Its like asking what is the best tasting ice cream, vanilla or chocolate...The opinions will be equally fervent on either side. Of course, some will say strawberry is better than both (Ruger)...I have had many .357s over the last forty years. At present, I have four. They are a S&W 640-1, M-28-2, M-19-3 and a 1977 Ruger Security Six. The Ruger is the first handgun I bought. Shooting magnums in the M-19 and Ruger feels the same to me, pretty lively...The 28 is comfortable to shoot lots of magnums with when equiped with stocks that fit...The 19 is what I pick for protracted periods of carry. It works well in a pancake holster on the belt when woods bumming or hunting and it works inside the waistband for town. I see more 19s for sale in my part of the country than 28s...So, it all comes down to how you plan to use it and which one you like the feel of better
19-5 or 28-2?
- Thread starter HALLAUSTIN
- Start date
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
I have a 19-3 with a 4" bl and a 28-2 with a 6" bbl.
Got the 28 about 2 years ago for just under $500 OTD from my LGS. It is in nearly perfect condition and came with the original magna grips..no diamonds though as mine was circa 1978 IIRC.
My 19-3 I got about 5 years ago for the same price of just under $500 OTD from the same LGS. It has a little bit of honest wear in the finish at the muzzle and a couple of other places a holster would rub. This one shipped from Springfield in 1971.
Both enjoy advantages over the other that are very situational.
While the 19 seldom sees 38spls, I don't shoot it that often. It's one of my carry guns for going out in the woods. I don't find it punishing to shoot full house 140-158gr mags at all.. It is VERY accurate.
The 28 on the other hand doesn't carry quite as comfortably, but can be done with a descent holster and gun belt. Unless going shoulder rig, it's not very conducive to concealed carry, but again, when I go out in the woods where I carry open, I like the old Patrolman on my hip. This weapon is also deadly accurate, but is SOOO much smoother shooting mags. I often joke that I could fire mags out of the Patrolman with no grips on it at all. LOL!
As others have said, the Patrolman is going to handle a steady diet of full house mags better over the long run, and will be smoother shooting for the person pulling the trigger too.
I had a set of N-frame square butt target grips kicking around so I swapped them on to see how I liked it..they stayed..
Based on your criteria, I would say the Patrolman will suit your stated needs best. But seriously, don't deny yourself the pleasure of owning a m19 sometime in the future. There is a reason that the 4" K-frame Smiths are so incredibly popular.
Hey Sarge: Here is my Patrolman with target grips..
Got the 28 about 2 years ago for just under $500 OTD from my LGS. It is in nearly perfect condition and came with the original magna grips..no diamonds though as mine was circa 1978 IIRC.
My 19-3 I got about 5 years ago for the same price of just under $500 OTD from the same LGS. It has a little bit of honest wear in the finish at the muzzle and a couple of other places a holster would rub. This one shipped from Springfield in 1971.
Both enjoy advantages over the other that are very situational.
While the 19 seldom sees 38spls, I don't shoot it that often. It's one of my carry guns for going out in the woods. I don't find it punishing to shoot full house 140-158gr mags at all.. It is VERY accurate.
The 28 on the other hand doesn't carry quite as comfortably, but can be done with a descent holster and gun belt. Unless going shoulder rig, it's not very conducive to concealed carry, but again, when I go out in the woods where I carry open, I like the old Patrolman on my hip. This weapon is also deadly accurate, but is SOOO much smoother shooting mags. I often joke that I could fire mags out of the Patrolman with no grips on it at all. LOL!
As others have said, the Patrolman is going to handle a steady diet of full house mags better over the long run, and will be smoother shooting for the person pulling the trigger too.
I had a set of N-frame square butt target grips kicking around so I swapped them on to see how I liked it..they stayed..
Based on your criteria, I would say the Patrolman will suit your stated needs best. But seriously, don't deny yourself the pleasure of owning a m19 sometime in the future. There is a reason that the 4" K-frame Smiths are so incredibly popular.
Hey Sarge: Here is my Patrolman with target grips..
Model12Win
Moderator
Get the 28.
Will last you all your life, you can run ANYTHING you want in it. No problemo. Or Poblano. Peppers, that is.
Will last you all your life, you can run ANYTHING you want in it. No problemo. Or Poblano. Peppers, that is.
HALLAUSTIN
New member
The dice have been cast
So I was on my way to boone, nc. A two hour drive for me, to buy the 19... Got rear ended with my wife and 9 week old infant in the car. Car may be totaled, everyone is fine but didn't get the 19... Lo and behold I find ANOTHER 28-2, this one $25 cheaper than the 19-5. Not as pretty, but I plan on putting thousands of rounds a year through it and sticking it in a holster on hikes, horse rides, dirtbike rides, ect. so I'm almost glad that its not immaculate. Well, showed this option to she who must be obeyed and she was more than willing to hear of a cheaper option (she likes rifles and 20 gauges. Pistols are all the same to her) so tomorrow I'll be picking up the 28-2.
