considering a full size revolver

[The Alaskan]

...The 357 Magnum isn't called "the king of the manstoppers" for nothing...

...Just get a quality DA in 357 Magnum that you can feed with ammo that is carried anywhere that sells ammunition, and can be reloaded with dies that are carried anywhere that sells reloading equipment, and call it good.

Here here. So many people want the super cool and/or latest and greatest.

Go with the practical and obtainable that has decades of proven performance.

 

[justin22885]

This made no sense from the start. What's the point in cutting down .308 brass, to save money? Ok, then why consider an expensive conversion if you're trying to get off cheap? Better off buying 1000rds of the right brass and being set for the foreseeable future. Is there a practical reason for using cut down brass, or is it just a fetish?



On what planet is a 158gr SWC at 1000fps "barely a step up" from a 90gr at the same speed???

from all 38 special tests ive seen, theyre not pushing 158 grain at 1000 fps.. theyre pushing it at closer to 700-800 while the 357 magnum is pushing that same bullet at 1400-1500fps

at best, ive seen standard pressure 38 special reach 250ft/lbs of muzzle energy (BARELY a step up from a .380), while a +P 9mm can reach over 500ft/lbs... so yeah, 38 special is weak and i have no interest going for something weaker than a 9mm for a full size pistol ESPECIALLY if im restricting myself to 6-8 rounds

 

[justin22885]

Here here. So many people want the super cool and/or latest and greatest.

Go with the practical and obtainable that has decades of proven performance.

i could be willing to go with 357 mag.. since i wont be concealing it, a 5-inch 8-shot is what id be interested in

question.. do rugers have the same stupid locks on them that smith is using now? what about taurus, or other revolver manufacturers?

also, whats the going price on a "shooter" colt M1917 revolver?.. perhaps one that may need a little work, like being rebarreled? a decent project piece

 

[tomrkba]

I am relaying my training experiences with revolvers.

as im sort of losing faith in automatics (primarily recoil operated automatics) as a go-to all purpose pistol id bet my life on, it has me considering giving those roles to straight blowbacks (9x18 caliber CZ-82 for CCW) and revolvers (for full-size open carry)

Why? It seems to me your choice is not the correct one. You are not even using 9x19mm and the CZ-82 is an early 80's design. My guess is that this is a gear and training issue.

Revolvers are nice but suffer from capacity limitations, concealment is more difficult, reloading is far more complicated, and concealing reloads is more difficult.

besides a charter arms bulldog in .44 special i do not have any other revolvers.. not even sure which caliber im interested in, heck, not even certain if i would discount single actions for that matter for their added simplicity

Training with revolvers is extremely important since running them under stress is more difficult. I did this dance with everything from the Ruger Alaskan and S&W N-Frames down through the J-Frames. The L-Frame/GP100 frame in 357 Magnum was the winner in terms of balance of attributes for concealed carry. Open carry is a different story

so at this point im pretty open to options, though id prefer a rimless cartridge i can make from more commonly available brass i may already have on hand (like making rimless .357 mag out of .223 brass, or rimless .45 colt / 454 casull from 308 brass).. and i dont even care at this point if its single action or double

This makes little sense. Try better semi-auto pistols.

However, the Ruger LCR in 9x19mm is a sweet little revolver. I like it quite a bit.

The S&W 625 in 45 ACP is also good, but it is very large. You will need to take some steps to accommodate it.

im also willing to consider old milsurp revolvers as well, though, unfortunately the ones available such as the nagant and the webley seem to be rather gutless

any ideas?

No milsurp for serious purposes.

 

[justin22885]

its not for concealment.. so how well they conceal has no bearing on the decision

 

[Jlr2267]

i really have no use for 357 magnum or 44 mag..

blasphemer!

 

[tomrkba]

its not for concealment.. so how well they conceal has no bearing on the decision

In that case, if you're limited in capacity, you may as well go big. The most fantastic revolver I have is the S&W TRR8. It holds eight rounds of 357 Magnum and is a soft shooter with its five inch barrel.

