Help Selecting First Revolver?

[nikoteo]

Hi everyone. With the possibility of my LTCH coming any day now (submitted January 25), I could use a little help selecting my first handgun. I'm kind of leaning towards a revolver for it's reputed reliability and ease of use, but as a gun newbie, I have some questions.

First questions are with regard to caliber selection. A good friend of mine recommended either .32 or .38 special for a revolver. After looking at S&W's, Ruger's, Taurus' and Colt's website (the last of which doesn't seem to have products listed), I couldn't find a single .32 that's still made. I've heard it's an accurate round, but I'm starting to wonder if it was a good suggestion at all. Anyone have any thoughts on that caliber? And as far as the .38 specials go, I understand that .357 mags can fire .38 special rounds but not the other way around; so, given that, is there any advantage for buying a .38 special revolver over a .357 mag?

Next questions have to do with used revolvers. MSRPs I'm seeing on revolvers online seem very high to me (e.g., in the 1000-1500 price range), so I was considering maybe looking into getting a used revolver to get a more manageable price. Would this be advisable over buying a new one? Or should I just suck it up and pay more to get a new one?

And lastly, does anyone have any suggestions for a particular model, either used or new, in any of the calibers mentioned above? Ideal price would be $400-600. I would like the option to carry this revolver for personal protection and I'm a smaller person, so something small-medium would be preferable.

Thanks in advance!

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

Taurus makes a great revolver, but just get it chambered in 357 that way it will also shoot 38spl and in a shtf and all you can find is 357 you can still shoot it

 

[Shadowbeach]

.

 

[Joe Williams]

As far as .32s go, you can get the Ruger SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum. Some other manufacturers also make guns for it. This is a relatively new round. Ballistics look good, should be an effective defense round, but ammo is scarce, and expensive.

Best bet is a .38 Special or .357 Magnum. I do not recommend a 2" snubby for new shooters. They are hard to shoot well, and some find them unpleasant to shoot with some loads even in .38 Special. You will be much better off with a 3" - 4" gun. These guns are a little harder to conceal, especially the 4", but MUCH easier and more pleasant to shoot.

A 3" SP101 in .357 Magnum is a fantastic little gun. It's accurate, built like a tank, and heavy enough to be quite pleasant and fun to shoot even with +P .38 Specials. When you have gained a bit of experience and want to see if you want to try .357s, they are controllable, if not always terribly fun, to shoot from this little gun. It's biggest shortcoming is the 5 round capacity. New it'll run you in the neighborhood of $450-$500. The one I had ranks up there as one of my favorite all time guns.

There is a 3" GP100 .357 Magnum in the classifieds on this site that would be THE perfect carry gun. I cry that I don't have the cash for it, and suspect he doesn't want my Taurus PT145 in trade. With the original rubber and wood grips, the 3" GP100 is the gun I want more than any other. 6 rounds, one of the toughest guns built, accurate, powerful, plenty heavy enough to tame .357s without be too heavy to carry. If I ever get my hands on one, I'll drop autos again and go back to revolvers so fast your head will spin. I think he's asking $450 for it.

The Taurus 66 stainless steel .357 Magnum in a 4" barrel is another good gun, runs about $400-$450 new. Don't think they are making the 3" barrel anymore.

A used Smith & Wesson K frame in either a 4" or (if you can get your hands on one) 3" barrel is an outstanding choice, and can be had within your budget. A 3" Model 65 ranks just barely behind a 3" GP100 on my personal list of most desired guns.

Revolvers offer a lot in terms of reliability, ease of function, concealability, and power. A 125 grain .357 Magnum JHP is about as good as it gets in terms of stopping power for a handgun, but it's NOT a beginner's round. Recoil is vigorous (though easily controllable once you learn) and muzzle blast is, IMHO, obnoxious. Not something you want to be the first handgun round you fire. As you mentioned, though, .38 Specials can be fired from .357 Magnums (the revers is NOT true), and is a great round in it's own right. With +P ammunition it's a perfectly good defensive round, and is a great round to learn with. Pleasant, a flat out ton of fun to shoot, and extremely accurate.

 

[dudley0]

What revolver are you looking at that is 1k to 1.5k range in .38 or .357? Better be gold plated so you can make it a safe queen and sell it later.

