Posted: 1/25/2026 1:46:50 PM EDT
[Last Edit: BoomBoom][Edited]
| Want a good 9mm revolver mainly because I don’t want to deal with stocking up another caliber. Plus 9mm is cheaper than .38 and .357. I want a good quality one in 3in -4in and with adjustable sights. What is out there? |
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If I were going to buy a 9 mm revolver I would buy the Rock Island Armory AL9 imported from the Czech Republic. Another option is the Ruger LCRx but lighter and might have more recoil than RIA. Ruger has made 9 mm revolvers in the Speed Six and SP-101 but they are hard to find & expensive. Taurus has the model 905 but Taurus is Taurus, lol. S&W was releasing a small run of S&W 940 J frame but they are around $1000. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/119978/rock+island+armory+al9.0+standard+9mm+revolver https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/714030997/ruger+lcrx+9mm+3+5+shot+revolver+black+hogue+grips https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/730019393/smith+wesson+940+9mm+double+action+revolver+2+14+xs+front+night+sight Here is a link to the Taurus 905 but Taurus also produces a convertible revolver which has a 9 mm and 38/357 cylinder. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/32370/taurus+905+9mm+revolver Ruger sells the Blawkhawk with a 9 mm and 38/357 in a single action only revolver. |
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If you have an existing revolver, these guys can hook you up. TK Custom |
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What do you want to use it for? If something for hiking, range fun, etc., there is always the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible. And it comes with the added bonus that you can still pop in the other cylinder and shoot .357 Mag / .38 Spl. if you want. And if not, just put that cylinder on the shelf. Oddly, I have a few Blackhawk Convertibles and while .357/9mm is probably the most common one they make, that's one I've never had. I keep thinking I need to get one to go with my Convertibles in .45, 10mm, & .40. |
Here’s my Blackhawk, with extended grips: But these days, there is an Italian 1873 in 9mm that seems like a good choice. The single actions don’t require moonclips to extract and eject, as they use the ejector rod. There is also the Charter Arms pitbull that doesn’t require moonclips, but my understanding is that it has ejection problems under anything other than perfect circumstances. Otherwise, there are a variety of 9mm options, from 5 rounds to 8, in various frame sizes from different manufacturers. |
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Originally Posted By Sigifrith: If you have an existing revolver, these guys can hook you up. TK Custom This...he makes great Moon clips too. |
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Originally Posted By BoomBoom: Want a good 9mm revolver mainly because I don’t want to deal with stocking up another caliber. Plus 9mm is cheaper than .38 and .357. I want a good quality one in 3in -4in and with adjustable sights. What is out there? You really should specify the budget. I heard good things about the S&W "World Record". Only $3,500 MSRP: https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/performance-center-model-327-wr-jerry-miculek-world-record-revolver If you want to be cheap, if unorthodox, take a look at Chiappa Rhino: https://chiappausa.com/shop/handguns/handguns-revolver/handguns-revolver-rhino/rhino-revolver-40ds/ For the lowest end, Taurus make a 3" convertible: https://www.taurususa.com/product/revolvers/taurus-tracker/taurus-r-692-357-mag-38-spl-p-9mm-luger-matte-stainless-3-00-in-r/ I've never seen the RIA/Czech AL9. Not sure if it even exists. Most 9mm revolvers are little pocket guns like Ruger LCR, Smith 940, Taurus 905 and such. I only have an LCR. Trigger is outstanding on it. But it's tiny and kicks hard. |
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Originally Posted By zaitcev: You really should specify the budget. I heard good things about the S&W "World Record". Only $3,500 MSRP: https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/performance-center-model-327-wr-jerry-miculek-world-record-revolver If you want to be cheap, if unorthodox, take a look at Chiappa Rhino: https://chiappausa.com/shop/handguns/handguns-revolver/handguns-revolver-rhino/rhino-revolver-40ds/ For the lowest end, Taurus make a 3" convertible: https://www.taurususa.com/product/revolvers/taurus-tracker/taurus-r-692-357-mag-38-spl-p-9mm-luger-matte-stainless-3-00-in-r/ I've never seen the RIA/Czech AL9. Not sure if it even exists. Most 9mm revolvers are little pocket guns like Ruger LCR, Smith 940, Taurus 905 and such. I only have an LCR. Trigger is outstanding on it. But it's tiny and kicks hard. Gunbroker has one. $2499.00 S&W 327 |
