Start with a good .357 in a 3 or 4 inch barrel. Ammo is reasonable, you can shoot .38 special in it, and if you like that they you can expand that into all calibers.
What's a good first timer?
I'm thinking about buying my first revolver. What would be a good one to start with?
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I was leaning towards a .357. Thanks for that advise.
I suppose it all comes down to what you intend to use it for. If it is a defense weapon then I agree with Ace; a .357 is a wise choice. Had a chance last week to shoot my fathers model 65 and was impressed with its performance. On the otherhand if you're just out looking for something to plink with, I'd recommend a 22lr in either a model 94 or if you can find one a Tracker 970.afrats said:I'm thinking about buying my first revolver. What would be a good one to start with?
I started out with a .357 Smith 686-plus 4" barrel. Still the best feeling handgun I've ever held. Rubber grips. Cheaper to fire at range with 38 spl. as mentioned above. It's on the heavy side so is not a good carry weapon. Very little recoil even w/plus-P .357 loads. Forget what I paid for it but was very reasonable...........
smit
smit
afrats, If you are just learning to shoot a sixgun, a good .22lr would be a great choice. If you need one for defence then a .357 would be great. I'd shoot lots of .38 Specials while you are learning though. Once bad habits are learned unlearning them is very difficult. A .357 will shoot .38 Special target loads & they are very pleasant & accurate to shoot. A .22lr is cheap to feed. You can usually buy .22lr ammo at Wall Mart for about $10.00/500. You will never outgrow a good .22. Enjoy your new gun. Good shooting. Frank
I am looking for one for fun and shooting. I have my .45 that I use for defense. I think the .22 might be a good idea because it would be cheaper. Maybe I should just buy both of them. That is once the wife says it's ok.
Both is good. 
I own a M94 .22LR that's been a complete gem since day one and have owned two other trouble-free M94s in the past as well.
The .22 Tracker is also worthy of consideration, especially if you prefer a revolver with a larger frame over that of the small M94 frame.
I own a M94 .22LR that's been a complete gem since day one and have owned two other trouble-free M94s in the past as well.
The .22 Tracker is also worthy of consideration, especially if you prefer a revolver with a larger frame over that of the small M94 frame.
Two are better than one! You will never outgrow a good .22. Frank
My recommendation would depends on your experience with other guns. If this is your first handgun, then .22lr or .22mag or even .38/.357 would be a good choice. But if you have other centerfire pistols already you can get a .44mag as your first revolver (I did ) but I also reload and can load light if I want, and for a lot less than factory ammo...
) but I also reload and can load light if I want, and for a lot less than factory ammo...If you don't have a 22 handgun of anykind I'd definelty go that way first , after that 6" 357, big enough for deer hunting, can stick a scope on for long range and accuracy testing, lots of fun. My 66 was my 2nd handgun after a 22 semi auto. David
i think a .357 with 4inch barrel is a good middle ground.
6+inch is to hard to conceal, 2inch snub has more recoil..
4inch you can conceal if you have to.. but long enough to not kill you with recoil at the range.
if .357 becomes to much you can put .38's in it.. hell most people shoot .38's exclusivly out of their .357's anyway..
.38spl is fine for SD.. but if you want a little more umph without going for .357's you can get .38spl in +P no prob.
the trackers are nice i have one with 6.5in barrel.. bewarned their revolvers QA seems to be more sporadic then their semiautos.. so make sure you spend extra time looking it over.. and esp look at the cylinders lockup.
the porting on the barrel help a lot with recoil especially with .357's
great thing about revolvers is they almost always fire unless it's a bad round.
the down side capacity and reload time is longer.
also make sure you dont put your hands near the front of the cylinder you will have some hot gases actually leak side ways from the front of the cylinder when firing.. generally not a problem but if you have your hand near it or anyone within a foot or so next to you they can get burnt.
6+inch is to hard to conceal, 2inch snub has more recoil..
4inch you can conceal if you have to.. but long enough to not kill you with recoil at the range.
if .357 becomes to much you can put .38's in it.. hell most people shoot .38's exclusivly out of their .357's anyway..
.38spl is fine for SD.. but if you want a little more umph without going for .357's you can get .38spl in +P no prob.
the trackers are nice i have one with 6.5in barrel.. bewarned their revolvers QA seems to be more sporadic then their semiautos.. so make sure you spend extra time looking it over.. and esp look at the cylinders lockup.
the porting on the barrel help a lot with recoil especially with .357's
great thing about revolvers is they almost always fire unless it's a bad round.
the down side capacity and reload time is longer.
also make sure you dont put your hands near the front of the cylinder you will have some hot gases actually leak side ways from the front of the cylinder when firing.. generally not a problem but if you have your hand near it or anyone within a foot or so next to you they can get burnt.
The 4" Taurus M66 will gitter dun... It's about as good an all around revolver as you're going to find and you can find a good used one CHEAP!
It's about as good an all around revolver as you're going to find and you can find a good used one CHEAP!
My carry gun is a 617. It is a beast in .357. I usually shoot 158gr 357 loads out of it at the range, but I carry .38 +P 130gr SJHP in it. I am much more accurate on the follow up shots with +P and it doesn't feel like someone hit you in the hand with a baseball bat when your hands are cold.
I have been known to put 250 rounds of .38 target loads in a single session.
The gun is just awesome. Only problems I had with it was shooting some blazer aluminum cased ammo in it. Had some trouble with a failure to eject. Finding a holster for it was a bit of a pita, but finally found one I like.
I have been known to put 250 rounds of .38 target loads in a single session.
The gun is just awesome. Only problems I had with it was shooting some blazer aluminum cased ammo in it. Had some trouble with a failure to eject. Finding a holster for it was a bit of a pita, but finally found one I like.
Thanks for all the input. Now I just gotta get the wife to ok the purchase.
Since the glorious state of Illinois decided nobody in the state is trustworthy enough to carry, I prefer a .357 with a 6" barrel. Besides, if I could carry, it would be my Sig P229.
.357 in 4" barrel. Good balance, good weight and a caliber that can do nearly anything you want from self defense, to target to hunting. You could get a nice 627 or 66 and never outgrow them.
This is one nice gun:
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=278&category=Revolver
And if you reload, that just sweetens the deal as .357 bullets and cases are cheaper than .45, .44 and roughly equivalent to 9mm in my area.
This is one nice gun:
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=278&category=Revolver
And if you reload, that just sweetens the deal as .357 bullets and cases are cheaper than .45, .44 and roughly equivalent to 9mm in my area.
A 357 magnum Tracker 4'' barrel might be good - it's ported so the recoil of heavy loads might not be as much of a shock to you initially.....just a thought.
I like that 357. I like the fact that I can shoot .38s through it at the range too. I think that is where I am leaning.
way late on this, but for a first time, a .357 is the way to go because of the .38 ability. in my opinion. it worked for my family. i got a 608 for our first 10 years ago, everybody still loves it.
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