You might want to consider getting it magnetic particle inspectedbefore you even test fire it. Despite the impressive name, it’s not an expensive process. If you have a hot rod shoppe in your area, the chances are that you could get it done there. If MPI doesn’t reveal any flaws, then you can test fire it simply by using zip-ties to fasten the gun to a tree or heavy object and a string to yank the trigger. If the gun is older, you might want to consider using only Cowboy Action Shooting loads in it, as they are low pressure. (I’m assuming .45 means .45 Colt not .45ACP.)
Further thoughts on your revolver. It sounds like there’s probably precious little original finish left on it. If it proves safe to fire, I’d probably refinish it myself at home with Gun Kote, Duracoat, or one of the other spray 'n bake finishes. You can do this right over whatever the surface looks like now and it’ll provide corrosion resistance. If you want the best possible cosmetic appearance as well, having the gun bead blasted first would be the way to go.
If the gun was a good quality piece to start with, like a Colt or S&W, I’d be willing to spend more time and money on it. If it was a cheapo POS like an Arminius or something, I don’t know if I’d bother doing anything at all with it.
I’ve just started shooting in the past couple of months. I was pretty terrified of guns (I’d gone shooting just once, and didn’t have a great experience - the first gun they stuck in my hands was a .45 that was too big for me to hold properly), and was unhappy with my level of discomfort, so my husband and a friend took me out with a few “light and easy” models. We settled on a Tarus .22 double-action revolver - Ammo is cheap, it’s easy to clean, and it fits in my tiny-tiny hands (I wear childen’s sizes in gloves, so many of the Manly-men guns were just way too big for me to hold them properly).
So, I’m hitting more in the middle of the target than the edges at about ten yards when I’m doing single-action, but my double-action shots look like swiss cheese - holes all over the place. What’s the best way to improve my aim on single action? And how do I work up to having any aim at all on double-action?
I’ve also been keeping an eye out for a gun that’s “mine” instead of “ours.” But, when I go shopping, due to the fact that I 1) am a mid-twenties female, and 2) have quite small hands, I often get directed to the “ladies” guns. These are inevidably pink - generally a disgusting, bright pink. Now, I get where manufactuers are comming from - women like color, and want options other than black or silver. But… what’s wrong with blue? Or green? Or something that might appeal to more people? Why not make replaceable grip plates in colors/patterns? Is there no demand for things other than black and pink in handguns? I’ve seen rifles with wooden stocks where the stock was stained to highlite the grain of the wood and then stained with a dyed stain that puts a beautiful color on it - they’re usually quite striking, things you’d be happy hanging on the wall because they’re pretty as well as functional. Is it because handguns AREN’T something you hang on a wall, while rifles may be? Or is there some aspect of gun culture going on here that I don’t understand?
Edit to add another question about gun culture - I’ve seen several youtube videos, and overheard talk on the range about people giving some girl (usually a slight girl) a large-caliber handgun (like a .35 magnum, a .45, or a Desert Eagle) and telling her it’s no big deal to shoot, then laughing when her hands go flying (there’s one video I hate where the poor girl actually smacks herself in the head with the recoil). Part of the reason I hate this is because I’m terrified I’m going to be that girl and hate looking like an idiot for other people’s amusement. Why are there so many people who think this is funny? Is this just an offshoot of some kinds of men trying to show off… something, that leaks over into gun culture? Or is it a gun culture thing?
Thanks, Scumpup. I actually forgot I had the thing until I came across it yesterday as we were packing and moving. Once in I’ll take another look at whether it was a good model originally and move forward accordingly.
