Most reliable new revolver

[tucomac]

I'm looking for a new pistol for a nice home defense gun. I will probably get a .357 since that's one caliber that I've shot but never owned one before. I have a lot of other guns that can do the job but you know the grass is always greener. I currently have a nice 625-10 performance center with 2" barrel but I don't have complete faith in it. It will sometimes not fire certain ammo. The firing pin will hit and leave a small impression but it won't fire. This is factory ammo! I'm not an expert but maybe the firing pin is too short I don't know. This was my first (and probably last) experience with moon clips and I think that may be the factor. Regardless I need a little more faith in my "go to" gun. I started looking around and found the night guard series and thought they would fit the bill perfectly having nice sights and grips. So I did a little research and am now see that they have had lock up problems and many needed additional work.

Is there any consensus on the most reliable new out of the box mid sized .357 revolver 2-4 inch barrel? Also any recommendations and gunsmiths that can set up a revolver with a reliability or self defense tune up that have a website for me to examine?

Thanks

 

[DJINCO]

I would recommend a 686 and S&W for the gunsmithing. Have you checked the strain screw on the 625?

 

[Rule 303]

I'd consider a K Frame or L Frame Smith revolver with a three or four inch barrel. I'm partial to Smiths, even though I have four or five Rugers and a bunch of Colts. I've been carrying and shooting Smith Revolvers for the last fifty years and I've seen a lot of good ones and a few that needed work right out of the box.

Not knowing where you live, its kinda hard to recommed a gunsmith. Depending on what you get, your revolver may not need anything to make it a good defensive revolver.

Remember, Pratice and training are two of the three keys to making any firearm a good defensive weapon.

Good luck
no matter which firearm you buy.

Rule 303

 

[ENH]

It is not the moon clips. It is the firing pin. Call S&W and they will email you a prepaid shipping label to return the gun for service. If that does not solve the FTF's then put in a C&S long firing pin. You already own a good gun, but an N frame 8 shot .357 of your liking would be an exceptionable home defense gun.

 

[44 special Dave]

Tucomac,
I have a 625-10 2" and experienced some FTF at the end of a target shooting session. I checked and it definitely was a loose strain screw. I tightened it and the last dozen rounds were fine.

Other than the loose strain screw I have not had any FTF although next time I go, I will shoot with moon clips. most of the shooting I've done has been with 45 auto rims.

I still do doubt it's the moon clips. Maybe the firing pin. If I have FTFs with the moon clips, I'll get a longer firing pin installed.

I did hear some "problems" with the night guard series, but 90+ of those were related to a "short" firing pin.

I still really like my 625-10. I also have a 325SC with 2 3/4" barrel in 45 acp that hasn't failed on me. Again, though with 45 auto rims.

Dave

 

[Stainz]

Below are two of my most dependable - when new and out of the box - centerfire S&Ws:

I have my .45 ACP 625JM there for a reason - anyone in the house can pick it up in an emergency and not have to look for it should they shoot it. A friend had a 625-10 - I shot it with ball ammo - it wasn't fun. You would have the commonality of ammo with it. Mine, when new, would fire any commercial ammo - I fixed that! Lighter sprung, it gets my Fed-primed homebrews now.

For another caliber - .38 or .357M - consider the similarly priced 627 Pro 8-shooter. It can be used with/without moonclips. It, too, would pop anything new - but I tweaked it as well - and it sees Fed-primed homebrews. It sports Ahrends 'Retro Targets' - and both have HiViz front sights and are used for 'fun'.

My most reliable 'new' home protector was an unissued (NEW!) security guard 4" 64, current production, I bought locally for $315 OTD. I shot it for a year as a plinker, finally relegating it to it's home protector role late this last spring. It shoots close enough from 3-12 yd with GA Arms +P 158 LSWC(HP)s to be a super protector:

Still stock springs, it'll pop anything - and the trigger really feels tweaked. If you need more than those +P 158gr LSWCHPs to protect your family and home with, you are in troubke!

