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- - Got $600 to play with..... (http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=366433)

Chris_Is_Here | 04-10-2009 11:30 AM
Got $600 to play with..... .....and am looking to get a good, high-caliber revolver, with a holster and a whack of ammo....I already have a smaller-caliber Taurus revolver (which I sleep with) and some long guns, and am looking to upgrade my fire power....the trigger action on my Taurus is pretty rigid, you need a damn strong finger for rapid fire, so one criteria for me is to get something a little more responsive..... There's so much out there, that it is overwhelming, so I figure I'd throw it out to you firearm aficionados... Anyone have a reco, bearing in mind the $600 budget? In your experience, what are the best makes and models? 'little help for a brother here...

.41Dave | 04-10-2009 11:58 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... When you say "high-caliber" I assume you mean something in the .41-.44.-45 caliber range, not .38-.357? With a $600 budget, you can get a good revolver, maybe a good holster, the "whack of ammo" is probably not likely. Given the limitation, I would probably try to find a used Ruger Redhawk or S&W model 24, 25, 29, 57, 624, 625, 629 or 657 that fits the budget. You could also buy another Taurus and pay a gunsmith to do an action job on it, but personally I'd prefer a used Ruger or Smith

hypervel | 04-10-2009 12:14 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Remember the offshoot of the AWB etc was a group of "high cap" revolvers. IIRC there were 7 round .357's out and about. First thing that came to mind.

Desert Fox | 04-10-2009 04:43 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 Magnum:ok::yippee:

wallew | 04-10-2009 04:50 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert Fox (Post 1671865) Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 Magnum
What DF said! 1000%. Make sure you can get ammo though. .44 Mag is STARTING to get hard to find. But it's currently still available. In the long run, it will all be gone though, so don't dawdle.

Chris_Is_Here | 04-10-2009 06:13 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by wallew (Post 1671882) What DF said! 1000%. Make sure you can get ammo though. .44 Mag is STARTING to get hard to find. But it's currently still available. In the long run, it will all be gone though, so don't dawdle.
Yes, good point that I forgot to mention, with the recent ammo shortage, there is no point in having great firepower if you can't get ammo, so that is a BIG factor here....also, what I call "heavy" caliber is .357 and above, although some of you probably don't consider a .357 that big a deal... Thanks for the responses thus far, when I get enough here, I'll print this out and start researching what you'all recommend..

Fullpower | 04-10-2009 06:20 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... I would consider a good quality 357 mag a real good candidate for "next gun". There aint much you would encounter inside 100 yards that will not dispatch with one or two well placed doses of .357 magnum. As far as North American continent goes, the only exceptions I know of are the brown bears, for which a 44 MAG, 454 Casull, 480 ruger, etc are more appropriate.

tulsamal | 04-10-2009 08:03 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... One of the best things about shooting a revolver, is that they don't fling your empty brass all over the countryside. So they are ideal for people who reload. When you combine that fact with the generally higher prices of ammo like .357, .41, and .44 Magnum..... reloading needs to start at the same time you buy the gun. My first centerfire revolver I bought for myself on my 21st birthday. Ruger Security Six, six inch barrel, stainless, .357 Magnum. I bought one box of target type wadcutters. And one box of Federal 125 grain JHP's. Those were the last two boxes of factory ammo that gun ever saw. After I bought the gun, I went to all my mail order gun catalogs and ordered a Lee Loader in .357 Magnum. I think I paid something like $12 for it. You can still buy them today at Midway for about $20. I sat on the floor in my kitchen with that little kit and a hammer and learned how to reload. I bought a little Lee dipper kit for powder. And a Lee hand primer. Pound of powder, bullets, and primers. Today I use all kinds of fancy reloading stuff but I learned how to actually make it all work way back in 1982. For very little money. If and when you become a proficient and experienced handgunner, you may move away from the .357 Magnum to one degree or another. I shoot a lot more .41, .44, and .45's today than .357 Magnum. But a .357 Magnum revolver is the ideal place to start. It can be loaded so lightly that recoil is like a .22. Or it can be loaded to where it can take down most anything at close range. Flexibility. Vast amounts of components to pick from at low prices. Ruger and S&W have made mountains of them and the used market is where I would look. My personal favorites are discontinued today. The Ruger Security Six and the S&W M19. With either four or six inch barrels. I actually prefer the feel of the M19 in the hand to the later L frame 586/686 but there is no doubt that those L frame guns are extremely nice. Tough and accurate both. Don't start out with a handgun that is too powerful or the odds are you will just teach yourself bad habits. It's a lot of fun to shoot a .44 Magnum but it is a bad way to start out. Gregg

