3" .357s

[cmannie]

Fugate,
You sound like some kinda Kentucky Buck Owens...How's the fish bitin down in Kentucky Lake?
As far as that banjo goes...."Could Ya play some Lynyrd Skynyrd,Please?"

 

[John Fugate]

Cmannie,
The fish are bite'n and the banjo's are tuned up down here on Ky Lake .

We've got rural scenes & magazines
We've got truckers on the CB
We've got Richard Pryor on the video

Fugate

 

[MCgunner]

Only thing about SP101s in kit gun duty is no adjustable sights. I had one in 2.25", though, and the damned thing shot everything to POA. That's very unusual, I mean, everything from 180 magnums to wadcutter .38s. Defies the laws of physics.

 

[jcjacobvt]

Since it turned into a picture thread. Here are some of Smith & Wesson's.

model 60 3 inch, 66 2 1/2 inch, 686 2 1/2 inch, 686 4 inch

All great short carry guns

 

[cmannie]

Got a big bus,with a TV and a bar..And a little room in the back for Me and My old guitar..Gotta stop and fuel and,every five hunderd miles,give a picture to the waitress,eat a late breakfast country style...

 

[John Fugate]

Hamburger Steaks and Holliday Inns

Thats my life and I love it,
Fugate

 

[papajohn]

I've been a fan of three-inch guns since the first time a buddy let me shoot his 66-3, I hit everything I aimed at and decided I needed to get that one away from him. Twenty-four years later, he still has it, and I'm still trying. (Negotiations continue....) But in the meantime, I happened across a few other three-inch guns, and made them my own. First there was this one..............

A Smith 657, which I foolishly let get away since it was too big to carry comfortably off-duty. Eventually I happened into a deal for a used Smith 65-5 three-inch, and pounced. I still have that one, and have made it my own. Re-shaped the (stainless steel ) front sight, shaved off the hammer spur, and did the best trigger job of my life. Absolutely amazing trigger. Even a few gunsmith friends have said they can't beat it, and it's dead reliable with all primers, even those damned CCI monsters.

Not long ago a guy here at work mentioned a gun he was thinking about selling, and I pounced again. I've long lusted after a Smith 696, but the used guns are close to a grand around here! This Rossi 720 three-incher cost me less than a fourth of that, shoots like it's laser-guided, and carries easily. If five rounds constitutes a handicap, you need to practice more, it doesn't phase me at all. Here's a pic of the last two, sitting by the window, asking when we're going to the range again. "Tomorrow? Pleeeeeeeease?"

So what is it about the three-inch guns that makes them so desireable.......the balance? The sexy profile? I neither know nor care. All I know is that whatever it is, I'm a complete and total sucker for it!

Papajohn

 

[Stainz]

Hey, here is my only 3"-er... it should have been a .38/.357M... boring it out to make it a .44 Special makes the 696 a poor example of a good .44 - it has no forcing cone!



Now, you want a .44 that will take real Keith level loads? How about one that brand new will set you back less than the used 696s seem to command these days? Sure, it weighs six ounces more - but it has a bigger hammer & trigger - another inch of barrel - another round of capacity - and it really is a Magnum! Sure - a 4" 629 (SKU #163603) - like mine below, which sports the Hogue .500 Magnum grips and is shown with my 696 from above. If someone offered me the right amount, I'd have just the 4"-er. Believe me... don't spend the brat's college money on a 696... spend a bit less on a 4" 629 - send him to a community college!



Stainz

 

[BikerRN]

For me it would depend on how much you are going to shoot it.

I've put over 1,000 "full house" rounds through my 3" GP100 in the past six months. For that amount of shooting I'd go with a Ruger. If you are only going to shoot 50 rounds/Month then I'd get a 3" K-Frame S & W.

BTW: The Ruger isn't any harder to hide than the K-Frame S &W, IMHO.

That's my $0.02 on the matter.

BikerRN