Fighting revolver discussion & picture thread!

JimH

Regular Member
@JimH The only problem with those Thunder Ranch guns is the cylinder. The TR-R8 and/or 327 (and 627) model are 8-shot .357s, but Clint Smith spec'ed out a 6-shot .45ACP. Why the reduction in both power and capacity?
I agree. And the moon clips for .45acp as well. lAt the time I was only interested in .45acp caliber , so that was what I went with.

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JimH

Regular Member
@JimH The only problem with those Thunder Ranch guns is the cylinder. The TR-R8 and/or 327 (and 627) model are 8-shot .357s, but Clint Smith spec'ed out a 6-shot .45ACP. Why the reduction in both power and capacity?

Man, I wish they’d make the TR-R8 without the MIM parts and Hillary hole.
Yes, all dogs have fleas. However, I believe it creates an opportunity for someone to start making a quality offering.

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BennyAdeline

Amateur
Yes, all dogs have fleas. However, I believe it creates an opportunity for someone to start making a quality offering.

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Agreed. While I don’t own any S&Ws with the mom parts or lock, I would still consider one at a good price. My Glocks are my most trusted guns and are drilling in MIM parts
 

Sunshine_Shooter

Established
Man, I wish they’d make the TR-R8 without the MIM parts and Hillary hole.
MIM parts don't bother me. MIM is fine, as long as you design the parts within the operating envelope of the material. The same can be said of Steel, aluminum, polymer, etc. Rugers are known for how tough they are, and they were designed from Day 1 to be cast framed to reach a price point. A part being cast or MIM isn't the issue, it's when people replace forged or milled peices with MIM and don't redesign to account for the different properties.

As to the frame lock, there are plugs that can be bought. If you won't buy one on principle, well, that's up to you.
 

Frailer

Newbie
I always see these threads devolve into discussions of dad's or grandad's duty weapon...that's probably a clue as to efficacy of a revolver as a fighting gun.
Even in the world of anti-beast use (moose, bear, etc) I find it difficult to justify a revolver over a pistol in 10mm or even a hot .45ACP.

If someone would produce a quality snubnose, hammerless, 9mm revolver I'd be about it for niche applications. But I don't see any revolver working its way into a carry gun role over a fighting pistol.

As a guy who’s quickly approaching grandpa age and no longer carries a gun for a living my primary considerations regarding a carry gun are reliability and comfort. Capacity is great, and if I’m shooting a pistol match I’ll have a full-sized Glock, but for day-to-day activities my go-to guns are a Glock 26 or a J-frame. When comfort is called for, an airweight in a good appendix holster is tough to beat.

Plus, old school is cool.

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BennyAdeline

Amateur
As a guy who’s quickly approaching grandpa age and no longer carries a gun for a living my primary considerations regarding a carry gun are reliability and comfort. Capacity is great, and if I’m shooting a pistol match I’ll have a full-sized Glock, but for day-to-day activities my go-to guns are a Glock 26 or a J-frame. When comfort is called for, an airweight in a good appendix holster is tough to beat.

Plus, old school is cool.

View attachment 2899

A j Frame AIWB is a dream.

Gorgeous humpback you’ve got there!
 

DPapale

Amateur
So I picked this up a little while ago, mostly on a whim but also in no small part because I felt like I should reward Colt for making something like this again. While it's every bit the weight of a 19 and most of the size all while holding just over 1/3 the capacity, and there's no earthly explanation why I should carry it, I find myself giddy shooting it when I want a 70s cop vibe. Big easy to find front sight, smooth trigger, works well with speed strips and feels geat in my hand...not that it's going to replace my regular carry guns but I wouldn't feel horribly undergunned with the 158gr +p lswc fbi loads either, which are soft shooting out of this heavy thing.

Dan
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Bub

Amateur
Looking forward to tomorrow nights revolver discussion. Personally I carry a J-frame on a regular bases and have at times felt a little under gunned listening to some of the discussions.
 

BennyAdeline

Amateur
What’s everybodies preferred fighting ammo in a .357? I’m very partial to .38+P 158gr semi wadcutter hollow points...the old FBI load.
 

TexasPrac

Amateur
Capacity is great, and if I’m shooting a pistol match I’ll have a full-sized Glock, but for day-to-day activities my go-to guns are a Glock 26 or a J-frame.

I'm heading the opposite direction. I carry compact or full size guns, and I'll still use them for USPSA and local matches. But I'm switching to revolvers for IDPA and Steel Challenge for 2019.

Partially because I came up on semi autos and want to see if there is any truth to the old "if you master the revolver double action you'll have better trigger control" lore, and partially because after analyzing video of my steel challenge runs, I'm getting into a very bad habit of looking beyond my current shot to the next target, and missing. I am hoping limiting myself to a 6 shot (or even 5 shot) revolver for steel challenge will really force myself to be in the moment for every single trigger pull on every target and improve my accuracy and match results with the high cap semis as well.
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
I didn't know whether to make a new thread, post here, or post in the mousegun thread (I picked here obviously).

I went out to the range today and did some POI testing with both a 442 .38 special as well as a 4" K frame 38 DAO. Remembering the discussion on the modcast about fixed sight revolvers (and also applicable to about any fixed sight gun), and finding a bullet weight that hits to your POA, I tried several types of 38 ammo in both guns today to really dial in what I should be carrying.

I will try to grab a picture, but from the 12 yard line with both revolvers, the POI difference between a 130 grain and 158 grain was drastic, between 3-4 inches, with the 158 predictably being the higher POI, and luckily enough almost exactly matching my POA. POA/POI difference was small enough that with both guns hits to a b/c sized steel plate at about 40 yards was doable aiming at the center of the target. As always, practice and testing will continue.

Just something to consider, as I haven't seen that sort of difference before, and really drove home the point to me that ammo selection in these guns is critical to setting yourself up for success should you need to shoot, and especially if it is an accuracy intensive shot.
 

Nate Osborne

NateMac
Staff member
Moderator
Finally grabbed some pictures. The target with everything low was with 130 grain PMC, and the other is with 158 grain LRN blazer. 5 shots with with 442 and 6 with the k frame on each. Obviously trigger control wasn't perfect here, targets were between 12-13 yds away.
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MOT

Regular Member
Carried a lot and shot relatively little. Less than 14oz loaded with 38spl. I love it for what it is and what it can do, however, not my first choice for anything other than a pocket blaster.
 

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Based Dude

Newbie
I have always liked revolvers.
Growing up, the good guys all had a S&W (Kor L?) or Colt Python, back when they allowed a crossdraw holsters, complete with the Buck 110 back behind the speed loader pouches...
Top of my current watch list are the used Wiley Clapp Rugers.
I look back at the craziness of what the SAA prices were, and the current Stratospheric snake gun prices, and would rather buy one that I don't have to do any work on, that has good characteristics.
Speaking of work, I did start to head down the path of improving the modern revolver using the Thunder Ranch 325..did not get very far..
View attachment 2890
This is the S&W way....


View attachment 2891View attachment 2892
This was as far as I got. Did a little work on the TLR-1's to pull them back so far. Both had Apex firing pin kits as well...
do you have any issues with blast from the cylinder gap on your fingers when using the light??
 
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