[chetrogers]

After contemplating getting a different type of gun I'm back to thinking that i want a .357 revolver for home protection ..Can anyone suggest anything that is under 400 bucks..I would like the barrel to be at least 4" long.Thanks for your time

[Old Fuff]

Shop around for a police trade-in. Usually these are S&W model 13's, 19's. 66's. 586's or 686's. Or Ruger Security Six's or GP-100's. All of these are good revolvers, and sell for under $400.00 - sometime way under. They may show some cosmetic wear, but this won't effect you're purpose.

[sm]

I agree with Old Fuff.

I recommend the following from our very own Jim March:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1430

[Tropical Z]

I like buying used guns almost as much as i like buying used cars with 142,000 miles on them.If you want new,id look at the EAA Windicator .357mag in 4",the Rossi 972,or if you want to spend closer to the $400.00,a Ruger GP-100 in 4".
www.eaacorp.com
www.rossiusa.com
www.ruger.com

[Jim March]

Ya, it's hard to go into specific makes/brands because there's so much out there. "The checkout" can help you pick out a good one.

General stuff though:

S&W "K" frames: model 19, 66 are the most common "Ks". Good basic sixguns, light and fast handling, can be worn out with a steady diet of "hot stuff". Meant for practice with 38Spls and a little bit of 357 practice plus 357 carry. If it's an S&W sixgun in 357 but the number isn't mentioned here, it's probably a "K frame" but feel free to ask.

Ruger Security/Service series: this was Ruger's answer to the "K", and is in general very similar. Probably a little bit stronger but not enough that I'd want to shoot 20,000 rounds of full-house 357 through it.

S&W "L" frames: 586 is the blue, 686 is stainless. This is a "K on steroids", beefier, made for the days when cops adopted a policy of shooting nothing but full-house duty loads in practice. Most are sixguns, a few "+ models" are seven-shots.

Ruger GP100: this was Ruger's answer to the "L" and Ruger dropped the Security/Service series. It's a sixgun only, and VERY strong, almost ridiculously so :). You want tough? Look no further. Never made in a seven-shot though.

S&W "N" frame: the old Model 28 "Highway Patrol model" is sometimes found cheap. It's a big gun, same frame type as was used on the 44Mag. Not *quite* as strong as the smaller GP100 but with a better trigger. The 27 is the same, but with a finer finish, probably out of your price range.

Taurus: steel-frame Taurus 357s are usually pretty good. The rate of "bad specimens" is perhaps a hair higher than the same for Ruger/S&W but not by much, and "the checkout" is the way to spot a bad one in ALL cases. Taurus got heavily into seven-shooters which are good guns. In most cases I'd treat 'em like a K-frame, shoot a lot of 38, a little 357. Taurus also makes an eight-shooter built on their 44Mag frame, which is a big strong gun.

General stuff: S&Ws will tend to have the best triggers. Rugers are the easiest to work on, and can completely field-strip with no tools except a small one that's buried in the grip panel plus a normal screwdriver to get the grips off - people swap springs and internal guts on them without a visit to a gunsmith. Taurus tends to be the cheapest of these but again, armed with "the checkout" you can spot a jewel now and again.

For the ultimate in bang-for-the-buck, find something with a lot of holster wear that's been carried a lot, shot little. Such "cosmetically challenged shooters" are out there :).

In general, unless you spot a REALLY good one, avoid Rossi and EAA Windicators. Especially Windicators. The absolute "Jesus H. Christ it'll blow your hand off if you're stupid enough to shoot it" is something called a "Comanche" from Argentina (don't cry for me...until AFTER it detonates). And Spanish stuff (usually Llamas) can border on "disgusting" too.

Poke around among the Rugers, S&Ws and Taurii :).

With the checkout :D.

Added at the last sec: COLT! I forgot Colt - you won't be able to afford a Python unless it's been run over repeatedly by a semi, but a number of others are pretty good. Troopers and Lawman such. Not common, but good guns. Not easy to find a gunsmith for, so for damnsure run the checkout.

OH ya, one MORE cool but ecclectic choice: Dan Wessons :). The 15 is similar to a "K" but a bit tougher. Don't worry about the barrel/cylinder gap because the barrels are user-swappable - you might find one complete with multiple barrel lengths :). If the gap is off, all you need is the "swap tool" and you can set it to whatever you want. There's also a larger frame Dan Wesson whose name escapes me that's as tough as anything Ruger built except for a special run of 5,000 Redhawk 357s that are so insanely strong it's almost a whole 'nuther caliber :D and is highly sought after so forget I even mentioned it. ANYWAYS, if you see a Dan Wesson 357 that you dig and it passes inspection, go for it...DWs are sought after by many target shooters.

Cylinder releases, just so you look more "pro":

On S&W, Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, EAA and most others, the release switch is a horizontal slide, pushed forward with the right-hand thumb to release.

On Colts, it's a horizontal slide, but you pull it towards you instead of pushing.

On Rugers, it's a button that you push in. In my opinion, the best type.

On Dan Wessons, it's completely oddball: it's forward of the cylinder instead of behind it with all others and moves down to release instead of horizontal.

