Few things are as wonderful a beautifully finished and engraved sixgun, and that’s what you get with this new Cimarron pistol. Created to honor the legendary Texas Rangers, the poly-ivory grips feature the logo of that law enforcement group. The gun is also marked “One Riot, One Ranger.” Chambered in .45 Colt, it has a 4.75-inch barrel. A portion of the sales price is donated to the Texas Ranger Heritage Center in Fredericksburg, Texas.
The name translates to “The Bad,” but this gun will be good to a shooter and his or her wallet. Designed to be affordable, the El Malo is available in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. The pre-war frame is color casehardened and matched with a blued barrel. Octagonal barrels are available in three lengths. Smooth walnut grips round out this sub-$550 handgun. A good choice for hunters and re-enactors, the El Malo is also pretty enough to be displayed in any Old West collection.
For a mean-looking revolver, check out the Bad Boy from Cimarron. Built to bridge the gap between the Old West and New West, this .44 Magnum has a pre-war frame with an Army-style grip. The two-piece stocks are made of walnut. Cimarron builds this revolver with an octagonal barrel either 6 and 8 inches long. A blued finish and adjustable sights come standard.
The return of the double-action revolver to the Colt line might be the most anticipated event of the year. The new Cobra is a worthy successor to the classic line of wheelguns. This six-shooter is chambered in .38 Special and is +P rated. Colt designed the gun with a new linear leaf spring for a consistent trigger pull. Also, the gun is designed with the grip set slightly farther back than those on previous revolvers, providing better leverage to control muzzle flip.
Big and bold. That’s the statement made by this German revolver imported through Texas for American shooters. Built on the company’s MA frame, the .500 S&W Magnum revolver is built for strength. It features a double-locking cylinder. The sights are fully adjustable, including the elevation of the front sight. The smooth wood grips feel nice in your hand. Barrel lengths of 4 to 12 inches are available.
To celebrate the company’s groundbreaking K6s revolver, Kimber is now offering a First Edition version of the gun. This limited-edition wheelgun has a mirror- polished finish and Pao Ferro wood grips. Like the other guns in the K6s line, it’s chambered in .357 Magnum and holds six rounds in the cylinder. The First Edition has a limited range of serial numbers and is likely to be snapped up quickly by collectors.
The Kimber K6s was designed as a serious combat revolver, combining six .357 Magnum shots with a light, easy-to-conceal platform. One thing the original lacked was factory-installed night sights. Kimber now offers the gun with tritium three-dot sights for enhanced accuracy in low light. The gun also has a smooth satin finish and black rubber grips. As with the earlier revolver, the K6s has a very smooth double-action-only trigger pull.
Looking for the ultimate in hideout guns? IO Inc. has a tiny revolver that might pique your interest. The new Valkyrie is a single-action .22 LR that can slip into almost any pocket. To make reloading easier, the five-shot handgun has an ejector rod and extractor similar to a system you might find on a double-action revolver. Lightweight, the Valkyrie is only 4 inches long and is fitted with a fixed front sight.
Korth and Nighthawk Custom are highly respected names in the firearms industry. Now they have teamed up, with Nighthawk importing Korth revolvers into the United States. The Mongoose is the company’s full-sized .357 Magnum with a black DLC finish. The gun is also available with a 9mm conversion kit. The standard barrel length is 4 inches, with optional lengths of 3, 5.25 and 6 inches. Each gun is inspected by Nighthawk Custom and is properly marked as such.
A 9mm, the Sky Hawk is a bit different than some other Korth revolvers imported by Nighthawk Custom. Import restrictions prevent Korth from shipping 2-inch-barreled revolvers into the U.S., so Nighthawk builds these revolvers with its own 2-inch barrels. Unlike most 9mm revolvers, the Sky Hawk does not require moon clips to hold the rimless cartridges. Instead, it uses a proprietary ejection system.
For hunting and target shooting, the Super Sport is a great choice. Equipped with the Roller Trigger, the double-action pull on this gun is one of the best on the market. The barrel is a 6-inch, cold-hammer-forged model from Lothar Walther. Chambered in .357 Magnum, the gun is equipped with Picatinny rails on the top and sides for optics, lasers, lights and other accessories. A 9mm conversion cylinder is also available from Nighthawk.
Widely considered one of the most rugged double-action revolvers on the market, the GP100 is now available in .44 Special. Although it has never enjoyed the same immense popularity as the .38 Special, the .44 Special is still a viable self-defense round. The GP100 is fitted with a comfortable Hogue Monogrip to attenuate felt recoil. On top, a front fiber-optic sight is matched to an adjustable rear sight for accurate shooting in various lighting conditions.
Ruger is now offering its LCRx revolver in .357 Magnum and .22 LR. The LCRx is a variation of the original LCR. It adds an exposed hammer to allow single-action shooting. Ruger uses a cam system to give it a smooth double-action trigger pull. Like the original LCR, this gun uses a polymer fire control housing and a stainless steel frame for durability and weight reduction. This lightweight handgun holds five rounds and wears a Hogue Tamer Monogrip. And as this issue went to print, Ruger announced the availability of the .22 LR LCRx with a 3-inch barrel.
