Around 25%


http://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/handguns/people-still-buying-revolvers/

I still prefer a good revolver over a semi auto, so yeah, I'm still buying them.

I'm trying to do my part. Hasbeen

I own one semi, and several revolvers. I know women are carrying more nowadays; I'm not sure what the younger generation is shooting.

I like my wood and blue steel revolvers. Have a few semi's but I'm more than likely to take my revolvers out the door when going anywhere. But then I don't get into as many gunfights as some of the other members on here.

W. Bill

LOL.

Guilty. I found a super nice Smith 638-3 for $350 2 months ago.
I gave both my .38 snubbies to my offspring so I desperately needed another.

It was like an empty nest syndrome.

I've been sorely tempted of late to pick up a three inch Ruger SP101, and put some Hogue Monogrips on it.

Doing my part to corner the market on K frames.

Don

Pre-83, I hope.

I have the Colt New Service Sickness Syndrome. I need all of them!

I do not leave the house without a Mod 36 (no dash ) in my pocket.....

It will probably become my daughters and then I will have to replace it...



So for the OP? Yep!

and there are about a half dozen .45ACP machine pistols in the backroom!

I still buy revolvers, but none of them--with a few exceptions--are new production. The most common buyers of newly made revolvers, from my observations, are people buying snub-nose revolvers for concealed carry.

Nothing wrong with that idea at all. I like that they have a long enough cylinder for 180 grain Hard Cast. That is substantial.

I'd bet Ruger sells a couple single actions for every DA snubby, even at half as more dinero.

I wouldn't bet against that; in the past five years the only new production revolvers I've bought have been Ruger Single Actions.

Just a month or so ago.

I have that exact combo and it is right at the edge of reasonably lean shootable 357 Mag's. Really a great piece.

Yep. I've bought several already this year.

Have a few semi's, but revolvers are my main weapon!

i haven't seen a lot of new revolvers, or older ones for that matter, in lgs for quite some time.
There are a few older types on this forum that grew up in the pre semiautomatic, pre polymer time frame, that learned to shoot on them.
I still pretty much prefer revolvers mostly as i don't like loosing brass or picking it up.
i will say magazine capacity of a semiauto leads me that way in certain situations.
but it is real hard to beat a well tuned old smith.
and yeah, i am still buying them.

same here

J-frames make up a huge market.

Lots of simple defense guns out there.

My wife included

Just got a ruger lcr in 327. put a night sight on it and it is my new carry gun.

Yep, just picked up this police trade-in for $325.

My most recent purchase was a revolver. A single action to boot. Now that Colt is making a new snake I hope to look one up some time and also the Ruger GP-100 44 Special.

Yeah, that's what I figure. Wouldn't want to touch off a .357 Magnum that weighed much if any less than that one.

With the Hogue grips, it changes the angle of the grip just enough it's not much of a whack on the knuckle like the OEM grips. Way more controllable IMO.

That's what I figured, too.

Looks like you got that one durty, Ed.

Doing my part. Bought more older revolvers than anything else in the last couple years.

Revolvers is all I own.

So that is all the grand kids get to shoot when they are with PaPa. Doing my best to corrupt the youngest generation.

Ruger LCR in 327 is on my short list. I hear great things about its trigger and accuracy.

Let's see...

The kids are all Coo Coo for 380s, nines, 40s and a few 45s, but anyone looking for hammers n fun have to get a wheelie, period. Autos and any semblance of horsepower on reserve spells about 2lbs and the ergos of a brick.

Seems to me real gun junkies arent posting posits about plastic contraptions as much as the newfangled wheel guns. If they are, it isnt with any "aura".

Just my observations.

There's an old adage ~ 'Revolvers will work when all else fails.'

I have more revolvers than semi-autos in my safe, and two were bought this year.

I really enjoy shooting revolvers and have recently picked up a 6" 686-4 357Mag and 5" 629-4 44Mag. Love shooting steel with these two as the 686 with 38 Specials is a joy to shoot and that 629 sure smacks the steel plates!!






