Gun opinions

[fudgie]

Looking at getting a new revolver shortly. I would like a 'cowboy' looking pistol but are hard to comeby around here. I looked at 3 and want a opinion on each. Price to shoot, weight, etc. I'd use them mostly around home and possibly hunt with it.

S&W 686 .357 mag 6" barrel
Ruger .357 mag 4" barrel
Taurus .44 mag 8" barrel

The Smith and Ruger are the same in price but the .44 is $100 less then the others.

[Momz]

The Taurus has a lifetime garauntee.
Sent mine back to correct a problem, and received it back within a week, and they picked up all shipping charges.

[Sludge]

Of the 3 I would take the 686.  Modify the cylinder for full moonclips and it will be bad arse
Here is a picture.  You should ask if it can accept these.  Most likely it cant right off the shelf, though you may be able to buy a cylinder already modified or have a local gunsmith make the modification for you.

With the full moon clips loading is as fast (in practiced hands) as loading a semi auto.

Machine-Cylinder	powered by Aeva

The end of this video demonstrates how you can still shoot with or without the moonclips

Or, you could buy a S&W 625 in .45ACP which is made from the factory for accepting full moonclips.

here is a 625

[Serk]

All 3 are fine choices... The Taurus and the Ruger are fine shooters...

The S&W is a fine shooter, and fits more into the heirloom category in my humble opinion, but all 3 would serve you well...

[Sludge]

Here is a good review of the Ruger GP100 which I guess is the ruger your talking about

Ruger GP-100 .357 Magnum	powered by Aeva

It too can be modified for full moonclips.  Hope it helps.

[Sludge]

Here is a little video I came across... YUP I have tons of time on my hands this morning LOL

This video demonstrates the use of full moonclips in the hands of a proficient wheel gun shooter.  This gun is a 625 Smith.  Its in .45ACP and comes from the factory setup for moonclips due to the fact that the .45ACP round wasnt developed to fire in revolvers and it doesnt have the shoulder necessary to work in a revolver without the moonclip.  I have one just like it that I got for playing games like this.  Can ya tell I love moonclips  

USPSA Renton 102410 Loke - Revolver	powered by Aeva

I dont know if you noticed, but he had a few failures to fire in that video.  I suspect he has backed his mainspring off too far and is having an occasional light strike on the primers.  That happens when you "game" your guns just a tad too much.  Its done though to dimish the work that the trigger finger has to do while running a wheel gun fast.  Thus making you shoot more accurately at speed.  He just seems to have slightly over did it and needs to make an adjustment to increase the spring tension ever so slightly.

[Jess Tolbirt]

well since you said cowboy looking pistol, those posted are not,, take a look at this one,
ruger vaquero,,,,

single action six is what you want,,,

[flcjr]

Jessi got it right none are "cowboy guns" but of the ones listed I have owned all three and still own a ruger and a smith Love my my ruger super redhawk in 44 mag,but my smith 686+ 7 shot is my everyday carry and the gun i shoot the most. Great trigger and very smooth. My favorite hand gun I have ever owned. I sold my taurus to buy this gun and the feel and quality cannot compare IMO.

[Chrisj CMA]

When I bought my 686 S&W .357 in the 4" barrel....I looked at the GP100 Ruger.  Ive always liked the looks of that Ruger, but the internals felt loose and clunky compared to the Smith.  For me even though they werent the same price.......The S&W was $100 more, I got it.  You just cant beat the silky smooth internals of a S&W even after hundreds of rounds

[RTaz]

All three are great weapons...when I was shopping for a revolver I too checked all three...I was looking for a .357 it was a toss up between the Ruger and the Taurus for me because the SW number one did fit my hand as well ( I like the softer grip then was not available on the SW at the time) the Ruger was great but the Taurus tracker .357 4" barrel was like candy in my hand...I love that gun and have fired thousands of rounds through it...still right on for me and is my favorite hand gun...everyone will have a different story since we are all different...I recommend you go to a range that rents guns and see if you can test fire your choice ...up here in my area we have a range that allows you to fire your weapon before purchase as long as your so inclined to buy from them (and they are good on price and service)...

I believe the Taurus Tracker is also available in the .44 mag. with a choice of barrel sizes...

[Jess from VA]

Get a double action (no single action cowboy gun) 4" bbl .357 with adjustable sights (no fixed).  6" is more accurate, but less fun and portable.  

