Accurate Plinking Revolver

[wtfooptimax200]

I'm looking for a double action revolver for plinking. Ideally it would feel similar to a K frame sized gun. Above all I would like something fairly accurate.

Thanks,
Branden

[Shooter6br]

Bought for $199 Great gun

[Larry Gibson]

I would look for a K frame M10 or M15 in .38 special with a 4" minimum barrel. Would prefer a 6" barrel. Lot's of very good used ones around at reasonable prices. The .38 Special is a very versitile cartridge and will handle "plinking" very well.

Larry Gibson

[Shooter6br]

Here is info page for Mod 10 web.utk.edu/~giles/third.html or goggle Smith and Wesson Model 10 page

[Bret4207]

K22, M10/19 or the Holy Grail- a K32!

[subsonic]

686s are not bad either, but I personally don't like an extra hole in mine - cylinder or sideplate.

[subsonic]

Speed Six, Security Six, GP100 and 3" SP101 are all good too.

[MtGun44]

6" Model 14 is joy to plink with. I bought two at $275 each in top condition and they are
just wonderful guns.

Bill

[cajun shooter]

Mt Gun 44, I would be more than happy to help you with your problem of the two model 14's. It is truly one of the finest revolvers to do anything with. It covers the entire spectrum of why you need a gun. As far as to the OP I would go for a S&W 14 first and any of the great S&W K frames in a barrel length of 3-6 inches. The caliber of choice after 22 would be 38 spl, then 357 magnum. I don't want to angry you Ruger lovers but I have attended both armorer schools and the lock time is better with the S&W. The strength department would be won by Ruger.

[NoZombies]

The S&W model 15 is also a good gun that can be had relatively inexpensively, has good sights, and will perform the task of plinking beautifully. It performs other tasks well too. :)

[Char-Gar]

I am nuts about good medium frame 38 Specials for plinking and small game hunting. Here is what I have, any of them will fit your needs to a tee. They are all out there on the market

Smith and Wesson Mod 17 (K-38) 6" bbl adjustable sights.
Smith and Wesson Mod 15 4" bbl. adjustable sights
Smith and Wesson Mod 10 4" pencil carrel
Smith and Wesson Mod 64 4" heavy barrel
Colt Trooper (old model) 4" bbl, adjustable sights
Colt Officers Model 6' bbl adjustable sights

[Matthew 25]

It looks like it's hard to go wrong, esp with a Smith and I agree. My 625jm out of the box is a very fine and accurate plinker (and more). I think 38 will be the easiest and cheapest to attain fine accuracy with.

[Wayne Smith]

I know, I'm odd. I'm comfortable with that. My plinking revolver is a Colt in 32-20. I'm having fun with cast in that caliber. More of a challenge, don't cha kno?

[dubber123]

I have more than a few S&W .38 spl revolvers, and I can say finding an inaccurate one is more of a chore than getting a good one.

[Multigunner]

My High Standard Sentinel is extremely accurate. A nine shot .22 with a very simple swing out cylinder design, similar to the Charter Arms revolvers except no thumb latch. You pull the ejector rod forward to unlatch the cylinder.

These have much the same feel as a Model 10 M&P frame revolver. The grip is even a bit better fit in the hand than the S&W grips.

You can find these in every possible condition, from beat to death to fresh as a daisy. They were reasonably priced, so some bought these and grew tired of them before putting much wear on them. Mine had been fired little, but looked like it spent decades in an old lady's purse. All sorts of debris clung to it, but there was almost no rust on the steel parts. The aluminum frame required some touching up with aluminum blackener. That stuff works great BTW. Aside from dings on the grip it could pass for brand new.

[Bret4207]

MG, there seem to be 2 series of Sentinels, an earlier model with a futuristic looking plastic grip and a later more "Smith" looking model with a very nice wood grip and overall better finish, at least in the few I've seen. I've shot the alter model in 22 and 22 mag IIRC and both were nice guns. The earlier model reminded me of the HS "Double Nine", a decent gun but not up to HS usual quality.

[Multigunner]

MG, there seem to be 2 series of Sentinels, an earlier model with a futuristic looking plastic grip and a later more "Smith" looking model with a very nice wood grip and overall better finish, at least in the few I've seen. I've shot the alter model in 22 and 22 mag IIRC and both were nice guns. The earlier model reminded me of the HS "Double Nine", a decent gun but not up to HS usual quality.