Sorry for the long winded post, it will be my first smith and I'm kind of excited
So I was on my way to boone, nc. A two hour drive for me, to buy the 19... Got rear ended with my wife and 9 week old infant in the car. Car may be totaled, everyone is fine but didn't get the 19... Lo and behold I find ANOTHER 28-2, this one $25 cheaper than the 19-5. Not as pretty, but I plan on putting thousands of rounds a year through it and sticking it in a holster on hikes, horse rides, dirtbike rides, ect. so I'm almost glad that its not immaculate. Well, showed this option to she who must be obeyed and she was more than willing to hear of a cheaper option (she likes rifles and 20 gauges. Pistols are all the same to her) so tomorrow I'll be picking up the 28-2.
Sorry for the long winded post, it will be my first smith and I'm kind of excited
HALLAUSTIN
New member
Picked it up and shot a bit today in the rain, it is definitely my favorite handgun that I've shot so far. Thank you to all for the input.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Sorry about the car, but glad that everyone is OK.
As for the $25 cheaper 28, you know what they say...
Every time the Lord closes a door he opens the window to a gunshop...
As for the $25 cheaper 28, you know what they say...
Every time the Lord closes a door he opens the window to a gunshop...
HALLAUSTIN
New member
Mike it was a private sale, but none the less.. I agree. Father in law said "well if you don't get that one, lord has somethin' else in mind." And then up popped a 28. AND the pictures I saw before purchase didn't do it justice. It's actually in really good shape. Glad I went with the 28, had I handled one before I bought my other handguns I would own just a 28 and a subcompact plastic bottom feeder.
I have a collector friend who will argue that. He has told me, repeatedly that his research indicates the model 28 IS the model 27 on the inside. Meaning the same amount of care and fitting went into both guns, and by the same people. The only place the 28 differs is on the outside.
I find this reasonable, with the proviso that the 28s shipped with the standard service triggers and hammers, while the 27s (or most of them) had target triggers and hammers.
Up through the 80s, S&W sold blister packs with the target hammer & trigger to be fitted to N frames by qualified shops. I have one of those 28s, and it is my FAVORITE DA revolver, bar none.
I think the narrow service trigger makes the 28 action feel a little stiffer than the target trigger on the 27 does, but inside they guns are the same.
I started out with the Model 28. at one time I owned four of them. i eventually sold off the three six inchers, but I still have my 4" Model 28. I also own a Model 19-3 6" and a Model 19-4 2.5". I mostly shoot 38 Spl in the Model 19's, but not always. All are P&R and all are great revolvers. Eventually you might find yourself owning at least one of each as well.
Serrated, wide target trigger on a double action S&W revolver simply BAFFLES me. It is not at all conducive to double action shooting. It is very much a hurdle to double action shooting.
If a wider and serrated trigger somehow enhances a shooter's ability in single action -- I certainly can't see it.
I bought my 28-2 (1974) used and it had plenty of evidence that a previous owner had jerked around with it in every direction and it had one of these triggers on it. I swapped that trigger with a 1983 Model 10-7 and then traded the 10-7 to a buddy who displays it. My 28-2 has never been better!
If a wider and serrated trigger somehow enhances a shooter's ability in single action -- I certainly can't see it.
I bought my 28-2 (1974) used and it had plenty of evidence that a previous owner had jerked around with it in every direction and it had one of these triggers on it. I swapped that trigger with a 1983 Model 10-7 and then traded the 10-7 to a buddy who displays it. My 28-2 has never been better!
My first handgun (when in law school) was a RG .38 spl (yep, Rotten Gun). It's all I could afford. I splurged a bit on my next purchase, a Model 27-3 with target trigger, target stocks, target hammer, red ramp front sight, and white outline rear sight. I really didn't know much about handguns (I had rifles and shotguns) but I figured that with all that target stuff on there, it had to shoot better and had to be a better gun.
I still have it:
I believe that, were I interested in rapid double action shooting, I think that a smooth trigger would be better than the grooved one.
However, I am not, and am in no way any kind of "good" DA shot, anyway. I think the wide grooved trigger is a good compromise, being an excellent SA trigger and an acceptable DA one.
Remember the era the gun was designed in, fast accurate DA shooting was known to be possible, but it was not the expected primary use of the gun.
Today many look at DA revolvers a bit differently. They understand that DA fire can be the primary use and wish their guns maximized for that.
Other than the lack of target sights (RR WO) my 6" 28 is fully the equal of the 27's I have used, and I actually prefer the satin finish. Everyone has their own opinion, but for me, the 28 is the finest heavy .357 ever made for the price. I have had four, am down to two, and will always have one, from now, until they close the lid, or a grandchild proves worthy, which ever comes first.
However, I am not, and am in no way any kind of "good" DA shot, anyway. I think the wide grooved trigger is a good compromise, being an excellent SA trigger and an acceptable DA one.
Remember the era the gun was designed in, fast accurate DA shooting was known to be possible, but it was not the expected primary use of the gun.
Today many look at DA revolvers a bit differently. They understand that DA fire can be the primary use and wish their guns maximized for that.
Other than the lack of target sights (RR WO) my 6" 28 is fully the equal of the 27's I have used, and I actually prefer the satin finish. Everyone has their own opinion, but for me, the 28 is the finest heavy .357 ever made for the price. I have had four, am down to two, and will always have one, from now, until they close the lid, or a grandchild proves worthy, which ever comes first.