Do you have any friends that have pistols? Test as much as you can on the first gun, in my opinion, to see what feels right. Rent a few if need be.

I love revolvers, even though I have more semi's. My thought would be to start with something easy. I haven't seen any .32 revolvers. More bang for your buck would be a .357 because of the two different rounds it can fire. Cost is less for a simple .38, but make sure it can shoot +p ammo at the least. I have a Taurus M85 and love it. Would I trade it for a similar sized Rugar SP101? Yes! But that is what I have and it prints nice. Low recoil, nice weight and cheap price.

If you can swing the extra for a .357 then do it. Long run it's a better deal. Just start out with some .38 loads if you are not into shooting. Learn the basics. Hey even a .22 is a good round, and a great one to learn how to use a pistol. Cheap to shoot, easy on the recoil and all that.

Biggest thing to remember is that it isn't a race to get a gun. Due diligence is the name of the game.

 

[XtremeVel]

Like stated above, both the Ruger GP100 and SP101 are great revolvers. I have them both. But, my favorite is the Ruger in between. Heavier built & larger framed than the SP101, but lighter weight than the GP100. If you can find the discontinued security six in nice shape, check that out too.

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

Buying used guns is an excellent idea, so long as they aren't, ya know, completely screwed up.

Also, find an old Smith and Wesson Model 19. Best revolver ever, and you can have one between $300 and $500 depending on condition, original box, etc.

/thread.

 

[a.bentonab]

A .357 revolver was my first handgun. I went to the range with some magnum rounds and some .38 specials. Maybe it was just because I was new to handguns (and remember you are too ) but the .357's were just too much for me. The only thing I ever shot out of it were .38 specials. When I was looking for a revolver I ruled out alot of good deals becasue they were .38 instead of .357, and I regretted it. Many of the .38's will be cheaper and possibly lighter. *Note* The heavier the gun, the less the felt recoil will be, and the more uncomfortable it will be to carry.

You should consider the .38 police positive and its knockoffs. Taurus or EAA make decent, inexpensive revolvers if you want a new one.

 

[techres]

Go to a range and do some renting and shooting. You might find a revolver is not for you, or is in fact perfect for you. No amount of research will match experience, feel, weight and fun.

 

[nikoteo]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll check out the Rugers and see if I can find any good deals in the used cases.

Since a couple of you mentioned, I will say that I have been to the only shooting range that rents guns around here that I know of . . . I tried several pistols, but they only had one revolver and I never did get around to trying it. While I haven't tried a revolver, I did try a range of different calibers, 9mm to .45ACP in pistols, so I think I'd be comfortable purchasing just about any standard caliber (except for the .44Mag . . . that might be too much gun for me, heh); I know there will be a difference between a pistol and revolver, but I can imagine it would not be so different that I couldn't manage with a revolver. Of course, no matter what I buy, I'll be taking it to the range and practicing with it to make sure I'm prepared to use it should the need arise.

 

[Gpfury86]

Why are you so set on revolvers, if u want to carry it they seem like they would be harder to conceal. They are reliable, but I have just never been a big fan.

 

[Joe Williams]

Why are you so set on revolvers, if u want to carry it they seem like they would be harder to conceal. They are reliable, but I have just never been a big fan.

I have always found them easier to conceal. Their shape blends in better, no blocky parts like with semi-autos. It can be easier to conceal a mid-size revolver than a compact semi-auto.

 

[Gpfury86]

I have always found them easier to conceal. Their shape blends in better, no blocky parts like with semi-autos. It can be easier to conceal a mid-size revolver than a compact semi-auto.

Hmm never had a revolver so I guess I cant really say i've tried to conceal one, but I wouldnt mind one day adding a .357 wheel gun to my collection.

 

[Shadowbeach]

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[Amishman44]

One word...RUGER! (See Avatar)! The Ruger revolvers are built like tanks and will eat anything that you feed them. I have a 2.25" which is very accurate...but I sometimes wish I had a 3" version for belt carry. I put a Badger Boot Grip on my 2.25" and carry it in an ankle holster.

