S&W; Modern frame sizes are J, K, L, N, and then those big monsters.
Your most common, and the one that seems to fit most folks the best is the K-frame gun's. They can be had in .22lr, .22Mag, .32L, .32-20, .38S&W, .38spl. .357Mag., 9MM. They come in almost every barrel length from 2" to 8-3/8", with fixed or adjustable sights. Model numbers run from 10 through 68, blued steel to alloy to stainless steel.
Suggestion: If this is to be your first I would get a S&W model 17(this will be a used gun, but they can still be found at reasonable prices) in .22lr. You'll find yourself using this more than any of the rest.
Colt; Well they started out building a flop with the Army revolver in .38L. Then moved into the New Service(Large frame), that lasted till the end of WWII then disappeared. Their mainstay's were the Official Police(Just a little larger than a K-frame) Police Positive(Right between a K-frame and J-frame), and Detective series(Same as a police positive but with round butt and 2 to 3 inch barrel). Colt also produced their animal named guns, but they were based on the latter two mentioned above. Even though they brought out the Anaconda as a large framed gun, it had to many changes to be classed as a revival of the New Service series.
Suggestion: Colt no longer services its revolvers(actually they will on your dime, and its not cheap), and unless you just want a piece of history, or your a budding gunsmith, best to stay away from them.
Ruger; If you want a "Tank", this is the way to go. They are like the old Timex commercials, takes a licking and keeps on ticking!! They can be had in K-frame sizes as the S-series i.e. Security, Service, and Speed. Barrel lengths are 2-3/4" to 6", fixed or adjustable sights, calibers of .38S&W, .38spl., 9MM, .357Mag. Stainless or Blued. Then you have their modern L-frame sized GP100, and their small SP101.
Suggestion: Any!
A Model 19 or 66 is a pretty solid choice, as others have said. Excellent balance and smooth actions.
If it were me I'd go with an older pre-lock model with the lowest dash number I could find. They are easy to spot, they won't have the lock hole "zit" above the cylinder release and they will have the firing pin in the hammer where they belong. The same applies to the 586/686 models and pretty much all S&W wheelies. With this configuration you are getting all forged and machined internal parts (no MIM) and they will last yours and your kids lifetimes if cared for properly. Don't be afraid of a high round count gun, they are pretty easy to tune up if they need it (but don't need it very often like some of the Colts), and the more they get shot the smoother they get!
And by all means get the .357. Shoot .38's by the ton and the magnums when you need your sinuses cleared and you'll likely never see a 19/66 need work.
If it were me I'd go with an older pre-lock model with the lowest dash number I could find. They are easy to spot, they won't have the lock hole "zit" above the cylinder release and they will have the firing pin in the hammer where they belong. The same applies to the 586/686 models and pretty much all S&W wheelies. With this configuration you are getting all forged and machined internal parts (no MIM) and they will last yours and your kids lifetimes if cared for properly. Don't be afraid of a high round count gun, they are pretty easy to tune up if they need it (but don't need it very often like some of the Colts), and the more they get shot the smoother they get!
And by all means get the .357. Shoot .38's by the ton and the magnums when you need your sinuses cleared and you'll likely never see a 19/66 need work.
Lots of good choices out there and very easy to get confused but here are my observations
Ruger GP 100 or security six. 4 inch or 6 inch barrel. Ruger makes a very strong gun and very few people will ever wear one out. And they are accurate.
Ruger Blackhawk-if you liked the cowboy style single action revolvers this is a very good choice. You can get one in 38/357 and also you can get one with an extra 9 mm cylinder for even cheaper shooting. 6 inch or 7 1/2 barrel is good for hunting or 4 5/8 inch barrel for easier packing.
Smith and Wesson---they make very good revolvers and usually right out of the box they will have a better trigger pull and be smoother than other Brands. But they are more expensive. Model 19 or 66 with a 4 inch or 6 inch barrel are very good choices. If you are doing lots and lots of shooting especially with magnum loads then a model 28 would be better.
Taurus----some people like them and some people really dislike them. My dad has one has worked just fine. They are known for bad customer service. If you have one that needs to go back to the factory be prepared to wait. But they are cheaper than the others.
Charter arms makes one that is suppose to be a decent gun but do not expect a nice sweet trigger or a fine fit and finish like a Smith and Wesson. If I planned on shooting it a whole lot then I would probably pass on this one. But they are pretty cheap.
Basically I would recommend any Ruger or you can get any Smith and Wesson if you want to spend more money. I don't think you'll be sorry unless you get one with a totally inappropriate barrel length.
Ruger GP 100 or security six. 4 inch or 6 inch barrel. Ruger makes a very strong gun and very few people will ever wear one out. And they are accurate.
Ruger Blackhawk-if you liked the cowboy style single action revolvers this is a very good choice. You can get one in 38/357 and also you can get one with an extra 9 mm cylinder for even cheaper shooting. 6 inch or 7 1/2 barrel is good for hunting or 4 5/8 inch barrel for easier packing.
Smith and Wesson---they make very good revolvers and usually right out of the box they will have a better trigger pull and be smoother than other Brands. But they are more expensive. Model 19 or 66 with a 4 inch or 6 inch barrel are very good choices. If you are doing lots and lots of shooting especially with magnum loads then a model 28 would be better.
Taurus----some people like them and some people really dislike them. My dad has one has worked just fine. They are known for bad customer service. If you have one that needs to go back to the factory be prepared to wait. But they are cheaper than the others.
Charter arms makes one that is suppose to be a decent gun but do not expect a nice sweet trigger or a fine fit and finish like a Smith and Wesson. If I planned on shooting it a whole lot then I would probably pass on this one. But they are pretty cheap.
Basically I would recommend any Ruger or you can get any Smith and Wesson if you want to spend more money. I don't think you'll be sorry unless you get one with a totally inappropriate barrel length.
I agree with the crowd who said S&W 19 or 66. I'd go with the 66 if both were available, but I just like stainless. I've got a model 10, which is also a great gun and I don't regret having gotten a .38 over a .357 at all.
You really can't go wrong with a K frame S&W.
-S
You really can't go wrong with a K frame S&W.
-S
Good for you! My pick would be a used S&W 66, with a 4 inch barrel. I like the older ones that don't have the lock/key system. This gun gives you lots of ammo choices to shoot and the stainless is easy on the up-keep.
My first .357 was a 4 inch s&W model 28
I'd get a model 13, 19, 28, 65 or 66
I'd get a model 13, 19, 28, 65 or 66
Personally, I'd go with an L-frame (586--686) rather than the K-frame, (19--66) because the frame is just a bit beefier. I have and quite often carry a K-frame, but I also frequently carry an L-, or even an N-frame.
That said however, you won't go wrong with any of these guns.
That said however, you won't go wrong with any of these guns.
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