[makarov]

$400 is actually plenty of money to spend. You can get a NEW GP-100 for that kind of money. If you are not going to be carrying it around and you have large enough hands I am partial to the Model 27 or 28. I love .357 revolvers. Currently I have a 27 and a Dan Wesson 15. You can find great deals out there if you look. Take someone with you that knows how to check out a revolver or look at Jim's guide thoroughly. Look for even cylinder gap as you cycle the action. Take a flashlight with you and check to make sure the cylinder indexes accurately. Chambers should line up with the barrel exactly. You have to look down the end of the barrel to do this. Shine a light in from the side. I would do these checks even on a new gun. I used to have a Ruger Security Six. Also a great gun. I have tended to stick with either Ruger or S&W, but have been eyeing a Colt Trooper recently. In your case I would seriously consider a new GP-100 stainless. 4 or 6 inch barrel.

[makarov]

One more thing to consider. If this is for home protection only, you might want to consider a Remington 870.... I live in a quiet area, but if I were to have the need, a Wingmaster is tough to beat. I picked up a minty 870 WM cheap and got an extra 18" barrel for it. Makes a handy home defense gun. Get the .357 too!

[Rob96]

$400 to spend. You should be able to go out and buy a nice used Ruger GP or Security Six, and a decent plain jane used shotgun. Or just pick one of the three, and use the left over money to buy pots of practice ammo.

[Arub]

In these parts, $400 will put you into the Ruger line, GPs and SPs. For just a few dollars more, you can be in the Smith 60, 66 or 686s.

[Z_Infidel]

Damn, I'd almost nominate Mr. March's reply as another floating thread! :D

[Jim March]

:)

Somebody asked me in private why I disparaged Rossi and Windicator.

First, note that if the question also covered 5-shooters, I'd put such an "extreme caution advised" on Charter Arms, even though I personally have a very good one. Basically, with Rossis and Charters the odds of getting a "lemon" are higher than average, and unless you spot a very good deal like one recent guy who scored a good Rossi at $125, there's enough used "good name brand" pieces to eliminate the need to play with 'em.

In the case of Windicators, quality control actually appears to be pretty good, not too many "lemons", but the metalurgy is..."mediocre to ewwwww". Go read some of the reviews:

http://www.handloads.com/articles/windicator/ - pay particular attention to the "update after 2,000 rounds" bit at the bottom.

Windicators aren't common. Your odds of finding a used one is low, and a used S&W or Ruger won't be much more than a new EAA.

[chaim]

At $400 or less for a medium framed, 4" (or larger), .357mag my preferences are (in order):
-used S&W K-frame (should be well under $400)
-used S&W L-frame (around here it might be a tad over $400, don't know about prices near you)
-new Taurus 65 (6 shooter) or 66 (7 shots) or a Tracker if you can get it under $400
-new Ruger GP100 (around here they'd be about 5-10% over $400, don't know your prices)
-used Ruger GP100

[Jim March]

Good list. I'd move the GP100 up higher on the list, but that's because I make my own holsters and fit them right to me, plus I'm big, so I can carry more gun than most.

If you find a Ruger Service/Security type in good shape, snap it up. Strength is between "K" and "L" levels, handling is more "K".

[Swamp Yankee]

Used Dan Wesson Model 15 or 715 if you prefer stainless.

Should be able to pick up a clean used one for $250 or less. Very strong and accurate. The action takes a little getting used to at first, it's not bad, just different the the long pull of say a Colt or Smith.
With the money left over, you can add either an extra barrel, nice holster or most important a lot of practice ammo.
Take Care

[rick_reno]

I perused Gunbroker recently for inexpensive .357's. My daughter was moving into a gang infested apartment building in Oregon and wanted one - so I took a look. Some Ruger SPwhateverthey'recalled going for slightly over $200 - security sixes for about the same. I ended up giving her one of my Ruger Security Sixes.

[braindead0]

My experience with the Windicator may not be typical (I wrote the article on Handloads.com ;-).. But most of the 2000rounds I fired through is were only .38 +P. Other than 6 rounds of Winchester hunting ammo.. nothing major.

Others here report no similar problems.

But, the other issue is the likelihood of finding one (used or new) at a store is pretty small. I had to order mine.

[22luvr]

Jim March strikes again! There is SO much out there that can be bought for bargain prices......IF.......IF.......you know how to check them out. I got got an older Rossi model M677 for $120 and it checked out and shot like a dream.

It's sorta like the old adage: "Don't try this at home." Well, don't attempt to buy a used revolver until you thoroughly read Jim March's article on what to look for.

Take your time, shop carefully.....you'll find a gem out there, I guarantee it.

Good Hunting...............

[braindead0]

Bring a bore light and a set of feeler guages too. Both can be had pretty cheap.

[Watch-Six]

A lot of good advice here. I would recommend a S&W Kframe. Model 19, 65, 66, etc. The three inch model 65 is a particular favorite of mine. Watch-Six

[Sgt]

Get a new Ruger GP100 and order a set of replacement trigger and hammer springs from Wolfe. They do wonders for the traditional heavy triggers on Rugers.

Semper Fi, Sgt

[braindead0]

Too bad you're not in Ohio.. saw a Ruger Security Six for pretty cheap at a local store, probably LEO trade in.. I think it was around $150

[Litlman]

S&W m-19, 66, 27, 28.