Kind of off topic: Revolver

[mdotis]

Thanks for the info

This is all great info, again you guys do not disappoint. I think I will go with the Taurus but I will need to hold a few first. Gun shopping is shopping I can get into

I am in the south east corner. So close to Wisconsin that I cross the river each day for work.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

 

[tex]

All choice, road-hunters might like their dirty-harry guns, but I sold my Redhawk to buy a SA .44 , it is a lot lighter at the end of a day.

Guiding I always carried mine with 2 holes loaded with Speer shot-shells loaded with #8's , worked good for camp meat. Spruce Grouse seem to jump just high enough to get picked out of the pine-needles with the bird-shot focused at their head. Fantastic when you wrap them in tinfoil with a couple strips of bacon over the top, maybe some onion and peppers sliced into the mix, cooked in the ashes and coals of a fire till the steam hisses and they sizzle, they can't be beat!

Worst year for having to need it, 3 horses needed to be put down for various reasons, never seems to make much difference to the horse how much time was wasted cocking the SA-revolver. But then again, not to brag, I can hold my own thumb-wrestling!

These bears and bubbas you run into, think some of them would like to thumb-wrestle?

I hunt in the Idaho panhandle (Grizzly country) so I think I'm out on the thumb wrestlin' thing.

We shoot mountain chickens with judo points. I considered some bird shot in the revolver, but don't want to give up the space. Mine is only a 5 shot, and I'll want them all should I run into a Grizzly. Thankfully I've only stumbled onto Black Bear so far. You're right though, nothin better than a fat "chicken" breast on the fire.

Sorry about the horses. Nobody wants to use their sidearm for that.

 

[logbutcher]

For most of us the choice of what to carry has to factor in a few critical decision points:

- budget - usually can't afford many guns (1?)
- comfort - if you don't like it you will end up leaving it at home or in the car
- cheap ammo - you have to be able to afford to practice with it
- concealable - visible guns make you a potential target (arguable point)
- reliable - can you really count on remembering to rack the slide in a misfire?
- accuracy - not terribly important for a concealed carry piece
- versatility - can I use it in the woods (ratshot) AND in civilization (HP)
- takedown power (.38 +P delivers more energy than 9mm)

My theory is that I carry to give myself or others a chance to leave the area, secondarily to kill/disable a target.

When I factor all of these in, the 38 revolver (+P rated) is the best fit. I looked carefully at the Glock 26 and really liked it (cheap, reliable) but ruled it out for 2 reasons:

- my wife was not as comfortable with it as the Ruger LCR, she is intimidated by the slide and could not reliably work the action
- defective or damaged ammo means that the best auto in the world still has to be racked to clear the round, I would rather just pull the trigger again

One of the "Husky vs Stihl" things.

With the right training 9mm will do the job, as will .38 rounds. It depends more on your situational awareness with a sidearm, how willing the user is to use it instictively from proper training and practice. For most LE or tacticals, the choice of carry is often Glock. Maybe Beretta, or Sig.

BTW: Glocks are never cheap. Probably the most reliable sidearm on the market.

Any firearm depends on quality ammunition....any, including revolvers.

JMNSHO

 

[gwiley]

One of the "Husky vs Stihl" things.

With the right training 9mm will do the job, as will .38 rounds. It depends more on your situational awareness with a sidearm, how willing the user is to use it instictively from proper training and practice. For most LE or tacticals, the choice of carry is often Glock. Maybe Beretta, or Sig.

BTW: Glocks are never cheap. Probably the most reliable sidearm on the market.

Any firearm depends on quality ammunition....any, including revolvers.

JMNSHO

I agree about the training - one of my motivations was to have a pistol that could be used with inadequate training (my wife).

I found that the Glock 26 is not a lot more than the lightweight .38 from Ruger or S&W, and I agree that they are reliable.

When you combine damaged or defective ammo with poor training a revolver shows its strength - the user merely pulls the trigger again. With the auto they have to remember to rack the slide to clear the gun before they can fire. I don't count on her (or me) being able to do this well under extreme stress.

