My bench review and range review of the Smith & Wesson R8 Revolver. Many thanks to: Urban Tactical in Brantford Ontario www.urbantactical.com/the-range And Fishing World in Hamilton Ontario www.fishingworld.ca/
Also, you might want to check out my "chicken wing" video that shows what can happen to your finger(s)/thumb if you grip a revolver the wrong way. :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jd_OnMBPWaw.html
WELCOME CS:GO PLAYERS! I noticed a huge spike in views for this video in the last 24 hours. I've since learned that CS:GO added the R8 in a recent update. Cool! Even though I'm old (late 40's), I've been playing video games since I was 14 years old, and I still play them to this day. I did play CS back in the day, but no longer. Have fun with the R8 in game!
+Akkraphong Lothongsuwan Wow, that is kinda nuts. I've shot a real IWI Desert Eagle .50AE, and while the R8 with .357mag rounds is powerful, I don't think it's as powerful as the .50AE.
+r4rev2 Thanks! That's crazy if it does the same damage as the AWP sniper rifle! Judging by the complaints on other forums, I'm sure the R8 will be nerfed shortly. :)
This was the first video I've seen from your channel. I was truly impressed how well spoken and detailed this video was. Thanks for sharing, i really love that revolver! Sub'ed!
Sir this is actually better than some revolver videos by 'experienced' owners. I own a 4" 686+ and I love it. Would love to own this gun too, R8, id love an N frame .357.
Wow! Compliments on a well produced video. I'm currently researching the R8 and PC 627, but haven't decided which one to buy. This purchase will be for range use and maybe a stint as a home defense weapon. Enjoyed your clear, concise, detailed review along with the shield demo. Great HD as well. Thank you!
Great review, one of my favorite guns. Accuracy of a target pistol, low recoil, rail, 8 shots, fast sight, ect. I found by leaving the top rail on the gun the iron sights are even faster to line up, the rail sort of connects the back sight to the front, kind of a cool effect.
Nice review ! Tried an R8 a few days ago & was really impressed.... so much that i ordered one a few hours later & can´t wait till it arrives..... The backstop at the range seems really awesome !
Got mine maybe 2 years ago. Love it. Had firing pin issue. Sent it in S & W replaced cylinder and firing pin. Back in hand two weeks from when I sent it in. S&W also paid postage both ways. Highly recommend this gun!
I was experiencing failures to detonate primers in my R8 (purchased new in 2006), I JUST got it back from S&W, took about 4 weeks. Seems to work fine now. They paid for all shipping & repaired it for free, they changed out the firing pin. Mine originally came with a nice aluminum carrying case, looks like now they come with a plastic one.
Seriously been considering this revolver or a Chiappa rhino. Both are in the same price range but this one definitely seems like the option I want. I have a model 28-2 highway patrolman I got from my grandpa in mint condition. This was my first introduction to owning a revolver. And I’m been now hooked to levers and wheel guns chambered in same calibres. Especially as a Military Veteran and LEO it’s been an exciting change to training and tactics shooting “modern western” as I call it Great review
I've been extremely interested in this revolver for quite some time, and I'm very glad I came across your review. The recoil looked very light, even with the .357 Magnum loads.
labby2 It's an excellent revolver. However, I had a chance to try the new 8 round .357 (and 38 special) revolver from Taurus. It's also very nice, and is about $400 cheaper. The barrel is ported to help with recoil. It doesn't have the rails that the R8 has, and doesn't look as "mean", but it's an option if you want to spend less. Thanks for watching!
Very cool, Battle Beaver! Thanks for that information and your quick reply. Will you be doing a review on the Taurus? I have several auto-loading pistols, but I'm looking to get my first revolver now. I appreciate your insight!
I remember trying to pull a trigger on an empty revolver two years ago when I was twelve. It was a pain in the ass to do it for me. It was silver and it held 5 or 6 rounds in it.
Just put one on layaway. Should have it in about 4 months. Been dreaming about this gun for years and thought it may never happen. The gun shop even worked with me on the price. Great vid, Sir.