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S&W 986 works well. 7 shot. Attached File |
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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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Don’t want to send over $1000. The gun will just be a plinker/range toy. I’m leaning towards the Rock Island al 9.0, but it looks like they are kinda hard to find. Also leaning towards the Ruger Blackhawk convertible. It also appears to be limited availability. I have a Ruger Single Six that I like a lot so the Blackhawk will be good companion. |
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Originally Posted By BoomBoom: Also leaning towards the Ruger Blackhawk convertible. It also appears to be limited availability. I have a Ruger Single Six that I like a lot so the Blackhawk will be good companion. I see over 200 listings on Gunbroker for Blackhawk Convertible, some with buy-it-now price of around $750. eta: ok, I see most of those are .45 Colt/ACP. But if you search for Blackhawk Convertible 9mm, there are still several in your budget. |
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My brother has a Charter arms that uses the moonclip-less reloading for an autopistol round (his is in .45ACP, though) and it works. A bit finicky at times, but it works. Now, Charter is not a high quality gun and it will have some rough machining and all, but it would be a decent range toy. If I see one of their 9mm revolvers at a decent price, I might buy it for S&Gs. I would also think the SP101 would be a good choice in 9mm. I imagine with the weight of the SP101, recoil would be like a .32H&R. Plus, I like moonclips. |
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I've been searching for the perfect 9mm revolver for a while. I have a Taurus 905, Ruger SP101, S&W 940, and an S&W 986. The only current market 9mm wheelgun I feel I'm missing is the 9mm LCR. Might pick one up one day. Long story short, I should have bought the 986 first. I absolutely love that gun. It needed nothing except more compact and grippy grips (I actually do occasionally carry it in a coat pocket and the OEM wood grips are pretty but bulky and slippery). It's very accurate and shoots beautifully. Has a wonderful trigger. Great adjustable sights (so you don't have to spend a bunch of $$ to try a bunch of ammo to find one that shoots to POI with fixed sights regulated to God knows what). 7 round capacity is nice as well. https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/l-frame-10227 I did some testing a while back and compared this gun to SP101s in both 9mm and 357, along with a couple semi-auto 9mms. https://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/9mm-Revolver-Comparo--image-heavy-/33-214178/ I know it's a little over your budget, but I highly recommend looking closely at the 986, maybe putting a few extra Benjamin's away towards it. Unless you need a pocket carry gun, I think it's well worth the extra money over the other 9mm revolvers. It's absolutely my favorite revolver, even over my vintage model 15 and 28s.  My 9mm 986 and 940. |
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Originally Posted By BoomBoom: Don’t want to send over $1000. The gun will just be a plinker/range toy. I’m leaning towards the Rock Island al 9.0, but it looks like they are kinda hard to find. Also leaning towards the Ruger Blackhawk convertible. It also appears to be limited availability. I have a Ruger Single Six that I like a lot so the Blackhawk will be good companion. If it’s just going to be a range toy, the Taurus option mentioned by Rock6 is a good one. Easier to find accessory grips, it really is easy to swap cylinders, and you have another caliber to work with if you want. It didn’t exist when I bought my Blackhawk convertible, otherwise I might’ve gone that route. Also, a 9mm revolver is a good option to shoot 9mm loads that your semi autos won’t cycle. Beats tossing the ammo or writing it off. |
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Originally Posted By bullsi191145: My brother has a Charter arms that uses the moonclip-less reloading for an autopistol round (his is in .45ACP, though) and it works. I had a Charter Pitbull in .45ACP, but got rid of it. Reloading was just too troublesome on it. It was a great party trick to load it from 1911 magazines, but no matter how much I practiced, the reliability was poor. I dropped rounds. I replaced that Pitbull with a 9mm LCR and it loads far easier. And, I have speedloaders for that LCR, which protect moon clips in my pockets. |