Another great choice is the S&W 629, though the Ruger Redhawk with 4" barrel is good too. Use light 44 Magnum or 44 Special for defense and full 44 Magnum for hunting and range fun.

The S&W 625 (full steel--not the unobtanium framed one that is too light) is really good. You can use 45 ACP with moonclips or 45 Auto Rim.

 

[tomrkba]

Quote:
i really have no use for 357 magnum or 44 mag..

Frankly, every response from now on should be to tell you to attend a two to five day defensive pistol course. You need to think about this in more detail while considering current tactical realities.

 

[CraigC]

from all 38 special tests ive seen, theyre not pushing 158 grain at 1000 fps.. theyre pushing it at closer to 700-800 while the 357 magnum is pushing that same bullet at 1400-1500fps

at best, ive seen standard pressure 38 special reach 250ft/lbs of muzzle energy (BARELY a step up from a .380), while a +P 9mm can reach over 500ft/lbs... so yeah, 38 special is weak and i have no interest going for something weaker than a 9mm for a full size pistol ESPECIALLY if im restricting myself to 6-8 rounds

Are you looking at snubby velocities? Your assessment is wrong, as is your reliance on kinetic energy figures.

 

[justin22885]

Are you looking at snubby velocities? Your assessment is wrong, as is your reliance on kinetic energy figures.

4" barreled models, i certainly wouldnt get a revolver with a 12 inch barrel just to make 38 special more relevant, not while 357 magnum is an option

 

[justin22885]

In that case, if you're limited in capacity, you may as well go big. The most fantastic revolver I have is the S&W TRR8. It holds eight rounds of 357 Magnum and is a soft shooter with its five inch barrel.

Another great choice is the S&W 629, though the Ruger Redhawk with 4" barrel is good too. Use light 44 Magnum or 44 Special for defense and full 44 Magnum for hunting and range fun.

The S&W 625 (full steel--not the unobtanium framed one that is too light) is really good. You can use 45 ACP with moonclips or 45 Auto Rim.

hmm.. that smith and wesson R8 interests me, it had a rail on it for a light which i like, top rail seemingly mounted to the barrel assembly meaning no modifications to the frame itself.. but that locking feature has me raising an eyebrow about it

 

[Gun Master]

Full Sized Revolver

Have you tried the time proven Russian 1895 Nagant ?
It was good enough for Lenin, Stalin, Nikita K., etc., et al......... There's plenty of cheap ammo out there, and don't make the mistake the WWII Germans made, thinking of it as a pop gun and not powerful enough !

But then, I jest !

Hey, I've got two of my own. One Tula, the other Izhevsk.

 

[justin22885]

i really like the aesthetics on the 1895 nagant, one of the most attractive revolvers ive seen.. but besides generally low power, ammo is a PITA to find.. though i hear you can easily make a rimless variation of the ammo from 30 carbine brass

exactly what makes the nagant revolver unable to take more substantial chamberings?.. too small of a cylinder, too weak of a top strap, poor metallurgy?

 

[justin22885]

how much would i expect to pay for a colt new service revolver needing some repairs done on it such as a new barrel?

 

[Steve C]

You really need to decide on what you want your new revolver to do. Is it going to be primarily a self defense EDC, a range gun, hunting gun, open carry, car gun, hiking gun or hunting back up, etc. You are getting suggestions from all over the field of revolvers.

If you want a revolver you can use your existing ammo in its pretty much going to have to be a .45 acp which limits the choices to a S&W 25/625 or Ruger .45 Blackhawk convertible.

A .357 mag is the most versatile choice of revolver being able to shoot both mag and special ammo. Converting to a rimless .357 mag doesn't make much economic sense. Saving a few cents per case on brass is counter productive when you will probably need to spend another $500+ to convert a standard .357 mag into one that will work with rimless cases and add in the cost of moon clips etc.. The cost difference alone would allow the purchase of server thousand new standard rimmed cases or boxes of loaded ammo if you choose a .357 mag let alone use of cheaper .38 spl that people seem to leave laying around at the range.

 

[justin22885]

ive already said like 4 times its open carry, outdoor, combat/duty type of pistol, i have other stuff for EDC

 

[The Alaskan]

question.. do rugers have the same stupid locks on them that smith is using now? what about taurus, or other revolver manufacturers?

