Armscor M206 .38special Revolver, Go or NoGo?

[Firearmfanatic]

Wife is interested in an Armscor M206 .38special revolver. Anybody have any experience with them good or bad? They do seem to be an "economically priced" handgun, I was just wondering if they are worth the price you pay as in reliability, ergonomics, life span etc. Basically it will not be fired as much as say a competition pistol but an occassional range gun and SD gun. Any help? Thanks!

 

[DAVE_M]

I was just wondering if they are worth the price you pay as in reliability, ergonomics, life span etc.

Reliability is relative to the quality of the parts and the amount of wear subjected to those parts. Budget firearms typically have lesser quality parts.

Life Span could be infinite if you never shoot it. Nothing lasts forever, so questions you should ask are:

• What type of warranty does Armscor offer?
• How long is the warranty Arsmcor offers?
• What does the warranty cover?

Armscor quality is comparable to Taurus.

If there is any chance this will be used for Self Defense, I would urge you to look into semi-autos.

 

[RG43]

The issue will be first if the gun is properly functional when you get it. There will likely be more non-functional or partially functional guns coming out of a company like Armscor (or Taurus, Charter Arms, etc.), than a company like Ruger or S&W. You might be more likely to see a gun with improper cylinder gap, or other such problems that can make the gun not function properly. Then there is the issue of problems that might crop up long term. For instance, screws coming lose, or parts wearing quicker than they should. I have a Taurus snub nose, it's a nice firearm, however I am aware that others have mentioned the screw coming loose that holds the cylinder attachment arm into the frame. I always check this screw after each trip to the range, and I'm usually able to tighten it a little. If it were to come out, the spring behind it would probably pop out and get lost, then the gun would be unusable. Would have to send it back to Taurus to get fixed, most likely. That would be a pain. But the point is, you shouldn't have to be concerned with stuff like that. So while spending $300 on a gun like this might seem to make sense, when it fails on you it won't seem like it was such a good idea. It may never fail on you, but simply put, the chances are probably higher it will when compared to a Ruger or S&W.

 

[DerpMeister]

Armscor quality is comparable to Taurus.

Less, IMO. I have shot and examined dozens of both at the lab; a Tauri revolver can be excellent, good (okay), or zilch. Armscors are built quite similar to Charter Arms crap; cheaply, and very little durability in the long run.

IOW, if your wife or you do not intend to shoot it hardly at all, and your purchase works out of the box, it might... probably... work when you need it to. OTOH, like a Tauri or Charter Arms, it might not.

OP, do you and your family a REAL good thing... forget these el cheapo guns and get AT LEAST a Ruger LCR.

.

 

[DAVE_M]

Less, IMO. I have shot and examined dozens of both at the lab; a Tauri revolver can be excellent, good (okay), or zilch. Armscors are built quite similar to Charter Arms crap; cheaply, and very little durability in the long run.

IOW, if your wife or you do not intend to shoot it hardly at all, and your purchase works out of the box, it might... probably... work when you need it to. OTOH, like a Tauri or Charter Arms, it might not.

OP, do you and your family a REAL good thing... forget these el cheapo guns and get AT LEAST a Ruger LCR.

.

Out of three brand new Taurus revolvers that I've seen fire out of the box, two had catastrophic failures after 50ish rounds. When I said comparable to Taurus, I meant absolute junk.

 

[Firearmfanatic]

Ok thanks for all the advice and info. I will show her all of this and let her think it over. She already has an East German Makarov and a Glock 19 that she really likes. She was just thinking of adding a revolver to the fold for the heck of it. I doubt it would ever become her #1 SD firearm if she does decide to go ahead and get one.

 

[Vigilante Sniper]

Wife is interested in an Armscor M206 .38special revolver. Anybody have any experience with them good or bad? They do seem to be an "economically priced" handgun, I was just wondering if they are worth the price you pay as in reliability, ergonomics, life span etc. Basically it will not be fired as much as say a competition pistol but an occassional range gun and SD gun. Any help? Thanks!

For a range gun, it's probable fine. I she plans to use it for self defense...not fine. My go to when it comes to revolvers will always be S&W first, with Ruger second. Never a Taurus, Charter Arm, Armscor, etc. for self defense.

 

[Firearmfanatic]

For a range gun, it's probable fine. I she plans to use it for self defense...not fine. My go to when it comes to revolvers will always be S&W first, with Ruger second. Never a Taurus, Charter Arm, Armscor, etc. for self defense.

Well noted, thanks!

