Old dude here in my seventies. Had a little .22 experience as a Kansas kid and then .38 & .45 qualified in the Air Force 50 years ago. Never was really into it. Our 6,000 rpm gatling on the aircraft was kind of where our focus was back then.

Got the bug for a home defense handgun for self and another for 35 year old son with little gun experience.

Settled on S&W Performance Center 627-5 .357 with 5" barrel. Shot it yesterday at a range. Really couldn't tell the difference in feel from the half-the-price 620 but I like quality so will purchase a 627. Also like that it is 8 rounds. Will use .38 hollow point for defense.

Your assistance with the following would be greatly appreciated:

1. Price at Bud's Gun Shop is $990 including shipping. Presumably no sales tax shipped to California. Local gun store is $1225 plus 9% tax. Question: is there any better deal than Bud's?

2. Grant Boys gun store Costa Mesa, CA will charge $125 to act as FFL. $30 of that goes to government. Question: Should I shop for a better FFL delivery price or is $125 the market.

3. I wear trifocal glasses. When the gun sights are in focus the target is a blur. If I focus on the target; the gun sights are a blur. At the range I shot a little .38 with Crimson Trace laser. Seems like the way to go for me. Any comments, advice or sharing your experience with laser sights? Is Crimson the best laser sight? I watched their demo tape. Impressive. Price is $269 from Amazon.

4. I looked at, but didn't shoot, a gun with Meprolight Tritium Light source sights. Even in day light this seemed to let me focus on the target and still have pretty good idea where the gun sights were even if blurred. Question; The 627 comes with a Gold Bead front sight which one reviewer like very much. Is having both Tritium Light and Crimson Trace a bit over the top or an OK concept? I haven't seen the Gold Bead yet.

In summary; where to buy and to which FFL have it shipped? The other stuff is just grist for the mill.

Many thanks in advance for any replys.

my ffl here in tucson charges me $15 for guns he does not stock. 25 if he does. I would sop around.

Bud's prices are usually fair.

That $125.00 transfer fee is outrageous! Go elsewhere.

Primary focus should be on the front sight. Rear sight and target should blur slightly. Use whichever lens allows you to focus best on the front sight.

Tritium sight are great for low light shooting, not the best for daylight but useable. You'll have your best luck if you learn to shoot with the sights before moving on the laser.

Riflegear in Costa Mesa charges $75 total for transfers.

Just a few notes.

One, that 125 dollar fee for a transfer is outrageous, here in Michigan it can range from 25 bucks to 40. I know that California is "way out there" in regards to guns but you should be able to do better by shopping around.

Two, the 627 is totally sweet, however I think the slab sided barrels on the current lineup are butt ugly. I'll also note that 620 is the most accurate 357 Magnum you can get for the money, it's one heck of a bargain.

Sights for old eyes. IMO the best choice for us old geezers is an optical sight. I've recently installed J Point Reflex sights on 3 of my revolvers and they are just the ticket for making the youngsters sit up and take notice. If you're interested in a much better sight, check the following link. Note, because the projected image for the dot is about 40 yards out, you shoot using the portion of your lens for infinity focus.

You'll also want to read all of my posts on these sights because they are NOT perfect. There's an installation issue with one screw that must be shortened, a real PITA because #6 screws are tiny, and the optical quality is NOT perfect. However, if you accept the compromises made to minimize the weight, you'll find they make shooting accurately very very easy. I've managed a 1 3/4 inch group with my 620 from a bench rest at 35 yards with this sight and if I had better trigger control I'm certain I could have shot a group 1/2 that size.

Purchased 2 more J Point Reflex sights, range report.

PS; here's a teaser pic showing the dot.

You're not really gonna find anyone to do transfers in any major metropolitan area in California for much less than $75.00. I've never heard of less than $50. I currently pay $75, and it's a 2 hour round trip; twice.

Sorry about the transfer fees in CA. I get mine for much less.

Good choice on the 627PC. I really like stainless N frames with 5” barrels. Mine is really sweet.

I am at the age where bifocals do a nice job of intruding on my fun. As someone who grew up shooting small bore rifle, I always focused on the target and let the sights be fuzzy. I know I shoot pistols “incorrectly” but I do much the same thing with them. I align the sights and then focus on the target leaving the sights fuzzy. It seems to work for me.

I feel sympathy for you concentrating on the Vulcan in the AF. I was in the Marine Corps and we had the Hughes MK IV gun pod. Slightly lower rate of fire, and lower reliability as well. What a combination!

__________________
Tom

Very helpful information. Greatly appreciated.

That 620 is sure tempting for the price. The 627 is currently $990 at Buds. The 620 is under $600 on their Police site.

At the range I found the Crimson Trace sure made up for a lot of sins.

I've found a nearby FFL for $75. Seems to be the local price except for Grant Boys who were $125.

What is the "$30 of that goes to the government" thing? Perhaps a California state transfer fee? There is no fee to the feds.

From CA Attorney General site. DROS is now $25
In CA they bypass he laws to increase taxes by calling many items "fees".

How much is the Dealer's Record of Sale (DROS) fee?
The State's DROS fee is $19.00 which covers the costs of the background checks and transfer registry. There is also a required $1.00 Firearms Safety Testing fee and a $5.00 Safety and Enforcement fee. If the transaction being processed is a dealer sale, consignment return, or return from pawn, the dealer may impose other charges as long as this amount is clearly shown as a "dealer fee" and not misrepresented as a state fee. In the event of a private party transfer, the firearms dealer may additionally charge a fee of $10 per firearm transferred.

When settling on the purchase price of a firearm and before completing the transaction, you may want to ask the dealer to disclose and identify any and all fees he/she is charging to complete the transaction.