Lets talk Revolvers

[Sniper338]

Im looking at getting a 357 mag revolver. Single/double action, stainless...

Smith and wesson performance center?

Dan wesson?

Any other higher end/quality brands I should look at in this type range? Im not a fan of the ruger frames.

 

[mike mccormick]

There are lots of considerations. What do you want? Light weight, strength, concealabilty? What will be the primary usage?

 

[JEFFPPC]

Smith 686 is hard to beat. I have a 6 inch in I have killed multiple bucks with. Sierra 158gr hollow cavity with 2400 is my load. RED DOT no magnification sight. One thing to remember,once it gets below freezing turn sight on before leaving car or house and leave it on all day. One cold morning not doing so cost me a nice buck I had watched all fall.

 

[dtucker]

I would go with a single action Freedom Arms. There is not a better made revolver on this planet. Get their lightest trigger pull job done, it it absolutely spectacular.

 

[ben lurkin]

Personal preference and intended use play such a large part in a revolver purchase so it's hard to say. I've a 686+ with a 6" barrel that's a lot of fun to shoot. I know you mentioned not liking the Rugers but the 7 shot GP100 is a very nice pistol too. If I were going to buy one for personal carry though; I would opt for a 4" barrel

 

[rkittine]

I have a bunch of .357 Magnum revolvers. If you are going to go with heavy loads, then I would stay away from the K/L frame Smiths and get a Model 27 or 28 or a Colt Trooper or Python (depends on your budget) A single action Ruger will also do the trick, but I am not into single action revolvers. I have owned Dan Wessons and am not a fan.

Bob

 

[slobhunter2]

When it comes to revolvers Smith & Wesson wrote the book.

 

[Ron IA]

686

 

[Chris Covell]

I have 2 model 66 no dashes. Pinned barrels and recessed cyl. Great guns.

 

[slobhunter2]

I would rather have one of the older revolvers worked over by a good pistol smith than any of the performance center guns that I have held.

 

[Longcarbine]

+1 for the Ruger GP100, mine will out shoot my Taurus and my Smith and it's much more rugged.

 

[K22]

I've been shooting 22RF, 38 special, 357 magnum and 44 magnum revolvers since the early 70's. I've competed in bulls eyes target shooting, hunter's pistol silhouetee and hunted with revolvers. I qualified as Distinguished Expert with the 22 and 38 special in bulls eye and AAA with the 22 in hunter's pistol silhouette. Yes, I'm a revolver nut so please excuse me going over board on the subject, I can't resist.

If you can afford it; the S&W is the top of the line. I've been shooting some of mine for close to 50 years and they all still function perfectly and are still very accurate. The S&W Model 17, K22, 22 rimfire is the finest revolver ever made in my opinion with the Model 29, 44 Magnum running a close second.

With regards to the 357; if you want to shoot full power loads I'd opt for the 686, "L" frame. This frame was designed to take the pounding of the full load 357's. I have three (2 - 586's blued version of the 686 and 1 - 668) purchased in the late 80's. Great guns, accurate, and sturdy. Not crazy about the rib underneath since it makes it heavy to carry but it does help dampen the recoil.

The best 357 S&W ever made was the Model 27, "N" frame. I don't think it's available anymore. I hunted extensively with mine in the 70's and 80's. Took a nice 5 point buck, lots of ghogs (w/in 50 yards) and several foxes. My all around load was the 140 grain jacketed Speer with a heavy load of 2400. This "N" model can take a steady diet of full power 357 loads. Let me say however I would not recommend the 357 for deer hunting unless you are capable of precise shot placement and can discipline yourself to keep your shots at 50 yards or so. The 44 Magnum is much more effective for deer. The Model 29 S&W 44 mag is an elite revolver.

If you want a carry 357 I'd opt for the S&W Model 19 ("K") frame version. I shoot +P 38 specials out of mine using 231 and 125 Hornady XTP's. It's not a good idea to shoot a lot of full power 357 loads out of a "K" frame since it places a lot of stress of the light frame and can loosen the yoke causing timing problems.

For strictly target shooting, the S&W Model 14, 38 special is the finest revolver ever made. With hollow base wadcutters and 231 or Bulls eye powder this combo is capable of "X" accuracy at 50 yards. I don't think they make this one any more either.

I grew up in the golden age of revolvers; still shoot them a lot and love it. Don't hunt anymore with them because I just don't have the skill anymore with handgun to make consistent humane shots.

 

[ebb]

I bought the model 28 357 4 inch N frame In the early 70s. My wife decided she want a revolver also to shoot with me. I found a K38 combat masterpiece used at a local gun store for her. After the first day I never out shot her with the 28.

 

[farmerjohn]

Old model 686 6in cannot be beaten...IMHO

 

[msinc]

I have had them all. In a 357 I would say the 686+. The one I had was extremely very accurate...I let a buddy talk me out of it and wish I hadn't. I was a 357 man most of my life. Went on a Russian boar hunt a few years back and they wouldn't let me use a 357. 44 magnum was the minimum and I learned that many places to hunt have that rule. I was complaining about it to another buddy that I didn't even know owned a handgun and he said, why don't you just get a 44??? Well, every time I was ever around one it was always some idiot at the range that either way overloaded it so you couldn't hit anything{never understood that} or the ten gallon cowboy hat the tells me "not to worry...that little pea shooter will grow up to be a real gun one day, like mine {inevitably a 44 mag}.
Well, I tried one and fell in love with it. 629 Classic. Fortunately my eyesight is good enough still that I can shoot the iron sights. It's as accurate as the 686+. I put coke grips on both my 629 and Model 27:

 

[TheOtherZilla]

FWIW I too have a S&W 686.. Mine is the 686 3-5-7, 7 shot TALO model.. Shoots well and is accurate with my handloads..

 

[jds holler]

I got one of the first batch of 686's back when they came out. Shot it a gazillion times for about ten years. Mostly with a pretty stiff load of Bullseye under Berry's plated bullets. That load would simply beat my gong to death at a hundred yards. After years of that I came to realize that there was some detectable increase of play and gap in the cylinder. Nothing serious, and performance didn't suffer, but i let it go to a friend who would never shoot it much.

I got this one around maybe 2005, a 686-6 with the Hillary Hole. I don't let the lock bother me, (never use it) and this gun is every bit as good as the old one. Triggers on both of these guns both single and double action simply couldn't be better. As a matter of fact, I do almost all shooting double action now, and it's made a better shooter of me.

Those Hogue grips are great at least for my hands, and I've never been tempted to change them. I'm not a Smith snob, but I love them. Only other similar revolver I've had is a Colt King Cobra, and I sold it to get money up for this 686. I disagree with the 4" barrel thing, unless comfortable carry is more important than shooting. -- but to each their own. jd

 

[jds holler]

And -- since we're just talking, here a few more Smiths that I currently own -- and frequently shoot.


There are a few others that I no longer have, and really miss.
Those old top-breaks are made like a Swiss watch on the internals, and they sold for something like $11 bucks back in the day. jd

 

[kelbro]

Smiths are great but my favorite .357 is the Dan Wesson 15. Swap barrels out, swap grips out. Versatile, accurate, and beautifully polished.

 

[Forum Boss]

I like the older non-full underlug designs. Blued S&Ws are pretty but stainless is so much more maintenance free. I like long sight radius, and the half-underlug models balance a little better with a 6" or 8" barrel.

Here's a nickel-plated model 19-4, 6" bbl: