First-time revolver owner!!!

[birdadly]

Hi everyone. I know we all like pictures, and they help keep my momentum, so here’s a new post. I’ve been slacking w/reloading/casting since buying my new house 3.5 years ago and moving further from the range I enjoy... well this past weekend I decided I need a push to get back into it. A friend mentioned an auction he was going to, so I tagged along and came home with these 2 beauties (IMO).

It was my first-ever auction (for anything, not just guns) and I do have some social anxiety... so bidding at an auction took some self-convincing! But, by gun #152 I was ready... and then again at #175!!! Haha. Then i realized I best give my wallet a break, and stopped.

These are my first-ever revolvers! The bottom is a 357 from 1985. I’ve read that some don’t like “Anniversary” models, but this is gorgeous IMO and I believe the price was right, regardless of being an Anniversary model. It was #696 of 2,500 made which is kinda cool to me as well.

The top is a 45 Colt from 1990. I just love the look of the blue/wood contrast on these. I always wanted my first to be a 357, then 45 colt, and next will be a 44 (I’m 42, so perhaps in 2 years for my birthday!?!?).

Anyway, now I have research here to do, and buy some equipment, so that should get me back into this hobby. And, hopefully get me to the range more than I’ve been in the past few years.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to reply with comments, questions, tips, tricks, etc.; it’ll help me keep motivated about the adventures ahead of me! -Brad

[Bigslug]

Nice!

Load a mess of light-charge .38 wadcutters and forget for a time that your revolver even HAS a single action setting. Your technique will be a lot better off for it.

[waco]

Size your boolits to be a snug slip fit through the throats, load a bunch of ammo and have at it! Beautiful looking revolvers! Well done!

[Walks]

Ask yourself; Am I gonna go all the way with this idea of casting my own Revolver Boolits ? If the answer is yes, how experienced a Reloader/Caster are you ? You can do a lot of different loadings with a revolver cartridge than you can with an auto-loader. Light target loads to the heaviest the cartridge/revolver is designed to take. Who's molds do you use now. Try a 2cav for each. Check the LYMAN CAST BULLET HANDBOOK #4 for starting loads. If you want to hot load that .45COLT, buy a .44MAG. And remember crimping is different for revolvers. A roll crimp is mandatory to keep your bullets from creeping out the case and tying up the cylinder.
Good Luck

[9.3X62AL]

You did REAL DARN WELL--both examples are top-drawer revolvers.

As said above, keep that Model 25 running at or under old blackpowder velocities with a 250 grain bullet--900 to 950 FPS is about as much as I would give to a casting of that weight-class. Check throat diameters on the cylinder--by 1990 S&W got better about not giving 45 Colt throats the .455"-.456" dimensions of the late 1970s-early 1980s, but better to know ahead of time.

[Drm50]

I have better than 3 dozen S&W revolvers and the on thing I have forgot is that they
are D/A.

[goryshaw]

My first revolver was a Model 25-5 from about 1990 as well, still my favorite and the most likely to grab when wandering the desert.

[9.3X62AL]

My first revolver was a Model 25-5 from about 1990 as well, still my favorite and the most likely to grab when wandering the desert.

The 45 Colt is an awesome revolver caliber. I was quite envious of an agency west of my county that authorized the Model 25-5s for duty usage.

[bangerjim]

My favorite guns - revolvers! Better than these semi-automatic plastic things so many have. I have several cal's in revolvers and like all of them. Who needs clips of 10-30 rounds.

Remember: "If ya' can't get 'er done in 5 or 6 shots, better just throw the gun at the target!"

[RogerDat]

Just remember, the smaller end goes in the little round hole first and the big end is to keep it from falling through. :bigsmyl2:
And let the fun begin!

[jeepyj]

Very nice start to a revolver collection both are quite sought after. I can honestly say I'd like to shoot both. Good luck trying to keep up with your new revolver addiction.

[birdadly]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone!

Definitely lots to learn. I’ve casted/reloaded now for 7 years, mostly 9mm, 40, 45acp and a little 22 rifle. So no revolvers yet. The crimp is definitely different so I’ll have to read on that a couple times and practice. I’ve bought Mihec and NOE molds in the past, but I think for these I’d like to just try Lee 2-cavity molds... cheaper and I don’t figure i need as many as my semi-autos (well, we’ll see perhaps!).

By no means do i need/want to push these to upper limits. I like spending the whole day at the range, and like to shoot numerous guns, so I like mild, but accurate loads. I was powder coating, so I’ll probably try that on these as well, although i do have a Lyman luber. Now that i think about it, a little extra smoke out of these barrels might be fun :)

I look forward to searching the forums (or here) for your go-to bullets/loads/alloys. I do have reloading/casting books too that I definitely use in conjunction with info here. Then I’ll probably hit up Midway and get started. -Brad

[nun2kute]

I'm really jealous, I've been drooling over 45 Colt Mtn. guns lately. You just made it worse. I'm a little past your age, but buying a 44 mag. for your 44th birthday sounds extremely fun too.

[bluelund79]

Great finds! That 45 is on my “to find in 2018” list. Enjoy them! What auction in WI did you all attend? I’d be game to come visit my parents, pick up my boat, and a FFL on speed dial to visit auction like that in WI. Thanks for sharing.

[Tom W.]

Beautiful revolvers! And the nice thing is you won't have to chase brass all over the place.....

[Wayne Smith]

Get multiple cavity good molds. You will shoot these as much or more than your autos. Congrats on a good start!

[dverna]

Nice scores. Those are great guns. Enjoy them

The nice thing about revolvers is not needing to chase the brass. My favorite load for the .38 is a 130 gr bullet but I do not hunt with it. It works well in the revolvers and carbines. I am thinking of getting the 158 gr SWC. It is a good all round choice.

[birdadly]

Great finds! What auction in WI did you all attend? I’d be game to come visit my parents, pick up my boat, and a FFL on speed dial to visit auction like that in WI. Thanks for sharing.

This was in Northeast WI. It was a private collection of 251 guns. These were his pistols (all but 4-5). Apparently they auctioned his long-guns off last fall. He was a S&W fan. The PDF is 2MB so i don’t think i can post it here, but I’ll try posting a link. It’s over with, so I think it should be okay to do so...

http://yoapandyoap.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18-Feb-Guns-Catalog-for-Website-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf

I have to assume someone passed away. They said the guns had to leave the house before they could put it on the market. Sort of sad (maybe?) that a lifetime’s collection got parted out at an auction. Several gun shop owners were there buying up a bunch. I’m happy I snagged these 2 tho.

Enjoy browsing the PDF!
-Brad

[bluelund79]

Holy buckets! I would have been selling my organs in the parking lot! What a collection, congrats on your snags. I may have to head up around those parts if there were gun shops buying enough of those. I may need to plan a fishing trip or two with Dad soon. Not that I needed any extra motivation for that, but it sure makes the cost of the trip expand a bit.....