CrufflerJJ | 04-10-2009 08:21 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by tulsamal (Post 1672113) My first centerfire revolver I bought for myself on my 21st birthday. Ruger Security Six, six inch barrel, stainless, .357 Magnum. I bought one box of target type wadcutters. And one box of Federal 125 grain JHP's. Those were the last two boxes of factory ammo that gun ever saw. After I bought the gun, I went to all my mail order gun catalogs and ordered a Lee Loader in .357 Magnum.
Hmmm...sounds familiar. I think the first pistol I ever bought was my blued Ruger Security Six with 4" barrel, adjustable sights. Still have it! It has an excellent trigger pull. I think I also bought 1-2 boxes of factory ammo for it (I've still got some of the Geco hollowpoint loads around, with the lead tip oxidizing over the years), with everything else run through it being reloads. I don't have a Lee Loader, but used one a lot as a kid to reload .45ACP for my dad's 1911 pistol (later traded for a cavalry model .30-40 Krag carbine). It's a neat little tool. Nothing fancy at all, but it works. Revolvers are also good for reloading since most modern rounds use straight wall cases - no weird shoulders to set for headspace. Nothing too fancy or weird - very simple, easy to reload.

Mike C | 04-10-2009 08:22 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Here's my vote. S&W model 642, a .38+P special 5 shot. Very easily concealable, very lightweight, not outrageous in price(Around $400-$500), and ammo is pretty plentiful. This is Smith's most popular carry revolver sold, and for good reason. My only thing I wish it had was a better front sight, but for the reason I have it, a front sight is not really likely to even be used. This is my pocket gun, which sits happily in my pocket waiting on a thug to try to rob me and ask for my wallet:) http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...2/DSCN2851.jpg

UncaScrooge | 04-10-2009 08:37 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_Is_Here (Post 1671467) .....and am looking to get a good, high-caliber revolver, with a holster and a whack of ammo....I already have a smaller-caliber Taurus revolver (which I sleep with) and some long guns, and am looking to upgrade my fire power....the trigger action on my Taurus is pretty rigid, you need a damn strong finger for rapid fire, so one criteria for me is to get something a little more responsive..... There's so much out there, that it is overwhelming, so I figure I'd throw it out to you firearm aficionados... Anyone have a reco, bearing in mind the $600 budget? In your experience, what are the best makes and models? 'little help for a brother here...
Honestly, I think the reality is that $600 is a good start. Get a quality 357 revolver (eg. S&W 686 or Ruger GP100)... which will likely tap you out... or even require you kick in a bit more. THEN... you can save up for ammo and accessories. Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe I'm right.... as the song said.

UncaScrooge | 04-10-2009 08:40 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike C (Post 1672142) Here's my vote. S&W model 642, a .38+P special 5 shot. Very easily concealable, very lightweight, not outrageous in price(Around $400-$500), and ammo is pretty plentiful. This is Smith's most popular carry revolver sold, and for good reason. My only thing I wish it had was a better front sight, but for the reason I have it, a front sight is not really likely to even be used. This is my pocket gun, which sits happily in my pocket waiting on a thug to try to rob me and ask for my wallet:) http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...2/DSCN2851.jpg
If I had money to throw around, that little piece would be in my pocket! LUCKY YOU to have one! :shine:

Usury | 04-10-2009 08:53 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... http://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/u...r-revolver.jpg That smith's nice, but here's what I want....I got to fondle a display model in a local shop the other day and just about wet my pants. It's AMAZINGLY lightweight....wow!

Doge | 04-10-2009 08:59 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... I'm looking at the LCR also. A true revolution in the revolver world.

