Opinions on .357 Magnum revolvers for higher power loads

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Those do look good. As you likely know, the M27 and M25 are both made on the same "N" frame and apart from any hand fitting, they are the same.

Being a bit of a snob, I preferred Herrett 'Shooting Star' grips in those days. Come to think of it, I still do. Truthfully, from the picture, those grips look better than the old factory 'Target' grips. A crucial aspect is the curve between the rear of the trigger guard and the front grip strap. And the other crucial aspect is personal preference. Get one you like, doesn't matter what I like.
 
Archie said:
Those do look good. As you likely know, the M27 and M25 are both made on the same "N" frame and apart from any hand fitting, they are the same.

Being a bit of a snob, I preferred Herrett 'Shooting Star' grips in those days. Come to think of it, I still do. Truthfully, from the picture, those grips look better than the old factory 'Target' grips. A crucial aspect is the curve between the rear of the trigger guard and the front grip strap. And the other crucial aspect is personal preference. Get one you like, doesn't matter what I like.
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Not a “snob” at all. You like what you like. I have only shot one gun, a friend of mine’s, that had Herrett grips years ago in the early 90’s. They were very nice.

I think the new S&W grips are being made by Altamont, but I do not know that for sure. It’s a hunch. I like them a lot better that the factory target grips with the bell shape. These new grips are almost like Coke bottle grips.
 
Diamondback Dave said:
Sorry not go, meant GP
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I would get the 6 shot; The 7 shot is plenty strong but my friends could still argue 6 is stronger, I like calling it a six-gun, My SW speed loaders probably fit GP and I’m used to counting to six. If I was getting a 3” barrel or similar for IWB concealed carry, I’d be tempted to get 7 rounds in the SW or the GP. A 4” revolver is a little much for me IWB. If I’m getting a 4” or 6” barrel for fun or woods or range I’d just stick to 6-shot for tradition. I know 6 shots for carry in 3” barrel is traditional too but it’s just a niche for me to have 7 / 3” / IWB. Sounds like fun.
 
Pat Riot said:
Yes, it does. Thank you. I agree regarding grips. The wrong ones can make handling and recoil unmanageable. If I end up with a 27 “Classic” they appear to have the same grip as my Model 25-15. That one is a very nice grip for a wooden grip.

Here’s a photo. They are similar in feel to Altamont Ropers.

Had to edit to fix Otto Communista intrusion…

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I like those grips, were those factory? My model 57 came with walnut grips on it and they were finger smashers. I had to take them off and put ugly Houge grips on it.
The factory walnut grips were beautiful but un-usable for me.
Model 57.jpg
 
Some of my defensive 357 rounds are hot, I reserve that ammo (Barnes XPB 125grn, at around 1350fps) for my N frames and my GP100's.
But my heavy and hot hunting rounds (180grn XTP, at close to 1400fps) is reserved for my 6.5in Blackhawk, the SA Ruger handles the recoil, I can shoot as many hot rounds as that BH can digest, and not have a sore hand after.

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Pat Riot said:
Yes, they are. I called S&W and asked who made them and they just said "they're factory grips". The lady I spoke with had no other info on them.
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I think my M19 Classic was made in 2018. Bought new it had a burr on the grip screw head. I asked S&W to send me a new screw. They told me to call Altamont and get the replacement screw as they made the grips. Got it done and Altamont sent me 3 length screws kindly.

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heyboy said:
I think my M19 Classic was made in 2018. Bought new it had a burr on the grip screw head. I asked S&W to send me a new screw. They told me to call Altamont and get the replacement screw as they made the grips. Got it done and Altamont sent me 3 length screws kindly.
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Altamont is a great company to deal with. I do think my model 25 grips are from Altamont. I should just call them and ask.
 
Pat Riot said:
Altamont is a great company to deal with. I do think my model 25 grips are from Altamont. I should just call them and ask.
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Yea, They were easy to talk to. I know they are a big operation but when I called it sounded like they answered from the shop floor. Honestly, it put me at ease. I wouldn’t mind calling again if I needed to.
 