There is a discussion on that very question going on right now elsewhere in this revolver sub forum. Check it out.

also, whats the going price on a "shooter" colt M1917 revolver?.. perhaps one that may need a little work, like being rebarreled? a decent project piece

I should think you would pay at least $400 for a shootable Colt NS. I woudn't even buy one that needed to be rebarreled, unless it was for display purpose only. (Where are you going to find a barrel? How long will it take you to find one? How much will it cost?)

You might get a deal on one that has been reblued or is no longer in "original" condition (replacement grips, etc) as it is no longer a collector piece once it is no longer original.

I carry a Colt PPS as my unconcealed/open carry/field gun. (Of course, that is a back up to a 44 Magnum Lever gun and I'm not planning on fighting people with it-although it would do it if required.

You should start watching gunbroker et al for prices on those to get an ides. (Gunbroker is pretty inflated pricing though.)

 

[justin22885]

There is a discussion on that very question going on right now elsewhere in this revolver sub forum. Check it out.



I should think you would pay at least $400 for a shootable Colt NS. I woudn't even buy one that needed to be rebarreled, unless it was for display purpose only. (Where are you going to find a barrel? How long will it take you to find one? How much will it cost?)

You might get a deal on one that has been reblued or is no longer in "original" condition (replacement grips, etc) as it is no longer a collector piece once it is no longer original.

I carry a Colt PPS as my unconcealed/open carry/field gun. (Of course, that is a back up to a 44 Magnum Lever gun and I'm not planning on fighting people with it-although it would do it if required.

You should start watching gunbroker et al for prices on those to get an ides. (Gunbroker is pretty inflated pricing though.)

i have a set of blueprints of the new service revolver, if i had one that i was going to rebarrel at some point, it would be after i got the machining equipment to do it myself.. wouldnt be right away.. so $400 for one in shootable condition is fine, maybe new grips, springs, upgrade sights and do a barrel change later to maybe add an underbarrel rail and top rail platform later

 

[Gun Master]

Colt PPS

I have a Colt Police Positive .38 Special 4", that is in exceptional condition (99. 44%). What I like most about it is, the frame is about as small as a S&W J frame, but it carries 6 rds., as opposed to the J's only 5 rds. The Colt's longer barrel also adds more power, reduced recoil, and more control.

 

[justin22885]

hmm, not familiar with the police positive but it looks like a smaller frames version of the NSR... im curious, how are the triggers on the NSR compared to a modern revolver such as the smiths and rugers?

 

[Gun Master]

Hmmm...., no info on the NSR?

Google Colt Police Positive Special (.38 Special).

In past times I had a Colt 1917 (too big for my hand) and a S&W 1917 (which I liked and could grip better).

Liked the Ruger SA's, but no experience with their DA's. Always preferred S&W's.

 

[justin22885]

hmm.. was checking out some potential loads for 38 special using 158 grain XTP bullets and power pistol powder, assuming its accurate on there the claim is out of a 5 inch barrel, 38 special loaded to max standard pressure is capable of over 400ft/lbs muzzle energy, putting it on par with 9x19mm.. still though, would rather have the 357 mag that can shoot either

but.. i think if i do decide to go with a revolver, i will probably get a new service revolver, i dont really like the newer ones all that much... especially not with the direction these companies are taking.. in fact, i'll probably be buying older pistols from now on and resort to surplus, used, or 80% builds given the direction modern manufacturers are going

 

[Jim Watson]

The V spring Colts (1908 to 1969) are considered fabulously complex by all the Internet Experts. It is amazing to those Digital Geniuses that they could have ever been made and there is no one left who knows how to fix them. One of the last qualified Colt revolver men has retired because the labor ruined his hands.
If you learn how to work on a Colt, you will become famous if not wealthy.

 

[Dave_in_Fairview_Park]

Full size?

this is a full size revolver

 

[justin22885]

i think 5" is fullsize enough though.. i already have a revolver with an 8 inch barrel, balances well though.. but ridiculously long