EAA Windicator

[metricmonkeywrench]

Gents, please talk me into or out of buying a new in box unfired .357 Nickel plated 4in barrel.
Sadly a S&W model 27 or a Colt Python are not in my immediate future to fill a .357 itch.

By the pix it’s about as fughly as it gets, but nobody judges on the range. By the reviews online the German manufacturer is top notch

Thoughts?

[Mk42gunner]

Hard to say without ever having held one.

I have seen two "reviews" on you tube; one positive, one negative. Sorry I can't help more.

Robert

[rancher1913]

mine does every thing i ask of it. my only beef is you can not get laser grips for it, my wife loves the laser site.

[Texas by God]

They used to be called Arminus revolvers. Reviews were always positive that I've read but I've never fired one either. I've held them at gun shows and they seem solid.
Perhaps they are like Hi-Point; Ugly but work.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Walks]

Handled a Arminus about 30yrs ago. The bbl fell off at the 3rd shot.
Maybe they are better now.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

When in business, some years past now, I sold 2 of them to two different customers by special order. They aren't as svelte as a S&W but seem very well made. Both of the ones I handled were blue. The price was right. If they fit your budget I'd certainly consider buying one....but probably not nickel. That being a matter of personal taste, of course.

DG

[rintinglen]

I have handled several, but only shot one, a snubby with 357 ammo. It was a handful, being surprisingly heavy, but that helped with the magnum ammo. The DA trigger was pretty poor: gritty, heavy, and a little bit "stagy." That said, I put 5 Federal 158 grain 357's into a group at 10 yards that I could easily cover with my palm. I recommended a trigger job and 38 Special ammunition to my buddy, but as an inexpensive and comparatively powerful alternative to the Taurus and Charter offerings, I don't think he made a bad choice, given his finances.

If spending the least possible money for a decent gun is what you're after, I'd certainly give it a once over.

[lar45]

I shot one about 20 years ago and thought it was a good solid revolver. It seemed fairly accurate. I would have ordered one, but already had a GP-100

[scattershot]

There’s a YouTube video about that pistol form-the Firearms Guy.

[jonp]

Gun dealer friend was very happy with the Bounty Hunter in 45LC and Windicator he bought and thought both were a great value although the trigger on the Windicator needed some work but was serviceable. I didn't shoot one so I'll take his word on that. I've had several EAA pistols from the first Compact Poly C they introduced into the market must be 20+ yrs ago and I've been impressed with them especially the Tanfoglio options. Still have 2 of those.

Here is a review from 5yrs ago that James over at TFB did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzw0NiSroKw on the pistol you posted about.
I watched that because he just reviewed a Rock Island revolver and compared them.

[tja6435]

I bought a 2” blued Windicator around 6/2009. With 38spl it’s a good shooter, but with .357 mag it is snappy and is really hard on the web of my dominate hand (left in my case). I found the trigger to be very heavy in double action, I never tried to improve it.

I ended up giving it to my sister for a home defense gun with a gallon ziplock bag of .38spl loaded with wadcutters.

Give me a used/beat up GP100 any day. Edit to say a GP100 was the first handgun I bought when I turned 21, approx 21 years ago.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Agree you’re going to be way better off buying an ugly, secondhand S&W or Ruger instead of a EAA/Arminius/Weirauch Windicator.
At least the .357 has a steel frame. The other Windicators have a Zamak frame, like a High Point.

[rintinglen]

Given that even "an ugly, secondhand S&W or Ruger" will run a C-note or more over the price of a Windicator, that may not be the bargain suggested. I just bought two Gunsmith Specials from J&G, and they ran me nearly $250 apiece, and that's before I bought a barrel, locking bolt, locking bolt spring and locking bolt retaining pin. I have just about $400 each tied up in them. If you can find a mechanically clean S&W or Ruger for 350 or less, well that's how I'd go. But I haven't seen one for that price in at least a year.

[fatelk]

I don't have anything to add about the Windicator, other than that I've been tempted to buy one for a long time, but I thought I'd add my 2c worth about a used quality revolver.

A couple years ago I decided I needed an inexpensive 4" .38 Special, so I bought a Rock Island M200. It was a good gun for the money, very usable, shot well.

A few months later I stumbled across some older re-imported S&W Model 10's. A local gun shop had several: grips were beat up, finish worn, some minor surface rust, but mechanically very good, and only $25 more than the M200 cost me. They cleaned up nicely. Comparing the Rock Island to the vintage S&W was simply no contest. The Smith is so much smoother and nicer.

I can appreciate cheap guns that work, nothing wrong with that. Personally though, if I could only buy one, I'd save a little longer and buy quality.

[nannyhammer]

Spent a long time looking for a decent S&W .357. A couple months back I found Model 65 LE trade ins at Guns.com for $450. Too care of my need for a truck gun. They still have some Model 64's and 10's in stock.

[Jim22]

EAA has been on my S-list since the nineties. The first .40 S&W autopistol I ever bought was made by EAA. I took it to the pit with some factory ammunition. Loaded the magazine, racked one into the chamber, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The pistol fired but would not eject the empty. Jammed up the slide. It took a hammer to get it loose. Second and third sheots were the same. I took it back to the dealer. He said he could send it off or I could trade it for something of equal value. I chose a Glock 22. I still have the Glock. I don't know where the EAA went and don't care. My experience was poor quality control. YMMV.

Jim