Known as a heavy-duty handgun, the Redhawk is now offered in .357 Magnum. With its 2.75-inch barrel and low-profile hardwood grips, this eight-shooter is better suited for concealed carry than you might initially think. The red insert in the front sight lets you get on target quickly. The revolver is alo built to handle a steady diet of magnum rounds with additional thickness in the topstrap and other areas. Ruger has relieved the cylinder and includes three moon clips with the gun.
Few revolvers can match the Smith & Wesson Model 66 as a combat wheelgun. Carried by many police officers in the 1970s and ’80s, these guns built a reputation for reliability. A .357 Magnum revolver built on the medium K-Frame, the Combat Magnum returns to the company’s revolver lineup with a 2.75-inch barrel. Shorter-barreled Model 66 revolvers were prized by plainclothes cops and citizens. The new gun has soft synthetic grips, a full-length ejector rod and an effective red ramp front sight paired with a white-outlined rear sight.
Offered with a 3-inch barrel for the first time, the Model 629 Deluxe is a .44 Magnum revolver built on the company’s N-Frame. This stainless steel wheelgun holds six rounds and is fitted with textured wood grips. The ejector rod is fully protected by an underlug. The pinned front ramp sight has a red insert. The rear sight is adjustable with a classic white outline. From concealed carry to serving as a backup in bear country, the Model 629 Deluxe fits various purposes, which is a testament to the gun and .44 Magnum cartridge.
The Model 686 Plus 3-5-7 Magnum is an L-Frame revolver chambered for, not surprisingly, the .357 Magnum. These guns are aimed at S&W collectors. They feature an unfluted cylinder and custom black and silver grips. The wooden grips have “.357” etched into them. This model has a seven-round cylinder, a pinned front sight and an adjustable rear sight. Three barrel lengths are available: 3, 5 and 7 inches. As with its other guns, S&W backs these revolvers with a lifetime service policy.
The Model 642 is one of my favorite S&W revolvers. A Centennial J-Frame, the gun is light, compact and accurate. S&W is now offering a version of the 642 that makes me think it’s time to trade up. The new version has a tuned action and is cut for full-moon clips. The custom grips have distinctive wood inserts. The trigger, screws, cylinder flutes and cylinder release latch are highly polished for a great look. To top it off, this model does not have an internal lock.
It’s difficult to beat the classic look of a Smith & Wesson revolver like the Model 686 Deluxe. This seven-shot wheelgun wears a set of richly colored wood grips that look good and feel better. The grips nicely match the satin stainless finish on the frame, barrel and cylinder. On this Deluxe model, S&W opted for a 6-inch barrel to produce maximum bullet velocity. The barrel length also gives you a longer sight radius for more precise shooting at all distances.
More than a decade ago, Smith & Wesson introduced the X-Frame revolver. The company matched the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge to it for one of the most powerful handgun combinations ever developed. For 2017, the Performance Center created a 3.5-inch-barreled version of the Model S&W500. In addition to installing an overtravel stop on the trigger and tuning the action, the company added an unfluted cylinder and a HiViz fiber-optic front sight. This might be the ultimate bear-defense gun for anyone spending time in grizzly territory.
Standard Manufacturing might be known for making the DP-12 double-barreled pump shotgun. But the company is getting into the wheelgun market with the SAA revolver. These classically styled wheelguns will be chambered for the venerable .45 Colt cartridge. Several barrel lengths are currently available, from 4.75 to 7.5 inches. Additionally, the company will offer models with intricate scrollwork. These guns are made right here in the United States.
Commemorating the 100-year anniversary of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s death on January 10, 1917, Uberti is selling the 1858 Buffalo Bill Centennial. Modeled on the 1858 New Army blackpowder revolver, this handgun is offered in .44 caliber with an engraved six-shot cylinder. The gun has a deep blue finish with an octagonal barrel with gold inscriptions of Buffalo Bill’s name, birth date and death date. The hammer is color casehardened, and the triggerguard is brass. The revolver wears simulated ivory grips.
If you compete in Cowboy Action Shooting, you’re probably familiar with the Uberti Short Stroke SASS Pro line of revolvers. This year, Uberti has added models with mirror nickel finishes and matching simulated ivory grips. The new guns are available in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum with either 4.75- or 5.5-inch barrels. Like the originals, these guns have short-stroke triggers with 20-percent less travel compared to regular SAA revolvers.
Few things are as dependable and fun as a revolver. Every year brings new shooting gear, and 2017 is definitely shaping up to be a good one for wheelguns. From a Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) competition gun to a pair of Smith & Wesson combat magnums, there’s something out there right now for every revolver enthusiast. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best new revolvers hitting the market.
