You are correct Big D. But you can't shoot 357's in a 38.

Another thought worth considering is looking at the Ruger Blackhawk "Bisley", which comes with two cylinders. One for the 45 Colt and the other is for 45 ACP. Gives you a multi-purpose gun. Since Ruger Blackhawks are built so strong, you can handload the 45 Colt to very near 44 Mag. performance is you so desire. You can not do that with some other makes and frames of revolvers in 45 Colt. They can't handle the pressures like a good old reliable Ruger can.
Just my humble opinion. Like someone else said, get your hands on as many pistols that you can. Seek out others for expert advice. And good luck and have fun!
Yotebuster

YoteBuster,

Thanks for clearing it up havnt ever been into pistols much to be honest. Remembered the 357 Mag/38 Special thing because I thought it was neat sort of like the 22LR/22Long/22 Short etc thing.

That 45 Colt/45ACP interchangable Blackhawk sounds interesting. 2 good calibers in one gun, I wonder if you could get a 455 Webley cylinder for that.

Dimitri

I'm still hoping to have a handgun in 44 mag some day. Not that I could use it for hunting here but I could use it for target shooting. A few people at the rifle/pistol club I belong to have them and I've shot them and they are fun. I just need to get my priorities straight and get one. I guess I would be in more of a rush to get one if I could hunt with it.

For a first handgun I always recommend a revolver. If you want one that is good for deer then you want a 44 magnum. With the revolver you can load down to 44 special power and enjoy plinking and learning about your gun. If you slowly work up your loads to full power 44 magnum rounds you can go hunting and shoot deer out as far as you can hold a group together. You are going to want to do a lot of practice starting with the light loads. If you step the loads up just a bit every other time out you will learn to shoot without developing a flinch and learn to hold your groups in nice neat little cloverleafs. Before you know it you can shoot full loads into nice tite 1" groups at twenty-five yards. Once you do that you can start shooting at 50 yards until you can hold them in 1" groups. Then at 75 yards and finally at 100 yards. When you can consistantly shoot good groups (under 4 inches) at 100 yards you are ready to go hunting.
The 44 mag is a gun that will grow with you and give you many years of fun.
What brand? Well I am partial to Rugers. why? Well Rugers are about the toughest gun that money can buy and definately the best gun for the money. Model? That depends on you . Do you like to have to cock the hammer each time you fire? if you do then the Super Blackhawk is a great gun. If you like the double action or stainless, like I do then the Redhawk or Super Redhawk will make you grin from ear to ear. They have the best warranty on the market if you ever need it but mostly you will be handing your Ruger handguns down to your kids and they to their kids. You just can't wear a Ruger out. I have had my ruger for 35 years and fired well over 40000 rounds through it and it is as tight today as it was when I bought it. It shoots better groups now than it did then - ok that may be my being used to it now and my handloads. The point is that I have fired a lot of rounds through my Ruger and not light loads either, I shoot nearly full power rounds through it and nothing else. If anyone makes a tougher gun I have never heard about it. There are guns that have better trigger pulls out of the box and some have nicer finishes but after 35 years of magnum rounds most have been rebuilt two or three times and the finish is worn off. If you like putting new barrels on and having the gun tuned every few years then don't buy a Ruger. If you like to shoot magnum loads - a lot of magnum loads then Ruger makes one for you.

I'd go the other way... a quality .22 rimfire. Find out how much you like it then step up to the bigger calibers. This is of course, assuming you arent going for protection right off the bat. I like cheap to shoot caliber guns than more expensive ones as I use'em more.

My dad bought me a cheap .22 revolver when I was 14 and doing some trapping for fun. I shot that gun alot and still own it. Beyond that I bought a 9mm auto thats alot of fun to shoot as well... ugly gun but fun.


-DallanC

Dimitri wrote:

Al_Sohlstrom, Welcome back its been a while Also only handguns I know that are in 30 caliber are thouse weird Russian/Communist Block and the German Mauser C96 Broomhandle guns. I think they are a couple 30-30 Pistols but not too sure. Dimitri

They do still make a pistol that shoots the 30 M1 carbine. The single action Ruger Blackhawk comes to mind.

Dimitri wrote:

If the gun can shoot 357 Mag's and is designed for it it can shoot the lower powered 38 specials I belive. Someone else will have to clear this up. Dimitri

Yeah Dimitri, .357's can also shoot .38 specials to include the +P's. So with that in mind, it wouldn't make much sense to buy a .38 Spl.

Another vote for 357 Mag.

Revolvers so chambered are available in single or double action in various barrel lengths and weights. Good used 357s are abundant and typically can be found in great condition in the $300 range, + or - $50.

