Handgun options

[jdb]

I'm really digging the Uberti cattleman' 73. Birdhead grip, blue/case, 45 4.5 barrel and affordable.

hmmmm?

If you are seriously considering this as a self defense tool stay away from single action revolvers. While yes they are more than capable of doing the job they are slow and much harder to train with. Basically you would have to be able to train yourself to draw, roll back that hammer, aim, fire and then roll back that hammer again. all with one hand as fast as you can do it and also be able to use your weak hand.

Its much easier and smarter to "program" yourself to draw, aim, fire. keep it simple.

Also I just looked up the revolver your taking about its about $400 for a basic model. you could easily get into a DA smith, ruger or tauras for that.

Not to preach but there are certain rules I play by for self defense guns.

1. Keep it simple.
2. Keep it with you
2. Bird shot is for birds
3. No rim fires...ever
4. Nothing smaller than .380
5. Practice for the worst

Single action revolvers break rule 1 and the size and weight of that gun would break rule 2.

just my 2 cents.

there is nothing simpler than a single action revolver

Except for double action revolvers.

hmmmm?

[jdb]

I guess it's all in your experience, all I've ever had is revolvers and the majority single action, it's just a natural thing for me to hook my thumb over the hammer as the gun recoils and it kinda cocks it's self as it comes down from recoil. Not saying it's as fast as a semi auto but it can be done pretty fast. I never feel inadequately armed when I have a single action.

Also never heard of a wheel gun Stove piping a round.

and if you have a dude with a auto loader you have to clear it. But with a revolver you just cock it and pull the trigger

[theleo]

I'm really digging the Uberti cattleman' 73. Birdhead grip, blue/case, 45 4.5 barrel and affordable.

hmmmm?

If you are seriously considering this as a self defense tool stay away from single action revolvers. While yes they are more than capable of doing the job they are slow and much harder to train with. Basically you would have to be able to train yourself to draw, roll back that hammer, aim, fire and then roll back that hammer again. all with one hand as fast as you can do it and also be able to use your weak hand.

Its much easier and smarter to "program" yourself to draw, aim, fire. keep it simple.

Also I just looked up the revolver your taking about its about $400 for a basic model. you could easily get into a DA smith, ruger or tauras for that.

Not to preach but there are certain rules I play by for self defense guns.

1. Keep it simple.
2. Keep it with you
2. Bird shot is for birds
3. No rim fires...ever
4. Nothing smaller than .380
5. Practice for the worst

Single action revolvers break rule 1 and the size and weight of that gun would break rule 2.

just my 2 cents.

there is nothing simpler than a single action revolver

Except for double action revolvers.

hmmmm?

With double action revolvers you don't HAVE to cock the hammer each time.

[jasnt]

I guess it's all in your experience, all I've ever had is revolvers and the majority single action, it's just a natural thing for me to hook my thumb over the hammer as the gun recoils and it kinda cocks it's self as it comes down from recoil. Not saying it's as fast as a semi auto but it can be done pretty fast. I never feel inadequately armed when I have a single action.

[jdb]

I'm really digging the Uberti cattleman' 73. Birdhead grip, blue/case, 45 4.5 barrel and affordable.

hmmmm?

If you are seriously considering this as a self defense tool stay away from single action revolvers. While yes they are more than capable of doing the job they are slow and much harder to train with. Basically you would have to be able to train yourself to draw, roll back that hammer, aim, fire and then roll back that hammer again. all with one hand as fast as you can do it and also be able to use your weak hand.

Its much easier and smarter to "program" yourself to draw, aim, fire. keep it simple.

Also I just looked up the revolver your taking about its about $400 for a basic model. you could easily get into a DA smith, ruger or tauras for that.

Not to preach but there are certain rules I play by for self defense guns.

1. Keep it simple.
2. Keep it with you
2. Bird shot is for birds
3. No rim fires...ever
4. Nothing smaller than .380
5. Practice for the worst

Single action revolvers break rule 1 and the size and weight of that gun would break rule 2.

just my 2 cents.

there is nothing simpler than a single action revolver

Except for double action revolvers.

hmmmm?

With double action revolvers you don't HAVE to cock the hammer each time.

which means there are two different ways that a double action can be fired (single action/double action.) a single action is just single action, only fires if you pull the hammer back. One method of operation vs two. Which is simpler? I know I know I'm splitting hairs! In all honesty I think the best defensive handgun is a solid double action .357 magnum.

[JimmyHoffa]

Agree jdb, a double action .357 mag with a med length barrel would be pretty good.  If concerned about reload time, the speed loaders or moon clips can be used. 

