FoMoGo said:
I carry a .44 magnum as an EDC. It works, it is reliable, I don't have to worry about the BG hiding behind most objects if the fit hits the shan... I shoot it well and have total confidence in the round.
Well, that's because you're not the guy standing
behind the bad guy! Or the guy down the street reading to his kids. I also can't envision too many incidents where you, as a law-abiding CCW holder, will have to shoot it out with a guy hiding behind a barrier thick enough to stop a .357!
Me said:
If you find one that does shoot reliably, buy it if that's all your life is worth, or if you just can't afford anything else.
I have a Jennings J-22 that I would bet my life on. Why? Because it works every time I pull the trigger. But, if I were going out for a stroll in a bad neighborhood, I'd choose my Beretta Jetfire .25ACP...unless I had something better. Still, you reach a point of diminishing return. That return is several steps up from an RG revolver.
If I had an RG revolver that worked every time I pulled the trigger and had my choice between that and a
Beretta Tomcat .32, I'd take the RG. Why? Because the Tomcat's frame can crack without notice and jam, and it can jam after going for hundreds of rounds. It can crack and the very next round can malfunction, and the life of the gun is at an end!
If facing a grizzly bear would you rather have a .22LR or a canister of pepper spray? If you could have a Jennings that works or an RG that doesn't, which would you pick? If you could afford a better gun in defense of your life, would you do it or save a hundred dollars or so that will be spent and gone before the month's out?
One reason I don't sell my guns is because they're worth far more than anything I want. If I need a big screen TV, I'll sell something else...go without desserts, eat chicken more often. I learned long ago that nothing will ever bring back that gun you thought you'd just get another of down the line. It won't be there! (The 4-inch 686 I sold years ago just isn't available anymore. No more chromed triggers and hammers, no more beautiful wood grips, no more integral front sights on stainless steel that looks like it was finished with sandpaper!)
We're just talking common sense. Obviously some people only carry guns because they fear attack. They may not care about guns one way or the other. Years ago, a guy in Washington, D.C., was in an elevator and was attacked by a couple of guys. He had an illegal Raven .25 which he used to save his life and it was only the NRA who saved his bacon. Unfortunately, many of these people have never even fired their guns, and with an RG, that would be very, very dangerous.
That's my point.
P.S. -- In a 2004 post here, one fellow talked about his RG .22. "Never had any misfires but one day the back of the frame disappeared. Snapped the barrel out with out much force. Put it in the trash can were it belonged!" The next post read: "My friend had a Rohm RG24 up until yesterday. Unluckily, he doesn't research any of his purchases and paid $100 for a used one at a gun show. It fires about 2 out of 5 shots....so we had to destroy it." Me, the second gun I ever owned was an RG single action and I LOVED it. It felt and looked much like the toy gun I had as a kid. Sure I had to tighten the grips every time I shot it, but it was chromed and cost $65. It's one reason I have a Ruger Single-Six today.
Beretta Tomcat is a great gun until the frame
cracks and the gun becomes an instant paper-weight.
