Looking for a first gun.want a revolver

[loritakmeb]

Would like advice on how to decide on a first gun.have never shot before but am thinking about a Ruger revolver sp101, or something by Smith and Wesson............for personal protection.

 

[Turn Key]

Welcome to INGO loritakmeb

As far as a first gun for you, in a revolver, I'd have to say Smith & Wesson model 66 (if you can find one) would be a great choice. You can practice with .38 caliper and carry .357 magnum for personal protection.

The S&W model 66 was my first handgun.


TK

 

[flagtag]

Revolver is good to start with. It's simple to operate, doesn't jam.
.38 caliber perhaps? Go to a store where you can handle different guns to find one that fits your hand the best.
(I had a FANTASTIC Ruger .38/.357 Police Service Six that had great balance and fit my smaller hand really well. Sold it to pay bills. (Kicking self ever since))

 

[jimbo-indy]

Smith&Wesson or Ruger would be good choices. The 357 chambered ones offer the flexability of using 38's for practice. Fit is the big thing. Try as many as you can before desiding. Revolvers offer a great varity of grips so fit can be further customized. A good revolver will last several lifetimes. I think the Smith has a better trigger, out of the box but Rugers are easier to work on. A Ruger can be smoothed up in an evening and the instructions are available on the net. I did this to one of mineand it made a huge difference.

 

[FieldShunt]

A four-inch Smith & Wesson 686.
It's a tank. You won't hurt it and probably won't wear it out. If you do, it's cheap to fix and has an aftermarket support system of extravagant size.
It will come with a satisfactory trigger in all likelihood that won't mess you up for life learning to work around the worst thing a gun can have: a bad trigger.
The ergos are excellent, it won't wear you out shooting it in a long range session, but you could still carry it if you wanted to.
It won't be as cheap to feed as a Glock 9mm, a reasonable alternative, but if you get to reloading that difference will disappear.
Oddly, I'm not a 686 kind of guy. I have one, a six-inch early no-dash, but all I ever use it for is the winter PPC league. But that doesn't dim my respect for what really has to be the best all-around revolver there is.
Coming from a Colt guy, that hurt to type.

 

[LoveMyRuger]

I bought my first gun, an SP101 357 DAO that I REALLY love last May and wouldn't let go of it for the world BUT I found in class that my shooting improves greatly when I shoot single action. I bought a Smith and Wesson 638 Bodyguard so I can shoot single action but the hammer doesn't get caught on anything. I love shooting both of them and strayed over toward semi-autos just a LITTLE bit but revolvers is where I'm FAR more comfy. I also had Ruger add a hammer to my SP101 so now I'm REALLY happy!

Good luck finding just the right one.....or ones!!!

 

[BIG TIM]

If concealability is your main concern with plenty of power with very little weight, take a look at a model 642 smith+wesson. It is not designed to be a target pistol but it is fairly accurate and is great for self defense.

 

[Richard]

Would like advice on how to decide on a first gun.have never shot before but am thinking about a Ruger revolver sp101, or something by Smith and Wesson............for personal protection.

Buying a revolver for your first handgun is a good idea, they are easy to tell if they are loaded or unloaded & require very little maintenace or attention aside from the occasional cleaning & oiling.

As to which brand/model?

Ruger SP101's, Taurus 85's or a similar S&W model will probably do the job required of it just fine, which model/brand is really less important than going to the firing range to practice until you have a solid working knowledge of your firearm & how to use it in case (God forbid) you ever need to use it in an emergency type situation.

Anyway good luck with your purchase & welcome to INGO forums & to firearms in general.

 

[wp wrecks]

Ruger SP 101 with 3 1/8" barrel would be a great choice.

 

[bigcraig]

The SP101 is an excellent choice for a first gun.

 

[Truckerman79]

Before you buy one I'd go somewhere where you can rent one and take it for a test drive. You may find that you like automatics better.

 

[Joe Williams]

I'm a huge revolver fan. My 3" barrelled SP101 was one of my favorite guns of all time. I highly recommend it as a compact carry gun. You can read my thoughts on mine here: Ruger SP101 w/ 3 1/6" Barrel Review.

I carry a very recently acquired S&W Model 66 now. A whole different size class, but still an excellent carry, target, and all round useful gun, with a legendary background.

 

[haldir]

My first handgun was also a model 66 S&W. Great gun has had hundreds of rounds through it without a hiccup. I still have it and doubt I would ever get rid of it.

 

[hookedonjeep]

Big Tim is right.... The Smith 642 is an Excellent first time carry piece.... it will do the job, but only holding 5 rounds - you should carry two of them

 

[HandK]

I would say for your first gun to stay away from the shorter barrel 2in models and go for a three or four inch the added whieght will help with recoil and improve shot groups, I have seen alot of people show upp for range day on a CCW class with a two inch 38 and not be able to shoot the qualifing course, just my two cents worth, hapy hunting for your first gun, Gary

 

[wp wrecks]

I'm a huge revolver fan. My 3" barrelled SP101 was one of my favorite guns of all time. I highly recommend it as a compact carry gun. You can read my thoughts on mine here: Ruger SP101 w/ 3 1/6" Barrel Review.

I carry a very recently acquired S&W Model 66 now. A whole different size class, but still an excellent carry, target, and all round useful gun, with a legendary background.

Enjoyed your review on the SP 101. You were pretty much spot on with every word. Excellent review of an excellent gun. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Donnelly]

My first gun, a`S&W model 66. Regret the day I decided to trade it for something "more compact, for easier carry".
Very sweet memories with my S&W 66.

 

[wtfd661]

Ruger SP101 was my first gun that I bought and I still have it. Great gun, I agree that a .357 is the way to go with using the .38 spl for extended range sessions, but you have to practice using the .357 magnun load also. As far as this comment,

I have seen alot of people show upp for range day on a CCW class with a two inch 38 and not be able to shoot the qualifing course

,

while I am in no way saying your comment or opinion is not valid, I wonder if that would be tied more to lack of practicing (before trying to qualify) vs the barrel size. Just wondering.

 

[Yamadog35]

I was in this position not all that long ago. Some friends that are long time gun owners talked me into a Smith Model 60 with 3" barrel. I don't how available these are but mine has worked well for me. Shoots well with the flexibility of .38 special or .357. I've since obtained a couple of semi-autos for carry but this revolver is my trusty go to gun by the bed.
You can see a decent review of this gun here: Smith & Wesson Model 60-15 3-inch Barrel J-frame Revolver in .357 Magnum

 

[45-70]

Another SP101 fan here. Easy to conceal and heavy enough to know you're carrying it.