Revolvers .357 Magnum

Status
Not open for further replies.
Just under a one year shooter here. I really love my 686 plus as a range revolver, but as I am sort of J framed myself, I don't think I'd ever carry it. .357 does pound my hand a bit, and yesterday for the first time I shot .38 special out of it. I like the flash and fireball of the .357, but .38 admittedly turned out to be more fun for me. As far as aesthetics, the stainless frame, full underlug, unfluted cylinder and wood target grips really do it for me, and it's under $1000. But for carry? Not for me. IMG_6304.jpg
 
Tons of good te recommendations. I wished there was an easy way to find out what grips fit best for you. I found that a change of grips for me changed my whole outlook on the gun.
Sadly...only the expensive way. I have a drawer full of them.
 
This is so, so true. Sometimes it aint the gun, it's the
furniture that counts.
Or the tires. As much as I prefer the looks of other grips on my GP100s I always go back to the Hogue mono grip w/finger grooves for comfortable range trips especially when shooting 357 magnum. Two major hand/finger surgeries plus rheumatoid arthritis have made them almost a necessity. The finger grooves fit me well and keep my swollen middle finger slightly further from the trigger guard. I'm going to try some light 357 reloads today and the Hogue just went back on. The Speed Six will always wear the Pachmayr Compacts.
 
I have owned an S&W 66 no-dash (4"), an S&W 19-3 (4"), an S&W 27 (6"), an S&W 27 (5") , and probably a few others I've forgotten about. Let's not even talk about the Scandium .357 j-frames....
I still have the 5" M-27. It ain't the prettiest revolver you've ever seen but dang...it makes me look pretty good at the range.

I look at nicer ones on the S&W forum but I'm not ready to part with $1000 or more for something that "might" shoot as well.
 
In numerous YouTube videos about the "best" .357s, the Ruger Security-Six revolvers are almost never mentioned. I have one magazine article that talks about the Ruger (before the GPs). Well, here 'tis:

Ruger-357s-Big.jpg

RugerSecurity-SixTrio.jpg

I can't imagine the Ruger Security-Six not being featured in such collections in the finest, or best, magnums.

--
 
Last edited:
In numerous YouTube videos about the "best" .357s, the Ruger Security-Six revolvers are almost never mentioned. I have one magazine article that talks about the Ruger (before the GPs). Well, here 'tis:

View attachment 971104

View attachment 971105

I can't imagine the Ruger Security-Six not being featured in such collections in the finest, or best, magnums.

--
I agree. The Speed Six and Service Six as well. I love those 2-3/4" round butt speed sixes especially.
 
I had an SP101 2" in 357, shrouded hammer, stainless, DAO, wasn't anything wrong with it, but I actually prefer to have a hammer I can cock and I started carrying a pistol instead of revolver as my EDC

I sold the 101 to an LEO who wanted a backup piece (made sure I got ID and paperwork, just in case it gets used).

Found a blued 4" GP100 which quickly became a favorite. A Redhawk in 45 Colt is still on my list when I find a decent one locally.

I never thought of myself as a Ruger fanboy, but, it appears that they are what I consider my "primary" handguns (EDC) and a few of them, like the GP100 I list among my favorites.

I do have other brands of firearms (so maybe I am not a full fledged fanboy).

Over many years, I have had one issue with a Ruger, broke a barrel nut on an AR556 and I reached out to Ruger CS for a new one. They sent me a replacement free with no questions asked and I had it in 3 days.

d
 
"But I'm developing a hankerin' for a Model 28-2 with a 6" barrel. Probably where my tax refund will go. If I get one this year."

I couldn't afford a Model 28, but my understanding is that the Model 27 is the same revolver with a simpler finish. I found a Model 27 that was a bit "finish challenged" for a very good price. It's a sweet shooter and fits my XXL hands well.

 
"But I'm developing a hankerin' for a Model 28-2 with a 6" barrel. Probably where my tax refund will go. If I get one this year."

I couldn't afford a Model 28, but my understanding is that the Model 27 is the same revolver with a simpler finish. I found a Model 27 that was a bit "finish challenged" for a very good price. It's a sweet shooter and fits my XXL hands well.

