I'm looking to get a .38 Special revolver and I'm currently torn between the Taurus 856 Executive Grade and the S&W Performance Center 642. Any suggestions? I've heard both good and bad things about both.
>>65303230Get the Ruger GP100.
>>65303247>Ruger GP100.This ^
>>65303247>>65303248Why?
>>65303257Also I'd rather not pay more than $800 for my first revolver
>>65303259If you have the want of a larger frame find a used model 10. It will last forever and it should cost like 550 max. I own a few j frames and if it was my first revolver I would hate revolvers, get at least a k frame in size and fall in love with revolver shooting my man.
>>65303230>>65303285Fuck I’m a retard for not addressing the main part of your post. Go with the 856 if you must choose between those two guns. QC on the 856 might as well be as good as the smith any how and you will appreciate the slightly larger size of the 856 if this is your fist revolver.
>>65303259You get what you pay for, buy once cry once...
>>65303230>.38 onlyGet the Taurus.
>>65303289Thanks, oh and to clarify I've shot .38 revolvers before I just never owned one.>>65303313I don't have the money to buy a $1100 dollar gun AND enough ammunition to get comfortable with it.
>>65303328>S&W 642You don't need a Performance Center of a J-frame until you like firing 38 SPL from a 2 inch barrel.I got rid of my Bantam grip and use a full size Hogue nylon grip instead. And 642s for 38+P are cheap (about 450 to 550 new).
>>65303328Then save up...
>>65303335I was considering the PC version because I was told it had better quality control for only a hundred or so dollars more than the base models. Was that wrong?>>65303358I have saved up, but budgeting is important.
>>65303257It's big and heavy and reliable.There's people who sell overpowered loads online who specifically note some of them are ONLY to be used in Ruger's guns, they're too likely to destroy an S&W or taurus or the like.That said, there are tradeoffs and people find them not as pleasant to carry or shoot as some of S&W's stuff.
>>65303230Get a Ruger.If the objective is a concealed carry revolver the LCR feels better and has a much nicer DAO trigger than S&W although if you are dead set on a J frame they aren't going to be miles different. S&W is just both more expensive and has absolutely shit tier QC nowadays. Taurus is cheaper but has little going for it other than price point, at least you are getting what you are paying for. None of these will be fun to shoot, as snub revolvers generally whallop the crap out of your hand and take a long time to really master. Shooting one is dead nuts easy but actually controlling it and getting hits beyond a few feet is very challenging.If you just want a 38 to plink with you are looking completely in the wrong direction. Get a larger frame size.>>65303259Stop shopping online, go outside, browse actual gun stores and you'll pretty quickly find used Rugers for about ~2/3 what they cost new. For the price of a new Taurus you can usually get a Ruger that some guy bought, kept in his sock drawer for 15 years and then pawned off. In particular you can find old Security Six models for way less, and they are still incredibly solid guns.
>>65303230Altamont made the grips for the Executive Grade 856. For a while they were selling blems on Gunbroker and I got a pair for like $8 and put them on my stainless DAO snubby. They look sick but they're not very concealable. I ended up replacing them with smooth laminate, also from Altamont.
>>65304352I'm looking for something I can both shoot for fun and toss in a pocket or bag for a hike or a road trip. I've been to a store in person and the guy I talked to just tried to sell me on S&W when I asked him about revolvers.
>>65304352>None of these will be fun to shoot, as snub revolvers generally whallop the crap out of your hand and take a long time to really master.I find that exaggerated. I have a S&W airweight sub-2-inch .38 special and the most irritating thing about it is how bad the sights are. But I'm using a rubber grib and I'm not playing games trying to find the heaviest load I can shoot through it without making it explode.
>>65304494No wait that's the second most annoying thing, the most annoying thing is how heavy the double action only trigger is.
>>65304479Consider a 3" medium frame .357 with a steel frame and grips big enough to get a full grip on. Ruger SP101 is the go to but they also make a more target oriented 3" LCRx. Both Taurus and S&W make a variety of comparable models. None of these are pocket carry sized, but it's a good enough compromise for carrying in an IWB holster without being impractical.