 

[coyotencuttin]

around the farm i usually carry the taurus 1911 but its bulky at times. when i get some free money, i'll be picking up a taurus LCR or judge/public defender. 3 cylinders with birdshot/shotshell and the other 2 with +p or hot .45 colt in case of larger birds. i know that if birdshot is what you mostly shoot,it usuallly will not cycle the action on the semi.good luck, harold

 

[Circle B MN]

Don't take offense MN. If you want to load and unload one bullet/casing at a time the go ahead. Personally, If I feel the need to pull a weapon on a bear, or bubba, I don't want to worry about cocking the thing. Pull, aquire, bang! Then bang again and again as needed. Each time you cock a single action you waste valuable time you could be shooting, and you loose the target and break form as a result of cocking. If you're at the range none of this matters, but if your a$$ depends on it, have a double action. Besides, you can always slap the hammer of a double action like Poncho and Lefty as if it was a single.

No offense taken, and take no offense when I saw NUTS. Having hunted hogs, deer, and bear with a SA, I do find it to be most adequate. What is the trigger weight of a double action compared to a single action...? about double. Take aim, breath out, relax, slow steady sqeeze. Trained shooting with shots on target. If you do better blasting away at Bubba or critters both, so be it. I prefer the one shot, one kill technique as it has worked very well for me in the past.

 

[smilin possum]

For the money you can't beat the Charter Arms 38 spcl. The one I got the wife is stainless and double action. Like the others stated when it comes to shoot or run you just point and pull the trigger. They are kind of idiot proof, and just as deadly with the right loads. We handload all our ammo.

I carry the little 5 shot 22 magnum in the ruler pocket of my carhartt pants or the little 38 spcl. When I put on my dress up stuff I stick my Kimber Custom Classic 45 ACP in my belt. I also hunt with a Thompson Center single shot handgun.

As for the Tauras never handled those. I'm sure there a fine choice also.

 

[oscar4883]

For every day/woods carry, I carry a Smith Model 60. My old man carried one for almost 30yrs. as a cop. Not made of the newest, lightest material, but a great gun. Bobbed hammer, some Pachmyrs, and it makes a great little carry piece. Once a year or so I blow the pocket lint out from around the cylinder and I'm good to go. LOL.

 

[tex]

No offense taken, and take no offense when I saw NUTS. Having hunted hogs, deer, and bear with a SA, I do find it to be most adequate. What is the trigger weight of a double action compared to a single action...? about double. Take aim, breath out, relax, slow steady sqeeze. Trained shooting with shots on target. If you do better blasting away at Bubba or critters both, so be it. I prefer the one shot, one kill technique as it has worked very well for me in the past.

I agree with one shot one kill. I think we all try for that. All depends on what you are doing with the weapon. For hunting, when you have time, a single is great. My whole point on carrying a double action is for when you don't have time, and/or you need a quick follow up. I carry a sidearm when I'm out and about for the unexpected. I'll just grab a rifle otherwise.

 

[logbutcher]

Stihl/Glock. All you need to know.

DA= no need to "rack" before use. As a carried sidearm it is kept racked for use. And safe.

BTW: what's a bubba ? None around Downeast......yet. Could it be 'cause Maine has the highest % of concealed carry permits ?

 

["Spoon"]

I have a blued Taurus 94. I love the nine shot capacity. The trigger pull is heavy, but in single action it is manageable. I have had mine about 9 month and carry it often. I enjoy plinking with it and it is very accurate. I even bought two speed loaders HR-22. I have heard of people having a lot of trouble with their Taurus handguns, but I have had nothing but good luck so far. I am thinking of buying a stainless 22 mag to match it.

 

[mdotis]

Thanks Spoon,
I am thinking I will order one soon. That is the information that I was looking for. I am sure I can make it work. Besides the one that broke was really cheap so a Taurus will be a step up from what I was using.

 

[howellhandmade]

SNIP I have heard of people having a lot of trouble with their Taurus handguns, but I have had nothing but good luck so far. I am thinking of buying a stainless 22 mag to match it.

