revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

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1928
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revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by 1928 »

And what model and caliber should I go with?
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JustaShooter
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by JustaShooter »

Revolver vs semiautomatic really is a personal preference. Model and caliber perhaps even more so (and *that* conversation really begins with "what is the intended purpose of the gun?"). I would recommend taking a basic handgun class from a good instructor or get together informally with an experienced shooter so you can learn about both types and their sub-types, be able to shoot various models of each in different calibers, talk about why you want the gun and what kinds / models / calibers of gun would fit that need, and so on.

Where are you located? Chances are, there is someone here that lives nearby that can help.
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M-Quigley
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by M-Quigley »

1928 wrote:And what model and caliber should I go with?
A revolver can possibly be a good choice for a first time gun owner, or an experienced gun owner as well. As far as the second question, it's hard to say without knowing more information. Even then, the amount of opinions out there could fill a dozen pages. What is it that you primarily want a handgun for? Target shooting, hunting, self defense? If for defensive use, primarily home defense, concealed carry, or a mix of the two? What experience have you had with firearms of any kind in general? It might seem like a silly question since you mentioned first time gun owner, but many people have had some kind of firearms handling experience years before actually owning their own gun.
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Morne
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by Morne »

I am a revolver guy. Love them. Carried 2 of them today, in fact.

That said, this is a very broad question. The above responses are excellent - what do you need the gun to do?

But yes, GENERALLY SPEAKING, a revolver CAN BE a very good choice for a first time gun owner. Personally, I'd recommend something in the 4-6" barrel length (do NOT get a snub-nose revolver, they are guns for experienced shooters NOT YOU) chambered in either .38 Special or the scary sounding ".357 Magnum" (you can always load it with .38 Special rounds that have less recoil for practice). The revolver has no external safety to manipulate and no detachable magazines to fumble around with. They are easy to check if they're loaded. The manual of arms is pretty straight-forward. They don't really care what bullet profile you feed them. They tend to function when you need them to even without a ton of attention. All good stuff.

But, if you're looking into getting professional training, and you probably SHOULD, then some flavor of semi-auto is probably what the instructor will steer you towards. If at all possible find a firearms class BEFORE you buy so you can learn both sides of the fence and THEN decide what you want.

Let me reiterate - DO NOT BUY A SNUBBY REVOLVER for your first gun! I don't care what the guy at the gun store tells you. I don't care if you're concerned about concealing it and thus want something small. You will SUCK at shooting a snubby at this point in your development. Furthermore, with proper belt/holster/attire you can conceal a 4" barrel revolver just fine (I conceal carry them regularly).
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by OhioPaints »

I do believe that a revolver is an excellent choice for someone not too familiar with firearms. They are pretty basic and tend to have less problems (e.g. feed jams) than semi autos.

Revolvers are what I have suggested to a couple of concealed carry new people.

For target shooting, a .22 LR is a good and economical start.

For self defense, home use, etc. I suggest a 3" 357 magnum, loaded with .38 special ammo. The .357 gives you room to upgrade to hotter ammo if you want and will probably have higher resale than the identical .38 special model.

Morne recommends against a snub nose, but few if any 4" revolvers come in the smaller frame, so they are much bigger and heavier. To me, the 3" is a good compromise and I don't care about the 2" revolvers.

You probably will not find a round more effective than the .357 in semi autos. Although the bullet is virtually identical to the 9mm, the .357 has much higher velocity and therefore usually operates more effectively.

The Ruger SP-101 and S&W J-frame guns are very good.

I often carry a 3" Taurus 605 which is a good gun NOW, but took two replacements before I got a good one.
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by jeep45238 »

Generally speaking:

Semis are more tolerant of abuse, revolvers more tolerant of neglect. Either can malfunction, that "revolvers can't jam up" is a myth.

If you're going to shoot a lot, get a semi. If you plan on shooting it once a year and leaving it in a sock drawer, get the revolver.
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Re: revolver a good choice for a first time gun owner ?

Post by Brian D. »

Good info so far. I'm waiting for follow up from the thread starter before stating any specific suggestions. Reason being, through the years many people have at first stated the gun wasn't for carry, then changed their tune when folks tried to lead them to service sized handguns.
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