Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Best Fighting Sixgun?

Model? Double or single action? Barrel length? Caliber? Holster?

I know everyone carries a semi-auto now, but if using a revolver how would you have it set up for a gun fight? Being able to quickly get into action and good accuracy for within 10-15 yards? And stopping power.

Maybe I read too many westerns as a kid, but I got to thinking about this the other day, and thought it would be fun to ask this board.

Korth

S&W 3" model 65

My little Colt Trooper 4" is awful fast and accurate for a wheelgun.

Gunner

4" S&W 58.

I'll play. I'm in a pizzy humor, so let's do this.

The Colt SAA was the best fighting handgun ever made, in the 4-5/8" barrel length. At least in terms of balance in the hand, accuracy, ease of firing quickly, and durability under civilized conditions.

But it's a single action, which really limits it. And "civilized conditions" aren't always reliably present. On my best day, I can reload a SAA's cylinders in about 12 seconds. That is NOT a good gunfighting gun right there, when you compare it to swing-out cylinder DA sixguns. I can reload a DA sixgun with Safariland Comp2 speedloaders in under 1.5 seconds on an average day.

Thus my true vote must go the the Smith & Wesson Model 686 in 4-inch barrel configuration. The frame, grip, and balance are so similar to the SAA I have to think the designers at S&W used the SAA in their pattern development. The 686 is chambered in a very potent cartridge, too. It is a very robust revolver... I've fired more than a quarter million rounds through my 3 686's and none of them have required a lick of work beyond basic maintenance.

As for holster, I have several... leather, Kydex, you name it. I prefer an OWB kydex holster I had made by Mark at Mach2Tactical a number of years ago, but I would just as happily carry any of my 686's in the EPS Tom Threepersons rig I have on hand.

Load the 686 with Lee Jurras's SuperVel ammo (which I have something close to a case of), or your own handloaded equivalent in 158-180 grain bullet range, and you have a sixgun that you can ride any river with.

I gotta go with the 3" model 65 round butt, it just shoots well for me with full magnum loads

I like the Colt Trooper, but I always shot better with Smith K frame adjustable sights. Make mine a 3 or 4 inch model 66.

Colt Walker. first shot turns bad guy inside out, and leaves a cloud of smoke to hide behind

If we are really limiting things to six shot revos, then I'd vote for the .480 Ruger Super Redhawk - which has a tolerable DA trigger, and is arguably the most powerful six shot revolver ever made. Even with reduced loads it's gonna make bigger holes than anything else.

More conventional choice would be one of the 5" N frame S&W's, in either .44 or .45. Handy size, nice action, powerful yet control-able caliber.

Honorable mention to the 586/686, the 5" N-frame .357, and the Colt I frames (.357/Trooper/Python)

The Chief was sitting in the patrol room with me and "the new guy" and threatened to go back to revolvers so he could "start outshooting" us: "We're going back to .357s shooting wadcutters like the old days". My response...."I'm good with that....4" Model 66s all around if we're going to shoot .357s".

While I would hav eno issue with the above, my personal preference would be a 4" Model 625. The .45 will always be my preference and moon clips are a game changer for fighting purposes.

George

A fixed sight 3" roundbutt K-frame Smith & Wesson. Take your pick, either the .38 Special with modern loads or the .357 Magnum work well.

My Trooper has adjustable sights, and the only thing I have to compare too in the case of fighting DA six-guns, havent tried/fired any S&W's.

Gunner

Sittin' here thinking,...hard to decide.

I've got a few revolvers. Revolvers are one of my favorite toys

If I had to grab one of them to fight with, it'd probably be that round butt, heavy barrel 4" model 10 with the Ahrends grips.

It's not my favorite revolver, but those heavy barrel model 10's represent a 100 year evolution of a fighting handgun.

Honorable mention goes to my 4" Police Service Six in .357

Both of them are heavy duty, no nonsense tools.

Just an old fix sighted retired police revolver, but when you hold it in your hand it feels like it belongs there,...and it'll reel off salty handloads without getting all out of shape.

10-15 yards would negate the need for target sights, so it's really down to a choice between a medium-frame or large frame revolver, and a decision regarding caliber. Off the shelf I'd opt for a Model 13 S&W (or the stainless Model 65) with 3-inch barrel. Large frame I'd go with either a S&W Model 21 (.44 special) or a Model 22 (.45 ACP) both with a 4-inch barrel.

Holster? Either an EPS Tom Threepersons or one of the late Roy Baker's excellent pancake holsters (of which I have several).

I've always thought the Model 13/65 S&W in the FBI configuration (three inch bull barrel and round butt frame) was pretty near to ideal as a fighting sixgun.

Personal arsenal would be this

or this

[quote=Bristoe]



whose grips are these?

I believe S&W ships their guns with those grips, now.

they're Ahrends

http://www.ahrendsgripsusa.com/