There will be many nominations for various models of K-frame Smith & Wessons, and deservedly so; it's the gold standard. I like stainless steel and fixed sights in a service revolver, so I'm partial to the Model 64.
Blued and walnut for for me. There is no revolver better than a K frame smith. Heavy barrel balances best in a 4”, tapered barrel 6” feels about the same. Make mine a 10-6… and in better condition than the beater that I rescued a few years ago.
The thinnest 357 on the market, about the same size as a 4” Colt Diamondback 38, which size wise, is nearly perfect for 38 Special.
The greatest 4” .38 special revolver that has ever been made or ever will be is the Ruger GP100. This is not opinion, it is fact:
I can't play. When buying a revolver that will shoot 38 Special I've always ended up with a .357 simply because it will shoot both chamberings. That's just the way my mind thinks.
S&W Model 15. A slight edge for its adjustable sights over the fixed sights on the venerable Model 10. Very slight.
I’m going with my S&W 15-2. On sweet blued revolver that was made in the mid 60s. Was my uncles when he was in a small town police department. When he passed he willed it to me.
No contest, a Smith & Wesson Model 15 Combat Masterpiece or its cousin, the Model 67. After that, a S&W Model 10 or its cousin the Model 64. S&W supposedly still offers the Model 10 in its Classic Series. Also consider the Model 14 with a 6" barrel but NOT the later one with barrel lug. If you can't find one of these out- of-production K-frames then look to the current K-frame offerings, the S&W Model 19 Carry Comp (pricey) or Model 66s. Though .357s, you can look upon them as .38 "only" if you wish. And consider the newer Colt King Cobra with 3'' or 4" barrels. They are Colt's D-frame and only a tad smaller than the S&W Ks. They are .357s but really are .38 in size. An outside chance exists one might come across a Ruger Speed Six or Security Six; again usually .357s but they can be used as .38s "only." All mentioned are very handy. Many considered them the ideal revolver size and were the mainstays in U.S. police holsters until the 1990s.
The S&W model 15 is the King of 38 Special revolvers and the the tapered barrel model 10 is the Crown Prince.
Another lover of the K frames here. Model 15 is king, followed by the model 10. This includes their stainless Brothers as well. Fixed or adjustable sights. Take your pick. IMO, the Ruger GP100 is too big for a 38 Spl.
I retract my praise of the 10-6. Dan Wesson gets the nod, but even so a K frame can be just as good with an action job.
I know of one that has been remarkable. Blind squirrel found a nut that day, but once it popped a soda can on a fence post at about 50 yards like it was a scoped rifle, and another time it hit a coyote running flat out after I missed it with a 223. That was in the 60 yard range. Both times it was quickly reholstered before anybody could ask for a repeat.
I've been competing in revolver action and precision games for over 35 years. I have several competition tuned S&W, K and L frames and shoot D/A only in 38 Spl. There are so few Rugers and Colts at these events that they're not even on the radar! Rugers are robust and do well in severe outdoor scenarios. Colts are pretty! I have tried to love Rugers and Colts but have sold them to make room for more Smiths!
Another vote for the S&W K-frame. They come in many variants, including fixed and adjustable sights, long, short, and medium barrels, pencil-profile (tapered) and bull barrels, blued and stainless. And they’re all great. I do not think there is a “wrong” choice among the K-frame variants. Mine is a 4” fixed sight heavy barrel blued, aka the “Model 10.”
Yeah, the 10 or 15 pretty much has to take top spot. It may not be "the best" but it is the benchmark. Having said that, I think I personally might choose an Outdoorsman over all others. People who say an N frame .38 Special is silly do have a point, but as an all-around gun for anything but CCW, a 6" 38/44 takes a lot of beating.
Yep...S&W K-frames, for sure. I don't care how much an individual loves his .38, if they're not accurate, then they're pointless. 35W
S & w model 14. Made for the 38. Gp100 is like a holding a lead weight compared to it. My bad, nightlord nailed it below. Not sure if 14 was made in 4".
Though uncommon, 14s were indeed available as a 4" - the main difference being the 14s have a thicker and heavier barrel profile and some of the later dashes were fully-lugged. Target hammers, triggers, and grips would have been available as options as well on a 14. I dont know if the 15 could be ordered with these from the factory- though you could get a trigger stop on a 15.