Stainz

 

[C.S.63]

tucomac,
Like others have said check the strain screw in your 625. Then see about it going back to smith. All that have been mentioned will work for your needs I went with a deeply discounted model 64 (NY-1)from J&G sales
awsome deal and a real shooter.
Carl

 

[sw44spl]

I have 2 model 64s a no dash and a -1 both are very great guns.

 

[H Richard]

My bedside gun is a 4" 4 screw Mod 10 no dash that was new in 1959. It is 100% reliable and has never been "tweaked".

There are various other guns in various other places in the house, and all of them have not been "tweaked". The "tweaked" guns stay in the vault except when they come out to play.

 

[surveyor47]

If you want a reliable S&W, then either get a Pre-Lock S&W or a S&W semi auto. My experience with current manufacture S&W revolvers (Internal Lock guns) is not good. My S&W 57 Mountain Gun took 2 years and 5 trips back to S&W in order to make it reliable. It could not fire 100 rounds between major malfucnctions: loose ejector rod, out of time twice from the fractory, light firing pin strikes, cylinder latch flying off. I have seen several new out of box S&W revolvers exhibit similar malfunctions.

Since police no longer use revolvers, the pressure is on S&W to make sure that their semi autos are 100%. Civilians are dealing with a "consumer product". Still, police armors checked out S&W revolvers prior to issue.

If you want a near 100% reliable out of the box 357 revolver, buy a Ruger GP100 or SP101. They too may need a trip back to the factory, but very few fail to go bang out of the box.

Regardless of manufacturer, it is up to the user to prove the weapon reliable before it is used for self defense. This means taking it to the range several times with various ammo.

"Never take an unproven weapon into combat."

 

[cbm1948]

Tucomac, I have a 625-8 and with moon clips some of the primers seem "too hard" for double action. I solved this by only using federal primers in reloading for my Moonie, I have heard and read that 45 auto rim is the way to go if you use it for self defense.

DPX 45 auto rim

Clint

 

[Bat Guano]

Simple is better. As it was I carried Ruger "Sixes" (and still do) but any fixed sighted K frame is good enough to serve as life insurance. If I had big hands I would expand that to N frames or a GP.

I get a kick out of all these XD plastic semiautos cluttering up the display cabinets in the gun shops.

 

[ChinaSeaSailor]

delete due to

 

[Dale53]

At the risk of repeating good advice, I'll say it once again:

Pick the revolver that you like and can handle. A good 4" revolver of adequate caliber will do the job.

Then, get several boxes of the ammunition that you intend to fire. Shoot at least 300 rounds through a revolver (or auto) before you try to depend on it. This is REGARDLESS of what brand of revolver or auto you have. It doesn't make much difference which you use, some will be reliable and some won't. ALL can be made reliable and should be before you risk everything on an unproven revolver or auto.

Then, when you have "certified it", then shoot it at least once a month to "keep your hand in". If, things go "bump in the night" then you AND your revolver will be ready.

Anything less is unacceptable.

Dale53

 

[Texas Star]

Frankly, if you don't know how to check out a used gun, buy a Ruger GP-100 that a knowledgeable friend has hand inspected. Never buy a gun from an auction or otherwise sight-unseen.

Massad Ayoob says in his Beretta book that a reknowned M-1911 smith told him flatly that if you want a new gun to work right out of the box, get a Beretta M-92FS. Based on new guns that I've seen, I think he was right.

T-Star

 

[David LaPell]

Personally, I would find a nice used Model 19, a 586, or a 686 and be done with it. Yu can't be a good Model 28 either. If you are looking for something strictly for your house, don't be afraid do go with a Model 10 either, nothing wrong with one of those with some .38 +P's. Also, when it comes to gunsmithing, check out the Jerry Miculek trigger job DVD. He does the work on a standard Model 10 (pre-lock). I have done a few of those trigger jobs myself, and I have found that the pre-lock K, N, and even a L frame are exactly the same. There is a bit of a tricky spot with the new IL guns and the little spring that fits inside the hammer.