Should I ever buy a non-9mm pistol?

[tallball]

I am woozy from anaesthesia, so please forgive me if this has already been suggested...

A Ruger Blackhawk with the spare ("convertible") cylinder. You could maybe get a longish barrel for variety. A powerful "Blackhawk only" 357 load would be quite different from 9mm. Or you could use weak 38 loads for plinking, something that can't be done with a semi-auto because there is no need for a round snappy enough to push the slide back.

A 6.5" or 7.5" 357 would be good for hunting.

And you could swap the cylinders (takes 30 seconds if I am slow that day) to shoot 9mm ammo whenever you felt like it. Buying 38's or 357's would be optional.

 

[Darker Loaf]

Pond, James Pond: "I concede defeat: it honestly sounds like you've already decided

Get the Glock 10mm and leave the .44.

I may sulk for a while, but I'll get over it...."

Heh. I dunno. I may have to get a magnum revolver and a 10mm. I'm going to read more about .40 S&W out of 10mm Glocks, but it sounds really promising. I'd have my cheap plinker ammo in .40, and something hotter for the trail, whitetail, and self-defense. I'll say this, 10mm is more like a compromise cartridge, halfway between rifle strength magnums and pistol-strength magnums.

To those of you who say revolvers: I own a 9mm S&W 986 and I love double-action revolver shooting. It made a convert out of me. Now a I really want a DAO snub-nosed 9mm revolver, mostly just for the challenge of shooting a DA snub.

tallball: It has been suggested to me, and I've known of the Ruger Blackhawk convertibles for a long time. But you can be forgiven for not having seen it the one sentence suggesting this buried in these many pages. Plus, a convertible is a plain good idea. The only thing that makes me hesitate is I'm not a fan of single-action to the degree that I am a double-action fan. Yes, I've had experience with single-action in the form of a Ruger Blackhawk in the .357 variety for about one year. I just find double action more fun, but singles are cool. Also, convertibles are not purpose-built 9's, meaning their bore is wider than a 9mm bore. Those are not deal-breakers, and if I ever get a single action, you had best believe it'd be a .357 to 9mm conversion.

 

[Slimjim9]

Now a I really want a DAO snub-nosed 9mm revolver, mostly just for the challenge of shooting a DA snub.

Is there one (readily available) other than the Ruger LCR9? Not a bad choice but I'm fine with 38+P from my LCR357.

 

[Kosh75287]

Two (MAIN) ways I'd be tempted to go...

I'D be inclined to find a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt w/interchangeable .45 ACP cylinder. There are certain things that a .45 Colt can do that neither 9mm nor .45 ACP can, beyond using scrounged ammo. With judicious handloading or Buffalo Bore ammo, the .45 Colt will do anything a .44 Magnum will, which would quell your desire for a magnum revolver.

A Blackhawk or other revolver in .357/.38Spl. w/9mm cylinder is another good option. In days when I wasn't wise about pulling stunts with firearms, I found that a friend's Blackhawk w/9mm cylinder shot .380 in a pinch.

My 1982-production .357 Security Six .357 will shoot .38 S&W, 9mm & .38 Super w/o real deficit in accuracy, tho the .38 S&W ammo leads the barrel faster. I don't know if current-production Ruger .357s will do this, but it'd be worth exploring.

If there's a .22 LR conversion kit available for your 9mm pistol, please seriously consider obtaining one of those, w/3 or more extra magazines.

You might also look into a T/C contender, with barrels in various calibers. Not the ultimate in firepower, but it expands your ability to use whatever ammo you find, if things go "middle-east" here.

...NOT that I've given THAT prospect much thought, or anything...

 

[Darker Loaf]

Slimjim9: There aren't any current production 9mm snubs that are small enough to make them worth considering other than the Ruger LCR 9mm. The Chiapas Rhino comes in a 2" barrel length, but it is a tank of a gun--both heavy and wide--not to mention their quality may leave me wanting.

If I could find and old Smith, that'd be awesome. I'm kind of leaning away from the LCR in 9mm, because the extractor rod spins just slightly enough on the two store models I've tried, which could cause the cylinder not to close or interfere with loading. Venom1956 has pointed out to me that with a little file-work, the extractor would be incapable of causing a jam, and others have said, "Just complain to Ruger and send it in," but I hesitate to buy a gun with a problem then hope to fix it later.

But, I like the LCR in 9mm in every other way, so I may just get one yet. Perhaps I'll find a store model without a spinning ejector rod?


Kosh75287: I agree. Ruger-Only .45 LC seems like it can be as stout as .44 mag, and Rugers new .45 LC-cut-for-.45 ACP Redhawk would be the gun for me to get in that category.

A Blackhawk .357 with a conversion 9mm cylinder would be sweet, never mind the purpose. It may be a long-term purchase at some point.

.22 LR conversions are something I am NOT willing to invest in at the moment. I'd buy a dedicated .22 revolver before I would, because I've had tons of irritating problems with semi-auto functioning and .22 LR. I have an absolutely great full-custom 22/45 that runs awesomely (now--after a trip to VQ), but locally, .22 LR is still unavailable. 9mm has taken over the role of .22 LR for plinking for me, and I save all my .22 LR bullets for beginners. I had a bad experience when a last minute shooting trip with a first-time shooter forced me to buy the only .22 LR in town, which was $20 for 50! So, now I simply let my .22 LR stockpile collect dust until somebody who needs it wants to shoot.

If people finally stop hording every single box of .22 LR that hits the shelves, I may reconsider my .22 LR purchases.

TC Contenders are amazing. I may yet own one. I've loved every one that I've fired.

 

[mavracer]

How about the new moon clipped Redhawk shoot 45 acp to buffalo bore 45 colt +p

 

[Hammerhead]

Buy a HK in .45 auto and a reloading press.

HK so it's reliable, .45 because it's a .45, and a press so you can afford to feed it.