Which (cheap) revolver would be best for me?

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I posted earlier. I now have the Charter Arms Police Undercover (73840 - 6shot) as well as the 5 shot Undercover (73820). Both have steel frames. Both have been to the range and do quite well single-action and double-action, though the 5 shot Undercover has much the better trigger. Accuracy wise, they're quite comparable to my Smith Model 37 at 50 ft., which is to say very good. Neither trigger is gritty or mushy, but the Police Undercover trigger is heavier.

Both fit in J-frame holsters (at least the ones I have) and are much more fun to shoot than the M37; which is to say the full size grip and steel construction soak up a lot of the recoil. Both were purchased new this summer.

Charter's rebate program goes to the end of this month. Their site is charterfirearms.com which is a correction to what I first posted. Study their offerings to make sure you get what you want.
Bob
 
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Both of your options show new pricing around 200+ and 300+ from a popular online dealer. I would not expect used resale value to be good on either, so if you are not opposed to buying used Smith or Ruger maybe just saving up a bit longer might be worthwhile. That said, if I were to pick from your options, I'd rather go charter by support reputation and people seem pretty happy with theirs. I've never had either charter or RIA.

I did one time buy an EAA Windicator in the same price range, but after shooting a couple boxes didn't care for it and traded it for a GP100 (plus cash), which is much higher quality.

what didn’t you like about the EAA Windicator? Thinking of getting the 38 spl with 4” barrel. But have concern about alloy barrel.
 
A 6-shot Taurus 85 (okay, it's called the M856 but whatever) can be found at or around $200 on occasion. The matte stainless version costs a little more. I'm fairly smitten with mine.

Oh, and ignore the background. These two things certainly don't go well together... it just happened to be there.

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Sorry, I admittedly don't have a really good excuse for my absence; that's just how I am sometimes. I am still mulling over what I am going to go with. On the one hand, the RIA has closer manual of arms to the Cobra, and is cheaper, but on the other hand, the Charter will be tougher and higher quality, and I can throw it in a lock box under my driver seat and have it for a truck gun. The other option is the EAA Windicator, as suggested by @5-SHOTS. It is a bit larger than I want, but the added option of (occasionally) shooting .357 makes it tempting. I will continue thinking about this and will update you all when I make a decision. I do thank you all for your input.


I'm not sure I'd consider the charter stuff tougher than the m206. I have a m206 and it's pretty stout. I've only handled charter arms stuff so I can't be certain but the legions of bad reviews I've read over the years, plus just how they feel makes me think not too highly of charter.

But....I own a gp100 which is pretty much the most solid DA revolver ever, coming from that neither is impressive
 
Hey all, I am not new to shooting by any stretch, but I've never owned a revolver, and I would like one just for fun and to try something new.

That being said, my budget right now doesnt have room for a nicer revolver from Smith or Ruger. I am currently looking at two options closely: the RIA m206 and the Charter Arms Police Undercover. The CA seems to have better finish, but I don't really care much about interior tool marks, and whichever I go with is just a stopgap until I can save up for a Colt Cobra.

Also worth mentioning is that I won't buy a Taurus. Nothing personal against the company, I just have deep personal reasons not to own a gun with that name attached. Kind of stupid, but I won't budge on that.

You're definitely on the right track with the cartridge. The .38 Special is a fantastic and versatile cartridge. I would stay away from the snub nose models. They're great for the task for which they were designed, but not a lot of fun for just shooting.

I'd suggest a used S&W Model 10. They're on sale for $249.00 right now at Classic Firearms. I bought one a couple of weeks ago and have hardly put it down since. I shoot the darned thing nearly every day and even bought another off an auction site that will arrive today.

35W
 
what didn’t you like about the EAA Windicator? Thinking of getting the 38 spl with 4” barrel. But have concern about alloy barrel.

Not to derail thread I PM'd you. Like Snowdog I also got myself a Taurus 856 stainless, solid snub.
 
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You want cheap? Well here you go! It doesn’t get any cheaper than an RG. Highly concealable and the vent rib is certainly a nice, attractive touch! Heck if I owned this beauty I would send it out to Angelo Bee or Gary Reeder to have it engraved.
 
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I vote for a Charter. Good value, good shooter. Mine is a 3” barrel Charter Arms Classic Bulldog and I carry it in my rotation around the property. Cylinder rotates clockwise like a Colt. Would provide good service until you can upgrade to a new Colt Cobra.

I’ve got four of the new snakes and really love them. Excellent out of the box triggers, accurate and easy to carry. Two 38+P Cobras, two new 357 magnum King Cobras, one with 3” barrel and the newest, a 4-1/4” King Cobra Target.
 
There's a M36 sitting in my desk drawer as I type this.

I'm gonna second this. Probably the greatest carry revolver ever devised and not made out of old soda cans but real steel. My woman is deadly accurate at sd ranges with hers. You can throw a 36 in your back pocket and not take your pants down but it still feels substantial as a weapon. I traded into it from a model 10. Only real problem now is I want a pair of 3" model 36s to my own!
 
