Opinions on .357 Magnum revolvers for higher power loads

[Pat Riot]

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.

 

[CraigC]

I agree with your treatment of the model 19. The GP and 686 can pretty much take whatever you want to feed them. I also really like N-frame .357's and have both a 4" HWP and a 6" 27-2, with an unreasonable hankering for a 8 3/8" to take on a jackrabbit safari. To me the Redhawk is just way too heavy for a .357. I think they're too heavy for a .41.

 

[Pat Riot]

I agree with your treatment of the model 19. The GP and 686 can pretty much take whatever you want to feed them. I also really like N-frame .357's and have both a 4" HWP and a 6" 27-2, with an unreasonable hankering for a 8 3/8" to take on a jackrabbit safari. To me the Redhawk is just way too heavy for a .357. I think they're too heavy for a .41.

I like N frames as well and would love to find a 27 with an 8 3/8” barrel…that I could afford.

 

[Barbaroja]

6” gp100 might fit the bill. I got one recently and have really been enjoying it. I was going to buy the 686 but the 6” felt too muzzle heavy and as mentioned any of them are hard to find right now.

 

[LaneP]

I only have the 6 shot 686 and had it rebarreled from 4" to 7" a little over a year ago. The extra weight tames the hottest .357 loads. Recoil in my slender bbl Security Six is a little more brisk. I would say either a 686 or a GP100 with a 6" bbl and you will tame the mighty .357 and have a pistol that can endure a lot of full power loads before anything goes wrong.

 

[nofendertom]

Any of those you mentioned would shoot heavy .357mag loads---I would suggest: do not scrimp on a set of grips that fit your hand PERFECTLY.

 

[BobWright]

For the .357 Magnum cartridge, my pick is the S&W Model 586. It is stout built and has the longer cylinder to accommodate the heavier, longer, bullets. The Model 27, stout as it is, has the short cylinder and will not chamber the heavier bullets when they are crimped in the crimping groove. Well, they will chamber, but the bullet noses stick out the front. Same story with the Python.

When I got my first Model 586, I was impressed enough to buy a second, and swapped off my Python.



Bob Wright

 

[357smallbore]

Unless you are attempting to blow up a gun chamberd in 357. The 4 on your list will give you more than a lifetime of service and will readily handle very high pressure loads others can't.
I own a 686 made in 1983 and a GP100 from 1998. Both 4in SS. So I am bias towards either one of these. They will be passed down to my son and I am sure they'll still be going just fine when his time comes to pass them on.
Enjoy

 

[wcwhitey]

I would vote for a good old 6 shot 686 or the GP100. Either will handle real .357 loads. Seems you are a S&W guy, the L frames feel more like a heavy K frame but are a ton tougher. Some nice GP100s being offered lately and are available which is a big plus right now. I don’t think you could go wrong with anything on the list, the only negative would be the sheer size, weight and mass of the Redhawk.

 

[Master Blaster]

An 8 shot 627 with moonclips. I love my 627PC put thousands of rounds through it, and it is as tight as the day I bought it. The 686 plus is also a great revolver for full power and target loads.

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, an older 6" 586 is the near ideal .357 DA.

 

[bangswitch]

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.
Thank you for looking.

I see quite a few S&W M28's at gun shows for reasonable prices; they're no more than you'd pay for the ones you list, and a mechanically solid shooter grade would serve your needs. Just a plain-Jane version of the M27, a 6" barrel would be good for what you want to do.

 

[WisBorn]

I would not be afraid of using stout loads in my 686+. I'm sure that you aren't planning on a steady diet of hot loads. I struggle with arthritis also and find my 686 comfortable to shoot.

 

[Pat Riot]

6” gp100 might fit the bill. I got one recently and have really been enjoying it. I was going to buy the 686 but the 6” felt too muzzle heavy and as mentioned any of them are hard to find right now.

This is one of the things I was curious about. The weight of the full length barrel lug being extra heavy, or too heavy. Unfortunately the only 686’s for sale in a 3 county area literally dried up this morning. So, no way to put my hands on one for a while.

For the .357 Magnum cartridge, my pick is the S&W Model 586. It is stout built and has the longer cylinder to accommodate the heavier, longer, bullets. The Model 27, stout as it is, has the short cylinder and will not chamber the heavier bullets when they are crimped in the crimping groove. Well, they will chamber, but the bullet noses stick out the front. Same story with the Python.

When I got my first Model 586, I was impressed enough to buy a second, and swapped off my Python.

View attachment 1054241

Bob Wright

Is the cylinder in the 586 longer than the 686?
I read that the cylinder in the model 27 is 1.673” long and the 686 is 1.620” while the 586 is 1.623”. Are these dimensions incorrect or do they appear incorrect?
I found them on another forum where a guy measured his own guns.

