Revolver question

[bedlamite]

Ruger Redhawk-type revolvers with their pseudo-SAA handling and, well, SA-ness make them undesireable

I think you mean the Blackhawk. The Redhawk is DA. Top gun is a Blackhawk, bottom gun is a Redhawk. The single spring Redhawk action makes it tough to get a good trigger pull without light strikes. Mine is crisp, but kinda heavy. I'd also get a 44 if hunting is involved, preferably a S&W 29.

[Balog]

You could always buy my Dan Wesson 15-V. 6in barrel atm, barrel change tool, different inserts for the front sight. Smith smoothed out the trigger, and I can honestly say the SA trigger is nicer than any 1911 I've experienced. Roughly equivalent in frame size to a L S&W I think?

[roo_ster]

It's not for hunting only, in fact hunting would be only a side use. The main use would be range/watermelon shooting, around-the-farm anti-critter carry, and bedside duty.

I have been going to buy my wife a handgun she can wield. It's hard. The AWB brought us slews of compact, pocket guns, and all of them recoil too much. Although the grip is small enough for her hands, she can't handle the recoil of my PF9. I want a revolver for her for simplicity reasons. She can shoot snubbies, but poorly. I have been going to buy her a .38 snubby revolver, but the recoil and muzzle blast from a snubby is intimidating, and the guns just aren't versatile at all. My reasoning was that a larger revolver in .38 would have much milder recoil, plus be more useful for shooting at medium distances.

As for a mild-recoiling snubby, a J-frame SW 640 (DAO) 637 (exposed hammer), or 638 (shrouded hammer) firing target wadcutters (148gr HBWC) or the slightly more zippy Buffalo Bore 150gr hard cast wadcutters would be the bee's knees.

These all-steel snubbies weigh in at ~25oz, which helps tame recoil.  The wadcutters are not super-fast & sexy, but cut .357" sized holes all day long and have the recoil of mouse farts (target HBWC) or cat sneezes (hard cast WC).

Next step up would be a K-frame snubby.  Even more mass and handle to hold.

[zahc]

By going with a very inexpensive .38 k-frame, you might have money left over for a pretty nice hunting revolver. 

Sounds like a good plan, but where do people shop for guns? Gunbroker? Do you go to gun stores? Gun shows?

[roo_ster]

Sounds like a good plan, but where do people shop for guns? Gunbroker? Do you go to gun stores? Gun shows?

Places like http://www.jgsales.com have mass-turn-in revolvers (think: security company, LEOs, etc.).

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/smith-wesson/revolver/cPath/16_211_431

[zxcvbob]

SOG has S&W model 66-5's for $399.  They are not listed online but are in their Spring dealer sale paper.  I called 'em last week to make sure they were still available because my pastor is looking for a .357  Your local gun dealer or pawn shop should be able to order it for you and get it in about a week.

I believe the 66-5 was the last model before they added the infernal lock.  Don't shoot too many full-house 125 grain jacketed bullets in it or you might crack the forcing cone.  Hot-loaded 158's are not a problem

A Ruger Security Six would be even better if you can find one.

[AmbulanceDriver]

I'm a big fan of my n-frame S&W in  .357...  It's the old "Highway Patrolman". Accurate, very mild recoil even with high end reloads. 158 grain LSWC at the high end of the velocity range.  A LOT less recoil than my 1911

[Balog]

J&G has a lot of police turn in stainless K frame .38's for great prices.

[mtnbkr]

All of these recommendations for trade-in 38s ignore the fact that Zahc mentioned deer hunting in the OP. If hunting is no longer a concern, even a minor one, then a medium framed 38 is a great idea.

Chris

[Balog]

All of these recommendations for trade-in 38s ignore the fact that Zahc mentioned deer hunting in the OP. If hunting is no longer a concern, even a minor one, then a medium framed 38 is a great idea.

Chris

Zahc's last post indicates he's down for a cheap .38 and a separate hunting revolver.

[Bob F.]

I have 2 Rugers that I think have very good triggers.............but I handled a S&W the other day that was scar sweet

And, yes, definitely check J&G. You'll have to transfer to a FFL.

Bob

[zxcvbob]

Aren't most of the J&G revolvers DAO?  (even the ones with hammer spurs)

[Balog]

Some are, some aren't. It's a pretty simple swap of the hammer to get from DAO to SA/DA in my understanding.

[mtnbkr]

Zahc's last post indicates he's down for a cheap .38 and a separate hunting revolver.

Oh ok, I missed that. 