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Originally Posted By Seven-Shooter: If it’s just going to be a range toy, the Taurus option mentioned by Rock6 is a good one. Easier to find accessory grips, it really is easy to swap cylinders, and you have another caliber to work with if you want. It didn’t exist when I bought my Blackhawk convertible, otherwise I might’ve gone that route. Also, a 9mm revolver is a good option to shoot 9mm loads that your semi autos won’t cycle. Beats tossing the ammo or writing it off. So, I can’t believe I’m actually pimping a Taurus firearm, but I just shot through another 100 rounds or so of various 9mm; zero issues. I still have some Spanish (or Portuguese) truncated surplus FMJ ammo that doesn’t work well most of my semi-autos. The 692 eats everything. I haven’t witnessed any jumped crimps yet and I think that’s likely due to it being a pretty beefy frame. I did add some G10 grips (I think either VZ or Hogue), and they fit very well. I just prefer those grips to the rubber grips. The Taurus OEM grips aren’t bad for hard rubber if that’s your preference. Cylinder swapping is stupid-simple and fast. I don’t like ported barrels, but they do help with hotter .357 loads. Frame size is the same as the 686 (L-frame) and previously mentioned, 7-shot cylinder. It will fit all the standard L-frame holsters and 7-shot speed loaders. The last two of the OEM moon clips broke. They really, really suck. I just got another order of 15 in from TK Custom and they’re excellent moon clips. Very robust and they don’t bend out of shape without really trying too. I’ve dumped the empties on some speed (slow speed) reloads and haven’t had any issues. The more I shoot this, the more I like it. I’m not a huge revolver guy, but I really like the versatility and simplicity of Model 692. I pretty much keep the .357 cylinder in my Blackhawk, but the ease of swapping cylinder with the 692 allows much faster swapping. I’m still screwing around with the best way to carry the full moon clips, but when accessible, speed reloads are kind of fun during drills. It’s also nice to pop in some stout .357 mags for serious carry if that’s scratches your itch. I do like this for carrying a couple of snake-shot rounds when working around the house and pond. I normally would never recommend Taurus to anyone, but my TX22 Compact .22LR semi and this Model 692 .357/.38 + 9mm have both been sublime. ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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Originally Posted By ROCK6: So, I can’t believe I’m actually pimping a Taurus firearm, but I just shot through another 100 rounds or so of various 9mm; zero issues. I still have some Spanish (or Portuguese) truncated surplus FMJ ammo that doesn’t work well most of my semi-autos. The 692 eats everything. I haven’t witnessed any jumped crimps yet and I think that’s likely due to it being a pretty beefy frame. I did add some G10 grips (I think either VZ or Hogue), and they fit very well. I just prefer those grips to the rubber grips. The Taurus OEM grips aren’t bad for hard rubber if that’s your preference. Cylinder swapping is stupid-simple and fast. I don’t like ported barrels, but they do help with hotter .357 loads. Frame size is the same as the 686 (L-frame) and previously mentioned, 7-shot cylinder. It will fit all the standard L-frame holsters and 7-shot speed loaders. The last two of the OEM moon clips broke. They really, really suck. I just got another order of 15 in from TK Custom and they’re excellent moon clips. Very robust and they don’t bend out of shape without really trying too. I’ve dumped the empties on some speed (slow speed) reloads and haven’t had any issues. The more I shoot this, the more I like it. I’m not a huge revolver guy, but I really like the versatility and simplicity of Model 692. I pretty much keep the .357 cylinder in my Blackhawk, but the ease of swapping cylinder with the 692 allows much faster swapping. I’m still screwing around with the best way to carry the full moon clips, but when accessible, speed reloads are kind of fun during drills. It’s also nice to pop in some stout .357 mags for serious carry if that’s scratches your itch. I do like this for carrying a couple of snake-shot rounds when working around the house and pond. I normally would never recommend Taurus to anyone, but my TX22 Compact .22LR semi and this Model 692 .357/.38 + 9mm have both been sublime. ROCK6 So far that’s been my experience with the 692 also. 👍🏻 |
