I am interested in a revolver and have some questions (first time buyer)

S

s1mp13m4n

Inactive
Hello everyone. I am interested in buying a handgun for both personal and home defense. I have already done a semi-auto post and I have learned a lot from that. If I buy a semi-auto....I already know what I will get. Now on to the revolver. In getting a revolver I am interested in IWB carry or OWB carry but not pocket carry.....such as in jeans. I am trying to understand what is genuine fact and what is just numbers and info that can not be proven. With the semi-auto I have decided to go with the 9mm round. That being said in a carry revolver you have many more choices from .38, .357.44 special, etc. The purpose of this revolver is to use it within the 7 yard self defense distance. I am not like Kickok45 trying to make a S&W 642 shoot 80 yards. LOL :) I am trying to get past the hype and get down to what really matters. On paper it would seem that the 9mm round is both cheaper and has more punch than the .38 special. It looks good on paper, but in the real world does it really matter? In a semi-auto I would be buying the gun new and under $400 out the door. I want to do the same with a revolver.
I realize that you have the "you get what you pay for" croud. I also realize that most people when buying a revolver will tell you to get a Smith. However, in the under $400 range new you are looking at guns such as the 638 and 642. If you look at a Charter Arms, Taurus, Rossi, etc you can get 38, 357, and 44 special in that price range. What I want to know is this....in a revolver with a barrel length of 1.875-3 inches....is there any real world benefit to a .357 or .44 special over the .38 round? I am looking at small revolvers in the 1.875-3 inch barrel range. Some are five shot and some are six shot. I would like your thoughts.I realize that Charter Arms gets put down based on their past from the 70s-80s. My understanding is that those days are gone now that the company is under proper management. Sure no revolver has the fit and finish nor is a nice to look at as a Smith. However, I am not interested in a pretty gun. I want a gun that shoots well and is reliable. Function over looks and name brand. :) Thanks again for the help.
 
You could always get a revolver in 9mm and only be concerned with one cartridge for both guns. IIRC, Ruger and Charter make 9mm revolvers.

With your short barrel and magnum rounds, the flash and bang will be very disconcerting.
 
I do not own a gun yet. My purchase will either be a revolver or a 9mm semi-auto. Yes the muzzle flash and recoil are issues that I am wondering about with the .357. The issue that I see with a 9mm revolver is the use of moon clips. In a shooting gun at the range I do not see that as an issue. In a carry gun it could be an issue....speedloading for example.
 
As with semis, there are trade offs in the revolver world. A small, lightweight revolver like a 642 or LCR is going to be a little harder to shoot well than a larger, heavier revolver like a model 10.

My personal preference when carrying a revolver is towards the light weight side of things and I like the .38 Special cartridge. My carry revolvers are the S&W 642 and the S&W 342. There are a lot of options for grips so you can tailor them to your hand and method of carry. I carry the revolver AIWB and use Altamont Batelour grips that have been modified to work with Safariland speed loaders. I shoot Speer Got Dot 135 grain +P for short barrel revolvers in the 342 and Hornady 110 grain Critical Defense in the 642 and in the speed loader. The reason I choose these loads is they shoot to point of aim in those different revolvers.

I like the 44 Special round but if I'm gonna carry a heavier gun than a 642, I'll go with a semi-auto in 9mm.
 
Realistically, the S&W 642 is loved by a lot of people. What I want to know is why. What makes the S&W 642 better than the other brands? I read that a S&W will generally out of the box have a better feeling and smoother trigger pull than some similar revolvers. Just as with a semi-auto....do the same rule apply? For example....it is not that a Charter Arms or Taurus revolver is pure junk.....but rather the idea of a S&W having better quality control thus when you buy a S&W it will be perfect out of the box? Is it true that you may or may not get a perfect Charter Arms or Taurus out of the box.....thus playing russian roulette with your purchase while saving $50 up front? I have no plans to work on the gun, modify it, etc. I just want it to work and work well. Sure I might replace a grip but have no plans on having to file this....de-burr that.....or have a trigger job done. I simply want a good quality revolver at a great price.
 
s1mp13m4n said:
The issue that I see with a 9mm revolver is the use of moon clips. In a shooting gun at the range I do not see that as an issue. In a carry gun it could be an issue....speedloading for example.
Click to expand...

I own two 9mm revolvers, a Taurus 905(moon clip), and a Charter Arms 9mm Pitbull(no moon clip). You wont find a faster reload than a moon clip revolver. In fact, many speed shooters convert standard revolvers for moon clips, because the reloads are much faster than using a speedloader.

If you simply don't like the use of moon clips(I assume you don't have any experience with them) then the Charter Arms 9mm Pitbull doesn't use moon clips. It uses a spring loaded "tab" in each cut out in the ejector star that engages the "rim" Its a well engineered solution.

