vanbeast

What is a good inexpensive revolver caliber? I'm not interested in .22, as I won't be able to shoot IPSC with it, but I'm looking for something that is on the level of 9mm in terms of price. I've never seen a 9mm revolver, nor heard of one... are they out there? Is there a caliber for revolvers that is similar in price?

Thanks!

Ashton

Frontier makes a 9mm revolver, but you're better off with a Smith & Wesson 38.........

pocon1

try a .357 with .38 ammo. The .38 is cheaper and when you want, you can still use magnum loads. gives you the best of both worlds.

kel

.357 magnum is more difficult to shoot accurately then .38

Only go with .357 if your an experienced shooter.

__________________
"It better be funny"

vanbeast

I am an experienced shooter... though only with semi-automatics. I'm looking to add a revolver and a rifle to my collection soon, but need to do it relatively on the cheap.

Moonduck

If you are really looking for the best deal, look for older S&W .38 specials. Thousands upon thousands are out there still after various police departments around the country switched to autos. I have a S&W M64-3 stainless with a bobbed hammer, came from soem airport police force in California. One of my best shooters, overall, and cost me less than two bills including it's (worn) duty rig.

Fire

problem with the 9mm revolver is it takes "clips" to hold the bullets in- same reason for no .45 apc (or is that acp) revolvers out there- believe taurus just came out w/ a 9mm revolver- maybe a .45 soon?

__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

debaser

There are plenty of .45 acp revolvers. No clip is needed, the front end of the shell casing acts as the stop.

__________________

kel

There is even a 9MM revolver. I remember seeing it linked to a while back.

__________________
"It better be funny"

vanbeast

Eh. I don't want a 9mm revolver. I'm just looking for a revolver that is inexpensive to shoot. I'll look at the .38's.

soopadoopa

A Rossi .357mag will run around $200-250. And you can shoot .38 special in a .357mag which is more managable. Shoot the 38's for practice, and keep it loaded with 357's for protection.

Fire

Hey, Debaser- know anybody who makes a good low cost .45 acp revolver- wasnt aware of em and kind of interested...

__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

debaser

I would look at a Taurus Tracker. They make great revolvers.

__________________

viejo gringo

I still shoot my 38 Colt Diamond Back with a 4 inch
barrel.I have added some 38+P hollow points, but they
must be shot only in newer guns because of the
pressure....they are about equal to a .357.

Moonduck

There are a number of .45ACP revolvers around. They arose out of need for sidearms in WWI when production of 1911's were too low. Colt had plenty of tooling available for revolvers that was not being used, and offered to do a revolver using existing cartridges and existing lines. It would increase production without requiring more materials for tooling. The War Dept agreed and Colt began to produce them (cannot recall their model designation, sorry).

The rounds, being rimless, would not work in a normal revolver cylinder, as the rim is what keeps the cartridge from moving forward. Thus a "moon clip" was devised that held the rounds in place. Each clip held three rounds and were utilized in pairs. A practiced user (with modern single piece moon clips) can load/reload a .45ACP revolver faster than just about any other handgun. It's a very efficient system when prepared properly.

Smith & Wesson got in on the act with the M-1917. Tons of these were made as well. They are VERY well made guns for war production items, and fairly desirable as collector pieces. In 1937, S&W received a major contract from Brazil to arm their military and national police force with the same design, thus producing the M-1937. Mechanically the same gun, though not quite to the standards of the M-1917. It is however much easier (and thus cheaper) to locate M-1937's that have been reimported. I know as I own one and love it. It's abused and looks rough, but is one of the best shooter's I've ever owned or fired. Awesome gun.

S&W updated the design with a more modern version of their classic triple lock in 1989 with the remarkably unsurprising name of M-1989. This is a fantastic piece if you can find them. They tend to be stainless and have bull barrels and are excellent weapons. I believe they recently made another run, as well as rereleasing the M-610, a 10mm Auto revolver on the same platform (and a hot gun that one).

There are other manufacturers that have made .45ACP wheelguns, and generally have done them well, but the best bang for the buck is the M-1937. I paid $200 for mine a few years back, tax included. I consider it a steal at that price.

Elegant Holmes

Just saw a .50 S+W. Is it more powerful than the .50 AE?

debaser

Considerably.

__________________

debaser

Actually the clips were used so that the extractor would still function on the gun, the leading edge of the brass will hold the round in the proper position in the cylinder.

__________________

Moonduck

Actually, no, not reliably at least. As most of the designs were intended for wartime conditions, the moon clips also provided needed headspace assistance. The .45 Auto Rim cartridge corrected this issue by belting the case, but it ultimately failed due to poor commercial sales of the type of revolver.

I should have said "would not work well". As I've said, I own one of these guns (S&W M-37) and it does NOT space reliably without the moon clips. Insofar as I am concerned, an unreliable gun is a non-working gun.

Moonduck

Comparing .500 S&W Magnum to .50AE is like comparing .44 Remington Magnum to a black powder .44 cal Navy Dragoon. All they share is a similar caliber. The rounds have radically different performance characteristics.

Elegant Holmes

I do own a Walker-Colt replica. It was the most powerful handgun untill... .357. Lots of fun to shoot. The sight is in the hammer.

Lebell

My one revolver is somewhat unusual.

It's a Ruger Blackhawk (not unusual) but chambered for the .30 carbine rifle round.

__________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

The ONLY sponsors we have are YOU!

Please Donate!

Moonduck

I've seen those before, Lebell. Not that I am suggesting it, but those particular Blackhawks were noted for the ability to handle handloads well in excess of SAAMI pressures. Sadly it is about the only way to really get any performance out of the round, but they are still fun to shoot, and very unique!

Oblivion437

It wouldn't have worked on most of my .45... Unless you can get the dip in the rear, you've got nothin' to hold onto... I don't know, the rounds looked weird for .45...