Who makes the best 357 revolver?

'Makes' to me means present tense, that boils down to Ruger and S&W. I like really nice triggers and the 'slimness' of forged frames so that leaves S&W. I've carried M28/19/66 back in the day and I like the M686P 4" with a Performance Center trigger/action job. The 686P/4" weighs the same as a steel 1911 Government, but the M327 TRR8 weighs in at 35oz and is what I carry at my very rural living location.

S&W 19/66 or Ruger Six Series. IMO the K-frame and Six series are the perfect size for general purpose carry (outside of concealed). With that said I had more problems with my 66 than I did my Six series revolvers. If I had to choose between the two I would go with the Six Series, solely on the basis of durability.
I've heard really good things about Colt, but having never owned one, my opinion there ain't worth jack.

As others have said your needs are ill defined.

I personally wouldn't carry a fullsize .357 revolver but I wouldn't carry my fullsize 1911 .45 either. More compact weapons are available in powerful chamberings.

That said, if I were able to carry a six shot .357 or just wanted a decent one I'd...

...oh wait, I did this a few months back.

Looked all over and had around $500 to spend. Wanted something tough and reliable that I didn't have to worry about shooting powerful rounds through. Ended up with a short list.

New was going to be a Ruger GP-100 in either a 3" or 4". 3" would give it an edge for carry I probably wouldn't do but did look sexier. GP100's have a reputation for being built like a tank and taking the heaviest loads out there all day. 180gr or 200gr Buffallo Bore and Double Tap? Bring it on!

Used was also a GP100, a N frame S&W, or a Ruger Service/Single Six.

Smith had the classic coolness and the Service/Singe Six also had the classic part along with smaller size and Ruger "built like a tank" virtue.

In the end I found a nice used 4" S&W Model 28-3 Highway Patrolman and it has a place of pride in my sock drawer awaiting range time and backup "bump in the night" duties.

Shoot, I might as well jump in here too.

Not sure what is meant by a full size .357, a Highway Patrol, mod. 27???? those are full size. For years I carried a S&W mod. 19 & it was comfortable. Remember what Clint Smith said. A handgun should be comforting not comfortable.

Even the big guns can be carried comfortably with proper leather, yes I said leather. Simply Rugged makes exellent holsters that will allow you to carry a gun relatively comfortable all day. www.simplyrugged.com I'm not affiliated in any way except using them.

My pick for today would be the S&W mod. 19, 66, 13, 65, the Ruger Speed & Police six. I would stay away from those with underlugs unless you went to the Python (it's actually the old Colt .41 frame) underlugs add weight & really serve no useful purpose (I expect to be disagreed with here) but I still feel I'm correct. At least for me. If I'm going for more weight, I'll add a bigger frame & caliber!

I'd probably want a smaller gun for summer where usually only a shirt is worn, though if you wear a shirt untucked, a larger gun can be carried without detection.

Remember you can use .38 Special target loads for 99% of your practice & small game hunting. It's really fun to shoot in a .357.
Good luck in your search.
Frank

Colbysdad

I'm sure we'd all like to know your decision. We've given our ideas. Hope they help you choose just the right gun for YOU!
Frank

+1 Ruger

Opinions vary. Nobody has mentioned single action 357. Alot of great choices. Freedom Arms and Ruger.
As far as a double action. In my opinion the best shooting, carry, balanced and double action trigger is the S&W model 19. Sorry Ruger and Colt folks. But my favorite 357 magnum is my Ruger Police Service Six 4 inch. Same size as a model 19 but stronger. Will handle any sane fact factory 357 magnum round. And the double action trigger will get better with use. Still not a model 19 but close.
Regards,
Howard

So much personal preference. My all time favorite handgun is the Ruger GP-100 with a 3" barrel and the older style rubber/wood grips. That's my CCW gun. I've owned J's, K's L's (still own a 686) N's, and SP-101's, speed/security sixes, Pythons, King Cobras, DW's, you name it. It's my favorite. With the compact grips I don't find it any harder to conceal than S&W K's or Speed sixes. Just my personal preference and obviously those extra few ozs mean a lot to many people, just not to me. Experiment with carry methods and shoot as many types as you can. It's the only way to know.

