If you have been looking for the best budget revolvers, you are definitely not alone. Finding the best revolver you can afford in terms of not compromising the quality and performance is vital, especially if money appears to be a problem for you. Granted that you will find a revolver that you can use for various purposes. All you need to do is find one that fits your specific needs and preferences best.
In order to help you find the best one, we have compiled a list of some of the best budget revolvers that are currently on the market.
Before we get to the list itself, we will talk about how precise a revolver is and decide whether or not it is really likely to find a revolver that is inexpensive for you. In addition to that, we will also give a brief indication of what you need to look for in a budget revolver.
For many gun owners, there is definitely something about the simplicity, reliability, and timelessness of the revolver that is appealing. While semi-automatics seem to be all the rage these days, there’s no scarcity of innovation or excitement in the revolver-first camp. Furthermore, these guns can be within a reasonable budget too.
Upgrades in technology besides the concealed carry movement have introduced a whole new breed of lightweight, internal hammer revolvers. At the same time, the old classics remain as beneficial and precise as ever, albeit with some modern-day modifications.
Whether you are looking for a gun that loves plinking at the shooting range, a budget-friendly concealed carry gun, or just an all-around classic, you don’t need to break the bank.
| Revolvers | Name | Editor’s Comment | Rating | Get The Best Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Taurus 605 .357 Magnum 5-Shot Revolver | Most Recommended Option 1. Easy to grip | 10/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Rock Island M206 Spurless .38 Special | 1. Great finish 2. Excellent for EDC and concealed carry use 3. Hammer cocking is smooth and easy | 9.5/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | CHARTER ARMS – MAG PUG 2.2IN 357 MAGNUM BLUE 5RD | 1. Great for concealed carry 2. Good for home defense 3. Lightweight | 9.0/10 | Currently unavailable |
 | Ruger Super GP100 Competition .357 MAG 38 SPL 5.5″ Revolver | 1. High capacity revolver 2. Polished to optimize functionally | 8.5/10 | Currently unavailable |
 | SMITH & WESSON PERFORMANCE CENTER MODEL 627 | 1. Gold Bead Front sight in combination with a rear adjustable sight 2. Full length is 9.5 inches 3. Barrel length of five inches | 8.0/10 | Currently unavailable |
The Criteria – How to Choose New Low Priced Revolvers
If you are looking for a new revolver, it’s fairly obvious that it will boil down to a few similar features and characteristics. So you need to look out for them so you know which one will be better compared to all other options. Here are some characteristics you should look out for:
Magazine Capacity
Revolvers have, for obvious reasons, different magazine capacities. Typically, a revolver can contain up to six shots. However, there are others that can contain up to eight shots or more. The number of rounds you need will most likely depend on your personal desires and preferences. There isn’t really a perfect capacity that is recommended.
Durability and Capacity
You’ll need to search for a revolver that will be durable and compact. You will certainly want it to be built to last and be unable to easily fall apart. So make sure to find one made from the best materials. The better the materials, the better the chance it can last you – even for years or decades around.
Intended Purpose
Your final decision will often be contingent on your intended purpose against the price tag. For example, if you intend to find a revolver that is perfect for concealed carry, then find one that is smaller in size. At the same time, if you are looking for a revolver for home defense or self-defense purposes, then the site may not matter as much. Keep in mind that some revolvers may be a little too big for its size for EDC carry.
The Best Budget Revolvers – Reviewed
The following is a list of some of the best budget revolver that are currently available on the market. As you go through each one, you should take note of the features and characteristics so you can discover one that will match your ideal revolver best. Once you find one that’s close to what you are looking for, that’s when you know that it’s the winning pick.
1. Taurus 605 357 Magnum 5 Shot Revolver
As expected, most new gun owners are pretty satisfied with this revolver. Many people get to shoot at targets and hit their targets from about 25 yards out. A majority of gun users who used this revolver are usually for the purpose of concealed carry. The revolver is lightweight and doesn’t really bulge in holsters. One gun user even mentioned that sometimes it’s like the revolver doesn’t even feel like it’s there.
Once again, This is a revolver that is small enough for concealed carry purposes. However, the .357 caliber has a reputation to do some honest damage. The .357 can literally obliterate soft material targets easily. In other words, it can turn an apple into applesauce once it’s hit. So if you want a revolver that is small but can deliver shattering damage like no other, the option is pretty clear. And at an affordable and budget price, why would you turn down something like that?