UncaScrooge | 04-10-2009 09:25 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Usury (Post 1672197) http://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/u...r-revolver.jpg That smith's nice, but here's what I want....I got to fondle a display model in a local shop the other day and just about wet my pants. It's AMAZINGLY lightweight....wow!
The Crimson Trace grips come standard??? Oh no... gonna have to take my kids out of school and put them to work at McDonald's! I need MONEY!!!

Willie Peter | 04-10-2009 09:31 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... For me it's my Charter Arms Bull-Dog Pug .44 spl 5 shot DA "Makes big holes and let's a lot of air in"

TheNocturnalEgyptian | 04-10-2009 10:04 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... I Just picked up this. It is a S&W 586-7 4". Therefore, it holds 7 rounds of .357 magnum and has a 4 inch barrel. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/a...2&d=1238546978 I got lucky over at http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/f...splay.php?f=92 but if you are not inside of California this won't help you. However I am confident that there are other sites which can provide service to you just as this one did for me.

wallew | 04-10-2009 10:31 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... TNE, NICE PISTOL. I LOVE the aftermarket laminate grips. They just look 'right' on that pistol. GOOD JOB.

TheNocturnalEgyptian | 04-10-2009 10:43 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Thanks a lot Wallew. I appreciate the advice and the enthusiasm. Hey, speed-loaders are one thing...but why not just have multiple pistols? ::evil grin:: And to Chris_Is_Here, for the Caliburs you are mentioning, you are perfectly on track to acquire a revolver, and if you desire, a rifle that shoots the same calibur in the future. You've made a good decision by setting the floor at .357mag (which really means the floor is actually set at .38spl since all the .357 mags I have seen can also shoot .38spl) If you are imagining any other firearms in your future, be it semi-auto, long gun, or another revolver, or if a family member is planning on getting something, I would take all that into account, as you can easily set something up where you can share caliburs. Or, on the other hand, you can get something that is a polar opposite to what you are using, but is a nice compliment. For example, if you went: - .44mag, you'd be able to defend yourself against certain (but not all) animals that you came across while hunting. A compliment to this would be a .22 rifle, which would allow you to hunt. Huge handgun, small rifle. -The opposite school of thought is a small pistol and a huge rifle, but I don't think that is what we're doing here today. -And of course the third school is a rifle and pistol that share ammo. Bottomline? There are hundreds of communities that buy and sell guns ALL day long. Don't feel like you're going to be stuck with something - you can always trade or get rid of it. At the same time, try to envision a long term plan where you'd like to see yourself. You can play fast and loose with this plan, but it'll help you know which deals to pay attention to.

UncaScrooge | 04-11-2009 12:34 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... :favorites8: Quote:
Originally Posted by TheNocturnalEgyptian (Post 1672336) Thanks a lot Wallew. I appreciate the advice and the enthusiasm. Hey, speed-loaders are one thing...but why not just have multiple pistols? ::evil grin:: And to Chris_Is_Here, for the Caliburs you are mentioning, you are perfectly on track to acquire a revolver, and if you desire, a rifle that shoots the same calibur in the future. You've made a good decision by setting the floor at .357mag (which really means the floor is actually set at .38spl since all the .357 mags I have seen can also shoot .38spl) If you are imagining any other firearms in your future, be it semi-auto, long gun, or another revolver, or if a family member is planning on getting something, I would take all that into account, as you can easily set something up where you can share caliburs. Or, on the other hand, you can get something that is a polar opposite to what you are using, but is a nice compliment. For example, if you went: - .44mag, you'd be able to defend yourself against certain (but not all) animals that you came across while hunting. A compliment to this would be a .22 rifle, which would allow you to hunt. Huge handgun, small rifle. -The opposite school of thought is a small pistol and a huge rifle, but I don't think that is what we're doing here today. -And of course the third school is a rifle and pistol that share ammo. Bottomline? There are hundreds of communities that buy and sell guns ALL day long. Don't feel like you're going to be stuck with something - you can always trade or get rid of it. At the same time, try to envision a long term plan where you'd like to see yourself. You can play fast and loose with this plan, but it'll help you know which deals to pay attention to.
EXCELLENT POST, TNE!!! I tip my hat to you! BTW, it was nice seeing the 22lr mentioned in your post... a long ago gunsmith/competition shooter always maintained that it was all about "placement." One 22lr can be more "effective" than a 17-round magazine of the "high-power" stuff... PLACEMENT! Mick Jagger sang: "It's The Singer, Not The Song." In the same vein: "It's The Shooter, Not The Gun." :36_3_12: P.S. Speedloaders? I got speedloaders! you got a problem with that??? :)