Mine has the old style grip, and when I first saw it I thought it was an RG el cheapo, the finish was that unispiring.

I like this revolver in part because its pre disastered, and the factory finish was nothing to brag about anyway, so its the one firearm in my collection I can do as I please with without worry of messing up the finish.

Also having seen so many German and Italian saturday night specials haphazzardly thrown together from poorly made parts of inferior metals, the Sentinel demonstrates that a simple fairly cheap handgun can be built to last with minimum of care. Cheap by design, but sturdy in execution.

When I first test fired it and after a one shot to find POI and drift the rear sight accordingly I put nine rounds inside an aiming dot the size of a quarter at forty feet. One ragged hole little more than half the size of the dot. This done at night with a flash light propped on a log to shine on the target.
I intended this to be a house gun, one anyone in the family can use if needed to repel boarders, so learning to shoot it by the beam of a flashlight seemed a good idea.

The internal parts show no undue wear, the gun had been fired only enough to be properly broken in. Action is smooth and light with a positive feel to the hammer fall.
Just loose enough that a little dirt or pocket lint won't affect function.

[EMC45]

I bought my Model 10 from a member here for $200. It is super accurate with 158gr. Lee RNFP over 3gr. Bullseye.

[NHlever]

I looked at a model 15 Smith the day before yesterday. It wasn't mint, but it was tight, and clean. I wandered around the store looking at other stuff until I saw a guy buying the Smith......... that is the second one I've missed lately, and I just will have to shoot more quickly on the next one I see. When I owned my K-38 Masterpiece (before numbers) I shot everything legal to hunt in NH with it except a bear.

[NoZombies]

Smith and Wesson Mod 17 (K-38) 6" bbl adjustable sights.

I'm sure Chargar means model 14 as the K-38. the model 17 was the K-22. I'm adding this here only to prevent confusion by someone reading this thread later.

[MtGun44]

Sorry cajun - not for sale. I bought the second Model 14 because I enjoyed the first one so
much and knew I'd never find that sort of deal again.

I recently picked up a 317 3" and it is a nice SUPER light plinker. An ALL aluminum alloy
J-frame S&W in .22 LR with a fiber optic front and V-notch adjustable rear. Small grip and
very light so kids and women would especially like it. Got to weigh around 12 oz, total.

Shoots only mediocre with many brands, but really does well with PMC Sidewinder. like
around 1/2" - 3/4" 5 shot groups at the 12 yd range.

Bill

[9.3X62AL]

"Pre-disastered". I like that.

"Plinking" kinda means "22 LR" to a lot of folks, but if yer really cheep and kinda gnarly (like me) the 32s and 38s fed home-poured boolits compare closely to the CCI Mini-Mags that a few of my 22s demand for reliable running.

@ Wayne--the 32-20 makes a GREAT plinker. SR-4756 is your friend in this caliber.

@ Bret--thanks loads for bring up the Holy Grail AGAIN. Ya hairball.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
K-22 W/ 4" BBL.:Fire::Fire:

[rintinglen]

Luckily, I'm not in this condition, but could I have but one gun, it would be a S&W K frame 38. I only have a half dozen of them now, but I went crazy with them in the 80's. Which one would be the hard part, but a clean Model 15 in the 300 dollar range represents about as perfect a compromise as you can find, all things considered.

[EMC45]

"Pre-disastered". I like that.

"Plinking" kinda means "22 LR" to a lot of folks, but if yer really cheep and kinda gnarly (like me) the 32s and 38s fed home-poured boolits compare closely to the CCI Mini-Mags that a few of my 22s demand for reliable running.

@ Wayne--the 32-20 makes a GREAT plinker. SR-4756 is your friend in this caliber.

@ Bret--thanks loads for bring up the Holy Grail AGAIN. Ya hairball.

I like your way of thinking! I can get .38 Special and .32 S&W-L ammo down cheaper than "good" .22LR ammo.

[songdog53]

S&W model 66 is my plinking and carrying around the place gun, works good on most varmints and paper when just walking around or punching paper.

