Posted on 03/07/2005 6:58:29 AM PST by Gefreiter
If anyone owns or has experience with a S&W 457 or Ruger P97 I'd like to hear from you. I'm considering these models but can afford only one. Mission will be range gun with occasional carry.
I live close enough to S&W to buy from the factory, which puts the Smith and this model Ruger in the same price range.
Any advice concerning these weapons is welcome.
Thanks in advance,
g
Before you buy, read the owner's manuals of both Ruger and S&W. It has been common for the S&W manuals to state that magnum loads are not recommended. The Ruger manual will never state such.
My Redhawk has had about 13K full house loads through it with out any crane alignment problems. I didn't buy a 44 mag to shoot mousey 44 specials.
Thanks CG.
If you must have a Ruger;
Consider a 345
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=6648&return=Y
D,
You can take them on the range at S&W. I never did, but the ammo looks like...tubes of chapstick. I expect that if you don't reload now, you'll learn- those .50 rounds must be $1+ apiece.
I've seen the model you linked to fixed up with rings for a sling, like a rifle. But if you look around, you'll find that S&W .50 with a... 4" barrel, IIRC.
You know, for concealability.
Not fond of Rugers? Commie.
LOL!
Mental image now is of a huge revolver with a howitzer carraige under it.
Have you held a High Power lately? They are made in .40 too, if that appeals to you.
About the front sight in the head....forget it. Just make sure that the launcher weighs enough, or has a long enough barrel to control the round. SAA grips tend to flip the muzzle up, which is what you are concerned with, but the D.A. type does not. Larger grips on SAAs help to control them too, but you may as well stick with the D.A. and comfortable grips...knowing you are prepared for anything, large or small, and in a hurry.
BTW...an old fashioned lead 200-210 gr. .44 Special in a magnum feels like a wadcutter in a .357...a pussycat. Also...if you walk in rattlesnake country, there ain't nothin' as good as a .44/.45 Shotshell short of a shotgun. My .38 Shotshells have fist-sized holes in their patterns...which the .44s do not have.
Lastly, revolvers can be loaded with ever increasing powered rounds...so you can start with almost nothing...like shotshells, and work your way up to full hunting magnums, should you find yourself in deep. They also rarely jam. Autos are great too, and I carry them daily. They are just not hunting guns, or as versatile as revolvers. In .45ACP, I think you should get a 1911, if the grip fits you, and benefit from the light and consistent trigger pull, and its natural ability to control the round, and be functionally rather reliable. REMEMBER though...the 1911 is available with a CURVED or FLAT backstrap, which greatly changes the feel and hand-filling of the grip. This may be just the improvement you are looking for.
For more power in a 9mm, like the smaller-grip Browning, try Winchester 147gr. "USA" or Supreme at 990 fps. It penetrates much better than lighter weights, and is not dependent upon +P velocity for performance. Autos are more sensitive to ammunition than revolvers, as you know, and +P is often hard on the gun too.
I also find the Beretta's grip absurdly large for the round.
Try a .44 D.A. some time. You will surely be relieved at how easy they are to shoot....and how shockingly well they perform, even at rather long range. They are really a major breakthrough in handgun technology, apart from their larger size. The 180 gr. rounds recoil less, and shoot almost as well as a rifle. We get great groups at 200 yards, off-hand, all the time, with much less muzzle climb than the downrange performance would indicate. It's a holster rifle. It's great.
I love my Rugers.
I bought a S&W model 457 for concealed carry. It is a very reliable pistol. I've never had any jamming problems and have shot hundreds of rounds. The accuracy is not too good but, for personal protection, it's more than adequate.
I also have a single six Ruger that is quite accurate and fun to shoot. They're both fine - just used for different missions.
Thanks.
Wasn't aware of the difference in controllability between single and double action.
X,
I might, if I could get one for that price.
Price is the determining factor here, not mission, which I admit is not the best way to make these choices but that's where I am. I planned $500 absolute, crazy top end.
Given also that I'm after a sometimes-carry weapon, size has to be a factor; I figgered 4" barrel max.
Factory-spec magazine capacity is a non-issue; as a resident Masshole, we can't have mags greater than 10 rounds anyway.
So with those things in mind, and after a ton of reading, I came down to the Ruger and the Smith. I dismissed Glock because the MSRP is typically beyond my max.
BUT, if $450 is plausible, I'll reconsider Glocks.
G
Between the Ruger and the pancake, you accesorize well. :)
...for longer range shooting and hunting, one cocks the revolver anyway, so it has the light trigger pull of a single action, and concentrates hand strength on holding the gun. The 1911 and Browning shoot single action ONLY too, so when hand strength and size is a factor, this design helps.
People see the pancake then the .45 and say, "Nice hat!"
Deguello,
That sounds like sound advice, and I will take it.
Thanks.
G
http://www.tomandjoesfirearms.com/handguns.php
Never buy list price!
Please re-read, and you will find I said the opposite.
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