I have 2 Rugers that I think have very good triggers.............but I handled a S&W the other day that was scar sweet

Bob

Rugers have the potential for a very good DA trigger.  My GP100 has a better DA trigger than many S&Ws (such as my 696), but their SA triggers aren't normally as good.  I don't shoot SA so it isn't an issue for me.

Chris

[Tallpine]

Zahc's last post indicates he's down for a cheap .38 and a separate hunting revolver.

In that case, I would recommend a SA like the Ruger Blackhawk for the hunting gun 

[kgbsquirrel]

Energy doesn't equal momentum.  You can get higher energy figures with a 125gr bullet going warp speed, but it won't be appropriate for hunting.  I'm not saying the 158s won't work, they will, but don't get caught up in energy figures.  They don't tell the entire story.

   And if I had just stated "158 grain JHP" with no additional information you would have had no idea what sort of load it was. How about next time I just state: Winchester .357 Magnum case, Federal LMP primer, 11.4 grains AA No.-7, and a Hornady 158 grain JHP seated to 1.582" OAL with a medium roll crimp. That will definitely make it easier to grasp, right? 

By the by, do you mean energy transfer? Last I checked, kinetic energy = inertia = momentum, but I could see where you're going if you used a longer (heavier) HP that has longer petals when expanded giving more surface area for energy transfer.

@PTK: After rechecking my loading, I realize it's actually 1150FPS / ~460 ft/lb.

[zahc]

kinetic energy = inertia = momentum

No, those are three entirely different things. They don't even have the same dimensions.

The thing that's bumming me out about the K-frame police turn-ins is they don't seem to have any decent sites. I suppose maybe there's enough meat in them to dovetail them for sites though.

[mtnbkr]

By the by, do you mean energy transfer? Last I checked, kinetic energy = inertia = momentum, but I could see where you're going if you used a longer (heavier) HP that has longer petals when expanded giving more surface area for energy transfer.

No, I mean momentum, the ability of the bullet to penetrate through the deer.  If kinetic energy=momentum, then 125gr personal defense loads would penetrate better than slow, but heavy big bore calibers.  Momentum is mass times velocity (not velocity squared).  The point with momentum is that bullet weight has as much or more effect as velocity.

Some good info here if you're serious about handgun hunting: http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/common_sense_handgun_hunting.htm

Chris

[mtnbkr]

The thing that's bumming me out about the K-frame police turn-ins is they don't seem to have any decent sites. I suppose maybe there's enough meat in them to dovetail them for sites though.

You'd want a S&W M19, but the days of inexpensive trade-in M19s is long gone. 

If adjustable sights are critical, I would recommend a non-trade-in model with the sights you want vs butchering a fixed sight model.  A M19 won't be cheap, but they are fine guns with adjustable sights.  Going up to the L-frame is the x86 guns, then the n-frame guns of the Model 27/28.

Of course, there's always a Ruger (GP100 for example), but you're not going to get the super crisp SA trigger you desire, at least not out of the box.  Ruger SA triggers on their DA guns suck, but I personally prefer the pull of the DA trigger (nice and long with just a bit of stacking at the end).

Chris

[red headed stranger]

The thing that's bumming me out about the K-frame police turn-ins is they don't seem to have any decent sites. I suppose maybe there's enough meat in them to dovetail them for sites though.

The k frames with good adjustable sights are:

.38: 15 & 67
.357: 19 & 66

J&G regularly has some. Summit gun broker in MO has good agency trade-in deals as well. 

[Ryan in Maine]

Well let me throw .327 Fed mag out there. I think the only revolver doing it justice right now is Ruger's New Model Blackhawk with the 5.5" barrel and 8 rounds though.

I don't think S&W is doing much with the .327 Fed mag right now though. They have a couple 2-3" revolvers with 6 round capacities in their 632 Pro Series.

Personally, I'd like a S&W Model 60 with 5" barrel chambered for .327 Fed mag. Get 6, maybe 7 rounds and I'd be happy.

Course, .327 Fed mag hasn't quite caught on yet. Performed great on black bears and deer up here though. And if you reload you might like the ability to shoot .32 H&R mag, .32 S&W long, and .32 S&W out of it too.

Still, .357 S&W mag/.38 S&W special and .44 Rem mag/.44 S&W special are the mainstays across the country.

[41magsnub]

Just be careful about the laws, in many places a .32 is not legally big enough for hunting.

[Tallpine]

Just be careful about the laws, in many places a .32 is not legally big enough for hunting.

But it's great to keep in your pocket for fun 

[sanglant]

just don't play with it.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/michaelm/DSCN0543.jpg

one like this is what i did most of my deer hunting with   
got laughed at in wva in the mid 70's   less laughing each deer i hung up.