Moshe Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I have four pre-lock (the only kind I like), four 686's in (2 in four inches, 2 in six inches). Now, I am working on model 66. I can't get away from Smiths. They are like works of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverRidge01 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Got the urge for a revolver myself but smiths are so expensive, forgot the model I picked up at the gun shop, the tag on it was $1300 recently sold an armalite eagle 223 in real good condition with a lot of extras so I got some liquid cash in my pocket, saw some nice reports on a new model wheel gun put out by Taurus model 692 hunter model in .357 mag which gives ya .38 special, but the thing that got my interest it's convertible with a cylinder swap out into a 9mm makes it pretty versatile, yes I know everyone says Taurus is an inferior product but I've owned a few with flawless operation, got a PT1911 in .45 ACP which is one of my all time favorites, own a Judge .45/.410 and a Tracker in .22 never the slightest problem with any ..anyways I'm open to all suggestions this money is burning a hole in my pocket just like my kidney stones were ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borg warner Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 23 hours ago, SilverRidge01 said: Got the urge for a revolver myself but smiths are so expensive, forgot the model I picked up at the gun shop, the tag on it was $1300 recently sold an armalite eagle 223 in real good condition with a lot of extras so I got some liquid cash in my pocket, saw some nice reports on a new model wheel gun put out by Taurus model 692 hunter model in .357 mag which gives ya .38 special, but the thing that got my interest it's convertible with a cylinder swap out into a 9mm makes it pretty versatile, yes I know everyone says Taurus is an inferior product but I've owned a few with flawless operation, got a PT1911 in .45 ACP which is one of my all time favorites, own a Judge .45/.410 and a Tracker in .22 never the slightest problem with any ..anyways I'm open to all suggestions this money is burning a hole in my pocket just like my kidney stones were ....... A friend of mine had a 454 Casull Taurus that was a pretty nice gun and Taurus has made some interesting revolvers in unusual calibers like 30 carbine and 22 Hornet. They also made a very compact lightweight model 450 5 shot 45 colt revolver but most of these great guns have been discontinued. But the main advantage Smith and Wesson's have over any other revolver is the trigger. At least with a Ruger DA revolver the trigger can be improved but I don't know if there's much that can be done with the Taurus triggers. I had a 9 shot 22 LR Taurus and the DA trigger left a lot to be desired after years of shooting Smith and Wessons. S&W triggers right out of the box are excellent and on an older gun that's been fired a lot they are superb and with some gunsmithing they are better than a Colt python. Once you've fired a Smith and Wesson with the best trigger in the business, it tends to spoil you and everything else will seem vastly i8nferior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minervadoe Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 I do like my Rugers (Sp101, SP101-22, Redhawk .44 Mag, GP100 Match Champion .357, LCR .357). I own more Ruger Revolvers than I do S&Ws (686, Model 36). Cost is certainly a factor, but I do like the ruggedness of the Rugers. I think I shoot my Rugers as well as the S&Ws. I do like the double action pull of the Rugers more than the Smiths. With my 686, I can watch the front side move to the side as I go through the trigger pull. But with all of the Rugers I can keep the front sight perfectly still. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted May 26, 2019 Author Share Posted May 26, 2019 Ruger is built like a tank. I just wish for their longer barrels didn't have a shorter barrel coming out of it. It reminds me of my male dogs when they are excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverRidge01 Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 The bug done bit me, ordered this am from LGS Taurus 692 .357 mag, 38 spl+P and a convertible 9mm cylinder versatility personified, should get it in few days will give ya all a report ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted May 31, 2019 Author Share Posted May 31, 2019 (edited) The same, the massive storm gave me enough window to pick up my 66-1, waiting for the Packmayers to come in. Hopefully I have a screwdriver to get the wooden grips off. Because it is the 2.5 inch model, I am going to use .38 +p's. Pachmayer's on now. Edited June 23, 2019 by Moshe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collim1 Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 The 66 is a great gun. I’m a huge fan of the K frames. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticks Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 (edited) gone Edited November 8, 2019 by sticks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbolt Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I also started getting more interested in wheelguns as I neared retirement, and it didn't really abate after I retired. As much as I like S&W revolvers ... (being a former Colt and Ruger Sec-6 enthusiast, but being issued S&W's once I entered LE) ... I have to say that the S&W's of the 70's-90's could be a coin toss regarding whether they were assembled and fit properly, or even well. I saw more work required to make some of the "pre-lock" smith's of those years work right than I'd have ever expected to see needed done. Our S&W and Colt revolver armorer (we issued Pythons at one point in the 70's) was kept pretty busy repairing guns and putting them back in spec. Once I came back from my S&W revolver armorer class I started seeing some personally-owned Smith's brought in by our folks for some repair. Except for a new production NIB .22LR that came with a hand spring problem, the rest were all older 60's thru maybe early 80's smith's. Looking inside some of them made me wonder how they'd been allowed to leave the factory. Rough machining, to say the least. Some fitting parts either on the ragged edge of spec, or out-of-spec. When I called and asked the retired revolver armorer about some of the nasty older production I was seeing, he just chuckled and welcomed me to the wonderful world of seeing regular production work and variances. Of course, he was the guy who'd previously had to repair a couple of my own 90's production New and LNIB Smith's (pre-MIM/pre-lock) so they'd function, which came back to mind. Of course, as an armorer our folks wouldn't be bringing us the good/excellent examples to open up, would they? I guess the variance in the older parts makes sense when you realize that it used to require 7 different machining stations and steps to make an older revolver hammer, before fitting might be required to assemble a gun, while the MIM ones just pop out of the molds to spec. We were also told the old style frames used to require 75 machining steps during manufacture after forging, but the new style frames and manufacturing methods only require 3 machining steps (not counting the barrel). Much less hand-fitting required as the newer parts are being made to much tighter tolerances. One thing I rather liked was that the MIM hammer sears drop into a gun virtually 90% of the time without any fitting. The other 10% require minimal (easier) fitting. (One revolver tech at the factory said it was mostly like "buffing" a spot.) After having had to replace and fit a DA hammer sear in an older Smith revolver for the first time after the class, I really, really appreciated the better tolerances of the newer MIM hammers and hammer sears. All that said, I only own 1 S&W revolver that has the ILS (lock), and only 2 that have MIM. Of those, 3 of the old style required some correction to get running normally, and 1 of the MIM required dressing a couple burred spots inside, and I cut a new extractor to adjust the carry-up to be earlier (personal preference). Besides, it gave me an excuse to use the hand-cutting tool in the revolver armorer kit to practice cutting the ratchets of a new extractor. I did it twice on my own gun later on, because they only let us do it once in the armorer class. A well made revolver is fine thing to shoot. A well skilled revolver shooter can better learn to shoot damned any handgun well, too. Newer shooters who only learned their handgun foundation skillset on a plastic striker gun often have a much harder time learning to shoot a DA revolver. Especially one chambered in .357MAG or .44MAG. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moshe Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 I have had wheel guns before I was legally allowed to. At 18 my father gave me a Bible and a ,357 magnum. He thought a man should have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minervadoe Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 I got the revolver bug again. While my right hand recuperates from surgery, I'm learning to shoot left handed. So, due to my own personal type of logic, I got a Ruger Redhawk chambered in .357 Magnum so I won't develop any bad habits (like flinching) on my left. Also, the big heavy gun buffers recoil for my right hand. TOP: Ruger Redhawk chambered in .44 Magnum (six round capacity). BOTTOM: Ruger Redhawk chambered in .357 Magnum (eight round capacity). The .357 can utilize moon clips and ejects rounds with or without moon clips (clip pictured leaning near the trigger guard). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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