 

[Pat Riot]

I see quite a few S&W M28's at gun shows for reasonable prices; they're no more than you'd pay for the ones you list, and a mechanically solid shooter grade would serve your needs. Just a plain-Jane version of the M27, a 6" barrel would be good for what you want to do.

Here in Kaleepornia guns that aren’t on the Roster go for a very high premium. Way to high in price for my liking.

I would not be afraid of using stout loads in my 686+. I'm sure that you aren't planning on a steady diet of hot loads. I struggle with arthritis also and find my 686 comfortable to shoot.

Thank you.
No, I do not plan to run ammo that could eventually hurt the gun. I just want to run hot stuff occasionally.

Had to edit. Do and do not don’t have the same meaning…duh!

 

[Cokeman]

For the .357 Magnum cartridge, my pick is the S&W Model 586. It is stout built and has the longer cylinder to accommodate the heavier, longer, bullets. The Model 27, stout as it is, has the short cylinder and will not chamber the heavier bullets when they are crimped in the crimping groove. Well, they will chamber, but the bullet noses stick out the front. Same story with the Python.

When I got my first Model 586, I was impressed enough to buy a second, and swapped off my Python.

View attachment 1054241

Bob Wright

I like those grips, especially the dark ones.

 

[Tallball]

Those are all very nice revolvers.

My favorites for heavier loads are my Model 28 N-frame and my Blackhawk.

Smith And Wesson Model 28

• Tallball
• Mar 15, 2019

Ruger Blackhawk 357 Magnum

• Tallball
• Jul 30, 2018

 

[Bazoo]

Ive seen somewhere, but can't recall now where, that the 686 would not hold up forever with a full diet of full pressure 357 magnums. I seem to recall that wear was measurable after 10k rounds.

Anyone know if this is true?

Just about all I ever shoot is full power 357s out of my gp 100. The rubber grips help a lot. My wife's 686 though, is unpleasant with its magna grips.

 

[Pat Riot]

My wife's 686 though, is unpleasant with its magna grips.

I have never cared for Magna grips. I do like Altamont’s Ropers. I also like the S&W grips that came on my model 25-15. They appear to be a variant of the Altamont Roper and target grips.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

If buying new for hunting and target shooting I'd go for a 6-inch GP100. Unless you just have to have eight shots or plan to shoot loads better reserved for the Nevada Test Site, the Redhawk is heavier than a .357 needs to be. I don't buy new Smiths for a very small reason located above the cylinder release, but that aside, the 686 would be a solid choice also (I have a couple of older ones.) For my purposes, and it sounds like for yours, there isn't a whole lot of practical difference between the 686 and the GP100; it just comes down to what you like better.

 

[J-Bar]

I have arthritis in all fingers, both thumbs and both wrists. I own a Model 19, a 686, two Model 28s, two Model 27s. The 1970s era Model 27 with a 6” barrel would be the last one I would sell. The target grips, balance, and exquisite single action trigger make me smile each time I handle it.

 

[BobWright]

This is one of the things I was curious about. The weight of the full length barrel lug being extra heavy, or too heavy. Unfortunately the only 686’s for sale in a 3 county area literally dried up this morning. So, no way to put my hands on one for a while.



Is the cylinder in the 586 longer than the 686?
I read that the cylinder in the model 27 is 1.673” long and the 686 is 1.620” while the 586 is 1.623”. Are these dimensions incorrect or do they appear incorrect?
I found them on another forum where a guy measured his own guns.

I have no 686 handy to compare, but so far as I know what is said for the 586 holds true for the 686. The 686 is stainless steel, and I've no fondness for those. And I have not measured cylinder length other than loading my cartridges into the guns. All the N-Framed guns, the Model 27 and Model 28, had the short cylinders. The Model 19 and the 586 had longer cylinders. The Modle 19 held, and fired without a problem, my 173 gr. SWC .357 Loads. I'll have to measure. Note, too, these loads were developed in a Rugerr Flat Top Blackhawk of 1958 vintage.

Bob Wright

 

[JDeere]

I have a 4 inch 686+, 6" 586 and 5 inch GP100. I run heavy .357 loads with 158gr coated swc and they all are accurate. I put Pachs on the 586 and ditched the Walnut as I did not like the feel. The 5 inch GP imo opinion just balances very nicely. Finding the 5" GP will be a little harder. The triggers out of the box on the Smiths are really nice. The GP trigger is not to far behind but could use a little tuning. I don't let the key hole on the Smiths bother me...

 

[stanley_white]

The single spring makes the Redhawk trigger tricky to improve.

For a steady diet of full power loads, GP100.

-Stan

 

[stanley_white]

Also, there is a video on Bill Wilson’s channel on YouTube where Mas Ayoob tells stories about days competition shooting with a lot of 357 Magnum ammo and the screws working loose on S&W and that being why they switched to Ruger at the time — no side plate.

-Stan