Why did 99% of cops carry a Smith 4" Model 19 .357 for decades, until they all went with autos?

Best portable defensive combat revolver around.  Shoot cheapest .38 Spl for fun and practice, quality .357 loads for defense.

If the Ruger is the GP100 with adjustable sights, get it. (Smith and Taurus are also very good.)
 

Bursa doesn't make one...... (thank God).

[Sludge]

Bursa doesn't make one...... (thank God)

  LOL

[fudgie]

Whats with the Bersa smack talk!?  I own 2, a .380+ and a .40. Love'm. Shot a few hundred rounds and all worked smooth. Only autos that fit me well. Almost bought a Berreta or S&W but went back to the Bersa. Most of out city PD has them for back ups.

[fudgie]

well since you said cowboy looking pistol, those posted are not,, take a look at this one,
ruger vaquero,,,,

single action six is what you want,,,

You know, I looked at them last week at Big R, a retail store. I did like them. Forgot all about that. Maybe I should go back and look at them. I think they had 3 of them.

[Kendall]

All are great guns..  Rugers are hard to beat, and Ruger will stand by thier products! I bought a old used single six and sent it for the free saftey upgrade to transfer saftey bar. They did that and while they were doing that they installed a new ejector rod housing because the old one didnt have much blue left on it and returned all the old parts also. If your wanting a western gun look at the Ruger Blackhawk, they make 2 convertable models also. One shoots 357mag with a extra cylinder for 9mm, the other shoots 45lc with a extra cylinder for 45acp. 

[Crazy Miles]

Fudgie, you said a (cowboy looking gun) ?   ???  Then, you should  would be looking for a single action revolver.     If so, just go with the RUGER   BlackHawk      Yes, you can  get pretty much any caliber choice you want.  Listen, FOR THE MONEY, you can't beat any Ruger firearm!    http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawk/index.html

[Black Dog]

Hey Brian...

Love my S&W 357 Model 19 Combat, 6".  70's vintage, very accurate, adjustable sights, and as others have said, shoot 38 Spl for fun/practice, and load up on some wicked 357 HP's for keeping the bad guys at bay...



Black Dog

[Psychotic Bovine]

Here is my ruger blackhawk that I picked up for no other reason than it was offered to me.
I would have preferred .44 mag, but the .357 is fine.  Also, has the barrel the same length as the shroud, which I prefer.

The pistol came with several stainless parts in a box, so I made it a two tone (plus, with the stainless grip frame, it balances better than with the aluminum frame). 

[solo1]

My  single action 'cowboy' style, Ruger Vacquero in .44 mag.   Not made in this caliber anymore.
A sweet looking and sweet shooting single action.

[RTaz]

My  single action 'cowboy' style, Ruger Vacquero in .44 mag.   Not made in this caliber anymore.
A sweet looking and sweet shooting single action.

...Nice ...Wayne I bet she shoots sweet too...

[T.P.]

Maybe a 22 or a 17 http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSix/index.html

or a Bearcat  http://www.ruger.com/products/newBearcat/models.html

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I think they would all be good handguns. At one time I owned a Taurus 7 shot .357 with a ported barrel. I think it was a 6"or 7" barrel. It was the most accurate revolver or semi-auto handgun I have ever owned.

If it was me, I would pick a SS .357 with adjustable sights. A .357 is legal to hunt deer with in our state in case you ever want to and stainless steel is way easier to take care of. A lot less worry too if you are out in the rain with it.

The .357 is a versatile round and less expensive to shoot than 44 magnums. Way less, if you buy .38's for plinking. Adjustable sights because any of these guns should be accurate enough to deserve them. Usually the adjustable sights seem to be higher quality and easier to see also.

[CajunRider]

If used for hunting, you'll appreciate the longer barrels (6 or 7.5 inch).  Makes for more accuracy on longer shots. 

I've always been a fan of the .45 colt, but the .44 rounds are easier to find in stores.  .45 colt isn't carried by a lot of stores (or at least limited amounts). 

As for the gun itself... I'm a fan of Ruger Single 6 revolvers (what I consider "cowboy" style).  The Tuarus is made by Ruger (as far as I know). 