@@BlueForte i think it is, for sure. I will say this though. Make sure to take it to the range before you entrust it as a nightstand gun or something youll definitely reach for if (God forbid) the time comes. I was having light primer strikes but all it took was tightening that tension screw that sits at the bottom of the handle just a tad and i havent had any problems since. I dont know anything about the 627 but it looks like a beautiful piece as well. The r8 just seemed like a more practical gun for self defense situations based on my preferences. Its definitely lighter and a tad bit more compact. If youre looking for a sportier, recreational target shooting piece, than go with the 627. Im pretty sure youll fall in love with either one regardless of its intended use tbh. If you do get the r8, make sure you slap hogue piranha g10 grips on it. Makes a world of difference.
first off shooting with moon clips are the way to go and 2nd the moon clips that come with the gun are cheap I would go with TKcustom clips. Lastly if you were to use moon clips I would get a moon clip loader and de-mooner.
Nice video review of a revolver of which can arguably compete with some of the tactical semis in terms of LE/MIL. Speed load that thing adeptly (meaning same time as it takes to swap M9 mags). It's a tank Ruger-like gun to be sure.
Ide prefer to have the TRR8, just for the removable option and the gold bead in the front site .. but.. man... You didn't choose anything but MY FREAMING DREAM Revolver, AND HANDGUN PERIOD! AS YOUR first wheel gun... Well done. Hope it's great as it should be.
The moon clips are only disposable after they get bent. Watch Jerry Miculek reload with moon clips, then go practice with them. I’ve NEVER heard anyone say they would rather use speedloaders. By the way, you have an “N” frame. It has been around for many decades as a 44 magnum. That’s why there is a big gap between the front of the cylinder and the frame.
It's pretty pricy for a first gun, $1200. First gun I always tell people to buy something cheap, because your going to have some buyer's remorse and realize what you really wanted/need. If your into revolvers I'd recommend a Smith and Wesson 642. It's a great snub nose revolver that can be used at the range or as an every day carry. And it's on sale right now for $299 at Cabelas. Usually it's over $400 everywhere. I keep telling myself no, don't buy another snub nose revolver. I have a dozen snubbies, but it's such a great price. I just might save my next few gun purchases for the TRR8 though.
To me this is a must have gun in the collection. Although I don't care for the 1000+ price tag, however if you have it and getting a revolver, I'd recommend the extra few hundred to get this.
The trigger pull is a bit high. My 686 has a 9 lb double action and 2.5 lb single action pull. I have a feeling it will get better after by dry firing it a few thousand times.
Yes the moon clips are considered semi disposable as they are very cheap and they bend easily. The point of the moon clip is simply for faster reload. Just like reloading with magazine on a semi automatic. Try reloading your revolver with single bullets when someone is shooting at you. But of course in Canada that would never happen. Sweet gun!
Good morning, I have a question regarding outdoor use in cold or humid climates, as corrosion and rust resistance in your opinion is it comparable to a revolver built in stainless steel only? Thank you
Pick mine up next Wednesday. Pistols are great and my Px4 Storm (40) is next to my bed but this baby may take over in this role. The 8 shot seems more than adequate for me in my bedroom. The size and weight seems to allow for controlled subsequent rounds. I will find out next week.
I was checking to see how many people from the csgo community would watch this, and apparently there was so much that even the guy reviewing the gun commented on it, so cool!
+bringoutthelegos Thanks for watching! Even though I'm "old", I'm still a gamer myself. Currently playing GTA5, Fallout 4 and TF2, whenever I have time. :)
+makukidd12 No, you don't need the moon clips. If your cylinder isn't advancing to the next round, then I suggest you have someone look at the revolver as there is clearly something wrong.
Does anybody know what those three silver circles on the frame are for? One is under the cylinder release, and two under the cylinder opening. I have a 327PC revolver with the same dots, and no idea why they would be there.
