thunder ranch?

I've had mine for couple of months now. I love it. It is the most accurate fixed sighted gun I've ever shot. With 200gr Speer Gold Dots it shoots to POA at 25'-50'. Felt recoil is greatly reduced by the Round Butt grip configuration, not that there is much to begin with. The grips also help it to tuck in nice and tight while carrying it. And though I was leary at first, that big gold shield tends to grow on a fella.

I still can't get used to the gold inlay, but I really like the gun in all other respects. Actually, I notice the recoil with this gun more so than my M624 with its square butt grip -- but that of course is subjective. The supplied grips would make it a very decent carry piece. Fit and finish are very good on my gun, and it has proven plenty accurate. Now I'd like to find a nice holster to go with it.

I was somewhat interested until I saw the price. At my local shops it's over $850, $200 more then the new M25-13. Both are round butt N frames, both are blued, the M25 has adjustable sights. The price difference and S&W's MSRP keep me away. I'd love to hear why S&W believes the M24 is worth so much more.

That and the gold albatross on the side plate.

For that money, I'll take a used M28 for $350 or so, send it and $425 to Dave Clement, and get a .44spl M28 with no mim, a hammer with firing pin on it, no lock, and tuned trigger and timing.

But that's just me and old what's his name at Thunder Ranch had a special rant for folks like me who won't buy his new pistol.

Why anyone would want a gold tribute to bad weather and salad dressing on the side of their revolver is beyond me.

I don't know... I kinda like this one.

Good idea; ugly execution.

I like mine. But the grips really had to go!



Ignore the haters.

I've handled but not shot - liked it a lot.

Three things are holding me back:

The zit above the cylinder release on the left hand side.

The gaudy billboard on the right hand side.

The price (and I could probably overlook it if it wasn't for the first two).

SnWnMe , those grips are beautiful! What are they? How does recoil feel with them?

SnWnMe -

Do tell where the grips came from. Those look sharp. I've been looking for a similiar set since I purchased my 21-4.

Looks like a gun destined to be a safe queen.

Safe queen? Not mine.

Nice grips, SnWnMe. I would also like to know more about them.

I've put 500 rounds through mine. It will not be a safe queen. It is meant to be used, but not abused. 240 gr. SWC's ahead of 7 or 6.5 gr. Unique. These are loaded for me and work quite well. I had a trigger job done and I only shoot it double action. It shoots better than I. I like the grips but the inories and Tyler-T's have got me thinking. I had a great holster made for it and it carries very easily when I'm wearing a suit. (Haugen Leather EZ carry).

HiCap1

Hi! Thank you for the compliments!

The grips are merely bonded ivory grips. I got them from a gunshow. They have the letter "N" embossed on the inside panels. The adapters are Tylers of course. Likewise gun show fodder.

As much as the grips bring out the beauty of the guns, the guns also make the grips look fancier than they really are.

The felt recoil is perfectly manageable out of the 44 Spl. But is a tad uncomfortable on the 45LC on the left as the grip's horn tends to dig into the thumb.

Both guns are shooters btw.

While it's a great gun, S&W was already making a gun that met Clint Smith's criteria for a combat/carry revolver..the 696 L-frame....

Too bad Smith & Smith & Wesson didnt' keep it in the lineup... :banghead:

I'm not sure, but I think the 696 was discontinued before the TRS came along. There arre some significant differences, and I think the Model 21 is head and shoulders above the 696.

The 696 was a FIVE shot L-frame with a three-inch full-lugged barrel (a honking big handgun for a five shooter).

The 21 is a SIX shot N-frame with a four-inch tapered barrel.

The 696 had adjustable sights, and the 21 has fixed sights--fixed sights are preferable on a combat/carry weapon.

I never really did care for the 696--it just never felt right to me. I always thought the three-inch 24/624 Lew Hortons were far better in concept and implementation. I believe S&W and Clint Smith finally have it right (except for the zit and billboard--lawyers and PR--who needs them).

My local pusher has kept the TR21 in stock at $699. A friend bought the first one, despite it's deeply engraved turn line. He shot it to be sure it was okay, and sent it back to S&W on their dime. It came back with a new cylinder - and, after hundreds of rounds, barely has a hint of a turn line, appropriate for a blued revolver. The finish is utilitarian blackish blued - a 'carry' gun type, like the 28's. After all, the 21 is a fixed sight carry version of a 24.

I am dreadfully sorry, but if I wanted a .44 Special N-frame, I'd go grab a new 629 Mountain Gun, once again available from S&W. I believe my pusher has it at $579. Sure, it really is a .44 Magnum, but mine loved Specials and Russians, it's diet for >2.5yr. You could add both a Hogue X-frame/.500 Magnum backstrap-enclosing grip and a cocobolo Ahrend's wood stock, a la the TR21, and still have money left over for ammo, too. The Ahrends will be perfect, both in look and feel, for Specials and Russians. That Hogue will make the 629MG manageable with .44 Magnums, too. Of course, that is my opinion from my personal experience.

I guess the hardest thing to rationalize with the TR21 is it's price. I paid less for a lot more gun when I bought my Heritage 24 ~1.5 yr ago. I just don't care for fixed sight 'duty' style guns as plinkers. The 2" 10 and 2.5" 296 I have hit coincident POA/POI at 10-15yd with my regular PD ammo - I thought my 3" 65-3 might actually be a Vaquero, it shoots so low with my PD ammo. Thankfully, that can be remedied with a file and some polish, too bad with a blued revolver. I guess, if I had a TR21, I could just touch it up with some CI stove paint. But... a change in ammo and - oops!

Stainz

PS I bought my 696 a month or so after my 629MG - it is my favorite .44. I am on a mission to wear it out, one might think... a great plinker!

I think they are pretty enough. Never really cared for commemorative plates on guns but it is not real ugly. I don't like the sight picture- prefer the shape of the older hand ejectors but it must be a good sight picture whether I like it or not.

I saw some boys shooting it on swingers at 25 yards double action. The swingers were about 6x8" and they were having no trouble hitting them regularly. These were real and true traditional Smith double action likers and they were plenty happy with the revolver.

I really like the feel of the stock grips. The stock trigger is really nothing to write home about. It shoots just fine, the finish is typical S&W. There's nothing terrible about the gun, but there's nothing special about it either and with the Thunder Ranch logo on it, I expected more. If it were a .44 Magnum I would like it a lot more.

Love mine:

apparently, it loves you right back