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Originally Posted By Couch-Commando: 9mm revolvers can be finicky with factory ammo. The two big issues are bullets walking out due to loose crimps and poor accuracy if the manufacturer used .357 barrels. I have no doubt that the crimp jump phenomenon is real, but I've never experienced it myself, even in Ruger LCR that is fairly lightweight. As for the 357 barrels, is any manufacturer aside from Charter Arms actually known for using those in the 21st century? For real? Aside from "converitbles" with spare cylinders? |
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Originally Posted By Couch-Commando: 9mm revolvers can be finicky with factory ammo. The two big issues are bullets walking out due to loose crimps and poor accuracy if the manufacturer used .357 barrels. Ha! That's why I have 9mm revolvers, shoot all that finicky ammo my semiautos won't eat  I personally never had any issue with bullets jumping their crimps. I have see some that were pushed forward a little. I can be a valid concern, but I'm seeing less issues (especially with the heavier revolvers). Accuracy-wise? To be absolutely honest, I haven't seen any difference in accuracy othat than a slight point of impact shift depending on the caliber and loads. My 9mm's have been very, very acceptable for accuracy (Ruger Blackhawk, Czech AL9.0, and the Taurus 692). Granted, I haven't don't any serious bench rest target shooting, but off a rest or off hand and I don't see any wild deviation in accuracy. The AL9.0 is obviously been the most accurage being a 9mm-made barrel. ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
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Originally Posted By zaitcev: I have no doubt that the crimp jump phenomenon is real, but I've never experienced it myself, even in Ruger LCR that is fairly lightweight. As for the 357 barrels, is any manufacturer aside from Charter Arms actually known for using those in the 21st century? For real? Aside from "converitbles" with spare cylinders? |
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Originally Posted By Couch-Commando: The S&W 929 is notorious for 357 barrels. I shoot 160 grain blue bullets sized 358 in mine. I get 4" groups at 25 yards in double action.  |
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Originally Posted By cavegeo: My Tauras 905 does not like Blazer ammo as it will jump the crimp and lockup the cylinder. I now shoot just reloads so I know that I have to use a heavy crimp or shot a lighter load. I have not tried other factory ammo as I have a larger stash of Blazer ammo. Same with my 986. They don't seem to crimp that stuff very securely. |
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Originally Posted By VASCAR2: S&W was releasing a small run of S&W 940 J frame but they are around $1000. https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/730019393/smith+wesson+940+9mm+double+action+revolver+2+14+xs+front+night+sight |
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Originally Posted By ROCK6: I have three, the Czech AL9.0, the Taurus Model 692 (convertible), and the Ruger Blackhawk (convertible). The Taurus Model 692 is a real shocker. Yes, Taurus and functional quality shouldn't belong in the same sentence, but it's been rock ROCK6 I've noticed the quality of their revolvers has greatly improved under their new leadership. My 605 has been great. Probably one of the few revolver makers id prefer a new one than risk buying a used one from their spotty years. I've noticed the people that trash them are often relying on 20 year old third hand information, that may well have been valid at the time, but may not be valid now. I read that last year Taurus accounted for 40% of all revolver sales in the US. Thats a lot of wheel guns. |
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| Sample size of one, but my LCR 9mm was one of those that did experience severe crimp jump. Various ammo types experienced this with blazer brass range ammo tickling the forcing cone several times by round 4. I was very hesitant to proceed to number 5 for fear of locking it up. Just throwing that out there. |
| So my searchfu is weak apparently. Smith made a steel frame 8 shot 9mm before the current super Miculek gun right? I thought it was a 927. Looks like the Taurus is the only one currently made and they are close to $500. I might risk it for that and they come with a 38/357 cylinder as well so there's some value. |
