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My favorite 357 All Steel Revolver

I've never seen a 357 revolver that I didn't like. I've owned Smith and Wesson, Colt, Dan Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, and probably some others I can't think of off the top of my head. Both Single and Double action. Which I like best depends on which one I'm thinking about at the moment. I have no serious reason to have any of them really, so they're here just because I like them.

For this I'll say the Model 19. It was my first handgun (not this particular one) and if things go badly it would be the last one I'd get rid of. Mostly for nostalgic reasons, but I can't think of anything wrong with it. This one is a -5 from about 1986. It may well be the best Model 19 I've ever owned, and that's saying a lot. Fantastic trigger, at least the D/A. I don't think I've ever tried the S/A.

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I almost never shoot "real" 357 ammo in any of them. More like a warm 38 or just plain wadcutters. The paper targets I shoot don't take a lot of killing. ;)
 
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A bit more posts than I figured on. Sorry for the slow response. A couple of questions, to answer. The 5 T Smiths revolvers have; a target front partridge sight, larger rear adjustable sight, large hammer spur, wide target trigger and the extra screw in the action plate under the grip. This 6" M-19 also has the early M-19s recessed chambers in the cylinder and pinned barrel.
The black parkerizing is a bit different, we would take an as new gun, prep it, parkarize it, then black hot blue it, this process turns the parkerizing jet black and makes it very hard. However, the process ruins the blueing salts so the tank then must be cleaned out with the salts and water changed out..
At Steve Brady's shop in Destin and later the Great Guns shop in Pensacola, we used to do these as the the last guns to go in the blueing tanks before we had to change the salts. These guns were normally owner or employee owned guns as the process was not a listed offering to the general public. Good eye spotting that black parkerizing finish by the way.

This is the Mountain Rose Leather Co., hand tooled leather flap holster for the 6" Smith gun. Works well when worn on a tractor if bush hogging brush, to protect the gun. The man and wife team from Mt Rose moved from NM to Crestview, FL, very nice folks, if you recognize the name.
 

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I own a bunch of Taurus handguns. They're okay. They go bang. They're functional, but shooting them isn't like shooting a nice S&W...

Except this one. It's from the early/mid 1980's. It's one of the early/"old" Model 66's that has an internal S&W-style hammer block instead of the later transfer bar.

The trigger on this thing is smoooth. :)

Taurus Model 66

Taurus Model 66

 
For single action only work...this one would be my choice...Ruger's 50th Anniversary Model Flat Top...an outstanding shooter, especially with Lyman's 358156 GC backed with 13.5 gr of 2400 in Magnum brass...an authoritative load that'll raise that muzzle skyward.

If interested, check the load in a good/great manual and work up to it. My loading chrono's 1272 fps from the Ruger's 4-5/8" bbl. and will turn out sub-2" groups at 25 yds off sand bags. The grips are some I made up from cocobolo left over from another project.

Best regards, Rod

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I like my 6” S&W M19 but I cracked the forcing cone on it. After S&W replced the barrel, it gets 38 Special loads in 357 Mag cases.

But, the S&W 586/686 series is a good replacement. A bit heavier than the K-frame but the grip frame is the same.

I have S&W N-frame, L-frame, K-frame and J-frame 357 revolvers. Except for the J-frames, I like all of them when shooting 357 Mag ammunition. I shoot only 38 Special loads in the J-frame Model 60.

I do have a 357 Mag Blackhawk and a current production Python. Single action revolvers and I do not get along.

I do like the Python.

P.S. my wife likes her 4” 586-0.
 
My favorite 357 would be both of them a blued 586-1 and a 686 stainless that has a Vortex Venom red dot on it my father in-law gave it to me a week before he passed away so that one holds a special place in my heart , when he put the red dot on it he was having a issue getting it sighted in a Navy Seal who was shooting along side him walked over and sighted it in for him and it is set perfectly. I am looking at getting another 357 I really like the S&W 357 series in the 7.5 inch barrel.
 
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