I don't carry either of these revolvers, but if I did, I would carry the Taurus, simply because its so fast to reload.

9mm makes an excellent revolver round. Ammo is cheap, plentiful, and 9mm is proven to be an excellent defense cartridge. It has better performance than 38 Special, and is much cheaper. In my area, 9mm is $8-$12/50 rounds. 38 Special is $16/50 rounds. 357 is $22-$35/50 rounds, and 44 Special is $40-$50/50 rounds.
 
Hello everyone. I am interested in buying a handgun for both personal and home defense. I have already done a semi-auto post and I have learned a lot from that. If I buy a semi-auto....I already know what I will get. Now on to the revolver. In getting a revolver I am interested in IWB carry or OWB carry but not pocket carry.....such as in jeans.
Click to expand...

Rethink this.

Jeans are probably too tight, but pocket carry can be a good option.


I am trying to understand what is genuine fact
Click to expand...

And you're asking someone on the Internet? <boggle>


and what is just numbers and info that can not be proven. With the semi-auto I have decided to go with the 9mm round. That being said in a carry revolver you have many more choices from .38, .357.44 special, etc. The purpose of this revolver is to use it within the 7 yard self defense distance.
Click to expand...

Well defined purpose. Good.

I am not like Kickok45 trying to make a S&W 642 shoot 80 yards. LOL I am trying to get past the hype and get down to what really matters. On paper it would seem that the 9mm round is both cheaper and has more punch than the .38 special. It looks good on paper, but in the real world does it really matter?
Click to expand...

Probably not.

In a semi-auto I would be buying the gun new and under $400 out the door. I want to do the same with a revolver.
Click to expand...

S&W 642 or 442. Under $400.

I realize that you have the "you get what you pay for" croud. I also realize that most people when buying a revolver will tell you to get a Smith.
Click to expand...

Get a S&W.

However, in the under $400 range new you are looking at guns such as the 638 and 642. If you look at a Charter Arms, Taurus, Rossi, etc you can get 38, 357, and 44 special in that price range.
Click to expand...

I had a Charter Arms. It broke too many times. I replaced it with a S&W 642.

I have a steel Taurus 605, .357 Magnum snubby. Good gun. But, I haven't shot more than ten rounds of .357 through it. It hurts! And their are smaller and lighter .357s.

What I want to know is this....in a revolver with a barrel length of 1.875-3 inches....is there any real world benefit to a .357 or .44 special over the .38 round?
Click to expand...

Maybe. That said, When I carry a snub, it's usually a 5 shot .38.

I am looking at small revolvers in the 1.875-3 inch barrel range. Some are five shot and some are six shot. I would like your thoughts.I realize that Charter Arms gets put down based on their past from the 70s-80s. My understanding is that those days are gone now that the company is under proper management.
Click to expand...

Charter's customer support is quite good.

Sure no revolver has the fit and finish nor is a nice to look at as a Smith. However, I am not interested in a pretty gun. I want a gun that shoots well and is reliable. Function over looks and name brand. Thanks again for the help.
Click to expand...

If I wasn't pocket carrying, I would be looking at a Ruger SP101, with 3" barrel. It's big enough that .357 may be practical, and the longer barrel will make shooting it well easier.

That said, shooting a revolver well will take work and practice. Especially a smaller one.
 
Thanks again for the help. I have been looking at some Hickok45 videos on revolvers. I see what the moon clip is and it makes sense. If you had the Charter Arms 9mm revolver....I see how it uses the spring clips to "lock" the round in place......could you still load it with a speed strip followed by pressing the round in so it locks?.....is that overkill or necessary?
 
lee n. field said:
I had a Charter Arms. It broke too many times.
Click to expand...

That is definitely a rare occurrence. I have 5 Charters, and none have had functional issues. They all work perfectly, and are very accurate.
 
...the Charter Arms 9mm revolver....I see how it uses the spring clips to "lock" the round in place......could you still load it with a speed strip followed by pressing the round in so it locks?.....is that overkill or necessary?
Click to expand...

Its necessary. The 9mm round is "rimless". Revolvers use rimmed cartridges so the ejector star has something to engage when ejecting them. Since the 9mm is rimless, moon clips, or a system like the Charter uses, is needed to eject the spent brass. That's the only reason moon clips are used... for extraction. A revolver that uses moon clips can be fired without moon clips, you just wont be able to easily eject the brass all at once.

Loading the Charter with a speed strip works well. My Charter is a 6 shot, and I can load 2 at a time, press them in, load 2 more, press, 2 more press, done. Its pretty quick, but does take a little practice. Its definitely better than one loose round at a time.
 