+Craig Huber That's an excellent question! Have my R8 sitting here in front of me now. I thought they might be flush mounted pins or something, but they don't seem to be, there doesn't appear to be any seam I can feel or see. Very strange. I'll try to find out and post here if I have any info. Anyone else know what these are?
+Craig Huber Ok, so those silver circles are permanent pins. If you ever disassemble your revolver, you'll see the other side of those pins. One of them is the trigger pivot pin for sure. Not sure why S&W made those pins non-removable though. It's possible that they could be removed by a gunsmith, but I'm not sure.
Thanks for the info. Would have been cool to watch you shoot 8 rds of both 38 and 357 from the 15-17' distance. Just to see recoil. Not much mentioned of recoil compared to a semiautomatic... how do they compare???
You're right, I should have shot both 38 and 357. As for recoil, you'll feel it more with a revolver than you would with a semi-auto. Thanks for watching!
just found out about this revolver yesterday. had been eyeing a GP100 for several years but wanted to implement a rail for home SD. this R8 is sooo badass. thanks for the great vid. question however, could you describe recoil? didnt look too bad even with .357
That is not the reason SWAT wanted a tactical revolver. The problem is when a shield holder holds the pistol AGAINST the edge of the shield and causes friction on the slide which can prevent a semi-auto pistol from fully cycling. You do NOT hold a pistol with your hand holding the gun out in front of the shield.
They are, I think, the ends of the interior posts/pins. I ran my finger nail across them, and they are exactly flush with the rest of the frame, you can't feel them. I could be wrong about what they are though. Not sure why they didn't finish that metal the same as the rest of the frame.
Best price I can find now is at midwayusa, pack of 8 for $8.99. www.midwayusa.com/product/130734/ranch-full-moon-clip-s-and-w-627-38-special-8-round-blue-pack-of-8
Great vid. I notice there isn't a lot of steel in the cylinder between the rounds I guess due to the added two rounds. That is the only area I feel concern about the gun. But eight .357's instead of six really has my interest.
Yes, that had me concerned too. But the R8 was released almost 5 years ago, and even if there were issues, I'm sure S&W has them sorted out. The frame, and cylinder too I'm guessing, is made of some kind of scandium alloy, light and strong.
I loved revolvers until the semi-autos became reliable and out gunned me. This is great news but I'd want an all steel model for pistol whipping. Not really on the pistol whipping but all steel is a great gun for the pillowcase or nightstand.
There are moonclip unloading tool's too get the casings out off the speedloader, keeping both brass and the clip safe and whole. That way you can just rock it with a moonclip holder, and not have too buy new moonclips all the time.
of course its not practical. but man it looks cool Lol. good vid, been wanting to get my hands back on a revolver I traded my other one for a glock30 due to capacity. But they do have their purposes and by having 8 rounds at my disposal I'll take that
+NotMuchHere27709 That might be a reason, but you'd still get glare from the rest of the barrel that is gloss finish. Thanks for watching and commenting!
azul55 Thanks, I know. :) Right in the video where I said that there is text at the bottom that says "Moon Clips". It was corrected when I was editing.
That is why I said "good save." I am asking about the holes on the barrel. Is the barrel ported? Does escaping gas exit the top of the barrel when firing to reduce recoil? Or are the holes just for the screws and rail?
azul55 Ah, sorry about that, I misunderstood. No, the holes are just for mounting the top rail. However, I'm hoping to review the new (to me) Taurus Model 608 .357 Revolver, it's also has 8 round capacity. And, it's ported! And... it's about $400 cheaper than the R8. I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison video in the next couple of weeks.
Do you still have this revolver? I wouldn't mind taking it off your hands if you need to lighten up the inventory. I go to Urban Tactical pretty often.
You don’t know this or you forgot about it. Your pistol is a N frame because of the size of the loads . The N frame is used for large hands and you can use it as a club.
Actually, the single action pull weight of +4 lbs is pretty crappy for a revolver that costs over $1300 USD. My utilitarian Ruger GP-100 which costs half that of the S&W R8 has a single action pull at about 2.75 to 3 lbs.
