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xb12s wrote:What is the finish on the cobras that were posted? Is that "blueing" or something else? I imagined blue to be lighter in color (i've seen some that are what i would call a "gunmetal" color), but admittedly I don't know much about that.

Colt had a special process that produced a deep and bright finish that they called "Royal Blue". On the higher end models such as the Python, I believe that they also hand-buffed the steel prior to finishing. At least that is what I have read. http://pistolsmith.com/pistolsmiths/229 ... luing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Other manufacturers didn't take as much time preparing the surface so the blueing can range from the "gun metal grey" to a dark blue. Just like any surface finish or plating, the quality can very due to surface preparation, times, temperatures, concentration and cleanliness of the chemical baths. In order to save money, many companies don't change their baths as often as they should, and the quality of the surface finish suffers. I also believe that Colt had long-time employees who were actual craftsman that served a long apprenticeship before they were moved up into higher level positions. A picture in the link above has a caption about one employee who spent 18 months learning how to manually polish parts.

There are many used revolvers, especially those carried by LEOs that can have a lot of blueing that has worn off. If you want to spend the money they can be reblued. In addition to resisting rust, many people like SS handguns because there is no finish to rub off.

mr surveyor wrote:As for the SP101, and other Ruger revolvers... mine have all smoothed out extremely well with both live fire and dry firing. Admittedly, out of the box the S&W revolver triggers are superior, but with a bit of use the Rugers smooth out very well. For long term use, particularly with the hotter loads, I much prefer the Ruger construction .... they just don't shoot "loose" as easily as others.
surv

Rugers are built like brickhouses.

xb12s wrote:Urnoodle (or others who have handled different ones), is the trigger pull softer on the Smiths?

Very nice looking grips.

IMO the Smith & Wesson revolvers have the best factory triggers of currenly manufactured revolvers. A trip to a competent gunsmith will make them even better.

The reason I limited my response to "currently manufactured" factory triggers is that some of the older guns like Colt and Dan Wesson also have excellent factory triggers. Revolvers like the Colt Python are know for their superb triggers. They sometimes still available, but most of them cost more than you would spend on a new handgun.

Other revolvers that I have shot, like the Rugers, Taurus, Charter Arms are not as good. IMO Rugers are probably the best. It's not only the weight of the trigger pull that is an issue. Some of them feel gritty and are not smooth. Most will smooth out a little and improve with live or dry firing.

Just changing the springs may help some, but they won't smooth out the trigger. Probably most people who buy these revolvers want to keep the price down and will not spend the extra money to have a trigger job. A gunsmith will hone the surfaces to remove burrs and imperfections of the internal machined parts. Since most people are moving towards semiautomatics, it is getting harder to find a gunsmith with a lot of experience working on revolvers. A caution: Unless you know what you're doing, don't try this a home.

mr surveyor wrote:since you're into pink... I'd love to have the other grips

I never thought to ask.

urnoodle wrote:The suspense was killing me. So without further ado, here it is;

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Fresh from the FFL.

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All ready for the range.

Congratulations ... Beautiful! Now all we need is the range report.

TexasGal wrote:Any of the K frame Smiths built in the 80's before the MIM triggers and locks are my favorite. Very nice triggers. You can find plenty of excellent ones used for under $500 or even under $450. They are well built, easy to clean, and very very dependable. I shoot my Model 64-5 double action and make just the nicest ragged hole at 7 yards and a respectable group at 15 yards. They make it easy. They were the guns carried by law enforcement for decades until the semi's took over. K frames are too large for pocket carry, but a 3" bbl will sit nicely in a belt holster. I carry a little J frame airweight all the time, but much prefer to shoot the K frame. For me, they are just the right combination of weight/recoil control and accuracy. I appreciate the Ruger's too, but their heavier trigger pull is harder on my aging hands.

TexasGal - A very good summary of the advantages of a S&W.

urnoodle wrote:Seems like the prices have are much higher at the gun show. Not very many revolvers there but those that I did see were mostly polymer frames or aluminum frames. There were a few stainless Taurus so I got to get a feel for them. There was a beautiful Colt Detective Special in what looked like nickle but it was quite a bit over my budget. Soooo since I had seem them cheaper elsewhere... I ordered one. It should be in on Wednesday. I'm not going to tell you what it is until I get it but it will be sporting some of these.
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Yea yea I know they're pink but I like pink

Why are you being so secretive?

urnoodle wrote:Wildbill from your pics you have a revolver in wood grips and one in rubber. Is one grip more comfortable to shoot than the other? Grips aren't really important to me because they can be changed but the difference between the Ladysmith and the model 60 is the grips and finish. I am headed to the gun show tomorrow so I'm hoping to find a deal on one of these.

Urnoodle - I have two Detective Specials with rubber grips and one with the wood. Of course, they are all interchangeable. The rubber Pachymeyer's are the most comfortable to shoot. I also have a Colt Python with factory checkered wood grips. The walnut wood grips are very nice looking and easy to shoot, but I also bought a set of Pachymeyers which I use rather than the wood. The DSs are pretty heavy and not .357Mag, so the recoil isn't really much of an issue. The smooth badger grips don't have checkering so I am a little concerned about using them for self defense since I would probably have sweaty hands in a tense situation.

Good luck on your hunt tomorrow. As I stated previously, I really like the Ladysmith. IMO, the only drawback of it versus the Colts is that it holds 5 rather than 6 rounds. I believe the Ladysmith is also available with a 3" barrel, which makes it much easier to aim and get tighter groups. It might be harder to find a holster for the 3" barrel.

Divided Attention wrote:http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h42 ... /Colt3.jpg

I am not good at the picture thing, maybe this will be bigger - I thought the other was a thumbnail that would open... alas it did not

Is this big enough? Beautiful gun!

Urnoodle has given me another excuse to post some pictures of my snubbies.

G26ster wrote:

urnoodle wrote:I saw the SP101 so I'll look more at that one too.

J-Frame? I've seen these references K, J and I think N. What does that all mean?

J frames are the smallest frames for S&W revolvers. They get larger as you go deeper into the alphabet (K, N)

I never noticed that.

urnoodle wrote:I bought a Ruger Takedown not even a week ago and I'm already pondering my next purchase. I want a revolver but nothing too expensive, under $600. I don't know anything about them and I have never fired one. What I know is I want SA/DA, 2-2.25" barrel and stainless. I can't get used to the look of a revolver without a hammer. It's kind of like a dog without a tail, poor thing has nothing to wag. I don't know even know what caliber. I have a 45acp and 9mm semi-auto already so same caliber wouldn't be a bad idea, but definitely open to a different caliber that won't break the bank with ammo costs. I saw a Taurus 605 but I don't know anything about them. I've heard Taurus had issues in the past with their semi-autos but I haven't heard much about their revolvers. I'd take any input regarding your experiences regardless of the maker.

I also, do not like the aesthetics of a revolver without the exposed hammer. I never thought of it that way, but it is kind of like dog without a tail.

I wouldn't buy anything other than a .38SPL or .357Magnum. For me a .44Spl would be an option, but the choices are too limited. I would stick with the Rugers like AEA suggested or a S&W.

I would recommend the S&W Ladysmith. Not because it's a "woman's gun", but because it meets all of your requirements, but it's a well built gun and you can grips other than pink. Another consideration is that you can find a large variety of holsters.

If I didn't have my Colt revolvers I would probably buy a Ladysmith myself.