Posted on 02/20/2010 9:21:04 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32
I'm thinking about buying this weapon, manufactured by EAA, and from the online reviews I've read, it's pretty accurate and reliable. The price is low ($280) and that has me a bit concerned (not that anything more expensive is necessarily better). I have a max of about $350 I can spend so if you have a better recommendation, it'd be appreciated.
Does anyone own a Windicator, and if so, what is your experience with it?
I'm not going to be entering any shooting competitions and the weapon is for self-defense purposes only.
Thanks in advance.
Have you considered the various Taurus .357’s? There are a number of them in the $350 range.
Yup, saw that one and read it. I’m not going to be putting thousands of rounds through it, but a trip to the range once a month for 50-75 rounds is in the future.
It’s also going to be used for conceal carry AND it has 6 rounds instead of 5 which I like.
Yes but they’re 5 shot, not 6 (from the ones I’ve seen)..
I had a .357 short barrel for a while. My brother has it now. It was a decent, functional revolver with reasonable accuracy. It was ugly, heavy, and had a relatively heavy double action trigger pull, but it worked. It would be a good car gun, but not quite suitable for concealed carry, due to the heavy, bulkiness of it.
The .357 model had an all steel frame and cylinder, and the grip frame and barrel shroud were alloy. the color did not match well between the parts. I have heard the .38 models had an alloy frame. Might avoid that.
I agree with Mountaindrew. I have the Windicator .357 snub. It is heavy (28oz), bulky compared to J-frame S&W's, but reliable, built like a tank, and inexpensive. I paid about $200 for mine new. It also handles full-powered loads without the recoil pain of lighter snubs. It would make a great truck gun - you wouldn't mind beating up the finish. And because it is so inexpensive, it wouldn't be a great loss if not returned after being used for self-defense.
Used to be called the Vindicator. When political correctness began to dominate they changed it to Windicator. I've not been overly impressed with them. Some of the Spanish S&W clones seem like a better proposition for a cheap revolver. They vary from bad to pretty decent so you have to be choosy.
Gun Test magazine did a comparision on this and several other snub nosed revolvers a while back. The Windicator came out as a "Best Buy". It out preformed the Taurus straight up regardless of price.
If the deal is good (less than $200), I would do it.
Don’t. Oldest son bought one of these for his wife, and it turned out to just be a horrible, uncomfortable, inaccurate weapon no matter who was behind the trigger. I’ve never shot anything with poorer sights.
the weapon is reputed to be reasonably accurate, the main upside to it is that it uses a standard pistol cartage. this having the effect of needing to fewer types of ammunition on hand.
No to the windicator it is a cheapo.
I saw a S&W stainless 9mm at Gander Mtn Used for $299 or a Ruger p85 for same.
I bought it because it's the only double action revolver I could find that shoots both 22 rounds (it comes with a second cylinder). It's OK, but with so many choices in small 357s I would go with a Charter Arms, Rossi, Taurus, or if you want to shell out the bucks, you can't go wrong with Smith and Wesson.
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/review/Model_60-15.htm
Don’t look any further...
I saw a hammerless S&W for $489 (outside my price range) but it was a beautiful gun.
You can get a new Sigma series S & W for less than $300 but, I was told it is a throw-away weapon by a self-defense intructor/bailsman. They were originally designed to compete with Glock and Sig at a lowere price.
Spend the extra couple of hundred and get the real thing.
I just checked Bud's Guns (.com) for their used handguns and they've got several in your range. A Taurus Target Bulldog for $299. A Ruger SP101 in .357 for $359.
You can do much better than the Windicator.
nice gun, but FAR outside my price range.
If you buy one used, examine the forcing cone carefully to make sure it isn’t cracked.
go to gunbroker.com and see if you can pick up a used one a bit chaeper...they get better with age...or keep saving you pennies for a Rugar sp101, or &W Model 60....
I know the feeling. Here’s a real world price on a good alternative.
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=83502
That’s my problem with these guns...micro cracks has a way of working into the frames, especially if it is used frequently...
good choice...I have a Rossi, made in Brazil I believe, and it is very nice...
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