Nobody mentioned Manurhin yet.

Another vote for either Ruger or Smith.

If I had to tote it, a Ruger SP101 w/ 4" barrel. Far lighter than the 6 shot guns, but still enough weight for controlability and a very trim width due to that 5 shot capacity. I honestly wouldn't want have to carry anything bigger and bulkier than that. YMMV.

Another vote for Ruger or smith. I've got a gp100 that i love but might be a little big for CC.

All in all, nostalgia aside, and viewing from design, construction, durability, longevity, and materials, Ruger.
Period.
Denis

Greetings
Dan Wesson ! Interchangable barrels that install in an easy 5 minutes. Very strong as DW is one of the few revolvers that hold together in the Silly Wet games. Very accurate as only accuracy wins at Silly Wets. Affordable.. for what many DA revolvers sell for you can have a DW model 15/2 with several barrel length options.
Been a DW owner since 1979 and still have each one in numerous calibers. They are all the same... Excellent.
Mike in Peru

Comparing Ruger to Smith & Wesson, there isn't much S&W offers compared to Ruger to justify the price. Comparing the two, there's hardly any difference in quality.

In order to stay competitive, S&W has made a lot of cost cutting changes over the years. New S&W revolvers have MIM lockwork and a two piece barrel. They're not finished as nice as they once were. Gone are the days of hand polishing, hand fitting, machined or forged lockwork, pined barrels, recessed cylinders, and hammer mounted firing pins.

Both Ruger and S&W assemble the revolvers from MIM and cast parts. There's almost no fitting involved. Thanks to lawyers, both revolvers ship with heavy trigger pulls.

This isn't to say S&W makes a bad revolver. New S&W revolvers are perfectly suited to the job of shooting thousands of .357 Magnums. However, in my opinion, a S&W is not higher quality than a Ruger thanks to the cost cutting changes made by S&W over the years.

I'd look long an hard at the Taurus Model 66. Mines been trouble free and accurate.

Taurus?
lol.....
That's not even close to a Ruger or Smith.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vftq9hNpvBc

Ragsdale 30 cal said:

In order to stay competitive, S&W has made a lot of cost cutting changes over the years. New S&W revolvers have MIM lockwork and a two piece barrel. They're not finished as nice as they once were. Gone are the days of hand polishing, hand fitting, machined or forged lockwork, pined barrels, recessed cylinders, and hammer mounted firing pins.

Click to expand...

That's why I'd recommend an old S&W. Ironically you can usually pick up a lightly used old S&W for less than a brand new one that's not made as well. For example a brand spanking new model 27 will set you back around $900, but a vintage pinned & recessed one (that is better made) can be found for around $600 in like new condition.

Guns (especially revolvers) aren't exactly flimsy things. Really no reason to buy brand new as long as you read through Jim March's guide stickied at the top of this forum.

Your Smith is a fine choice.

We recently bought the sp101 4.2 for my wife. I did the wolff spring kit with some internal polishing and she loves it. I personally ran 200 38 spcl rds through it without an issue and she has launched over 100 of her own at this point.

This is not a carry piece (she doesn't cc..yet) but her bedside gun. The slightly smaller SP frame and grip fit her well, I just kinda wish it was a six shooter instead of 5 but it works for her and that's the truly important part because "best" is different for everyone.


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The S&W 19-3 is an excellent choice.

Ruger SP101 - built like a tank and handles the heavy stuff well. I just shot mine yesterday at the local indoor range with 125 grain magnum rounds and was having a blast (literally) until the range guy came and told me of some new policy not allowing magnum ammo at their range since it bothers the 'neighbors.' bummer.

Ragsdale 30 cal said:

The S&W 19-3 is an excellent choice.

Click to expand...

+1

Yep. The mod #19 is a very nice gun.
Good decision.....

Korth