[jaymark6655]

 My 

Since this is a repo gig, I would be more tempted to carry concealed versus leaving it in the truck.  Nothing sucks more than turning around and seeing someone between you and that door to the truck.

Being conceal I would always go for something that doesn't have a hammer spur, it gets caught on clothing.

I prefer semi-auto over pistols because of the slimmer profile making them easier to conceal, they require less reloading and you can carry more spare ammo and the magazines for reloading are slimmer than the speed loaders for a revolver.  I usually carry a spare mag in my back pants pocket.

As for reliability, I would find an ammo that it likes to eat.  The only time I have ever had a stove pipe was when I crossed my left thumb over my wrist when I was first learning to shoot.  If the ammo ever fails to go bang, I would not carry it for self defense.  I shot a lot before picking what I carry in the guns now.  Its expensive, but think of it like buying real life insurance not the stuff the only pays after your dead.  If there is a failure to fire due to ammo, a revolver can just have the trigger pulled again.  Now there are some semis that can restrike that case, but if it fails to fire again at some point you would have to manually cycle the slide.

Revolvers can jam either because something mechanical broke, timing gets messed up or bullets walked out of case due to recoil.

Either can get fouled up if an attacker is close, if the slide get pushed out of battery by his body or if the cylinder is grabbed and kept from rotating.

As far as being revolvers being more simple, depends one what your talking about.  What the operator must do to load, chamber a round and fire I would say depending on gun they can be about equal.  I started carrying a Glock which require rounds be put in the magazine, magazine insert, slide racked and trigger pulled.  A revolver is not too far off with one less step, insert rounds into cylinder, close cylinder, pull trigger.

Now as much as I seem to be anti-revolver, I will be buying one for self defense someday.  In the woods I like to carry the first round as snake shot and usually this won't cycle a semi.

In my mind one isn't really better than the other, they both have pros and cons that seem  to cancel each other out.

For semi, I like glock (this from a person who loves his 1911, I was offered triple what I paid for it and turned them down);  it's simple, tough, it will feed almost anything, cheap, light, and they have some single stack that I can carry in my back pocket.  At the time I bought it there was cheaper or lighter or smaller, but I was worried about the competitions reliability.  Since then I have tried out several I like, but just don't have as much experience with them yet to recommend.

For revolver, I personally considering a Smith and Wesson Model 340PD, 640, or M&P340.  I wanted Judge originally, but heard too much negative comments about them (wish I could remember what, but I have forgotten) and now I just think they seem too large for me to bother carrying.

Shoot what ever you want to buy first, try to use or carry it how you plan to if possible.  In the end pick what your comfortable with, you are the one stuck using/depending on it.

Sorry for the long post.

[Bean Counter]

Revolvers can jam either because something mechanical broke, timing gets messed up or bullets walked out of case due to recoil.

Either can get fouled up if an attacker is close, if the slide get pushed out of battery by his body or if the cylinder is grabbed and kept from rotating.

I've carried both but sold them all when I found out the UN would appreciate it. I agree that all weapons are falible, and none will appreciate abuse in the long term. That said, I've only seen one malfunction of a revolver in my life and so many in semi-automatic 'bottom feeders' that training to clear them is routine.

I've dry fired my revolvers from inside my coat pocket and never had the cylinder snag or malfunction. A semi-auto would get the first round out for sure, but be almost guaranteed to malfunction in the cycle of operation before a second shot could be made. Both can malfunction, but a revolver is far more reliable and idiot proof for simple minded, spastic fingers like mine. 

[MountainWalk]

Update: bought a used gp100 from my MIL, $200.
Good enough.  45Colt,  one of these days.

[Mongo Hunter]

Update: bought a used gp100 from my MIL, $200.
Good enough.  45Colt,  one of these days.

good pick!

[fish vacuum]

Sounds perfect!

[MountainWalk]

To tell the truth, I don't really care for the gun. It just feels" off" in my hand. It's a great piece, typical Ruger quality.  It just lacks good feel and" point-ability" , compared to the majority of handguns I've owned or shot. Nice gun, but I'm sure I won't keep it long.  I went and handled a Judge.  No thank you.

[Firedogg]

 Swap out the grips on it, that can make a huge difference in feel and pointability. The stock ones seem a bit small, which for me is great, but others who have shot it felt like they were too small.

Look at the Ruger Match Champion grip, a little larger than stock and no finger grooves to limit how you grip it.

[Bean Counter]

The trigger on my ruger rifle sucks. I've heard that swapping it out or at least having it tweaked would improve the experience quite a bit, But I've never done it.