Customer Reviews for Rock Island Armory M206 Spurless 38 Special Revolver

The revolver was very gritty when dry firing with snap caps and after a session of about five minutes the trigger hung up and would not fire! I have had a terrible time finding a dealer that would finally return the gun for repair and I still don't know how much it will cost for me to get this resolved, so much for buying a new gun that should work and be under warranty! I can not recommend ever buying a rock island armory gun.

I was looking for a revolver to conceal carry and my dad recommended this one from Rock Island Armory. He told me it was a 6 shooter which was difficult to find in most J-Frame snubnose revolvers so I did a little research and I the picture and specs definitely had me sold on buying this gun. The 6 round capacity, the Spurless version, the trigger pull, the alternative grips that come with the gun, and the affordable price for it. I couldn't find this one on the gun genie on gallery of guns. Thank goodness Budsguns had it available to ship it to a gun dealer close to my home. I definitely recommend this revolver for those out there looking for a budget revolver.

Its pretty much what you would expect from a revolver at this price point.I will say it is pretty hefty and rough(sharp) around the edges(barrel) but for the price its a fun gun to shoot and have as a back up.

Afew burs in the action when I first bought it, but it eorks great now,a quality piece.

I bought this for my wife as my 38 is larger and doesn't fit her hands well. She likes it but, I may have to get a lighter trigger spring switched out. She says the trigger is very stiff. May need to just get fired a few more times. But a great gun at a good price.

This is a nice little revolver; shoots really nice. Bought it for the wife to keep around the house in an area where she has easy access to it. Great service as always from Bud's.

If you're looking for a revolver that won't break the bank but gets the job done, then this is the one. Yes you can find ones that are better quality and more pleasing to the eye but expect to pay at least $200 or more. I received mine from Buds within a week and was surprised at the speed of shipping to my local FFL. Thank you Buds !! Upon first handling it, the trigger pull seemed very heavy,(10-12lbs), and I was afraid that the timing might be off a bit. But after a good cleaning and oiling the interior liberally, I dry fired it alot. By doing this , it became smoother with time and whatever reservations I initially had ,evaporated. A trip to the range proved that it was accurate and reliable, fitting my needs perfectly. The cylinder has a bit of motion to it and isn't as tight as others when it is locked in the closed position but it isn't enough to cause erosion of the forcing cone.Extraction was easy and reliable with no hang ups. I would use strictly .38 Special loads for range time, leaving .38 +P to carrying for Self defense only. A steady diet of the +P stuff may loosen things up a bit too much IMHO.Sight picture is good enough even for my old eyes. It's an all steel frame revolver so it won't beat the living snot out of the web of your hand as some light 5 shots do. But that being said, when firing, it will let you know that it is a snubby after all, especially with the narrow wood grips. By the way It does come with 2 sets of grips but to be honest, I haven't even tried to put the other slightly larger finger grooved set on because I prefer the look of the wood ones on that black frame. People with big hands may not have a choice as the wood grips won't fill their palms enough to keep the trigger guard from slapping the middle finger knuckle. For holster size, order one that fits a Detective special as that is what I found works with most brands. Speed loader sizing is the same; get the ones for a Colt Detective and you're in business. All in all I have been very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone who is "Old School" & on the market for a pocket 6 shot revolver.

Reliable and easy shooting. Compared to others anyway.

My back up pocket rocket. Love this lil gun.

Very happy with this gun very happy with Buds

Ordered this revolver online because one of very few 6 shot snubbys out there. Buds staff was friendly and great.Took gun home and wiped off oil and inspected firearm. Every 7th to 8th pull of trigger had a timing issue and cylinder would skip. Took back to Buds and explained an showed them the issue. Gun went back to manufacture for repair. Buds offered to order me a new one or give me store credit in the amount of the purchase. I choose to wait till I get the firearm back and make sure it functions. I am satisfied with the service and cant wait till it comes back.

Cleaned it up and headed to the range... put about 50 rounds through it of FMJ target rounds.. I had no problems with it at all... shot a great group... didn't expect the trigger to be as smooth as it was... pleasantly surprised by that.. great gun for the price... would definitely recommend.. and yes, as with the other reviews, it has a little weigh to it.. enjoy..

I own smith and wessons dao in .357mag / .38 special snubnose. I'm very accurate with these revolvers. I ordered this Rock Island M206 DAO with a 2" barrel because 6 shots , and the price, for 234.00 it's a bargain. I had to clean off the heavy factory grease and lube up the inner mechanisms . I did not take apart the side plates but oiled it through the openings to get new grease lube and gun oil into it. A significant difference in the trigger pull and smoothed out the action. I checked the cylinder timing and lock up before accepting the firearm at my FFL. It was in excellent order. My FFL stated he had two go through of the M206 revolvers in .38 special and informed me that they were functionally very good and accurate as mine turned out to be. Having a big smile when you hit the target where you want is a tribute to the accuracy and function of the shooter and handgun. Rock Island Armory M206 DAO in .38 special for $234. United States currency is a bargain. The finish is a little rough but the bad guy won't know the difference. Understand your states self defense laws in terms of leathal force , practice practice practice your shooting skills. Safety first . Keep your gun loaded and be aware of your surroundings- situational awareness. Thanks Buds Guns you're the BEST in customer service and prices. You don't sell inferior products and you stand behind your customers. This is my 5th purchase from you and I'm very happy.

