SA revolver as a first gun

[cnemeth]

Would a SA revolver be a good choice as a first handgun?
I like Ruger's convertible models and the .357/9MM with the 4 5/8" barrel looks interesting. It will give me all the benefits of starting out with low powered .38's and then I can work up to .357's. It will also allow me to use cheap, bulk, low recoil 9MM ammo for practice. I also the the .45LC/.45ACP model, but the .357/9MM might be a better choice.

Thanks

 

[10mmrules]

I think a lot of thought should be given to the matter as to the use first, and consider it as an investment to keep, and not mearly a "first gun".

If you are going for target competition get a kimber gold match. if the gun is for self defense, and concealment go glock, 29/30.

By all means GET A GUN TO KEEP dont get into the trap a lot of us do including me. Trading in you are always loosing your but! like people who use pawn shops.

It is nice to get advise, But a gun has to be personal. It has to fit you and your hand. It has to have an attraction from you.

Go to a gun range, and rent several guns, and pick one that is comfortable to you. If it is for ccw it will be your best friend.

It must feel like your freind. If it feels awkward or like a burdon when carrying . then it will be.

the most ergonomic gun I ever cattied was a walther ppk/s. I moved up to a glock G29 and have never looked back.

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[shamster]

Single action revolvers may be fun, but if you plan on using this gun for home defense or concealed carry, I would not get a single action. Having to thumb cock each shot is not conducive to the speed that is needed in a crisis situation.
Unless you plan on only using this gun for the range, I would get a double action revolver instead.

 

[cnemeth]

This gun would be used mostly a the range and maybe someday for SASS contests. I also like the idea of getting lots of inexpensive practice with 9MM ammo. I would be looking to hold onto this gun for a long time, I live in NYC and I'm sure the procedure to trade guns would be complicated.

 

[Rod WMG]

In spite of the misgivings of the previous posters, based on the parameters you expressed earlier in another thread and given your expression of preferences, I think this would be an excellent "first gun."

After all, each purchase/gun is a learning experience. You will learn a great deal from such a gun. And it can be used for defense/home protection in a pinch.

Hardly anyone stops at just one gun, so go ahead and get this one, if that's what you like. It's certainly well-made and interesting and will serve you well. (I always advise people first and foremost to buy what they like.)

One suggestion, if you can rent or borrow other types and compare them with the SA guns, it will confirm your likes (or deny them), if your haven't already done that.

Good "hunting!"

 

[James K]

Hi, Cnemeth and Guys,

Given NYC laws, Cnemeth is giving a lot of thought to a first gun because it could be an only gun or first of a very few.

An SA has some advantages for licensing, as it is not an "ugly" or "hi-cap" gun like a Glock. Some cops feel that "cop guns" should not be allowed for civilians, and NYC is bad that way. Also, legal carrying is just about out of the question unless you pay a healthy bribe or are well-connected politically (and maybe pay a big bribe called a "campaign contribution").

An SA is a fun gun, and two cylinders mean twice the fun. It is not a bad gun for home defense, either. I wouldn't necessarily advise a SA for a first gun under other conditions, but I think it may be right for you.

Jim

 

[cnemeth]

Jim is right about NYC. After the first purchase, each additional purchase requires preapproval by the NYPD. you need to fill out a form that states caliber, barrel length, whether its a revelver or semi-auto (I beleieve), and the reason for wanting this gun. Because of this, any new request can be refused for any reason. Recently many people who had ccw permits for decades were rejected when they went to renew the permit.

An interesting point at NYC procedure is, from what I know about it, is when your target permit is finialized, you receive the form that allows you to purchase a gun. I think you can use this to get any handgun with no preapproval. So I might be better off getting a Glock or similar high-cap gun. It might be much harder to get approval for a high-cap semi-auto later on.

Once the NYPD gives me permission to practice at my range, I can "buy" a gun then. The range will hold it in their name and cannot be removed from the range when the permit is finalized, it will then be transferred into my name. My main concern about my first choice is that my next chance
will not be until probably May of 2000. That is why I'm looking for a gun that will give me the best shooting experience, but is someting that I will enjoy and have fun shooting.

Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[Rod WMG]

cnemeth,

I read your post and was incensed. the Constitution is dead and buried in NYC. "...the right of the people to KEEP and BEAR arms shall not be infringed" (emphasis added). How could any judge, regardless of personal feelings, let this unconstitutional situaltion stand? We, as a nation, have no integrity or loyalty to the Constitution at all.

I really feel for you and your fellow shooters and would-be shooters in New York.
Based on this revelation, my advice is reemphasized, rent or borrow as many types of guns as you can. See which type/caliber suits you best. For me personally, given your situation just described, the choice is clear: .357 Smith DA revolver with a 3 or 4 inch barrel. It will be fun (and relatively cheap to shoot), can be used effectively for defense, and could be carried, if you ever got that extreme luxury. Plus, if you get into reloading, you can fairly inexpensively make this a very versatile gun.

I think you have given this some careful thought and believe you will make a wise decision.

 

[JoeHatley]

cnemeth, Normally I would recomend a .22 as a first handgun. No recoil, low noise, and inexpensive ammo are all helpfull in the learning process. However given your criteria of needing to accomplish several tasks with one firearm, I would say your choice of a dual cylinder S/A is an excellent compromise. I own a Blackhawk convertible in .45. Fun factor is very high!!! Without having to spend much cash. Joe

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Go NRA

 

[Robert Foote]

It sounds like NYC has essentially managed to become a totalitarian's dream. I live out where there are more cows than people and EVERY vehicle has a gun in it. Tourists with NY plates come through and I often wonder what they could possibly be thinking. At any rate, what you have now is the future I will resist with force if necessary.

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[slabsides]

This shooter has a special problem. He must effectively make that '...if you could have only one gun what would it be...' decision, thanks to NY's idiot firearms restrictions. I would never allow myself to be trapped in such a jurisdiction, but I understand that we sometimes have little choice in these matters. In such a situation, I would probably want to get a Thompson/Center Contender single shot pistol with a .22 lr barrel, to start with. It's as far from a 'cop' gun as could be, and shouldn't set off alarm bells with the registration-goons. Then as finances allowed, and without having to go through reregistration or an FFL, I could pick up additional caliber barrels inexpensively...even by mail order. You can even buy a kit that makes the gun a neat light carbine, in varmint and deer calibers. The frame is the serial #'d part of the T/C and is all that the NY regestapo can control or license. Defense? Any gun that is dependable and accurate will do in a pinch. I wouldn't buy a Glock or SIG if my heart told me to go SA, just because it's a 'better defense handgun'. We don't have to defend against charging hordes of Mongols or Wild Indians any more: A single action, or even a single shot, can defend you very well, if you keep your cool and use the tool. slabsides.

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An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a slave.

 

[James K]

Hi, Bob Foote,

Those New York tourists are thinking either:

a. How they can ban those guns or,
b. How they can steal them.

Jim

 

[DonL]

A good point was made above. What would be the easier choice to be "approved" in the People's Republic of New York, a .22 target pistol, or a Sig, Glock, Colt, or H&K? The decision process almost has to be reversed here, and go for more gun now and step back to a smaller caliber or single action later.

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Don LeHue

The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arms reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.