Small-ish revolver question

L

lumpymike1

Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
476
Hi All,

Next month the IDPA group I shoot with is having a "BUG" gun match. No full sizes allowed, if you bring one you only get 6 shots and penalized. Now the smallest gun I have is a Sig 228, and this might be th nudge I need to get a revolver. I have always liked the looks of Rugers SP101's, but I wanted to know what others think. A friend of mine swears by S&W's K Frames, but I wouldn't know which model to chose from, and I generally prefer Ruger. Tarus is also an option, my local store has them in stock for resonalble prices.

Help, what's a guy to do?

Thanks

Michael
 
How small does it need to be?

The FBI carried snub nosed K-Frame S&W wheel guns for many years. I had a friend with a Cheif's Special but, it just didn't go it for me. Ruger makes a great pistol but, it doesn't fit me very well (sort of the Chevy vs. Ford thing I guess).

I have a soft spot for the older N-Frame S&W's in 44 special and and 45 LC. S&W make a 5 shot 44 Special L-Frame snubbe wheel gun. I think it was called the 296 or something similar. That little 5 shot 44 Special would be a sweet one for what you are talking about if it MUST be a revolver.

If you just need a small pistol for the match, look at the Kahr's. For a semi-auto "snubbie" version. Good prices and good small pistols.
 
One of my favorites is my S&W J frame 32 HR Mag. But the 44 Spcl. is a front runner. They make several of those that are pretty darn sweet also. I've had a couple of the Taurus 44 Spcls. The one was the all titanium revolver. It was only five shots though.

The best small Revolver I have, or have ever had is my 357 Mag Rossi with the front and rear adjustable sites on a 3" barrel. Now thats a sweet heart. I think when Taurus bought the company they stille kept making that one too. I just don't remember the model number. I'd have to dig it out and its buried at this time.

You never mentioned 22 LR but my little S & W airlite 8 shot 22 is a great plinker. Not sure what you need for your event as I've never been but I can just tell you that your groupings would be tight with one of these 22s. Mine is accurate as all get out. Its my all time favorite 22 pistol. Front and rear adjustable sites and a 3" barrel making plinking cans at 25 yards a piece of cake.

STR
 
Interesting sugestions.

A guy I shoot with had that Khar, and it is a great gun. It is on the wish list.

I am looking for some more info on what we can shoot at the match, all they said was to use a back-up style gun.

Both the Rossi and the S&W .22 sound interesting. I've been wanting a little .22 this might be the venue for it.
 
If you can find a nice used one, get yourself a Ruger Speed-Six/Security Six, stainless, with the 2 & 3/4 " barrel...An excellent "little" revolver.
 
Glockman I didn't know they made those with that small of barrel's. I have been looking at that but I only saw the longer barrel's on Ruger's site. Do you have any pic's or links?
 
I have a S&W 37 Airweight J-frame and it shoots great. More for Concealed Carry though.

A good option to look for is a used S&W Model 15 K-frame with the 2" barrel. Very well-made and has adjustable sights. All the ones I have handled have excellent triggers.
 
S&W 642 is very highly regarded.
I have a Colt Cobra .38 that is fantastic.

Get a Mika pocket holster for it... absolutely disappears in a front pocket.
 
I fired an sp-101 in a range once, but never owned one. I thought it was really nice to shoot, and would have bought one for myself if I hadn't opted for a s&w j frame airweight for lighter carry.
The stock sights on the 101 were nice, grips were nice, stock trigger pull was nice, all around a very nice gun.
 
Have a DAO SP101 .357---replaced the factory grips with Hogue rubber grips---using Wally World WWB 110gn it is dead on(to the sights) and tack driving accurate---recoil is not bad with the 110gn load---other loads??? never tried them----what for?---it already does all I want it to---at the Walmart price.
 
lumpymike1 said:
Glockman I didn't know they made those with that small of barrel's. I have been looking at that but I only saw the longer barrel's on Ruger's site. Do you have any pic's or links?
Click to expand...
That's why I said a nice, USED one...Ruger replaced those medium frame "snub-nose" with the small frame SP-101 series a few years ago.
 
glockman99 said:
That's why I said a nice, USED one...Ruger replaced those medium frame "snub-nose" with the small frame SP-101 series a few years ago.
Click to expand...


Ah. My appologies.
 
My airlite 22 by S&W. I think they have changed the front site on this model since I bought mine but otherwise its still the same. The new one is an optic site. Green as I recall.

One of the other things I love about this 22LR revolver that I forgot to mention earlier is the fact that you can let it get filthy dirty and it still keeps going and going and going flawlessly long after a semi auto would start jamming up on you. For me thats a plus. If you are one of those that always keeps an immaculate barrel and chamber maybe it means very little to you. I love the thing for that fact and the fact that it isn't much of a compromise in accuracy difference over the 4" barrel models I have from S&W and Browning. I have a BuckMark but I wouldn't trade this S&W for two of those after having both.

Oh yeah. I bet my mulit tool weighs about the same as this pistol loaded. Its a real light weight one.

STR

SWAirLite22LR-copy.jpg
 
Oh that is nice. I think after work I am going to take a look at that, the ruger SP101 and the Taurus. Might have to rent them at the range to see what feels and fires the best.
 
I don't know what it is about Ruger, I love their single-action revolvers, but I can't shoot their doubles worth a damn. For that type of shooting, almost any S&W will do for me. There has got to be something different about the action on the S&W that makes that little but critical difference for me.
 
I have owned a couple of J-frame Smiths over the years, including one of the 3" barrelled square-butt jobs.
I presently have a clone, one of the Taurus 2" stainless jobs in .38 special. I always found the little Smiths to be a handful with the stock grips and stout loads; this one wears the Pachmayr grips and is quite comfortable to shoot.
 
I've got one of the 2 3/4" Ruger Speed-Sixes in .357 Magnum that I bought several years ago. It's been ported and action tuned by Magna-Port's shop and is sweet--one of the best triggers I've ever seen on a Ruger.
 
BTW, that Rossi I love is model number M-971 if you can find it. I was wrong about the barrel length also. Its 2.5" not 3". Its been a while since I've had that one out.

STR
 
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