need help selecting a revolver

David E, i did some digging around on ammo prices and i see why you say a .22 will pay for itself pretty quick. if i am going to shoot with any regularity this might be the way to go.

i am not a reloader and this will be my first gun so i have some decisions to make on what i want vs. what i need.

i used this website for my pricing info. is it fairly accurate for the various calibers?
http://www.smokewagongear.com/c-2-ammunition.aspx

you guys are being very helpful!
thanks again:)
 
Ruger Single-Six .22/.22 magnum:

IMG_8058.jpg
 
Me and three other guys took our 22 pistols shooting one day.We passed them around. I liked the Ruger single the best.
 
I also have a High Standard Sentinel 9shot 6" barrel 22lr. revoler that shoots excellent....Great little pistol
 
Crossada, the link to the ammo prices is pretty close. Keep in mind, that SOME of those prices for .38/.357 are for a box of 20, not 50 :eek:

$28 for 20 rds of Corbon .357 is pretty steep, but it's the going price these days. You could buy 500-750 rds of .22 long rifle for the same money.

Ideally, get a .22 of the same action type as the centerfire, but that's not always an economical way to go.

The aforementioned S&W model 63 with 5" barrel is a good gun, but costs over $500 or so at the stores. Another model, the K frame S&W 617 would mimic the L frame 686 the closest making it a better 'understudy' gun, but again, it's fairly pricey. And with the 4" version weighing in at 41 oz, it's heavier than the 29 oz 63......and heavier than the 40 oz 4" 686

The weight will only matter if you carry them both afield at the same time.

Help us out here. How much money do you have to work with?

We've helped you, I hope, narrow down your choices and better defined the needs, so give us some more specifics so we can bring you in on target.

Here are two sites that may help (or confuse you further!) :
www.smith-wesson.com

www.ruger.com


.
 
I've got 4 and 6 inch K frame S & W .22s and they are my favorite .22 revolvers. Worth every penny if you can spare the cash. I like the four incher a bit better and don't see much loss of accuracy compared with the six incher.

Got some Rugers too, and they aren't bad at all. One of my friends has the little single action Ruger Bearcat .22. It is extremely compact and a lot lighter than my 4" K frame. It is a great little trail gun. He's shot a fair number of bunnies and quail with it.

Another of my pals has the .22/.22 mag Ruger. Nothing at all wrong with it but I would probably not use the interchangeable cylinder feature. When I need something larger than .22, I need something larger than .22 mag.

After you get your .22, buy about 5-10 boxes of different ammo. Test them carefully, with a good cleaning between different brands. I've found .22s can vary quite a bit in the type of ammo they shoot best.

DancesWithKnives
 
My latest buy, last September, is the 4" 617 .22LR 10-shooter. I sold my 10+ yr old Ruger MKII to buy it ($609 + s/t!). At this point, I say it is a bargain - wish I had bought it years ago. I think, as it has no action to work, the fitting of the ammo to your revolver is more of a question of how many fliers can you stand. Sure, real target ammo is better. The Federal bulk pack below is a decent choice - made more so by it's $13.47 price at Wally World. Don't start your revolver off with champagne - try cheap ale!

IMG_0619.jpg


I put off buying that revolver for too many years. But... given the choice between keeping it or that 627 Pro would be simple, as I have a boat load of .38s & wimpy .357Ms loaded up! I have several .357Ms - none have ever shot a 'real' .357 Magnum load... .38s are fun - more so in .357 Magnum cases.

Merry Christmas!

Stainz
 
when i started this quest of finding the perfect "one" gun i was thinking it would cost me over a $1000 easy. these are the ones that had me drooling but no one mentioned them for me unfortunately:( i think they are the most beautiful out there i have come across.
http://www.freedomarms.com/

if the .22 does becomes a part of the equation i'm not willing to spend very much on it. spending the big bucks on a high quality dependable gun that could be used for self protection from 2 and 4 legged foes i'm willing to do but the .22 would be for plinking only and would not be carried on the trail. as someone mentioned earlier i could get a pellet gun for the same basic purpose.

if i do choose to get the .22 i would prefer to stay under the $500 mark. i would probably not get another gun for some time and just work on the basics. this way maybe i would have a better understanding of what i want later on. that ruger single six pict. above is nice looking and i assume would be great for practice?
 
