What about the innards?
Considering what you are intending to shoot, the Smith & Wesson, with its superior trigger pull and finer looks might be the way to go (unless, as I mentioned before, you just like the single action style and the fact that its looks go better with saddle tack than double action).
I am partial to Dan Wessons and Rugers because of the lockwork, though.
My first gun was a Dan Wesson .357 revolver. Eventually I got a Model 17 K-22 Masterpiece 22 rimfire. I loved it. It was beautiful and had the finest trigger I had owned up until then.
Then I took it apart (as is my habit with all my guns and a lot of other stuff I own....if I can't maintain it -or at least diagnose it- I don't deserve to own it.)
When I took the sideplate off my K-22 I was amazed at the number of parts compared to my Dan Wesson. I checked everything, lubed it, put back the stuff that sprang out and never opened it up again before I traded it off as soon as I could make a good deal.
Don't get me wrong. I loved that K-22 and my Model 27 Highway Patrolman N-frame .357 which I also traded off. But I never could figure out what all the parts did. My Dan Wessons and Rugers have about half the number of parts, are more understandable and much more robust than the Smith's design. The Rugers and Dan Wessons also use coil springs throughout. The Smiths use a leaf spring to power the hammer. Not as durable.
Since I am talking about the lockwork, I might as well mention that the Ruger Redhawk uses a single mainspring for both the hammer and the trigger return. This makes a trigger job a bit more complex than the Super Redhawk (or the Blackhawk). The Super Redhawk uses the same lockwork design as the GP-100, with separate springs for the hammer and for the trigger return.
Obviously, I am a Ruger fan, and Dan Wesson. If you can afford (and find) a Colt, go for it. My finest-triggered revolver is my Colt Trooper .357. However, for your stated purposes, the Smith, Ruger, DW or Colt will serve you equally well for the money they will cost you. They all compete in the same marketplace and give equally good value for the dollar.
So, the question becomes, "What qualities do I want?"
Given your description of yourself, I suggest the either of the single action revolvers, the Blackhawk (lighter than the Super Blackhawk and with a fluted cylinder) or the Super Blackhawk in 44 Mag coupled with a lever action 44 mag carbine (or the discontinued Ruger Deerstalker semi-auto 44 mag carbine).
So, my advice: A used Ruger Blackhawk 44 Mag revolver with 5" to 6" barrel and a Marlin lever action 44 Mag carbine should be affordable, available, ergonomically familiar to you and aesthetically matching your style and perfectly compatible with your power needs.
Lost Sheep
