What is the Best 4 inch 38 or 357 ?

Hoptob and VanillaGorilla have an angle, as long as it's that they've never shot those guns against a 4" L frame. This gun is why I sold my best 4" 67 and 4" 28 - superb actions, but they just didn't swallow .357s and act like a man like the 586/686 does. This is the finest .357 you can find, unless you can pay for a 3.5" 27.

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I'm going to have to disagree, there, my friend. I've owned 5 N frame .357s now, 3 27s and 2 28s, as well as a 586 and a 681 (which my father in law has, right now). The 586 sits forlornly in the safe more often than not, with the 5 inch 27 or the 4 inch 28 getting most of the holster and trigger time. I carry the 5 inch 27 quite often now, and it's a real shooter. I just can't warm up to the L frames like I do the Ns.

I owned a 3.5 inch 27-2 until a few months ago, and sold it for more profit than I care to admit in an open forum. It really didn't do anything that the 4 inch didn't do better, except that it looked really cool. I think the 5 inch N frame .357s are the very best balance of velocity and compactness for woods-type carry, and also balance the best, to me.

I, too, have plans for the first "beater" Model 28 4 inch that I run across. Would that I could find one of those 25 nickeled 5 inch guns sent to the Florida Highway Patrol!

HA HA - wait? Is that it up there? Oh - I didn't recognize it or know that was you! Oh how funny. Actually, when I wrote that, I was thinking i might email you to see how you were liking it! How very funny...

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IMHO my S&W 686 4" is not only perfectly balanced the trigger isa s good as they come.

Chime!!!

Yep, funny it is Bryan. Liking it would be a serious understatement. LOVE IT! Here is a link to my first impressions

Honestly, a 28 vs. 686 argument is much like a question "whom do you prefer - blondes or brunettes?" Me? - I love them all…

Mike

Those who proclaim S&W and no contest, I beg to differ. Having owned a Model 67 and nickel 586...

Gp100

I disagree that S&Ws are better than Ruger DA revolvers.

S&W revolvers have a better finish, and sometimes, better triggers. I've shot both and prefer the "stacking" that occurs in the GP100 trigger pull.

The bottom line for me is that Ruger DAs have solid frames, triple-locking cylinders, ejection rods that don't unscrew, thicker cylinder walls, and they are modular for easy take down. Bill Ruger designed the GP100 to be the most durable medium-framed revolver possible. He succeeded. If it were me, I'd get a new GP100, and send it to a reputable revolversmith and get some work done on it to fix up the finish and possibly the trigger. Your GP100 would be everything that a S&W could be, but stronger.

Like I said, I love'em all and that includes my GP and my SP. But I yet have to see a shread of evidence that GP is stronger than L- or N-frames or other way around.

Mike

Totally biased but...

Some very good points.

S&W Model 19 is a fantastic gun. Amazing trigger action, accurate and durable.

But if you plan to fire a steady diet of .357mag, the K frames are probably not a good option, you would want something beefier - L or N frame.

Wish I had access to some of the older Colt's - so I could compare them...

Bflobill_69

If price is no object, then I guess Korth ($5000 and up) is the "one."

S&w 581.

I have a new contender for the 'best' 4" .38/.357M... my 627 Pro, an eight-shooter, I bought new yesterday - wow, what a fun shooter. I had a few ftfs with the softest springs and Win SP primers, but it isn't broken in yet. More to follow, post break-in - pix, too.

Stainz

Ah, you'll not be able to buy a better 4-inch than a Ruger Security-Six. The Smith 66s and 19s are great guns, but they were ne're designed to be .357s. With a little action work of your own, you can make the action every bit as well as a Smith.

There is probably no such thing as the best allround revolver - in any barrel length - for more than one single person. Ask two people and you will, in all likelihood, get two answers.

But there are plenty of good ones, Ruger Six series, GP100, S&W K and L frames, Colts, ....

L-Frame 686!!! What'd I win???

I'll likely never ever fire a Korth to know how good it is. It had BETTER be the best at that price and, frankly, I'd rather CARRY a Taurus, Smith or Ruger. If I spent 5 grand on a gun, it'd never get out of a walnut presentation case. I DO know how good the Python is, roommate had one many years ago and it was pretty awesome. Trigger was budda and accuracy was very good even though he had cheap off the shelf reloads for ammo. At 800 or so bucks Pythons bring, I could actually see buying one someday if I just had the wants AND actually USING it, but 5K for any revolver, forget it. I'll spend that on a high quality O/U shotgun if I wanna spend that on a gun. I'm sort of a double barrel shotgun nut, would be a double gun SNOB if I could afford to be....LOL!

Of all the DA .357s I've ever owned and/or fired, the Python was the best made, best action. 686 can't compare, though it's a good gun, at least the 80s versions I've had a lot of experience with. I wouldn't buy a new one, but it's a good gun. I'd get a GP100 before a new 686, better gun IMHO even if it needs a little easily done trigger work. In fact, I prefer the Ruger design to ANY side plate design. I only like K frames because they're easier to carry and actually use being lighter and handier and I don't put a lot of heavy loads through my .357s anyway, except that my Blackhawk has probably seen more .357 than .38, but it can handle the loads.

I agree with the mentions of Model 19's. I didn't see a mention of what application you really wanted it for.

I just recently picked up a Vaquero in 357 with 4 5/8, bit longer that you wanted and it is single action. However, it is great fun and having shot single actions most of my life I find it second nature more than anything else.

It seems with a 4in though you might be looking for a new carry piece. Well.. mernickle custom holsters is making a nice high rise carry rig for single actions lol

In fact, I prefer the Ruger design to ANY side plate design.

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+1. Much easier to service. I like Ruger's easily staging trigger more.

Rugers are dogs to work on the sears - CAN'T SEE them engaged. But that's a minor inconvinience.

Mike

1). Stick with stainless (S&W 686)
2). Stick with forgings instead of castings (S&W)
3). Don't pass down a Ruger to your kids....when you die and one day your kids show your grandkids Grandpa's gun, make sure it's a S&W.

The top one below is my new 627 Pro - a 4" 8-shooter. It and the 625JM below just swapped front sights (both are spring loaded). It also sports some smallish Ahrends rounded non-fg cocobolo stocks - fine for my wimpy .357 Magnums (Glorified .38 Specials - just longer cases!). These are both current stock S&Ws - and fantastic. Both came dished for moonclips - and with eased charge holes (actually, the ejector star), a bit of a trigger job, etc. Great values - probably $725-$750 new. I bought my 627 Pro last Thursday - and what a keeper! It's MSRP is $150 more than their least expensive .357 Magnum, the 620. If you can swing it, this is the best 4" .38/.357M you can buy today.



Hey, the 625JM is no slouch, either - just not a .357 Magnum! Mine has been a 'blast' since I bought it new 2/05. Clearly the most fun way to send .45 ACP bullets downrange.

Stainz

S&W model 15, if you don't need to shoot .357's. (I'm not sure what the equivalent stainless model is)

Hey, KodeFore, I think that gun just liked you My GP often treats me to one hole groups... and so does my 686

Mike