The technical term for that kind of behavior in the shooting sports hobby is…Asshole/Jerk/prat/personwhowillbesleepingonthecouchforthenextmonth, no doubt about it, it’s jerkish, assholish behavior and gives people who enjoy shooting sports a bad image, more importantly, it reinforces the shooter’s negative preconceptions about guns/shooting/and the people who enjoy that kind of thing
If I was introducing a newb to shooting, I’d start them off with a .22, if they were especially timid, I’d start them off with CB Long primer-only .22 cartridges, they’re almost dead silent (all you hear is the click of the firing pin/hammer and the thwack of the bullet hitting the target), clapping your hands is louder than a CB Long, they’re quieter than a pellet gun, they are short range only though, 25 yards, max…
once the newb felt comfortable with the .22, I’d give them the opportunity, if they felt they were ready, to move up to a bigger gun, like my Ruger Blackhawk revolver, yes, it looks intimidating, fires a big cartridge, but it’s actually a real pussycat of a gun, plus, I reload my own ammo, I could start the newb off with some “powderpuff” .45 Colt rounds, a 200 grain lead bullet under 5.5 grains of Trail Boss gunpowder, which would correspond to a bullet traveling at 700 feet per second, and a cartridge pressure of under 9,000 PSI, extremely low pressure, by comparison, a .357 Magnum, which fires a smaller bullet (.38 caliber), has that bullet traveling at 1500+ feet per second, and has a cartridge pressure of 40-50,000 PSI, yes, a .45 Colt can be loaded down so it’s tamer than a .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .454 Casull, etc…, it’dbe closer to a .22 in pressure and speed
Compared against the .357, a .45 has a “pushy” recoil, due to the low pressures involved, the .357, .40S&W, 10mm, and to a lesser extent, 9mm+P cartridges all have harsher, snappier recoils, due to the higher pressures they operate at
yes, newbies can shoot the Big Bores, and even enjoy them, if they’re ready on their own terms, and if the pressures are kept low
I’ve been shooting for 30+ years, and even I, as an experienced shooter, find the .357, .40, and 10mm unpleasant to shoot, not due to the recoil, but due to the pressure/shockwave and LOUD bang they create, since the bullets they fire break the sound barrier, you have an unpleasant group of factors, especially in a semi-enclosed shooting hut, you have the loud, high pressure BANG of fast burning gunpowder, a tactile pressure wave/muzzleblast from the muzzle, and the supersonic CRACK of the bullet breaking the sound barrier
the big, slow .45 (ACP or Colt) has a deep, throaty BOOM!, but no nasty shockwave, and the bullet stays subsonic, far more pleasant to shoot (plus, it punches a bigger hole in things than 9mm/10mm/.357/.40 
)
Why are similarity in ammo design? Long tapered cylinders of with different diameters and lengths.
Why did trounds fail?
Where are the spherical shells? One could build a strong action to withstand the pressure of a shell with the minumum surface area.
Wow, MacTech, I don’t even know where to start!
First, glad to know that it’s just asshats who happen to shoot, and that it’s not a common gun-culture attitude. Makes me much more comfortable about approaching people at the range to ask questions (I’m trying to learn identification past the base catagoies of rifle/ semi-auto handgun/ revolver. Usually my husband or one of my friends knows, but sometimes we have to ask them what they’re shooting.). Most people I’ve run into are fairly friendly, but I’m guessing every range has a couple asses at it, though?
Second, thanks for the lesson in other things to try! The range we go to has rentals, a pile of specialty ammo, and a guy who comes in several days a week to do armory and customization stuff for hire, so I might see if I can check out some of your reccomended combos!
Sehmket, another great board to hang out on and get more info on guns and shooting sports in general is The High Road, think of it as The Straight Dope for shooting sports fans, it’s a very nice , mature messageboard.
post a thread in General Gun Discussions there about how you’re a newbie interested in getting started, and be prepared to be overloaded with info and offers for range trips, one thing we shooters love is introducing people to our favorite sport
if you’re ever in southern seacoastal Maine/New Hampshire, there’s an open
invite for you to come to my range to try some shootin’ 
Sehmket, I just re-read your thread a second time, it looks like you have access to a .22, that’s great, the .22 is my absolute favorite caliber, whenever I go to the range (once a week or so), I always have at least one .22 with me, usually my Ruger 22/45 .22lr pistol, but I also bring one of my Marlin 60’s or my Savage Mark II bolt action rifle
Just to give you an idea as to why you can’t judge a gun by it’s appearance, take a look at this picture, from top to bottom, the handguns are;
Ruger New Blackhawk .45 Convertible single-action revolver (you have to manually cock the hammer before each shot)7.5" barrel, shoots .45 ACP, which is the silver cased cartridge below the gun, and .45 Colt, the longer brass cartridge next to the .45 ACP cartridge, it has a cylinder for each, the .45 ACP cylinder is what’s resting on the little red felt bag, six shots per cylinder
Kimber Custom II .45 ACP 1911 pattern semiautomatic pistol, 5" barrel, shoots the silver cased cartridge below the gun, the magazine holds eight rounds, plus, you can insert the mag, load the gun, drop the mag, put one more cartridge in the mag, to bring you to nine rounds per mag (commonly called 8+1 loading, 8 in the mag, one in the chamber) the 1911 is also a single-action handgun, the only thing the trigger does is release the hammer
Ruger Mark II 22/45, 5.5" barrel, this is a .22 that has the same grip angle as a 1911, which I find very comfortable to hold, and points naturally, it holds 10 rounds per mag, and can also be +1 loaded for 11 rounds total
Now, the big question I put to you is…
Which Gun has the strongest recoil? (hint, it’s not the .22 
)
Whaddaya think (anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller?)