I think you have that backwards: the 27 has the higher finish, more barrel length options, more options in general, and some generations have finer and more checkering. The 28 Highway Patrolman has a satin finish, two barrel lengths, and cost less.
 
I think you have that backwards: the 27 has the higher finish, more barrel length options, more options in general, and some generations have finer and more checkering. The 28 Highway Patrolman has a satin finish, two barrel lengths, and cost less.

This. The Model 27 is, indeed, the upper-tier model.
 
681-640-1.png

I don't know if I posted this here yet.... but back before the semiauto took over the L.E. arena this duo was carried on many OSHP shifts. the 681 was a regular holster gun until 1992-1993 until the Beretta 96D took its place. the 640 took the place of a model 60, but it too was replaced with a semiauto on the ankle before long.... I still love shooting these guns though, nostalgia aside, they are still formidable guns in the hands of a competent shooter.
 
View attachment 971756

I don't know if I posted this here yet.... but back before the semiauto took over the L.E. arena this duo was carried on many OSHP shifts. the 681 was a regular holster gun until 1992-1993 until the Beretta 96D took its place. the 640 took the place of a model 60, but it too was replaced with a semiauto on the ankle before long.... I still love shooting these guns though, nostalgia aside, they are still formidable guns in the hands of a competent shooter.
I love the 581/681 series like I did the 10/64 & 13/65's beforehand. Great camp/range and duty guns. Hard to find the 5/681's around here.
 
Budget and intended use? Do you want new-production only, with easily accessible customer service, or would you look at older guns that, to varying degrees, could be difficult to service, should the need arise? There's a vast range of options.

The S&W Model 686 (and 586) and Ruger GP100 are the standard suggestions for new sub-$1,000 .357 Mag. revolvers. Neither do much for me, but they are very solid guns.

S&W's flagship revolver has long been the N-frame Model 27 (and pre-Model 27 and Registered Magnum). If you're okay with the unfortunate internal lock (present on almost all S&W revolvers since 2000), the absence of pinned barrels and recessed cylinder bores (both eliminated ca. 1982), MIM parts (present on all S&Ws since 1997-98), two-piece barrels (not sure of first year), and bluing that doesn't compare with the S&W wheelguns of yesteryear, then you can buy a new Model 27 "Classic" (27-9) for not much more than a 686. The Model 27-2 is the last version to have none of the aforementioned changes that most S&W enthusiasts dislike at least to some extent. In general, the further back you go, the more expensive the gun will be, all else being equal (though there are exceptions, with the rare Model 27-1 being more valuable than an equivalent 27 "no dash," for example). A pristine pre-Model 27 can run several thousand dollars these days, depending upon barrel length, and a high-condition Registered Magnum will easily run into five figures in even the most common barrel lengths. The Model 28, made from 1954 to 1986, is the same as a Model 27 from the same production year but with a few features and options omitted to keep production costs lower (no checkered top strap and barrel rib, matte blue finish rather than high-polish "Bright Blue" finish, no nickel finish option, fewer barrel length options).

If you want the finest DA .357 Magnum revolvers ever made, then you're looking at Ratzeburg-made Korth Sports and Combats and Mulhouse-made Manurhin MR73s, with a well-preserved example of any of them coming in at several times the cost of a new S&W or Ruger. If you want the finest DA revolver currently made, you're looking at the aesthetically challenged Lollar-made Korths (imported by Nighthawk). (Not really counting Janz here, since production is so low.)

If you want the finest SA .357 Mag. revolver ever made, look at Freedom Arms. The USFA revolvers made after they stopped using Uberti parts are also very, very nice (and the ones with Uberti parts are still nice). (On the much cheaper end, people love their SA Rugers as well, but I have little experience with them.)

There's also the K-frame S&W Model 19 and 66 (and others), but these are smaller and lighter revolvers, just like your Model 10. Many of them will not hold up very well to a steady diet of full-power .357 Mag. ammo. In recent-production guns, S&W eliminated the flat gas-ring clearance cut on the bottom of the barrel at the forcing cone, thus strengthening the barrels and increasing longevity. You'll have to determine whether they are too light to make pleasant shooters.

