Nice Schofield top break, are those bone grips? Very nice. I also like that black powder pocket Colt replica.
Any WHEEL GUN lovers out there...?
- Thread starter Tom Krein
- Start date
My favorite is my S&W model 686 in .357mag.
Yes they are. Couldn't give you any specifics as I don't know myself, honestly. The pocket Colt is another favorite but by and large I'm love the SAA if I could only pick one. Something about the way that gun handles makes it perfect for just about anything.
That is a beautiful Schofeld!!
The repros came out from S&W right after I quit working at the gun shop, really mad I missed those. They have always been my favorite of the Old West type peices.
Jay
The repros came out from S&W right after I quit working at the gun shop, really mad I missed those. They have always been my favorite of the Old West type peices.
Jay
They are neat guns for sure. Very unique at the range!
- Thread starter
- #106
Thank you for the compliments! Been messing with it just shy of a year now, really a fun and rewarding hobby. Here's a group photo from a recent cleaning - I kind of like wheel guns
NICE cap and ball wheelies!
Tom
Thanks Tom. The little guy on the bottom left goes hunting with me. Cap and ball guns are a fun all their own.
.38 Special Target revolvers. A Colt Officer's Model Match made the same year I was born and a long-snouted Smith & Wesson Model 14 K-38 Masterpiece.
Thread's been dead too long 
That's a very nice K38, is that an 8 3/8" barrel? Must be a trip to shoot!
My 586 no dash sporting some new leather I made:
That's a very nice K38, is that an 8 3/8" barrel? Must be a trip to shoot!My 586 no dash sporting some new leather I made:
Of course your Model 586 is a very nice and practical .357 Magnum. Is it a 6-inch?
Those hunks of hide that you have executed such extensive and attractive basket-weave work makes for an outstanding photo. Good Work! Thanks for sharing!
The 8 3/8-inch barreled Model 14 is sort of an odd way to do .38 Special but the cartridge deserves better than to be constantly housed in snubs as it seems to be these days. The revolver is accurate beyond my capabilities to shoot it. I've been jokingly accused of using a revolver that gives an unfair advantage in bulls eye competition because it's already half-way to the target when it is raised to fire the shot.
I'm a Smith & Wesson fan, first and foremost (at least the older traditional models) with appreciation for classic Colts coming in a hearty second. I have to allow that the Colt Officer's Model Match shown above has incrementally beat the K-38 Masterpiece on tightest group shot. I keep a friendly competition going between the two.
Those hunks of hide that you have executed such extensive and attractive basket-weave work makes for an outstanding photo. Good Work! Thanks for sharing!
The 8 3/8-inch barreled Model 14 is sort of an odd way to do .38 Special but the cartridge deserves better than to be constantly housed in snubs as it seems to be these days. The revolver is accurate beyond my capabilities to shoot it. I've been jokingly accused of using a revolver that gives an unfair advantage in bulls eye competition because it's already half-way to the target when it is raised to fire the shot.
I'm a Smith & Wesson fan, first and foremost (at least the older traditional models) with appreciation for classic Colts coming in a hearty second. I have to allow that the Colt Officer's Model Match shown above has incrementally beat the K-38 Masterpiece on tightest group shot. I keep a friendly competition going between the two.
Last edited:
It's a 4" 586 no dash, and it's really a phenomenal shooting gun. I'd like to have another in stainless. My want list is too large I have a 6" K-38 and it is a mighty fine shooter, I can't imagine shooting a revolver with such a long barrel!
I've never owned a Colt revolver but when the right deal presents itself I would love to have a Trooper, Lawman, or any of the snake guns. I could have bought a more worn Trooper at the same time I got the 586 but I just couldn't pass up the deal and mint condition of the Smith.
And thank you for the compliments on the cowhide. I got some really nice pictures yesterday from a fellow in Texas where it went to stay.
