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Thread: The Kit Gun, revisited

  1. #121
    Boolit Master
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    I am one that likes adjustable sights when I have a choice.
    I want to be able to do head shots on small game with out Kentucky windage so the range I can keep my shots in 3/4 to an inch is the range I hunt small game . So I like the mod.63 Smith , the adjustable sight bearcat , and and 4.2" sp101s 327 or 357 these are the ones I like today subject to change on a whim.

  2. #122
    Banned bigted's Avatar
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    Having read this entire thread, and been entertained immensely ... I too have an opinion on a "kit" gun.

    I have always been enamored with the 22 LR round and always been under the opinion that this would very much be my end all round. I have harvested many meals with both rifle and handgun so chambered. It has tabled everything from squirrel to venison. I made [ in my youth with great eyes] a 75 yard instant kill that fed us venison for many fine meals ... this with a Luger by Stoger ... 1 shot over my pickup hood ... this witnessed by 2 other knuckleheads.

    Since then I have wavered toward 38 spcl and lately toward my 44 spcl. Both have great terminal effects and on the two legged predator front reach almost perfect results along with tabling meal after meal ... in a package that is easy carry and lite weight revolvers.

    I even subscribe to auto's for this category. They are accurate and lite weight. Chambered in very capable rounds, they would make great choice's for the carry gun in a "KIT".

    However after 60 years of wondering this earth ... I remain in my very first opinion of years and years ago ... and that is that the MIGHTY 22 LR would be my choice chambered in a solid double action wearing a 3 or 4 inch barrel and built of stainless steel with non-adjustable sights. How many rounds is no concern as this would be a critter gathering tool and semi self defense gun.

    These are easy to get acquainted with .
    Easy to practice with to become very accurate with.
    Ammo is very light so carrying 200 or 300 will not tax.
    Solid round ammo for deep penetration.
    Light report ... fairly.
    Ability to shoot shorts, longs or long rifle.
    Easy to muffle if that is required.
    Deadly for all critters up to deer or human size.

    I could go on n on. These are a fine revolver in almost any manufacturer ... and for the most part ... affordable.

    I would opt for a more expensive revolver for the long haul. Stock up on bricks of ammo the revolver likes best.

    Just sayin

  3. #123
    Boolit Master
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    Good thread. I have used several, but keep coming back to my 6.5" Ruger Single Six stainless in .22LR when going for small game, and it has taken plenty of hogs too. The other small caliber is a Ruger 22/45 4.5", which is lighter. I tend to go from there straight to assorted .357s, and then to various .44-.45 caliber options. They all work for me, but most definitely don't make the 2 pound limit several of you have mentioned. Guess I need to go shopping...
    I passed my last psych eval, how bout you?

  4. #124
    Boolit Bub
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    Did anyone mention the original Charter Arms Pathfinder? A stainless 16 oz 3" tapered barrel DA revolver with adjustable sights that back in the day (1980s) was available in either .22 LR or .22 WMRF. They were obviously intended for the Kit Gun role, and were smaller, lighter and less expensive than the J-frame S&Ws, and were pretty well made (no aluminum barrel shrouds glued on, etc.). The small framed Charter guns are very packable. If a rimfire was acceptable, these would be contenders.
    There is a Charter model currently available of the same name, but it comes 2" or 4.2". Possibly a little lighter with an alloy frame.

  5. #125
    Banned
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    A 3" or 4" stainless DA revolver chambered in .22 RF would certainly be useful.
    bigted makes some points with the most important in my opinion: ammo is small and lightweight.

    I haven't really considered the Ruger 22/45 but that platform does offer weather resistance and light weight.

    I will say that I've encountered some remarkably accurate .22 revolvers but I've always felt that it is easier to find an accurate .22 semi-auto pistol. It is not that .22 revolvers are bad, they are not. In fact, some .22 revolvers are remarkably accurate; it is just harder to find one that is set up correctly. All of the chambers need to be cut perfectly, the timing needs to be correct, the B/C gap needs to be correct, the forcing cone needs to be cut perfectly, etc. When you find a good one, hang onto it ! And it seems to me that the older manufacturing was a bit tighter and the older guns tended to shoot better.

    Good .22 pistols just seem to be a little easier to find. Most Colt Woodsman, High Standard's, Ruger Standard and Browning Buckmarks are capable of better accuracy than their operator. There are always exceptions but I'm far less nervous about buying a used .22 pistol than a used .22 revolver. YMMV.