Plenty of Colts you could look at as well. The old Pythons are as iconic as .357 Mag. revolvers come. They aren't all of the same quality, though. Colt's quality had really declined by the late 1970s, and it bottomed out in the second half of the 1980s. Some of the 1990s guns I've seen (and owned) aren't much better. I don't have any experience with the new Python. It has some significant technical improvements over the old version, but I've read more than a few complaints of serious quality control issues over the last year. The only other Colt .357 Mag. revolvers I like at all are the original Trooper (1953-69) and the Colt 3-5-7 (1953-61), which was just a more refined Trooper (or, in many respects, a less refined Python). (Well, I also love the Shooting Master, but only 500 were made in .357 Mag., and they aren't cheap.) Other more common old Colts in .357 Mag. are the Trooper Mark III, the Trooper Mark V, and the King Cobra. The new King Cobra is a small-frame revolver of a different design.

Dan Wesson revolvers have a smaller but ardent following. I gather that quality has varied at different times, with guns made in the late 1980s and 1990s being viewed less favorably than the earlier guns. Current-production DWs seem to draw very positive reviews overall.

There are other cheaper options from Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, and RIA/Armscor, but the 686/586 and GP100 would be my personal floor in a search for a quality .357 Mag. wheelgun.

Plenty of other brands and guns that I haven't listed as well.

I think you pretty much covered it all mate. The Korth is a fine gun. I like my 27 2 and model 19 for the reasons you mentioned.however my Dan Wesson heavy rib is interesting..

Thewelshm
 
Last edited:
I had a 66-1 with 6" barrel that looked just like yours I sold to another member here but I'll be derned if I can remember who it was. I think I sold it to him for $625 about a year ago. He wrote me back and said he really liked it. Good for him.
 
It's difficult to believe that new .357 revolvers are now hitting the $1K mark, despite the fact I predicted it for so long! It began with the plastic guns and the all-steel .45 auto 1911s (one of the most over-rated guns of our day, in my view). They are decent competition pistols, but steel autos are getting to be too expensive, and too selective. The .45ACP cartridge is too big and too slow, again in my view. It once had a reputation of being inaccurate, the gun and the round having problems hitting the proverbial broad side of a barn. It was carried by the U.S. Military, including my dear old departed pappy.

A Navy aviator, he was ordered to fly a reconnaissance mission in the South Pacific during WWII. In pre-flight calculations, he realized it was going to be a one-way trip and so advised his superiors. But they told him to proceed. Bummer for him. So he took his .45 Colt, his K-Bar Marine knife, gold and food and water and was taxiing when he got a reprieve. They had done the math and he was right about the fuel. So they cancelled the mission. Oopsie!

Dads-Knife.jpg


At the end of the war he, being an honest fellow, turned in his gold, and his Colt but he kept the knife. I could see him returning the gold and keeping the knife, but dammit, not the gun, which most of the guys kept. Why? Because it was more likely than not to become part of a manhole cover somewhere. I just wish he had re-thunk it. Anyway, the knife was a valuable keepsake.

My view on guns is that a $grand$ is too damn much to spend on a handgun. Unless it's a Python or a Gold Cup. But it seems everyone is making a 1911 these days when, if it were me, I'd prefer a Hi-Power. Had plastic pistols not been developed, we'd still be carrying around steel autos and revolvers and blissfully so! I subscribe to a handgun magazine, and half the issues sport 1911s on the cover, the other half plastic, and every now and again an obsolete revo...revat...oh yeah, revolver I think they're called. Each round has its own chamber!

Handgun-Magazines-1.jpg

S&W had all-steel autos some years ago, and used ones sell for $500-$700 depending on condition and type. If it's a 1911, add a few hundred more for some reason.