 

[Redd508]

Man, the Taurus hate is strong here. I've had good experiences with most of the Tauri? owned by friends and family. I bought my first 12 years ago. Of the 10 or so different guns only 1 has given any problems, the 22lr. I'm not gentle on the guns and reload in the +p ranges. Accuracy has been good and as stated before, only 1 has been unreliable. I'll add that my Smith 357 has already locked up on factory 38s. As always YMMV.

To the OP, if you decide to try it out let us know how it goes. They're made in the Phillipines like the Rock Island 1911s. I've had good, although limited experience with those too. Do your homework and dont be putoff by the price tag.

 

[RG43]

Man, the Taurus hate is strong here. I've had good experiences with most of the Tauri? owned by friends and family. I bought my first 12 years ago. Of the 10 or so different guns only 1 has given any problems, the 22lr. I'm not gentle on the guns and reload in the +p ranges. Accuracy has been good and as stated before, only 1 has been unreliable. I'll add that my Smith 357 has already locked up on factory 38s. As always YMMV.

To the OP, if you decide to try it out let us know how it goes. They're made in the Phillipines like the Rock Island 1911s. I've had good, although limited experience with those too. Do your homework and dont be putoff by the price tag.

I've considered getting a Taurus 92 Baretta model before, heard good things about them. Some claim to like them better than some of the Baretta versions.

 

[DAVE_M]

Man, the Taurus hate is strong here.

I wouldn't say hate, but I choose to spend my money elsewhere. I witnessed two brand new unfired Taurus revolvers catastrophically fail in my first CHP class.

 

[Metryshooter]

It's she's looking for a revolver just for fun then maybe take a chance if she's fixed or budget doesn't allow better. If she's planning on using as her go to then the Makarov is a go. It's the AK of pistols.
Wanna get rid of it ?

 

[Firearmfanatic]

It's she's looking for a revolver just for fun then maybe take a chance if she's fixed or budget doesn't allow better. If she's planning on using as her go to then the Makarov is a go. It's the AK of pistols.
Wanna get rid of it ?

A revolver just for the fun of it and not really a SD weapon. Nope, I/we only have 2 East German Makarovs and neither are going any where until after my and her passing. Had 3 but the 3rd was "just not up to my standards" of what condition it should be in so I unloaded it.

 

[CatCam]

Good review on this gun is here -- https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...sland-armory-m206-38-special-revolver-review/

Maybe the folks critiquing the build should read this too.

 

[shotgunjim]

Looked at one and was not impressed with trigger pull. In my estimate for all/most firearms trigger is difference in go/no go.

 

[Firearmfanatic]

Good review on this gun is here -- https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...sland-armory-m206-38-special-revolver-review/

Maybe the folks critiquing the build should read this too.

Thanks for the link, appreciate it! The wife decided to go ahead and get one just for the heck of it. Scored one off of gunbroker for $244 and $16 shipping. Will try it out once it arrives.

 

[CatCam]

Thanks for the link, appreciate it! The wife decided to go ahead and get one just for the heck of it. Scored one off of gunbroker for $244 and $16 shipping. Will try it out once it arrives.

With all of my guns, one stands out -- I have a 30 year old Stevens Model 67 that was a no-frills pump 12ga shotgun. Everybody back then said to stay away from it that it was a POS compared to other shotguns. I have the Browning Semi-Autos, Benelli's, and few others but I always grab this old Stevens pump -- I shoot very well with it and it has been rock solid...

 

[RG43]

Thanks for the link, appreciate it! The wife decided to go ahead and get one just for the heck of it. Scored one off of gunbroker for $244 and $16 shipping. Will try it out once it arrives.

At that price, not a lot to lose. I like the fact it kinda looks like an old Colt Detective Special. With the wood handles, I think it adds to the appeal of the gun. Should be fun to shoot, being on the heavy side. Those lightweight snubbies by Ruger & Smith are wrist breakers. I like my little Taurus because it's all steel, has some heft to it. My wife has an LCR, big difference shooting the two. I can shoot my Taurus as much as I want, the LCR will wear you out quick.

 

[DAVE_M]

Thanks for the link, appreciate it! The wife decided to go ahead and get one just for the heck of it. Scored one off of gunbroker for $244 and $16 shipping. Will try it out once it arrives.

For that price, I wouldn't complain.

I missed out on a S&W 442 for $300 shipped not too long ago. I'm still kicking myself for that.

 

[bigtattoo79]

Don't forget to look at holster availability. I'm also not a fan of hammers that snag on everything.

"I know that wasn't asked in the OP"