The SP101 in .357mag is a 5-shot revolver that will also eat .38's! There are several different aftermarket grips [Hogues @ getgrip.com; Badger Boot Grip @ Badger Custom; the Trausch Grip (best) as well as wood grips for the Ruger factory grip]available for it as well as several different holsters [I use the Bianchi Model 7 3-slot holster...an excellent choice and can be found at copsplus.com]. The gun is tons of fun and you won't break it!

The SP101 in .327mag will shoot 4 different rounds...the .327 mag, .32 H&R mag, the .32 S&W, and one other (I forget??). It's very versitile and enjoyable to shoot.

The best thing about the little Rugers, in comparison to the other little 5-shots, is that the front sight is 'pinned' in, not machined on...rendering it removable. I've replaced mine with a Meprolight Front Night Sight, giving me improved night-time shooting capabilites [I can see exactly where I'm pointing it.]

I've recommended the Ruger SP101 to several people for their first revolver/gun and no one has ever complained about it. If fact, I believe that everyone who purchased one still has theirs as an 'in the house' or PP/carry gun.

My FFL carries them for $479 + tax in New Haven.

Good Luck!

 

[nikoteo]

Why are you so set on revolvers, if u want to carry it they seem like they would be harder to conceal. They are reliable, but I have just never been a big fan.

I'm not really "set on revolvers" . . . I believe I would be happy with either a pistol or revolver. I know the pros and cons of each and I'm just leaning more towards the latter. Now if I was out shopping, couldn't find anything I liked in a revolver and instead found a good deal on a pistol I liked, I'd almost certainly go for the pistol. In that regard, I'm pretty flexible . . . I just wanted to hear some suggestions about revolvers since I knew less about them.

 

[LotsofGlocks]

Another vote for the SP101

 

[nikoteo]

The SP101 in .327mag will shoot 4 different rounds...the .327 mag, .32 H&R mag, the .32 S&W, and one other (I forget??). It's very versitile and enjoyable to shoot.

Now I haven't heard much about the .327 magnum. Is it a pretty accurate round? Is it less intense than firing a .357? Since I don't own a gun yet, I haven't been looking at shelves to see what's available. Are the .327 mags, 32 H&R mags, and the .32 S&W affordable and, more importantly, readily available if I were to go looking for them at, say, Walmart or any smaller gun shop?

 

[Shadowbeach]

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[Amishman44]

Now I haven't heard much about the .327 magnum. Is it a pretty accurate round? Is it less intense than firing a .357? Since I don't own a gun yet, I haven't been looking at shelves to see what's available. Are the .327 mags, 32 H&R mags, and the .32 S&W affordable and, more importantly, readily available if I were to go looking for them at, say, Walmart or any smaller gun shop?

The .327 Magnum is a joint development project between Ruger and Federal Ammunition. It's a potent little round, designed to replicate what the .32 H&R Magnum should have been, but due to several issues (economy, etc) it hasn't taken off quite like they hoped it would...but it's a GREAT little round.

The .327 Magnum is being marketed as having simplier punch to the .357 Magnum with the 'felt recoil' more along the lines of a .38 special. How much that really relates to reality is not that well known. Depending on your purpose for purchasing a gun, shot placement and penetration are the two (2) most important aspects in taking down a target...you can argue bullet size, weight, velocity, etc, but it still comes down to shot placement and penetration (place the shot in the center mass + get 12-16" of penetration...and that will usually do the job.) The .327 Magnum will get you the 12"+ of penetration...it's your job to take care of shot placement.

Again, the problem is that it's not taking off as well as everyone on the design team had hoped it would. Ammo is scarce (at times) and can be as expensive as .357 ammo. The 'other' rounds that the .327 mag. will shoot are also as elusive to find...and you definitely won't find it at your local Wal-Mart. Right now, I would make that a second gun/caliber choice and stick with a 'tried-n-true', well proved, .357 Mag revolver that also shoots .38's for target and training (or for your wife if she doesn't like the full .357 mag rounds...like my wife doesn't! She carries an SP101 in .38+P with a Trausch Grip!)

The .327 Mag is proving to be a nice round...but I would regard it as a 'secondary' round for the time being. I would recommend the .357 Mag for a first gun. It's proven, reliable, ammo is easily secured, reloads are available online, etc.

Good Luck!