That being said, if I could only keep one, it would probably be my Ruger Bisley Blackhawk 45LC......

SP101 .357 with the fiber optic sights at 51 yards.

I just bought a Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt / 45 ACP. I am looking for a 629 Mountain Gun now.

I buy both. I own more revolvers though. I like them for woods carry.

My latest revolver is a Redhawk .45LC/45 ACP 4 in. I have a Ruger Old Model 5.5in Bisley in 45LC but thought I would like something in 45 ACP.

My latest semi auto is a Glock 26, Gen4 9mm, night sights, trigger, threaded barrel, etc.

Yes, last fall I picked up an LCR .327. And I like it.

That being said, I was at the store today picking up my 2 newest handguns, both semis, and the three other guys there were looking at wheel guns. One of them was looking for his wife to see what was available, said it's all she'll shoot.

Older bro just sent picture today of where they went out in the woods to plink. I asked what he bought with him. Just .38s he said, didn't want to be chasing brass.

Now y'all got me wanting another revolver.

Geno

Oh, yeah. Got a 5 screw K-38 Masterpiece on it's way to me.

Don

humpback, the original airweight bodyguard...

Let me know how you like that one. I've been chewing on picking one (or a pair) of those up for several months now.

In the past year I've purchased more revolvers than auto's. I generally shoot revolvers more than auto's as well, mainly to avoid picking up brass.

That's the four inch one?

Some one said "Revolvers will work when all else fails" But my logic say's
My S&W SD9 & My SD40 will continue to pump out shots long after your Six shooter runs out of bullets. I do love the looks of a revolver and I do own one. But for my use out here in no-man's land I want firepower.

That's where I arrived a few years ago, too. Going dry after five or six rounds just lacks the comfort level of having 18 on tap in a Glock 17 that I can shoot just as well. I still like and buy revolvers, though.

My take on this is entirely different. I practice weekly with my revolver, and I figure if I can't take care of business in 6 shots due to a multiple threat environment, then I need to change my neighborhood, not my handgun.

Don

Only 5 in the last 8 months...no plastic

Live in a gated community, or a country estate?

For me it's current state of the art semi-autos for carry, bedside security and possible road rage countermeasures.

For long range shooting it's revolvers, although a once mighty herd of varied large bores has been thinned down to two Ruger .357's, one SA and one DA.

For fun plinking and more long range shooting, again it's semi-autos in .22 LR, specifically two Ruger Mk III's and an SR-22.

I keep perusing gunbroker for a new .22 revolver since I cut my teeth on them and they are still my sentimental favorite but know that the chances of finding one that will outshoot those two Ruger Mk III's are slim and slimmer.

Nope. Live in a rural area of NYS. Cities here only have 25,000 - 35,000 people. Wouldn't live in an urban area if you paid me.

Don

"Are people still buying revolvers? "

Someone must be buying them, because the prices for the classic S & W revolvers ain't doing nothing but going up!

So far this year I have been lucky enough to find:

18-3
24-3 Lew Horton
624
686+
696
and a Ruger GP100 44 Spl.

So am certainly doing my part....

Are you sure about that?

The town I live in has less than 6,000 residents (and one traffic light) and I don't see it as unreasonable to expect that 1) I might be the (at least attempted) victim of assault/robbery, and that if I am, 2) there might be more than one assailant involved. Six chambers in a revolver cylinder can go dry very fast. Five even faster.

Sure, if you are targeted, chances are good that five or six rounds will work out just fine, but what about the minority case where it doesn't?

I'm not saying that a revolver is a bad choice for self-defense. I'm just refuting your suggestion that you will only need more if you live in a big city.