Really? What kind of trouble? All I've heard was that Taurus wasn't a match for S&W in fit and finish and trigger pull but were reliable and serviceable, and a good value. Seems to me a handgun is one thing you don't want to have trouble with.

Jack

 

[mdotis]

Problems that have been reported

If you read the forums on the net it seems like some people do not like the heavy double action trigger pull. They say that it is rough and to hard for the smaller shooters to work. Not sure that will be a problem for me. But you can get new springs from wolf to correct this problem. There are some reports of the timing being off on some of them and when that happens the accuracy is very poor and that they can send the bullet tumbling down range. There are also reports about misfires. However it seems that most of them are being caused by not seating the bullets all the way. Because of a dirty cylinder. Most of these reports seem to come from shooters who stepped down from the 800.00 guns. I am stepping up from a 50.00 gun so I am sure it will not be a problem for me.

 

[kissfan113]

Ruger Bearcat, stainless or blued whatever suits your preference, myself I like the stainless model for it's resistance to rust, ease of maintenance, shows very little wear as it's a brushed finish, the Bearcat shoots accurately, and is small enough to fit just about anywhere.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

If you read the forums on the net it seems like some people do not like the heavy double action trigger pull. They say that it is rough and to hard for the smaller shooters to work. Not sure that will be a problem for me. But you can get new springs from wolf to correct this problem. There are some reports of the timing being off on some of them and when that happens the accuracy is very poor and that they can send the bullet tumbling down range. There are also reports about misfires. However it seems that most of them are being caused by not seating the bullets all the way. Because of a dirty cylinder. Most of these reports seem to come from shooters who stepped down from the 800.00 guns. I am stepping up from a 50.00 gun so I am sure it will not be a problem for me.

Inconsistent quality of Taurus is the issue.

Probably the biggest problem Taurus has is the lack of consistency in manufacturer from one gun to the next. It isn't just their revolvers, it's their semi-autos as well. This is why you get so many differing opinions on them. Years ago the gunsmith I used explained it this way, when you open up a Taurus you never know what you'll find. He stated he has seen some absolutely fantastic workmanship and part fit, and some where the action was rough it would hardly function due to rough machining, burrs, and improper fit. His biggest concern however and the one that finally caused him to refuse to work on Taurus was their heat treating. He found far to often when trying to do an action job just simple stoning would remove the hardened wear surfaces as the case depth wasn't deep enough or in a through hardened part the Rockwell was allover the place. This leads to premature wear and part failure.

Going back to your original post, it sounds like what you really are looking for is what was known years ago as a "kit gun". These were small revolvers in .22 rimfire or 38 SP, that were put in the tool box or satchel and carried around for pest control or meat for the stew pot. S&W made the Model 22/32 that was actually called the kit gun. Ruger's version was the original Bearcat. (Yeah I know I'm dating myself) I believe S&W have updated the kit gun to the model 317.

My 2 cents based on your purpose is to seek out a used small stainless 5 or 6 shot 38 Special revolver. Ruger, S&W and Colt all made them, though Stainless Colts are tough to find and very pricey. There are a huge number of Colt Detective Specials out there, very well made, completely reliable and with a finish of 85% or better can be had for $300 or less and will be a far, far better pistol than anything Taurus is putting out. Since you don't shoot the gun all that much the ammo cost of 38 Special vs 22 LR really shouldn't come into play.

If you can live with a single action try to find a used Ruger Single Six or Colt New Frontier. Either will serve you well. When it comes to single action 22LR I always recommend used over new as the only way they ever really fail is when some amateur basement gunsmith decides he knows how to do an action job. If you don't know how to check this drop me a PM.

One last comment, heavy trigger pulls on firearms are not necessarily a sign of poor quality, but more a sign of the times. Heavy pulls from the factory are to prevent the numerous law suits that would follow based on the fact the trigger had a light pull and not the idiot that pulled it was violating all rules of gun safety.

Take Care

 

[038Mag2NC]

Really surprised that no-one has mentioned Kel-Tec yet. In my opinion the K-T P11 is one heck of a great gun for the money. Mine has been incredibly reliable, and surprisingly accurate for a small frame 9mm. Great guns, you may want to look into them as well.