--
 
Last edited:
Here a few of mine with notes on their usefulness etc. For me, belt carry is essential, as we live on a farm and I'm on and off tractors, 4x4's, two motorcycles, a half dozen horses, two jeeps...you get the idea. Anything longer than 5" and the gun is sticking me in the short ribs. I'm a 3-4 o'clock, belt carry guy for 99% of the time, no shoulder rigs, but have been known to tote a 'tanker' style of cross chest holster back when I ran the Colorado and Washington mountain ridges for elk. In truth, accuracy with these shorter, (but not real short) guns is as good as my 6-6.5" bbl'd guns out to 50+ yards, and I need a rested, supported position to see it. From a modified Weaver Stance, there's no discernible difference.

S&W Model 60, 3" bbl. A great carry gun with good recoil absorbing stocks. In use, I generally load with +P .38 Spl rounds of the Golden Saber persuasion. Five shots, but those are good slugs if you're in trouble. Accuracy with good loads, runs to 2-3" at 25 yds. Plenty good enough for plinking, as a back up gun to my deer rifles, and fun to score with. Target grade wadcutters with this particular M-60 will produce groups that impress, despite the short bb. IMG-7965.jpg

S&W M-60, 5" bbl. These are hard to find, and expensive when you do...I bought one a decade or so ago, and one of my sons talked me out of it for a trail gun. Great accuracy, with very light weight, good in the hand if you have S or M size mitts, but good grips are essential (Mine is fitted with a Monogrip) for long range sessions. I think you'll find that Smith's K, L & N frame guns will have significantly better DA triggers, than the coil mainspring J's.

S&W M19, 4" bbl. Truly one of, if not THE, best revolvers ever devised for 'duty' sized weapons. Light at ~38 oz's., it's a wonderful belt gun with superb accuracy in every specimen I've shot. Famous for it's presence on LEO's duty belts back in the day, it's a solid candidate for the 'one gun', do it all shooter. Even full house magnums (as currently loaded), are manageable over a morning at the range. Issue stocks as supplied by S&W do not mitigate full house recoil. Get the ones that extend lower on the rear of the trigger guard...rubber, as currently supplied by S&W does well, as do offerings by Hogue 'Monogrip', Uncle Mikes, and Pachmayr. For DA work, I'm especially fond of Jerry Mikulek's grips...they fit me to a T and really help control recoil for DA work. See pic below with my 66 fitted with Mikulek grips.
S&W M66, 4" bbl. My vote for the most useful revolver down here in the lower 48. From .38 Spl wadcutters to full house, 158 gr JHP's, this revolver was the number one pick for working cops, with an already overloaded duty belt. Weight is the same as the M-19. The stainless construction makes it an outstanding choice for back country use, and with a caliber that can do the job when needed. I have no experience with the current ones, but any from the 60's-90's will serve you well for the rest of your life. Of the 3 I've owned over the years, only one is left as the rest were gobbled up by friends and family with a good tale to tell. This would be my #1 pick for someone who's looking for the one revolver to do it all. You buy one, and you'll have it for the rest of your shooting life. IMG-E7436.jpg

S&W M27, 4" or 5" bbl. Either is great belt gun, perhaps a bit heavy for the caliber, and a bit of a chore for all day belt carry, but a PLEASANT gun to shoot at extended range sessions. My 5", (Skeeter's favorite), has charmed many a lad (and a few girls) here on our home farm range with its accuracy, smooth action, and superb DA & SA triggers. If you can tote the weight, it's a gem and will be an heirloom your kids will treasure if the politicians don't dismantle the 2nd Amendment in the next 4 years. (I'm hoping the populace will eventually see through the current pack of liars that have taken power.) This is a bigger gun than the K frame Smiths and feels about 2x the size of the J's, but it's fun to shoot!! Here's the pic I meant to post originally, my 5" Anniversary M27. IMG_E9292_-_Copy.jpg