[mroliver77]

.22 ammo is close to $20. for the walmart 550 box elcheapo stuff. This comes to 3.5 cents for each round of crummy .22 ammo. Using Wolf primers I have 2 cents in a primer, if I buy an 8lb keg of fast powder I can get it for $12. lb. 3.5gr gives 2000 shots per lb or .6 cents each. so we have 2.6 cents without a boolit. At $1. lb for lead and using the 358477 at 150 gr I get 46.6 boolits lb. so call it .5 cents since I can do a bit better on primers and powder. So with lube, electricity etc the price for 38 ammo is about the same as junk .22RF ammo. Go to a .32 long and knock off a strong penny each. Cases hardly figure into the equation.

This makes a .22RF handgun awful uninteresting to me. The time spent loading is therepy for me so I am saving even more!

If one is looking for cheap the .38 are prolly the cheapest guns with brass being about the cheapest revolver brass out there. Even the 100 - 125 gr boolits are accurate for plinking and small animal shooting if one wants to save some lead.

I have an Astra that is a rip off of a S&W. While not a well fit and finished it is not a bad gun at all. A couple friends went in and got three for $299. a few years back. I shot mine 10,000 rounds that winter with no problems at all. It is accurate as I can shoot and had lots of holster wear from a Spanish cop carrying it. I don't think it was ever shot or cleaned. lol I run lot's of Skeeters load through it also without it loosening up yet.

So buy a S&W for $200 - $300 and shoot the snot out of it. Then sell it for the same or more than you paid for it some day!
Just my 2 cents.
J

[EMC45]

.22 ammo is close to $20. for the walmart 550 box elcheapo stuff. This comes to 3.5 cents for each round of crummy .22 ammo. Using Wolf primers I have 2 cents in a primer, if I buy an 8lb keg of fast powder I can get it for $12. lb. 3.5gr gives 2000 shots per lb or .6 cents each. so we have 2.6 cents without a boolit. At $1. lb for lead and using the 358477 at 150 gr I get 46.6 boolits lb. so call it .5 cents since I can do a bit better on primers and powder. So with lube, electricity etc the price for 38 ammo is about the same as junk .22RF ammo. Go to a .32 long and knock off a strong penny each. Cases hardly figure into the equation.

This makes a .22RF handgun awful uninteresting to me. The time spent loading is therepy for me so I am saving even more!

If one is looking for cheap the .38 are prolly the cheapest guns with brass being about the cheapest revolver brass out there. Even the 100 - 125 gr boolits are accurate for plinking and small animal shooting if one wants to save some lead.

I have an Astra that is a rip off of a S&W. While not a well fit and finished it is not a bad gun at all. A couple friends went in and got three for $299. a few years back. I shot mine 10,000 rounds that winter with no problems at all. It is accurate as I can shoot and had lots of holster wear from a Spanish cop carrying it. I don't think it was ever shot or cleaned. lol I run lot's of Skeeters load through it also without it loosening up yet.

So buy a S&W for $200 - $300 and shoot the snot out of it. Then sell it for the same or more than you paid for it some day!
Just my 2 cents.
J


Just swapped a .22LR Contender barrel for this very reason. Cheaper to load my own on .357 cases (Have that barrel too) then to go out and buy ammo (just writing that turned my stomach a little) for a gun. I shoot the .32 quite a bit, and loads for that are ridiculously cheap! 2.5gr. powder and a 98gr. bullet from free WWs? Yup .22LR is out the window! I wouldn't even use a .22 to bring a new shooter into the fold to be honest. After shooting some .32 ACP in my Smith Model 31 and seeing the recoil and the accuracy? No contest! It groups great and has enough recoil to know you just shot a gun. It is like a capgun, but I think it teaches the mechanics of shooting to a new shooter better than a rimfire would. And I can reload them!

[Bodydoc447]

I bought a 4 inch several years ago and it is a pure pleasure to shoot and reload for. I really like the .32 H&R but I do shoot a bucket of .32 Longs through it as well as I have literally a 3 lb coffee can full of .32 Long cases.

You might be able to find one of these now discontinued revolvers at a gunshow before you find a K32. I hit the gunshow every time it comes to town just to make sure I don't miss a K32 on its way to a new home.

Doc

[NoZombies]

I love the .32's as well. That's a documented fact. I think the .38 is probably a better all around plinker though, for these reasons: The brass, bullet molds and guns are all cheaper, and more commonly encountered.

You can find plenty of .38 revolvers for $300 that are in good shape and well made. When you find a .32 for the same price in the same condition, unless it's a break-top or early I-frame, you've gotten a heck of a deal.