>>65304367>Altamont madeNEVER TRUST ALTAMONT.
>>65304627As advertized:
>>65304631Sak Peterson is trusted. Also, about 3x more, but worth it.
>>65304479Get a Ruger. If you want to toss it in a bag it might get bumped around a lot and modern SW has garbage QC for their revolvers. Taurus is cheap but it's cheap while Ruger is inexpensive not cheap. If you're dead set on 38 special get a used LCR or something but honestly a 357 allows you to shoot 357 as well and all 38 loads without fear so that's why people are recommending the GP 100 and SP101.
>>65303388Learn to reload.>your time has value thoIf $1100 is an amount you need to save up for and can't afford to spend on both a gun and enough ammo to train then saving 25-30cpr is going to be huge. You can easily knockout a couple hundred rounds/hr once you know what you're doing.
>>65303230S&W Model 10
>>65303259revolvers are like 1911s, they suck without hand fitting and GOOD hand fitting means expensive.
>>65304612I'll second the sp101. I've got the snubbie 357 and it's big enough to handle magnums and feel like a gun but small enough to pocket carry with big pockets/cargo pants. I mostly just shoot 38s in it anyway. I got mine new for right around 600 after xfer and shipping.
>>65304848Bullshit
>>65304612>>65304945Thanks, is there a 3 inch model thats double action only?
I just got my first revolver, a Colt King Cobra, for less than $700 for a blemished gun. It's a little bigger than the J frame. It's a little bigger than I thought it was going to be, but it's not huge. It has a really great trigger and shooting full house 158 grain .357 is pretty fun and it handles .38 Special extremely well. I really like it and I am sorry I didn't get a wheel gun sooner. https://www.dahlonegaarmory.com/product/clt-king-cobra-carry-da-sa-357mag-2-ss>>65303230>S&W Performance Center 642.I would recommend a steel frame for a J frame unless you are going to carry it in athletic shorts or something. The extra weight helps soak up recoil and they are much stronger so you can run hotter ammo without the slightest of worries. Lastly, check out gun.deals it's basically ammoseek, but for guns and equipment.
I like my model 64.
Thanks guys, I'm looking into getting the 3 inch sp101.
both options suck. don't buy hueshit and don't buy a hammerless j frame for your first revolver. get a ruger or look for an old model 10 or model v.
>>65304809Only correct post itt
>>65303230>never talk to me or my gun ever again
>>65303247/thread
get the taurus>cheaper>better made gunnot necessarily better design but taurus revolver QC is somehow better than smiths revolver QC which is pure dogshit
>>65305078It doesn't look like Ruger currently offers such a configuration on the LCR, but model 5720 for their SP101 is a 2.25" DAO .357, for my money I'd just get one with a hammer and a 3".
>>65303230Get something cheap, like a Mateba 6 Unica.
>>65303230Get something expensive, like the RIA M206.
>>65303230Get something modern, like a Remington New Model Army
>>65303230637-2 with some finish wear.https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1187941470If your thumbs aren't too long theycwojt go past the forcing cone and you can hold it like an autoloader. I can hit 8"steel targets out to 50yrds with my LCRx in SA.
>>65303230Colt Detective Special
>>65303230How is the s&w 686 mountain gun compared to a python? Thinking of getting a 4 inch revolver. Already have a 6 inch python
>>65312650The Cobra/King Cobra is the new version. It's the same size, but it has a replaceable front sight and a better trigger. Plus, it's all stainless. >>65305078>is there a 3 inch model thats double action only?There is a 3" King Cobra and a DOA version, but not both at once. It shouldn't be too hard to convert a DA/SA to DAO if you're at all handy. The 2" is virtually the same size as the Sp101, but it holds 6 instead of 5.
>>65303313That’s a fun little rhyme to say, but it doesn’t ring true to the people sending back their $800 S&W ulti-carry revolvers.
>>65303230The 856 is fine unless you want to pocket carry. In which case, I'd recommend a Ruger LCR over a S&W 642. S&W QC is junk these days.
