10th May : Colt Anaconda

Name     :     Colt Anaconda


AKA       :     The Big Snake

Calibers     :     .44 Magnum and .45 Long Colt


Capacity    :     6 Rounds


Weight      :     53oz or 1503g (6 inch barrel model)


Length      :      11.5in or 295mm


Action       :      Double Action, revolving cylinder, repeater


Origin       :      U.S.A.


It wasn't until 1990 that colt produced its first .44 Magnum, The Anaconda.  Upon its release there was a large surge of interest from the firearm community as to how well it would stack up against its considerable competition from both Ruger and Smith and Wesson, not to mention Colt's own famous Python.  Early Anacondas had accuracy issues relating to a tight throat that wore down projectiles, once past the throat rounds were not properly engaging in the riffling.  These issues once raised with Colt were rectified with new barrels.  There was a 4, 6 and 8 inch barrel length versions available and all anacondas had the stainless steel finish, unlike other brands Colt did not offer a blued model.  1993 saw an addition to the line up with the introduction of the .45 Long Colt version, a caliber that was no stranger to many avid Colt fans.  


The Anaconda has a large ventilated rib above the barrel, reminiscent of the Python .357 magnum revolver offered by Colt.  The revolver came tapped ready for and in some cases with a scope for those who wanted to utilize this revolver for handgun hunting.  The Anacondas construction is tough, made from all stainless steel it is a hand-full to hold but this allowed recoil to be managed easily.  The Cylinder stop cuts were made between the chambers to allow the cylinder more strength, thus making the use of powerful rounds not an issue.  Shipped as standard with a large rubber grip with finger groves the large Colt is comfortable to hold even considering its weight.  The Anaconda comes furnished with adjustable B notch sights as standard, these sights produce a clean and crisp sight picture with white outlines on the rear and a red insert on the front sight.  Some Anacondas were also available with ported barrels to reduce muzzle climb when firing powerful loads.


Colt claimed that the Anaconda was the most accurate .44 magnum, though this will always be up for debate, to Colt's credit the Anaconda is an accurate revolver, but that title may have been a little ambitious.  Sadly during the large restructure at Colt in 2000, the Anaconda was dropped from Colts production line, though some were still available to order through the Custom shop until 2003.  Still popular with sports shooters and revolver enthusiasts through second hand channels, many wonder if Colt will re-release this big revolver at some point in the future, and speculation and rumor still rise every now and again, but as of 2012, seeing a brand new Anaconda filling gun shop shelves again seems bleak.


INTERESTING FACT : In the secondhand market .45 Long Colt versions of the Anaconda tend to fetch more than the .44 magnum variety.


PRO's   :   Accurate, beautifully designed, strong construction, nice grips, 


CON's   :   Early models had accuracy issues, no longer available 


COOL FACTOR : 9/10

23rd April : Smith and Wesson Model 10

Name :     Smith and Wesson Model 10


AKA   :     Military & Police, M&P, The No Frills Revolver, Victory Model

Caliber     :     .38 Smith and Wesson Special


Capacity   :     6 Rounds


Weight     :     36oz or 1020g (4in Model)


Length     :     8.875in or 225mm

Action      :     Double Action Repeater


Origin       :     U.S.A.


One of Smith and Wesson's best selling revolvers of all time, since 1899 Smith and Wesson have offered the Model 10 'Military and Police' in a wide range of configurations from the snubnose 2 inch barrel round butt model through to the Target 6 inch square butt model.  The appeal of the model 10 stems from its simplicity, quality construction and universal acceptance of the .38 Special cartridge, add to this the variety of configurations, all for a fair price and it is not surprising that more than 6 million have been made.


During the Philippine War of Independence, the U.S. Army had grave concerns about the effectiveness of the .38 Long Colt cartridge of there Model 1889 revolver, relayed field reports back to the United States indicated a change was immediately necessary, the answer in the form of the new cartridge .38 Smith and Wesson Special a heavier bullet in a longer case and the new Model 1899 to fire it. This revolver known as Military and Police would go on to have several changes to eventually become the Model 10 in 1942.


The Model 10's 'K frame' Smith and Wesson's medium frame is very strong, in many ways stronger than it needs to be, this advantage means that the model 10 can consume a steady diet of +P ammunition.  The fixed sights on this revolver are of snag free design and are very unlikely to knocked or bumped out of alignment unlike Smith and Wesson's adjustable sights.  A good double and single action pull that are crisp and break at predictable points making the revolver inherently easy to shoot, especially with the mild recoil of the .38 special cartridge.  


This no-nonsense, reliable arm will never be a match for today's "Polymer Wonder Guns" in the military world, but still serves a purpose for home defense and sports shooting.  For use as a personal protection arm the .38 special is at the lower end of the spectrum as a manstopper but, with regular practice, shooting quality defensive loads you are by no means 'unarmed'. 


INTERESTING FACT : The model 10 was used by over 20 countries world wide as a defensive arm for either military, police or both.


PRO's   :   Reliable, Easy to shoot, quality construction, utilitarian 


CON's   :   Low in the energy range, but still very acceptable. 