I have a 6" K-38 and it is a mighty fine shooter, I can't imagine shooting a revolver with such a long barrel!I've never owned a Colt revolver but when the right deal presents itself I would love to have a Trooper, Lawman, or any of the snake guns. I could have bought a more worn Trooper at the same time I got the 586 but I just couldn't pass up the deal and mint condition of the Smith.
And thank you for the compliments on the cowhide. I got some really nice pictures yesterday from a fellow in Texas where it went to stay.
Hi Eaglestroker;
I'll have to keep you in mind for a fancy custom made holster. Mine are all so plebeian.
We'll have to resurrect this revolver thread from time to time. Revolvers need advocates here in the age of plastique fantastique hi-cap semi-autos. I like semi-auto pistols as well as long as they're Colt/Browning designs or classics like Lugers.
Here's a special favorite of mine and perhaps the revolver that can shoot the tightest groups on paper of the menagerie here. It's a 4-inch Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector .32-20, built on the K-Frame same as the .38 Special Military & Police. Haven't lettered it yet but it dates from the 1926-1930 period.
The .32-20 is one of my very favorite cartridges and is great fun for plinking and hiking around our old family place. It can be handloaded to be pretty saucy but I mostly use handloads made to mimic original factory original specifications. There's a .32-20 chambered Winchester Model 1892 saddle-ring carbine around here to go with the revolver. The old cartridge is even better out of the rifle.
I like Colt double-action revolvers really well. The special favorites are the classics made with the older V-Spring design prior to 1970. Well, excepting for the Python and Detective Special, which soldiered on with the old design until Colt discontinued all double-action revolver production. The later Mark III and Mark V designs which took the place of the classic Official Police and Trooper of the pre-1970 era don't seem quite as fine though they are very sturdy and trouble-free revolvers. Of all Colt revolvers, including the venerated Single Action Army, I like the big New Service the very best.
I'll have to keep you in mind for a fancy custom made holster. Mine are all so plebeian.
We'll have to resurrect this revolver thread from time to time. Revolvers need advocates here in the age of plastique fantastique hi-cap semi-autos. I like semi-auto pistols as well as long as they're Colt/Browning designs or classics like Lugers.
Here's a special favorite of mine and perhaps the revolver that can shoot the tightest groups on paper of the menagerie here. It's a 4-inch Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector .32-20, built on the K-Frame same as the .38 Special Military & Police. Haven't lettered it yet but it dates from the 1926-1930 period.
The .32-20 is one of my very favorite cartridges and is great fun for plinking and hiking around our old family place. It can be handloaded to be pretty saucy but I mostly use handloads made to mimic original factory original specifications. There's a .32-20 chambered Winchester Model 1892 saddle-ring carbine around here to go with the revolver. The old cartridge is even better out of the rifle.
I like Colt double-action revolvers really well. The special favorites are the classics made with the older V-Spring design prior to 1970. Well, excepting for the Python and Detective Special, which soldiered on with the old design until Colt discontinued all double-action revolver production. The later Mark III and Mark V designs which took the place of the classic Official Police and Trooper of the pre-1970 era don't seem quite as fine though they are very sturdy and trouble-free revolvers. Of all Colt revolvers, including the venerated Single Action Army, I like the big New Service the very best.
Last edited:
I'm a Beretta and Walther guy almost exclusively. But my Ruger SP101 has a special place in my collection. Specifically IWB.
I only have two at the moment including a 4" Ruger GP100 and a LCR .38 spl. Both are fantastic.
One of these days I'll be buying an SP101 .22lr when the funds become available. I'd also like to get a Colt Python, but the prices on these things are sky-high.
One of these days I'll be buying an SP101 .22lr when the funds become available. I'd also like to get a Colt Python, but the prices on these things are sky-high.
noelekal, thanks for the compliments! I have a Model 10 in 32-20 from my grandfather, never shot it much at all but I like having it none the less.
I love the look of a revolver with wood grips on board!