I've got a 7 1/2" FA in 454 Casull. Incredible revolver but heavy and, from a defensive standpoint, the 454C is generally more than you'd need for anything smaller than Griz. Of course, if you get one you could use 45 Long Colt in Iowa and save the 454C rounds for trips where you might encounter brownies. I guess I'd be a little more reluctant to spend FA type money on a smaller caliber like .357----but that's just me.

The best advice I saw above was to go to a range and rent several guns to test. Some people don't like the western style grips on the Ruger SA revolvers. Some love them.

DancesWithKnives
 
Danceswithknives, i would love to see pics of that beast if you got them. is it the premier or field grade version?
 
OK LOTS OF GOOD STUFF HERE>..

Have you shot any of these yet.

If i had to (GASP) chose just one.. it would be the 686 + with a the 3 inch BBL ( I would prefer a 66 but good luck)

that being said i carry my gun concealed alot

I would go burn some ammo through some of these guns that were reccomended

For a first timer i would Say start with the 686 4" (+) if you would like.. and get some instruction and burn at least 500 rounds of .38 through it before you go to the .357 I would also start with about 10000 rounds of dri fire with the pull double action pull.

Dont get me wrong i love my 22's and you will usuallay find me with one of them when on the trail in addition to my primary gun. However for one gun id say get the 686 and shoot as much as you can afford.

and dont forget with the stiff DA pull dry fire pratice willhelp smooth out the gun and you.

Jim
 
crossada said:
when i started this quest of finding the perfect "one" gun i was thinking it would cost me over a $1000 easy. these are the ones that had me drooling but no one mentioned them for me unfortunately:( i think they are the most beautiful out there i have come across.
http://www.freedomarms.com/
Click to expand...

Great guns. If you were wanting to go hunting with a handgun, this would be a very good choice. For general purpose trail duties, it's more than you need and you still suffer from the single action for defense use.

if the .22 does becomes a part of the equation i'm not willing to spend very much on it. spending the big bucks on a high quality dependable gun that could be used for self protection from 2 and 4 legged foes i'm willing to do but the .22 would be for plinking only and would not be carried on the trail. as someone mentioned earlier i could get a pellet gun for the same basic purpose.
Click to expand...

Don't skimp TOO much, you'll regret it. One role of a properly selected .22 is to act as an understudy of a larger caliber gun. IE; the same action type, maybe even same brand. This is not essential, of course, but something to consider.

A .22 handgun is far more useful on the trail than a pellet gun. A .22 is smaller, lighter, has more power and more range. Then again, I'm talking about harvesting small game humanely, not just plinking at clods of dirt. (which the .22 can still do)

if i do choose to get the .22 i would prefer to stay under the $500 mark. i would probably not get another gun for some time and just work on the basics. this way maybe i would have a better understanding of what i want later on. that ruger single six pict. above is nice looking and i assume would be great for practice?
Click to expand...

You can buy a mighty fine .22 for $500 or less. If you can only buy ONE now, then maybe a case can be made for the 686, but if you have time, then buying the .22 first and getting a solid grasp of the basics will be well worth the effort when you get the centerfire gun.

It would be best to buy the same action type as the primary gun, but not required.

If you're willing to look at used guns, you can get both for under $1000 with a little bit of looking.

If there is a range near you that rents guns, do check out a few and see what you think. Keep in mind, tho, that a gun that you think kicks too much might be easily tamed simply by changing grips.

Keep us posted!

.
 
I think you've gotten some pretty good advice here, and I'd agree with about 90% of what David E has said.

crossada said:
if the .22 does becomes a part of the equation i'm not willing to spend very much on it. spending the big bucks on a high quality dependable gun that could be used for self protection from 2 and 4 legged foes i'm willing to do but the .22 would be for plinking only and would not be carried on the trail. as someone mentioned earlier i could get a pellet gun for the same basic purpose.

if i do choose to get the .22 i would prefer to stay under the $500 mark. i would probably not get another gun for some time and just work on the basics. this way maybe i would have a better understanding of what i want later on. that ruger single six pict. above is nice looking and i assume would be great for practice?
Click to expand...