CoinHunter53562 | 04-11-2009 12:41 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... I bought a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum back in December....I love it. It cost about $529 I believe, and the speedloaders were around $10/each maybe? With the leftover $50 you could get 2 or 3 boxes of ammo to start off with.

UncaScrooge | 04-11-2009 12:49 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by CoinHunter53562 (Post 1672503) I bought a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum back in December....I love it. It cost about $529 I believe, and the speedloaders were around $10/each maybe? With the leftover $50 you could get 2 or 3 boxes of ammo to start off with.
You did GREAT! That gun is now nearing $600... !!! Do you carry a rabbit's foot around with you? :wink:

Willie Peter | 04-11-2009 01:02 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... "Do you carry a rabbit's foot around with you? " ...No, but sometimes I carry a duck's foot around with me.....:tongue_ma:

UncaScrooge | 04-11-2009 01:22 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie Peter (Post 1672519) "Do you carry a rabbit's foot around with you? " ...No, but sometimes I carry a duck's foot around with me.....:tongue_ma:
EEEK! :36_1_25: PUH-LEASE... remind me not to invite you to my house! :rant:

Willie Peter | 04-11-2009 01:26 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by UncaScrooge (Post 1672530) EEEK! :36_1_25: PUH-LEASE... remind me not to invite you to my house! :rant:
lol....To Late,....I'm lookin through your trailer window right now.....:4_1_72:

UncaScrooge | 04-11-2009 01:34 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie Peter (Post 1672532) lol....To Late,....I'm lookin through your trailer window right now.....:4_1_72:
NIters!!! I'm "ducking" under my blankee and going to sleep! My momma always told me that if I close my eyes tight and hid under my blankee, the evil boogie-men who'd want to have me for supper would vanish! Her advice has proven true for over half a century... gonna stick with tested approaches! Oops! Gotta close my eyes and hide under the blankee RIGHT NOW! Nothing personal, ya understand. :wink:

CoinHunter53562 | 04-11-2009 01:59 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by UncaScrooge (Post 1672511) You did GREAT! That gun is now nearing $600... !!! Do you carry a rabbit's foot around with you? :wink:
Lol...well I have to admit I missed the boat slightly on getting a Mossberg 500 12-gauge for under $300. Those have gone up by $50 or more at the local gun shop. I need to get my butt over there and buy one.

Maddie | 04-11-2009 05:05 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike C (Post 1672142) Here's my vote. S&W model 642, a .38+P special 5 shot.
+1 I just got one of these last fall. I like! Since I've been keeping it as my bedside gun, I ordered Crimson Trace laser grips for it. They just came in this week, so I'll probably put them on tomorrow. In the not-too-expensive revolver category, I also have a Ruger GP100 .357. It's fun to shoot (have to pry it out of my shooting buddies' hands sometimes), and reliable. I've had it for years and never had any problems with it. And I've got faith in the stopping power of a .357 with a 6-inch barrel (much reinforced by the stories from the paramedics and the ER nurse in my family).

