three5seven

#1 Revolver for simplicity;   #2 A Tie for Semi-Autos   Glock for simplicity even though I despise the grip angle and they're ugly; and    A steel CZ 75 series pistol with a decocking lever because I like it. I have medium-small hands and can work all of the controls with my dominant hand with no difficulty. I can't say the same with other full-size pistols. Also, I prefer the decocker over the manual safety (personal preference). The pistol has a low bore axis and a good grip angle.    

A .357 revolver with a 4+ inch barrel is a capable handgun...a handgun capable of shooting three calibers, .38, .38+P, and .357, and a handgun capable of taking deer, killing anything else that doesn't require a shotgun or a heavy rifle, and capable of shooting through car doors. On the flip side, a modern 9mm with 9mm loads and 9mm +P loads in the 124 grain and heavier category gives superior capacity. With 16+1, 17+1, on up capacity, it's tough to justify a six or seven round wheel gun. If I had to chose only one, I'd go with the .357. When ammo completely runs out in a SHTF scenario, .357 prevails for reloading, if for no other reason than you don't have to hunt for spent casings on the ground! I'd get either a Henry or Marlin lever action to go with it. I have no personal experience with 9mm carbines but from what I've seen, I wouldn't want to hunt with one.   If you can take a deer in the woods with a head shot at 50 yards, go with the 9mm!  I'd prefer a clean kill in the vitals with a .357.        Best answer: Get a Glock 34 and either a Ruger or Smith, then stock up on rounds for each!      

All of this gun pornography is making me drool! I'm having deja vu of the "revolver fever" thread on here a few months back. I'm a Ruger D/A revolver guy. Big fan of the GP100 & SP101 lines. Lately I've been eyeing blued Smith K-Frames. Those older S & W revolvers are the bees knees.      http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/69949-revolver-fever/?hl=%2Brevolver+%2Bfever 

Agreed. Good revolvers keep their value for the most part.  

The stainless Smith & Wesson Revolvers you mentioned are expensive and dealers have to sit on them when they are in stock. Although they are fine handguns, they don't sell well at all. For instance, last year I lusted after a Smith & Wesson 640 Pro at a local shop. After taxes the j-frame would have ran right around $800. I didn't "need it, " I wanted it. I didn't have the money and couldn't justify trading in for a loss on what I considered a better carry gun (Glock 26). Besides that, $800 would buy two Smith Airweights. I began saving up and would check on the 640 monthly. It stayed in the case for 7 months before someone else purchased it. That is 7 months before I saw it. I have no idea how long it had been at that shop.   There's a gunshop in every grand division of TN that has a great revolver selection. All of those shops charge a premium for having that selection because they can't move the inventory. My suggestion: buy used and look online.  

At $390 I'm that much more jealous!!! Saw a 3-inch on Knoxville Armslist for nearly twice that much a few weeks ago. 

That's one fine piece of Smith & Wesson craftsmanship. Where did you snag it? Local? 

This might be a deal. Try to post a pic if you can get one. The French manufacturer Manurhin produced all of the .32 auto PPK's for import into the US. Interarms was the importer. FN produced a lot of .32 autos as well. The FN's are antiquated.      

Google this topic, read articles, read other forums, and watch some videos. There's a lot of info out there comparing these guns.    My subjective observation: the LCR trigger beats the snot out of any right out of the box plain jane J-Frame D/A trigger. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't shot them side-by-side. I can't vouch for the new LCRx's S/A compared to a Smith.   I think of the LCR like a Glock. It is a fugly reliable gun made to do a job and it works. Although I wouldn't make a habit out of shooting .357's out of an LCR, I actually like the couple of extra ounces in weight in the .357 to help tame .38+P loads. I don't think there is much, if any, advantage to shooting .357 rounds out of a 1.875 snubby. But recoil with certain .357 loads isn't as bad in the LCR as one might think. Also, I like having full ammo compatibility with multiple firearms.       It took me a long time to get it in my head that a revolver could be made of plastic. The LCR isn't "pretty." Most Smith J-Frames have a sexy look about them. I think the LCR does as well but in a weird utilitarian type of way. Besides looks, the only real downside to the LCR is the ability to find holsters to fit the trigger guard.     This is a Coke/Pepsi argument. You can't go wrong with either but my vote goes to the Ruger.    

Fugly firearms intended for women to think that they are cute. Don't know about the 1911 though. Kinda looks like Tennessee Orange!

Davidson's did a run of 4.2 inch half-lug GP 100's sometime ago. They pop up from time to time, both new and used. I snagged one used about two years ago in a trade. Asking price used with some wear was $425. It has fixed sights and looks more like a Speed Six than a GP 100. Best trade I've ever made.  

Great trade up. You won't be disappointed or dissatisfied with the GP-100. I have the 4.2 inch half lug configuration with the monogrips. It will be pried from my hands on my deathbed! When you have some time and money, run all the ammo you can in her. My Ruger seems to like the moderate to heavyweight .357 and 38 Special +P loads for accuracy as opposed to the medium power 125 grain self-defense rounds or .38 Special target ammo.   