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My one and only 357MAG gun. With my hand loads of 158 grain JHPs over a charge of 2400 is enough for me.
 
heyboy said:
Yea, They were easy to talk to. I know they are a big operation but when I called it sounded like they answered from the shop floor. Honestly, it put me at ease. I wouldn’t mind calling again if I needed to.
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I just spoke with a gent from Altamont. They do make the grip that I have on my 25-15 Classic. I asked if they sold them to the public and he said that they did, on Gun Broker. Good to know.
 
Pat Riot said:
I currently only have two .357 Magnum revolvers. A model 19-4 and a model 327 Night Guard. Neither one are guns that I want to shoot hotter .357 Magnum loads with. The 19 because I like the gun and don’t wish to ruin it. The 327 NG is light. Hot loads come with heavier recoil.

I have arthritis in my wrists and thumb joints at the wrists. I want a heavier gun. This gun wouldn’t be for CCW. It would be a range gun as well as a truck and woods and maybe a hunting gun.

My guns of choice for inquiry are as follows:
S&W 27 Classic
S&W 686 (+)
Ruger GP100
Ruger Redhawk

I am pretty sure the S&W 27 and the Redhawk can pretty much handle a steady diet of hotter heavier .357 magnum loads and they have some heft so recoil shouldn’t be an issue. Trouble is I haven’t seen either in gun stores in a while. Also, the Redhawk appears to be pretty darn heavy. I am sure a 52 ounce gun is quite the anchor after a couple of hours of carrying it.

I want the weight of my new gun to be over 40 ounces. I did consider an S&W TRR8 but price, weight and availability and my doubts about it handling hot loads have changed my mind on that one.

My curiosity is more with the S&W 686, standard or Plus models, and the Ruger GP100.
Can these two models handle steady use of hotter .357 magnum loads, 158 grain at 1400+ fps and 180 grain bullets at around 1200 fps?

Would a 686 with a 6 round cylinder be stronger than a Plus model with a 7 round cylinder?

Also, has anyone handled or seen the S&W 3-5-7 series Talo 686 Plus with the 7” barrel or the 686 Deluxe?

I do not plan to buy one of these guns for a month or two, but I am doing my research now. Also, it may come down to “a bird in the hand” situation as neither Ruger nor S&W are pumping out lots of larger revolvers right now.

Thank you for looking. :)
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To shoot hot 357 Magnum loads regularly, listing as preferred revolvers S&W 27 and 686, Ruger GP100 and Redhawk, is a wise choice. All those revolvers are plenty strong. However, that's not all. Keep in mind that shooting hot loads comes with a price; erosion of barrel forcing cone, and even front face of cylinder, especially when shooting 110 or 125 gain bullets, using double base powders. See these photos: https://www.google.com/search?q=rev...XDrAhQQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=1047&dpr=1 .

If I am in your shoes, I will take a long, hard look at 41 Magnum revolvers, like S&W 57/657. Yeah, you can go with Redhawk or Super Redhawk, but they are heavier than S&W 57/657.

Top loads from 357 magnum, using 170-180 grain bullets, are just in range of starting loads for 41 Magnum. With, as a bonus, less muzzle blast, because of lower pressures. And if you use single base powders, 41 Magnum revolver will last practically indefinitely.
 
Pat Riot said:
I currently only have two .357 Magnum revolvers. A model 19-4 and a model 327 Night Guard. Neither one are guns that I want to shoot hotter .357 Magnum loads with. The 19 because I like the gun and don’t wish to ruin it. The 327 NG is light. Hot loads come with heavier recoil.

I have arthritis in my wrists and thumb joints at the wrists. I want a heavier gun. This gun wouldn’t be for CCW. It would be a range gun as well as a truck and woods and maybe a hunting gun.

My guns of choice for inquiry are as follows:
S&W 27 Classic
S&W 686 (+)
Ruger GP100
Ruger Redhawk

I am pretty sure the S&W 27 and the Redhawk can pretty much handle a steady diet of hotter heavier .357 magnum loads and they have some heft so recoil shouldn’t be an issue. Trouble is I haven’t seen either in gun stores in a while. Also, the Redhawk appears to be pretty darn heavy. I am sure a 52 ounce gun is quite the anchor after a couple of hours of carrying it.

I want the weight of my new gun to be over 40 ounces. I did consider an S&W TRR8 but price, weight and availability and my doubts about it handling hot loads have changed my mind on that one.

My curiosity is more with the S&W 686, standard or Plus models, and the Ruger GP100.
Can these two models handle steady use of hotter .357 magnum loads, 158 grain at 1400+ fps and 180 grain bullets at around 1200 fps?

Would a 686 with a 6 round cylinder be stronger than a Plus model with a 7 round cylinder?

Also, has anyone handled or seen the S&W 3-5-7 series Talo 686 Plus with the 7” barrel or the 686 Deluxe?

I do not plan to buy one of these guns for a month or two, but I am doing my research now. Also, it may come down to “a bird in the hand” situation as neither Ruger nor S&W are pumping out lots of larger revolvers right now.

Thank you for looking. :)
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I've got bad hands ... arthritis, gout, years of broken bones especially in my right hand, my strong hand, so I can relate to your pain. In another thread perhaps I might recommend some creams, lotions and supplements that will help with the pain.

In this thread I'll just echo what many others already have before me. I love my 686-7. I've never met anyone who owns one who doesn't love them. They are one of the finest pistols ever made imho. I roll my own and I load them hot and the 686-7 handles them accurately and with aplomb. The Pachmyer grips are awesome, shock-absorbing and easy on the hands. The perfect compliment to the pistol.

Makes a great companion to a Marlin 1984 CB LTD in 38/357 Mag as well fwiw.

utf-8BSU1HMDAwMTYtMjAxMDA1MDMtMTYwN.jpg
 
Onty said:
To shoot hot 357 Magnum loads regularly, listing as preferred revolvers S&W 27 and 686, Ruger GP100 and Redhawk, is a wise choice. All those revolvers are plenty strong. However, that's not all. Keep in mind that shooting hot loads comes with a price; erosion of barrel forcing cone, and even front face of cylinder, especially when shooting 110 or 125 gain bullets, using double base powders. See these photos: https://www.google.com/search?q=rev...XDrAhQQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=1047&dpr=1 .

If I am in your shoes, I will take a long, hard look at 41 Magnum revolvers, like S&W 57/657. Yeah, you can go with Redhawk or Super Redhawk, but they are heavier than S&W 57/657.

Top loads from 357 magnum, using 170-180 grain bullets, are just in range of starting loads for 41 Magnum. With, as a bonus, less muzzle blast, because of lower pressures. And if you use single base powders, 41 Magnum revolver will last practically indefinitely.
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Thank you. I don’t plan to shoot hotter loads all the time. I just want a gun that can handle it when I do.
 
UPDATE:
I am now the proud owner of my very first Ruger double action revolver. :D
I bought a used Ruger GP100. The young man I bought it from claims he only fired l as than 50 rounds through it. He gave me what he had left of his ammo, which is 54 rounds of what appears to be remanufactured.38 Spl ammo. In our conversation he said he only bought 100 rounds of ammo when he got the gun because that was all he could find. I choose to believe him. I am pulling that ammo apart. I don’t trust reman ammo.

I had to drive 86 miles to do the transfer and now my gun is in CA Purgatory for 10 days. I pick it up on Feb. 22. I paid $700 for it. I am happy with the purchase and can’t wait to shoot my new toy.
I know early on in this thread I said I wanted a longer barreled .357, but this thing just spoke to me when I saw the photos.

Here is a photo I took of it today and below that are the photos the young man that was selling it sent me.

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Here's basically how I'd rank them, SPECIFIC to HOT loads:

Shootability/ergonomics:
1) Smith M27 (M28)
2) GP100
3) Colt trooper MK III
4) Smith M586

Durability:
1) (by a narrow margin) GP100
2) Smith M27
3) M586
4) Trooper

Accuracy:
1) Smith M27. (By a narrow margin)
2) GP100
3) M586
4) Colt trooper (call it a tie with the 586)

Overall I'd say if all you're ever going to shoot is hot, hot magnums, you can't beat the GP100..... but I shoot hot loads and other "Medium magnums" that are not nuclear, but are still "Full powered" loads, pushing a 158gr slug 1,300 -1,350 fps out of a 6" barrel, in which my Model 27-2 does the very best.
M27 is my winner! I don't really use HOT ROD loads in 357 magnum, because a lightly loaded 44 MAG LSWC will out perform even the hottest 357 Mag....which out of my 50+ oz. Dan Wesson 744, they feel like a glorified mouse fart .38 special.
 
