Revolvers remain popular for personal defense for many reasons. The revolver is simple to load, fire, and handle. A revolver will function with light loads and heavy loads without changing the springs. A revolver will come up firing, even after long periods of storage because the springs are at rest when the revolver is loaded. A revolver can feature a smooth double-action trigger that helps fight flinch. We wanted to test revolvers in 38 Special for home defense and economy. We elected to test two large-frame and two small-frame revolvers that would fire easy-on-the-hands 38 Specials. As a bonus, some would also chamber 357 Magnums and, surprisingly, one accepted 9mm Luger rounds. Our test guns were as follows:

European American Armory’s (EAA) Windicator 770133 357 Magnum, $394, is a European idea of a revolver that comes off well. The cylinder features six chambers bored for the 357 Magnum. The barrel is marked 38 Special and just below, 357 Magnum. The revolver is a conventional double action with single-action capability. The cylinder is opened for loading and unloading by pressing a cylinder latch forward. Three of the four revolvers in the test operate in this manner.

Rock Island Armory’s Model 206 51283 38 Special, $240, is a small-frame revolver that comes in a couple of variations. The blued M206 Spurless 51280 and matte-nickel-finished Spurless M206 lack the exterior hammer of our test gun, but all three have channel frame-cut rear sights. Similar to our test gun, the M200 51261 is likewise chambered in 38 Special but has a 4-inch semi-shrouded barrel. When you put together the price of the EAA Windicator and the Rock Island M206, you have about the price of a new Glock. That isn’t bad economy having two 38 Special handguns at the ready for less than $600.

The Taurus Defender 856 2-85639NS 38 Special +P, $306, is a small-frame 38 Special +P revolver with a six-shot cylinder and a 3-inch barrel. Our test handgun was made of matte stainless steel with Hogue grips, but the line is available in several versions. The Ultra-Lite models come in stainless-steel (2-85639ULNS) and black-anodized (2-85631ULNS) finishes. Three other steel-frame revolvers are the matte black with Hogue grips (2-85631NS), matte-stainless with VZ Grips’ panels (2-85635NSVZ), and tungsten Cerakote with Altamont wood grips (2-8563CNS).

The Taurus Tracker 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver 2692031, $487, chambers and fires 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and 9mm Luger rounds. We should note that stainless-steel versions of our test gun were available for $543. The matte-finish-blued revolver is more in keeping with our economy theme. Like in the other revolvers, the Tracker 692 is a double-action mechanism with a swing-out cylinder, exposed hammer, and single-action capability. The 692 features a seven-shot cylinder. This is a nice upgrade in a relatively compact revolver. The grips, barrel, and frame are slightly smaller than the popular Taurus 66, another seven-shot 357 Magnum.

During the test, we fired four 38 Special loads in all four revolvers. These included a handload with the MattsBullets.com 178-grain SWC loaded to 850 fps average. This is a +P load that is well suited to outdoors use and practice for those using +P personal defense loads. We fired 50 rounds in offhand combat firing, including firing at multiple targets as quickly as possible. While economical, this load also tested recoil control and comfort better than a light target load. In accuracy testing off the benchrest, we used three loads. These included the Remington 158-grain SWCHP +P, the Black Hills Ammunition 158-grain RNL Cowboy Load, and the Black Hills Ammunition 125-grain +P.

For bench accuracy testing and velocity compilations, we also tested a full-power 357 Magnum loading in the Tracker and Windicator revolvers, the Black Hills Ammunition 125-grain JHP. For combat shooting, we added the Remington HTP 357 Magnum 125-grain SJHP, a milder 1200 fps Magnum load, to give breadth to the test in the two Magnums. Also in the Tracker, we fired a 9mm load, the Remington HTP 124-grain JHP, off the bench. We fired 20 of each of the magnum loads in each revolver and 20 9mm loads in the Taurus 692.

The revolvers tested were all reliable with no obvious defects. For home defense, all were accurate enough. Here’s what we thought about these handguns in more detail.

Gun Tests Grade: A-

$394

The European American Arms Windicator is manufactured by Weihrauch of Germany. The Windicator doesn’t have a side plate and differs considerably in design from the other handguns. The barrel is a bit shorter than the advertised 4 inches. This makes for good balance and heft in combat firing. In common with the other revolvers, the synthetic grips do a good job in separating the hand from the frame. The Windicator features a barrel with a top rib and a kind of fake vent outline. The barrel is heavy enough to dampen recoil. The cylinder release is an S&W type that presses forward.

The Windicator features a nice blued finish. We find no fault with the finish; it was evenly applied and attractive. The revolver’s trigger action was smooth, and the single-action press was among the lightest of the test at an even 3 pounds. Possibly the most unusual feature is the fixed sights. The rear sights are a post type that set above the frame rather than a groove cut into the frame. They are similar to the British Enfield service revolver. We like the concept of rugged fixed sights for a defensive revolver. While you may not be able to set the sights for a myriad of bullet weights, the sights will not be knocked out of zero either.

On the firing line, the Windicator gave good results in combat firing. The 178-grain lead bullet at 867 fps from the Windicator isn’t the lightest-kicking of 38 Special loads. Control was good to excellent. While the axis of the bore seems to set high above the hand, inviting muzzle flip, a smooth trigger and well-shaped grips alleviated this concern. The Windicator ran neck and neck with the Taurus 692 on the combat range. Moving to the 125-grain 357 Magnum load, the difference was more pronounced. The muzzle flipped more, and our combat grouping was not as good. We were able to get the same groups as the Taurus Defender, but it took more time to recover from recoil. For the size and weight, the EAA Windicator recoiled as expected with magnum loads, the Taurus Defender simply handled recoil better. The EAA revolver accepted six-shot HKS and Lyman speedloaders well. We ordered speedloaders for the K-frame Smith & Wesson (HKS 10A, $7.79 from TopGunSupply.com).

Moving to accuracy shooting from the bench, the EAA Windicator gave credible, but not outstanding, results. Groups ranged from 2 to more than 3 inches at 25 yards. There were no failures to fire or cycle in double-action fire. The EAA revolver was not as pleasant as the Taurus when firing from the benchrest.

Our Team Said: We found the EAA Windicator to be worth the money. It was reliable, fired to the point of aim with most loads, and never failed to cycle. While we liked the Taurus Defender more, the Taurus has features the average homeowner looking for an economy handgun may not need. A sturdy fixed-sight revolver may not be fired often, but it will get the job done if the owner has practiced. We rated the Windicator down a half grade on accuracy. We did not rate it down for its greater recoil than the Taurus because the EAA is also lighter, which is a compromise for easy carrying.

357 Magnum Range Data

9mm Luger Range Data

38 Special Range Data

Value Guide: 39 Special/375 Magnum Revolver Rankings