advise on a .357 purchase
am considering a trade/buy for a .357 revolver...are any .357 makers superior to others? (ie, colt vs s&w, etc)
i know this question is quite broad...the gun would be used for protection, as well as shooting enjoyment.
any input would be greatly appreciated.
i know this question is quite broad...the gun would be used for protection, as well as shooting enjoyment.
any input would be greatly appreciated.
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If you are looking for a new revolver, Colt is now out. I would prefer a S&W 686 out of the current new revolvers. I would probably choose a 4" barrel as the most versatile.
I forgot to mentionRuger. They make a good product that can't be beat for strength. All my Rugers are in 44mag and I go to them when I am shooting maximum loads.
For trigger feel using factory ammunition, I prefer the S&W.0 -
I agree that is a great choice. Mine is a Ruger GP-100. Couldn't harm it with a steam roller. Trigger did get some work, but it is bomb proof and has good accuracy. 0 -
New:
Smith L frame 686 4"
Ruger GP100 4"
Used:
Colt King Cobra stainless 4"
There are others out there of course, but these are the best.0 -
The guys are right; Ruger & S&W give you great value & are built to last. But, there are still some nice Colts out there. 
Even though there are a lot of satisfied Taurus owners, I have heard too many stories of parts breakage & poor factory service.
Neal0 -
S&W or Ruger with me leaning toward Ruger. With the Rugers, if you run out of ammo, you can always beat them with it. 0 -
Have to chime in with the 686 group on this one.
A good used one will serve you for a lifetime, and if you don't like it, you can turn it around and get your money back.
http://v4.beta.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=1311736090 -
Iam partial to Smiths. The "K" frame model 19s & 66s are great guns as are the model 586 & 686. The "L" frame model 586 & 686 will handle a steady diet of magnum ammo better. 0 -
wow! great answers...you guys are very helpful. in the meantime, i've been searching several sites for .357 ammo and all show "out of stock". i feel like i'll be limited in the amount of ammo i will be able to have on hand.
any suggestions on a reliable ammo source?
i was leaning towards the 686 and ya'll have pushed me on over! thanks.0 -
In terms of "superior", that's somewhat subjective. Colts, Rugers, and Smith and Wessons are all good guns. As mentioned, the Colts have been discontinued and are now, therefore, somewhat more collectible and expensive than the other two. If you want a COLLECTOR'S piece, that's probably the way to go. If you want a gun to actually shoot and bang around with you, I'd pass on a Colt.
Next issue, if you want the gun for possible defensive use, you probably want to avoid the single-action "cowboy" type guns. Sure you *could* use one, but double-action are really preferable.
Between Smith and Ruger, in GENERAL the Rugers are a little beefier, though the Smiths tend to have nicer actions.
If its for defense and recreational shooting, its hard to beat the old (and now discontinued) Smith and Wesson model 19, which is a blued steel revolver built on the Smith medium "K" frame. Here's one of mine:
The older ones in particular were made back in the days of hand-fitting and have among the best trigger pulls of any mass-production revolver. These have adjustable sights. Accessories like speedloaders, holsters, and grips are inexpensive and easy to find. Plus you can still find excellent examples of the gun in the $350 price range.
Buy a used one, and not only will it never go down in value (assuming you don't entirely neglect it), but it will likely appreciate with time. (This is true of pretty much all used Smith revolvers).
The Smith and Wesson model 66 is essentially the same gun in stainless steel. You can expect to pay a little more for it compared to the model 19.
The Smith and Wesson 686 (and the blued steel 586) are built on the heavier "L" frame and unlike the lighter K-frame guns, are designed to withstand large volumes of full-power .357 loads. These are great guns too, but are probably a bit better suited for competitive shooters and/or hunters because of the increased mass.
If you are like most shooters, you'll be using this revolver 98% of the time on the range with .38 specials for practice and recreational shooting, with only occasional use of .357s for protection and familiarization. In that case, the lighter "K" frame gun will do just fine.
If you know you want to blow out tons of full power .357s, then go for either the 686, or the Ruger.0 -
Virtually all ammo is scarce just now, but that will change. I have bought a lot from a GB seller, Ammocenter, on-line here. Great prices (well, that is relative, but for these days he is still very competitive), great service. 0 -
I'm a Ruger man myself, the GP-100 is probably better than the older Security-Six I use. Both are very strong and very reliable.
That said, I have some friends who swear by the S&W. Good guns, I just prefer the Rugers.
Lanark Sixgunner0 -
Beautiful gun, Beantownshootah...i will now have to reconsider...slow and steady wins the race! too often i jump at the 1st thing i "see".
thanks to all of you guys for such honest and rapid replies.0 -
I suppose I wouldn't want to carry the thing all day, but if you can find a Smith & Wesson Model 28 I'd say that's an excellent value. All the quality of an older Smith and being an N framed Smith, it will handle heavier 357 Magnum loads with no problem, light recoil. Although they're gaining in price, an excellent condition Model 28 can probably be found for under $500.00. I picked up a 6" a few months ago for $499.00 and there's currently one in a local shop for $399.00 - those are CA proces and these are harder to find in CA. 0 -
dfletcher is right on the older S&W's. Ruger man that I am, I still want to get a M. 28 worst than anything.... this is one of the classiest guns out there.
Lanark Sixgunner0
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