Looking for a new 357

How about a 3" M60 with adjustable sights?
Moon

Random 8 said:

I'm not really up on what's available for revolvers past and present. The wife and I currently own 2, a snubby Taurus, forgot the model number, and a 6" Taurus m66. They are very utilitarian guns, but serve their intended purposes well. I'm looking for something a little more refined that bridges the gap between the 2. Something with a 4" or so barrel. Uses will be camping/woods carry, with probably a lot of casual shooting with cast. 38/.357 mid power load and practice to proficiency with. 357 158 full power loads for bad things. What would the hive mind suggest for under $1000 new or used?

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Ruger GP 100 or S&W 686, unfortunately have right now only 6" Ruger and used to have 8" S&W, but either one in 4" would be a fantastic choice.
.

Sounds like you are really shopping for two firearms, his and hers ?
Suggest starting with her preference ?
Shop till you drop, find what wife says is best for her needs.
Make some practice loads, help her get comfortable with her gun.
Then get what you need and want.

How about a older Rossi 971. From the 90s. Its a copy of a Smith and Wesson. Not sure the model. Only thing I didnt like was hammer mounted firing pin. Other wise accurate and will hold up to full power loads. Can be had for $300-400. Wish I still had mine. Rode with me everywhere. Woods, road, skip tracing. Had a few deputy's ask how I could carry such a heavy pistol? It was easy. I was young and in good shape. Mine was SS. Post pics when you pick something up.

I don’t have any other .357 with which to compare it, but I am enjoying my 686 plus, which is in your price range. This one is 5” but I’m sure I’ve seen them in 4.

Armored farmer said:

I love my S&W 66.
Theyre out there within your budget.
My favorite 357. It shoots like a laser.
View attachment 969632

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Is that a 3' barrel?

357smallbore said:

Is that a 3' barrel?

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Its is a 2½" barrel.
The new 66 is 2¾"

These Smiths, a 19-3 & a 66-2, were in the $650-$750 range a cpl years ago. Both in excellent condition, especially the blued M19. Both have superb triggers in both DA & SA. At ~38 oz's., they're about my limit for all day carry in a good belt holster.

Accuracy with good loads, and I'm primarily a lead alloy revolver shooter, is very good. Lyman's excellent 358156 GC at 0.358" over a mid-level load of Unique, Win 231, WSF, or 2400 will produce sub-2" groups at 25 yds, from rest, on demand. Hornady's 140 gr & 158 gr XTP's are equally good. But for shear enjoyment while punching paper (when there's some friendly waging going on), a good commercial or home cast wadcutter backed by 3.5 gr of bullseye in Special brass, or 4.0 in Magnum will give ~750 fps from a 4" bbl. with accuracy that's hard to beat.

For all day carry in a pack or holster, the M66 is a better pick and will tolerate a more back country level of cleaning and lube. I love mine, have had one or another since 1966 and have settled on the 4" bbl. length as ideal for my use. YMMv, and probably does, Best Regards, Rod

I have had quite a few DA .357s and the one that stands out from all the rest is the S&W Model 686. The trigger was smooth as silk, right out of the box, with accuracy to match! Loved my Ruger Security Sixes (should have held on to a few of them), but never cared all that much for the GP100 (didn't like the grip shape, the balance or handling, and the heavy trigger on it). If I was looking for something new I might also consider the Colt King Cobra Target.

Within the past three months I purchased two barely used Model 28 Highway Patrolman revolvers, both less than $1000. A 4” and a 6”. I can’t believe I waited so long. Yeah, big and heavy, but they absorb lots of recoil. Please do yourself and your wife a favor; shoot a J-Frame .357 before buying one. I find them downright painful.

I’m actually really pleased with my little Taurus snubbie and I’ve made it my carry gun.

Random 8 said:

Something with a 4" or so barrel. Uses will be camping/woods carry, with probably a lot of casual shooting with cast. 38/.357 mid power load and practice to proficiency with. 357 158 full power loads for bad things.

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Probably a good M-19 would suit you.

If I were in the market for a new revolver? Smith & Wesson 686 police trade in is what I would start looking for. They use to be pretty cheap but not so much any more. If money was not an issue (and it always is) I would love to have a older Python. I don't shoot a lot of heavy loads and most of it is 38spl but they are a joy to shoot.

Couldn't hurt to keep an eye out for a nice M66/19 either. If you could live with just the 38spl? A lot of trade in M64's out there at a pretty reasonable price.

WB

Keep in mind S&W and Ruger are still in business and have a great , free lifetime warranty Colt's gone and the other customers service does not get good reports

Random 8 said:

Thanks again for all the recommendations and pictures of the new and classic wheels. Follow up question, has anyone got a direct comparison between a Smith made M66 and the Taurus version? I'm assuming better overall quality, but have been unable to handle a Smith 66.

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I have a Taurus 65 in 357 that is a very close copy of the K frame Smiths. My particular specimen is a 4 inch bbl and has very nice bluing and shoots to the sights. It is also blessed with a pretty good trigger pull. I can recommend one based on my sample size of 1.

GP100 is a great gun, love it.

I like S&W BUT if I just could have one .357 I would not cry with this one :
https://ruger.com/products/sp101/specSheets/5771.html


https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890228109#carousel-modal-view-item

Random,

If you are willing to spend a $1000.00, you have a number of good choices. My first choice would be the RUGER GP-100 Match Champion. It is an upgraded GP-100 with usually a smoother trigger action (at least on all those that I have handled) and a slightly trimmer barrel that will be easier on your hip when carrying.
I have both S&W L-frames and RUGER GP-100's. The S&W revolvers generally have good triggers, but like the RUGER GP-100, they are heavy guns.
I carried a 4 inch S&W 681 on duty early in my career and found it a much easier to control gun than the 3 inch barreled S&W model 13 revolvers we were issued. The L-frame was heavy enough that I could shoot the "hot" 125 grain jhp ammo that was optional with my agency.

My brother got a very good price on a GP-100 and loves it. He figured his wife would too, but it is just too heavy for her. She only shoots .38 +P ammo for self defense, so recoil is not the issue. These guns all weight about 2 1/2 pounds and for some people this is too much weight.

My wife would not even try to shoot a 2 1/2 pound gun, though she likes and shoots decently with a GLOCK 19 or BERETTA 92Compact. Still, she shoots much better with a smaller gun like the GLOCK 42.

You may also want to look at the RUGER SP-101 Match Champion. It is a 5 shot revolver. You can get it in a 4.2 barrel, like the GP-100 based version and it has the smoother trigger as well. It is a lot lighter at 30 ounces, but that may cause a problem for you or your wife, with the recoil level.
My old issue S&W model 13 weighed about 30 ounces (the same as the RUGER SP-101 with a 4.2 inch barrel) and it was ok to shoot using the 110 grain .357 magnum that we were issued for it. Depending on the shooter, it may be too much with the harder kicking 125 grain or 158 grain loads.

If possible, try before you buy.

Good luck,

Jim

If you're open to used, don't sleep on a ruger security six or a dan wesson 15-2. Going rate was about 500-600 pre-covid, and either is a solid platform.

The problem here is that pretty much all the posted answers are without any arguable issues. You would be OK taking any of the advise given. Personal preference is fully at work here so it boils down to what your personal preference is. That means getting out there and handling the various options available to you. I prefer Smith & Wesson over Ruger myself. Either a K or an L frame. The K frames are a bit lighter and that makes their carry easier. The L frame being a bit beefier will in theory and likely in reality as well, make them stand up better using a heavier diet of hotter loadings. My personal preference is a K frame Model with 3 inch barrel. Your choice of .357's may be something different.