If you could have only one revolver.....

[P Flados]

Actually I only have one revolver.

I got a SS Dan Wesson 357 supermag silhouette special with 8" barrel back when IHMSA was still using their first rule book .

When you get the best choice as your first choice it saves lots of second guessing.

When the best choice goes out of production , you feel sorry of the rest of the world , and you hang one to the one you have.

I am sure others have different opinions, but you may have noticed that I am somewhat biased (I blame the gun).

So WRB, you say you want photos. For scale I tossed in ammo, 38 Sp, 357 Mag & 357 Max.

[Markbo]

The Colt SAA is indeed a marvel of design! Not by Sam Colt however- he had been pushing up daisies for about a decade before the wonderful SAA was introduced. But this revolver in .45 Colt is my 2nd in line choice for the all-arounder.

Technically you are correct of course as two of Sam Colts engineers and several other employees did the final design work for the U.S. Army over a period of around 10. years. But it was based on his previous work, including the grip which is what I am so fond of and the did work for Colt's so Samuel was there - and remains son in his designs - in spirit.

[Beerd]

Photos?
By some coinkydink September's Castpic of the Month is Revolvers.

I think most all of us would be well served by a double action 38 Special. Want something more, then go with a 357 Magnum and still shoot 38's.

I've never shot one but for he11 for stout there was a Ruger Redhawk in .357 Mag. Less hard to find is a Dan Wesson.
..

[betschet50]

For me it would be a hard choice but I think it would be my stainless Rugger supper Blackhawk 44mag in 5.5" it can shot 44spl & 44mag but dose not have the square back trigger guard. But thank god we don't have to chose I would miss my other guns too much.

[Ruger45Bisley]

It would be a tough choice, I like single actions better than double but if I could only keep just one it would probably be my SRH Toklat

[nockhunter]

If I could only have one handgun it would be a Smith & Wesson 686 plus. Seven shot revolver with a 3" barrel. Not the best for everything but could get you out of a jam and put venison on the table.

Mike

[Ithaca Gunner]

4" S&W 629-3 .44 Mag. Had this revolver since new and it's never let me down.

[RJM52]

as the title says. If you could have one revolver as a do it all revolver, what would you choose. I will be in this boat for a while until some things in my life improve.

I have the opportunity to trade straight across with a rifle, which is expendable to me with no attachment, for a LNIB Smith 629 Classic with 5" barrel. It handles well and I've always enjoyed the N frames. I know it's not as strong as a BH/RH/SRH, but all I need is a Keith running at 1200 for everyday work. Which I'm casting up now.

Opinions?

Would be hard to choose a better .44 Magnum for all around use. I had a couple of 629 Mountain Guns and traded one of them to a friend for his 629 (1981 no- P&R) that had been factory rebarreled with a Mag-Na-Ported Classic barrel that Smith said was left over from a special run for a distributor. That was the nicest shooting .44 Magnum I ever fired. Unfortunately my friend died and when his nephew was looking for a .44 I sold it to him to keep it in the family. He bought a Simply Rugger holster and that is all he uses as his hunting and outdoor handgun...

For me it would be a 4" S&W .41 Magnum...57, 657 or 657 Mountain Gun. Just like the balance better, conceals better and draws easier...

Bob

[makicjf]