The Bersa Thunder series are fine carry pieces, ultra-reliable, and in my opinion, one of the finest .380's on the market. When price is considered, it may be the best .380 out there. It's actually shootable due to size. As a former PPKS owner, I'd rather shoot the Bersa. Modern .380 defensive ammo is no joke. Bersa makes a good product and are highly underrated.   If you are considering a larger .380 auto that's not a pocket rocket, you may want to look into the CZ 83 (or maybe the 82) as well. There are many used offerings out there right at the price point of the Bersa.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm keeping and shooting my Rugers. By not supporting Ruger, I mean taking a few of Ruger's products off of my wish list (i.e., LCRx and SP101 .22LR Kit Gun) and instead I may spend my hard earned cash on firearms made by a certain Czech Republic Firearms Manufacturer that had the common sense to move from California to Kansas, a certain Italian Firearms Manufacturer that had the common sense to move from Maryland to Tennessee, and a certain Big Green Ammunition/Long Gun Manufacturer that fled the tyrant Republic of New York for Alabama. I might even spend my money on a brand new FDE semi-auto made by a certain Austrian Company in Georgia, USA.    What I'm getting at is that Ruger's stock has skyrocketed from the past two years of firearms scare and the State of Connecticut's economy and the State itself have benefited through corporate taxes on these purchases. It's hypocritical.The Ruger executives can't legally own the firearms they make money off of in the state they reside. 

I keep wondering how much more Sturm, Ruger, & Co. will take from Connecticut until their hand is forced to leave and move to the heartland where folks who have common sense and a desire to exercise constitutional rights reside. Remington and Beretta have already seen the writing on the wall and have begun to jump ship from New York and Maryland. It's time for Ruger to do the same and leave Connecticut.   I'm a diehard Ruger revolver fanboy. We gun owners need to be putting pressure on Ruger to move their corporate office (the bulk of their production operation is already out of state). I don't want my gun money supporting a state economy that is anti-Second Amendment. If Ruger sits idly and doesn't move, I'll stop supporting Ruger altogether and urge others to do the same.    Ruger rants and raves about bunk California laws violating the Second Amendment on their website. Nothing is mentioned at all about the atrocities going on in their home state.     http://www.ruger.com/index.html   http://www.ruger.com/corporate/index.html 

News to me. Just read that Dan Wesson/CZ is going to start production up on 715's this summer in a 6 inch configuration. I'm mad they aren't putting out pistol packs but am pretty excited that another quality manufacturer is getting back in the revolver game. Here's the link.    http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/dan-wesson-715/

I stopped by a store last week that is "Remington Certified" or something to that effect to see if they had a show model to no avail. I just wanted to handle one. Word on the internet was that Remington was going to start shipping February. Guess that didn't work out. I'm intrigued by this pistol but wouldn't buy sight unseen and am waiting for non-gun industry reviews outside of magazines/blogs as well. Wish Remington would send a T & E gun to Hickock45. 

This article is bunk. Although I agree that the increase in technology has enabled the new 9MM rounds to do things never thought of 20 years ago, the reality is that these switches are all about LE agencies purchasing new handguns. (When in reality they don't wear out the ones they have, they're just "old"). I've read articles that purport LE as a whole qualified better with .357 steel revolvers fitted with FBI loads in the early 1980's than with hi-cap 9's and .40's. Go figure.    

That's one fine Ruger. My mouth started watering and my eyes glazed over when you posted the photo. I've been curious about the performance of .17HMR in handguns but don't know anyone who actually owns one. Been thinking about getting my Dad chambered in one as a gift to go with his varmint rifle. When you get some time and rounds on the gun, please post an update with your thoughts and pros/cons of the gun. 

Since you already have a 19 and 27, I vote you get a Gen 3 Glock 35 and save up money for a 9mm Lone Wolf Conversion barrel for pleasure shooting.     

I go through phases but I've had "Revolver Fever" for awhile now too. I enjoy shooting revolvers more than semi-autos and think they are sexier weapons. If a second mortgage on the house wasn't required to purchase one, a S&W TR8 would be my bedside gun. If 8 rounds of .357 doesn't get the job done its likely nothing will.     

Wish S&W would worry less about offering new revolvers and make their current offerings more affordable and work on quality control. 

This thing looks like some kind of Walther PPK/Ruger LC9/Springfield XDS/Sig P232 mutant and I like it! I like the sexy lines on it. I've heard and read a lot of mixed reviews about the quality of Remington's 1911's but at this price point I'm interested. I'd wait for objective reviews before throwing money at it though. No disrespect to plastic but Remington also gets my respect for going with alloy over polymer. I prefer metal. In an age where different firearm manufacturers basically steal each other's designs, I'm glad to see one do a throwback to an old one.    

You should check out the Hickock45 video on the P-09. He gives an objective evaluation on the piece. The link is below. I think he also does a comparison video with the Springfield Xdm.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vCB2yGwSVk

Recoil in the small frame polymer 9MM's is a problem for most people, myself included. IMO, the G26 is a great carry option so far as size, caliber, etc. but it's a little chunky. Generally, you can't go wrong with a Glock. However, you may want to consider a large .380 like the Walther PK380 for your wife, especially if she is new to shooting. It holds 8+1 and the grip is good for small hands. Not to mention, the price is easy on the wallet.