Potential Market Gap? 3-inch Lightweight Medium Frame Revolvers

[Jim Watson]

Is there a Taurus gunsmith in the country? Or are they adequate ex works?
For the price of a Colt or Kimber, you could have a steel 856 to shoot and an aluminum one to carry.

Shooting: Check with your local IDPA club, they may introduce the new rulebook with AIWB as soon as they like, not waiting until June.

[JRV]

Is there a Taurus gunsmith in the country? Or are they adequate ex works?
For the price of a Colt or Kimber, you could have a steel 856 to shoot and an aluminum one to carry.

Shooting: Check with your local IDPA club, they may introduce the new rulebook with AIWB as soon as they like, not waiting until June.

Money's not the issue.

Availability, speedloader options, and holster options are the issue. For example, Speedbeez makes loaders for the K6. Not many options for the D-frames/856 that don't involve twisting. Being able to change sights (without a drill press) and zero them to a specific load is also nice. There's also at least one AIWB holster (ANR) in production for the 3" K6, and JMCK has 3" K frame holsters, but I'm not aware of any for the King Cobra 3" or 856 Defender.

Edit... Kimber SKU 3400011 looks very, very interesting...

[03RN]

I'm using the Gold Dot Short Barrel +P .38 now. It works well in my pistol. They seem to rum pretty fast in my King Cobra 3". Here is the results from my Chrono testing:

#1 - 1091
#2 - 1084
#3- 1071
#4-1109
#5-1100

Avg: 1091.0
Standard Dev: 14.6
Spread: 38

Wow, that's the fastest +p .38 I've seen. Are you sure that's not the .357 short barrel?

[03RN]

With the irregularities in QC common with todays revolver production would cutting a 4" down be practical? The price for a S&W Model 10 three inch revolvers is crazy on GB. Wanting one from the Max Hayword collection Woodlawn Boys is auctioning off. Get a 27-2, 3½" cheaper then what these are selling for.

Guns.com has a 4" standard barrel m10-9 for $400. Cutting off an inch would make a pretty sweet carry gun. I bet it would be under 29oz.

[03RN]

I took a gamble on a new 317 last Saturday and it's phenomenal. Laser accurate and has a great trigger for a K frame much less a J frame. I could not miss with it out to 25 yards on the timer (25 yards thread). I had my fingers crossed It's adjustable sights were perfectly zeroed for 25 yds out of the fookin' box.

Soon I'll find out about my son's new 2.75" M-66. @03RN you're posts/threads had a major influence on him.

It's still my most carried gun. Hopefully his luck is more like mine than Steph's.

[03RN]

I mean, a 3" RB m10 with 147gr hsts at 930fps is pretty cool

[4given]

Wow, that's the fastest +p .38 I've seen. Are you sure that's not the .357 short barrel?

Nope. It was Speer Gold Dot 38 Special +P 135 gr in the 50 round LE box. It's a new Caldwell Precision Chronograph. Maybe they run a little high? They claim +/- .25% accuracy.

[SD]

...seller on GB with the model 64's same batch as gunsdotcom, $325. had someone buy it now for $500. on me today. Sent that model 10, the one from Aim import that never worked, was considering a 1" chop on it but it is as the gunsmith stated "lived a hard life". Eventually one way or the other (factory 3" or chopping) the one in the shop now will be getting a fiber optic front, see if i can pick it up faster with aging eyes.

Guns.com has a 4" standard barrel m10-9 for $400. Cutting off an inch would make a pretty sweet carry gun. I bet it would be under 29oz.

[45dotACP]

The LGS had a Colt Night Cobra in the used section. I will admit to being tempted, especially after being allowed to dry fire it. What a trigger that gun had.

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

[willie]

The 3 inch K frames look cool, but a 4 inch skinny barrel Model 10 would carry concealed just as easily. Converting square butt to round butt is simple.

When examining recently shipped Colt revolvers, I noticed that in my small sample ratchets on the extractor star hit the hand when closing the cylinder. That should not occur, of course, and I can't think of a remedy. The shop has a like new used Beretta 87 Target 22. The muzzle's barrel crown is off center. Buyer beware.