Have you taken any training yet?

Well for starters you can get a 357 revolver for under $600 so that isn't an issue. Guess the real questions are what is your experience with handguns, and for what purpose are you looking to get one? If your just looking to get a gun to throw in the night stand and never remove unless truly needed then that's a fine option. If you want to get into shooting and hitting the range on a regular basis then it really becomes a preference thing. I don't have the patients to reload a revolver every few shots so I much rather go with a few magazines loaded to the max and spend more time shooting then loading. If your looking for something to conceal carry it is a toss up. I prefer a smaller carry gun then say the Taurus 605 revolver($411 at RedDot) but that is a preference issue. I would suggest you look into a class if you have never taken any and also look for a shop that you can rent a few guns and give them a try and let the gun pick you! We have several ranges in the area that will rent. Good luck with your search and keep us posted on what you end up going with!

Nope the handgun is my glaring week point in shooting. I have gone hand gun shooting with my grandfather who is retired cpd, and a good shot. But that is the experience I have had

Cc isn't a big deal for me. I would say I am looking for something reliable that can take a lot of use. The other thing that leads me from the 357 is that my wife would have a hard time shooting it

(10-10-2014, 10:59 AM)fromtheplaines Wrote: Nope the handgun is my glaring week point in shooting. I have gone hand gun shooting with my grandfather who is retired cpd, and a good shot. But that is the experience I have had

Next time you are in the shop, ask about our classes. When taking our Basic Pistol class, we let you rent any of the guns from the class, so that way you can get an idea of what you like.

If I'm here at the shop that day, I'd love to talk to you about it.

Cool when is the next class

Next one is this Saturday, then Oct 20th I believe. Check the calendar at http://www.reddotarms.com/calendar for all the other dates. It's a great class.

Lot of the guys on this forum have taken that class.

The class is worth every penny. I have been shooting for 30 years, and still learned things from it. The nice part for a beginner is that you can always sit in on RDA class again for free (range time you would still have to pay for). That's like a lifetime warranty on training. The instructors have a passion for firearms, and are extremely knowledgeable. You can visit RDA anytime and talk to one of their firearms consultants. I say consultants because they take a real interest in what you want the firearm for. They also discuss fit and let you handle them. They show you all about them, pluses and minuses. They are never pushy and don't favor one brand over another.

Yeah, basic pistol at RDA is a great class. You can get speed loaders if you want to load faster. Personally I like the deliberateness of shooting a revolver, especially single action. If you get a 357 you can always shoot 38 through it, which I think your wife would be able to handle and is cheaper and easier to find ammo. It doesn't work the other way, if you get a 38 you can't shoot 357.

If you want something that is more historical, like from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly then I'd suggest looking at Cimarron. Many of their revolvers are under $600.

Take the class, rent some guns, figure out which one you like, then buy it. Once you buy it, see if you can take a 1 hour private lesson at the range with one of the RDA staff. When my Dad got his Glock we did that a few years back. It was really beneficial to take the private lessons. The instructor showed us how to break down the gun, clean it and put it back together. After that we spent time at the range and learned a lot. It really was worth it because at the time neither one of us ever held much less shot a semi-Automatic gun before

I really liked the basic pistol class. I already took it twice because one of my friends wanted to go as well. But I think you could make a much better decision after taking the class. beyond that I don't believe anyone at RDA would steer you wrong, just make sure you know what you would like it for so they can help guide you.

Personally for a .357 mag. I'm obsessed with the Ruger GP100.. I'd probably go for the 6" since it wouldn't be for a carry gun, but I like all of them.

If and when I buy a revolver, it is going to be a Ruger GP100 in .357, I like the 4" barrel a lot, but 6" works. The other choice is Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm Combo.

You really could not go wrong with a S&W686 either. And strangely enough I think Taraus makes decent Revolvers. I've fired their .357 and it's pretty nice. Only comment is it seems a little thinner than the others.

Just my 2 cents. And you might take a look at the used guns section. Sometimes some really nice revolvers show up there.

One of my favorite revolvers I've ever owned is my Ruger 6" Stainless Security Six .357 with target sights. It ranks in the top 3 best deals I ever paid for any firearm. I purchased it on a close-out just a few months prior to the GP100 introduction. It's certainly not a cc weapon, but for shooting paper at the range it makes for a great target gun. At the range I find myself shooting less ammo with a revolver.

