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...

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

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 Magnum:ok::yippee:

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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..

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.

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

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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.

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

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

If I had money to throw around, that little piece would be in my pocket!

LUCKY YOU to have one! :shine:

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!

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

I'm looking at the LCR also. A true revolution in the revolver world.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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!!!

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"

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

TNE,
NICE PISTOL. I LOVE the aftermarket laminate grips. They just look 'right' on that pistol.

GOOD JOB.

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

:favorites8: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??? :)

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

You did GREAT!

That gun is now nearing $600... !!!

Do you carry a rabbit's foot around with you? :wink:

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:

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

EEEK! :36_1_25:

PUH-LEASE... remind me not to invite you to my house! :rant:

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

lol....To Late,....I'm lookin through your trailer window right now.....:4_1_72:

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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:

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

+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).

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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~

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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

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:

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

.41 Dave, thanks for the tips on revolver evaluation!

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

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..

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

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.

Re: Got $600 to play with.....
 

Good choice. I almost forgot about that one:)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...2/DSCN2861.jpg