>>65303230I like my 856. When I bought it I wasn't aware of many other compact 6 shot revolvers that were out at the time. I haven't put a shit ton of shots through it, but it has gone bang every time with no issues when I took it out shooting. For what it's worth I carried a J frame 442 prior to purchasing it.
>>65303289>if this is your fist revolver.Where I come from we only have ass revolvers
>>65313646I've seen a lot of people saying the new cobras are a let down.
>>65314211In what way? I shot it next to my buddies 1974 Detective Special and I thought it was fantastic. The Nu King Cobra has a lighter and more consistent DA trigger and I shot it a little better because of it. It's made me wish I had gotten one much sooner. The fit and finish aren't quuuuiiiite as good, but it's still really nice, especially the level of polishing. You can see yourself pretty well in the larger portions of the frame. Besides, I bought a blemished gun and saved $100. The nasty Houge grips, which, while effective, are ugly as hell and had to go. I am definitely really happy with my gunsooming on this one.
Hey, guys funny story, turns out I actually had a S&W Model 10 this whole time.
>be me>live in jurisdiction where guns are highly regulated. >aquire a bunch of guns and license to carry >getting each individual gun is a saga and takes months and involves not so much energy but time and paperwork and patients is key. >buy a 4th, most likely last firearm. Impulse buy .38 special 642 because I am autisming out in the store. Actually want a cz p10 or an sig or something idk but a good semi auto. But end up buying a .38. They had colts too but I ended up buying the sw. >Spend months getting approval and correct paperwork and eventually pick up the firearm. >be very excited. >realize almost immediately upon putting it in my safe that it's inferior in capacity and everything in features to other firearms. >find this thread>get super anxious about the quality of my decision. Idk what to say. Someone copium post and let's shill the humble .38 special
>>65316388Well, anon. The good news is you got a really good carry gun. The bad news is you probably don't live in a state that allows you to carry. Some other good news is that capacity doesn't matter for a range gun. In fact, a lower capacity range gun will save you money in the long run. Having 8 20 round mags can dump a lot of ammo really quickly. Also, .38 Special is generally a better cartridge for a short barrel gun since you can't take advantage of longer burning powders. Ultimately, you got a good weapon and you paid Americans to make it for you. Never undervalue the fact that you paid for an American to have food and health insurance.I'm the Colt Cobra anon and I immediately understood the appeal of the J fram as soon as I got the thing and started looking at them. The Cobra (and SP101) at on the absolute top end of what you can cram in your pocket, but the J frame is definitely going to go unnoticed in anything from your Armani suit to you running shorts.What other guns do you have anyway?
>>65316324I cleaned it up and shot it a bunch, I love it.
>>65316723Nice taste anon
>>65314211I have a King Cobra .22 and a Cobra .38 and they're pretty good. The only thing I don't like about them is that Colt uses narrow triggers. I like my triggers wider.Also, the adjustable sights Colt uses on their wheelguns are junk.
>>65316388Snubbies are extremely versatile, but mostly for carry, which I assume you cannot do. It's still a very cool gun to have, even though it's not all that fun to shoot. It was essentially the good stand carry gun for half a century, and even today there are many that swear by it. I have a couple in 32 h&r and I love them.
First of all, what is your purpose for the revolver? Is it for shooting? Carrying? Both?If it's for shooting get a gp100. If it's for carry get an LCR. If it's both, an sp101 in 3". Be warned the LCR sucks to shoot. If it's not strictly pocket carry, consider the magnum version, the KLCR. Its 4oz heavier, makes 38 much better.
>>65316935The LCR doesn't suck to shoot at all if you buy the .32 H&R model.
>>65316988Your hand will thank you, but your wallet won't.
>>65316723Looks sharp. What is that, a 10-5? My LGS has some blued ones for a good deal, but I just bought a gun, so I should probably hold off.I know stainless is technically better, but for some reason, nickel looks so much cooler.
>>65316995It looks like you can get .32 S&W long for ~55¢ per round. It's not fantastic, but it's better than 80¢ per round.
>>65316935OP here, I found out I had a .38 the whole time here >>65316723, I just didn't know it was actually mine. >>65317000Yup it's 10-5. I highly recommend it after playing around with it today.
