Ruger's and Smiths...

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300Whspr

300Whspr

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I'm wanting to add a .357 Magnum to my safe. I'm a Ruger guy, my wife thinks she likes Smith's better.

My question is... and I'm not meaning to/really don't want to start a Ford/Chevy war here...

I'm looking at Ruger GP100's and S&W 686 and 686 Plus. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each? I like the Ruger's heavier construction better than the Smith's, but I wouldn't have a problem owning either one.
 
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Your wife has good taste.

IMO: Rugers are not 'built better' then Smiths.

They are perhaps built stronger, but not better.

Consider the S&W to be the refined race car.
And the Ruger to be the heavy duty pick-up truck!!

One is more fun to drive!

( But I'm not saying which one, least I start a brand war.)

rc
 
Thanks guys...

Let me rephrase...

The way Rugers are constructed appeals to me more than the way the Smiths are constructed.

I know both are fine guns... didn't mean to insinuate that Rugers were built "better" than the Smiths, that wasn't what I intended to say, but I do see how it could be taken that way.
 
The Ruger has more metal, I wouldn't say it's better built.
The GP100's and 686's are on Par with each other. You won't wear either out with any sane load.
Pick whichever feels better in the hand.

The 686P gets an extra round in the cylinder, and since that makes the cylinder notches offset the 7 round cylinder is actually thicker than the 6 round cylinder.

Take a look at a 627, even stronger than either the GP100 or the 686's and it gets 8 rounds for not a whole lot more money than the 686.
 
I'm partial to Rugers, but I like to tinker with them as well to achieve a great trigger pull. The Ruger IMO is the easiest to work on and tune. The Smith may not need tuning, especially the older models. But price shouldn't be a consideration. Both guns are priced to close together, wasn't like that is the past, is now on new guns at least. Strength? in theroy or paper the Ruger wins out, but I had an old model 19, that I bought well used and have shot the heck out of it and now it is at my brothers house. No telling what the round count is, but I would estimate 3K +. Timing still spot on, no flame cutting to speak of, but most of the finish is gone. That said I still like my GPs and SPs better.
 
My wife likes the 586, until recently I had no preference. We both had a chance to shoot a Wiley Capp GP100 last week and neither of us liked it.
 
I have two 686's and zero GP's. I think the 686 is the more attractive gun. I have a 7 shot that a friend did a trigger job on. It is smooth and has reliable ignition. I am ashamed to say it has a better trigger than my shooter Pythons. I have shot about 3500 magnums thru it in the past 11 months. It is showing no signs of wear.
 
I'll say I have 10 S&W's that I kept

And have had 4 Ruger's that I sold.

Not that means anything, except that I like old S&W's way better.

rc
 
I have owned both the 686Plus, and the GP100. I traded away the Smith and only own the GP100. I like the GP100 so much, I now own 4 of them. To me, I like the Ruger trigger better. Its has a longer pull in DA and I find that easier to control. The shorter Smith trigger seemed "jerky" and I didn't shoot it well. SA, the Smith is better, but I didn't buy a DA revolver to shoot it SA.
 
It's very personal. Based on what I read online, I thought I'd like the feel of a Smith better (refined versus solid feel are the reputations), but a SP101 fit my hand and the trigger felt better *to me* than a Model 60 did. Try both, choose the one that feels better in your hand.
 
I prefer the Ruger GP100 for new guns, mainly because the Ruger doesn't have the key lock with hole.

If it's a pre-lock 686 though... all bets are off. If it's a 686 with 4" barrel, pre-lock, in excellent condition for the same price as a new GP100... I'd choose the S&W.

However, that scenario is highly unlikely. And, that being said, I really do love my 6" stainless GP100. For new production guns, the GP100 is about tops, they're better than any Smith and Wesson made because every Smith and Wesson made with a lock is a bad Smith and Wesson IMHO.
 
I think you must have meant to say if its a post lock S&W that you would pass?
I would take the Ruger GP100 over any S&W with a lock but I would take a pre lock S&W over a Ruger GP100.

The S&W is a better looking DA revolver. I much prefer single action though so I really want a 6" SS Ruger Blackhawk. 3 years ago I almost bought a 6" SS S&W 686, started debating on the Ruger Blackhawk and changed my mind then ended up not buying either one. Too many other guns seemed more important and ate up the 357 funds.
 
I was in the same boat you were. I would have bought either, in a time when guns were all overpriced. I came across a better deal on my gp100. I love it. I can't say enough good things about it. I shoot both single and double action, but double action practice and flow with my six incher has done remarkable things for my hangunning.

I had one friend shoot better than he thought he ever would shoot with it. After a hundred round day with it, and his group reducing by fractions, he texted me that he was gonna by one and that his forearm hurt from the harsh double action trigger.

