Revolver question

[mikiec]

Considerin a new revolver. Single action in 45 Colt is leading the list. Followed by a 357 M. either single or double action.

Any Ideas.

Mike

[GlennE]

Hi Mike:

In .45 LC, the 25-5 Smith&Wesson is my favorite DAR. I had one for years. You can also fire .45 ACP with half moon clips that make up for the rimless case of the ACP. I now have a Ruger Blackhawk in L.C. It is a wonderful gun, and as you know it is a single action revolver. I have probobly 5,000+ rounds through the gun. The L.C. round is a great caliber for just about every need and can be loaded to produce some impressive energy at the expense of case life. One of my favorites is a 285 grain Linotype lead wad-cutter, loaded backwards over Hi-Score shotgun powder. It is a like a softball at about 880 FPS. Hits like a large brick thrown out of a huge sligshot. LOTS of smoke and pretty good flame thrower too. You can definitely hear the thud of what got hit. Sorry to blab on and on. I love the round.

Best regards

Glenn

[lovehamr]

Whatcha gonna do with it Mike? Gotta know that before a foist any opinions.

Steve

[Karl Bebout]

Mikie, better be getting into reloading yer own if you are wanting to go with 45LC, and plan on doing much shooting with it. I've got a 44sp that I keep under the bed for "just in case" and I've found it to be a hoot to shoot. No where near the recoil of a 44 mag but yet spits out a nasty chunk at a little better than a 45ACP, with the 991/2% reliability of a revolver. There are alos some revolvers that take the 45ACP using half moon clips, that I would have gotten if I'd had the extra $$ at the time. Yes, I'm a cheap roooster-fish. BTW, 44sp ain't too cheap, but less than the LC. Don't know how the balistics compare. I just wanted a fail proof stopper that wouldn't go through three or four neighor's walls.

[Danr55]

Mikie, The guy with my favorite avatar hit the nail on the proverbial head. Whatcha gonna do with it will determine which you should buy. I've got a Smith Mod. 27 that I've had since 1963 and I wouldn't trade or sell it for anything. I've had several 45LC and a couple of 44's of different varieties. They were all fun, but they weren't practical since I don't enjoy recoil. So.. whatchagonnadowitit?

[Car Nut]

Good question, your two choices seem quite diverse.

[trularin]

I'm with Steve on this one.

It would be good to know the intent.

[sllib]

Mike;
You'ed be hard pressed to find more "bang for the buck" than a Ruger revolver in either SA or DA. If you go the magnum route send it off to Magna-port and have it ported and tuned and they'll send you back the sweetest shootin' iron you'll ever fire.
Bill Stradtner

[chas427fe]

I currently have a S&W 686 in 357mag and a Taurus 1911 in 45acp in the house both for fun and protection. I am concerned that if I have to use either that they will go into the neighbors house. So I have been looking at the Taurus Judge which chambers .410 shotgun shells. This would give a bigger pattern and hopefully would not go outside the house. Chas

[DWRAT]

Mike,
What happened, do you kid not return your gun?

[Danr55]

Chas.. Safety Slugs.. Plasti/Gel cups filled with shot. We load our own when we can find the cups.. THey hit like a ton of bricks but won't penetrate wallboard. They are great for home protection. Saw a guy who got shot in the butt with one. Went through his jeans and penetrated the skin. The cup broke up against the hip bone. Shot blew all of the meat away from the bone. He'll be limpin the rest of his life. Big mistake foolin' with this lady that he was after..

Mike, another thought. Why not buy a Schoffield? They fill both slots and are pretty to look at.. Pick one up in 32 H&R mag or 38/357 or 44/44mag..

[madmaxx]

check out the HK usp tactical on the .45 acp. If you can find an old colt python in "new" condition it puts all other revolvers to shame including my S&W 686. In the end you will get both. I also suggest buying the best you can. If I have learned anything, quality guns and Rolex are always worth more after 5 years, easily outperformed the DJIA over the last 10 years and you have something to show for it!!!