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Originally Posted By bullsi191145: My brother has a Charter arms that uses the moonclip-less reloading for an autopistol round (his is in .45ACP, though) and it works. A bit finicky at times, but it works. Now, Charter is not a high quality gun and it will have some rough machining and all, but it would be a decent range toy. If I see one of their 9mm revolvers at a decent price, I might buy it for S&Gs. I would also think the SP101 would be a good choice in 9mm. I imagine with the weight of the SP101, recoil would be like a .32H&R. Plus, I like moonclips. After replacing the stock grips w/ 3 finger Hogues, I could get through half a box of 9mm in my 2" 101 before my hand was done for the day. I don't know how folks w/ 9mm LCRs do it. As to Charter quality, 2 of the Ruger quality on the other hand, my 101 was 2019 produced, and one of the cylinder stop cuts was too narrow for the lug, so out of the box, one of the chambers wouldn't lock up. They offered to fix it, but it was at the beginning of the scamdemic, so they didn't know at the time when they could get to it. I dryfired it and it shot in, but that was pre-scamdemic Ruger quality. For a range gun I'd suggest the big Taurus or the Blackhawk, either come w/ a .357 cylinder so you can shoot .38 wadcutters when you discover those, OP. |
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Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: So my searchfu is weak apparently. Smith made a steel frame 8 shot 9mm before the current super Miculek gun right? I thought it was a 927. Looks like the Taurus is the only one currently made and they are close to $500. I might risk it for that and they come with a 38/357 cylinder as well so there's some value. Back in 2013 Smith released the N frame 929 with a 6.5 inch barrel. Bead blast stainless finish. That's probably the one your thinking of |
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Originally Posted By Beater9C1: Back in 2013 Smith released the N frame 929 with a 6.5 inch barrel. Bead blast stainless finish. That's probably the one your thinking of Originally Posted By Beater9C1: Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: So my searchfu is weak apparently. Smith made a steel frame 8 shot 9mm before the current super Miculek gun right? I thought it was a 927. Looks like the Taurus is the only one currently made and they are close to $500. I might risk it for that and they come with a 38/357 cylinder as well so there's some value. Back in 2013 Smith released the N frame 929 with a 6.5 inch barrel. Bead blast stainless finish. That's probably the one your thinking of Yup that's it I just couldn't get the model number right. What's funny is I did half a dozen searches with various mixes of words and that didn't pop up. I actually thought about buying one as I was still shooting competition and we have decent dedicated revolver events here. Ultimately I realized that the 627's in 357 are the easy button and could be found for a lot less money. Reloading puts the cost close enough not to worry about it. From a cool perspective though the 9mm wins. |
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Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
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Originally Posted By backbencher: I don't know how folks w/ 9mm LCRs do it. I feel a pain when shooting LCR 9mm. It comes about a second after the shot breaks and then gradually fades away. Feels like something one can get used to over time. However, I only use that gun a test mule for 9mm speedloaders, so I don't take it out often at all. |
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Originally Posted By meistermash: Can you do a mini reveiw? Kind of interested in them. Originally Posted By meistermash: Originally Posted By backbencher: Handled one of the Czech RIA's today. It's reasonably stout. Can you do a mini reveiw? Kind of interested in them. I handled it, I didn't buy it. |
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Originally Posted By CaptainO: Moon clips are a bit of a "pain" with the 9mm and .45 ACP Originally Posted By CaptainO: Originally Posted By arashi: I have a ruger p100 in 9mm and it is just a pain in the ass with moon clips. Also have 1917 S&W's, but have a stash of autorim I reload. Moon clips are a bit of a "pain" with the 9mm and .45 ACP SP101 moon clips are easy peasy. |
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 This 9mm Revolver Makes No Sense… Why I’m Buying One Anyways |
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Funny because I just came in here looking for info on this Attached File Attached File Like 25 moon clips in those little boxes and the $75 loading tool Fees good and should be a fun range toy. Probably picking it up tomorrow |