This will most likely be used by some EDC users that have been in the game for quite a long time. In simple words, we are talking about seasoned vets of concealed carry. The reason being that it is because the 357 can be quite flamboyant and also has some firing power that may be too much to handle for new gun users.
The Taurus 605 5-Shot Revolver may be small in size but you better believe that it can devastate almost any target it comes across. Don’t be surprised if you take this out to the shooting range and end up tearing off half of your paper targets after a few shots.
2. Rock Island M206 Spurless 38 Special
This 38 Special revolver was a major hit and largely popular with most users. A lot of them peruse it for the purpose of EDC carry. They are able to load their shots fairly easily and relatively quickly and fire them off at the range. However, a good number of gun users say this is perfect for self-defense, if and when the condition were to arise. Not forgetting to mention that its trigger pull is as smooth as butter.
This .38 special revolver may just be the kind you will want to have on hand if you ever find yourself in a life and death situation. Furthermore, you will have a lot of firepower at your disposal to make sure that the attacker or prowler will be eliminated quickly. Its design is also another thing that stands out for many gun owners. It has the classic revolver look that makes it quite piercing when it comes to its looks.
This .38 Special will, once again, most likely be a revolver that can be perfect for self-defense purposes. However, don’t count it as something that will not work out well for target shooting (both competition and casual settings). If you are looking for a revolver that rocks accuracy at some pretty decent range, then this can be exactly what you are looking for.
The Rock Island M206 Spurless 38 Special revolver is small, accurate, and dependable for any EDC state. You will be quite prepared for just about anything once you have this revolver strapped on to your holster. Furthermore, it is at the right size for some good old-fashioned “no bulge” concealed carry.
3. Charter Arms – Mag Pug 2.2IN 357 Magnum Blue 5RD
In this revolver, we are looking at another affordable option. However, this one is designed to be more compact and sturdy. That means this is a good option for anyone who wants revolvers that can be easily concealed carry when they are outside.
Although this may be quite a compressed 6.5-inch full-length revolver, it still has some very impressive firepower. This is because it uses the .357 we have just talked about earlier. With the 357 calibers, you can chamber safely in more compact best .357 Magnum Revolvers such as this one. Furthermore, knowing this is a US-made firearm – you know that its reliability, as well as build quality, will be held to a very good standard.
There are fixed sights on this compact Charter Arms revolver to help you in close-range target shooting effectively. It also weighs a mere 1.5 pounds, making it an excellent option if you need to conceal carry your gun all day long.
It also has a standard plain muzzle, and the barrel’s length is just a mere 2.2-inch barrel. Its barrel length is so that you can effectively holster this gun in numerous concealment positions around the body.
Finally, we should also mention the excellent five-round capacity that comes with this revolver. For a revolver of this size, five rounds is an achievement of engineering that can add up in a make or break situation when you are in the face of danger. Also, it can be just as good a choice for home defense purposes too.
4. Ruger Super GP100 Competition .357 MAG / 38 SPL 5.5 Inches Revolver
Next up on this list, straight from the renowned Custom Ruger Shop, we have this Ruger Super GP100 Competition .357 or .38 Special revolver. Its revolvers are made with a beautiful Hogue hand-finished hardwood grip.
This is a high capacity revolver in which it shoots up to an impressive eight rounds. Furthermore, whether you are shooting the .357 or .38 Special cartridges, you will have an extremely powerful and accurate revolver in your hands.
This particular gun uses a triple locking cylinder contrivance. That simply means it firmly locks in place the bottom, front, and rear features of this revolver. This makes for decent positive planning of the main parts and a long-lasting and dependable choice of firearm.
In addition to all of that, all the internal parts are refined to optimize functionality. Besides that, the double-action trigger pull is very crisp and has a very well-expected open fire every time you fire this gun. There is also a centered chief on the double-action trigger and centering shims on its hammer, which adds to the revolvers having a fluid shooting action when you fire off with the double-action trigger pull.
Another special part of the revolvers’ mechanism is the Super Redhawk two-spring lock set-up that provides you with a more evenly functioning double-action cycle and good blast-off.
