Revolvers

In several particulars, this handgun is an anomaly among the revolvers tested. First, it is a seven-shooter.

The Bearcat was introduced in 1958 and quickly soared in popularity. The revolver’s small size is great for campers, hikers, and fisherman who might need to deal with a cottonmouth.

The 3.5-inch-barrel Shopkeeper is similar to the 3-inch-barrel model except for the barrel length and a few other characteristics.

This model Barkeep is similar to other model Barkeep with two differences. This model has a 3.6-inch barrel and faux gray pearl grips.

This Barkeep featured the 2.6-inch barrel, a faux case-hardened finish, and textured wood grips.

This is a classic 4.75-inch-barrel revolver in 45 Colt. The cylinder, frame, and barrel are nicely finished in blue, and the receiver is casehardened in appearance.

The Wiley Clapp Single Action Army illustrated is a special version offered by Talo Distributors some years ago, and reasonable samples may still be found as new-in-box handguns or in the gently-used market.

We recently compared three single-action revolvers from Colt and Traditions chambered in 45 ACP or 45 Colt, also called 45 Long Colt. The two Colts are...

Toward the end of each year, I survey the work R.K. Campbell, Roger Eckstine, Robert Sadowski, Tracey Taylor, and Joe Woolley have done in Gun Tests, with an eye toward selecting guns, accessories, and ammunition the magazine’s testers have endorsed. From these evaluations I pick the best from a full year’s worth of tests and distill recommendations for readers, who often use them as shopping guides.

The sensation of the Taurus Defender 856 is that it is a six-shot version of the J-frame 85 in which Taurus changed the lockwork and cylinder to make a six-shot hideout revolver, compared to the common five-shot revolver.

Taurus has pioneered a switch-cylinder system in this revolver. There are also 22 Long Rifle/22 Magnum versions. The cylinder is easily changed simply by pressing in a plunger on the right side of the frame.

The M206 is a chunky revolver at 25 ounces. The six-shot double-action has a swing-out cylinder, and its cylinder latch operates differently from the other three revolvers. This latch is pulled to the rear rather than pressed forward to open the cylinder.