thoughts on an inexpensive C&R 38 special revolver for the wife

lazarus · Aug 26, 2018

Biggfoot44 said:
Lots of good revolvers aren't outrageous when viewed in the context of what people commonly spend on bottomfeeders . It's just frustrating for those of us who remember the floods of dirt cheap revolvers during the Transition Era .

Yeah, I am hoping we start transitioning to plasma weapons, in a 40 watt range, sometime soon. That way I can vacuum up all of the cheap projectile guns that get traded in.

I started owning guns so late I missed all of the golden, silver and bronze ages of everything.

Then again, I don't have the regrets of all the Mausers and Enfields and whatever else that were being sold by the bushel for $40 or whatever they were all selling for in the 50s and 60s and 70s and not being "smart enough" to have bought them :-)

dreadpirate · Aug 26, 2018

How about this?
http://www.jgsales.com/smith-wesson...,-4-barrel,-c-r,-vg,-used,-s-w.-p-102421.html

Biggfoot44 · Aug 26, 2018

Depending on how the condition looks in person , that's a good one . ( A pre-M10 in collector speak , indicating post war, pre Model number .

The disadvantages for the OP are not +P rated, and long action . (Long Actions are very sweet , but parts not factory supported, and increasing spotty on used part market .)

Bob A · Aug 26, 2018

Gunbroker has a bunch of S&W M10. Check "buy it now" - several less than $400.

dontpanic · Aug 26, 2018

I picked up a Taurus Model 82 from Scott's Gunsmithing. $116 out the door, tax and MSP included.

I found used Pachmyr grips for $5.

It is a real sweet shooter and I'm actually thinking about getting it ceracoated. If I do, it will bring my total cost to $200.

Mark75H · Aug 26, 2018

Another vote for the S&W M10. Got one from AIM a couple years ago when they had them on sale. Never regretted it. My big hands like the factory grips, but my wife's smaller hands wanted aftermarket.

bratgirllcp · Aug 29, 2018

Taurus 357

it is a Taurus 605 that I sent you a msg about

bigmike349 · Aug 29, 2018

Thanks everyone for the ideas.

As to why I don't pick a current model revolver...Shooting isn't really as much of my wife's thing so I'm trying to at least make it look like the gun is for me and she can use it. she has taken a women's only course with her cousin a few years back and liked it, but she doesn't have my passion for firearms. I haven't been married very long (4 years) but at least I know not to get my wife a gift for a special occasion that involves one of my own hobbies. I'm reminded of an old Simpsons episode where Homer got Marge a bowling ball for her birthday...not a mistake I'm looking to make.

Angus · Aug 31, 2018

how much knowledge do you have on revolvers? do you know what to look in buying a used revolver. I would avoid an enfield revolver it is 38 S&W which can be hard to locate and a bit pricy. Be careful about replacing the grips. I have a faux ivory set of grips for a Hi-Power it took one range trip to show me that they magnified recoil. they look nice but were very unconfortable. Make sure the grips are right because fancy reproduction grips can make the grip change .

lazarus · Aug 31, 2018

Since OP is asking, how are victory revolvers? Especially in .38sp?

ken792 · Aug 31, 2018

Older S&Ws sometimes don't take modern speedloaders like the HKS or the Safariland. The latches stick out too much I believe.

All C prefix Model 10s are old enough C&R now, since C999999 was 1967.

K prefix K frames like Model 15s were K779163 to K848781 in 1968.

Biggfoot44 · Sep 1, 2018

HKS works with the latches of all generation S&W .

Zorros · Sep 1, 2018

bigmike349 said:
Thanks everyone for the ideas.

As to why I don't pick a current model revolver...Shooting isn't really as much of my wife's thing so I'm trying to at least make it look like the gun is for me and she can use it. she has taken a women's only course with her cousin a few years back and liked it, but she doesn't have my passion for firearms. I haven't been married very long (4 years) but at least I know not to get my wife a gift for a special occasion that involves one of my own hobbies. I'm reminded of an old Simpsons episode where Homer got Marge a bowling ball for her birthday...not a mistake I'm looking to make.

Whether u know a lot about guns or you don’t you sound very smart on marriage.

ken792 · Sep 1, 2018

Biggfoot44 said:
HKS works with the latches of all generation S&W .

The 10As didn't on my 1948 M&P and a friend's Victory. They would get hung up on the latch, which is noticeably fatter than on my 1981 64. The crane is perfectly aligned on those guns.

Biggfoot44 · Sep 1, 2018

Worked fine with 1942 Victory , back when it was my duty gun . At what point of reloading were you having problems ?

ken792 · Sep 1, 2018

Biggfoot44 said:
Worked fine with 1942 Victory , back when it was my duty gun . At what point of reloading were you having problems ?

The loaders won't drop in straight to let you release the cartridges. They would just hang up at an angle against the latch. The HKS loaders can be used if we dropped the cartridges at an angle with just the noses in the chambers, but if the loader is too far when the knob is turned, then the loader itself would get stuck and the cartridges wouldn't chamber either.

The Safarilands are completely unusable with these since they can't get far enough in.

Biggfoot44 · Sep 1, 2018

ok , now you got me trying to break down into slow motion , and convert into writing .

Bring speedloader to cylinder from slight angle.

Get noses of TWO bullets started into respective chambers.

Rotate loader so all six ( or 5 or whatever) noses enter respective chamber.

Use finger snapping like motion to speedloader knob - And Bingo ! Ctgs slide in , and empty speedload bounces away somewhere on the ground, usually not under foot .

ken792 · Sep 2, 2018

That's method I described above that worked to load them, but it was slow and ran the risk of the loader getting stuck if it were allowed to slip in too far.

With later ones like my 64-3, I can just drop the loader straight in without thinking about it and then snap the knob. I've ditched my HKS loaders though and only have Safarilands for my 64.

ted76 · Sep 2, 2018

The 10-A's work fine with both my 64-8 and 19-5 Smith & Wesson's.

Biggfoot44 · Sep 2, 2018

I learned my timing with speedloading back when the "old" latches were the only latches . Heck I don't own a new style, and the issued ones are of the classic style also . If it slips in to far, you are waiting way too long to release .

Meanwhile , I hate Safarilands with a passion . THEY are prone to hanging up and not releasing smoothly .

thoughts on an inexpensive C&R 38 special revolver for the wife

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