Ruger Flattop, Old Model, or New Model, 4-5/8" bbl. As you've probably guessed by now, I'm a shorter barrel guy...and that comes from 50+ years of trying to keep 6-inchers out of my spare ribs in a belt holster while mounted up on any modern conveyance. This Ruger, ruggedly built as are of Bill's offerings, is a do-it-all gun. SA only obviously, so it may be limited for protection...and not only in the towns and cities, but out back too. DA fire can be learned and just might be of life-saving importance sometime. All of that notwithstanding, I love mine (Currently a Flattop Anniversary blued all-steel, specimen, tho I've owned and loved Old models and New as well and in the longer 6-1/2" bbls. too.) As accurate as my Smith's, all of my Rugers had good hunting triggers right out of the box. Not S&W good, but nice working/hunting pulls nevertheless. This would be another good choice for the one gun guy. My current one, in that easy-totin' length, has made some impressive hits out on our 100 yd berm when I can get a good back support position and the morning sun is behind me for sight alignment. In recoil, I really prefer a good SA vs the DA (Smith or Colt) as the gun just rolls up in your mitt, allowing easy access to the hammer for repeat shots. And too, the trigger guard bite, even with factory grips, doesn't seem as bad as the Smiths.
R-BHFT-357-R.jpg

HTH's Rod
 

Attachments

  • S-W-M18.jpg
    S-W-M18.jpg
    31.9 KB · Views: 4
  • IMG-E7438.jpg
    IMG-E7438.jpg
    150.4 KB · Views: 4
  • Skelton-5-inch-M27.jpg
    Skelton-5-inch-M27.jpg
    30.1 KB · Views: 41
Last edited:
Rodfac thats the first left handed model 27 I have ever seen. Cool. And I agree about the model 19/66. Those have to be the best 357s ever built. I have owned several 4" versions and I wish I still had at least one of them. But a decade or so ago you thought you would always be able to get another. Nope.

But I have a very nice Ruger Security Six blued 4" thats as smooth as butter built in 1986. It will serve in place of a model 19 unless a killer deal on a model 19 comes along. And IMHO the very best revolver belt gun is the model 15. Most who have 357s load them with 38s anyway and my model 15 only weighs 34oz IIRC so its just a little bit lighter to carry and a pure joy to own. This one ain't gettin' away.
 
I agree. The Speed Six and Service Six as well. I love those 2-3/4" round butt speed sixes especially.
They sure are. But it's really easy to put round grips on a 2.75-/4-inch Security-Six.

Bench-1.jpg

Bench-2.jpg

Bench_3_1.jpg

RugerSecurity-SixDuo_RB.jpg

I had an SP101 2" in 357, shrouded hammer, stainless, DAO, wasn't anything wrong with it, but I actually prefer to have a hammer I can cock and I started carrying a pistol instead of revolver as my EDC. Isold the 101 to an LEO who wanted a backup piece (made sure I got ID and paperwork, just in case it gets used).
I agree wholeheartedly. A DAO does have its uses, but to disable single action is too much to give up. Especially in a defensive gun. Snagging a gun, while possible, isn't something I'd likely do for the type of carry I'd be interested in, especially in a 2.25-inch barrel length. Sometimes I wish I'd gotten a 3-inch model, but I already have a 3-inch Speed-Six and a 2.75-inch Security-Six. Ruger is building too many underlug-barreled guns to sit me, and a 2.25-inch SP101 seemed to be the way to go. I'd considered an LCR, but it's too light and I don't know how many full-throttle rounds it would take before going a bit wonky.

RugerSP-101_1.jpg

I had a 66-1 with 6" barrel that looked just like yours I sold to another member here but I'll be derned if I can remember who it was. I think I sold it to him for $625 about a year ago. He wrote me back and said he really liked it. Good for him.
The 66 was a beautiful gun, but I never could find a 4-inch no-dash model. As for the 6-incher, the Ruger Security-Six made a whole lot more sense. The S&W 66-1/2/3 models, when available (not that often) all looked like they were sand-papered by orangutans! Taurus revolvers, which were awful, all had much more beautiful finishes for less money. Why? A friend told me it was more likely to better keep down the glare, but I never confirmed it. The S&W 66 could only handle several thousand rounds of full-throttle magnum ammo whilst the Rugers could handle hundreds of thousands. Still, the S&W was a classy model with forged steel. And the Ruger was a classy model with investment cast steel.

GA-36a.jpg
Ruger Security-Six 6-inch FBI Academy Commemorative.

RugerSecurity-Six6_inch.jpg
Ruger Security-Six with wood presentation grips.

--
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top