(experienced shooters, please hold your answers, this is for the “newbies”)
Two questions:
Where would one find the kind of guns that they use in the Olympics? I saw a picture of one once and they looked very different from “normal” handguns.
What is the thinnest gun you could buy? I remember reading a spy story when I was a teenager and (remember, this was fiction) the main character had a very thin gun that he could put in an inside suit pocket and no one would see that he was carrying a gun.
Sehmket, if it’s at all feasible, I’d recommend hitting a good-sized gun show in your area. Just go, and look. And be prepared to have your ear talked off for every question you ask. Like I’m about to do now.
Guns in every size, shape, caliber, and color abound, and dealers, if not too busy, are more than willling to let you pick one up and see how it “feels” in your hand.
IMO, the best, most expensive, most highly crafted gun in the word is little better than junk if it doesn’t “fit” you.
In all seriosuness, the best gun is one that “fits” you.
As to your shooting skills and shot-placement problems, there’s a number of common factors that new shooters have to get comfortable with:
1. Trigger control. If you’re rubbing the bang switch the wrong way, you’re never going to shoot well. If the range you frequent has a pro, get some advice; it’s not something I can readily describe well. But maybe these guys can…
Better shooting: Rob Leatham on trigger control
And of course, the voice of dissent…
…but he’s talking more about tactical shooting, which hopefully is not something you need be concerned with. But he does bring up my next point…
2. Anticipating the recoil. This covers a number of physical sins, from “pre-shot flinch,” to tensing up in anticipation of the “BANG!”, throwing off your aim. If the “BANG!” scares you, switch to a tamer, quiter caliber like Mac suggests until you have a certain “comfort level.” Also ensure you have good hearing protection; I use ear plugs as well as ear muffs.
3. The gun don’t fit. The firearm you’re shooting just doesn’t “fit” you. It’s too heavy, too short, too long, too big, wrong grip angle, uncomfortable grips…it all adds up. Which is one reason to hit either a gun show, or a reasonably well-stocked gun store, to try as many different types of handguns. If it feels good in your hand, odds are it will “shoot well” for you, once you become familiar with it at the range.
4. Breathe. It’s as simple as that. Align sights. Inhale. Keep sights aligned. Slowly exhale, until you’ve let about 1/2 of your breath out, and align your sights as you do this. Hold. Squeeze.
And ignore Mr. Martini; a laser sight can help you with dry-fire practice, as you can physically see the “wobble” as the laser jitters about on the wall when you pull the trigger badly. When you can pull the trigger with the bare minimum of “wobble” in the laser dot, you’re ready to try it at the range. You can also practice this by putting a coin on the end of the barrel by the sights, and if you can squeeze the trigger until the hammer drops without dropping the coin, you’re there.
If you are going to practice dry firing, get some of these.
And always practice safety, and safely.
Yup. I’ll shut up now.
As far as Biathalon guns go, they’re generally .22LR bolt-action rifles in custom-fit stocks, 5 shots per mag, and they have a “backpack” type sling attached to the stock, Izmash (Russian make) and Anschuntz (German) are the most common manufacturers
Not sure on what the “thinnest” handgun would be, I’m sure a ultra-thin gun could be built around the .22LR cartridge, but if the gun is to be used defensively, the minimum effective caliber would be .32 Auto or .380, .25 Auto has an invariably bad reputation as a defensive cartridge, the humble .22LR rimfire is actually a better defensive cartridge, ballistically, the only advantage a .25 has over .22 is reliability, the .25 is a centerfire cartridge, the .22lr is a rimfire cartridge, centerfire is a more reliable ignition system
there are some nice classic Baby Brownings out there, but the problem is most of them are .25 Auto
the best compromise currently available is the Kel-Tec P3AT or Ruger LCP (basically the same gun, mechanically), slim, and shoots an “acceptable” (barely) defensive cartridge
Generally speaking, “single stack” pistols (cartridges stacked on top of each other) have a thinner profile than “Double Stack” pistols (cartridges staggered in the mag), double stack guns have a higher capacity, but a wider grip
Compare a Glock 21 to a 1911, the Glock will have a thicker, chunkier grip, but it will hold 13 rounds of .45ACP, the 1911 is slimmer, but only holds 8(+1) rounds in the mag
So no one wants to weigh in on this? It is a serious question, one could use a fast burning powder and develop some honkin pressure to launch a projectile.