I purchased this revolver for my wife’s birthday in May! She has a Tomcat but has trouble racking the silde and I feel it could hang up in her purse if needed quickly! The “hammerless” (actually spurless) will prevent that and be fired from inside her purse without harming her with the slide! Great for a purse gun!!! Thx so much for your great service!!

Buds was great again and the Rock island 38 sp.I bought is a great made gun. I have 2 and they are well worth it.

I got this weapon for my lady friend after her she walked in on a burglar. The firearm is an incredible value. Quite accurate and functioned perfectly....that is until she dropped it at least twice on cement. Broke the wood grips and knocked it out of time. Thankfully the extra grips were included. To the gunsmith it goes for repairs. Rating the firearm as a high 4 stars... Lady friend as a low 2 stars. RN

Nice gun at great price. Extra grip (included) makes it even better. Cant go wrong with a 38.

This is a great revolver for the money. Timing was perfect, and no light strikes, which seem to be the two most common complaints. But, everybody I've heard that experienced these issues says that they contacted Armscor and got the issue fixed right away. I had zero issues with function. I had no problem hitting targets at point of aim between around seven and fifteen yards. If I could see it, I could hit it. I took off one star for its only flaw. And, really, since the entire purpose of a spurless snub nosed revolver is concealed carry, this flaw almost renders the gun as useless for its intended purpose. So, really this should be a one star rating. If you look at where the top strap meets the backstrap, there's about a 90 degree angle before the backstrap starts curving to the rear. Compare that to other snubbies and you'll see other snubbies have more of an obtuse angle to facilitate smoother drawing from a holster. To compound this, there's some overcast right on each corner. The right side of mine had so much material overcast that it actually makes kind of a hook. So, a quick draw makes the corners catch on the holster and the revolver gets wedged in there. This happens on all three of the holsters I have for it. Until I rounded the corners with a file and touched it up with a black magic marker, to draw, I had to push down on the holster with my thumb and pull with a back and up motion. This is potentially a deadly flaw, so it really does justify a one star rating since this is a concealed carry weapon. So, if you buy one, practice your draw and make sure it comes out smoothly. Since the fix was easy, and it really is a great revolver as long as not being able to pull it from a holster doesn't get you killed, I just took off a star for four stars.

I am very pleased with this great little 38. I like it being 6 shots instead of 5. Some say they don't like the Parkerized finish but me, I kinda like it. Like the looks of the wood grip too but unless you choke down, the sharp corner above the grip can be a bit hard on your thumb/index finger web. I went ahead and put on the included ergo grips. Problem solved. That's a nice touch to include the extra grips AND a decent carrying case. Oh, did I mention that the price was VERY reasonable. See how many guns are in this category that give you this much for your money. Some say they had concerns about fit and finish. C'mon, for this price you can't expect perfection though my gun looked quite nice for a budget revolver. I have no complaints at all about fit and finish. It shoots great and being a bit heavier than some other 38's it doesn't kick much. First time out I shot a good tight pattern. Mine is spurless. The trigger pull was smooth and not too heavy. Felt comfortable to shoot right away. The more I shoot it, the more I like it. A good back-up gun or a truck gun. And the price, man if you're low on bucks and want a nice inexpensive small revolver, this is your gun. Some say "You get what you pay for....etc." but in this case, I say you get much more. Thumbs up from me!!

I bought my Rock Island Armory. 38 Special month ago have been to the range once with it so far. Went through over 100 rounds with almost no trouble one time the rounds did not want to come out of the cylinder, it could have been the type of rounds. I was using this time will use different bullets outside of that great gun had fun with taste buds

Picked up this nice revolver from my FFL yesterday took it outside and loaded it up with 6 rounds of 130 grain Winchester FMJ and it worked flawlessly. This is great gun for someone who wants a reliable self defense weapon but can't afford a 3-4 hundred dollar gun.

Smooth transaction paid on a Thursday and received it on Tuesday .I've haven't had the chance to shoot this bad boy but it feels real good and solid in my hand, and i personally like the flat black finish on the pistol. Overall Im a happy customer

received pistol and was surprised it even came with its own case. have shot several rounds it shoots flawlessly Great piece at a fair price.Absolutely love it. Thanks Buds you did a great and I will do more bussiness in the near future.

I have not shoot it yet, but seems to be a very good option for the price I like it.

This revolver fit very comfortable in my hand. It seems to be quite well built, It fires with very little kick back. I'm pleased with this gun.