Most versatile revolver

A

AL45

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From shooting cans on a Sunday afternoon to protection against 2 legged bad guys to protection against 4 legged meat eaters, I would think a Ruger Alaskan .454 Casull would be one of the most versatile revolvers. You could load it with light .45 Colt loads all the way to full house .454 Casull loads and it presents itself in a relatively compact package. What are your ideas?
 
I went with the GP-100 in .357 Magnum because of the ammo choices and the varrious uses that I could put it to. so far I am not disappointed.
 
As far as versatility I would agree with you and say something chambered in .454. But unless you reload, or have a ton of disposable income, it probably would not be worth it. Pretty much anything you can do with a .454 you could also do with a .44 magnum.

and it presents itself in a relatively compact package.
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The .454 is certainly not compact. Correct me if I am wrong but S&W builds them on their X frames.

Also .327 Magnums are pretty versatile in that they can chamber the .327, .32 magnum, and .32 long.
 
If shooting tin cans on Sunday afternoon is one of the uses, I'd have to say something in .357 magnum. Unless, as Dragline45 stated, you don't mind spending some extra dough on ammo.
 
I have to vote for the Ruger Single Six! It shoots EVERYTHING in .22 and can double as a self defense weapon with the Mag Cylinder.
Not the optimum for manstopping but pretty good!
Still priced reasonably and many on the used market.
BPDave
 
Medusa Model 47. It'll fire anything between .380 auto and .357 magnum. That's at least 25 different calibers, even if most are obscure and obsolete.

Its designer used to post on this forum, iirc.
 
If you like to plink cans with a 454, you're out of my league.

Since we're fresh out of T-Rexs and giant bears around here, I'll just stick with a 357 and shoot 38 wadcutters out of it most of the time.
 
I'm liking my Dan Wesson SuperMag in .357 Maximum. The max loads are largely a handloading proposition but you can get close to 35 Remington ballistics. Also you can shoot std 357 mag, 38 spl, heck even 38 Long Colt if thats what you got.
 
For a handloader, a .460 would probably be as versatile as could be, from full power .460 to .454 to .45LC in cowboy load form.

Heck, even for non-handloaders, that would be true.

The Medusa is also a good candidate for most versatile. I'm not sure how durable its extraction claws are, though.
 
It has to be the .357mag revolver with a 4" barrel. The ammunition is plentiful and reasonably priced (got to be able to afford to practice every once in a while!) and if loaded with 38spl then most anyone can handle the recoil. The .357 round will stop most anything coming at you.
Another thing to consider is the extra ammo capacity available in modern revolvers with 7 or even 8 shot revolvers out there for you to purchase. I have a Smith and Wesson 686+, I like having the extra round just in case. If I load it with a good JHP hollow point, it is what I consider the ultimate house gun. It can be handled my 5'2" 120 lb wife as well as me and being a revolver you have to appreciate the simplicity of operation. Hand cannons are great but when you consider the cost, availability and massive recoil they just are not for the vast majority of shooters.
 
From shooting cans on a Sunday afternoon to protection against 2 legged bad guys to protection against 4 legged meat eaters, I would think a Ruger Alaskan .454 Casull would be one of the most versatile revolvers. You could load it with light .45 Colt loads all the way to full house .454 Casull loads and it presents itself in a relatively compact package. What are your ideas?
Click to expand...

I would disagree. I really don't see the advantage to a light 45 Colt load unless its for cowboy action shooting. Even a light 45 is going to be pretty hefty for small game.


I would make a case for a 4'' 357 magnum revolver.

- Very light 38's are adequate for small game such as rabbits
- Will also take standard or plus p 38's for those that are recoil shy.
- Proven manstopper for self defense
- Adequate for woods protection from all but the largest bears.
- Adequate hunting round for medium sized game.
- Great for targets at the range
- With a proper holster it can also be CC without too much trouble

I used the word "adequate" alot but that's about all you will get from a firearm that's expected to do it all. A K frame Smith and Wesson such as a 66 or 19 or one of the Ruger Six series would be a fine choice for a do it all handgun.
 
Model 19 S&W, preferably pinned and recessed, 4" barrel. The availability of .38 special brass and 148 grain wadcutters almost makes a .22 rimfire for plinking redundant. Full house .357 loads will handle everything except the big bears. My mid-range (hotter than .38 sp +p, but lighter than full house .357) loads are more than adequate for self defense. Much smaller, handier, easier to carry package. Ammo less bulky. Unsurpassed quality in a production revolver. There are reasons the Combat Magnum is one of the most popular revolvers ever produced. Versatility is one of those reasons.
 
Don't know if there is just one.... I like my .22LR for plinking and lots of practice shooting and for small varmints. My .22s such as the Single Six gets shoot the most. I like my .45 Colt for most everything else from mild to wild as I reload. The peanut .357/.38 fit in there somewhere too but can't think of exactly where. Of course the preferred platform is a Single Action for all the calibers. So ... must say ... I can't pin down the 'most' versatile revolver other than for me it is the simple SA in at least 5 1/2" barrel length.... Each caliber has a use which overlaps some of the others.
 
I'll kind echo the others here, if you don't yet have a revolver, a 357 is probably the way to go. Ammo is much cheaper, full house 357 loads are still fun to shoot, and you can shoot 38s forever without any problems. Not so much with the 454. I have a Super Redhawk in 454(not Alaskan though) and with full power loads, it's fun to shoot, for about 3 or 4 shots, then it's work and it's painful. The recoil of a 44 mag is pretty tame compared to the 454. But yes you can shoot 45 Colts out of it, and those are fun plinkers.

I also have a BFR in 460, and that's another step beyond the 454. Lots of fun, and due to the mass of the revolver, it is actually less painfull than the Redhawk. It pushes you harder, but it doesn't have the quick snap of the Redhawk.

So if you already have a 357, and you really want that Redhawk, I say go for it. Especially if you reload. It really is a great round, but it's not for everyone.
 
All responses are good ones. My most versatile revolver would be my Ruger Black hawk 357/9mm. Three ammo choices. Plus the large frame Black hawk can have any full power load.
Howard
 
I'd say a .357 in either a 3" or 4" barrel. Potent enough for most anything I would be likely to encounter; common and affordable ammo; easy to carry.

Given the guns I actually own, I'd stick with my 625MG in 45LC cut to accept Acps. Gives me some variety of potentially hot loads and more common ammo.
One of these days I'll get around to actually buying one of those .357's.
 
A good .44 mag can also eat .44 Special and Russian ammo. It will do anything I will need with currently available ammo. As I handload, the .41 mag can fill the bill.
 
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