Dude. Basic physics and economics.
You gotta let the bullet out somewhere, and you need to impart spin for accuracy. All bullets are some sort of trade off between size, weight, and shape, but the sizes, shapes, and weights that have been developed work to one degree or another. Aerodynamics rule. Function and efficiency dictate form.
Weird shaped shells/cartidges also run into manufacturing problems in both shell/cartridge and gun size, weight, shape, (determining material costs and manufacturing process) driving up costs, driving down demand in all but niche markets.
If round shells worked, we’d be using them (I’m not talking about spherical lead shot). If you think you can build the better mousetrap, go for it.
Good luck with that.
If you mean “why are all modern cartridges long tapered tubes?”, that’s a good question, I imagine that it’s the most efficient way to control the pressure required to push the projectile down the barrel
Blackpowder guns generally shot a round ball projectile, I’d imagine the accuracy of a round ball projectile compared to the current bullet profile would be a little less accurate, I’ll let other black powder shooters chime in on this one
Never mind.
I understand the chicken/egg aspect.
I was looking for some basic reasons why a ball shell is a no starter.
Balls are easy to manufacture-see ball bearings.
So I’ve never shot a gun of anything more intense that paintball caliber, but I feel like target shooting could be fun. I have access to a ten-acre lot on a hillside, excellent for target shooting- what should I do to familiarize myself with guns, what should I be shooting, and what should I know in order to keep my (hypothetical) family safe?
What I am thinking of is a golf ball with a marble sticking out of it (symbolicaly). The golf ball would be the metalic shell which hold the powder and the primer. The marble would be the projectile, any shape you want. The advantage to this would be the same advange as a hemi combustion chamber in an IC engine. Another adventage would be that the action could be smaller since it is designed around the smallest volume to surface area object.
First off, commit the following guidelines to memory, they are absolutely non-negotiable
Jeff Cooper’s “Four Rules”
1; All guns are always loaded (treat every gun as if it’s loaded)
2; Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy
3; be sure of your target, and what lies beyond it
4; keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot
What is on the other side of the hill, how tall is the hill, how deep/thick is the hill? how close are the neighbors? the humble .22LR has an effective range of 1.5 MILES, centerfire rifles have an average range of THREE MILES, if you miss your target, or you have a ricochet, where could the bullet go, you have a responsibility to know where every round you expend ends up…
a .22 caliber firearm is always a safe starting point, as well as being loads of fun to shoot, where else can you get 500-550 rounds of ammo for $20?
More to the point, is this going to be your first of many guns, or your only gun, do you want something for fun only, or do you want to have something that can be used to defend yourself, your home, and your family?
Everyone in the family should know the basics of your gun, how to load it, how to UNload it, how to make it safe, and how to shoot it, yes, even the kids as well, if you present a firearm as a tool, a dangerous tool that must be respected, the mystery, the “coolness”, the “forbidden fruit” factor is reduced or eliminated, a side benefit of exposing the kids to firearm use is they will know how to react if they find a gun at a friends house, the NRA has a great “Eddie Eagle” program for young kids, much like Jeff Cooper’s “Four Rules”, Eddie Eagle’s “Four Rules” of what to do if a kid encounters a gun are;
1;Stop!
2; Don’t Touch!
3; Leave the area!
4; Tell an Adult!
The nice thing is that shooting sports are something that the whole family can enjoy together, Mom, Dad, the kids, the grandparents…
Being a gun owner is nothing to be ashamed about, nor is it something you have to keep hidden from the rest of the family, you teach the kids not to play with power tools, or the stove, or oven, why would a gun be any different, it’s a tool, a dangerous tool that needs to be respected
if the land you want to build a shooting range on is in a safe location, you should have no problem building a nice little .22 range, if you don’t have neighbors to worry about, you might be able to use bigger guns, just remember, as caliber increases, so does the noise, and the need for an effective backstop