I keep getting these messages, but around where I live, the used market is pretty sparse. I could go online and order a used SP101 or a Smith Model 10, but I dont like the idea of buying a used product sight unseen. I have nothing against buying used, but in my area all the used revolvers are large frame .44's, in which I personally have very little interest ATM. I appreciate the suggestion, it just really isn't in the cards for me.
I don't like to buy without being able to inspect the gun first either. I go to Armslist and do a search of guns listed "private sale" in my state only. I get online prices, pay no FFL fees and get to inspect the gun before I buy. I've bought this way three times and it might work for you. If you want a $200 gun you're choices will be very limited and most times you get what you pay for. For $300-400 you can get a good quality used revolver mechanically sound with finish wear. As I posted before, if 38 spl is what you want a model 10 is hard to beat for $300. If you want a snub a used SP101 357 and shoot 38s for fun and 357 capable but no fun(IMO). I got this SP101 for $400 almost new(two months old). The GP was only $618 new. If you want a revolver that you can enjoy shooting both 357 and 38 spl, get a used GP100 357 4". You may be able to find a Dan Wesson 15-2 but not as easily.
 

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I've owned a couple three Charter Undercovers over the years. Good solid guns that aren't really fancy, but seem to work quite well.

I've looked at the RIA and considered getting one but I'm about knee deep in 38/357's so I passed. Seemed decent though.

Since this has resurfaced, I'll add something else. I did go ahead and buy a Rock Island Arms M-200 in 38 Special. Got it from Bud's, for $215.00 plus a transfer fee.

It's ugly, but has a surprisingly good trigger in both DA and SA. The sights are simple fixed. The front desperately needed a splash of color, which my two bottles of nail polish provided. The grips are some kind of plastic stuff, but feel good in my hand, after I took a pocket knife and scraped the flashing off the edges. The hammer looks weird, sticking almost straight back, but when shooting S/A is nicely positioned.

The literature with the gun said "occasional", I think is the word they used, use of P+ ammo is OK, but to limit it. Your guess is as good as mine what that means, but for me it's a none issue since I don't see much sense in shooting P+ at the range, other than a few rounds to say I did it. If it was a self defense gun, I'd shoot a few, then save them for the "serious social work" and shoot standard pressure stuff at the range.

At the range I shot it no worse than I do any other gun, and of course there were no malfunctions of any kind.

RIA1_zpsirjtg6mq.jpg

Overall, not bad for "cheap" gun. Probably not something a real gun enthusiast would salivate over, but for someone who was on a tight budget, it's not a bad option, based on the one I got, totally at random. I think of it as the revolver version of a Hi Point. Ugly, cheap, but works.

Now, just as a comparison, I do have a Smith and Wesson Model 10-5 that I got this year anyway, for $285.00 + whatever the tax was, so I suppose that's more or less in the same price range, but sub $300 smith and Wesson's are getting pretty rare around here. Same for Colt, Ruger, and even Taurus really. The finish on the Model 10 was "challenged" shall we say, but mechanically it's fine. Also, I added a BK grip adapter to the Model 10, which added another $30 or so dollars by the time I paid the shipping. The grips on the Rock Island on the other hand were adequate for 38 Special, out of the box, save the minor surgery I mentioned earlier.
 
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Just to update, I have made my decision and will be ordering a RIA m200 or m206 from the local gallery of guns distributor. We'll see which number I end up with ;)
The RIA has a good reputation and I like the extra round over the Undercover, and the Police Undercover was more than I wanted to pay for right now. I did look on armslist, but what few revolvers I found were priced higher than they would be at Cabelas. I am excited to finally add a revolver to the collection, and will update with pictures and first impressions when the gun gets here.
I would like to thank all of you for helping me make a good decision, y'all are the real MVP's.
 
Where does this myth come from? Made to carry a lot and shoot little? I even hear people say that about the light weight J frames. What manufacturer ever told a customer " thanks for buying our product but please don't shoot it or it might fall apart"
Nobody makes and sells a gun that isn't made to shoot.
Lost a screw in my charter off duty. Never had a screw back out on me with my Smith's or Rugers. So I carry it (after getting it fixed) alot shoot it very little.
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Just to update, I have made my decision and will be ordering a RIA m200 or m206 from the local gallery of guns distributor. We'll see which number I end up with ;)
The RIA has a good reputation and I like the extra round over the Undercover, and the Police Undercover was more than I wanted to pay for right now. I did look on armslist, but what few revolvers I found were priced higher than they would be at Cabelas. I am excited to finally add a revolver to the collection, and will update with pictures and first impressions when the gun gets here.
I would like to thank all of you for helping me make a good decision, y'all are the real MVP's.
Good Choice
Which ever you get, get the rubber grip for it as the hammer pinches your hand between the thumb and index finger when shooting single action with the WOODEN grips.
I've been thinking seriously about the RIA 38sp too and our local BiMart has them for $199 !
Until I saw a vid about a 9mm model to be released in January so I'm waiting for it.