I have another question. For those who said that their Charter Arms revolvers have worked fine, what are you doing and using them for....how much are they shot? I also ask the same for those saying that they have had problems with them. How often are they fired? How much are they being shot? Are you using hot rounds in it? I am asking so I can learn. Part of what I am being told is a main reason why I will buy a new model of whatever I buy. You see it alot of Facetube and such where people claim a gun has shot oh say 75 rounds....yet does not work right. LOL That makes me think the gun has seen a lot more than just a few rounds. :) What ever I buy will never see military combat and it will never see 1000 rounds a month shot through it. :)
 
I've had Rossi 2" 357's for over 10 years and never had any problems. It will handle any 38 special +P ammo easily and as to 357 loads, for me, it depends on the grips you get for it. On mine I can shoot full bore 357 loads but I prefer 110 or 125 grain 357 mags.
It is 100% accurate, the DA is a bit stiff and the SA is absolutely dynamite. At 7 yards, with practice, you should hit the X withing a 1-1.5" range.

I regularly shoot up to 25 yards with it and while I'm not Dead Eye Dick, I'm pretty accurate with the Rossi that I trust my life with it.(this is the most important aspect of this whole thing). As to rounds fired out of present Rossi, over 1200 year to date.

Buds sells the SS model for $307 and the Blued model is around $278.

I also have a Ruger LCR 357 1.87 " for my wife but she only fires 38 loads out of it.

My GP100 goes toe to toe with S&W any day of the Week IMHO.

Doc
 
Last edited:
lee n. field said:
3 broken transfer bars, each at the same location.
Click to expand...

Again... a rare occurrence. I understand you had problems, and anytime someone asks about Charter, you tell your story, but its not a common problem with Charter. I just searched Google, and I can find 2 reports of broken transfer bars, plus yours, makes 3. If Charter was shipping guns that broke transfer bars as often as yours, the forums would be full of complaints, but to be honest, yours is one of the few I have seen.
 
s1mp13m4n said:
I have another question. For those who said that their Charter Arms revolvers have worked fine, what are you doing and using them for....how much are they shot?
Click to expand...

My Charters were bought simply to see what kind of product Charter Arms produces. I bought my 9mm Pitbull because I was intrigued with the idea of a 9mm revolver. My Pathfinder Combo was bought with small game hunting in mind. My Police Undercover is my wifes' sock drawer gun. My 44 Bulldog was bought because I was curious about 44 Special in such a small package. My 2" Pathfinder was bought on a whim...

Charter Arms 9mm Pitbull, 400 rounds, aluminum and steel are sticky to eject, brass ejects fine. No failures except noted extraction

Charter Arms 44 Bulldog, 180 rounds, no issues

Charter Arms 38 Police Undercover, 500 + rounds, 1 Fail to fire, Hornady Critical Defense. Same round would not fire in Ruger GP100. No other issues

Charter Arms 2" 22 LR Pathfinder. Thousands of rounds, no issues

Charter Arms 4" 22LR/22WMR Pathfinder Combo, Maybe 200 rounds LR, 65 rounds WMR, no issues.

All my Charters have been manufactured since 2011. 2 have gone back for warranty work. My 2" Pathfinder shot very low. It was returned back within 3 weeks, front sight shaved down, test target included in the return, shoots to point of aim now.

My 4" Pathfinder was shipped with a very obvious off center barrel bore. Returned back within 3 weeks, new barrel, but a couple marks on the frame from tools.

Charter revolvers are not beautiful. The newer ones all have a matte finish. They may have some tool and machine marks when new. The fixed sight models usually have a tall front sight, causing them to be shot low. They are working guns, the kind you can depend on, but your heart wont skip a beat if you drop them. The things that matter most, like mechanical quality, is very well done. They are not museum quality guns. They are not competition guns. They are a useful self defense tool, and I enjoy owning mine. They are accurate, and dependable, but there are people who view them as crude, because of their appearance.
 
The chances of needing a reload are tiny. I believe there are ZERO documented self defense instances involving a citizen in which a reload would have affected the outcome.

So carry whatever you want. If I was carrying on the belt I would consider a steel frame and possibly a 3" barrel. Just so much nicer to practice with and generally easier to shoot well. But if you are only concerned with distances of 7 yards or so, it's okay to carry an alloy framed revolver; it's easy to develop useful accuracy at that distance with a little practice.
 
I love the idea of a 3 inch revolver. That is what I really want. However....unless I do a lot more saving....I do not know of any brands that sell a 3inch revolver that is not $500 or more. I have Charter Arms, Taurus, Rossi money. LOL :)
 
Find a good used S&W Model 10 revolver. The .38 special can handle all types of situations with the proper ammo. You'll have a well-made, reliable revolver that will last long enough to be passed down to your grandchildren (if they haven't taken away all the guns by then!)
 
I do not know of any brands that sell a 3inch revolver that is not $500 or more. I have Charter Arms, Taurus, Rossi money. LOL
Click to expand...

Taurus does. I've seen 3" model 85s (their standard .38 snub), and I'm assuming the 3" 605 (.357) is still in their catalog.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top