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Pat Riot said:
UPDATE:
I am now the proud owner of my very first Ruger double action revolver. :D
I bought a used Ruger GP100. The young man I bought it from claims he only fired l as than 50 rounds through it. He gave me what he had left of his ammo, which is 54 rounds of what appears to be remanufactured.38 Spl ammo. In our conversation he said he only bought 100 rounds of ammo when he got the gun because that was all he could find. I choose to believe him. I am pulling that ammo apart. I don’t trust reman ammo.

I had to drive 86 miles to do the transfer and now my gun is in CA Purgatory for 10 days. I pick it up on Feb. 22. I paid $700 for it. I am happy with the purchase and can’t wait to shoot my new toy.
I know early on in this thread I said I wanted a longer barreled .357, but this thing just spoke to me when I saw the photos.

Here is a photo I took of it today and below that are the photos the young man that was selling it sent me.

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What a beautiful brute. I hope to grow up and get one my own someday. Sounds like you got a great deal (why exactly did he sell it?) and I hope it is functioning well. Keep us posted.
 
Diamondback Dave said:
What a beautiful brute. I hope to grow up and get one my own someday. Sounds like you got a great deal (why exactly did he sell it?) and I hope it is functioning well. Keep us posted.
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Hello Diamondback Dave, I think I got an okay deal, considering I haven’t been able to find any of the revolvers I was seeking locally. I usually like to buy “new”.
The young gent was selling it because he needed the money. I guess he hit hard times and he has a family to care for.
To me the gun looked new except for a little carbon buildup around the barrel where it protrudes from the frame in front of the cylinder. Everything else was clean.
The trigger pull was nice in single action and a little stiff in double action but that’s no biggie.
I am looking forward to picking it up and taking it shooting on the 22nd. :cool:
 
My .357's come out like this for accuracy. Being bored and having a friend with sandbags and a back yard to shoot in comes in handy sometimes.

1. Dan Wesson 15-2 6" heavy shroud. Just wins by a nose.
2. Dan Wesson 715 6" heavy shroud. So close, better SA trigger than the blue gun.
3. S&W 6" 28-2 Just a little bit less accurate than the above two guns.
4. Dan Wesson 15-2 4" heavy shroud. Ugly, it was abused before I got it, but shoots great.
5(Tie), my 1967 and 1979 vintage 4" S&W 28-2's seem to be exactly the same, accuracy wise, the older gun is smoother though, and looks better.
6. SAR sr38, 4", a near clone of a 586, just a little bit of spread compared to the above twins. It cost about half what a pre lock 586 or 686 did at the time I bought it.
My friend's Taurus 66 was pretty much a tie with #4. Very nice gun.
 
Going back over this great discussion I am not seeing much about theColt Python. As a relative newbie to the contemporary wheelgun scene (cowboy action shooter) I have seen way more on the Smiths and the GP100. Is this due to pricing or perhaps other drawbacks? I have read they are harder to find parts for, wondering what other issues you all have encountered?
 
Diamondback Dave said:
Going back over this great discussion I am not seeing much about theColt Python. As a relative newbie to the contemporary wheelgun scene (cowboy action shooter) I have seen way more on the Smiths and the GP100. Is this due to pricing or perhaps other drawbacks? I have read they are harder to find parts for, wondering what other issues you all have encountered?
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No offense to anyone, but I have no interest in Colt DA revolvers (except for my DS) for the purposes of this thread.
I asked about S&Ws and Rugers. I am sure the Colts are fine revolvers but I am (was) looking for a robust revolver that’s tough enough to put up with me. I do not wish to have to wonder if I am slowly ruining a revolver shooting stout loads. I think I got one, a GP100, that will handle what I wish it to handle.
 
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