I had overwhelming urge and impulse bought my first revolver, a K-frame S&W 547 and three speed loaders, but otherwise I'm clueless about everything else. Currently, there are Pachmayr rubber grips on it but I'd like to get something better and could use recommendations on a holster too. Any tips or advice for a new wheel gun owner? Like how can I help reduce or prevent a ring from building up on the cylinder? How often should I replace the springs on the inside?
Congratulation! Nice wheelgun, sir. As to the internals, I'll leave that to those more experienced than me. My K-frames all wear Hogue grips---they simply fit my hand better and do a superb job reducing the effects of recoil and controlling the gun for fast follow-up shots. The Hogue "Monogrip" is the full size grip, while the Hogue "Bantam" is cut down a bit for concealability. Both types are available for purchase on Amazon.Originally Posted by Edwin
Lastly, regarding the ring building up inside the cylinder...don't sweat it. It'll clean out with relative ease using a bronze bore brush and some solvent. just keep after it periodically and don't allow it to become excessive. Hope this helps.
I think he means the turn ring, sometimes called the turn line. There's nothing I'm aware of other than not using it that's going to prevent it.
For a new revolver user, I'd learn how to reload correctly. Many folks try to treat it like a magazine fed gun and load with the support hand from reloads stored on the support side. Reloads should be manipulated with the strong hand and the moon clips/speed loaders carried on the strong side of the body.
Congrats, revolvers are just more fun.
Are you inquiring about the 547 or the stubby bull gun with the Aristocrat rib?
IMO, you should probably not shoot the 547; especially if you have the box/papers. Here's why: first of all, that is a fairly uncommon critter (only 10,000 or so were ever made), and somewhat desirable to those who fancy themselves S&W collectors- regardless of whether they are or not. Yours is a very clean example. If you can score a nice-condition pair of Magna stocks, and those Goodyears haven't trashed the frame finish underneath them, that will increase the gun's "collector" value as well.
Second, and more important, is that the extractor rod/center pin mechanism on that puppy is a complex piece of engineering. Its actually pretty ingenious, and works; for a while. But once those copper fingers have worn a bit, you generally have to use a bit of force to get the cartridges seated when loading it… which means you can forget about using a speedloader. HKS did make a loader for it, BTW. Then, one or more of the the fingers will eventually start slipping off the cartridge rim during the ejection stroke, which increases the aggravation factor. IOW, while the allure of cheap ammo may be strong, its a siren song IMO.
Rumor had it that the factory built this thing to offer to the French cops, who had floated an interest. When they said no thanks, the factory made a run of frames anyway to see if it would fly on the US market. Their timing was bad; the 9mm revolution was still almost a decade away, and most revolver buffs (me included, at the time) were like… "WTF??? Who would want THAT???"
Anyway… while the 547 is an interesting piece of S&W history, there is a reason that the only successful (and by that, I mean in semi-common use) revolvers that shoot rimless cartridges- aside, possibly, from the 10mm N frames of yore, which are also quite rare- are using clips in cylinders made for rimmed cartridges. If you're wanting a shooter, IMO the 547 ain't it.
Now… that stumpy bull gun, OTOH, if it was built right and has a .38 cylinder (more on that in a minute), will be a totally delightful range toy/plinker/turtle gun. Your problem will be feeding it. The days of cheap and plentiful .38 wadcutter/mid-range ammunition are long gone. In fact, most of what you'll find in your average gun shop/big box store will be the generic 130gr FMJ offering; good ammunition, to be sure, but feloniously expensive compared to econo-ball Euro Pellet stuff. If you reload, then that changes the game, however.
Regarding the cylinder… the .357 Magnum cartridge case is a tenth of an inch longer than the .38 Special. A cylinder bored for the magnum, when shot with .38 lead bullet ammunition, will quickly develop the dreaded "wadcutter ring"… which is lead build-up in that tenth of an inch of space in each charge hole (chamber). IF you employ a proper chamber brush, and use same to clean the charge holes out EVERY time you finish shooting the piece, you can keep it under control. But it takes a bit of effort, and left unchecked, will eventually start causing you issues.
Nothing drastic, mind you (unless you try to load .357 cartridges in a coked-up cylinder), but highly annoying nonetheless.
One of the advantages of a basic double action revolver is that its springs aren't doing anything unless you're actually shooting it. Of course, all of the springs are compressed or slightly stressed, even at rest, but only partially. The revolver springs I had to replace, on the 1000+ wheel guns I maintained for years, were all victims of a hydrocephalic moron with a pair of wire cutters. Don't worry about the springs.
Holsters… well, you need to figure out what you want to do with the revolver, and then choose a suitable holster. Not trying to be a weisenheimer here, but if all you're going to do is shoot the gun in your back forty or any place there is nothing to set it down on, a ten dollar sausage sack will do. If you're going to compete, then that is another whole avenue, etc.
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I have shot a lot of .38 reloads in various .357 revolvers.
Never had a problem with a ring building up in the cylinders.
Normal cleaning took care of whatever buildup occurred.
I have given up worrying about it.
I found out about the 547 right after they got expensive. So, never got one.
Good post, but one question:
WTF is a "turtle gun"? Is that to keep Donatello and Raphael from eating your pizza?
"Turtle gun" down here means a gun you take to the stock pond and/or bayou to shoot at turtles.
I leave the poor little guys alone myself, but I'm also a dude who apologizes to the doves during a dove hunt.
There it is…
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I can't say I've ever even considered shooting at a turtle... but it sounds like a great reason for me to justify another revolver purchase to the wife.
Wife: Why do you need another gun?
Me: I don't have a turtle gun yet.
Wife: Oh, OK... that makes sense.
Thanks LSP972, I'm learnin'... What is a good "turtle load"?
148gr wadcutters, loaded to around 700fps or so. With good sights, on a large pond/etc., you can sit on the bank and lob 'em in while practicing your indirect fire techniques.
Extra style points for hollow base wadcutters, and bonus points if they are Speer swaged HBWCs, of course...
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