Looking to buy my first handgun
Hello everyone.
I am looking to buy my first handgun and would like some input
from the experts [:)] I am looking for a multi purpose gun,preferably a revolver mainly for protection, Target practice, possibly for hunting.The Taurus Tracker .357 4 inch has caught my eye. I would also like to know what the difference is on a 4in vs 6in barrel- is it just recoil? Any other guns I should look at?
Tony
I am looking to buy my first handgun and would like some input
from the experts [:)] I am looking for a multi purpose gun,preferably a revolver mainly for protection, Target practice, possibly for hunting.The Taurus Tracker .357 4 inch has caught my eye. I would also like to know what the difference is on a 4in vs 6in barrel- is it just recoil? Any other guns I should look at?
Tony
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First Let me Welcome you to GBA 4inch .357 is a good way to start. There are several differences in the 4 and 6 inch barrels. For target shooting at longer distance the 6 inch gun will give you a longer sight radious. The velocity of the round will be faster out of a 6 inch gun. The 6 inch gun is more difficult to carry than the 4 inch. The 6 inch gun will weigh more than the 4 inch. That being said I like the 4 inch. The Tracker is a fine hand gun. I would look at the S&W mod 19 as well as the Colt Mk4 and the Ruger GP100. There are alot of good 4inch .357 on the market today. My 2 cents [8D]
Greg
Former Marine
A N G L I C O0 -
You can't go wrong with a Smith & Wesson (Colt & Ruger are ok, too). There's a shop in Kentucky that's been auctioning off model 65's starting at $195.00 here at GB.
http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=18195985
Semper Fi
Remember Ruby Ridge.
Experience is the best teacher and usually charges accordingly.0 -
Welcome aboard numbnut (I love that). Taurus revolvers are well made and and will provide good service for a modest price. Rugers are also good solid firearms and worth a look, although I always found them heavier than they needed to be when compared with a Colt or S&W. Since Colt discontinued nearly its entire line of double action revolvers a few years back their prices have been climbing and may be out of your price range unless you locate a good deal on a used example like a Trooper. Along with Henry and Gap, I suggest taking a look at a used S&W, either of the two already suggested (Model 19 or 65) would be a fine first handgun and one which you would probably have no need to consider selling in order to upgrade to a nicer pistol down the road. 6" or 4", most involves balance and feel, although the 6" does offer the increased sight radious and gain in velocity mentioned by Gap. I have no particular favorite barrel length so I own revolvers with barrels ranging from under 2" to 6-1/2".
Mark T. Christian0 -
Adding to the above, I prefer Stainless Steel construction for it's durability (and looks), but as mentioned by Mark, it is a heavy gun. 0 -
I echo what others have said, and I don't think you'll go to wrong if you stick to the major manufacturors listed, even the older, used police weapons still have a lot of life left, and most were carried a lot more than shot.
The only other thing I would suggest is to start off with a .22 handgun to get the feel of things. .357 is a fine choice. It just has a really annoying(to me anyway)muzzle blast and a really impressive muzzle flash in dark conditions. It is probably sold short in this era of mega capacity semiauto's and economical to shoot.
But a .22 will teach trigger pull and some other good habits (and a lot of cheap fun).0 -
You may want to look at an S&W model 66 or 686, they are well built, accurate, and can be found for $200-300 in excellent used condition. Awhile back J&G sales in Prescott, AZ was selling police trade-ins S&W 686's for $250ish. I would also recommend the Ruger GP100, it's built like a tank and well priced. Taurus makes fine handguns, but I had cylinder screw come loose on mine after fifty rounds or so - not a big deal, but if I had lost it, what a royal pain that would have been. Taurus is also made in Brazil, whereas the S&W and Ruger are made in the good old USA. Colt and Dan Wesson make some of the finest wheel guns around, but they are pricey. 0 -
You are right on track, Numbnut. A double-action revolver is the best firearm for a beginner, as it develops good trigger pull mechanics. If you learn how to shoot a DA revolver accurately then you will have no problem shooting single-action or semi-autos down the line. A great gun instructor gave me this advice when I started and it has served me well.
I started with a 4" Ruger GP100 in .357 Mag/.38 Spl. I still have this gun and it has been excellent. I can still shoot just as well with it as I can with my semis. One thing to be aware of, this is a hunk of metal and indeed can get tiring to hold after 100 rounds. I am glad I stuck with the 4" barrel because I think 6" would just be too heavy. It's also true that the recoil and muzzle blast with .357 Mag can be a bit much, so I recommend using .38 Spl wadcutters for target shooting. You can even use .38 Spl for defense, I've seen some ballistics reports that show SWC and lead soft points make great defense rounds in this caliber.
Happy Shooting!
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -Gandhi0 -
I agree with almost all I've heard here so far...good advice all the way around in all respects. I would add that I think the .357 might be a little light for a hunting pistol but if used for that purpose, I woould go the 6" route for the longer sight radius and slightly higher velocity. I don't think anyone mentioned the S&W 586. A heavy target type gun w/adjustable sights and full underlug...the extra weight eats up that annoying recoil and I bought mine in 95% condiiton 2 years ago for $225. It shoots like a dream, doesn't scare the wife too badly for her to shoot in an emergency, has the best trigger pull of any factory D/A revolver I've ever shot , and will put 6 rounds on a golfball at 30'. This is why it sits on the bedside table with Cor-Bon 125 grain loads as a burglar repellant.(no. I have no kids about and lock it up before any enter my home!)