The .32 is slightly more economical to shoot, once you have made the initial investment, but the $100 you save on the purchase of a .38 alone adds up to about 10,000 rounds difference if the .38 is a penny a pop more expensive to shoot.

This isn't me trying to discourage anyone from a .32, just a practical view of it. I'm still looking for a K-32 of any variety to go with the rest of my little "collection" of 32's.

[GLL]

I am partial to either a .38/44 Heavy Duty or .38/44 Outdoorsman for anything in .38 Special ! Good for plinking all the way up to fire-breathing !
Certainly not K-frame size though ! :) :)

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/C9DD03C18204859/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/692E84DDF78074B/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/DC04DA3B65C43A0/standard.jpg

[MtGun44]

More S&W porn shots!

Those are really nice pistols. Excellent photos, too.

Bill

[Multigunner]

I really need to get dies for reloading the .32 S&W long.
My little I frame handejector is fun to shoot, and no cherry so I can do with it as I like.

I bought a box of round balls intended for the .31 cap& ball revolvers, I intend to make some plinking loads with these for both the hand ejector and a Iver Johson safety hammerless.

I traded off my Lyman 310 nutcracker long ago, I had not owned a .38 for some time. Later on I got a project Model 37 and needing ammo to try it out I remembered having read about home made reloading equipment used by resistence fighters.
I took a thick steel slab and drilled a 3/8 inch hole in it, then using silicon carbide paper on a dowel I polished the hole out till it was just right for sizing fired .38 special cases.
After popping out the spent primer with a pin punch,I tapped the case into the hole with a rawhide mallet. I then set the slab on the table of my drill press and used a length of iron rod chucked and the handle for leverage to seat a fresh primer.
The sized and primed case was then knocked out with a dowel.
Once I'd sized and primed enough cases I used a bolt in the chuck to seat bullets. I had a few left laying about and a local shop sold sized and lubed cast semi-wadcutters fairly cheaply. I still had most of a can of Bullseye as well. I also tried a few light loads using powder salvaged from old shot shells.
I loaded some round ball loads using the balls I cast for my .36 Navy. These I first drove through a 23/64" hole drilled in the same slab.

[blackbike]

I'm looking for a double action revolver for plinking. Ideally it would feel similar to a K frame sized gun. Above all I would like something fairly accurate.

Thanks,
Branden Me too, let`s keep looking!

[parisite]

Any of the K frame Smiths whether it be models 10,14,15, etc,....to me are the greatest shooting pleasures in handgunning. An afternoon with one of them and a ziploc baggie full of 148gr wadcutters are what it's all about.

[MtGun44]

I hope that is at least a quart sized ziploc!

Bill

[HDS]

My plinker:
http://i.imgur.com/Ah4wEh.jpg

M17 from 1965. Very accurate and a joy to shoot.

I wouldn't say no to a .38spl either.

[MtGun44]

Unfortunately, my M17 is only medium decent. Like 1.5-2 " at 25 yds. Any of my Ruger
.22 autos will do under an inch with most good ammo.

[HDS]

I suppose the biggest issue with this gun is the problem in finding spare parts. The center pin in particular for the 17-2 is unique to the model and the american places I've found that have it will not sell it to me because I am from Finland. Leaning towards having a smith with a lathe make me a new piece entierly.

The tight chambers also make feeding and ejecting an issue after a 50rd box of CCI standards, which is what I feed all my .22s. I've heard Norma training ammo is supposed to be real good for .22lr revolvers with tight chambers though, 2x the cost of CCI however.

[PacMan]

This one i picked up on the cheap (compared to new) just became my favorite.
It is the only revolver that i own that shoots a PB bullet accurately and without leading and with the first load that i tried.

[Leadlum]

I just love my Mod 14 S&W. Shoots sweet, and is easy on my pocket book. I got it for under 300.00. and was NEW in the blue box.

[smkummer]

Nothing "plinks" better than a 22. And a H&R 999 is hard to beat because 9 shots is so much better than 6 for plinking. Nothing wrong with all the votes for the Smith 10 and similiar. Remember the Colt Police Positive Special came in 4, 5 and 6 in barrels, feels only slightly smaller and can be sometimes bought for about the same amount. A 38 special can be easily down loaded to 32 power levels but the reverse is not really possible.