I picked up a blue, snub nose Windicator in 38 Special. Its okay overall. The frame is alloy but suprizingly heavy for alloy. It has steel inserts cast in place at the recoil shield and at the topstrap over the barrel/cylinder gap. Good design I think since the Alloy used is zinc. The finish is an overall satin black that seems pretty durable and looks fine. The grips are great for holding on to (a bit large for CCW though) and recoil is very controlable. The front sight is plenty big but the rear sight could be a bit wider in order to make the arrangement useable. The rear sight is adjustable left and right with two set screws but there is no provision for elevation except changeing bullet weights and velocities. I fired 50 rounds of 158g LSWC with no incidents. Trigger pull in double action is very heavy and sticks hard just before breaking. Single action pull is very useable. This is not a +P rated gun from the factory. The combat accuracy at 10 meters was poor in my opinion with shots scattered on a pie plate. Definatly did not meet the "all rounds in a coffee cup" requirement...That could be the heavy sticky double action trigger though. I'd say if you are looking for a reliable gun that can get the job done close and not break the bank, the Windicator might be the one. However, for the same money you should be able to find a good used Taurus or Rossi that is +P rated and made of steel. I'll load my Windicator with Snake Shot and carry it regularly around the property not worrying about holster wear, knicks/bumps/scratches or much cleaning. I guess that makes it darn near an "I don't care what happens to it as long as it goes bang" kind of affair.
