What's the best handgun in double action for you ?

Ruger Speed Six. Yes, it is rough as it comes from the factory, but can be slicked up quite nicely and it doesn't suffer the reliability problems of the Smiths and Pythons. It isn't overweight like the GP100. Internally, the Speed Six/Security six is a very good design, even though it looks uninspiring on the outside.

I can't get excited about the current offerings from any of the makers. If I had the money I would send a 4" GP100 to Dave Clements for his 5-shot 41 mag conversion.

Colt Python for me.

For what purpose? Hunting or defence? Colt Python is one slick piece for sure. I like my Ruger SRHs for hunting (.480 and .454 Casull).

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
For what purpose? Hunting or defence? Colt Python is one slick piece for sure. I like my Ruger SRHs for hunting (.480 and .454 Casull).

This is a handgun for hunting in big bore, .454 Casull and more...

quote:

Originally posted by popenmann:
Ruger Speed Six. Yes, it is rough as it comes from the factory, but can be slicked up quite nicely and it doesn't suffer the reliability problems of the Smiths and Pythons. It isn't overweight like the GP100. Internally, the Speed Six/Security six is a very good design, even though it looks uninspiring on the outside.

I can't get excited about the current offerings from any of the makers. If I had the money I would send a 4" GP100 to Dave Clements for his 5-shot 41 mag conversion.

My favorite was a 1976 Ruger Security Six in 357 mag but I traded it off for a Ruger #1 in 06 which I also traded off.

quote:

Originally posted by Alain:
What's the best handgun in double action for you ?

S&W Mod 19 357 mag with a 6" barrel ,Sig Sauer P220 45acp plus single action Ruger Blackhawks in 41mag and 45 long colt.The best handgun is the one that fits your hand and is comfotable to shoot.

S&W 460 Mag.

For slickest action a colt python then the smiths. For all around toughness the rugers a ruger security six well out last a colt or smith K frame my many a thousands of rounds before work is needed on them. Same goes for the redhawk over the model 29.

I carried a Security six for many years on the job before going to auto loader worked very well. You can do a action on them and get them a lot better then the factory but I belive a smith cleans up nicer.

If one is going to go with a present day revolver for toughness the GP 100 or redhawks are the way to go.

My best handgun is a Ruger Redhawk 5.5 inch 357 mag. It is the smoothest trigger of any revolver I have ever shot. Next would be an OLD Model 25, 1955 Target Model, S&W in 45acp. Very nice in both single and double action. For an auto loader it would have to be a Series 70 Colt 45acp. that has had some extra attention done to it. Great pin gun!!!

Ruger super redhawk in 480. I know, it's ugly, it looks bulky etc. But the first time I shot a SRH, in a 454, I found that I can shoot a SRH very well. Then I shot a 480, and found out I shoot it very, very well.

Everyones hands are different, so what works best for me isn't the best for others. As much as I like the ruger single actions, I've never been able to shoot them as well as others do. I have done pretty well with a Freedom Arms model 83.

S&W 44 Mag model 29/629.
Best all round DA Revolver on the Planet.

Best Single Action, Freedom Arms.

Best Semi-Auto, Properly modified and tuned 1911 45 ACP.

Many gunsmiths have gotten this one right. Wilson and Les Baer are hard to beat.

I have two favorites.
- A S&W model 29, 4" with S&W factory ivory magna grips.
- Colt Python, 6", first year of production, tuned by Kesselring Gun Shop.

For smoothness from the factory that doesn't need to be modified, my K-Frame Smith and Wessons are my favorite. But that is just smoothness and accuracy. For durability my GP-100 with Wolff springs is my choice.

Colt MarkV Lawman.

My GP-100 (four inch blue with the underlug - the only choice the first year) was slicked up by a skilled pistolsmith in CA years ago. I'll admit a well-tuned S&W K or L frame can be smoother but my Ruger earned me an E-ticket at my Gunsite 350 class shooting against two relays of 1911 Colts. Having tried all my big bores I think I'll finally try it on whitetail this Fall.

Model 19-4 S&W

Dennis

That's my favorite DA handgun although my favorite handguns of any type are Ruger SA's...

Been reading this with interest. First question is why a double action? Do you intend to shoot at game double action? I know darn well you are going to cock the hammer first so why not get a good single action like the Blackhawk or the Magnum Research BFR? My BFR's will outshoot all of my friends Freedom guns. In fact, I outshoot them with my Rugers. Yeah, I will get some flack but Freedom strays from the proper twist rates on some calibers and the cylinders are too short in some too. They won't spend the money to make different frames and cylinders. As perfect as the machining and fitting is, BFR offers more choices at less then half the price.

I have a VERY old Dan Wesson -- it's only in 357, and if I ever find one anywhere near as nice in 44 mag, I'll buy it too -- it's a fantastic pistol, great accuracy, very smooth, and a wonderful deep blue finish.

