Which one?

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Flintshooter

Flintshooter

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Playing with my new S&W 637 has been enough fun that I would like to add a more practical 38/357 that will be good for target work and have good accuracy past the fifteen or twenty feet I expect from a snubnose.
I have the choices narrowed down to two very different but good for the intended purpose revolvers. A S&W 586 with a six inch barrel and a Ruger Blackhawk with a six and a half inch barrel. I have a preference for blue steel over stainless. Whatever I get will be primarily a range gun and will never be in a holster.
Open for opinions of positives and negatives on each
 
Flintshooter said:
Playing with my new S&W 637 has been enough fun that I would like to add a more practical 38/357 that will be good for target work and have good accuracy past the fifteen or twenty feet I expect from a snubnose.
I have the choices narrowed down to two very different but good for the intended purpose revolvers. A S&W 586 with a six inch barrel and a Ruger Blackhawk with a six and a half inch barrel. I have a preference for blue steel over stainless. Whatever I get will be primarily a range gun and will never be in a holster.
Open for opinions of positives and negatives on each
Click to expand...
I have a 6.5" Blackhawk in stainless that I bought for hunting. It has proven to be pretty accurate with the factory loads i've ran in it so far. I'll really push for accuracy when I work up some loads for it.
A 6" 586 is one of the guns on my current wish list.. No matter which way you go they are both great choices.
 
Flintshooter

Either one would make for a fine choice for what sounds like it's going to be primarily a range gun. Personally I like the feel, balance, and handling attributes of the S&W Model 586/686. Nothing wrong with the grip shape of the Ruger Blackhawk, how it operates, or with it's ergonomics; just that I have more trigger time with my Model 686 than I do with my Blackhawk. Have to add too that I like the 4" barrel on my Model 686 and the 4.62" barrel on my Blackhawk.


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If shooting in single action mode, the factory S&W trigger beats the Ruger factory trigger by light-years. You also have the option for double-action mode with the 586/686, obviously.
 
Generally you'll find that the S&W single action trigger
is more refined than a stock Blackhawk. Although I've
owned and love the BHs/Vaqueros I'd opt for the Smith.
But you'll find a 6-inch 586 more front heavy because of
the barrel lug. You may like it or not.
 
Can't go wrong either way. I have many revolvers including a 686 S&W. Lots of single actions but no Blackhawk. Either one would be a great range toy. Between the two do you prefer SA only or DA/SA? That may be your deciding factor.
 
I'll take a nice L frame any day

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If you go 4" you'll be set if you ever want to play in IDPA.

Edited to add:
Both is of course the correct answer.
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The Ruger feels completely different than a S&W because of the shape of the grip. I strongly prefer the S&W as it feels more natural.

My advice is to get your hands on both of them to see which feels better in your hand. Use that as your guide for which one to buy.

I also prefer having the option of double action. And, as noted, the S&W's single action trigger is much better than you'll get from a Ruger.
 
IMG_0500 (2).JPG I agree with fxvr5. You've got to weigh how important having the option of DA is to you and how they each feel in your hand. If you like nice blued steel and great accuracy you might consider an old Dan Wesson. They are available in a variety of barrel lengths(including 6") in heavy or half lug. The DW single action is very nice and the DA is more gritty than a Smith(IMO). You can find a very nice DW for the price of a Blackhawk or less.
 
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To those saying get my hands on both of them, that’s the twin brother to impossible right now.
I have a new model Vaquero that should be awfully close to the Blackhawk except for sights. But if I have my dealer order either of the two it may be months before I get it.
 
A tough choice. They both are really good guns, or at least can be.

As has been pointed out, the Smith will have a much better SA trigger, although a gunsmith can do wonders with the Blackhawk. My personal opinion is that Blackhawks come with such terrible triggers that it is wise to budget for a gunsmith when considering a purchase.

Accuracy wise, it's a toss up. Luck of the draw governs your results. Both can be expected to give decent accuracy, though of course both companies make the occasional dog and the occasional gem. The Blackhawk is easier to accurize, should you want.

The deciding factor for me would be that I have had terrible luck with late-model S&W revolvers over the past decade or so. It's a contentious topic, but my firm belief is that they have really let down on quality control and that it is much too easy to get yourself a revolver from them that should never have been let out the door. So for me it would be the Blackhawk.

Unless, of course, you're considering a 586-2...
 
I would not say that Ruger's quality is any better than S&W's as I've found issue with a new Ruger Blackhawk that should have not left the factory that way it did.

Consider them equal for quality and select the one you prefer for whatever reason you prefer it.
 
Armored farmer said:
Lol go out on a limb and suggest an uberti el patron for pure shooting joy.
A ruger vaquero is great too.
SAA style revolvers have been popular for 150yrs.
Click to expand...
I have a Uberti Cattleman in 32/20 and a Vaquero in .45 Colt. And a Wrangler and a Navy Arms 1858 Remington and a Pietta 1863 Remington. There is also the sort of one shot single action Tingle.
But the only double action revolver I have is the S&W 637. Great for what it was designed for but it comes up a little short for a target gun.
 
I shot my best ever 25 yard group with a Ruger Blackhawk. That said, my S&Ws get more range time these days. As others have noted, much better trigger, good ergonomics.
 
For those of you who have been on pins and needles wondering what I decided to go with....
A six inch S&W 586 should be on the way shortly. My local dealer couldn’t get one through one of his distributers so I had to go online and found one that will be sent to my dealer. It will end up costing a little more because of the transfer fee but I will have it now in case things go sour in November and buying a gun might be more difficult.
The final decision came down to if I wanted three centerfire single actions or two single actions and one double action
 
I have both. A blued Blackhawk and a older stainless 686. I shoot the 686 more accurately than I shoot the Blackhawk. I generally consider shooting the Blackhawk more "fun". I do not like the front sight on either of my guns and both are solid ramp sights. Think about the sights and what you want in that regards when buying the gun. For instance the stainless Blackhawk sights are pinned and my next Blackhawk is going to be stainless just for that feature.
 
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