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What is the best revolver material for learning to shoot with?

3K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  92M 
#1 ·
I am new to firearms.
What is the best material for learning to shoot with? A steel revolver, aluminum revolver? Aluminum with steel insert in the barrel? ..or some other material or material combination?....and why?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
Ok, I will bite..what caliber revolver are you talking about? Are you talking about a gun to eventually CC? Is the gun strictly for learning to shoot? All steel guns are heavier and normally will be the best to manage recoil with. The aluminum frame guns are more designed to carry and will be lighter and normally produce more felt recoil. The snubby revolvers are harder to learn with than say a revolver with a 4" barrel. So many variables....also, why a revolver and not an auto??
 
#3 ·
DD is right

if you look at a medium or large frame revolver those would be large enough to get a good feel for the gun and if you want to learn how to shoot a revolver, you don't want to train on a snub nose. in my opinion you need at least a 4 inch barrel to learn to understand the nuances of site alignment and control
 
#5 · (Edited)
[/QUOTE]what caliber revolver are you talking about? [/QUOTE]

ordinary 38 special

[/QUOTE]Are you talking about a gun to eventually CC?[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE] Is the gun strictly for learning to shoot? [/QUOTE]

no. I'm looking for a "one gun for all purposes gun" ;) I just happen to be learning with it too...

[/QUOTE]also, why a revolver and not an auto??[/QUOTE]

personal preference...
 
#6 ·
Go with an all steel revolver with a 4" barrel and good sights, not gutter sights. That will give you the best platform to learn with in my opinion. Take a class. Find someone who will spend time with you. Good luck.
 
#7 ·
what caliber revolver are you talking about? [/QUOTE]

ordinary 38 special

[/QUOTE]Are you talking about a gun to eventually CC?[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE] Is the gun strictly for learning to shoot? [/QUOTE]

no. I'm looking for a "one gun for all purposes gun" ;)

[/QUOTE]also, why a revolver and not an auto??[/QUOTE]

personal preference...[/QUOTE]

Is that a "no" on the going to carry it question?
If so then I'd suggest a steel frame with at least a 4" barrel.
Steel will be heavier, thus less felt recoil. Barrels less than 4" are tricky to keep on target, even if you're experienced.
Brands? There's a million. Try as many as you can.
 
#8 ·
One gun for all purposes?

Four-inch mid-frame double action revolver, chambered in 357, in stainless steel.

When "learning" to shoot, use 38 Target Wadcutters. When you're ready for hotter loads, step up to regular 38 Special, then to 38 +P, then finally to 357. The nice thing about the 357 is you CAN use the lighter-recoiling 38 target ammo, for practice, but can use the full-bore kick-ass ammo for hunting or self-defense.

Four-inch is the best compromise between "small enough to carry" and "big enough to hunt with". Four-inch steel will be heavy enough to fight the recoil, but not TOO HEAVY to carry around.

Stainless steel is more rust-resistant, which is something to think of in a carry gun. Especially if where you live is hot (sweat) or humid.

For the money savings, I'd suggest a Ruger GP100 or SP101. I like Smith and Wesson better, but Rugers are cheaper than Smiths.

Actually, if you can find one, I'd suggest a Security Six. But they've been discontinued for years, so you'd have to find one on the used market, and folks like 'em so finding one is not the easiest thing to do.
 
#9 ·
I would suggest a .22 single action revolver (Ruger?). You will shoot slower and learn the aspects of shooting better. The ammo is inexpensive (at least it was before king Obama took office) and does not have any recoil. Once you have learned to shoot well you can move up to larger calibers. The .22 will still be fun to shoot.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the advice. I'm still somewhat inclined to go with just an old, used, ordinary .38 Police service revolver- chambered for ordinary .38 amo. However, if there is a huge price difference in amo between .22 rimfire and ordinary .38 amo, I may have to consider starting with a .22 rimfire instead, then later switch to the .38 after I have learned how to shoot. Is this how the police trained or would they just start you out with the amo you would be using right off the bat? Perhaps matching pistols would be an option. One chambered for .22 rimfire and the other chambered in ordinary .38? What would be the point of a single action .22 rimfire?
 
#13 ·
It's not that "22 would make you shoot slower". It's "single action revolver" would make you shoot slower. Because you have to cock it for every shot.

There is some sense to that. My brother's first gun was a single-shot bolt action 22. My first gun was a 15-shot pump actin 22. I could certainly go through a box of shells faster than he could.

Yes, there is a HUGE price difference between 22 Long Rifle and 38 Special. About 3 bucks for fifty versus 15 bucks for fifty.

The 22 is definitely the "first gun" people should get. It's cheaper to shoot, quieter, and has little to no recoil.

But, you said, "no. I'm looking for a "one gun for all purposes gun" I just happen to be learning with it too...", and the 22 is not. It's great to learn on. It's great for targets. It's great for "fun plinking". It's not so great for defending your life against a crazed junky in the city or a rabid coyote in the woods.

Any gun is better than no gun. But if there is a home invasion, and the only gun I have is my 8-shot S&W 22 revolver,


while I WILL be shooting at them with it, I'd rather have my 6-shot S&W 45 revolver
 
#14 ·
Your thought of a "sub-caliber training pistol" is a good idea. If you can afford two guns, that's a really good way to go.

The SP101 Ruger comes in both 22 and 357. S&W made the Model 18 and the Model 15. Same gun, except the 18 was a 22 and the 15 a 38 Special.

The point of having a Single Action pistol is "fun". Some people like 'em because of the "cowboy look". Some like 'em because of the feel. It's a totally different "feel" in your hand than a double action. But - it's a taste-thing. Someone up the thread said, "Why a revolver instead of an auto", and your answer was, basically, "because I want a revolver". That's also why you get a single action. "Because I want one".