Keep in mind that police officers (who make their living with handguns as central tools) only have about an average of 25% accuracy on target during gun fights. You might be a bit better, but under stress you never know. With two or more armed assailants, only landing 25% of your five or six rounds (that's just one or two rounds on target before you run dry) may add up to a problem for you, especially since you have no immediate access to backup like the police typically do, often right there with them on scene, and even with that you likely couldn't talk a cop (whether his AO is rural or urban) into a five or six round magazine for his Glock.

Absolutely, whats not to like about a S&W wheel gun!

Yeah - but you ain't Jerry.

None of the police officers that I have known (and some of them are pretty gunny) would agree that the handgun is a central tool. They will also tell you that most of their brothers are not very competent with a handgun.

But your point is still valid. Being rural doesn't guarantee safety from multiple attackers.

Still a fan of revolvers, and I might buy another (S&W 69 calling out to me). But autos are a priority any more.

Agreed on both points.

First, most police officers are not gun guys. They qualify once or twice a year, and that is pretty much the extent of their handgun usage. If you feel it is not unreasonable that you may be assaulted by one or more individuals where you live, then you should reconsider where you have decided to live. I live out in the country where I would be more likely to be assaulted by a deer. In fact I was last week - one ran into the side of my car while I was driving to work. Guess we're gonna just have to agree to disagree on this.

Don

You figure the shooters are gonna stop and give you time to sell your place and move?

You continue to impress.

Do you ever go into town?

Have not been sitting on my hands, but you've still got me beat.

Last 1 1/2 - 2 yrs

27-2
25-5
625-2
625-6
15-4

Bumming the pawn shops today, found 2 very nice S&W semi-autos (3913 & a .40 cal), a sweet Super Redhawk in .41 magnum, and a primo low round count Security Six .357.

It was about 4". I don't remember exactly, seems 4.2"??

Of course, I commute to work in a small city. This is getting pretty monotonous, can't you just accept that somebody has an opinion different from yours? Sheesh!

Don

It's you that seems to become angered at a difference of opinion, not me.

My revolver to pistol ratio is 55/45.

rimfire ratio is revolver to pistol ratio is 3/5

center-fire revolver to pistol ratio is 2/1

The last handguns that I bought were used, a Taurus 441 and a Rossi 515.

I bought this one today:



S&W 45 Caliber Model of 1950, aka "pre-22." Chambered in 45 ACP. Made in about 1957 and not too beat up for a 60-year old; somewhat of a rare gun. No grips in the picture because it came with a pair of Pachmayr grips that were promptly discarded into my parts box. The trigger is incorrect, the hammer has been bobbed, and the front sight has been painted. All good things as it convinced the store to sell it to me for $400 out the door Some elbow grease and a pair of Magna grips and it'll be shootin' in no time.

A guy that can't think of the utility of a revolver isn't doing much thinking.

5-8 rounds, on a moon clip if you prefer, of ballistics a semi-auto can only dream of. Target wadcutters, self defense, bird shot, and hunting ammo all in the same cylinder. The type of utility I've actually used, I dunno, maybe a 1,000 times?

I've yet to be in the same dimension of needing a double column plastic fantastic even once.

I'm doing my part.
I only own three handguns, all revolvers.

Just picked up this Model 10-8 a few weeks ago.

I am trying to do my part as well.
Picked up a model 65 LadySmith about 6 months ago, a model 25-5 4" about a month ago and started the process last night on a model 696. All Smith and Wesson of course and for those not familiar, 357 Magnum K frame, 45 Colt N frame and 44 Special L frame.
I better stop there for a little while. Need to get out and shoot them more.
Take care,

Been trying to do my part...I think maybe 4-5 last year.... Just picked up this one yesterday...






It's old but I guess it will still shoot...

Bob

Ooh, Aah! Got one of those myself, a few months ago. Very, very nice.

Don

Does that say .327 Magnum? If so, what's the story behind it?

.327 Federal Magnum, I assume. An awesome round that should be more popular, but because of limited availability of factory loaded ammo and firearms, isn't.

