I had a custom sp101 by Marc, it was a work of art.
I had a custom sp101 by Marc, it was a work of art.
There are probably some practical functional reasons why 9X19 is rare as a revolver cartridge, and .38 special is rare as an autoloading pistol cartridge. The slightly tapered rimless 9mm was designed for autoloaders and the rimmed straight-walled .38 special was designed for revolvers. If you reverse that you will be asking for a temperamental sidearm. For example; does Glock or H&K offer a modern autoloading pistol in .38 special?
If you really want a high-intensity ~.35 caliber revolver cartridge you'll probably find the .357 magnum to be a better fit and all-around more practical in a revolver. The 9mm belongs in an autoloader.
Well, it's not a Glock or H&K......but.........
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
Yes, but S&W no longer offers the model 52 .38 special (wadcutter only) target pistol. It turns out that S&W does not offer a 9mm revolver anymore either. Perhaps there is a pattern evolving here?Originally Posted by TGS
Well, it's not a Glock or H&K......but.........
I have always been fascinated by these guns from a historical and commercial perspective. I have / had the following 9MM Revolvers in my collection: a S&W 940 in 9MM and a Ruger SP101 in 9MM. I've also had the Taurus 905 in 9MM as well as a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible with the 9MM Cylinder. It seems to me that most of the manufacturers have toyed around with the 9MM in a revolver at some time or another. S&W with the 940 and 547 (which I also want at some point in the future), Ruger with the SP101, and Security Six, Charter with the 9MM Federal (even creating a rimmed cartridge!), and Taurus with its on and off availability of the 905. The 9MM revolver idea in particular seems to be popular, but it never has taken off commercially even though the ballistics out of a J-Frame seem to be a nice fit for the cartridge and a nice filler between the .38 SPL and .357 Magnum.
The S&W 940 was picked up with the original box and 5 moonclips. I took it to the range and I am very pleased with this gun. It's easier to shoot than .357 Magnum out of my 640, and about as stout to shoot as 38 SPL +P. Muzzle flash is also MUCH lesser and with the short barrel 9MM ammo currently being offered by manufacturers such as Speer. The gun is accurate, easy to shoot (did I mention that already, yup I did), and ammunition is easily available all over the place. Much more so than is typical for .38 SPL nowadays and typically cheaper with a better bullet selection. I carry it with the Hornady 115 Grain XTP bullets and it handles nicely. This will probably replace my 640 as my main Back Up Gun.
The Ruger SP101 is my most recent acquisition in this category. It's a little bigger than a standard J-Frame, which means I'll need another holster type to carry it. It's also different than the 940 as it's a standard TDA revolver so I can cock it single-handed if I want to. I've only taken it to the range a handful of times and it's decent enough to shoot. Kind of pleasant really with the old style Ruger grips (before they went to the Hogue grips on their revolvers). I don't have pictures up for this yet, but I will soon.
The Ruger Blackhawk Convertible .357 / 9MM was kind of an oddball. I bought this revolver as a potential Cowboy Action Gun. It worked just fine and the 9MM cylinder was actually used more than the .357 cylinder simply due to ammo cost and availability. I sold it as I didn't really seem that I'd go back into CAS and it's something that I'm still kind of stuck to.
I will put a disclaimer in here: I AM NOT A TAURUS FAN so PLEASE take what I say here with a grain of salt as others have had better experience with this gun. I bought the Taurus 905 because at the time it was the only one still in production, and less than HALF the cost of the 940s and SP101s going on Gunbroker.com. The Taurus 905 I picked up was a lemon. The cylinder was binding on me and after taking the sideplate off, I found metal shavings in the action that seemed to be the cause of the binding. I cleaned it out with compressed air and tweezers (GOD that was a PITA) and it improved for a bit, and then started to bind again. I cracked open the sideplate again and I found new shavings. I sent it off to Taurus for repair and it came back fixed 4-6 weeks later but since I had lost confidence in the gun I promptly sold it at a loss. At the shop, we ordered a 940 for a customer. The customer handled it by pushing on the extractor which promptly popped the cylinder and the gas ring onto one of our countertops. Also looking at the gun from a slight angle, the barrel wasn't put on straight, but at an angle. We returned the gun.
I feel that the 9MM revolver market is a niche one at best, but it's been one that I have enjoyed getting into. Now, if I can find a 646 chambered in .40 S&W, I'll be a really happy camper (only 300 were ever made!)
Taurus 905
Smith & Wesson 940 with Moonclip and Hornady 115 Grain XTP ammo on moonclip.
Oh, I believe you.
Actually, they did two different runs; the original run of PC guns, and a later one in which they used up a bunch of New-Old-Stock no-lock L-frames. Be aware that, due to variations in rim thickness on .40 S&W ammo, they ship with two sets of moonclips. Also, in my example, extraction was a beast. Sticky cases seem to be a common complaint.
Your Hornady XTP bears a striking resemblance to "Critical Defense" ammo.115 Grain XTP ammo
That would be correct. Thank you for catching that....Your Hornady XTP bears a striking resemblance to "Critical Defense" ammo.
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