Let's look through a few cartridges for my favorite kinds of handguns: revolvers. Revolvers .38 Special Originally designed by Smith & Wesson, the .38 Special was the standard service cartridge used by many police departments in the United States from the 1920s to the early 1990s. As a centerfire round with manageable recoil, the .38 Special excels in versatility in … [Read more...]
I'm still surprised sometimes to get feedback about shooting large calibers, such as .500 Magnum, from males and females who are uncomfortable with the idea of shooting something like the Smith and Wesson Model 500. Large caliber handguns definitely offer a strong recoil experience, but with the right measures, it's possible to fire them without endangering one's self or … [Read more...]
What do you know about the Colt 1851? My history with the Colt 1851 Navy revolver runs deep. It was my first personal handgun. It was a .44 caliber brass framed Pietta replica model that joined me on many deer hunts as a backup to my single shot cartridge rifle. In 2013, my want for another Navy led me to get another model with a steel frame and in the authentic 36 caliber. … [Read more...]
Have you heard of J-frame, Chief's Special, or the Model 36? All those refer to the classic S&W Model 36 Chief's Special revolver. History Some argue that, back in the 50s, Smith and Wesson was distracted with the demand for service guns for police and military units and so neglected keeping up with Colt in the concealed carry handgun market. Colt's Detective Special in … [Read more...]
What do you think the best revolver is? As with any "best gun," the answer is subjective. My personal preference, however, may surprise you. I have shot quite a few revolvers, on and off camera, and the one wheelgun in my collection I keep coming back to, over any other, is the Smith and Wesson Model 10, aka Military and Police. The video embedded above is not my official … [Read more...]
With so many new folks joining the shooting sports or rushing out to buy their first carry or home defense gun, it surprises me that I don't hear of more people buying revolvers. Sure, some consider polymer-framed semi-automatics the future kings of pistoldom, but if that's the case, wheelguns are the queens. If you've ever played chess, you know how useful that queen is. Here … [Read more...]