On top of its strong working mechanism, the materials used to make this revolver are extremely high in its quality. For example, they have perused a cold hammer-forged barrel, and the frame is made of polished stainless steel. Finally, the adjustable rear sight, in combination with the front fiber optic sight, allows gun shooters to point to their target with extreme accuracy.
5. Smith&Wesson 686
Open up the Smith & Wesson website and you will find more than hundreds of revolvers to choose from. We believe that the Smith & Wesson revolvers are the creams of the crop when it comes to smooth actions, accuracy and finish. If we use the above criteria, a few Smith & Wesson’s stands out as great choices for your first model.
The 686 is a staple concealed carry in the Smith & Wesson lineup. Most gun owners said that when they purchased their 686 revolvers in 1987, they were looking for power and performance. Back then those revolvers were called the Distinguished Combat Magnum. This is an all stainless steel gun with a 6 inches barrel and a full underlug. A 4 inches barreled budget revolver is also available. A red ramp front sight and white outline adjustable rear sight lets you to sight in near or far. This is a heavy gun that has been designed for continuous use with full power .357 loads.
This concealed carry revolver shooter weighs 44.8 ounces in total.
The longer sight radius allows for the charter arms for more precise shooting at ranges near or far. When people first purchased their first guns in their early years, their eyes were younger. It was no trouble for them to hit a coffee can 100 yards away with boring regularity. Currently, the grips supplied are made of synthetic black rubber.
The budget 686 series made for concealed carry also comes in a Plus configuration, meaning that the cylinders are bored with 7 chambers instead of 6. If you are looking for a dependable concealed carry and accurate carry revolver then this 686 Plus with a 3 inches barrel is worth a look into. It has all the features of the classic model, only that it is in a 7-round revolver.
Conclusion – The Cheapest Revolvers
The bottom line is that there are plenty of budget revolver that are on the market. You just have to find one that fits nicely with what you are looking for. Find yourself one with great trigger pull, that can be concealed carry conveniently, within your budget, have a nice inch barrel, single action or double action, ones with really great grip, and whatnot.
Just get yourself budget pistols that fall within the price range you are looking for. There will be plenty of differences in the choices that are offered to you. Shooters are reminded that no one pistol is perfect, but there are a lot of pistols that offer a really solid amount of fitting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between budget single-action revolvers and budget double-action revolvers?
A single-action revolver has to be manually cocked before shooting each shot. When you pull the hammer back, the cylinder rotates and brings a live round that matches perfectly with the barrel and the hammer. When all rounds have been spent, there is a gate, usually on the right side of the frame at the rear of the revolvers’ cylinder.
On modern single-action revolvers, when the gate is opened the cylinder can be rotated to go in line up with the ejector rod as most of them are using a frame-mounted firing pin instead of the hammer-mounted firing pin. The rod is then depressed to thrust the empty case out of the cylinder. Rotate the cylinder, then continue to unload until all its holes are empty. You can now reload the revolvers’ cylinder.
The double-action revolvers can be fired by cocking the hammer and then firing it. In this way, you can have a very short and often very crispy trigger pull. You can also shoot the handgun by pulling the trigger, which will begin to rotate the cylinder, cock the hammer, discharge the hammer and fire the gun. The trigger pull is much longer and heavier when you shoot it in double-action mode.
To load and unload the double-action revolvers, the cylinder usually swings out of the gun on the left side after you depress its release latch. Tip the gun up, with the rear end of the cylinder facing down, press the ejector rod and watch the cases fall away. You can now reload the gun.
When firing a revolver, you are generally dealing with cartridges with more authority and therefore more recoil than the cartridges usually found in an autoloader. The bottom line is that single action revolvers will tend to roll backwards in your hands while the muzzle flips upward, while double-action revolvers tend to shift more straight back and the entire gun raises when you fire it.
Do Revolvers Eject Shell Casings?
Yes, the shell casings must contain within the cylinder once you fired the shots from your revolver. However, you’ve to do it manually by popping the wheel and ejecting the shell casings by yourself. Though some may feel it is rather troublesome, but ejecting shell casings are incredible straightforward, easy and quick by following the manual guide given.
Hello there, it’s Michael here. A gun lover since young, served the country for the last 20 years. I started the blog to share my experience and gun-related knowledge accumulated throughout the years. Hopefully, you will find something useful over here or just have fun! You can learn more about me here.