Hey Folks,

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First post, attached is pic of my '08 blue 42. I am more of a rifle guy but I do love my S&W revolvers. I am looking for buying suggestions for a cost effective range revolver to be used weekly...

thanks,

okla1911

don't really understand. they are all cost effective if they work. the question seems to be about price,so,what are you comfortable spending? knowing that,we could offer choices

As for a centerfire hard to beat the 586/686. If you dont reload those 38's are cheap and if you want more power use 357's.

Usually the first one that goes in the range bag is a model 15 that I picked up last year. Not a collector but a darn nice shooter.

I buy 4" pre model 10's that are in used but mechanically excellent condition when they come around to me in the $250 range.

Thats a whole lot of value in a pistol. And of course 38's are easy to reload or buy ammo for.

Or a K22 3rd model in 22 rim fire. Truth be told I've shot my k22's many fold more times than anything else.

Spend the money $750ish and get a nice K22 (pre-17) and have a great cheap shooter and a collectable all in one.

Emory

One of the LEA trade ins from buds guns or Robertsons trading post for under $300.

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Wheel guns are real guns too.

^ a good suggestion

Buds guns usually has LE trade-in model 10's and currently Robertsons has some model 64's

Around here a model 10 or really ratty pre-model 10 you can find for around 300 or below

If you want cheaper than that, if you can find a mid 90's or earlier Taurus model 83 or 82 38 special are decent.

I'm not sure the jest of your question meaning what do you want to do and what is best to blast way at low cost, or to shoot and enjoy magnum level recoil or is to practice with what you carry.

For just plain shooting fun any 22LR S&W revolver will do and it will help you polish your trigger control, sight alingment and over all shooting skills. If it to enjoy magnum shooting an L frame in 4 inch will do. if it's to polish your shooting skills with a carry gun then it's practice, practice with what ever you carry.

If it's center fire shooting then reloading will reduce your cost and provide hours of entertainment reloading. The best bargin is a S&W 22LR revolver like a Model 17 or 617 because for $20 you can shoot for hours and hours at the range.
My recommendation is a 617

You have getten some great info here , but I am an old M-28 fan 357 that will shoot .38s like they were .22s then get a K-22 to perfect your revolver skills with .22 rimfire.
Unbeatable combination when you think you are great with the K-22 move up to the M28 with .38 spec. and when you shoot really well move up to the .357s.
I don't think you can lose a cent unless you pay premium price for safe queens. Honest working guns that will shoot better than you can and a little cold blue can work wonders on a gun you can count on as low maintence and a lot of fun.
Don't get me wrong K-L frames in .357 will be arround for a long time but and are easy to transaction back to only easier if you start with a hevier gun.

Just received a 64-6 round butt from J&G yesterday. Spent a little time on the range today. The gun was rated Very Good + by the J&G folks. I'd say their evaluation was fair. The gun is DAO/spurless and very smooth. It shoots beautifully. All in all, it's a lot of gun for $300. I have many thousands of rounds of .38 spl. brass and a Dillon Square Deal set up for that cartridge. That makes it a pretty cheap shooter for the range, and with the right ammo, a pretty decent defensive gun as well.

PC

Model 10-8 from Bud's at $269 shipped.

I installed the front sight.

Buck

Attached Images

S&W M10-8 HB.jpg (159.9 KB, 67 views)

For a revolver that you will use on a weekly basis, one that will not be so expensive to purchase or so rare and valuable that it would be unwise to use it, I'd suggest looking at a K-frame .38 Special or one of the .357 Magnums. Such a revolver is widely available, usually not so expensive. The ammunition is usually not hard to find and is not usually so very high in price unless one is buying high-performance SD/HD ammunition.

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Here is my list of suggestions.
1. s&w model 617 .22 caliber revolver
2. s&w model 10 .38 caliber revolver (used if you can find one but you can buy a new one if you want a new one.)
3. s&w model 64 .38 caliber revolver ( used if you can find one but you can buy a new one if you want a new one.)

I believe an adjustable sighted model revolver will make the O.P. MUCH happier. There is nothing wrong with a .38 Special/.357 Magnum revolver. By all means get an adjustable sighted model. You can adjust the point of impact to suit each load (from mild to wild) without issue. Fixed sighted guns really only shoot to the sights with one load (if you are lucky) and sometimes with NO loads depending on how the shooter holds the revolver.

I picked up a nice Model 15 (adjustable sighted .38 Special) with 4" barrel. It was a former Law Enforcement gun in excellent condition for less than $300 and made a present to my grown son for his house gun. Loaded appropriately it will get the job done in capable hands.

If you cast your own bullets, you can load .38 Specials for under $2.00 per box of fifty. That represents pretty dern economical shooting, in my book.

Dale53

K22 or K38.

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NHI, 10-8.

The revolver that pops into my mind is the Model-14 fairly inexpensive to shoot, dirt cheap if you reload. They are not all that expensive to purchase yet, but prices have been rising steadily over the last few years due to folks discovering they are real shooters. Deadly accurate on the range, a Model 14 will make you look good on paper.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

All good suggestions. FWIW, l start every range session with a shooter grade K-22, followed by whatever l've got in my range bag. You'll have to be careful or you'll end up with more than one affordable range gun... it sure is fun chasing them. My personal preference leans towards stainless guns. I just picked up a 64-5 HB RB for about $290 outta pocket and as far as l'm concerned it was a steal! Good shootin and stay safe...

Blessings,
Hog

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

My vote goes to a M-15 or M-67. Either of these are good teachers. They have good single and double action triggers and adjustable sights. Just what one would want on the range.

Another vote for the Model 10 (or 64, its stainless brother).
There's a reason why they've been in continuous production at S&W for more than a century.

There are many great deals now on what may be the last of the LEO trade-ins.

This is one of the recent $269 Aussie returns from Buds. It don't get no funner than this and its great for fast DA shooting.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

ill probably get shot for saying this haha but Rossi makes a nice .38 range piece. i wouldnt use it for SD because well.its a rossi. but its a great range gun. i got mine for $200 COTB

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