Good Guns?

[Zenman]

I've been looking for a while for something to replace the .38 Rossi snub I sold a while back. I think I've decided on a snub 357 6-shot of some sort. Rossi has one, I see, and I had no big problems with the one I had, so that's on my list of possibilities. I believe S&W has one also but with a 3 and half inch barrel??

I want something light enough that I can hike with in the desert without developing heavy bruises. I like the idea of a 357 because I can use the less expensive 38s in it for practice, and keep the big loads in it otherwise.

I think I want to stay away from semi-auto mainly because it makes me nervous carrying those things hot, and I'm just more revolver-familiar anyway. (I can speed load in just under a nano-second, lol.)

I think the main consideration is probably lightness as opposed to size, and cost is a factor, but I don't want junk. A .40 cal was suggested, but I don't see ammo for that everywhere, but I always see .38 and .357.

I do have a .22 Jennings semi-auto that is great for desert carry (I know, I know.... except when I might have to use it against something larger than an aggressive iguana), but I want to get something more practical soon before handguns are completely outlawed here in Socal. I figure I probably have till about next year, but I'm not gonna count on it.

Input, por favour?

[penguins4me]

I'm not sure what you mean by a "lightweight" .357mag, but do check out Ruger's offerings, specifically the GP100 and the SP101. If you've never fired a "lightweight" .357mag, do yourself a favor and do so with a rental before you plunk down cash, just in case you discover, like many others, that such pistols can be downright painful to shoot.

There are many other fine revolver makers, but Ruger makes reliable, durable ones without a crappy failure-prone politically-correct internal lock.

[Zenman]

Yes. Ruger was recommended to me. Good.

I was thinking that since I'll be practicing with 38s rather than 357, my hand will survive better. Also, I've heard that they have revolutionary grip inserts now that make all the difference. I was told this by someone who sells them tho.

[penguins4me]

Revolver grips are easily replaceable, so it shouldn't be a critical factor in your decision to purchase a revolver. I do prefer Rugers, but I'd hardly call their stock grips "revolutionary". "Nice", maybe. "Fine", most likely. Still, if you can manage it, shoot one for yourself before you buy one, so you'll know what you're getting. If you have funds to spare, you may even wish to try out an autoloader...

As for practice, using .38 Special is fine (and the recoil is pleasant), but if you plan to carry .357mag around for potential emergencies, you definitely must practice with .357mag, as well. ammoman.com has decent prices on both .38 Special and .357mag, and you'll note that costs are about the same for either.

If you're concerned about harsh recoil, and understandably so, you may want to find yourself a pair of thin, snug-fitting leather gloves. Gloves will help prevent blisters or other issues with the skin on your hand taking a beating, and if they're the right size (thin, snug), you won't have any problem operating the pistol while wearing them.

[Zenman]

ammoman.com has decent prices on both .38 Special and .357mag, and you'll note that costs are about the same for either.

Cool. Thanks. The 357s around here are usually at least a few more bucks per box than the 38s.

Recoil didn't seem to be an issue at all with me with the snub 38, so I don't think the gloves would be needed. I'd also be worried about being able to get them on quickly enough in a critical situation.

If you are going to be shooting a lot of .38s, remember that you will need to inspect and probably clean the chambers before going back to .357 - a ring of residue usually forms just past the case mouth of the .38s, inside the chamber.

Hmm.. Good tip, and something to consider. And a good idea about firing a few 357 practice rounds from time to time.

For reloading, we teach students to use Bianchi speed strips instead of dedicated speed loaders.

How come? Just curious--I've only used the strips and haven't tried loader.

[41mag]

How come? Just curious--I've only used the strips and haven't tried loader.

I'm not sure either, but at a guess I'd say that the strips can be used with any 38 or 357.  The speed loaders will only work with one (or maybe a few models) of a revolver.  A speed strip will lay flat and may be easier to conceal where a loader will be about the same diameter as the cylinder.  I've never carried a strip but I wonder if anyone has had a problem with the rounds falling out of the strips when they are carried for any length of time.

I carry a .41, so speed strips are not an option for me. 

[Zenman]

How come? Just curious--I've only used the strips and haven't tried loader.

I'm not sure either, but at a guess I'd say that the strips can be used with any 38 or 357.  The speed loaders will only work with one (or maybe a few models) of a revolver.  A speed strip will lay flat and may be easier to conceal where a loader will be about the same diameter as the cylinder.  I've never carried a strip but I wonder if anyone has had a problem with the rounds falling out of the strips when they are carried for any length of time.