>>65303230I just got a s&w 642 without the hillary hole and love it. I just throw it in my pocket and go about my day.
Not .38 related but does anyone have any recommendations for a good .22lr snubby?
>>65320179I ran into this blatant market gap about a year ago and the best I could come up with in a 2" is the Charter Arms Pathe Finder. The Colt Cobra/Diamondback or a single action Heritage Barkeep are also in the technical definition of your requirements, but they aren't ideal because of price and mechanical design respectively. While it's technically not a snubby at 3", I've been pretty interested in the S&W Model 63. It looks like a really good convergence of size, caliber and capacity. The big issue is it's more expensive than an SP101. The idea that someone doesn't make an M206 style revolver in .22 is insane.
>>65320179>>65320277Taurus 942 is exactly what you want.
>>65303259Dude they're like $600 used lul. If you can afford a glock 19 you can afford a gp100. Also if you really only want a revolver that exclusively fires .38 Special there are older versions you can find used that only support 38.
>>65303230Kimber K6Xs. You're welcome.
>>65303247Fuck ruger. I piss on bills corpse.Taurus isnt what it used to be. Their executive line is very decent.I wont buy an S&W with a lock simple as.You might look around and find something at a better price point used. A buddy of mine got a good deal on an MR 73. I got a model 10-10 with a set of trausch grips for 400 otd.
>>65316995Sure, but I consider that an acceptable trade-off myself. .32 lets me have fun shooting a small, lightweight snub without beating my hand up, and without going rimfire. If I have to pay more for ammo, so be it. I can always reload .32 if I really wanted to.
Do you guys mind if I gatecrash your wheel gat thread to ask about BP revolvers? I want to know what's a good option for pre-1885 black powder revolver (incl. replicas), because laws are kinda balls here.
>>65325378colt 1851/1860/61uberti and pietta are basically interchangabledo not get a brass framed gun
>>65303230>Fancy Taurus>Current year S&WI'm going to join the people recommending Ruger. I remember when SP101s were $450 but thanks to years of panic buying they've gone up in price. I finally found one for $600, which is the "buy now" floor I set years ago, and I love that thing. I also have a GP100 that I love, IIRC it was $530 after taxes about 13 years ago. My dad's old S&W 629 is fantastic but I've seen too many people complaining about S&W's QC in recent years to trust them with anything but the strikerslop they've sold their souls to.
>>65325945Ruger is too conservative with their revolvers, if you ask me. At least Taurus has been trying new stuff like having optics ready wheelguns from the factory. Their Executive Grades aren't bad either.S&W finally started listening to people by releasing the UC J-Frames and bringing back the Night Guard. Too bad their revolver QC today is rubbish.
>>65326131>Ruger is too conservative with their revolversFrankly I see this as a positive thing. If they catered to the "zomg why no top break" crowd then they'd lose money because those people are already not buying the available options.
>>65326263Well, I'm not saying they should make top breaks or anything like that, but I would like to see more options. As an example, Ruger lacks a good medium-frame revolver like the K-Frame or Colt D-Frame. The GP100 is L-Frame/Python sized, and the SP101 isn't large enough to have a 6-shot .38/.357 cylinder like the D-Frame.
>>65326131>Ruger is too conservative with their revolvers,It could be worse
>>65327329Hey it's green, that means it's eco friendly. Gotta watch your per bullet CO2 emissions.
>>65327884Retard, it's the opposite, green clearly means a +5 dps poison buff effect
>>65327884It wouldn't even bee sonbad if bit wasn't $7,000
Bump
>>65321767I just bought one
>>65303230stay away from taurus. i have several 642s. decent enough for purpose. taurus uses shit springs and frequently has timing issues. i have a double action taurus which may or may not lock up when cocked. it also may or may not be lined up with the forcing cone properly so you may get a face and arm of shavings. in my efforts to get replacement parts, i have received the wrong parts twice. it remains disassembled as i am not willing to pawn it off on some unsuspected unfortunate asshole. smiths take apart and go back together just fine.
