'.38 Special' Category
Smith & Wesson Model 40-1
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Bond Arms Mini
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Summary: The description, specs, photos, pricing and user ratings for the Bond Arms Mini pistols. Read the rest of this entry »
Smith & Wesson Model 586
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Summary: The description, specs, pricing and photos for the Smith & Wesson Model 586 revolvers. Read the rest of this entry »
Ruger LCR
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Summary: Dave Spaulding’s review of and rating for Ruger’s LCR revolvers, including pros & cons, a range report, specs, photo, pricing, user ratings and user comments. Plus info/photos for the new Talo models. (Click here to see all of Spaulding’s handgun reviews.) Read the rest of this entry »
Ruger SP101
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Summary: The description, specs, photos, user ratings and user comments for the Ruger SP101 revolvers, including the new .22 LR model. Read the rest of this entry »
Bond Arms USA Defender
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Summary: The description, specs, pricing, photos and user ratings for the Bond Arms USA Defender pistol.
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Smith & Wesson Model 637
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Summary: Paul Markel’s review of and rating for the Smith & Wesson Model 637 revolver, including a range report, photos, pricing, specs and user ratings. (Click here to see all of Markel’s pistol reviews.) Read the rest of this entry »
Handgun Roundup: The Semiauto Magnums
Charles Bronson deployed a Wildey in Death Wish 3. © MCMLXXXV Cannon Productions N.V.
In America, many of us gravitate toward the biggest, the baddest, the fastest. Hence the Corvette, Pamela Anderson, 60-inch TVs, Wild Turkey, Mike Tyson, the Kingda Ka roller coaster and the Super Bowl.
This inclination has its adherents in the handgun world, too. Pistol power has been ratcheting up for, well, forever, and it’s due to demand. Remember when the .44 Magnum was the most powerful handgun in the world? That was a long time and many new cartridges ago. Modern behemoths include rounds such as the .500 SW Magnum, the .454 Casull and many others.
Most magnum-capable handguns are revolvers. Why? It’s proven difficult to construct a practical, functional, usable, magnum-caliber semiauto. Typically, semiautos hold the ammo inside the grip (there are exceptions, such as the Tec-22, Ruger Charger, etc.), and because magnum rounds are big, they require a big grip. Too big for some shooters to feel comfortable with, it turns out.
That’s not to say semiauto magnums don’t exist. Over the years, at least seven models have gone into production chambered for heavyweight rounds such as the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44 AMP, .45 Winchester Magnum and several others.
A number of these semiauto magnums have entered popular culture. Quick, what was that big semiauto Dirty Harry broke out in the movie “Sudden Impact?” The Auto Mag, of course. Charles Bronson shot bad guys with a Wildey in “Death Wish 3” (pictured at right), and the Desert Eagle has appeared in countless action films.
Of the seven pistols listed below, five appear to be out of production (the Auto Mag, the AutoMags, the Grizzly and the Wildey). You can still find used specimens for sale in gun shops and on online sites such as GunBroker.com. The Desert Eagle and Coonan are both still in production (at press time).
This article pulls basic info for the semiauto magnums into one place. Each pistol’s listing is an excerpt from its main-info page, which contains the full description, specs, more photos, pricing info (when available) and links to external articles and reviews. To go to that page, Read the rest of this entry »
Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic
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Summary: The description, specs, photos and MSRP for the Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic pistol. Read the rest of this entry »
Bond Arms Ranger II
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Summary: The description, specs, MSRP and photo for the Bond Arms Ranger II pistol, plus user ratings. Read the rest of this entry »
Taurus 85 Protector
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Summary: The description, specs, MSRP and photos of the Taurus 85 Protector revolver. Read the rest of this entry »
Taurus DT Revolver
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Summary: The description, specs, MSRP and photos of the Taurus DT Revolver. Read the rest of this entry »
Colt New Frontier
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Summary: The description, specs and photo for Colt’s New Frontier revolvers. Read the rest of this entry »
Taylor’s Runnin’ Iron
Summary: The description, specs, MSRP and photos of the Taylor’s & Co. Runnin’ Iron revolvers.
Manufacturer’s Description
Taylor’s Runnin’ Iron is a light, balanced, single-action pistol designed specifically for the sport of Mounted Shooting. Inspired by mounted shooter and Wild West entertainer Denny Chapman and designed by third-generation Wild West showman and gunsmith Deke Rivers, the Runnin’ Iron has been created by cowboys with years of black powder blank shooting experience in the harshest environments. Read the rest of this entry »
Pedersoli Doc Holliday
Summary: The description, specs and photos of the Davide Pedersoli Doc Holliday revolvers.
Manufacturer’s Description
Pedersoli’s Doc Holliday revolvers, clearly a Colt-inspired design, follow several requests from Cowboy Action Shooting enthusiasts from all over the world and commemorates the famous John Henry Holliday (1851-1887), nickname “Doc” for his occasional profession as a dentist. Read the rest of this entry »
Smith & Wesson 75th Anniversary Model 27
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Summary: Smith & Wesson’s description, specs, photos and MSRP for its 75th Anniversary Model 27 revolver. Read the rest of this entry »
Chiappa Firearms Rhino
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Summary: Dave Spaulding’s review of and rating for the Chiappa Firearms Rhino revolver, including photos, specs, pricing, user ratings and user comments. (Click here to see all Spaulding’s gun reviews.) Read the rest of this entry »
Charter Arms The Chic Lady
Summary: The manufacturer’s description, photo and specs, the average user rating, and pricing info for the Charter Arms The Chic Lady revolver.
Manufacturer’s Description
Charter Arms’ has announced a new model in its Undercover Lite revolver line, The Chic Lady. Read the rest of this entry »
Charter Arms The Chic Lady Off Duty
Summary: The manufacturer’s description, photo and specs, the average user rating, and pricing info for the Charter Arms The Chic Lady Off Duty revolver.
Manufacturer’s Description
Charter Arms’ has announced a new model in its Undercover Lite DAO revolver line, The Chic Lady Off Duty. Read the rest of this entry »
Ruger New Model Blackhawk
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Summary: The manufacturer’s description and specs, and the average user rating for the Ruger New Model Blackhawk revolvers. Read the rest of this entry »