I've been looking at an extremely clean S&W 10-8 heavy barrel. Very tempted and may well buy it. I need to do some price research as I have no idea what is a decent price. But I like the revolver a lot. I also happen to be a total pushover when it comes to model 58's.

It's amazing how high in asking price a good, clean, pre-83 S&W revolver has on it nowadays, especially the K-Frames. Many are pushing a grand, particularly stainless snub nosed K-Frames. In five years, it might be the Python phenomenon all over again with K-Frame pre-83 snub nosed revolvers.

I have one that's like new. Not selling, though. I think I paid like $450 for it about five years ago.

I think I can do $400 out the door and the revolver is almost spotless. Only a very light drag line on the cylinder, no blue wear at the muzzle, etc.

Snatch that.

True dat...

I reload for mine:




Freedom Arms M97.

Bob,

That is sweet. I am sure you have a story for us.

^^^^^^

Palpitations.

...didn't think anyone would be interested.....

http://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/18953/smith-da-327-project

A couple of sixguns that Alan built for me some time ago utilized Al Seigrist for the rebore. David Clements suggested him to me many years ago. Both were 38 WCF's, a S&W Highway Patrolman and an old Flattop Ruger Blackhawk.

Thanks Bob,

Yes, I now remember previous discussion of this project. It came out beautifully.

I bet it shoots as good as it looks.

Hubba hubba!! That's a beauty.....

I am also doing my part. 2016 was a "banner" year for me, with 36 S&Ws revolvers added to my stable. And, the only one with the Kwikset key lock in the side of it, with cast hammer & trigger is this one:

That hurts just looking at it. I hope you didn't buy any ammo....

It hurts a lot less than the BFR single action in .500 that I had!

Still buying? Smart people are.😜

It hurts less than the 329 PD also. I got a hairline wrist fracture shooting off six hot and heavy hard cast Magnum rounds from one once. Never again. It's a .44 Special as far as I'm concerned from now on.

I fired a friend's 500 about five years ago.

Two handguns that I what to get someday, one is a decent 1911. The other is one of those 8 shot Smth&wessons. R8 and I can't remember the other model...

well, I recently added a new El Paso Tanker holster, for a 5" .44mag



for some reason don't have a pic of my newest Revo, a Ruger .480 Bisley. It shoots quite nicely.

That is a great piece there.

No more plastika for me at least with handguns. 1911 or Revolver.

Why not?

nothing to do with function at all, it is just a personal thing. In my mind they are disposable

Good on you, Oldelkhunter.

Don

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS x 1,000^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Only autos I own are S&Ws made between 1964-2000, and not one has plastic in it. Being 56 years old, plastic way back when had a bad connotation to it; like when they started making dashboards out of plastic for autos. YUCK! I guess that has been with me forever and I cannot abide a plastic handgun, for me it says "disposable" when it cracks in an odd place.

I have a Shield .40 and a Glock 23 . No flies on either one but I still prefer old school stuff. Going to buy another 1911 on Sunday.

I view "plastic" guns similarly, but for a different reason. To my mind, and eye, polymer pistols have no "soul." Their history is not the history of fine hand-work, the work of men long-trained and expert in arms manufacturing, but instead is a story of the triumph of materials science and lean-manufacturing. Good things to be sure, but not fine things.

Polymer guns make wonderful tools--and I own several, and regard them as tools the way I regard a particularly efficient dishwasher or garage door opener--but they do not move me in the slightest. I have no sentiment for them, the way I feel when I see a S&W Registered Magnum or a Colt Shooting Master. Some say there is no place for sentiment in the firearms world. I feel sorry for those people.

Yep, my last one was a S&W Model 53..

Finally got to lay my hands on the new Ruger GP100 in .44 special today and really liked it!

And yes, I'll be adding one to my arsenal soon!

I was in Bass Pro tonight in Round Rock. They had very very few revolvers compared to autos, sad.