Another friend of mine bought a 686 on saturday. It had a four inch barrel my ruger has the 6. The funny thing is, he is a cop who owns 20 guns or so, he told me he had never even shot a revolver. He shot my gun with my reloads way better than he did his. He put one cylinder in one huge whole at 15 yards. We all know random things happen and smiths have better triggers, but he shot my ruger better than his gun.

I think every one of us should own either one. But gosh, I love my ruger.
 
Having had to make the same choice, here are my thoughts:

subjective - FIT: Some may feel this is actually objective, but either way you need to see which one better fits the hand of the person who's going to shoot it.

objective - ACCURACY: Whichever of you is going to shoot your new purchase, go to a range that rents guns and rent one of each, then shoot 3 cylinders of each at separate targets from the same distance, if possible mixing up the order (e.g. 1 cylinder Smith, 2 cylinders Ruger, 2 cylinders Smith, 1 cylinder Ruger) so your hand is overall neither more tired nor more "experienced" with either one. Compare the targets.

objective - UTILITY: The 686 Plus has 7 shots. (And 5-Star makes a very nice speedloader for it.) If you're planning to use the gun for self-defense that extra round is a Big Deal IMO.

For me personally the 686 was way more accurate, and the 7 rounds was important to me. I couldn't properly judge the fit because the rental Rugers all had the Hogue fingergroove grip (which I hate) and on the Smiths I had a choice of the factory grip (which is the wrong shape for my hand) or the Hogue fingergroove grip... so I shot both with the Hogue fingergroove grip to try to even the playing field as best as possible. I bought the 686 and put a Hogue grooveless grip on it, which is almost right but IAC definitely better than either of the other two grip choices, however I'm still thinking about getting Herrett grips made.
 
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Had both, had to sell one. Liked the modular construction of the GP100 but the Model 686 was more refined, felt great in my hand, and had a much better DA/SA trigger. Sold the GP100, kept the Model 686. Have been very satisfied with my choice.
 
One Ruger that I would take all day over a Smith is the Ruger Speed Six Stainless! It's a shame they have gone so high in price .... except for those that already own them! The 9mm version in one of those is not for the faint of heart price wise when trying to find one!
 
One or more OF EACH! That is my recommendation.

I have both smith and rugers and have room for both. If I am shooting I love my smith... if I am going to beat on a gun I take a ruger... most times anyhow. You won't likely hurt either but I have less attachment to the rugers for some reason.

At least on the older stuff. New I would likely buy a ruger GP100 only because I hate the S&W "lock"
 
I own both a 586 & SP 101. ( I have shot a pre-lock 686 on several occasions.) Two excellent revolvers , albeit very different machines.

If I were to choose one , it would be the Smith ; better trigger , IMO , and it seems to point better.

If we are talking new revolvers I go with the Ruger without hesitation. The blankety-blank hole is a deal killer for me, period!
 
I can honestly recommend the GP-100. I have only had mine two years, but it's one of my favorites. I have the stainless 3" Wiley Clapp model with Novak sights. It has never let me down. I am biased of course, I have always been a Ruger guy. No they are not as pretty or refined as the smiths. But for the most part when I am bumming around the hills, I don't give a hoot how "refined" my carry revolver is, as long as it goes bang every time. If I want something with smooth lines to look at, I'll take my Freedom Arms Mod. 1997 in 44 special to the range. Smith's are great revolvers, I've shot them plenty. I just have never had the "need" to get a 5/686. Yet.
 
Except for models only available within the internal lock system era, I would recommend Ruger as cheaper than a nice find in a pre-lock Smith. However, I have several and cannot recall one Ruger bought new that didn't have to go back or to the gunsmith for something, usually cylinder related. I did get the guns back quickly and working correctly, but you have to wonder about how long a company can survive on quality-by-rework.

I like my GP100s because they don't come with ammo choice advisories and can take anything. It is a good weight for 357 Magnum. My Smith 686 has had action work and shoots like dream. Their ECM rifling leads up for me though. I haven't found the formula yet that shoots cleanly. Throats and forcing cone have been done, so the only thing left is running the purchased hard cast bullets faster, resizing, or using a different lube. Coated bullets don't leave effortless cleaning either, although I may be cleaning too much. The Ruger didn't require all that post purchase investment.
 
I have several of each. They are all pretty good. Get the one that fits your hands best.

The more I shoot handguns, the more I realize how important it is to get the ones that fit you best. I have had excellent guns that I couldn't shoot that well because they didn't fit me properly. I have had mediocre guns that I could shoot well because they did fit me properly.

Get the one that fits!
 
Words to live by right there....... Guns are just like a pair of shoes - if they don't fit correctly - you ain't going to like them. Rugers are heavier because they are investment cast - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. S&Ws are more like a lightweight sports car. Take your pick. For a gun with any recoil - heavy is good. Neither is more "durable" than the other - both can be abused and damaged. Treat either one properly and they will both live longer than you will.
 
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