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Thread: Wheelers, Rollers--how I love 'em!

  1. #1
    Moderator Deputy Al's Avatar
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    Default Wheelers, Rollers--how I love 'em!

    I am a true admirer of revolvers, and despite nearly 20 years of use of autopistols as service sidearms I still consider the revolver to be my "default setting" when it comes to an all-purpose shooting tool for short range hunting and close-quarters defense against predators--2 or 4 legged.

    I have a pretty wide range of both autopistol and revolver calibers to choose from in the safe--22 LR through 45 Colt, with many stops in between those extremes. This occurred due to a pretty lively hobby interest in this field, and after 30-some years of shooting sidearms of all kinds--22 of these years as a police rangemaster--I have developed some opinions about what works and what doesn't--and there's lots more of the former than the latter.

    One of those questions that makes its way to boards like this is "If you could only choose/own one handgun, what caliber and platform would it be?" I will immediately divide my response--two answers--by asking a question.....does the gun owner reload, or not?

    If the shooter is also a reloader, my recommendation would be the 44 Magnum in a 4"-5" double action platform. The 44 Magnum in full-house loadings is a bit much for a lot of handgunners, but with load intensity control being exercised at the loading bench the rigors of adapting one's skills to the big bore revolver can be mollified greatly. The caliber has a wide range of bullet types available, lends itself readily to a wide range of powders, and is intrinsically VERY accurate. The caliber does fine work in the hunting fields, and is adaptable to defensive work through either 44 Special load usage or down-loaded Magnums.

    If our shooter is not a reloader, I shift my thoughts to the 357 Magnum in 4"-5" barrelled double action flavor. This caliber has by far the widest availability of load types of any handgun caliber--from wadcutter target rounds to high-end hunting loads. A lot more folks can handle full-house 357 loads than they can the 44 caliber offerings of that intensity, and with judicious shot selection large game can be taken with this caliber.

    As far as I'm concerned, the 357 Magnum has no peer as felon repellant--after adoption of the autopistol in 1987 in 9mm and 45 ACP, a few years later we brought on the 40 S&W and 357 Magnum. Since that time, I have always had a 4" 357 "on paper" along with my 45's. If I had to limit myself to one caliber for self-defense, it would be the 357 without a second thought. The effectiveness of the caliber out-weighs the tactical advantages offered by the autopistol platform, in my view. Had my agency offered the 357 option at the same time they expanded options to the autopistol, I would likely have changed only ammunition rather than platform type. I like it that much.
    Last edited by Deputy Al; 04-12-2005 at 03:00 PM. Reason: misspellings
    Si vis pacem, para bellum gerere--et Fortuna favorat fortis.

  2. #2
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    Deputy Al,
    I can’t argue with anything you said. When I was a young man someone let me shoot a pencil barreled S&W M-10. I’ve liked revolvers in general and S&W’s in particular ever since.

    Come to think of it, I shot my first cast boolit in a revolver. There have been many more since….

  3. #3
    GunLoad Trainee vmt_hntr's Avatar
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    Smile I'm with you here....

    Deputy Al: Can't argue with you on any thoughts here. You and I may be old school, but when it comes to that admitted question of one gun, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head with your comments..and I agree 100%. The revolver platform covers a lot of areas for sure, and the 2 calibers mentioned are definitely at the top of the list for shootability and utility. My carry gun and general utility short gun is a S&W 586 4", which has digested a tremendous amount of all kinds of loads...including my own cast boolits. Too bad most gun companies didn't go one step further and make the 45 Colt available in as many variations, is my only caveat. And there are no secrets to reloading all the above as well.
    Bob
    When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
    Life Member NRA
    VHA #26779
    NRA Certified Metallic and shotshell Reloading Instr.
    NRA and 4-H Beginning Shotgun Instr.

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    Thumbs up hooray for six shooters

    I have a pair of Rugers in stainless, a Super Blackhawk 5.5 and a 6.5 inch Super Single Six and I can not think of a more perfectly matched pair of guns anywhere.

    For hunting or just pinking at the range, something about the feel of a six-gun feels so right. Load, shoot, pull out the empty cases and reload, there is a rhythm to the things that dropping/reloading a magazine can not touch.