If you buy a .22 I'd say don't limit yourself by price, get what you want. If you decide to buy something bigger down the road you can always sell or trade in the .22 towards it. If it's a better quality pistol you'll get more of your money back. If you decide to keep it then you'll end up having a good quality pistol rather than one you bought because it was cheap. A better quality pistol is also usually more enjoyable to shoot and more accurate.

As David said, if you are patient and buy used you should be able to get both a nice .22 and .38/.357 for under $1k.
 
Once you get a quality 22 revolver, keep it. It will be a companion for life. Choose a good revolver like the Smith 617 with a 4-inch barrel (if looking at new guns). [Smith Model 18 if used but well cared for.]

Don't think about a 22 revolver like it should necessarily be cheap just because it shoots a smaller cartridge. It probably is more difficult to mnaufacture than it's centerfire cousins. There are few field conditions that the 22LR will not be sufficient to handle and you'll probably shoot it a lot more. For years, that is all I carried.

As far as your first objective goes. There is no question that that a revolver in 357/38spl is very versatile than a 22. You're a new shooter and I'm betting that you will find the recoil of the 357 mag substantial. My favorite 357 mag revolver is a 6" Colt Trooper Mark III with a 6" barrel. They also made these with a 4" barrel. Love the revolver and it shoots good.

As far as buying something that is currently manufactured, you won't go wrong with either the Smith 686 or Ruger GP100 with a 4" barrel for versatility. You'll find the trigger to be more to your liking with the Smith. I like 6" barrelled revolvers, but they can get a little heavy carrying in a holster all day long. I would shoot mostly 38spl ammunition at first and mix in some full powered 357 mag loads. You can definitely tell a difference. :)

There is no question that the 357 is a very good trail gun if you throw in the self defense against people into the equation. It is extremely versatile. If you like revolvers, just about everyone will have at least one; just like a 22. The 22 will do for most things also and as I like to say... I don't want to get shot by the dimunitive 22LR. It is a most effective caliber for many tasks.

What do I carry in the woods? I carry a 4" Smith Mountain Gun in 41 mag, or a 22 revolver or pistol usually. The Colt gets carried too sometimes. If I'm not planning on shoooting, I'll take along my carry piece or a 3" Ruger GP100. My next handgun purchase will probably be a Smith Model 63 which is a smaller J-frame 22 revolver with 5" barrel.

Get both. :) I know it's a hard decision. The 22 makes perfect sense. You just have to be comfortable with it as a general trail gun. You'll learn a lot shooting the 22 and make a better decision on the higher powered revolver.
 
Last edited:
Crossada,

Unfortunately I spent all my money on knives and guns so I don't own a digital camera. Sorry.

My FA is the 7 1/2" field grade with the TSOB three-ring scope mount and a 2X Leupold. However, I often pull the scope off and shoot iron sights. My shooting partner has a 4 7/8" premier grade with the black micarta handle slabs. Much better trail gun than mine but I bought mine for hunting/target. For trail carry in Griz country (if I'm foolish enough to be without a shotgun/rifle) I have a 4 7/8" Gary Reeder custom African Hunter chambered in 500 Linebaugh. His website shows some mighty nice custom jobs.

The accuracy of the FA is phenomenal. Better than some rifles. Their manufacturing tolerances are incredible---the best I've seen from a factory. You would never regret buying a FA but I wouldn't select it as my first handgun (maybe third or so...).

DancesWithKnives
 
thanks for the additional info. i totally understand on the camera thing. if my girlfriend didn't let me use hers i would be in the same boat.
 
3" Ruger SP101, because you'll still carry it after the novelty wears off.

.357 to carry, .38 to practice. 3" barrel is enough. The extra inch or so of barrel does not make nearly as much difference as not jerking the trigger. Practice a bit and you'll be fine out to any acceptably reasonable distance for a handgun. You only lose 1 round to the GP100 and it's just such an easier to carry, more comfortable gun. The GP100 and S&W 686 are great guns, as are the S&W J frames, but I think the SP101 is the perfect size compromise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top