I love my 4 inch GP100 in 357; its accurate, reliable, quick and reloads almost as fast as a moonclipped revo with Comp II, but do not have utter faith in the 357 round for any situation I might encounter. All my ruger 45 convertibles, and my 2 digit prefix birdshead Vaquero convertible ,2 Blackhawks, one with a 4 5/8 and one with a 7 1/2 inch tube) can handle anything almost anywhere, but for two legged troubles reload slowly; my two 357 Rugers, one a Blackhawk made in '58 and the other a New Vaquero suffer from the reloading issue and the marginal nature ( in my mind) of the 357 on larger game; My 4 inch redhawk in 45 colt, moonclipped "should" be perfection; moonclipped, night sights, trued forcing cone, throats opened, target crown, smoothed trigger, shoot 45 acp ok but is a tack driving hammer with any 45 colt from cowboy level up through Linebaugh loads with 320 WFN's. It would also make a perfect mate for my '92 Rossi in 45 colt. It has been, however, an absolute nightmare to resolve the light strike issues, even with the Bowen 40 lbs sledgehammer spring ( the longer firing pin for the new frame should be available this month) and the longest of 4 transfer bars I ordered... It will still light strike 1 or 2 of twelve in DA.... Single action it is flawless, but "The One Revolver" must be reliable in any mode, anytime. My 625 JM is VERY close to perfection: slick trigger, crazy fast reloads, shoot anything from 160 grain collar buttons through 270 grain RCBS Keith ( I've driven them up to 950 and stopped there) and will clover leaf all day at 15 yards off hand with my 248 grain Mountain Mold truncated cone with a .350 meplat. Those ho-hum along at 865 fps and are field rest accurate on an 8 inch plate at 100 yards all day long. Just enough recoil to know you are shooting a real revolver but quick recovery. This is my IPSC revolver, and my daily packing pistol ( or will be again when the cylinder comes back from being opened and having the charge holes chamfered). The upside of the moonclips for reloads is also a downside;without auto rim brass I'm married to moonclips, plus a top off of the cylinder requires dumping any unfired rounds. The only real issue is the 625's limited top end power--Which brings me to my 454 Toklat. Power to reach Africa, and with sight adjustment plinkers for chipmunks, good, but long DA trigger, not super fast due to the mass of the cylinder, but flawless in function SA and DA. The twist rate demands ( I learned the hard way) 260 or heavier bullets, which is ok. Comp I 44 mag loaders work perfectly, though without chamfering the 255 RCBS Keith can hang up a bit....
I'll have a hard time ever fully trusting my Redhawk; I'm not sure I'd want to face a 300 lbs angry hog or a run away Brangus bull with the 625 even loaded to the hilt ( though I truly love it for 99.99999 of my needs), so I'd have to keep the Toklat....
I Think.../
Jason

[ilikec2]

Freedom Arms premier grade model 83, chambered in 454 casull with a 7-1/2" barrel AND THE TUNGSTEN FORCING CONE ....

[Certaindeaf]

as the title says. If you could have one revolver as a do it all revolver, what would you choose. I will be in this boat for a while until some things in my life improve.

I have the opportunity to trade straight across with a rifle, which is expendable to me with no attachment, for a LNIB Smith 629 Classic with 5" barrel. It handles well and I've always enjoyed the N frames. I know it's not as strong as a BH/RH/SRH, but all I need is a Keith running at 1200 for everyday work. Which I'm casting up now.

Opinions?

A 3-4" M-29. The shorter barrels are handier.. and will still send a lump at 1200 very accurately.

[SSGOldfart]

I have various Smiths and Rugers that I love but if I only had one it would be my Dan Wesson 15-2 in 357 Mag.

Same here I would be lost without my DW15-2 . With 4barrels it's hard to beat

[M-Tecs]

Same here I would be lost without my DW15-2 . With 4barrels it's hard to beat

I have two DW15-2's. For barrels I have 6", 8" and a 10" barrels. I would like a 2 1/2" and a 4" but I am not finding any at the prices I am willing to pay.

[ricks45]

As much as I love my 1911's, I have 6, 3 are customs. As far as my wheel guns it would have to be my DW .357 as I have the 2 1/2 the 4, the 6, and 8inch barrel with scope, and 2 different size grips. It can be configured for multiple uses from conceal to hunting.

[Markbo]

If that was a .41 it would be just about perfect. Oh... in stainless. Oh.. and mine.

[flagman1776]

3" S&W M66.

[dougader]

My favorite revolver is an Alan Harton Montado in 45 Colt. But if I could only keep one, it'd be a 454 Super Redhawk with the barrel cut back to 4-1/2 - 5" (NOT a Toklat).

[willyboy]

1917 Smith & Wesson!

[cornmastah]

I would probably have to go with my gp100 for practical reasons if I could only pick one--that or my 44 mag super redhawk.

[osteodoc08]

OP here. I ended up with a minty 629-2 that was so clean, there was no appreciable fire markings on the end of the cylinder and the forcing cone was square and sharp with no erosion, flame cutting and the recoil shield showed no wear either.

I realize it doesn't have the endurance mods, but this isn't going to be a hot rodded go to. I'll keep my rugers for that.