    There are more expensive guns and more historic guns, but I doubt there are better made or more reliable guns to be had anywhere.

    And though I am very fond of my G30 for daily cc, I would rather be able to carry that big ol' .44 as my every day gun...in a perfect world .

    Cheers,
    Eli

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    Super Moderator Buckshot's Avatar
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    ..............I admit to never having had much use for a pistol. I bought a Ruger BH 357 with a 4-5/8" bbl to carry when we went riding. Never did any intelligent cast bullet reloading, just threw together so book stuff and was rewarded with indifferent accuracy. Plus I never paid attention to any shooting technique.

    Over the years in addition to that Ruger, my grandfather gave me a another BH in 30 M1, then I aquired a Ruger MkII 678 target 22RF, Witness 38 Super, Vaquero in polished stainless 7.5" bbl 45 Colt, a K38 Smith and most recently a Victory model Smith in 38 S&W.

    What opened my eyes to pistol shooting (personally) was the K38. Certainly over the years many friends had pistols that were capable of some pretty astounding shooting. I was disassociated from that as it was them and not me. My main forte' had always been rifles, and pistols were things of limited utility.

    So anyway I for some reason get the urge for a nice centerfire target pistol and the word was to get a K38. As it happened I ended up buying one, a M14-4 from a good friend a week before he passed away very suddenly. So I throw some stuff together and get stuff like this:



    Maybe this peestol shooting thing ain't so shabby a deal after all? One thing about a very accurate pistol is that it will reward your efforts to assemble good ammo and good shooting practices. Previos shooting with the semi auto Witness in 38 Super had shown it to be a very accurate pistol also. Yet chasing around empty brass was a PITA.

    More recently the Victory model Smith has provided some nicely accurate shooting too. All that took was modifying the alloy to fit the pressures of the loads. Going to pure lead boolits made the thing sit up and bark. That was satisfying after several hundred rounds of wasted components with too hard bullets and too light loads.

    ...................Buckshot
    Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

    Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deputy Al
    If the shooter is also a reloader, my recommendation would be the 44 Magnum in a 4"-5" double action platform.

    If I had to limit myself to one caliber for self-defense, it would be the 357 without a second thought.
    Al,

    From these two sorta conflicting statements, I see that you have a disease called nondecisionitis.

    My perscription is that you NOT limit yourself to one gun. Bite your tongue and bury the idea. And in fact, I encourage you to expand your horizons to avoid potential heath hazzards involved with the stress stemming from tough decisions. Buy more. If you have them all over the place, then carring one is not a problem.

    I have a 7 1/2" Redhawk in the delivery system. If it specs out properly, I will shoot it. Passing those two tests, the barrel get's bopped, re-threaded, forcing cone re-cut, recrowned, cylinder faced, and reheadspaced to .003 for a nice 4 1/2" look.

    Can't figure why Ruger won't at least try and compete with S&W. But I want a tougher toy to play with.

  7. #7
    Moderator Deputy Al's Avatar
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    Bass--

    Oh, I have a few handguns to choose from--no problem with the recommended prescription! The only "side effect" is the response from She Who Must Be Obeyed when a new toy lands--she has taken to appropriating them once in a while. She fell in love with a Colt Officer's Model Target I found a few years ago, and I haven't seen it much since then. Now she wants a damn Glock for some perverse reason......that's just revolver money getting wasted on a dishwasher-safe bottom-feeding stuttergun. Call me a throwback.
    Si vis pacem, para bellum gerere--et Fortuna favorat fortis.

  8. #8
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    Bass, I bought a 5 1/2" Redhawk used last year with the intention of doing the same thing. I could see tool marks on the edge of the barrel throat ramp. It turned out to be the most accurate handgun that I own so I have left it as is. I hope yours does the same. Gianni.
    Front sight and squeeze

  9. #9
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    Talking

    I think wheelers are alright too!
    S Wheeler

  10. #10

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    Wheel guns rule as far as I'm concerned...see my family...all are aged veterans since WW-1 to WW-2 on the Brazilian.

    Jim

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