[Frank Messina]

If you're thinking of a cowboy gun then SAA is it. I have a Dakota SA in 357 Mag. with a mottled frame, blued barrel and brass backstrap. Beautiful gun with great balance and shoots great. The hitch is the report form a .357 round will make you wish your arms were a foot longer, especially if you cooked up some hot loads. For fun shooting I just switch to 38 SPL and let the lead fly. I've been tempted more than once to pick up another SA in 45LC but this one is so versatile, buying another would be more an extravagance than a necessity so it never happened.
Frank

[chas427fe]

Dan, thanks for the heads up on safety slugs. Learn something new everyday. I found them at MidwayUSA. I'm going to order some. Whole lot cheaper than another gun but then again another gun never hurt. Chas

[madmaxx]

Oh yea, if you did not know you can shoot .38's out of a .357 but not vice versa.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
I shot a 686 smith, good gun.
Mostly 38 specials as that would put a small group every time
then for fun load it with hot 357 mag rounds.
Perry.

[ken swart]

Get a Smith and Wesson, and invest in an action job by a revolver smith.
Have him round off and polish the front of the trigger, so you can get a smooth straight pull with the first knuckle. And don't forget your ball and dummy drills.

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by ken swart

Get a Smith and Wesson, and invest in an action job by a revolver smith.
Have him round off and polish the front of the trigger, so you can get a smooth straight pull with the first knuckle. And don't forget your ball and dummy drills.

To each his own and every shooter has different needs but the only time that I'd have a shooter use the first knuckle, or any knuckle for that matter, is if the shooter was to weak to press the trigger with the first digit. If all of your work is up close and personal then whatever; but anything past about 5 yards, or requiring precision, should be handled by pressing the trigger directly to the rear in as straight a manner as possible. Something that is not physically possible with trigger all the way in to the first knuckle. Any time too much finger is put through the trigger guard you stand a good chance of imparting a rotational movement to the gun during the press which can result in shots pulled off center. Not to mention your own finger getting in the way of the press as it wraps around the trigger.

Steve

[ken swart]

Originally Posted by lovehamr

To each his own and every shooter has different needs but the only time that I'd have a shooter use the first knuckle, or any knuckle for that matter, is if the shooter was to weak to press the trigger with the first digit. If all of your work is up close and personal then whatever; but anything past about 5 yards, or requiring precision, should be handled by pressing the trigger directly to the rear in as straight a manner as possible. Something that is not physically possible with trigger all the way in to the first knuckle. Any time too much finger is put through the trigger guard you stand a good chance of imparting a rotational movement to the gun during the press which can result in shots pulled off center. Not to mention your own finger getting in the way of the press as it wraps around the trigger.

Steve

I suppose you don't know what I'm talking about, or you would not have responded to my suggestion the way you did. I speak from experience, not theory.
If the trigger is shaped correctly, pulling with the first knuckle is natural and fast.
I'm talking about up close or long range, point-isosceles or Weaver, free hand or bench rest, 5 yards or 50. This method is all about smooth, STRAIGHT BACK trigger pull with NO rotational movement and no shots pulled off center.
And the ball and dummy drill keeps your vertical flinch under control.
As you said, to each his own, but this method works.
Ken

[madmaxx]

Because I am a prick. I bought my S&W 686 and the first time I fired with 357 the primer would mushroom and not let the barrel turn. With 38 it would work fine. After the long slow painfull S&W warranty they sent the gun back non-repaired after 3 months. I returned to the dealer and they replaced it with another new one. About 300 rounds later the action would make a funny sound when using the double action. I took it to a local gunsmith to do a light action job. He performed miracles and have not had a problem in 20 years. It turned out S&W was having quality issues and some guns did not have the hammer stop installed. True 20 years ago, but after the fiasco I can not recommend their product.