4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Rossi's classic designs for home and self defense, hunting, or range work.
Archer
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by Archer »

Yes it is.

I'm not overrun with snubbies.
I suspect I'd be tempted to get the LCR in .357 before the SP101 but the shop I hang out at had a 4" SP101 that was a beauty a while back. Laser etched boot grips and very nice.
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by mr surveyor »

For a few more months I'll have to stick with the 3" SP since I carry it owb, under a cover shirt, at least 5 days a week. Open carry will be legal here in January, and although I have no intention to open carry I am really tempted to try a 4" SP and not worry about an extra inch of holster peeking out from my cover shirt. I've always been a fan of the 4"-5" barreled handguns but since I don't buy guns "just for fun", and up until the new oc legislation passed it was a case of "if I can't carry it, or hunt with it ... I don't need it".

I am thinking I really do "need" a 4-5/8" single action .... maybe in .44 spl though. :)


jd
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by ryjo »

mr surveyor wrote:I don't buy guns "just for fun", and up until the new oc legislation passed it was a case of "if I can't carry it, or hunt with it ... I don't need it".
My wife would love it if I adopted that approach. :lol: I should probably follow your example but I see the shiny steel and the feat of engineering that is most guns and I just want to have them. +guns
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

+1

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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by mr surveyor »

I'm small business, self employed (32+ years) .... so that's where all my "expendable cash" goes (well, both new equipment and taxes) ;). But we pay the bills and eat good.

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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by ryjo »

mr surveyor wrote:I'm small business, self employed (32+ years)jd
So that's where all the self-discipline comes from. ;) I actually had a stint of self-employment (about a year and a half). For me it was more to keep the bills paid while I found something more permanent - which still hasn't quite happened yet. :lol: You definitely have to be a self-starter and a very disciplined decision maker to be self employed. 32 years and still going, that's impressive.
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by mr surveyor »

ryjo wrote:
mr surveyor wrote:I'm small business, self employed (32+ years)jd
So that's where all the self-discipline comes from. ;) I actually had a stint of self-employment (about a year and a half). For me it was more to keep the bills paid while I found something more permanent - which still hasn't quite happened yet. :lol: You definitely have to be a self-starter and a very disciplined decision maker to be self employed. 32 years and still going, that's impressive.
I figure it's a case of "survival of the fittest" ... and we also don't eat our young. My son is in the process of retire-ing me out over the next 4-5 years ;)


and even though I will be leaving him with a very well respected business, I still won't be able to buy every gun I want (the way it stands now probably none :roll: ).....But it's been worth it though :D

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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by Iplayfarmer »

The Blackhawk arrived today ahead of schedule. Despite having a busy night I carved out some time to take it to the range. Here is my report.

My first report is that the holster I have doesn't fit the gun. The barrel and ejection rod together are too bulky to go all the way in. No big deal, though. I'll probably make myself a custom holster and find a buyer for this one. As for the grips, I do not like the feel of the black plastic. I think that wood grips have risen in priority.

First and foremost, I love the 357 caliber in this revolver. It's a good thump when I pull the trigger, but it's not punishing. I don't find myself tending to flinch. The weight of the gun probably helps. This is a hefty revolver and feels quite substantial in my hand. By the time I got to the range it was getting dark. By the time I shot the last few cylinders it WAS dark, and it was fun to see the fire coming out of everywhere when I pulled the trigger.

It was fairly accurate out of the box. I didn't bring any paper targets that I could use to sight it in, but I was hitting jugs and bottles within the first few shots. I'm sure that after some careful sighting in I'll be pretty good with this gun.

Overall the gun feels stiff. I hope that is just a matter of being brand new. Everything from the hammer to the trigger pull to removing and replacing the cylinder seems to take more effort than it should. I lubed it up good when I got home, and it seems a little smoother. I maintain hope that it will loosen up after a few hundred rounds.

Swapping cylinders is rediculously challenging. I had to jigger the cylinder around for almost 5 minutes the first few times just to get the pin to go back in. If anyone has tricks let me know. I have an old Heritage .22lr with a .22 mag cylinder. Those cylinders swap out smooth as butter. The Blackhawk cylinders are about as smooth as beach sand in your swimming suit. Once again, I hope that with some breaking in this will get easier.

As for the length, I'm neither disappointed nor impressed by the 4.5" barrel. This .357 does feel more balanced and quicker, but I am used to the feel of the longer barrel on by Heritage .22lr. At this point I think I could have had either and been equally as happy. I'm willing to believe that I may grow more fond of this one as I use it more.

Bottom line... I need to shoot this gun a lot more before I really pass judgement on it. It really does seem like it could be a good gun, but it really does seem like it needs some breaking in.
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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

I have two of the Blackhawk convertibles one in 357/9mm and the other in 45 Colt/45 ACP and at least with mine the cylinders do get easier to change. Mine are now to the point where it's as quick and easy as my 2 Single Sixes. I've never been impressed with the accuracy of either the 9mm or the 45 ACP cylinders, but the 357 and 45 Colt are great shooters with both factory and handloads.

I've had the 357 so long I don't remember what it was like when new and since I was shooting it in IHMSA field pistol I had a local smith do a trigger job on it. The 45 is about 4 years old now and as I recall it was a bit stiff out of the box, although it was probably the most accurate out of the box pistol I've ever owned. After about 200 rounds some hot some cowboy action loads it smoothed out and I haven't touched the trigger.

Good luck with getting yours the way you want it.

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Re: 4.5 inch or 6.5 inch?

Post by TGC »

To "accompany",,,, 4 5/8".
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