Twisted Avatar | 04-11-2009 07:57 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Totally off topic but I must ask: Do you already have quality water filter in your preps???(Berkeley or Aquamira) Only reason why I ask is because in my recent ammo and Nagant buying frenzy I completey forgot to get this based covered. 600 bucks will get you TWO nices ones. Just putting it out there is all. T

Chris_Is_Here | 04-11-2009 10:54 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Twisted Avatar (Post 1672627) Totally off topic but I must ask: Do you already have quality water filter in your preps???(Berkeley or Aquamira) Only reason why I ask is because in my recent ammo and Nagant buying frenzy I completey forgot to get this based covered. 600 bucks will get you TWO nices ones. Just putting it out there is all. T
As always, good advice....but my immediate concern is firepower, since Uncle Hussein, Eric the Red, Bela Pelosi, and the looters in congress have made it clear that they intend to gut (what is left of) the Second Amendment. Thanks again for all the good advice here, heading out to the gun shop today to start looking... Chris~

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Twisted Avatar | 04-11-2009 11:25 AM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... I feel your concern as it is literally VISERAL now. Do what you gotta do. Make sure you pick up a extra box of ammo for good measure :ok:

Chris_Is_Here | 04-11-2009 03:21 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Just got back from the local BassPro shop, boy, did I pick the wrong day to go there, the place was an absolute mob scene, as they were having an Easter celebration for the kids....families swarming all over the store, lines at all the counters, BAAAH, HUMBUG! I was pleasantly surprised, though, to see that ammo was VERY plentiful at all calibers, no shortage of anything there....I was able to pick up a couple of boxes of long rifle .22 ammo for my Taurus 9-shooter, about time, since most of my current ammo was purchased around the time Clinton was still president (No worries, though, Remington ammo is still good for the long haul, though, as long as you store it well).... I priced a few prospective revolvers, here are the models and prices... - .357 Magnum, Model 686, 6" Stainless, $699,00 (Nice, me like :)) - Ruger Vaquero, .45 Long Colt, $520,00 - Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, Model M629, $800,00 (a sweet looking piece, but the price, ouch!, DesertFox, can you really get this in the $600 range?) BTW, UnaScrooge, they had several S&W Model 642.38 Specials, exactly like the one pictured in your post, as I recall, prices were in the $500's, but don't hold me to that... The cheapest of the .3+ and .4+ caliber revolvers was a solid black Ruger with an ugly shape, listed at $499,00.... Will do some more looking early next week, couldn't buy anything yet anyway, as my POS bank hasn't cleared my funds yet, and I would NEVER purchase a firearm with a CC (could come back to haunt me later, if Big Brother Hussein decides to push for licensing).... Later, all

