How hard is it to shoot large revolvers with one hand?

[redneck]

In general, I know it will come down to individual guns and shooters.

The deal is that I'll be getting my first handgun in a couple months. I originally started thinking I'd get something either in 9mm or .45ACP , probably a ruger since I like my friends P90 so well. Main use would be plinking/getting experience with a sidearm. But would also serve for home defense. Things have been going bump in the night a little more often around here, generally varmints of the 4 legged variety, but there have been some home invasions and lots of robberies as well. I can only afford one and between the fact that recoil was not a problem with the P90 (.45 auto) and the possibility of needing to shoot something besides paper, I've ruled out a .22 for now. So the auto was looking promising but then I got another thought. Why not get something I could try to hunt deer with? It would certainly have the power for the other stuff and since I'm not going to be using it for CCW (will consider that once I'm comfortable with sidearms and will buy a gun specifically for it) or anything it doesn't matter if its big.
That rules out the auto's as I think Ohio regs say it has to have over a 5" barrel. So I got to reading about .45 colt and I like what I hear with the variety of loads available and all that.
Was wondering how well something like a Redhawk would be for checking out things in the dark, is it plausible to think you could handle it while carrying a mag light in your off hand? Can they be loaded quickly?
I'm not going to go trying to clear a building, but out here in the country with a barn full of horses you have to go check out strange noises and stuff once in awhile and can't rely on the police to get there in time to save you(like there's anywhere you can).
Should I stop trying to make one gun do everything under the sun? Or would one of the hunting class revolvers serve those purposes alright?
Thanks for any advice

 

[munk]

Yes, you could handle it. Particularly if the calibre selected has defensive loads, and you've practised with one hand.



munk

 

[mete]

A revolver like my M29 in 44mag is excellent with full loads for deer and in fact I have taken two deer shooting it with one hand. It's about twice as effective as a 357mag and takes some practice to deal with the recoil. With reduced loads such as my 240 lswchp @900 fps it makes a very effective defense and small creature gun.

 

[jem375]

don't you have a shotgun around?....that's the one I would be taking out to the barn and check out noises or a 30-30 even.......it's not easy to shoot a big handgun one-handed accurately, takes a lot of practice.......

 

[Marshall]

S&W Mountain Gun is .45 Colt.

Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt

And a whole host of .44 Mag's

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Your idea is sound and will work fine. Here's what I do to help with one hand shooting:

Get a 10 lb(or more if you can handle it well) dumbell. Hold it out one-handed as long as you can. Rest, then repeat. I personally use a 30lb weight for this, but I've been lifting weights for 15 years.

After you get to where you can hold that 10 pounder out for 30 seconds or longer before you start shaking from muscle fatigue, the redhawk will be easy.

In fact after you have this down, start doing it while pretending to pull the trigger while holding the weight out there.

I shoot a lot of big ruger magnums, this excersise has helped tremendously.

 

[redneck]

Sounds like 6 years of working for a hay and straw farm has been good training for big revolvers then

Jem
We've got a shotgun, and some other long guns which I like pretty well, but they can be kind of unweildy when your trying to carry a light and open doors or gates.


Sounds like I should look for either a .45colt or .44 mag. I was thinking .45 colt since for one, I am a redneck and it would seem appropriate, and also because of all the reduced loads available for CAS along with defensive loads and hot loads.
I guess I'll see what all they have in the store and what feels good that I can get in my price range.
Thanks for all the advice everybody

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've been shooting single-handed for decades. I'm able to hold a gun in both hands, but it's always felt awkward and unnatural.

 

[redneck]

Standing Wolf
I'm pretty much ambidextrious, so that idea sounds interesting. I CAN shoot a rifle either way, but right is much much more comfortable. I would probably stick with right handed on the sidearm as well but the option of going either way sounds nice.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Defensive handgun

I advocate training one handed either hand, two handed either hand doin the trigger, either eyed, both eyed.

From as many positions as allowed by shooting place.

One can neither schedule nor script their next encounter.

Sam. Beware the ol coot with a wheelgun, he might dot your eyes.

 

[Smaug]

It's not a big deal.

I shoot a S&W Model 29 (44 Magnum, mine has a 8 3/8" barrel) one-handed, and it is only slightly less accurate at 25 yards than with two hands. I don't lift weights either, it's just that I have to rest more often. I would say it's my favorite gun.

As for the recoil, it is no harder to manage with one hand than with two, it is just a bit slower to get back on target.

I think you can make the one gun do everything. The longer barrels (over 6.5") will be better for hunting, but a 6.5" barrel will do find overall.

Unless you have bears to worry about, you don't need the heavy loads for things that go bump in the night.

