EAA Windicator

[AxeHandle]

[AxeHandle]

[x101airborne]

For 410 bucks I would have to take it home and try it out.

[500fksjr]

Interesting???

[jeffh]

Sept 4, 2022 8:53:00 GMT -5 x101airborne said:

For 410 bucks I would have to take it home and try it out.

I'd certainly not dismiss it out of hand, but it's not in MY hand, so I can't really make a determination.  I see numerous things which would turn a lot of folks off immediately, but they may just be aesthetic - like the clunky hammer and trigger.  They just look odd, but so do many things which actually work.  Innovation which makes things cheaper to produce have a stigma attached which is not always justified.

There appears to be some High Standard and Charter genes in there, and of course, Charter borrowed from High Standard anyway, so not all the odd-looking features are necessarily bad.  I'd definitely be interested in shooting one and studying its guts, but not in the position to take the chance for more than I paid for each a new stainless Charter 357 and new stainless Taurus 357 in the past couple years.

I'm curious as to what words axehandle WOULD emit if he were inclined to do so.  I weigh  "no words" against his apparent lack of prejudice against Taurus revolvers, which are frequently dismissed and often maligned.  The last one I bought was under consideration for some time until he started posting some pics and offering objective observations about the current production.  I jumped on it after he posted a couple current-production Taurus revolvers and I have VERY little to complain about on it.

If it shot well and held up, I'd not be ashamed to carry it though.  I guess that's a polite way of saying it's sort of ugly, but if it shoots and holds up, who cares?

Thanks, axehandle.  Love the comprehensive photo lineup of important views/angles never seen in ads and stock photos from the manufacturers.

[owen67]

These have been available for decades. The 357 are all, or mostly steel. The 38 and less powerful models us Zymak (zinc alloy) die cast frames etc.
Weirauch I believe is the maker, same company that makes/made top shelf air rifles and 22 rimfire target guns, and I think Herters revolvers.
However, the Windicator (Vindicator) lost any of the class along the way.
I think I’d rather buy a Charter, Taurus, or if you can find one of the Czech made revolvers at this price (the Czech made follow same suit, zinc or aluminum on low power rounds, all steel on 357).

But, as said by others, might be just fine, or be so after some judicious love of deburring, stoning, and fiddling with spring rates - so essentially not the best for market aimed at. The beginner which would buy being the least likely to have the tools and knowledge to rework it.

[lws]

I have had one in .357 in their blue finish for about 12 years. Have shot the heck out of it it is still as tight as new. Maybe not the prettiest girl on the block. But have not found any bugs in it.

[taffin]

WINDICATOR NOT VINDICATOR AND QUALITY GERMAN REVOLVER. I visited the factory about 30 years ago and shot them firsthand.

[AxeHandle]

WINDICATOR NOT VINDICATOR I can fix that...

[AxeHandle]

Figured the "W" was a mistake... Being in Huntsville Alabama, I'll fall back on the pronunciation of the W by the Germans so vividly illustrated by "Wernher von Braun" where the Werner is pronounced as if the W were a "V"

[jeffh]

Sept 4, 2022 12:35:30 GMT -5 AxeHandle said:

Figured the "W" was a mistake... Being in Huntsville Alabama, I'll fall back on the pronunciation of the W by the Germans so vividly illustrated by "Wernher von Braun" where the Werner is pronounced as if the W were a "V"

According to an old German I once worked for, "W," in German is pronounced like "V."

Your pronunciation is correct as "V," but the spelling is correct as "W."

Your spelling is correct as a transliteration though, as if in a conversational text.

I found this on EAA's site.  Sure would be easy to mistake it for a High Standard Sentinel.  I believe they made a 357 version, but not many.  I wonder now if maybe they didn't have them made in Germany.  I need to look into that.

 

[owen67]

Should say I’d pick the other brands over the Zymak versions. I’m fine with aluminum and brass, but as an engineer zinc alloys give me the heebee jerbees. The galvanic action between parts, and tendencies to crack in stressed situations.
There have been some Ruger Wranglers that have had cracks.

Never owned a steel 357 Windiicator but shot a 38.
I will say if the barrels use the same machinery as their air rifles that’s a huge plus.

[jeffh]

Sept 4, 2022 13:03:21 GMT -5 owen67 said:

Should say I’d pick the other brands over the Zymak versions. I’m fine with aluminum and brass, but as an engineer zinc alloys give me the heebee jerbees. The galvanic action between parts, and tendencies to crack in stressed situations.
There have been some Ruger Wranglers that have had cracks.

Never owned a steel 357 Windiicator but shot a 38.
I will say if the barrels use the same machinery as their air rifles that’s a huge plus.

Zymak is so heavy too.  Aluminum would keep me happy for those applications.

I think the High Standard 357 was a totally different design, now that I've looked at them again - more like a Dan Wesson.

[needsmostuff]

Sept 4, 2022 16:10:33 GMT -5 jeffh said:

.

I think the High Standard 357 was a totally different design, now that I've looked at them again - more like a Dan Wesson.

It WAS a Dan Wesson, the older pork chop version.