COOL FACTOR : 7/10

5th of April : Smith and Wesson Model 66 2.5in

Name   :   Smith and Wesson Model 66 2.5in (2.5in barrel specifically) 


AKA     :   Snubbie, Snub 66, Combat Magnum, 

Caliber   :  .357 Magnum (can also use .38 special)

.357 Magnum Defense Ammo

Weight   :  31oz or 880g


Length   :   7.5in or 190mm


Capacity  :  6 Rounds


Action     : Double / Single Action


Origin     :  U.S.A.


The Model 66 first appeared in 1972,
a stainless steel version of the much loved Model 19.  In 1974 the 2.5 inch barrel version arrived on the scene, and that is what we will look at here.  From the time it was introduced to until the time it was discontinued in 2005, the '66' went through a variety of changes that were common to most Smith and Wesson revolvers in these production years, such as the deletion of pinning the barrel and recessed cylinders.


The '66' 2.5in version was intended as a personal defense revolver or as a back-up gun (BUG) for law enforcement, Strangely though the '66' is in fact quite large, for comparison of size it is longer than a Smith and Wesson 639 Semi-Automatic, and heavier than a Beretta Model 84.


Though chambered in .357 magnum, common practice with this pistol is to use .38 Special rounds for the majority of shooting, as the cylinder walls in this revolver as well as frame (S&W designation 'K' frame) are not strong enough to handle the pressure from constant firing of factory .357 magnum rounds. The extractor on this revolver isn't quite long enough to be able to fully extract empty cases but gives the shooter a good start, and with a healthy smack the cases should fall clear.  


Felt recoil in this revolver is higher than its longer barreled counterpart, but is still manageable.  The sights supplied with this revolver are of standard Smith and Wesson fashion.  The rear sight is adjustable for windage and has matt black base rib along the top of the frame to prevent glare, whilst the front sight has a red/orange insert giving the pistol a nice sight picture especially when compared to other snubbies on the market.  This pistol having been made from stainless steel offers great corrosion resistance coupled with Smith and Wesson's world renowned quality, makes this revolver worth consideration for personal or home defense.  Like any snub nosed revolver time must be taken to master the increased muzzle climb and blast during firing.  The '66' is capable of very good accuracy.


INTERESTING FACT :  The heritage and lines of this type of revolver can be traced all the way back to the first S&W Military and Police revolvers of the beginning of the 20th Century


PRO's   :  Stainless Steel, Good Accuracy, Stylish, Great Pachmayr grips were  available  


CON's   :   A little on the large side, A .357 that needs to be fed .38s


COOL FACTOR :  6/10  

3rd of April : Manurhin MR-73

Name     :   Manurhin MR-73


AKA       :  The French Rolls Royce

Caliber   :   .357 Magnum / .38 Special / 9x19mm Parabellum


Weight   :   36.96oz or 1040g


Length   :   10.39in or 264mm


Capacity :   6 Rounds


Action    :  Double Action / Single Action


Origin    :   France




Introduced in 1973 this revolver is the premium French target and law enforcement revolver.  Popular with Law enforcement agencies throughout Europe it has even been seen in the hands of Special Forces and Counter Terrorism units.  When Manurhin went about designing this revolver the emphasis was undoubtedly on quality, the cylinder on its own is made of such high strength steel that it can handle twice the pressure of the .357 magnum cartridge.  


Manurhin early on saw the need to diversify the revolver to meet the needs of the market, thus producing three distinct main variants: G-3 Gendarmerie - 3 inch barrel, G-4 Gendarmerie - 4 inch barrel, S-6 Sport - 6 inch barrel.  Though other calibers such as a .22 long rifle, .32 Smith and Wesson long versions and barrel lengths out to 8 inches.


Interestingly the MR-73 also has available a interchangeable cylinder that can convert the revolver to fire the 9mm Parabellum, though using rimless automatic pistol rounds in revolvers in nothing new it is by no means common.  Revolver cartridges have a rim at the base of the cartridge so that the round can be dropped into the cylinder and the rim will stop the round falling through.  Most importantly the rim helps with extraction, for when the cartridge is loaded the rim rests on top the cylinder and a extractor when the rounds need to be removed extractor rod is manually operated pushing the spent cases out of the cylinder.  With rimless cartridges the use of a moon clip that can be pushed by the extractor is necessary, but instead the MR-73 has spring loaded catches within the cylinder walls that capture the rounds when inserted.  


The attention to detail during this revolvers construction are unquestionable, internal parts have been finely tuned and polished and the barrels tolerances are extremely tight when using .357 magnum.  With its smooth trigger pull and predictable break of 7.7lbs (3.5kg) in double action and 4.2lbs (1.9kg) in single action, the MR-73 is very pleasant to shoot.  Accuracy of this pistol has been proved over and over again in many reputable bench tests to be one on par with the very expensive Korth revolvers and Colt Python.


INTERESTING FACT :  The interchangeable cylinder in 9mm for this revolver was used as a selling point but in reality 9mm rounds are .354" and do not gain the full advantage of engaging in the riffling during firing causing erratic accuracy.  


PRO's   :   Top Quality, Accurate (.357), Many Variants, ideal sport gun


CON's   :   9mm Cylinder a waste of time, Supply a bit 'iffy'


COOL FACTOR :  8/10