You're right, all of those are some of the reasons for using speed strips, but the main reason is that most people do not practice enough with speed loaders to be able to properly use them when needed.  When we put students under just a bit of stress (speeding up the pace of the drills, using smaller targets, etc.), they often have trouble manipulating the loaders, sometimes fumbling and dropping them while still loaded.  Speed strips, on the other hand, require less fine motor control to use properly.

And no, we don't often see the rounds falling out when carried over a period of time.  Once in a great while someone will carry a loaded strip in a pocket for a long while and, depending on how it sits in the pocket and what they do in the course of their day, sometimes one round might get pulled out, but the speed strip is still useful with the remaining rounds.

Thanks. Speed strips are cheap too. 

Should I even bother looking at the new plastic or composite guns? I think I've been talked out of them already, but I do like the idea that they're very light. I imagine tho that you have to have a certain amount of weight just to keep the thing from wanting to fly out of your hand. (At least if it's plastic, I guess it won't hurt quite so bad when it recoils and hits you right on the bridge of the nose.)

[grasshopper]

   I bought this one at Jr.s Gunsmithing.  It cost $300.00 new and his buddy Georgie and Paul hotrodded it for him.  He carried it for 3 years and sold it to me last year.  It was hardly shot and has all sorts of stuff done to it.  It was built for combat by 2 guys that know it well, both are still teaching kiddies in the Army at Concord New Hampshire how to use these things to protect themselves.  This gun is a "Race Gun" with a stronger recoil spring and with most of the fire control stuff replaced and hot roded.  I got it for $450.00.....   my point?  The deals are out there you have to shop around.

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[penguins4me]

Wow, you've really got it backwards.  With polymer-framed guns, you generally get more felt recoil,  because there is less mass to soak up the recoil before it is transmitted to your hands/arms. 

You're completely correct when it comes to physics (which should be all that matters). That said, however, I was shocked to discover that shooting an all-steel-frame 9mm Baby Eagle caused more fatigue (bruised feeling in wrist/hand) after several hundred rounds than compared to a standard Glock 17 in 9mm. I.e., the lighter pistol was more comfortable to shoot! I can't explain it, because it doesn't make sense - if possible, try before you buy! :)

[LiveFree]

Maybe it was an ergonomic issue.  Maybe your wrists were just having a bad day when you shot the baby eagle.  Either way, I hope you found something that worked well for ya.  I'm in love with my Glock.

[Zenman]

Hmm.. I'm a bit confused now. It was explained to me by the gun-shop guy that the polymer/composite guns were lighter and therefore kicked more. So, especially since I was looking for a snubby, I probably wanted to stay away from them as a favor to my hand.

[Bald Eagle]

Remember that when making comparisons, all other things must be equal.

Every gun has a different barrel lockup mechanism, barrel length, bore diameter, coefficient of friction between the parts or the bullet and the rifling, weight, grip angle, etc.

All these things can effect the perceived recoil, the absolute recoil, and what I call the character of the recoil.  Recoil may be short and sharp, or spread out over a period of time, or vary over different angles instead of coming straight back.

Julian Hatcher wrote about how semiauto rifles actually had MORE recoil energy than bolt actions, and so you have to be careful about what sounds good, and what is actual fact.

There are plenty of alloy-framed 1911's out there, there is a company that makes alloy, steel, and titanium Glock frames, there are the Kahr pistols, etc.

It all depends on what you're comfortable with.  I can pick out a gun that _I_ like, but that really doesn't help you make your own decision.

[Zenman]

Thanks. The titanium guns I've seen advertised have been a bit beyond my budget, but the aluminum alloy sounds interesting and I will check into that.

[Zenman]

I've been given some tips for inspecting a prospective handgun purchase:

1. make sure there's not much play when you twiddle the locked cylinder,
2. hold it up to the light and make sure there's not much space between the cylinder and pin,
3. flip the cylinder open and inspect the inside of the barrel to see if it's clean; put thumbnail or a white piece of paper behind it to see it better,
4. dry-fire it to make sure it's a nice, solid click,
5. inspect it thoroughly for corrosion.

Comments or more tips? tia

[penguins4me]

I've been given some tips for inspecting a prospective handgun purchase:

I'm not a revolver expert, but some revolver snobs I respect point people to the Jim March revolver checkout list. Seems worth passing along.