My carry gun is the Ruger LCR in .357. When hunting it's the Ruger 4" in .44. I would have to say the younger generation is going with the autos. I base this on my boy and his friends, They are all ex-military so that might have something to do with it.
Mike

FIrepower and massive amounts of it, they see what 14 rounds opposed to 6 will do.

I somewhat agree with the those Revolver Lovers. The thought of owning an old well-made six shooter is more appealing to a lot of handgun owner's, myself included. That being said, I only own one and it's a .22 WMR that I use for rodent control around the house. It's fun to shoot with .22 shotshells and it does the job on Chipmunks and squirrels. That is the only Revolver I own because my other handguns are for personal protection and I want a tool that's meant for the job. I like the fact that I can pull the trigger 13 times without reloading. Gives me a little more sense of security plastic or not, than facing three robber's breaking in my house with a six-shooter. But as I said, I don't see anything wrong with being enamored with a revolver.

Speaking of Plastic. Has anyone had a Composite-Frame pistol break on you? I have several and I put hundreds of rounds through them without any sign of structural damage. Maybe a scratch or two, but nothing substantial.

I have never seen one break.

A popular gun store near me has only one small side counter with revolvers in it. The main counter, five times longer, is filled with autos of various makes and models.

Nope.

Watch4bear: I am still buying revolvers (along with a few select semi-autos).
But I am concentrating on "investment" revolvers as opposed to revolvers I intend to shoot (I have enough "shootable" revolvers to last three lifetimes!).
I have been amazed over the last several years as to the appreciation in value of both Colt and Smith & Wesson (not the recent "trigger lock models"!) revolvers!
Albeit the "market" of recent in new semi-auto offerings has most of the market at retail outlets - the "older" revolvers made by Smith & Wesson and Colt are now a better "investment"!
So at this time that's my main interest.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

You covered my thoughts on the matter better than I would have said it myself.
My revolver to pistol ratio is 5:1 and I don't own any polymer handguns.

Yep! Been buying up Pre-Lock, Pre-MIM, Pinned Barreled Smith & Wessons. Most of my collection consists of Model 19's (one of the finest revolvers made), but I also have a soft spot for the Model 25-5 in .45 Colt. My most recent acquisition (which has yet to arrive) is a 5 screw K-38 Masterpiece made in 1954, which will be put to good use shooting wadcutters.

Don

S&W K22 & K38, both 1947 vintage:

Would like to have one of those some day. They are just so darn expensive when I find them here.

USSR1991: I had to finally look up (Google!) what "MIM" means.

Definitions: Acronym Definition; MIM: Metal Injection Molding: MIM: Mendelian Inheritance in Man: MIM: Man in the Middle: MIM: Multilateral Initiative on Malaria: MIM: Metal ...

I am assuming that the "MIM" you refer to in your post ("Pre-MIM Smith's) has something to do with the Google optional definition "Metal Injection Molding"?
How do I tell which type parts are in prospective Smith & Wesson revolvers I may come across?
Is there a date of manufacture cut/off or start up for me to look for?
Congratulations on the latest acquisition of the K-38 Masterpiece!
I remember as a young policeman trying for 5 years to get to "Expert" class in my departments quarterly qualifications thus allowing me to "trade up" from a Smith & Wesson Model 10 to a Smith & Wesson Model 14 (K-38 Target Masterpiece) there in the early 1970's.
I foolishly turned that fine pistol back in to the department for a Smith & Wesson Model 66 several years later!
I am guessing I put at least 10,000 rounds of quality wadcutter ammunition through that K-38 in quarterly qualifications, practice and some Varmint and Grouse Hunting.
Fine pistol it was - enjoy yours.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Some time in the 1990s they switched to MIM for the trigger, sear, hammer. They have a very different look. One key to tell with blued guns is that pre-MIM parts were color case hardened. Easy to tell with stainless, too, but I don't know how to convey it to you in writing.

Pure class!

