Simplified Revolver Check Out...

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defjon

New member
Okay, there is a woman that is interested in buying a used wheel gun, but she doesn't really know the terminology of stuff-eg, forcing cone, firing pin, etc.

She knows things like "the hammer", "cylinder", "barrel", etc. Very generic terms...

Is there a sort of simplified revolver check out she could use, in lamens terms? It might not be as thorough, but at least it could help her to avoid buying a lemen! Like I said, she knows where the trigger is, what the cylinder is, easy stuff like that.

On a side note, I'm picking up some extra christmas hours and thus want to pick up a little something for christmas for myself! I am thinking I need to add a little firepower to my collection. So, after hitting a few local gun stores, I've definately decided I need something with a ".4-something" in the guncase. There is a Rock Island .45 for $350, or-- something in Revo, for which I have a preference.

A local gunstore has an older Rossi .44 Special...nice shape, really nice balance, 3'' barrel. It's a five shooter, but with good ammo, should hit like the .45. Model 720. Anyone have any experience? I know it is an older model...but is this model reliable/durable?

Also at the same store is an older Charter Arms .44 Special, the old bulldog pug. Are these reliable/durable? I definately want something that will hold up over the years. Neither of these guns are particularly expensive, but still...my budget is pretty restrictive, and I can't be throwing away the cash. Both of these revolvers pass the revolver check out, but which is the better piece? The Rossi BTW is in stainless and the bull dog pug is not...which immediately gives points to the Rossi (the bluing isn't that impressive on the pug).

Anyway, long post- but help on these two issues is appreciated!
 
It should take but a few minutes to learn the terms. A gun to practice with helps learn the check out process. Buy your 44special and let her practice. I memorized it and did just fine (actually better than fine -- minty GP100 for $280 out the door.) Knowing the checkout procedure spoke volumes to the pawn clerk. I'd only held a couple revolvers before that moment.

I wouldn't assume it's over her head. If it really is too much...offer to go with her.
 
I'll pass on helpin' the lady out. Like above, just go with her...

But to the handguns...if the Charter says "Charco" or "2000" on there anywhere, I'd go with the Rossi. If it's an original Charter Arms, I'd go with the CA.

Price would be a major selling point too, though. The Rossi's have been selling for around 350 on Gunbroker while I just bought an original CA .44 for 245 that was almost NIB. How much difference are we talking about in the store?
 
It's not a matter of knowing the terms, but knowing the mechanics. If you don't know what an excessive B/C gap looks like or excessive endshake feels like then just knowing the words means nothing.
From what I've heard the little Rossi wasn't a bad revolver. Like mentioned above you have to know which Charter Arm to watchout for. The Charcos I believe were not found to be very durable. If you can find one of the 5 shot .44 Taurus I would give that a lot of consideration. It should be in the same price range.
 
I have carried a bulldog now for over 15 years

Its a stanless and I trust it completly. Its had a little over 600 rounds through it now and shows no sighns of wear.
One other gun that I would look at is the 445 tarrus. I picked out up several weeks ago and was surprised at the quality. I picked it up and it looked new.
The gun is VERY tight and shoots well but the trigger needs some work, it breaks clean but the double action needs a good gun smith to clean it up.
As far as looking for a lemon or a gold mine several things you can look for in a wheel gun.
1. look at the little ring that runs around the cylinder, this wear is made by the cylinder lock which touches the cylinder as it goes around, but again this is subjective due to the type and can be hard to read, but the deeper the more rounds.
2. look at both sides of the hammer for equal wear.
3. open the cylinder and look down the barrel from the inside and look for build up or if one side of the barrel the build up of powder or lead folwing looks different than the other.
4. look at the forward end of the cylinder and see if the small darker rings that run around the openings look even, this markings are caused by firing.
5. look at the inside of the top strap that runs along the top of the cylinder and look at the top strap above where the barrel and cylinder meet, look for a cut in this aria this is also an indication of a lot of rounds.
6. close the cylinder and cycle the action but keep the the trigger pulled tight and gently try to turn the cylinder both directions, a little play is ok but it should move very little.
7. make sure the gun is empty and dry fire the gun (ask the shop owner first) through a full clinder and make sure that each time you pull the trigger it feels the same and is smooth, again this takes looking at a lot of guns to see what a normaly very good gun and a normaly not so good gun feels like.
but each time it should feel the same. Each time you cycle the gun look at the clearance between the cylinder and the barrel and make sure that its eaven from top to bottm on each round.
After you do all that its still a crap game, some guns are 99.99999% gems and some, well buyer be wear.
I worked in guns stores for many years and its a macho problem with men selling guns to women, all women are stupid (thats what many guns shops think) and its false, women are very smart buyers even if they dont know much about guns but they can be easly led down prims rose path.
What I would recomend is to find a qualified instructor with NRA papers and take a short class in firearms if she has little experance.
And if possible find a woman instructor. It will save her a bunch of bull crap and stupid gun shop owners. There is nothing funner than to see a woman come into a shop and the guy behind the glass treat the woman like a stupid twit only to find out that she knows a lot more than most men that come into the shop, and in most casses its a lot of fun for the woman.
 
The Charter is an original charter arms, the older ones from the 60-70s..its a bull dog pug. The price on that one is around, if I remember right, 235...it is blue and lookswise, is pretty damn, well, homely.

The rossi 720, I don't know the year, estimate around 10 years old maybe? It's stainless. Both 3'' barrels. The finish is pretty good, a little scuffy but good. The hammer has been bobbed (dont know if that is standard on this model) This one is rounds about 300 on the nose I believe. I could probably haggle both...

So which way do you guys think I should go on this one? Definately am looking for a reliable/durable frame here.

Oh, happy thanksgiving btw! Have fun and be safe (if you drink 1/2 as much as my family does!)
 
SO charter is a LOT cheaper...so far seems like the homely little bull dog pug is winning out with the votes...geez, I'm half tempted to spend the extra seventy just to have a good lookin' gun! lol ;) Nah, I wanted advice on which is the better of the two, stronger gun-more reliable, etc...so if its the Charter, it's the Chater...and i'm sure it'll grow on me :) Either one
 
I don't think the Rossi ever came in a DAO configuration so the bobbed hammer could be a concern especially since they don't make them anymore.
 
The moderator on this forum seems to like the rossi 720, I never handled one myself. I have a stainless Charter 2000 .44 bulldog and never had a problem. Shoots fine.
 
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