EAA Windicator

[sgreen3]

Well I managed to pick up one of these revolvers and so far so good. it shoots really well although I need a little more practice shooting a revolver vs my semi auto pistols. The finish is not great at all, but kind of expected for the price point. Functionality was 100% after a little over 100rds of mixed 38spl & 357mag and shot very straight, the weight of the pistol kept recoil in check even shooting the 357mag loads. Overall I'm pretty happy with it for the money spent I think its a pretty good deal honestly for someone looking for an entry level wheel gun and don't want to spend a lot to get one. This will be a long term test gun for the channel I think to see how well it holds up, so far all expectations are above par..

 

[wizardfitz]

I'm far from an expert, but the barrel says 38 special. Can you fire 357 loads?

 

[sgreen3]

Its marked 357mag under the 38spl marking and marked 357mag on the cylinder..

 

[Restroyer]

I almost bought one of these a couple years back. If I remember correctly they have a 2" barrel & a 4" barrel. It looks like your pic you got the 4" barrel. I heard that the 2" barrel actually has the rougher finish because what I was told is that they actually cut off 2" from the 4" barrel to make the 2" and the end is rough. Not sure if that is true but that is what the person at the counter said. I have only seen the 4" barrel in person but have not seen the 2" to verify it's quality. A friend of mine has the Taurus .357 and that's probably what I will get when I quit buying other guns.

 

[sgreen3]

I almost bought one of these a couple years back. If I remember correctly they have a 2" barrel & a 4" barrel. It looks like your pic you got the 4" barrel. I heard that the 2" barrel actually has the rougher finish because what I was told is that they actually cut off 2" from the 4" barrel to make the 2" and the end is rough. Not sure if that is true but that is what the person at the counter said. I have only seen the 4" barrel in person but have not seen the 2" to verify it's quality. A friend of mine has the Taurus .357 and that's probably what I will get when I quit buying other guns.

Yea they do make a 2" also, the shop I got mine at had one of the stainless 2" models but not a blued. Yea I haven't heard about that I know the stainless one had a pretty nice finish on it, just this one the bluing is very cheap looking, but I knew that going into it so not big deal really for the price. My main concern was that it performed well and so far it has. Ill probably end up duracoating it after I do the initial review of it for my channel. Over all I'm very happy with it.

 

[DadSmith]

Well I managed to pick up one of these revolvers and so far so good. it shoots really well although I need a little more practice shooting a revolver vs my semi auto pistols. The finish is not great at all, but kind of expected for the price point. Functionality was 100% after a little over 100rds of mixed 38spl & 357mag and shot very straight, the weight of the pistol kept recoil in check even shooting the 357mag loads. Overall I'm pretty happy with it for the money spent I think its a pretty good deal honestly for someone looking for an entry level wheel gun and don't want to spend a lot to get one. This will be a long term test gun for the channel I think to see how well it holds up, so far all expectations are above par..

Any more updates on how you like this revolver?

I just seen one for $313

EAA EARB3574 Windicator 357 Mag 6 Round 4' Blued Steel Black Rubber Grip

<p>A powerful reminder of revered German engineering, the Windicator continues to hold a proud position in the EAA line-up year after year. Its straightforward design leaves little room for complication; sturdy, reliable, and ready when you need it. The Windicator features a DA/SA trigger with a...

dackoutdoors.com

 

[92FSTech]

My wife's uncle has one of these in .38. He brought it last time he came out to visit and I took him to the range. He has a number of budget revolvers, and last time he brought a Taurus 66 as well.

Shooting the two side by side was interesting. The EAA has a rougher finish and the .38 version is made of some kind of alloy that feels like pot metal and isn't really confidence inspiring (I think the .357 is steel). The crane pivot is recessed into the frame kind of like a Charter Arms, which while not elegant is actually a pretty robust design. The trigger is pretty gritty and heavy, and the action is rough. I imagine it could be cleaned up somewhat by somebody willing to tear into it, which wouldn't be too intimidating at this price point. The gun ran fine, produced solid and consistent primer strikes, and didn't have any hitches or timing issues. Accuracy was acceptable at 7-10 yards, but I didn't really try stretching it out.

The Taurus felt far more robust in the hand. It's made of steel, and if I'm honest if I closed my eyes I wouldn't be able to differentiate the balance and heft from one of my Smiths. The trigger on the Taurus was a little heavier and grittier than my "good" Smith triggers, but better than some of the "bad" ones I've shot. It was accurate and everything seemed to lock up properly. The only thing I didn't like about it was the narrow backstrap on the grips, but that could be resolved through a simple grip change. Hogues are cheap, and would be right at home on this gun.

They're not my guns, and her uncle lives in PA and we only see him once a year, so I don't have any way to say how well they will hold up over time and round count. Improper heat treatment and sub-par materials don't necessarily manifest themselves right away, but they can be murder on a revolver that's dependent upon near-perfect tolerances to stay in time. That said, both guns shot fine, and either would satisfy the needs of a casual gun owner. I personally wouldn't trade a S&W for either one, but they're also not built to the same price point. I'd take the Taurus over the EAA, and actually liked it enough to put them back on my radar after years of swearing them off. In two or three years if he hasn't shot his loose, I may consider trying one again.

 

[sgreen3]

Any more updates on how you like this revolver?

I just seen one for $313

EAA EARB3574 Windicator 357 Mag 6 Round 4' Blued Steel Black Rubber Grip

<p>A powerful reminder of revered German engineering, the Windicator continues to hold a proud position in the EAA line-up year after year. Its straightforward design leaves little room for complication; sturdy, reliable, and ready when you need it. The Windicator features a DA/SA trigger with a...

dackoutdoors.com

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If you dont mind the weight its one of the best budget minded revolvers out there that Ive had the ability to get my hands on for long term testing. I couldnt even say how many rounds I have through it. granted most have been with 38 but there have been well over 200rds of 357mag.