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Looking for a good small revolver
- Thread starter Commish
- Start date
Uh...did someone want to look at small, lightweight revolvers? Here are a few of my babies...
438, 317-2, 43C, 351C. Altamont grips except on the 351C, Wolff or Apex springs, tritium front sights (shout out to Dave Santurri for the 438 and 317 work). Critical Defense for the .38+P and .22WMR, Federal Punch for the .22LR. I have another 43C around here with some special Altamont American Walnut checkered grips with medallions....I'll have to take a pic of that.
438, 317-2, 43C, 351C. Altamont grips except on the 351C, Wolff or Apex springs, tritium front sights (shout out to Dave Santurri for the 438 and 317 work). Critical Defense for the .38+P and .22WMR, Federal Punch for the .22LR. I have another 43C around here with some special Altamont American Walnut checkered grips with medallions....I'll have to take a pic of that.
![[laugh2]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/014.gif "Laugh at above [laugh2]")
Don't talk about the hole on that one, it's embarrassing...- Joined
- Jan 25, 2008
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And I thought I did stupid things!! (like attending a shooting class on an unset broken ankle...)
I can't decide whether you're a masochist, trying to show how macho you were, or just not thinking that day! Totally not surprised you had trouble with your hand all week.
One thing is certain - you were far braver and far more stubborn than I was. I gave up on the scandium/titanium/alloy-framed wheelguns.![[bow]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/027.gif "Bow [bow]")
I keep having the urge to get one of these:
Model 329PD | Smith & Wesson
tuna
NES Member
This photo just begs to be retaken. Add two blued guns and put the stainless in front.
Amazing what difference a grip does. Overmolded rubber tames recoil so well but your shirts get caught and ride up on it. Those wood custom grips look so slick but doesn't do anything to tame recoil. Slips into a pocket just as easily as out of your hands during rapid shooting lol.
I could actually do that...4" Model 19 and 3" Model 13. Put the whole family together. Part of me wants to refinish the 317 because I don't really like the stainless/matte silver look (it's aluminum not steel) and prefer matte black or dark greys but the finish is in near mint condition. I have thought about fitting a 43C cylinder and small parts and going two tone to match my 3913/3914 frankengun.
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I can't shoot wood grips well. My hands have lost all their oil over the years from brake-Kleen at the Harley shop. Never wore gloves. Never even thought of them in the early 80's. So I constantly have to spit in my palms just to pick up a cardboard box and other smooth things. Wood grips just slide all over my palm.
I did however find the earlier Uncle Mikes Boot grips (P/N 59010) were great for no-slip gripping and very small in the pocket. New J-frames come with a similar looking grip set but they are nothing like the ones S&W used on earlier j-frames made by Uncle Mikes for them. I have 6 J-frames, all with Uncle Mikes grips. A few years back, I was lucky enough to find a small Gunsmith on Ebay that sold me a half-dozen that he had put fancy grips on (wood and G10) I ended up paying about $3 bucks each and they came with the mount screw. They were new, right off the frames.
If you ever get the chance to handle a J-frame with these grips, you'll be hooked. The nice thing about these is that not only are they very small and concealable,
but the rubber compound Uncle Mikes had used was extremely durable, grippable and soft-shooting.
3 of my newest J-frames came with the "S&W" branded new style grip and they came off almost instantly.
Do a little online research comparing the Original S&W Boot grips and the ones they sell now and that will give you an idea about what I mean...
~Enbloc
Original S&W J-Frame Uncle Mikes Boot Grips:
Current S&W J-Frame Grips:
(different rubber compound is the major drawback)
In my opinion, the original Uncle Mikes boot grips were a similar rubber compound to Pachmayr's rubber grips. The new style S&W grips feel like some kind of plastic, or nylon. S&W calls them "Synthetic"...
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EJFudd
NES Member
Yep. The perfect revolver in pre-IL, pre-MIM, P&R form. God did good.
![[thumbsup]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/044.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbsup]")
dwarven1
Lonely Mountain Arms
Since one of them was my very first gun, I cannot disagree. Very versatile firearm.
No love for a Ruger SP101 chambered in .327 Federal Magnum? I realize this caliber isn't widely available, but you can shoot three other .32s. It isn't likely going to be your range gun, of course.
327? Answer to a question I’ve never asked. Why would you want a defensive cartridge that is hard to find and expensive and unique to that gun?
For practice I reload 38 spcl. Why would I want to get a whole new caliber change in order to get one more round?
As for the sp101, had one, sold it, don’t miss it. I’d be more interested in an LCR than an sp101
EJFudd
NES Member
I have one. Man, was it hard to find. Apparently, I started looking for one between production runs (my usual bad luck).
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
My ex-coworker/shooting buddy talked me into it. He was, among other things, a .32-anything kind of guy.
His sales pitch sounded good... and I did like the fact that it could shoot anything .32. It all seemed to make good sense before COVID and Brandon.
Post-COVID and in the insane Clown World of Brandon, not so much.
.32 revolvers have the benefit of lower recoil, higher capacity, and meet penetration specs for effective defense. I prefer it in small frames with short barrels. The larger in frame size you go, the less you get out of the .32 caliber.
Reloading is the solution for ammo supply, but until primers come back at an acceptable price, don't bother buying anything other than common calibers.
Reloading is the solution for ammo supply, but until primers come back at an acceptable price, don't bother buying anything other than common calibers.
MaxStravinsky
NES Member
I agree with Enbloc on the grips. I tried a beautiful set of wood Altamonts, but I felt too much of the kick so I went back to standard. I remember really liking a set of Uncle Mikes grips I had on my very first gun... a S&W 637 bought in 1993. I think the gun had come with a little set of wood grips, and the salesperson recommended the Uncle Mikes. Unfortunately, I didn't keep the gun. Now I have a 638 with S&W's standard rubber/plastic grips.
Sw model 60 in .357
4” K-frame is God’s own revolver. Get the charge holes chamfered and a trigger job.
dwarven1
Lonely Mountain Arms
They've actually gone down. I was seeing them in the $500 range on GunBorker a couple of weeks ago.
Retired-LEO
NES Member
Retired-LEO
NES Member
The model 60 is available in .357 with a 3" barrel.
I've handled one in a store years ago, and admittedly regret not buying it.