.41Dave | 04-12-2009 03:37 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Chris, since you clarified that .357 falls into your definition of "heavy" caliber, I have to give a big +1 to all those who recommend a .357 magnum revolver. If you shop wisely and buy used, you can easily get a good revolver, a good holster, and a decent supply of ammo for your $600. The trick is, shop around and buy used. You will likely find a better deal in a local gunshop than you will in a big box retailer like Bass Pro or Cabelas. Here is are some excellent instructions for checking out a used (or new) revolver to ensure you avoid hidden problems: Quote:
How do you check out a revolver without firing it, right at the dealer's counter or gun show table? This is how. All of this works with DA or SA wheelguns..."close the action" on most DAs means swing the cylinder in, on SA types, close the loading gate, on breakopens, close 'em. UNLOADED. WARNING: most of these tests require violation of the "finger off trigger" rule. Therefore, be extremely careful about safe muzzle direction and making sure the gun is unloaded ahead of time, PERSONALLY, as you begin handling it. Note: bring a small flashlight, something small and concentrated. A Photon or similar high-powered LED light is perfect. You also want feeler gauges if you're not used to eyeballing cylinder gaps; at a minimum, bring a .002", .004" and .006". Note2: no dry firing is required or desired at any point. It just pisses off the gun's current owner. Cylinder play. 1) With the gun UNLOADED (check for yourself!), close the action. 2) Thumb the hammer back, and while pulling the trigger, gently lower the hammer all the way down while keeping the trigger back - and KEEP holding the trigger once the hammer is down. (You've now put the gun in "full lockup" - keep it there for this and most other tests.) 3) With the trigger still back all the way, check for cylinder wiggle. Front/back is particularly undesirable; a bit of side to side is OK but it's a bad thing if you can wiggle it one way, let go, and then spin it the other way a fraction of an inch and it stays there too. At the very least, it should "want" to stop in just one place (later, we'll see if that place is any good). The ultimate is a "welded to the frame" feeling. Cylinder gap 4) Still holding the trigger at full lockup, look sideways through the barrel/cylinder gap. If you can get a credit card in there, that ain't good...velocity drops rapidly as the gap increases. Too tight isn't good either, because burnt powder crud will "fill the gap" and start making the cylinder spin funky. My personal .38snubbie is set at .002, usually considered the minimum...after about 40 shots at the range, I have to give the front of the cylinder a quick wipe so it spins free again. I consider that a reasonable tradeoff for the increased velocity because in a real fight, I ain't gonna crank 40 rounds out of a 5-shot snub . If you're eyeballing it, you'll have to hold it up sideways against an overhead light source. SAFETY WARNING: This step in particular is where you MUST watch your muzzle direction. Look, part of what's happening here is that you're convincing the seller you know your poop . It helps the haggling process. If you do anything unsafe, that impression comes completely unglued. Timing 5) You really, REALLY want an unloaded gun for this one. This is where the light comes in. With the gun STILL held in full lockup, trigger back after lowering the hammer by thumb, you want to shine a light right into the area at the rear of the cylinder near the firing pin. You then look down the barrel . You're looking to make sure the cylinder bore lines up with the barrel. Check every cylinder - that means putting the gun in full lockup for each cylinder before lighting it up. You're looking for the cylinder and barrel holes to line up perfectly, it's easy to eyeball if there's even a faint light source at the very rear of both bores. And with no rounds present, it's generally easy to get some light in past where the rims would be. Bore (We're finally done with that "full lockup" crap, so rest your trigger finger. ) 6) Swing the cylinder open, or with most SAs pull the cylinder. Use the small flashlight to scope the bore out. This part's easy - you want to avoid pitting, worn-out rifling, bulges of any sort. You want more light on the subject than just what creeps in from the rear of the cylinder on the timing check. You also want to check each cylinder bore, in this case with the light coming in from the FRONT of each hole, you looking in from the back where the primers would be. You're looking for wear at the "restrictions" at the front of each cylinder bore. That's the "forcing cone" area and it can wear rapidly with some Magnum loads. (Special thanks to Salvo below for this bit!) Trigger 7) To test a trigger without dry-firing it, use a plastic pen in front of the hammer to "catch" it with the off hand, especially if it's a "firing pin on the hammer" type. Or see if the seller has any snap-caps, that's the best solution. Flat-faced hammers as found in transfer-bar guns (Ruger, etc) can be caught with the off-hand without too much pain . SA triggers (or of course a DA with the hammer cocked) should feel "like a glass rod breaking". A tiny amount of take-up slack is tolerable, and is common on anything with a transfer bar or hammerblock safety. DA triggers are subjective. Some people like a dead-smooth feel from beginning of stroke to the end, with no "warning" that it's about to fire. Others (myself included) actually prefer a slight "hitch" right at the end, so we know when it's about to go. With that sort of trigger, you can actually "hold it" right at the "about to fire" point and do a short light stroke from there that rivals an SA shot for accuracy. Takes a lot of practice though. Either way, you don't want "grinding" through the length of the stroke, and the final stack-up at the end (if any) shouldn't be overly pronounced. Detecting Bad Gunsmithing: 8) OK, so it's got a rock-solid cylinder, a .002" or .003" gap, and the trigger feels great. Odds are vastly in favor of it being tuned after leaving the factory. So was the gunsmith any good? First, cock it, then grab the hammer and "wiggle it around" a bit. Not too hard, don't bang on it, but give it a bit of up/down, left/right and circular action with finger off trigger and WATCH your muzzle direction. You don't want that hammer slipping off an overly polished sear. You REALLY don't want that . It can be fixed by installing factory parts but that'll take modest money (more for installation than hardware costs) and it'll be bigtime unsafe until you do. The other thing that commonly goes wrong is somebody will trim the spring, especially coil springs. You can spot that if you pull the grip panels, see if the spring was trimmed with wire cutters. If they get too wild with it, you'll get ignition failures on harder primers. But the good news is, replacement factory or Wolf springs are cheap both to buy and have installed. There's also the legal problems Ayoob frequently describes regarding light triggers. If that's a concern, you can either swap back to stock springs, or since you bought it used there's no way to prove you knew it was modified at all . In perspective: Timing (test #5) is very critical...if that's off, the gun may not even be safe to test-fire. And naturally, a crappy barrel means a relatively pricey fix. Cylinder gap is particularly critical on short-barreled and/or marginal caliber guns. If you need every possible ounce of energy, a tight gap helps. Some factory gaps will run as high as .006"; Taurus considers .007" "still in spec" (sigh). You'll be hard-pressed to find any new pieces under .004" - probably because the makers realize some people don't clean 'em often (or very well) and might complain about the cylinder binding up if they sell 'em at .002". The guns in a dealer's "used pile" are often of unknown origin, from estate sales or whatever. Dealers don't have time to check every piece, and often don't know their history. These tests, especially cyliner gap and play, can spot a gun that's been sent off for professional tuning...like my snubbie, the best $180 I ever spent . As long as the gun is otherwise sound (no cracks, etc) a gunsmith can fix any of this. So these tests can help you pick a particularly good new specimen, or find a good used gun, or help haggle the price down on something that'll need a bit of work.