    One REALLY cool aspect to living in today's world are the materials that we now have available. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union the only titanium you saw in the U.S.A. was in exotic military applications, medical devices and space craft. Now the stuff is readily available and almost affordable.
    The improvement of plastics of the last 40 years is nothing short of incredible.
    Lightweight alloys have come a long way.
    And the finishes that are now available now are downright amazing.

  6. #126
    Moderator Emeritus


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    Quote Originally Posted by Crow_Eater View Post
    Did anyone mention the original Charter Arms Pathfinder? A stainless 16 oz 3" tapered barrel DA revolver with adjustable sights that back in the day (1980s) was available in either .22 LR or .22 WMRF. They were obviously intended for the Kit Gun role, and were smaller, lighter and less expensive than the J-frame S&Ws, and were pretty well made (no aluminum barrel shrouds glued on, etc.). The small framed Charter guns are very packable. If a rimfire was acceptable, these would be contenders.
    There is a Charter model currently available of the same name, but it comes 2" or 4.2". Possibly a little lighter with an alloy frame.
    For a caster I have wondered about the newer 3" Charter 32 Mag. Price is better than any other 32 and a 7 shot light gun might do a lot for some areas.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  7. #127
    Boolit Buddy
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    S&W 4" M-34, Ruger SP101 4" 357 shot mostly with 38 spl loads, 4 5/8 Ruger 32 H&R. My fav is my S&W M-60 3" 357, again mostly shot with 38 spl loads. Full power WC loads fill most of my needs. K frame guns are nice, but a little bulky and heavy for day to day use FOR ME. YMMV. I don't do Kentucky windage well so adj. sights for me. The Ruger HI Viz on the SP101 work well on a trail gun.

  8. #128
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NorthMoccasin View Post
    S&W 4" M-34, Ruger SP101 4" 357 shot mostly with 38 spl loads, 4 5/8 Ruger 32 H&R. My fav is my S&W M-60 3" 357, again mostly shot with 38 spl loads. Full power WC loads fill most of my needs. K frame guns are nice, but a little bulky and heavy for day to day use FOR ME. YMMV. I don't do Kentucky windage well so adj. sights for me. The Ruger HI Viz on the SP101 work well on a trail gun.
    I have the models 34 and 60 though my 60 is a 38 special only. Very good, reliable guns and surprisingly accurate.
    I wasn't sure how they would work out for me until I tried them. They are keepers.

  9. #129
    Boolit Grand Master
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    My idea of a Kit Gun is a small framed revolver in a fairly small caliber, with a 3-4” barrel and adjustable sights. The perfect example for me would be the S&W Model 631 in the configuration above, but I have settled for a 3” Model 60-4 that does everything I need in this regard, so I guess I’ll probably quit while I’m ahead.

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  10. #130
    Boolit Master
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    When I first started casting I had a new Ruger SP101 .357 with the 4" barrel. The barrel was timed poorly so the front sight was leaning. Sent it back to Ruger and they rebarreled it. But the new barrel a horrible forcing cone and would not shoot cast. Did fine with j-words. Sold it to a buddy and bought a 3" Smith 62. It is a nice little 5 shot that I carry in a shoulder rig.

  11. #131
    Boolit Mold
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    I like kit guns because they are durable and impossible to break, but we all need to understand that contemporary semi-automatic pistols are better. I had kit guns for all of my life, but recently I got a Beretta 950 as a present on my birthday. I have read some reviews on ballachy.com, and the gun seems to be very good. The Beretta 950 is not a cheap pistol. With a price tag of over $600, this gun is not for the budget-minded shooter, but it has many advantages that make this pistol worth its price.
    Last edited by Azazin; 01-19-2022 at 10:36 AM.

  12. #132
    Boolit Master
    Daekar's Avatar
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    I have always really liked the idea of a kit gun, and I sort of ended up with two of them: a 3" S&W 60, and a 3" S&W 63. Both are stainless, easy to carry, easy to shoot (although full-power 357 mag is downright unpleasant in the 60, I prefer something in the 38spl wadcutter range).

    I went back and read the OP, and it seems to me that the best gun for meeting the stated criteria of a 4" stainless 38spl is now the Kimber K6S.... you can get them with or without adjustable sights in a full 4" barrel now. I held one of the target models in the store and it was a near-run thing that I didn't walk out of the store with it, it was a damn fine piece.
    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check