What's a good first wheelgun?
I'm going to recommend a 4-inch Smith & Wesson Model 10 or a 4-inch Smith & Wesson Model 15. These fine revolvers are easy to locate in good used condition and are very sturdy. They are chambered for the useful .38 Special cartridge and factory loadings may be found from mild to wild. These two Smith & Wesson models can handle any reasonable (along with a few less than reasonable) loads one could want to fire.
The Model 10 has fixed sights which are designed to hit to point of aim at 10 yards to 25 yards with standard velocity .38 Special 158 grain ammunition which was the traditional loading for the cartridge. They will still be very close to point of aim with the "+P" 158 grain .38 Special factory ammunition which offers a modicum of extra velocity. .38 Special ammunition loaded with bullets of lighter weight will still generally hit close enough to point of aim to be useful at handgun distances, only entailing a bit of range familiarization. Fixed sights aren't the detriment that many consider them to be
The Model 10 could be had in the standard tapered barrel or with a factory designated "Heavy Barrel" variant. My first handgun was a 1971 vintage Model 10 Heavy Barrel that I purchased used in late 1975. Many additional handgun acquisitions later it is still my very favorite and has been well and continuously used with no mechanical failures. It's shot a great heaping pile of .38 Special ammunition in its time as I am an avid shooter and handloader. It's still great for both plinking, for hikes afield, and for practice for serious carry.
Model 10 with the standard barrel which is the most common style. Note the tapered barrel configuration. This revolver is typical of one having had a law enforcement career, showing wear but is in top mechanical condition. It was produced in 1975.
Model 10 Heavy Barrel. This thicker barreled configuration adds about 4 oz. to the gun's weight and slightly dampens recoil. It was a Merry Christmas present to me, purchased used in 1975 though it dates to June of 1971.
Owning both, I can't really tell much difference in perceived recoil when shooting either variation, even in in rapid-fire, using the double action trigger. If one intends to acquire a new Model 10 then he will have to settle for the Heavy Barrel version for it is the only variation left in the Smith & Wesson catalog. Actually the standard barrels were made in larger numbers and over a much longer period of time and so are the most common. The revolvers have been manufactured continuously since 1899, only suspended for a few months during the First World War so Smith & Wesson could concentrate on government contract orders. It was first called the Hand Ejector Military & Police .38, gaining the numerical model designation of Model 10 in 1957. Built on Smith & Wesson's renowned K-Frame, they were produced in 2, 2 1/2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6 1/2 inch barrel lengths. A smaller number of the K-frame Hand Ejectors came in the .32-20 chambering as shown a couple of post above. Some barrel lengths are uncommon and obsolete. The 4-inch is my favorite length. It would probably be best to acquire a used Mode 10, and so marked, as Smith & Wesson doesn't recommend shooting the higher performance +P loadings in any of their .38 Special revolvers manufactured prior to 1957.
The Model 15 is a really nice premium Smith & Wesson K-Frame .38 Special revolver and features an adjustable rear sight, Baughman ramp front sight, and has provision for trigger over-travel adjustment. It was introduced in 1949 as the Combat Masterpiece, later gaining the Model 15 designation in factory catalogs in 1957. It is built on the same K-Frame as the Model 10 and internal lock work is the same. It traditionally came with either a 2-inch barrel or a 4-inch barrel. Its adjustable sight allows for precise sighting in for any particular .38 Special loading the owner chooses to use. This gives the owner the option to fine-tune the point of impact of his bullets on target to compensate for both bullet weight and distance. Novice shooters can drive themselves to distraction cranking on the adjustable sight in an effort to gain better shooting when it is their skills that are lacking. Both the Models 10 and 15 have equal ability to shoot tight groups with the Model 15 having the additional feature of moving the point of impact on target. The Model 15 was discontinued in the 1980s but returned to the catalog for a time, and with the addition of a 6-inch barrel option, in the 1990s but discontinued again in about 2001.