Smith & Wesson Heavy Duty 38/44. The one I have now has the best out of the box trigger I've experienced on any firearm period.

quote:

Freedom strays from the proper twist rates on some calibers and the cylinders are too short in some too.

My model 654 silhouette has a 1 in 14" twist. Tell me how that is "straying from the proper twist", and then tell me the standard 1 in 18.75" twist is "proper". Faster twist is better for stabilizing heavier bullets, and there isn't a stronger revolver made than a Freedom Arms. Ask me how I know...

OK... How do you know?!? And I'm betting the S&W X-Frame is stronger

Alain

The "best" is the one that feels right in your hand when you pick it up. Power is not all it's cut out to be either! (as with rifles, accuracy is final!)

I have used a S&W M58 in .41 mag to shoot one ele, one buff, a hyaena off my bed and a couple of impala. Sure - none were long shots and all were fired double action.

Had A ruger .44 mag that I planed to use for metalic Shilouetts but it would never group as well as my old smith 29 or that M58. Actually sold the M29 and just stuck to shooting everything with the .41 mag.

Also, almost every handgun can benifit by some after market work. My .41 is pretty standard except for the sights and some judicious work on the grips with a rasp and some sand paper. My competition 10mm revolver has roller bearing trigger, fullmoon clip loading (obviously), fiber optic front sight, changed main spring etc. 7lb double action pull and no single action option left. What I have done to the factory grips is probably a crime, but I can get my hand alot higher as a result!

Also, borrow what you are planning to buy and carry it for a day! What feels reasonable in two minutes try out on the range is not the same as digging into your hip all day! The difference in weight beetween a Ruger Red hawk (5½") and a 5" S&W is considerable.

Also- how big are you? If the barrel is longer than 5" I cannot wear it on my strong side when I need to drive a vehicle ( like when hunting or sitting in a canoe). I am too slim and the barrel digs into the seat pushing the belt up even in a hi ride holster. A cross draw will allow a longer barrel but not my taste.

Lastly, the more fun the gun is to shoot, the more you will shoot it and the better you will be with it when needed.

quote:

Originally posted by Alain:
What's the best handgun in double action for you ?

For me I have two. One is the raging bull 454 6". The other is a 4" taurus titanium .41 mag.

Man Cannon, I had the good fortune to be involved in a very small way with the Model 654 development, in the summer/fall of 1997. (My cast bullets, in 250 and 290-grain, were the first ones sent down range out of the prototype for the FA .41 Mag silhouette model...)

I was in Idaho hunting elk, and took the time to go to Freedom and talk with their Marketing Director. He told me that the prototype FAs are always built as six-shot revolvers, and direct attempts are made to destroy the gun. Any load concoction that can be dreamed up (by one of the four men that load for FA), including massive over-charge, bullets seated backwards, or anything else, is loaded in the firearm and shot. He also told me that during development of the 454 series, the original six-shot 45 ACP cylinder saw over 2000 fps with a 230-grain FMJ. As he put it, the load was " a little bit of Bullseye".

Once load development is complete, and strength is verified, the production guns are built with five chambers.

Now: having said all that, I have shot my 290-grain handloads at a chronographed 1750 fps out of my 654 Silhouette. Try that with a conventional single action revolver...

Let's not try that with a conventional single action revolver.

I've heard the torture testing during the development of the .454 was impressive; as much Bullseye as could be crammed in the case behind a 300 grain bullet. Also heard it survived the first fifty rounds, but I wasn't there so I can only relate this as what I've heard.

Regardless, the FA Model 83 revolvers are the strongest single actions going in my opinion.

What P Dog Shooter said!

I picked up a S&W 696 recently and it seems to be a real nice revolver. My only complaint it the Uncle Mike's grip; I don't really care for it.

You are quite fortunate. A friend down here on the Texas coast looked for three years before finding a 696. (Actually, I found it for him...) And surely there are some after market stocks that will fit you.

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
Been reading this with interest. First question is why a double action? Do you intend to shoot at game double action? I know darn well you are going to cock the hammer first so why not get a good single action like the Blackhawk or the Magnum Research BFR? My BFR's will outshoot all of my friends Freedom guns. In fact, I outshoot them with my Rugers. Yeah, I will get some flack but Freedom strays from the proper twist rates on some calibers and the cylinders are too short in some too. They won't spend the money to make different frames and cylinders. As perfect as the machining and fitting is, BFR offers more choices at less then half the price.

I would have to agree, that the BFR's are an extremely good gun at a very attractive price...............

Doubless,

I fell into this one. I have been looking at the Ajax ivory polymer grip panels for the L-frame. They would be much better, at least to me.