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
These guys have pretty much covered it. Double Action most certainly. 6 inch over 4. Make and model, up to your preference. 0 -
First I want to thank everyone for their valuable Info and suggestions. After reading and searching about handguns I had no clue how many different makes and models were actually out there. Every suggestion that was given I had done a google search and now I see my decision is going to be much much harder then before lol. I also notice I have expensive taste in guns after I had stumbled onto the Colt Python Elite (nice)Real(nice)
PS- The .357 Raging bull how is this as a all around gun?
Tony0 -
Hey Tony,
Decisions! Decisions! We definately threw a lot at you LOL!! If you want to see a REALLY nice DA revolver do a search on Korth Revolver...make sure you are sitting down when you do so!!The Raging Bull is a nice gun. One thing to keep in mind is the Taurus series of revolvers is an external (and near internal too) copy of the S&W revolver series. They have a coil main spring and a few other differences but they are minimal. The S&W gets the nod in my book as the trigger pull is usually a little better and it is made in America as opposed to Brazil. The Taurus is a good gun but if you can get an excellent condition used S&W for under $300 with tax and or shipping I would go that route without hesitation! Good luck with your decision and have fun with the new toy!!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
Start with a used S&W 65. Its a best buy. Start with 38 SPL target wadcutter ammo at first. They are light loads and you'll do some good target work very early. Then progress to standard 38s and 357.
You can then decide if you want a 6" barrel. I suspect you may want both with the 6"er having target sights.0 -
i personally am a ruger/s&w fan. i would go with the ruger gp 100. but if you've never fired a handgun, a s&w k frame 22 is a good start to a full size revolver with no kick and very cheap to shoot. and they're just fun guns in general, put a red dot on it and you have a small game pistol too. the taurus pistols are well made and have a lifetime warranty. can't argue that. i've heard and expierienced bad things with the raging bull frame. they seem to "come loose" after awhile. this problem is generally with the 454 casull. but on the other hand you do have the warranty and if they cannot fix it, they will send you a new pistol. and if you already didn't look up the korth revolver, DON'T!! it'll make you cry and hate life, lol. cody
if you're in my yard tonight, you'll be there in the morning0 -
Welcome to the forum, As stated above start with the fundamentals with a 22 revolver, get comfortable with it first then move into something bigger. Many people make the decision to buy a handgun and often times purchase something that they cannot handle, become frustrated and trade it off or sell it.
If you ain't got a sense of humor you got no business bein here!0 -
ok I had to look at the korth revolver and WOW..[:p] Also I have shot a few different guns before but I went and got my license and now I am on a venture to purchase one and just looking for the all around gun I am leaning off the taurus tracker and more toward either S&W or Colt.
Tony0 -
There is really no difference between a 4 and 6 inch barrel. The 6 inch will give you a little more bullet velocity and the 6" might be slightly more accurate but the difference would be very small. Other .357s you might want to look at are the Ruger GP100, and almost any Smith&Wesson. There are a good amount of aftermarket parts available for the Ruger and Smith's such as different grips and sights. You might also want to look at single action revolvers like the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible which shoots .357, .38spcl, and 9mm ammo. 0 -
You can't go wrong with a Colt Python, one of the finest guns ever made, IMHO. Although those Colt revolvers do have that weird clockwise rotation.
All these mentioned are good guns, Colt, S&W, Taurus, Dan Wesson, etc. As I said, I'm a Ruger man myself.
Just remember, there are plenty of nice guns to spend your paycheck on. I actually get the most enjoyment in researching all of them!
Happy Shooting!
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -Gandhi0 -
quote:Originally posted by Anumbnut
...I am leaning off the taurus tracker and more toward either S&W or Colt.
Tony
Very good 'Grasshopper', you are a quick learner. I would go with the S&W 686 for all around use if target practice is on your list of things to do. It tames recoil much better than most with the exception of the Ruger GP100. If concealed carry is an option, then go with the S&W 66 or 65 with 2.5" or 3" barrels.
Boomer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed"
. and the antithesis to this philosophy was uttered by Bill Clinton "I smoked it, but I didn't inhale."[V]
NRA Life Member0 -
A four inch Colt Python would be an excellent choice...
Mateomasfeo
"I am what I am!" - Popeye0 -
Well after reading and looking at all the guns I think I will go with the Ruger gp 100 4in it seems to be the all around gun for what I am looking for though the Colt python elite still looks awesome to me but very expensive. The reason I think the 4 inch is best is because I do have a carry and conceal and me being NOT the tallest man around I feel the 6 inch is way to big unless theres a 5in? I will search. When looking at different Ruger gp100 I notice some with the letters ss help?? I want again to thank everyone.
Tony [img][/img]0 -
I love my 3" S&W Model 60 in 357,with adjustable sights. Unbelievably accurate for a 3" and very concealable as it's a J frame. Shoots 38s like they are .22s. Great all around revolver! 0 -
The "SS" may be referring to the Stainless Steel models, although Ruger usually denotes this with a "K" in their model numbers. I bought the GP-141 (4" blued finish), and I kinda wish I had bought the KGP-141 (stainless).
I'm not complaining, I have a great gun and they shoot identically, but for long-term maintenance stainless steel is the way to go.
Good Luck!0 -
Dont think I have ever seen a post on "ask the experts" get this many replies before being locked up!! Usually its locked by 10 or so. The Ruger GP100 is a great pistol. My three inch is a one of my favorites, compact enough for CC but still a real gun.
Alleno0 -
Welcome aboard. I personally like the Ruger's. Have single action and double action. Your choice, after a lot of really good advice, is a good one. Of course, the taurus series would have been fine as well.[:)] "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it." Lord Chesterfield0 -
Good luck numbnuts, hoped we all helped. 0 -
Everyone help in so many ways Thank You all 0
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