.38 Revolver Questions

[jr_roosa]

This might be a little tangential, but in my newly acquired pile of reloading gear, I have 2 cigar boxes full of nickel plated .38 spl brass, about 1000 lubed semi-wadcutters, and 1000 small pistol primers. I have no gun to use any of these in.

Basically I can shoot .38 for a year or two for the price of powder.

So:

1. I know nothing about revolvers...do they tend to be accurate enough out of the box for bullseye? I'm not really planning on competing with one, but it would be nice to have one that is accurate enough to be fun to shoot without several hundred dollars of aftermarket work.

2. Any suggestions for revolvers that I might want to keep an eye out for on the used market? Anything being made now that would be good?

3. Are there any .38 spl autoloaders I should look for that will feed semi-wadcutters? I get the sense that most are designed for flush seated full wadcutters.

Thanks for your help.

-J.

[jr_roosa]

I was thinking that my original post might seem too off-topic, so I wanted to clarify.

I'm wondering what would currently approximate an old-school bullseye revolver, although I don't feel like spending a ton on making it competetive against a modern wad gun.

Thanks.

-J.

[38HBWC]

My Sig p-240 and the S&W m-52s all take flush seated full wadcutters. I would assume that Colt in gov frame would be same. I see a few shooters still clinging onto their S&W K-38s and shooting some fine groups. Revolvers, as well as autos pay dividends once the trigger has been serviced in terms of pull weight, backlash, overtravel and recoil spring weight. All those items come from Wilson or Wolff for the most part, depending on the gun you have. Smith M-10s used to be around like leaves on a tree, making a great platform for a bullseye revolver. I'd be leaning toward a M-10, but plan on a rebarrel, cone job and trigger work after purchase. Surely, 38 Special will resurge as the popular round it once was with the economics of reloading vs. cost of the new fangled calibers costing both leg$ and both arm$! Enjoy shooting for almost free, I have purchased over 20# of new and opened powders off Craigslist for 10 cents on the dollar.

[solomon grundy]

A Model 14 or 15 is a good choice - or one of the Colt Officers Model series. I've shot a 14 and a Colt Officers Model Special in DR matches, and both are certainly accurate enough for BE at 50yds.

I don't think that it's a deficit of mechanical accuracy that's dissuaded people from using revolvers, it's that they're more difficult to shoot well during sustained and rapid fire. Also revolvers seem to be less forgiving than pistols, at least for me.

[Guest]

You should be able to find a really decent old, blue, 6-inch S&W Model 14 for about $500 or so. Not so nice ones usually start around $350. If you can find a nice one - buy it. You'll never be disappointed.

The new, stainless S&W is called the # 686 and is chambered in .357/.38. Don't know much about it (new, the price is a little more than a decent used Model # 14???), but people who shoot them in Bullseye and/or Distinguished Revolver matches seem to really like them. I do know they have a full lug under the barrel that changes the weight distribution vs. the # 14 - the # 686 is more nose heavy.

From what I've seen, the only other good option is the Ruger # GP 100.

[jr_roosa]

Ended up with a Smith and Wesson Combat Magnum on a sort of long-term loan (don't worry, everything is on the level). As long as its owner lives in places where he isn't allowed to have it, I have a (the) classic .357 magnum.

I may have found a down-side to the Heller decision.

It's somwhere in the UPS system right now...we'll see how it shoots this weekend. Supposedly this one is a tack-driver with .38 special wadcutters.

Thanks for the advice.

-J.