gypsybiker45 | 04-12-2009 04:30 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Just curious, do you have a Rifle yet? a pistol is a secondary weapon in the arsenal, unless your buying one for carry.If you dont have a Rifle yet, better get one of those first, $600 will get you a good one.and IMHO if this is to protect the house only go with a 12 gauge.

Ag_man | 04-12-2009 05:46 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... .41 Dave, thanks for the tips on revolver evaluation!

Mike C | 04-12-2009 07:48 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... If I have a pistol, and you have water filters......Well, I now have a pistol AND water filters:) Couldn't resist that one. Anyways, I like to have a few different options for carry, but try to keep them all within the same category of semi-autos or revolvers, meaning I don't carry a glock one day and a beretta or something with different safties and triggers the next. I stick with glock .40's and S&W airweights, so I react the same everytime and don't have to think about it. http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...2/DSCN2780.jpg

Chris_Is_Here | 04-14-2009 06:12 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... And the winner is....{drum roll}..... the S&W .357 MAG, model 686, with the 6" barrel, last one in the place......broke my budget, but I don't give a hoot...and oh god, is she sweet...I haven't put it down yet, I think I may sleep with it in my arms tonight, my wife won't appreciate that too much, but hey, I got spread the love around, you know? BTW, handguns are all but gone here in MA, I went to every sporting good shop I could find and got funny looks and the same response..."no, sorry, we got out of the gun business xx years ago".....I could find 2, and only 2 shops within a 50 mile radius of my home that had handguns...WE ARE HEADING TOWARD DE FACTO PROHIBITION, the reason why became clear when I purchased the gun today...the paper work and the background checks took forever and are a complete hassle for the shops....nevertheless, the shops that still offer them cannot keep up with demand.....when I was in there buying mine, there were several other people buying at the same time, and the guy at the counter told me that they have been selling continuosly, at record pace, they cannot re-stock them quick enough... GET 'EM WHILE YOU STILL CAN, EVEN WITHOUT AN OUTRIGHT PROHIBITION, HANDGUN SALES WILL SOON BE A THING OF THE PAST EDIT, it's almost comical to put my Taurus .22 side by side with the .357....this is one monster-ass gun... man, am I going to have some fun this weekend..

electric-amish | 04-14-2009 08:23 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Quote:
Originally Posted by Desert Fox (Post 1671865) Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 Magnum:ok::yippee:
I have a 629 Mountain Gun----44Mag Stainless Steel 4 inch barrel I reload 44 Specials for it and it is by far my funnest and most enjoyable to shoot. Reloading 44s are my my favorite because of the robustness of the case and the Bullet. Its easy on your fingers and eyes. E-A PS Buy Steel it will appreciate faster than Plastic and its cooler until you have to carry it all day.

Mike C | 04-14-2009 11:35 PM
Re: Got $600 to play with..... Good choice. I almost forgot about that one:) http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...2/DSCN2861.jpg

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