvers in .22, and Smith and Wesson makes a few .22 double action revolvers but they're quite expensive.
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I've actually been considering going this route as well. I handled a few of the Browning and Ruger .22 autos as well as a Walther P22. The Walther felt the best although some of the details of construction weren't super great. Some research indicates that the older P22s had some feed problems but the newer ones are supposedly much better.

None of them felt as solid as any of the revolvers that I've looked at, but I'd imagine that all of them were good enough for my learning/recreation biased application.

I do like the low-buck availability of .22 rounds as well as the low recoil and noise, all of which should combine to allow lengthy range sessions without undue stress on myself or my wallet.

Would it be completely unreasonable to rely on a P22 or revolver full of hot .22LR shells as a "better than nothing" defensive item?

Although I know that this doesn't have nearly the force projection potential of a centerfire gun I also know that I certainly wouldn't want to get shot with one under any circumstances.
 
I spent a ton of time on this issue when I bought my first gun (I thought it was going to be my only gun at the time). I got the already mentioned many times 4" Ruger .357 (GP100). There are lots of reasons this gun always gets lots of votes whenever this question is asked. Dependable, accurate, easy to shoot, flexible ammo-wise, etc. This is still my wife's favorite gun to shoot- and she prefers shooting it with .357s! I have a lot more guns now, but this would still get my vote if I could only have one.

Also, big +1 on getting a .22 to go with it- cheap, fun practice. Let us know what you get.
 
i have two taurus revovers one mod 85 in 38 spc its blue and takes +p ammo and i have a 651 in titainum it has crimson laiser grips the blued mod 85 action is very smooth way better than the 651 and buy the way my friend in cal has a milenium 9mm that he carries and its sweet 10 rounds of 9mm and a 9 is more potent than a 38 in most cases imho have fun shopping :D
 
i have two Taurus revovers one mod 85 in 38 spec its blue and takes +p ammo and i have a 651 in titanium it has crimson laser grips the blued mod 85 action is very smooth way better than the 651 and buy the way my friend in cal has a millenium 9mm that he carries and its sweet 10 rounds of 9mm and a 9 is more potent than a 38 in most cases imho have fun shopping :D
 
S&W 686+ is an excellent choice, gives you the versitility to plink with 38 specials as well as a .357 defense load, I keep a couple od speed loaders ready with hollow points. Mine is insanely accurate with a 4 inch barrel and the plus gets you a seventh round just in case
 
locomike said:
I'll put in another vote for the 4" Ruger GP100. They are built like tanks and have a stellar reputation for accuracy as well. I also really like the S&W 686, but Ruger's tend to be just as good for less money.
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And I'll also "vote" for the Ruger GP-100...A VERY sturdy revolver that handles full-power .357 mag loads with ease!.:thumbup:.:thumbup:.
 
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