is the gp100 better than the 686?

[Chilean]

for a diet full of 125 grains magnums?

 

[Gator]

Yes, because a steady diet of 125 grain magnums will be hard on any revolver and you will not feel as bad abusing a Ruger as you would a fine revolver like the S&W.

 

[Bearhands]

here's a question..... what constitutes a "steady diet"?.... you shooting @ bad guys all day long? LOL

 

[20nickels]

You just opened a whole can of worms, Chilean.

 

[cslinger]

"You're not better then froggy, just different"

And that is all I have to say. Anybody gets the reference gets a

 

[Brian Williams]

yes, no, maybe.
They are both great guns, similar size and weight, both will take what you can give.

 

[Boats]

Yes, especially if the S&W is one of those MIM filled wonders sporting a Hillary Hole.

 

[SnWnMe]

The 581/586/681/686 series was designed with an eye towards a steady diet of 125gr maggies that the 13/19/65/66 line supposedly could not handle.

So the answer to your question is:

They are the same for the usage you mentioned and some variants of the 686 gives you a 7th shot.

You won't enjoy shooting 125gr all day anyways.

 

[VA27]

I have not shot a GP100 enough to know how tough it is, but I suspect it is pretty tough.

I have shot a 681 enough to have it rebuilt 3 times in 10 years. I lost track of the number of rounds.

Get the one that you like and don't worry about round count. If you shoot either one loose just send it to the factory for a rebuild.

 

[Chilean]

well, in my case, sending the gun to factory for a rebuild or buying a new gun is the same

 

[rdaines]

The GP100 is one tough gun, it was my choice to buy.

 

[glockman19]

yes, no, maybe.

I got the 686 because I prefet the S&W trigger over the Ruger and the extra round but both are good guns. The difference:

Capacity: Ruger 6 rounds S&W 7 rounds
Weight: Ruger 4" 39.5 oz., S&W 38 oz.

The price differnce depanding where tyou are is negligable, but I believe the S&W is a little more expensive.

You can't go wrong with either.

 

[ChristopherG]

The S&W trigger is better than the Ruger's and capable of being tuned to a lighter and smoother pull. That is why the people who win big revolver action-shooting events always (in my experience, always--there may be exceptions, but they are very much exceptions) shoot S&W's.

The 686 is a better gun for doing a lot of fast, precise Double-Action shooting. The GP100 is a fine gun, but loses ground in the comparison at this most critical point.

 

[Ala Dan]

My Observations

I would say Yes, cuz the Ruger is built "tank tuff"; and will handle the abuse
of the 125 grain .357 magnum JHP's a bit better than the S&W 686's~!

 

[Jim March]

Let's look at this again: the guy is in South America.

Get a GP100.

Yes, it really is a tougher design. Not by a huge amount but there is a difference. It's also easier to field-strip and do parts replacement yourself than it is an S&W. The Ruger DAs disassemble without tools.

Two key differences: even though the Ruger is a six-shot, the cylinder bolt cutouts are offset from the cylinder bores. In other words, the six little "dimples" around the cylinder don't form weak spots on each cylinder bore. It's offset more in the Rugers than in the six-shot S&Ws. (BUT, the 7-shot S&Ws put the "dimples" dead between cylinder bores so per some, they're actually stronger than the standard S&W sixguns.)

The biggest Ruger difference is that at the crane, there's a "locking mechanism" that keeps the cylinder from moving side-to-side. This Ruger forward locking point is more rigid than the S&W forward locking point. (Both also have rear lockup points.)

That and the ability to field-strip, and this contest in THIS circumstance (where shipping a gun back is a no-go) gives Ruger the edge.

 

[MCgunner]

The BIGGEST difference in the ruger is it doesn't have a side plate. The frame is solid. It's a stronger design, stronger gun, but the Smith is stong enough. Of the two, though, the ruger can take more abuse and will likely run much more round count between those rebuilds. Since I don't shoot revolver games, I prefer ruger for it's strength of design and ease of maintenance. A spring from Wolff or Wilson and some cycling and that Ruger's trigger will be slicker than the out of the box Smith. I doubt ANY of those competition Smiths have an out of the box trigger, anyway, not the serious good shooters. And the best on the planet is PAID by Smith and Wesson to shoot their products. He could beat anyone else with a revolver in competition using a Rossi, quite frankly. LOL

 

[PzGren]

This is a recurring question. Either an ignorant one, or one meant to stir up trouble.

Which colour do you prefer, red or green?

 

[Baron357]

+1 to PzGren, and they are both good guns.

 

[MCgunner]

You can really not go wrong with either, that's a fact.

 

[christcorp]

Yea, these types of questions are brought up only to stir a debate. The truth is, but no one wants to admit it, that while both guns are good, neither one can stand up to a LLama. Later... Mike....

 

[Chilean]

Well, I’m asking this because here in Chile:

- if you buy a .357 gun, you can only feed it with .357 bullets, son no chance to use 38 sp, that means that I need a good gun
- Gun prices are at least 2x here, so I want to buy something very durable
- I can`t send the gun back for a rebuild, the cost for me is almost is the same to buy a new gun.

I really don`t want to create a Ruger vs S&W, I’m just asking for the tougher weapon
Jim March got it right

 

[MCgunner]

What the HECK kinda law is THAT? No .38 in a .357? WHY????? Stupid! There are down loaded, milder .357 loads on the market here, not sure in Chile. They're designed to be fired in those 12 ounce wonder snubs nobody can control with hot stuff. They're hotter than .38 +P, but not too close to full power. I handload, but that's probably illegal in Chile, too, eh? If it's not, i'd buy a press and crank out the .38 level loads to play with. I like shooting .38 in my .357s, accurate and gives the gun other uses like small game. Main thing is, they're easy to group and fun to plink with.

 

[christcorp]

You know, this may be one of those times where buying a Taurus might not be a bad idea. The price is a lot less. The quality is pretty good by most people's accounts. Plus, I believe they are still in Brazil should shipping it for any reason be necessary. Just a thought. Later... Mike....

P.S. On a side note, why are you NOT allowed to shoot 38 specials in the 357 mag gun? Is it the availability or some law? Thx... Mike....

 

[Chilean]

Is the law. when you buy ammo here, you must pay some taxes and get a permission from the gov. So, if your gun is a 357, you can only buy 357 stuff.
Sad but true

Reloading is legal here. but very expensive. Is cheaper to buy another revolver in 38 and use its ammo than a reloading press

 

[SJshooter]

You are not going to be able to wear out either gun, no matter how many 125-grain full house magnum loads you shoot. Seriously, you can shoot these guns all day every day for months on end and they will just ask for more. Maybe after 20,000 rounds you might to see it loosen up, but I know people with guns with more rounds on them than that which are as crisp as tight as the day they were bought.

If you are trying to decide between the two, just handle them a lot, see which one balances better and which you like the looks of more. Oh, and really compare the triggers. The Smith will have a considerably nicer pull out-of-the-box.