If you don't reload (I do) 9mm ammo is about 1/2 the cost of 38sp, the reason I'm waiting.
The down side is I'm sure the 9mm/adj. sight/3" barrel (model AL 9.0) will cost more and it needs moon clips :thumbdown:
Here's a vid/test:

:D
 
Just to update, I have made my decision and will be ordering a RIA m200 or m206 from the local gallery of guns distributor. We'll see which number I end up with ;)
The RIA has a good reputation and I like the extra round over the Undercover, and the Police Undercover was more than I wanted to pay for right now. I did look on armslist, but what few revolvers I found were priced higher than they would be at Cabelas. I am excited to finally add a revolver to the collection, and will update with pictures and first impressions when the gun gets here.
I would like to thank all of you for helping me make a good decision, y'all are the real MVP's.
The RIA is not a bad revolver to start with and they actually do have good triggers. The one bit of advice I will give you is when you first get it the cylinder release is going to be very stiff and gritty, so work it back and forth a lot to smooth it out. Also, when you go to close the cylinder, be gentle with it and don't try to force it in because while these guns are good for the price, they're not as up to par in quality as a Ruger or S&W or even a Taurus are and an issue I had with mine was the cylinder, when it's swung out, can move forward far enough that the front of the cylinder will hit the barrel when trying to close it.

It's not a dealbreaking issue, just a quirk that I've learned how to avoid.
 
Sammael94 I think you will like the RIA. I picked up a M200 a few months ago. Checked before walking out to ensure had good timing and solid lockup both single and double action. Fired about 450 rounds through it so far. Surprising good trigger, shoots to point of aim at 25 yards. The gun has parkarized style finish and comes covered in machine oil. The cylinder walls are not silky smooth so steel cased Tula rounds stick when fired. Sure it can be cured by polishing the cylinders with a drill, patches, and rubbing compound but haven't bothered yet. Stick with brass ammo and its a sweet gun. The grips on the m200 are on the larger size which fit my hands very well compared with other small handguns. I think you will really like it when it shows up. Good luck & good shooting.
 
JMHO, save your money, bide your time. Buy a new Ruger, when you have the money. You'll have the gun for a long time, do you really want to
be thinking "Damn! I should have waited, and bought something better."
 
JMHO, save your money, bide your time. Buy a new Ruger, when you have the money. You'll have the gun for a long time, do you really want to
be thinking "Damn! I should have waited, and bought something better."

I keep seeing this, and I'm not sure why. The plan has always been "cheap one now, good one later." This isn't going to be an every day shooter, it's just a toy to try something new, as well as a truck gun. I don't want something that would be difficult to replace. I understand the advice, and it is generally good advice, but telling me to save for what I really want isn't really applicable, since what I really want is the cheap gun and the nice gun, not just the nice gun.
 
In the world of firearms, "cheap" and "nice" don't mix a whole lot, or EVERYBODY would be buying that
"cheap, nice gun", don't you think ?

Enjoy the holidays
 
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In the world of firearms, "cheap" and "nice" don't mix a whole lot, or EVERYBODY would be buying that
"cheap, nice gun", don't you think ? You want a cheap gun, they're available, but I don't see the point,
in giving the purchase of some tatty POS a lot of thought.

With the advent of CNC machinery cheap and nice mix far more than they once did. Said machinery does a better job than a flesh and blood machinist and they don't require vacations, sick leave, insurance or a pension. This makes firearms less expensive to produce. In fact, the finish, that is hand fitting, polishing, CCH and bluing, is probably most of the expense in producing a firearm these days. A perfect example are Colt SA's and Uberti SA's. I own both 3rd Generation Colt's and Uberti's and if you disregard the fact that the Colts are usually much more poorly fitted, the only real difference is the quality of the finish. So I could buy a $550 Uberti, spend $300-$400 having it blued and CCH'ed, and still have about half the price of a Colt in a more accurate, better fitted revolver.

As far as the "tattiness" of finishes, to each their own. I've never seen the point of elaborate engraving and expensive finishes on something I use a as tool, but if that's what blows ones skirt up, it's fine by me. I will say with a few exceptions, after almost 45 years in the field and competing in trap, sleet, clays and High Power, the ol' boys with the shiny, expensive, purty equipment were rarely the best shooters.

35W
 
In the world of firearms, "cheap" and "nice" don't mix a whole lot, or EVERYBODY would be buying that
"cheap, nice gun", don't you think ? You want a cheap gun, they're available, but I don't see the point,
in giving the purchase of some tatty POS a lot of thought.

Not looking for a "cheap, nice gun". As I said, I want a cheap gun, and I want a nice gun. One of each. As for giving it a lot of thought, why wouldn't I want to make sure I get enough gun to justify the cost? I don't understand why you seem to be getting your panties in a twist, I'm not trying to make you buy the gun. I'm just asking for relevant opinions.
 
I just scored a nice S&W Model 10 on Gunbroker for $230. Nice means fully functional and a sweet shooter, with 90% finish but just enough wear and nicks that I’m not afraid to really use it. Figure $250 all in after shipping. (I’m lucky that my buddy is an FFL and will transfer for free for me.) When surplus Smiths are that cheap it’s really hard to justify the gamble of a Charter/Taurus/RIA.

That said, I’d love to buy 3 or 4 RIAs at some point, just so I could stash em in various places in the house “just in case.”
 
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