An easy way to tell is the GOOD forged hammer has the firing pin mounted to it. The cast POS (MIM) hammer does not have the firing pin mounted to it (rimfires excepted). Also, on the cast POS (MIM) trigger, it is hollowed out at the rear of it; making it easier to tell if you have a hammerless (think model 642, etc.) gun with cast POS (MIM) or forged metal (not hollowed out at rear). Ever notice that when anyone goes to sell a MIM S&W in the classifieds that they linger a long time before selling? Whereas the forged S&Ws seem to sell immediately, unless they're priced "higher than giraffe pu*sy"!!

I have to find my way into DO's will...




Travis

I am jealous! Want a 610 to go with my glock! But i did just pick up a model 29 6.5 inch.

When I started buying hand guns the wheel gun was king. I have autos but still favor a revolver, here's some of them

Here's my S&W K-22and K-38. The K-22 has target hammer and target trigger. I just put the target grips back on.

Smith and Wesson has what are called "dash" variations in their model numbers (Model 14, 14-1, 14-2, etc.). If you are looking at a particular model number, just Google it for info, or go to one of the Smith and Wesson Forums and ask questions. The MIM parts started sometime in the 90's as previously mentioned.

Don

Some good wheelgun porn there....can you tell me what the second from top is?

Thanks,
Tim

Desertoakie and USSR1991: Thank you both for the direction and information.
I will keep an eye on the resale times for the MIM type Smith & Wessons from now on - I am aware and have been amazed at the lingering and not selling off of the retailers display cases the newish trigger lock Smith & Wesson models!
It is amazing how poorly they sell.
Thanks again for the tips.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I bought a 15-3 a couple weeks ago. So, yeah.
Not only did I buy a 15-3, I'll also need a holster and grips, so I can help support the revolver after market industry.

As far as Handguns go I have one 1911 and three single action revolvers. If I were going out and buying a handgun today it would be another single action revolver.

Yup...still buying.



Dan

My collection is very heavily semi-autos. That being said I appreciate a good revolver and favor them for field carry.

I have a FA model 97 that is one of my named concealed carry guns here in the PRK.
Have a S&W custom shop 44 Magnum and of course a Colt Python. One of my kids has my S&W model 19 ca. 1960s.

I would love to locate a Colt New Frontier in new or like new condition in .45 cal.

It's horses for courses for me. Self defense is done by my semi-autos like my SIG P229 in .357 SIG.

Tim,

Looks to be a 66-2 or 66-3.

Don

Did the Prius make it home?




Dave

I bought my Performance Center 627 5" eight four years ago. I don't plan on another centerfire handgun for a while. I would like a pre-lock 4" M63 kit gun though. I have nothing against auto's but quality revolvers have a special attraction to me.

Yes it did...the Mrs is very happy with it. It actually has a rather roomy feel inside. Comfortable....but I'll stick with my Titan.

Dan

Are people still buying revolvers? It seems some sporting goods retailers don't think so. The local Farm King store which I would guess sells a substantial percentage of guns purchased, locally, has a handful of revolvers in its handgun display where, 15, 20 years ago they would have been more than half of the handguns displayed.

I visited the Gander Mountain store in Peoria yesterday. Their handgun display case is probably 25-30 yards long. I saw a couple of Ruger LCRs, an SP101, maybe a half dozen or ten S&W hammerless hideout revolvers, one S&W Governor, and a half dozen Taurus DAs. The rest of that long display case was filled with self-loaders.

My guess is that handgun hunters, some CCL holders, cowboy shooters and hardcore gun nuts like myself will continue buying wheel guns, but retailers are betting that the 'average' gun buyer wants an auto.

I've bought a S&W m19-3, a S&W m19-5, and a Dan Wesson m14-2 in the last 2-3 weeks.

I hadn't bought anything in a while and then just went nuts with 357's.

Tim, it's a Mod 66-2

I alternate which gun I carry daily between a Sig Tacops 1911 and a Ruger GP100 that David Clements converted to 10mm.