Rossi RP63 2-RP639P 357 Magnum

There is an axiom that is true on all firearms but is especially true for revolvers — size matters. For concealed carriers, a good wheelgun option is the 3-inch version we see making a strong comeback. Depending on the material used for the frame, weight can range from very light up to and through the 2-pound-plus range. Sight radius is a bit longer than on snubbies, allowing for more precise shooting, and these versions normally allow a full ammo load. All the while, barrel length is a bit shorter than full-length models, making them more maneuverable in a fight and capable of clearing leather more quickly in the draw. Also, the 3-inch tube normally creates enough space for a full-length ejector rod, the lack of which on snubbies can cause problems with reloads.

Our search for a good 3-inch wheelgun started with the new Colt Python BP3WTS, $1400, with a blued finish. The stainless model has been out for some time now, but we think the blued version brings the same great mechanics with the aesthetics of a genuinely well-finished handgun. As with the stainless edition, the new Python sports a vented rib on top of the barrel and a full underlug, along with a great trigger.

The Rossi RP63 2-RP639P, $380, brings a minimalist package at a minimal price. This wheelgun is smaller than our other test samples, but it still carries a full underlug to help with recoil. The polished stainless finish nicely offsets the black Hogue-style grips.

Our next selection was a Ruger GP100 01715, $820; which we could easily believe was designed for bear country. Also sporting a full-length underlug as well as a full-sized set of Hogue grips, this GP100 is sculpted to handle just about any load you could think of putting in a 357 Magnum pistol.

Our final pick was the Smith & Wesson M686-6 164300, $904. Also sporting a full-length underlug and adjustable like the Python, it offers a 7-round cylinder. That extra round could make a difference to you in the back woods.

To get started, we have a few thoughts on barrel lengths in revolvers versus a pistol — wheelguns are longer than you think. With a semi-auto pistol, the barrel length is measured from the muzzle to the rear of the chamber and includes any extension on the hood that mates up with the slide. The barrel on a revolver is measured from the crown back to the start of the forcing cone. But if you include the chambers (cylinders) in the measurement, the revolver is going to be longer than the stated length would suggest. For example, our Python has a 3-inch barrel as stated, but when the cylinder is included, length goes up to 4.5 inches. Of course, there is the cylinder gap between the cylinder and the barrel, but there is more length there than you might think. 

We have mentioned that the revolver can do several things that the semi-auto can’t. The semi-auto can be very ammunition sensitive. The revolver — not so much. The operating system on the semi-auto requires that ammo pressures are generated in a specific range. If the round does not generate the correct pressure, the slide doesn’t cycle, and you have a malfunction. If the magazine doesn’t work right, there is a malfunction. If the springs get worn, there is a malfunction. Just try carrying a variety of ammunition in a semi-auto and see how well things go.

The semi-auto pistol does indeed have a great advantage over the revolver in the amount of ammo carried onboard. The revolver, however, much like a good 12-gauge pump shotgun, can carry a mix of ammunition and fire the rounds without a moment’s hesitation, depending on a perceived threat. On page 21 is a picture that shows a snake killed just outside of one of our deer stands last December. The ranch foreman holding that snake is about 6 feet 3 inches tall, so you an idea of the size of rattlers down here. As a result, the first chamber (or two) in the revolver we carry for backup while hunting and just walking around is loaded with snake shot. The CCI load uses No. 9 shot at a little over 1000 fps and should do a great job on any snake we’ve ever seen. The rest of the cylinder is loaded with 200-grain hard-cast solids from Buffalo Bore in case we get a close shot at a deer. The same load might be a good choice in bear country. 

The semi-auto has other issues as well. Get it dirty, and it might malfunction. Don’t hold it right or tightly enough, and it might malfunction. The revolver doesn’t care. If it does malf, just pull the trigger again and most of your problems will be solved. Now perhaps you see why we think a good revolver is still an imminently viable self-defense handgun. Here’s how these 3-inchers did at the range.

Rossi RP63 2-RP639P 357 Magnum,

$380

Gun Tests grade: B

The smallest tested here, the Rossi would have been the easiest to carry, but it also kicked the most — no surprise. We had a few issues with the sights, but we loved the price on this dependable little sixgun

Founded by Amadeo Rossi in 1889, Rossi and parent company Taurus have made their names marketing quality copies of popular firearms at very reasonable prices, and the RP63 is a great example of this practice. It more than slightly resembles a Smith & Wesson K-Frame revolver with a heavy 3-inch barrel, and then they added a couple more bells and whistles to it. That 3-inch tube includes a full-length underlug that protects the ejector and adds some weight to the muzzle. The crown has been nicely recessed for protection. Being picky, we would suggest that Rossi bevel the muzzle to make things a bit easier to reholster. That said, we’ll give them credit for slightly beveling the front edge of the cylinder.

The top strap has been bead blasted to provide a much less reflective surface for the sights in contrast to the polished-stainless finish on the rest of the handgun. The rear sight is a shallow fixed groove with a short, black ramp blade for a front sight. The ramp is held on by a roll-pin, making the front sight user-changeable, and we probably would change it out. While the Rossi is more than sufficiently accurate, with an overall average group size of about 2.7 inches, most of those groups were well left of point of aim and all of them were high — frequently in the 7-inch range. This is easily fixed, but it is something to consider.

The working parts performed well for us. The cylinder rotates smoothly on the ejector rod. Lockup is accomplished at the front and the rear of the cylinder, with a second latch on the top of the crane. Timing was perfect. The cylinder release operates with a forward push on the lever located on the left side of the frame, as expected. The trigger is wide, smooth, and was easy to operate in fast double-action mode.

The Rossi was the lightest and smallest of the four handguns tested, the former producing the most noticeable recoil. Still, we were pleased with the overall design because the trigger guard and grips were designed where the knuckles on our middle finger did not take a beating. 

The Rossi would be the easiest of this test bunch to carry. The smallish handles are a wrap-around pebble-grained unit that reminded us very much of Hogue grips. They provided a solid grasp on the gun. Too big for pocket carry, the Rossi RP63 should carry nicely in a belt holster.

Overall, the first-shot times averaged 0.77 seconds and split times on the five-shot drill was 0.346 seconds — longer than the others, but still very respectable. Some of that might stem from the double-action trigger requiring 12 pounds of effort to fire. Bench groups were about half an inch larger than its competitors, with the Remington 125-grain JSP showing as its favorite load. Its best five-shot group was just over an inch in diameter. 

Our Team Said: The smaller size of the grips made carrying the Rossi easy, but the thin sight picture slowed down our shooting. There’s not much front sight there to find, and the shallow rear tends to wash out in sunlight. That said, the Rossi did a great job of point shooting when we just shoved our hands out there and let it rip. And the Rossi does all of this with a street price less than $400. 

We tested at American Shooting Centers in west Houston. We fired for accuracy at 15 yards by shooting multiple five-shot groups from a well-sandbagged Caldwell Pistolero Shooting Rest (MidwayUSA.com 517357, $28) assisted by a Mini DRC Fortune Cookie from Wiebad.com ($75, MINIFC). We recorded velocities with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph ($600).

Process: Fire one shot from low ready at a USPSA target at 5 yards. Averages are for 10 repetitions.

Fire two shots from low ready at a USPSA target at 5 yards. Averages are for three repetitions.

Fire five shots from low ready at a USPSA target at 5 yards. Averages are for three repetitions.

Our speed tests are not designed to show how fast a firearm can be fired, but to use the same test on multiple guns fired by the same person to look for differences in the guns’ capabilities.

Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT