Contemplating a "combat" revolver

[BYJO4]

The Smith 686 is an excellent 357 that is very accurate and will handle the full range of loads. While I also have a 629 in 44 Mag, I only enjoy shooting target loads because of recoil.

 

[snakeman]

I like my rossi 357 just fine. It ran me 300 bucks and it's taken two bobcats a few rabbits and coon. It shoots great and is small and light enough to carry concealed. It has a 4" barrel and rubber grips. It's my favorite handgun next to my pre-transfer bar single six.

 

[ACP]

rxspeed, brian williams hit the nail on the head -- a "combat revolver" is not a revolver to carry in bear country, and vice-versa.

For a revolver to use against humans with murderous intent, I would suggest a j-frame in .38 Special (such as a S&W 442) or a k-frame in .357 (i.e. S&W 13 or 65).

I like 2"-3" guns for self defense; i find them easier to conceal, carry, and a bit faster on the draw. I prefer .38+p and warmish (not hot) .357 loads. Buffalo Bore makes ammo that fits the bill on both accounts.

I have an L-frame S&W 686 that many have mentioned here; it is probably my favorite handgun of all time. it is large and heavy to carry. On the plus side, it is stone cold reliable, as accurate as handy handgun I have ever shot, and handles the recoil from a variety of loads very well.

A .44 Magnum handgun is overkill for human beings, I believe, and something below the bare minimum for bears (unless you are hunting them and can take your time with shot placement.) Better a shotgun with slugs or a lever gun in a caliber that begins with a "4," I believe.

Best of luck to you in your search. I prefer S&W "no lock" guns and would put Ruger a close second.

 

[gspn]

I shot my 3 inch 629 44 mag today. While the muzzle blast is noticeable (our kids were 10 yards BEHIND me with ear protection and they all commented on how much louder that gun was than all the others) if it's only shot with no ear protection in bear self defense situations it won't matter. Heck...the noise might actually HELP. I would think that even a grizzly would be a little cautious by that type of thunder right in it's face...and if the noise didn't bother him the 240 grain slug might. As always my "grizzly advice" is to save the last one for yourself...because if you don't kill him...you're gonna wish you were dead!

It will be expensive to shoot...

 

[230therapy]

The trick with a short barreled 44 Magnum revolver is to choose the correct load for the purpose. It seems like everyone here is assuming only heavy loads are available. Patrick Sweeney wrote "Reloading the 44 Magnum" in which he discussed the different power levels of the cartridge. Other guys have been giving me advice regarding these guns. Consider using Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel ammunition: 200 grain bullets leaving the barrel at 1075 FPS (994 FPS at 50 yards). This is just fine for self-defense purposes. You could also shoot 44 Special ammunition.

"Reloading the 44 Magnum"
http://www.handgunsmag.com/2010/09/24/ammunition_44mag_081005/

 

[Deaf Smith]

Long time ago when I taught CHL classes (my my 11 years go by so quick!) one of the gents in class wanted to qualify with his 3 inch S&W .41 Magnum and Silvertip .41 mag ammo.

He was a guy in his 60s. I told him he could qualify with a simi-auto and pack anything he wanted but he didn't care. He intended on packing his .41!

Well the flash and blast was huge but he easily passed!

He let me shoot his .41 and since I had a 3 inch .44 S&W it was no big deal (but did kick less.) I hope he is still going strong and packing that same roscoe!

So, if you want to pack a .44 snub, sure! Just make sure you can handle it well and conceal it.

I'm sure it will server you well.

Deaf

 

[.45FMJoe]

When I hear "combat" revolver a few come to mind, none of which are .44 magnums. The first ones that I think of are the Model 1917 in .45 acp with moon clips. A nice big round that with practice can be reloaded just as fast as a semi. Another is the Victory Model based on the .38 M&P. Both of these guns saw combat in war. Others that come to mind are the S&W Model 19 and 66 The "Combat Magnum" and the S&W 58x/68x "Distinguished Combat Magnum"

When I went for a Combat Revolver I found a good used 6" S&W 586 dirt cheap as the base platform. Had it sent back to the factory where they swapped the 6 inch tube for a 4 inch tube, gave the trigger a combat tune, and then had it bead blasted and blued for a no glare finish.

