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View Full Version : First revolver purchase since the 80s



ramairthree
03-08-13, 19:27
I had a hunting pistol that was in the family, a Colt .22 LR Buntline scout that I still have.
I purchased a used NM Blackhawk .357sometime before 86 that I still have,
and had a M15 S&W CM that I did not like the trigger on I bought used and sold sometime before 86 as well.

I have had my eye on 8 shot .357s for a while,
and finally found one in a LGS.
Price was good NIB.
I wanted the 6 inch SS one, but have never seen one in person and whenever I look for one on line I can't find one. (which means a dozen will be up tomorrow)

Anyways, it is a 4 inch blued Taurus 608.
I have some speed loaders on order but am not sure where to get a good holster for it.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu220/ramairfour/DSC00670_zpse5f302ba.jpg

I am ready to throw on the butterfly collar leather jacket, stuff the wheel gun in the waist band, comb the 'stache, put on the tear drop raybans, step out in my side zipper boots, hop in the Cordoba, throw some Foghat in the 8 track, and go ask Huggy Bear what is going down.

Seriously though, I bought my first SA pistol in the 80s (a Star 9mm- sort of a mini 1911) and have been buying them ever since. I was long overdue for a revolver.

The trigger action is good, sights good, the grip narrower than I had expected, and the ejection rod not as beefy as I expected, but we will see how she does.

hockeynick39
03-09-13, 06:07
The holster is going to depend on your use of the pistol. If you want standard carry (normal double, triple, or thumb break retention), IWB carry (might be a little difficult for a full sized revolver), or if you want a full cover holster (the holsters with the flap cover). I have a DeSantis thumb break for my S&W 625 that is okay, but wish it had the ability to push out and forward from my waist a little bit. Getting older and the love handles keep the pistol from coming out quickly under normal draw. Yeah, need the fat boy rig:(. I know a few companies make an aftermarket add on for it and may just do that. Good luck and stay safe.

ramairthree
03-12-13, 15:21
OK, range report. I put a box of Winchester USA White Box (Q4196) through it. This is .38 Special 150 grain LRN. I do not know how old it is, but it is what I had several boxes in the stash of. Shooting this in the 608 is pleasant. It is like you have a .22 revolver! I would almost say cap gun, but I do not even know if they make those any more with all the airsoft stuff out there.

Out of the box the gun was dead on for windage, but a little low at 10m. At 15m it was lower, and at 25m it was about 8 inches low. I was surprised at how much difference in POI at slight range changes was. But, it has a short sight radius, and the front sight is not very good. Not horrible, but the insert does not really pick up any light or stand out.

The rear sight was good. Elevation adjustments were made with no changes to the windage, unlike some scopes or sights that deviate from elevation or windage when you adjust the other, showing good quality and quality control on the rear sight. All rounds ejected fine, although I wish the ejection rod was a little beefier/more diameter.

I then pulled out the other box from my stash, Fiocchi FMJ 142 grain truncated cone ammo. It was not cap gun/.22 like the 38 was, but not punishing at all. About like shooting a .40 minor in a Beretta. Now, with the .357, some rounds will stick when ejecting. I think the rod should be about an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch longer. All rounds were fired free style, DA. Out to 25m, you can put all your rounds into a pie plate this way. I ended up sighting a couple of inches high at 10m which puts me a couple of inches low at 25m. This is the old maroon box Fiocchi and it does group a touch better than the Winchester budget ammo. I have not reloaded any .38 or .357 in ages, but should be no problem.

The ammo is moving fast enough to not drop so much, but with the poor front sight and short radius, seems very sensitive to lining up for elevation.

As for overall quality, you could take this to the range every month for the rest of your life and put a box of shells through it, and it will probably do the same for your kids and grandkids. On the other hand, if you took it to the range every weekend and put a few hundred rounds through it with high speed reloads and full action use, it would probably only have a couple of years in it. I believe this would not be an issue if the cylinder hinge was a little beefier. I did not have my speedloaders in yet, so I can't say how well those will work.

Anyways, the barrel is a little short for pistol whipping some punk, but what the gun lacks in barrel length it makes up for in heft. This gun would be a touch harder to everyday carry concealed than a full sized 1911 or Beretta, but would be very comfortable to have on the hip in a duty rig and belt. (and reassuring- it will either always go bang or move on to the next round with every squeeze. Compared to most striker type pistols and 1911s, a Beretta will give you follow up hits on the primer, but not the next round like this)

The worst thing about the 608, in my opinion, is availability. Price is good for what you get. I would also like to see the vented rib on the 4inch like the 6 and 8. But that is just looks, not function. I would also like to have seen them spend another dollar or two on the front sight and insert, there is room for improvement there.