The Ruger Blackhawk is a good example of a strong, accurate 357 single action. As a reloader, 38 spl wadcutters would be a great place to start. Even at the most powerful level of 357, however, it would be marginal on deer.

If you reload, a wheel gun is great. You don't have to chase the cases like those auto users.

My first pistols are a 4" bull barrel Ruger MkI in 22LR and a 6" S&W 686 in .357 - never look back since then.. Best guns ever, even after I got a Jericho 9mm, Browning Buckmark, VZ52 and a ParaOrdnance P14-45, the Ruger and the S&W686 are still my favourite gun to use in any competition.

The 22LR are great to train you for recoil flinches and the 357 if loaded correctly, will group 1.5" in 50 yards!!

Pray and spray guns favored by the current law enforcements are a bit more complicated to use and the obvious problem is, if there is a jam, you are stuck. WHere in a wheel gun, you simply pull the trigger again

Gelan

if there is a jam yoou are stuck, but with a wheel gun you just pull the trigger again? umm if it is jammed it is jammed dont matter what it is.

just put a super blackhawk on layaway at the local Scheels store. will be picking it up in a few weeks when taxes come in. plan on havening a grand old time.

forgot to mention 44 mag.

Petrey10: Welcome!
For a handgun that will teach you all you need to know about the basics... breath control, trigger squeeze, and sight picture, .22 rimfire will do that better than anything, and be inexpensive to shoot. Be aware that a .22 rimfire cartridge is dangerous to 1 1/2 miles.

For accurate, sturdy guns that you will have all of your life, a new or used Ruger Mk II or Single Six will be all you need. I used to shoot with a guy that had a Single Six--that's all he had, and he shot targets with it.
He were a steppin'and fetchin' during rapid fire, but did o.k.

Don't worry about taking the semi auto apart. If it is more than you can master, clean the crevices with Gun Scrubber or Brakekleen, run a Boresnake and a patch or two through the barrel with some Corrosion-X, and fear not!

The next step up might be a 357 Magnum revolver. It will shoot 38 Special ammo interchangeably, and you can handload for it. Avoid barrels less than 3", IMHO.

Your next, or first, step might be a .22 rifle of some sort. The Savage bolt actions, the Marlin 60 or Ruger 10-22 can be found on sale in a lot of big box stores, and are great basic rifles. Remington makes a semi auto rifle, but from what people have said, there are problems with quality and accuracy.

Some people never "progress" to "better" stuff. A scope will add a lot to your enjoyment. A couple of magazines for any of them, and you are in business.

The idea is not to go all nuts for the "latest" Whiz-bang product or accessory, and don't buy ugly, even if it is cheap, because you will never be satisfied.

As a student, think security. They will be stolen! A dorm room is not secure! Showing your weapons off is sure way to have them stolen.

For rifles, the .243 Winchester in a Weatherby Vanguard is inexpensive, and accurate.

Good luck, and enjoy!

When I was a young man, I had the same choice to make. I looked at the data closely (every book and magazine was a dream book) and came to the conclusion that the single action revolver was the best buy, that the Ruger was the best single action for the money and that the 22 LR with an extra cylinder was the easiest on the pocket book for ammo.

I bought a 6.5 inch barrel Single Six convertable. Later I realized that having adjustable sights would have been better. At that time it would have been the Super Single Six.

If you buy a Single Six convertable with adjustable sights, with a 6.5 inch barrel, you will not be sorry, it will last you a lifetime. I have had my first revolver now since 1963 and it is a bit worn, but still shoots and functions like the day it was made. If you can find a good one in stainless you should be good to go for a lifetime.

I own a few Ruger guns today and am partial to the quality for the money. They are not a Freedom Arms but they are a long way up from a cheapie gun.
Best of luck and good shooting.
Ed

Morax wrote:

if there is a jam yoou are stuck, but with a wheel gun you just pull the trigger again? umm if it is jammed it is jammed dont matter what it is.

My dear Morax,

Provided the gun is in good working condition, most gun "jam" are due to ammunition problem of either
- primers failure to detonate
- feeding problem
- ejection of spent case problem.

A wheel gun will simply move on to the next chamber when you work the action, that is, either pull the trigger if you have a double action or cock the hammer if you have a single action. Both this actions could be done with the same hand that squeeze the trigger.
Whereas on an auto, you will have to physically remove the offending piece of failed ammunition by racking the slide with your other hand. Yeah I know of some gung-ho type that rack the slide on their leg or belly, that is why they do not have ten toes or have two belly buttons.
Should there be other problem on the gun beside the ammunition, you have an unsafe gun that should not be use in the first place anyway.

My apology for not making this clear, I have been assuming that this information is well known.

Gelan