Almost perfection, the only thing I would change is the finish. I love the bead blast but would go with IONBond or Melonite instead of bluing. It looks beautiful, though and I'm sure you love it.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Contemplating a "combat" revolver

In order to call a revolver a "Combat" revolver wouldn't it need to be a issue revolver that has been in combat? There are numerous civilian revolvers that fill this roll, but very few have ever been in "combat" and even fewer on a official status.

A classic example would be the S&W Victory.

 

[rxspeed88]

The gun will be carried either on my side or in a drop leg holster (mainly the drop leg). Ive got several other pistols that i cc. Glock 29, springer 1911, xd sub compact .40 so it wont see ccw duty.

 

[mashaffer]

I would say go with the .44. In bear country load the heaviest load under a 240gr LSWC that you can handle. In thug country carry a nice .44 spl hollow point load or soft LWSC in the 900 fps range. JMO

mike

 

[george29]

im not gonna be able to clip off multiple shots accurately with the .44

Personally I think the 44 has less recoil than the 357. I went from a 44 to a 357 for SD/CC after researching that the 44 in humans actually has less percentage of 1 stop shots than the 357, hard to believe but the explanation that I accept as true is that the 44 has too much energy that continues through the person whereas the 357 remains inside (usually) dumping most / all of its kinetic energy in the person shot. For this reason, I would go with a 44 for woods carry if I was in the market for only a woods gun. I would also make the 44 a 5" barrel or better yet a 6" for better control/velocity/sight picture, etc. I don't see the need for concealed carry in the woods and 3" is a huge waste of potential energy.
My woods carry was a SBH .44 5.5" blued and it was perfect for big cats and big black bear too, t was extremely good with recoil. Now that I don't own a 44 anymore, either my 45 or 12 gauge would fill this position. IMO the 357 is just a tad lightweight for an angry 4 legged critter with front-facing eyes, big teeth, sharp claws and a bad attitude. I want a 12 gauge when Yogi pops his head in my tent for a midnight snack.

 

[p35]

If you can find a Security Six for a reasonable price grab it. The stainless ones, for whatever reason, tend to have better trigger action that the blue ones, but blue ones are easy to slick up too (they're designed to be disassembled without tools). My stainless 2 3/4" Security Six is my go-to gun for just about anything.

 

[DAdams]

I have never been in combat so I don't know. Maybe S&W and some of the individuals who put this together felt it was the best at the time.



19-4. K Frame. Great handling revolver and easy on the eyes.

 

[Scipio Africanus]

The .357 is a fine cartridge and there are many fine revolvers out there for them. If you are not totally convinced of which caliber to buy, please allow me to make a case for the .44.

The key to the .44 is versatility. It can be loaded down to "cowboy" loads, 650-700fps, for easy shooting and all day fun. If you want self defense against humans, loads in the .45 acp+p/ stout .44 special range, 900-1100 fps, are easy to make or buy, will work well for hunting small game, will be very controllable and your gun will last forever. If you want to hunt deer, elk, or black bears, the .44 does this far better than the .357. If you are in the neighborhood with brownies, the .44 is a good place to start, especially if you are super profficient with it.

A Smith and Wesson 629 with a 4" barrel is a fine choice for "one revolver to do everything". And the .44 has better top end performance than the .357.

Whatever your decision, good luck and happy shooting!

 

[zombie44]

.44 Mag snubs are my favorite!

S&W 629-1 2.5"

Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan

I'd rather not deal with the carbon ring build up in the cylinders you'd get shooting specials so I opt for downloaded 44 mags in the 629 instead (and what true 44 mag enthusiast doesn't reload ).

The Ruger is just plain fun with full house loads however!

 

[230therapy]

The .357 is a fine cartridge and there are many fine revolvers out there for them. If you are not totally convinced of which caliber to buy, please allow me to make a case for the .44.

The key to the .44 is versatility. It can be loaded down to "cowboy" loads, 650-700fps, for easy shooting and all day fun. If you want self defense against humans, loads in the .45 acp+p/ stout .44 special range, 900-1100 fps, are easy to make or buy, will work well for hunting small game, will be very controllable and your gun will last forever.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/2010/09/24/ammunition_44mag_081005/