Cost... well I can't tell you much there... I don't compare different calibers very often.  I know 9mm and .22 are cheap... the rest get pricey if shooting hundreds of rounds over a weekend. 

[Bama Red]

Here's my single action Ruger "cowboy gun" - a stainless Ruger Vaquero in .44-40 WCF (Winchester Center Fire). I've got two other Rugers in .45 Colt (sometimes incorrectly called .45 Long Colt). Rugers are built hell for stout and will withstand hotter loads than either the Taurus or the S&W. It hits to point of aim and goes "Bang!" every time. It is box stock and is a great gun, but I do NOT carry it as a self-defense gun, simply because it is single action - you gotta rooster the hammer back prior to each shot. Can be slow if you're not used to shooting with it and have a LOT of practice under your belt. Go with a Ruger double action in .357 or higher caliber, then put a couple hundred rounds a week thru it till you develop muscle memory for that gun.

Have a ball no matter what you get - your gun only has to please you!

[solo1]

Mark T. The three screw Ruger Super Blackhawk is indeed a great gun. I've given mine to Mark, my son.  I shot an eight point buck at 42 yards with iron sights with handloads (200 gr at 1500 fps.) The buck dropped.

However, the original Super Blackhawk three screw with the Dragoon trigger guard, like mine, was made with NO transfer bar.  It was unsafe to carry with six just like the original Colts.  The squared off trigger guard is not indicative of a transfer bar.  My Vacquero in my previous post has the transfer bar without the squared off trigger guard.

Also, the front sight IS higher because of the recoil, very true.  However, if you would shoot .44 special ammo you would find that .44 special ammo will print higher than the .44 mag with the same sight settings.  Even though the mag recoil is much greater than .44 specials, the dwell time of the magnum loads in the barrel is less because of the much higher speeds. The mag load bullet is out of the barrel quicker resulting in lower printing because it's out before the gun barrel can raise much.
As you know, the beauty of the single action grip, colt style, is that the gun recoil pivots the gun in your hand lessening the recoil.  That is also why the exact same grip and tension on holding a grip style like this, is important to keep from vertical stringing.

Just a few points.  even though I might not be up in the latest in the shooting sports any longer, I do know a little.  My first hand loading was more than a few years ago when i loaded Elmer Keith's original .44 Magnum load. 240 gr. semi wad cutter bullet with 22. gr of 2400.......... in a Lyman nutcracker 310.

The old model, three screw Super Blackhawk had a fit and finish comparable to the Smiths. Treasure it.  It's one of the best from Ruger.  Good post Mark T.

wayne

[Tundra]

Looking at getting a new revolver shortly. I would like a 'cowboy' looking pistol but are hard to comeby around here. I looked at 3 and want a opinion on each. Price to shoot, weight, etc. I'd use them mostly around home and possibly hunt with it.

S&W 686 .357 mag 6" barrel
Ruger .357 mag 4" barrel
Taurus .44 mag 8" barrel

The Smith and Ruger are the same in price but the .44 is $100 less then the others.

Fudgie, I enjoy my firearms as much as my Valkyrie. I own and shoot all the brands and calibers you asked about, so I feel qualified to answer (my opinion). For carry and protection in a REVOLVER I choose my Smith & Wesson stainless Model 66, chamber in 357. This has a better action out of the box than the rest. (try them side by side) I love my ruger Security Six for hunting and the home, Too big to carry daily. Ruger Blackhawk is nice to own in .44, but it's a hand cannon. I like the ruger brand and own many in long guns semi autos and revolvers, hard to beat. I also own the little .38 +P ulta light Taurus. I know about their warranty, but I feel you'll need it. I think they are junk in comparrison, feel the action, look at the fit and finish. This gun is too light to shoot and have fun with. You feel the recoil. It's a good "belly gun" Every Taurus I've owned I'vew sold, and this one will be sold also. This is MY OPINION and I know many like Taurus, good luck with them, it's your money. I would spend a little more and buy up in quality.  Again. just my experienced opinion, I own them all.

[solo1]

No problem Mark.  I didn't mean to sound preachy.   I see that you've been reloading for some time too.

I ran across the contradiction when I was reloading.  i was reloading the 240 gr Ketih lead in both .44 Mag and .44 special using Unique for the special and 2400 for the mag.  I could not understand why the .44 specials were printing higher at 25 yards than the mags so i researched.