Smith & Wesson Model 15. This revolver was produced in 1967.
Both the Models 10 and 15 were once very popular with both America's law enforcement agencies and the armed forces. Examples are commonly found with holster wear but still are ready to provide many years more service to their owners.
What I won't recommend is any sort of snub-nosed .38 Special revolver as is currently so popular. The 2-inch barrels have more blast and a louder report. The performance of the ammunition is somewhat diminished by the short barrel. The small snubs are difficult to shoot consistently and accurately except at short range and they offer more recoil. Some are made with aluminum alloy frames rather than with steel frames in order to decrease the revolver's weight. This decreased weight accentuates recoil even more. A 2-inch alloy-framed snub, when fired with the more potent .38 Special loadings, is unpleasant to shoot for very long at all.
Stick with a steel-framed revolver with a bit longer barrel if you are looking for something to shoot on pleasant afternoons at the range. I occasionally see somewhat worn but still serviceable examples of both Model 10 and Model 15 revolvers for under $300 on auction sites like GunBroker. They would still be worthwhile to own.
Here are some "best efforts" with the plain ol' Model 10 Heavy Barrel and a couple of different specially prepared .38 Special target hand loads, shooting 5 shots of each load at 10 yards distance. The fixed sights are not a hindrance. The same Model 10 Heavy Barrel revolver is shown here wearing an accessory grip adapter, the Tyler T-Grip.
And, just for fun, the Great-Grandpappy of the above revolvers, a .38 Special Military & Police with 5-inch barrel that dates to 1904 and is built on the same K-Frame.
The Model 10 has fixed sights which are designed to hit to point of aim at 10 yards to 25 yards with standard velocity .38 Special 158 grain ammunition which was the traditional loading for the cartridge. They will still be very close to point of aim with the "+P" 158 grain .38 Special factory ammunition which offers a modicum of extra velocity. .38 Special ammunition loaded with bullets of lighter weight will still generally hit close enough to point of aim to be useful at handgun distances, only entailing a bit of range familiarization. Fixed sights aren't the detriment that many consider them to be
The Model 10 could be had in the standard tapered barrel or with a factory designated "Heavy Barrel" variant. My first handgun was a 1971 vintage Model 10 Heavy Barrel that I purchased used in late 1975. Many additional handgun acquisitions later it is still my very favorite and has been well and continuously used with no mechanical failures. It's shot a great heaping pile of .38 Special ammunition in its time as I am an avid shooter and handloader. It's still great for both plinking, for hikes afield, and for practice for serious carry.
Model 10 with the standard barrel which is the most common style. Note the tapered barrel configuration. This revolver is typical of one having had a law enforcement career, showing wear but is in top mechanical condition. It was produced in 1975.
Model 10 Heavy Barrel. This thicker barreled configuration adds about 4 oz. to the gun's weight and slightly dampens recoil. It was a Merry Christmas present to me, purchased used in 1975 though it dates to June of 1971.
Owning both, I can't really tell much difference in perceived recoil when shooting either variation, even in in rapid-fire, using the double action trigger. If one intends to acquire a new Model 10 then he will have to settle for the Heavy Barrel version for it is the only variation left in the Smith & Wesson catalog. Actually the standard barrels were made in larger numbers and over a much longer period of time and so are the most common. The revolvers have been manufactured continuously since 1899, only suspended for a few months during the First World War so Smith & Wesson could concentrate on government contract orders. It was first called the Hand Ejector Military & Police .38, gaining the numerical model designation of Model 10 in 1957. Built on Smith & Wesson's renowned K-Frame, they were produced in 2, 2 1/2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6 1/2 inch barrel lengths. A smaller number of the K-frame Hand Ejectors came in the .32-20 chambering as shown a couple of post above. Some barrel lengths are uncommon and obsolete. The 4-inch is my favorite length. It would probably be best to acquire a used Mode 10, and so marked, as Smith & Wesson doesn't recommend shooting the higher performance +P loadings in any of their .38 Special revolvers manufactured prior to 1957.
