[waterhouse]

A customer asked about this and I had no idea, so now I'm asking you guys (I tried a search but 5" doesn't do to well on the search function.)

Are there any common makes/models of 5 inch barrel .357s. I've seen snubbies and 3 and 4 and 6 inch varieties, and then the longer hunting barrels, but I can't find too many 5 inchers.

Any help would be appreciated. If there aren't any common ones available, is it a huge problem for a smith to cut down a 6 inch gun or is this a fairly simple job?

[Bopleo]

Davidson made a run of 5 inch ruger GP 100's, about two years ago.

There might be some left, somwhere.

[Old Dog]

Smith & Wesson, in 2004, produced a "stocking dealer's exclusive" special edition 686+ with a 5-inch barrel, v-notch adjustable rear sight, red Hi-Viz frontsight and beautiful Kim Ahrends exotic cocobolo finger-groove stocks. I purchased one.

You can still find these occasionally NIB on dealers' shelves or on the used-gun market.

[Moonclip]

S&W model 27's came with 5" barrels during some of the production run, not exactly common though.

[sd]

I have seen the SW 686 5" limited run, it is nice and very tempting. Not a .357 , but does't ruger redhawk come in 5".

[JoeHatley]

S&W 627.

Joe

[Shear_stress]

Also, the Model 60, of all things:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=11101&storeId=10001&productId=14756&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=15704&isFirearm=Y

[Jim March]

I now have a Ruger New Vaquero in case-color, 4.68" barrel 357 :).

Bought it just a couple months ago. It *really* shoots well, even with the horrid sights (which are getting changed!). Windage is dead on, too.

Now to modify grips and sights :D.

[Standing Wolf]

I've got a five-inch .357 magnum revolver.

I'll admit it didn't leave the Smith & Wesson factory with Fung stocks or a Clark barrel, but still...

[phorvick]

Here is my 686, 5"..a great gun BTW
http://shootingsafely.com/sw686.jpg

[Joey2]

I have a Security_Six .357 with a 6" bbl.

[SouthpawShootr]

Here is my 686, 5"..a great gun BTW
http://shootingsafely.com/sw686.jpg

Did you do something to the underlug on that thing or did it come from the factory like that?

[Marko Kloos]

The S&W Model 27 came in 5", although those are not terribly common.

Great barrel length. Nice balance, and looks "just right" on a large frame.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~lendringser/images/m27_6x4.jpg

[phorvick]

Did you do something to the underlug on that thing or did it come from the factory like that?
The model pictured is the S&W 686, 5", stocking dealer's special from 2004. The picture was originally taken from the S&W website. Mine is exactly the same...

[SouthpawShootr]

Interesting. Never seen one of those. How does that fiber optic sight suit you?

[Old Dog]

Southpawshootr, phorvick's 686 is the one I was referring to in my first post ... The half-lug is a great feature, makes a 5-incher balance really, really well ...

Speaking for myself, I find the red Hi-Viz sight to be truly excellent for outdoor shooting, the big red dot is incredibly visible in either bright sunlight or with an overcast. Indoors, on darker ranges, with my presbyopia, is another story, but it's still a very visible sight. I am probably going to put the Hi-Viz front sight on a couple of my other Smiths.

[waterhouse]

thanks for al of the responses. That 686 special edition sure does look nice.

This all got started when a customer picked up his 3" GP100 and said he would like a 5" to go along with it. Now I might have to start looking for a 5" for myself :D

[P95Carry]

Let me just add same as Marko - the IMO almost definitive Smith N frame 5" M27-2. Not too long - not too short - near perfect balance. :)


http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/thr/cb_gun2/m27-2_s.jpg

[RonJon]

I'll second that motion... :D
http://webpages.charter.net/ronjon/S&W%20Model%2027-2%20left.jpg

[Majic]

5 inch used to be a preferred barrel length of S&W revolvers. Then in time the 4 inch became a favorite and the 5 inchers fell by the wayside. The 5 inchers do balance beautifully for me though.

[caz223]

Although 4 inchers are ok, the 3 and 5 inch models are the ones I wind up keeping.
No idea why.

[jc2]

Just to complicate matters, I prefer five-inch N-frames, four-inch L-frames and three-inch K-frames. Don't ask me why--they just "feel" right for me. It probably has to do with balance and my hand (though nothing packs quite as easily as a three-inch K-frame).

[Werewolf]

[edited by Werewolf as redundant - where's the delete feature?]