44 Magnum is a better do-it-all caliber than 45 Colt, just because the heavier loads are easier to find. You can buy 44 Specials for home defense and Magnums for hunting. With 45 Colt, I don't think they make factory loads too heavy, as they are thinking about 100 year old revolvers... I could be wrong and there could be all kinds of hunting loads for Contenders and Rugers or something... The 44 Magnum is also a stronger case. The 45 Colts have a thin rim that means they don't hold up to the heavy loadings as well. (the rim might shear off)

If you want to be able to shoot 45 Colts, get something chambered for 454 Casull. (Super Redhawk, Taurus Raging Bull) On the top end, it has twice the energy of a 44 Magnum. On the bottom end there are cowboy action shooting loads. Personally, I think 454 Casull loads are overkill for just about everything. I'm no macho man, and one box of 44 Magnum is enough for me.

After you buy the Redhawk or whatever, buy either a 22 rifle or a reloading outfit. It will make your revolver ever so much more useful. I load light loads for my Smith 29: 180 gr. bullet 5.9 gr. Bullseye. It feels like a light 38 Special. For every 3 boxes of those, I load one box of full-on magnums, to remind me what the gun was designed for. Check my link below for more info on that. A box of the light Specials costs me about $4. (as opposed to $16-20 for factory ammo) The Magnums cost about $6 box.

Here are a couple of pix for you.

S&W Model 29 - used for $455 out the door

25 yd. target from the above gun, 2 handed hold

Anyway, my advice is to get a double action 44 Magnum with 6 to 6.5" barrel. Ruger or Smith & Wesson. Then buy a few boxes of 44 Special and one box of 44 Magnum and practice. You will be hooked on revolvers.

BTW, I have a P90 also. Great gun, but if I could have only one handgun, it would surely be the Smith.

The home defense unit

 

[redneck]

Don't you have to buy a conversion cylinder to swap back and forth between .454 casull and .45 colt or .44 mag and .44 special?
Thats why I figured on just going with .45 colt. The widely available stuff is in the low end and defensive range which is what I would shoot the most of. I think you can special order heavy loads from some outfits like buffalo bore, and I know a few guys who hand load who could probably be talked into loading me some hot stuff if I needed/wanted it.

That model 29 looks awful nice, and the price is probablyt do able as well. I guess its going to come down to what I can find around here, have 3-4 shops within a half hours drive.


That makes a lot of sense Sam. Now that I think about it, when I play paintball I usually end up crawling under a downed tree or something and shooting with my left hand to get around a corner. If it goes that far in a game, I guess real life could just as easily and we should train accordingly.

 

[BluesBear]

Don't you have to buy a conversion cylinder to swap back and forth between .454 casull and .45 colt or .44 mag and .44 special?

Nope.

Those have the same relationship to each other as the .357 Magnum/.38Special.

 

[Matt G]

That rules out the auto's as I think Ohio regs say it has to have over a 5" barrel.

Model 1917 .45acp. SUPER fast reload with full-moon clips, easy to shoot with full-power hardball 230 loads, sturdy, easy to shoot one-handed, and relatively inexpensive.

Also, they're wayyyy kewl. You can get them in two flavors: Colt (New Service), or S&W (M1917 Hand Ejector). Lanyard loop is de rigor.

Laugh if you want, but when a cop friend of mine got sideways with his chief and found himself unexpectedly without a job or a gun for a few weeks (in a fit of foolishness, he had packed his handguns down to his parents', thinking that he wouldn't be carrying them without a badge, forgetting to consider that he was going to finish out his lease in a county where he had put a fair number of felons in jail.), I loaned him an Armaloy'd 1917 Smith, and he didn't feel the least bit undergunned with it and its 5" bbl throwing 230g hardballs JUST AS HARD as his Glock 21 or his Kimber 1911.

 

[mec]

Good shooting Smaug. By the way, Smaug is right, there's not a whole lot of advantage to two handed shooting unless you just havent practiced much one handed. Some guns are easier to shoot than others and when this is the case, the two handed hold might show an advantage. The 29 S Smith is a very user friendly off-hand target basher - at least with light and moderate loads.

another 25 one handed:

 

[redneck]

Blues Bear,
Thats good to know about the cylinders thanks.

Matt G
Thanks for the heads up on the 1917. Looks interesting, but not what I was thinking. I meant the 5" barrel ruled out autoshuckers in general since most of them have barrels under 5" Wasn't talking about the .45ACP cartridge. After looking some more it turns out that springfield makes several 1911 models with 5" barrels so that option might be open. I like them for the capacity and the fact that they're magazine fed, makes loading/unloading very simple.



These big revolvers are really looking and sounding good though with all of your feedback. I've never handled one so I need to go to the store and do that. I think in the end it will come down to what I can find used in good shape, or get a good deal on new. I'm going to look at them for sure though. The model 29 and 25 you posted pics of have got me drooling

 

[RonS]

Sounds like you need a 5" Redhawk .44 Mag or .45 LC.

 

[Matt G]

Thanks for the heads up on the 1917. Looks interesting, but not what I was thinking. I meant the 5" barrel ruled out autoshuckers in general since most of them have barrels under 5" Wasn't talking about the .45ACP cartridge. After looking some more it turns out that springfield makes several 1911 models with 5" barrels so that option might be open. I like them for the capacity and the fact that they're magazine fed, makes loading/unloading very simple.

Understood that you weren't specifically thinking .45acp, but it qualified as "big[ger] bore revolver," and was super-fast to reload. With a full-moon clip of cartridges, it's just about as fast to reload as a revolver can get.

While I carry at least one semi-auto pistol every day of the week, I have to question the relative simplicity of loading and unloading a SA pistol over a revolver. One of the undeniable advantages to a revolver is that, when you see the cylinder is empty, there is no question of that. With halfmoon or full-moon clips, loading is easier, too.

As for autos with 5"+ barrels, any Government Model would qualify. Likewise a Glock 34 or Glock 35 (5.32"), or G24C. Or the HK Mk23, for that matter.

 

[Highland Ranger]

You can shoot one of the larger heavier 44 mags with one hand - the new titanium/scandium ones are a bit more difficult but still doable.

Keep in mind that a full house 44 mag load has a lot of energy - two issues offhand, major muzzle flash in the dark means follow up shots may be an issue. Also, you may get overpenertration - not good in a house or apartment where other people you don't want to shoot may be near.

Consider using 44 specials for hd . . . .

 

[bubbygator]

Usually any shooter has the muscle strength to get the first shot off just fine in a one-hand hold. It is not the shooting that can be a problem with 1 handed hold - it is the total recovery time between shots. If your first shot does the job, you don't care how fast you recover.

The 2 handed hold has an extra set of muscles to accept the recoil, then pull the gun back onto line... the gun typically doesn't go as far off line, so both the recoil time and pullback time is less. I've also found that a one-hand hold can go off right/left more than a two-hand hold - it is quicker recapturing the sight picture for a straight up/down recoil and recovery.

Someone mentioned dumbells for strengthening a single hand hold - I use a smaller dumbell, but grip it by the end & waggle my wrist up/down. Exercise is good for either type of hold.

 

[uglygun]

I find I can tolerate the recoil of full house 44 Mags easier if I shoot it one handed in the classic outstretched police stance, arm straight out and inline with the rest of my body. I just let my forearm kick up from the recoil naturally and it is a fair bit more comfortable to me than a two handed grip and trying to muscle control of the gun.

I'm shooting a 29-3 with 4 inch barrel, can get pretty snappy with things like the Remington 180grn TC load or some of my warmer 240grn loads.

 

[redneck]

Thanks for all the tips guys.
Recoil is one thing I was thinking of. The .45 auto I shot didn't bother me at all, I'm sure I could control it with one hand. Obviously I'd go with 2 whenever possible, but its not always an option.
I have a friend who just got a .500 S&W , maybe I can talk him into letting me try it out sometime. If I can handle that I'm sure a .44mag or .45LC would work just fine

 

[MAUSER88]

I shoot my S&W Model 29 with 8 3/8" barrel with one hand all the time. My Ruger Superblack Hawk I always use two hands.

 

[Magnum88C]

Shooting big revolvers one handed isn't hard. In fact, I shoot better one-handed. Pick what fits your hand best, that will be the #1 factor in how controllable it is for you.

Either .45 Colt or .44 Magnum are good rounds, and they do make very heavy .45 Colt loads (specifically loaded for new revolvers), however, it's difficult to find a double action revolver in ,.45 Colt.

The Magnum on the other hand is easier to find, the ammo is also cheaper, there are also cowboy action loads for the .44 Magnum, so that's available if you want to get into CAS in the future.

 

[Malamute]

Several points are worth commenting on.

First is GET A BETTER LIGHT!!! Maglights are heavy, awkward, clumsy and not good shooting lights. Sure-fire lights are about the size of a mini-maglight, but have MORE light output than a 3D cell maglight with a krypton bulb. The batteries have a 10 year shelf life also. They are vastly superior lights to the mag lights. I stubbornly clung to my maglights for years after people told me about the new lights. I finally tried one. My mag lights sit and gather dust. I now have 3 sure-fire lights, and a Streamlight Scorpion, another very high output light. Get batteries direct from Surefire and they are very affordable. they have a web site. Look real hard at their combat lights. You can hold the light AND the gun and work the light at will. Cops all over are quiting the mag lights and goind to the new lights because they are so much lighter and handier, as well as being capable of literally blinding someone for a few seconds, almost like a flash bulb. A true weapon grade light. Sorry to go on about this, but I'm still surprised that anyone is still using the old lights.

45 Colt brass will not cause any problems from the rim or any other part of the case. People have been loading 45 Colt brass in appropraite guns to levels over 44 mag for many years with absolutely no problems. It is slightly lighter than some makes of 44 mag brass, but will take any load your gun will, and then some.