My Vacquero prints exactly on with iron sights at 25 yards using a strong .44 special load.  It is a honey.  I haven't tried it with mag loads yet.

It's funny, no one recommends the single actions for self defense although it might be catching on. Dillon's catalog is now showing a CC holster for single actions, (maybe it should come with suspenders tho!)  The old round, the .44 special with modern powders combined with the long barrel is more than adequate for stopping power,  right up there or passing the .45ACP.  The .45 Colt is another old round with stopping power, same with the 44/40.

I guess the 'spray and pray'  surpasses placement as more important.  Me, I'm afraid with no practice, I'm more the 'spray and pray'  (Glock 35)  but I'm especially fond of the single actions and most especially the Rugers. After all, the old single actions were made for this lefty.

Wayne

[R J]

Mark, if ya ever noticed, some of us fat cops had a loop over the shoulder that was attached to our utility belt.    That solved the pants issue.

Before I got fat, I had a big enough butt to hold everything up.

Ya maintain a fat arse by walking.   You'd be surprised how quick your butt shrivels up when ya quit walking everyday.    LOL......

Somewhere in this house I still have my utility belt, but all the weapons are gone after my one grandson found the lock box and got into them to play.   Don't know how he did it but he managed to get my pistol lock box open, without a key..

None of my kids bothered the box when they were growing up.    I think they knew they would get their little arse blistered if they got to messing with the box.

After wearing a weapon everyday for 32 years, I was glad to put it up.   It got to be a pain in the arse.  Literally.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I've got to thank everyone who contributed to this thread and Fudgie for starting it. I'm no newbie to firearms but I've learned a lot from this discussion.
A lot of experience and knowledge here, thanks to all for sharing it,
Frye

Gotta Love the VRCC

[musclehead]

any of those three you'd be happy with, longer barrels for hunting. I used to have a S&W 66 .357 which was the forerunner of the 686, why oh why did I sell it? Taurus makes a good gun for the bucks, I have two revolvers from them. 

[Jabba]

Guns are dangerous.

They kill people.

hey... you asked for AN opinion.

Jabba

[Chrisj CMA]

Guns are dangerous.

They kill people.

hey... you asked for AN opinion.

Jabba

guns kill people much in the same way that spoons made Rosie O'Donald FAT 

[Sludge]

Guns are dangerous.

They kill people.

hey... you asked for AN opinion.

Jabba

  ^
/ | \
  |
  |

Instigator! 

[flcjr]

Guns are dangerous.

They kill people.

hey... you asked for AN opinion.

Jabba

Guns don't kill people
People kill people

[Jabba]

  ^
/ | \
  |
  |

Instigator! 

Guns don't kill people
People kill people

You obviously don't know me.  See above... 

Jabba

[JimC]

Smith, Taurus, Ruger, all good guns,

I agree with MarkT,  100%

Two words, COLT PYTHON, I can't believe that it took so many posts for someone to say it. I would have answered the post earlier but I thought you were actually talking about the old single action cowboy type guns that they are starting to hold shoots for around the country, and I could not help you there.

The Colt Python is BY FAR the best of them all. (in my opinion) I carried one for 6 years until they made us switch to automatics. I hated to see it go, but at the time I could not afford to buy the auto (four kids) and keep the python or I would still have it today. But that gun was one fine piece of machinery, the smoothest most solid feeling hand gun I ever shot.

Ever hear the old saying, you get what you pay for?

Jim  

[solo1]

Mark, the Python is definitely the epitome of excellent revolver manufacturing.  Smiths are good and Rugers are the best value but the Python is in a class by itself.

I have a handgun that I consider that has  much the same excellence of manufacturing.  It is the Browning Medalist .22 target pistol.  Mine is lefthanded with the French walnut grips and schnauble forend. It's complete with the fitted case, the weights, multitool,  and the wood block for holding .22 cartridges.

The blueing is excellent and there even is a pin that fits in a hole in the right grip to deflect the empties up instead of  into the competitor's face to the right.  It was the most reliable of all the .22 target pistols that I've owned.
wayne

[Wetrudgeon]

Guns kill people??  Who knew??

We think Ruger makes outstanding revolvers at a very good price.  We are not sure how they do it,  but we are glad they do.  We own a number of their products and  believe in them.  Get the Ruger.

We trudge on.