The Model 15 is a really nice premium Smith & Wesson K-Frame .38 Special revolver and features an adjustable rear sight, Baughman ramp front sight, and has provision for trigger over-travel adjustment. It was introduced in 1949 as the Combat Masterpiece, later gaining the Model 15 designation in factory catalogs in 1957. It is built on the same K-Frame as the Model 10 and internal lock work is the same. It traditionally came with either a 2-inch barrel or a 4-inch barrel. Its adjustable sight allows for precise sighting in for any particular .38 Special loading the owner chooses to use. This gives the owner the option to fine-tune the point of impact of his bullets on target to compensate for both bullet weight and distance. Novice shooters can drive themselves to distraction cranking on the adjustable sight in an effort to gain better shooting when it is their skills that are lacking. Both the Models 10 and 15 have equal ability to shoot tight groups with the Model 15 having the additional feature of moving the point of impact on target. The Model 15 was discontinued in the 1980s but returned to the catalog for a time, and with the addition of a 6-inch barrel option, in the 1990s but discontinued again in about 2001.
Smith & Wesson Model 15. This revolver was produced in 1967.
Both the Models 10 and 15 were once very popular with both America's law enforcement agencies and the armed forces. Examples are commonly found with holster wear but still are ready to provide many years more service to their owners.
What I won't recommend is any sort of snub-nosed .38 Special revolver as is currently so popular. The 2-inch barrels have more blast and a louder report. The performance of the ammunition is somewhat diminished by the short barrel. The small snubs are difficult to shoot consistently and accurately except at short range and they offer more recoil. Some are made with aluminum alloy frames rather than with steel frames in order to decrease the revolver's weight. This decreased weight accentuates recoil even more. A 2-inch alloy-framed snub, when fired with the more potent .38 Special loadings, is unpleasant to shoot for very long at all.
Stick with a steel-framed revolver with a bit longer barrel if you are looking for something to shoot on pleasant afternoons at the range. I occasionally see somewhat worn but still serviceable examples of both Model 10 and Model 15 revolvers for under $300 on auction sites like GunBroker. They would still be worthwhile to own.
Here are some "best efforts" with the plain ol' Model 10 Heavy Barrel and a couple of different specially prepared .38 Special target hand loads, shooting 5 shots of each load at 10 yards distance. The fixed sights are not a hindrance. The same Model 10 Heavy Barrel revolver is shown here wearing an accessory grip adapter, the Tyler T-Grip.
And, just for fun, the Great-Grandpappy of the above revolvers, a .38 Special Military & Police with 5-inch barrel that dates to 1904 and is built on the same K-Frame.
A K or L frame S&W. K frame (10 & 15 38 spcl, 19 & 66 .357 Magnum) : Model 10, 15, 19, 66 L-frame (all .357 Magnum) : 681 (fixed sights), 686 (stainless), 581 (blued fixed sights), 586 (blued)
Depends what your looking for. For a revolver that will shoot magnums all day the L frame, or for that fact any of the Ruger line up. Pick your poison because it will not be your last.
What interests you?
Single action "Cowboy" style?
Dual-action conventional revolver?
Dual-action-only with a bobbed or shrouded hammer?
They each have their place... The DAO is a quandary to me though. I can certainly understand the advantage to the bobbed or shrouded hammer for concealed carry... but there's a tradeoff in failure modes.
With a standard dual-action, if pulling the trigger doesn't bring the hammer back, you can still pull it back manually. Not likely, but it is a possibility. No option to do that with DAO.
Personally, I'm a big fan of Ruger revolvers. The trigger pull and break is a bit nicer and more consistent on the Smiths, but they are also roughly $200 more than a comparable Ruger.
Similar threads