The Freedom .475 is an example. The twist is 1 in 18 and the gun hates any boolit over 350 gr's. Most boolits from 400 up will reach or exceed the cylinder length.
The BFR has a 1 in 15 twist and doesn't like light boolits. It was built for the heavy boolits the caliber was designed for and has ample cylinder length for any boolit made for the .475 and then some. I shoot circles around my friends Freedom until he shoots real light boolits, then they are equal. Why buy a .475 when you can't use boolits heavier then a .45 or .454 without a loss in accuracy or failure to chamber?
Yes, I drool over the beauty of the gun but I don't want the loading headaches he has. His gun will not accept any of my boolits. I had to cut a mould down for him to shorten a boolit.
My other friends scoped .454 will not shoot as tight a group as my Vaquero with the crude sights. I have shot sub 1" groups at 75 yd's and he gets kind of tee'd off and has been working with it for years and can't outshoot my guns.
Don't tell me they shoot better then any other gun or are stronger then the Ruger or BFR's. I believe the BFR parts are cast by Ruger and all the internal parts are Ruger.
My other friend shot a .41 mag out of his Ruger, with no powder. The bullet lodged inside the forcing cone and he shot a full house load behind it. The cylinder expanded into the top strap and bent it up. The pin was bent down. The gun was a total loss but nothing cracked or broke. No pieces came off the gun at all. How much stronger do you need? Ruger replaced the gun at cost for him. How much better does a company have to be?

quote:

The gun was a total loss but nothing cracked or broke.

I will only offer this: during the 1997 Internationals, a shooter mistakenly squibbed a 240 into the barrel of his 44 FA silhouette, then ran a full power load in behind it. Excessive recoil told him what he had done, and he left the line, carried the revolver to the FA booth and had it looked at. The marketing director himself told me he personally inspected the revolver, found no damage, and told the man he hadn't hurt the revolver, but "not to do that stupid #$^& any more."

Stronger? Yes, I think they are.

And bfrshooter, I would really like to see you post some targets. I am a decent revolver shot, but have never shot a sub-1" group at 75 yards. (I have one-holed five rounds of my own 180s out of a 357 Redhawk, but that is the extent of my "sub-moa" targets with a handgun.)

I do not have the trouble shooting 400s and 425s from my FA .475 that your friend does bfr. In fact, 3-4" at 100 has been done several times with open sights and a 6" barrel. Yes, the Ruger conversions do have a longer cylinder, but I have made adjustments and it does just fine. Mark Hampton witnessed me shooting a cow elk at 70 yards with a 400 grain Speer Gold Dot. The bullet transversed diagonally from left hindquarter to right shoulder. I believe the barrel on my revolver prvides plenty of stability to the heavier bullets.

My scoped 10" .454 does an inch or less at 100 yards with five shots off sand bags all day long; and not just for me.

I like my Rugers, but I'm kinda like you; you're just not gonna persuade me from what I have seen and done with these revolvers.

Yes, I know they will shoot good but we are shooting cast boolits. The Freedom can take most if not all of the jacketed bullets because the noses are shorter.
As far as not blowing the Freedom, it depends on where the bullet stopped in the bore. If it was right at the muzzle it could have been blown out by air pressure in front of the next bullet. I don't think he would have been so lucky had the bullet stopped in the forcing cone. And then again, did the bullet actually stay in the bore or did it actually exit? I don't think either of you know for sure! In my opinion, it left. No gun can stand up to a bore obstruction. If you are so sure they are strong enough, do it and post a picture of your gun after. I will let you chose the spot in the bore to plug too.
I would love to post some pictures but this site is just too hard to do it on.

quote:

In my opinion, it left. No gun can stand up to a bore obstruction.

God forbid we disagree with your opinion...

If I post the number to the Marketing Director at FA, would you be kind enough to call him and tell him he is a liar? That is what you are saying, isn't it?

"I would love to post some pictures but this site is just too hard to do it on."

Then send them to the moderator and ask him to do it. I am certain MS Hitman would be more than happy to do that for all of us, as he already has for me...

This is becoming more and more a situation of "Don't confuse me with facts, my mind is made up." You don't want to believe the torture tests I talked about earlier, you don't want to believe an FA will stand up to a plugged bore and then a full power load behind it, or anything else that flies in the face of "your opinion". Well, you are entitled to it. My own experience differs from "your opinion".

Please, please prove it to all of us! And prove to us that the squib load left a bullet in the bore! Did the guy look down the bore and say "oh, oh, the bullet is stuck so I will just shoot it out, won't hurt a Freedom?

Guys, there isn't any reason to get into this pissing contest. Just cool off.

bfr, the 400 and 425s of which I spoke are cast bullets. The .454 shoots both cast and jacketed equally well. Like I posted earlier, I just have not had the accuracy problems with FAs.

The Freedom revolver is a very strong revolver, the barrel is just a barrel. The cylinder and frame would survive just fine, but the barrel would have been left with a bulge if a squib bullet was stuck in the barrel and then a full charge load was fired behind it............

MS Hitman, not hot at all. I just know what I know. But I promise not to say anything else that may provoke someone.