Not sure if you've already made a purchase, but I just bought my first handgun, and I went with the Ruger SR9.
I know you said you are considering a revolver, but I just thought I'd share my experience with this center fire pistol:
I had gone out shooting handguns at the range with friends in the past, but never owned one. I wasn't really sure what to buy, but I wanted something with around a 4" barrel, reliable, and one that my wife could use in the event that she had to...and she has never fired a handgun.
Of course, many of my friends suggested various revolvers. Others said a Glock 19. I ended up stumbling upon the SR9 while rummaging around on a local dealer's website, and it caught my eye with its various safety features. My wife and I are both inexperienced, and we have small children, so safety was obviously a big deal to us.
This model also comes in the SR9C if you'd like something more compact, and it has a magazine extender that makes it the same size grip and 17+1 round capacity as the bigger model.
The 9mm round is a nice option for us because I think it has plenty of stopping power, JHP shouldn't go very far through the wall if we have to fire it in our home, and my wife should be able to handle shooting it after some practice.
One really nice safety feature is the red bar on top of the slide that pops up when a round is in the chamber to let you know that it is ready to fire. It also has a trigger safety, a safety on the slide, and a firing pin blocker that activates when the magazine is released, so it won't fire even if a round is chambered (this can be removed, which I've read that many people do).
The firing pin also pokes out of the back of the slide to notify you that the gun is cocked.
I also like the fact that it has two 17+1 capacity magazines, but this might not be helpful to you if you live in a state that restricts magazine capacities.
The best part is that I bought it brand-new for $450. During my research, I quickly found that any comparable pistols were difficult to find under $550.
The bottom line is that you should feel comfortable with your gun, and the grip should feel good in your hand.


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I can't recommend training enough. We do a really good job at RDA. Many on this forum can attest to that. Please take some training before you develop some bad habits. I'm bold enough to say, "you'll spend more in ammo than the cost of the class to get yourself a tight group".

I personally plan on taking training classes along with my wife. Not only for the obvious benefits from the classes themselves, but I'm hoping it will become something that both my wife and I can do as an activity together since we both work a lot and have young kids, so we don't have a lot of things we do for just her and I.


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(10-30-2014, 07:10 AM)BelieveIn308 Wrote: If and when I buy a revolver, it is going to be a Ruger GP100 in .357, I like the 4" barrel a lot, but 6" works. The other choice is Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm Combo.

You really could not go wrong with a S&W686 either. And strangely enough I think Taraus makes decent Revolvers. I've fired their .357 and it's pretty nice. Only comment is it seems a little thinner than the others.

Just my 2 cents. And you might take a look at the used guns section. Sometimes some really nice revolvers show up there.

I used to love my S&W 66 and I kick myself all the time for selling it. I've recently thought about picking up a Taurus 608. 8 rounds of .357 magnum in a 4" or 6" revolver makes for a good backup gun to a rifle if things go south.

(10-10-2014, 10:02 AM)fromtheplaines Wrote: I am looking to pick up a handgun come tax return season. I wanted to get some thoughts on what is something to look at versus something to avoid. I was thinking if getting a 357 revolver since I had one earlier but they are pretty expensive, so I am really comfortable to 600, but not mutch after that

As the guys have pointed out TRAINING is essential. But before that my first question is to anyone looking to purchase anything is "Whats your budget"?

Then, like others have stated go the shop and rent (tryout) a few items. It is best if you sit with someone like Mike and go through items such as safety, caliber, general knowledge of the weapon and the purpose of the weapon.

Once I decide on a price range I ALWAYS study the ballistic reviews on the caliber I am looking for which depends on why I am buying a weapon. I have seen a lot of people buy a gun just because it was a xxxx or it was a XXXX. I have also purchased those weapons from them since their decision was not completely planned out.

Just my nickles worth....

(01-23-2015, 08:27 PM)mikereddot Wrote: I can't recommend training enough. We do a really good job at RDA. Many on this forum can attest to that. Please take some training before you develop some bad habits. I'm bold enough to say, "you'll spend more in ammo than the cost of the class to get yourself a tight group".

I can attest to this. We went to OnTarget last weekend. They were busy and a lot of people were doubling up on lanes, as we did. So we had two people on either side. All four shooters were similar. Their stance and grip were wrong on several areas and their shots were all over the target. The couple on the right were so bad I can hear Mike and Robb stopping everyone during class and saying we have to fix this right now before you take another shot.

Ours, of course, were tight little groups at all distances. Thanks Red Dot