They WILL allow you to hunt, they WILL allow you to target shoot, and if the caliber is large enough they WILL allow you to defend yourself against the bad guy.

But tactically, they've been obsolete for over a hundred years.
 
#15 ·
The huge difference in ammo cost will, unless you are independently wealthy, have an effect on how much practice shooting you do.
And practice IS the key to becoming adept with a pistol.
Ergo; forget the 'one-gun-for-everything' idea and follow the advice of tomingreeneco; buy a single action .22 revolver and shoot it a LOT!
When you are very comfortable and accurate with it, follow Alpo's advice and get a .357 in a weight and size you are comfortable with carrying. Practice with the reduced loads until you are comfortable and accurate with it, then use a few hot loads so the difference will not be startling.
Then, you will go shooting with a buddy, and he will blaze off 17 rounds from his auto, and you will say "Man, I gotta get me one of THOSE!", and thus begins your ownership a whole assortments of guns, each with it's own benefits.

Oh -
Welcome to TFF!!
 
#16 ·
I disagree with the "Get a single-action 22". Unless you want and like single actions, and plan to step up to a larger-bore single action, I'd get a double action 22. Learn to shoot it single action - working on sight alignment and trigger control. Then learn, all over again, to shoot it double action. Then when you step-up to a larger bore DA revolver, you know what you are doing.

The manual of arms for a Single Action is completely different from a double action.
 
#17 ·
"But tactically, they've been obsolete for over a hundred years."---alpo
And that's why I shoot so many in single-action, I too am obsolete! :)

Your first question.....I would answer.....get a Ruger GP-100 .357magnum 4" bbl
You can shoot .38special or .357mag, single or double action, long enough barrel
to give you adequate sight radius, and a wonderful front sight system that will allow
you to change it to different colors....in 5 seconds. It also has an adjustable
rear sight. It's all stainless steel.

If you choose an old police revolver, get a S&W model 10 .38special
It has fixed sights, single or double action, fast/easy to load,
shoots really good, and you can get them from places like Bud's
for very little cash outlay.

There are many great single/double action .22lr revolvers. Finding a good
one may be pricey now. Research, time, and groundwork will only tell.
 
#18 ·
How 'bout that. 4" stainless 357 DA revolver. :D

Is that a case of "great minds think alike"?

As for the single action, I've got 'em in 22, 30, 32, 38, 357, 40, 41, 44 and 45. They are fun. I enjoy 'em immensely. But they are slow to shoot and slower to reload. That make's 'em, "Tactically", obsolete.

Of course, so are my 1911s, but I'm STILL NOT going to get a Block - uh, er, Glock.
 
#19 ·
I know that most people buy 22s because they are cheap to shoot and will save you money. I am different. I shoot 45acp. Thats what I like and thats what I shoot all the time and I dont shoot any less because of it. Its just what I do. I own a few 22s but they seldom see any range time...
 
#20 · (Edited)
"Is that a case of "great minds think alike"?"---alpo

SOY-TEN-LEE !!!!!!!

Only SA I want now, NEED now.........is a SS Single-Six Birds-head grip in .32H&R
.327 would be better if they would make one......so if I had this, I could take it to my neighbor and have him convert it......:):) [Mr. Bowen]
Yesterday,LGS, had a [650 prefix] blued, 6.5"bbl, Single-Six, Bisley grip, Vaquero hammer spur, .32 H&R $750
 
#21 ·
Wow. I picked up, several years back, a pair of 4 5/8 32 H&R single sixes. Adjustable sight, full-size grip (from before they were making the Vaqueritos). They was all right. I shot 'em a little. Did not like 'em as well as I thought I would.

Gave 1-each to my grandbabies for Christmas last year.

Now, a 5 1/2" Bisley - that I might have wanted to hang on to.

You know, grandbabies is fun. In '05 I took that gentleman, my daughter and their young'un to a cowboy shoot (for details, do a search on How I Spent My Summer Vacation). The baby was 4 months shy of her third birthday.

While we was there, I showed 'em this.


It's the baby's. I explained that I had the wolf put on the grips because she's a werewolf. And the nice thing was, since it's a Ruger, as she transitions to "bigger guns", we can switch the grips over.

He says, "Bigger guns?", and my daughter looks as him like he's brain damaged. Says, "You don't think that's the ONLY gun he's going to give her, do you?"



 
#22 ·
And apparently I'm posting on the wrong thread. I thought we were on my "test" thread. :eek:
 
#24 ·
What Ruger is that? Smith and Wesson makes an 8-shot 22 with an aluminum frame, aluminum cylinder with steel chamber inserts and an aluminum barrel with a steel liner. Top picture, post #13.

But Ruger?
 
#26 · (Edited)
Ok, if you want low price, find an older Taurus 66 or 686 w/ 4" barrel, couple million around...they are .357Mag,
but you can still use .38SPL in 'em...AND they're also legal for use as Security Officer sidearms...
HINT: Armed Guard License ain't expensive and gives you a "Legitimate Owner Use" if you live in certain funky states...
plus its amazing how instantly hireable you are if you already have your own state approved pistol...

Rubber Grips, Rubber Grips, Rubber Grips...REQUIREMENT.
Even if just using .38's, it makes it far easier and more pleasant to shoot.

Heck, even a new Taurus, Rossi, or Charter Arms ain't real expensive...and a solid investment for your first pistol.


And as other have mentioned, a good .22 is a great training aid...and should be at least your second purchase.
 
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