.357 S&W opinion

H

haskell

New member
I've decided to obtain more than one S&W .357 revolver. They appear to me the best overall weapon. Carried a sig 226 last 10 years on the job. Nice gun,but just like them damm wheel guns I had for the first 20. M10-ruger speed six. What should I get? 19-65- 586???? I know this is a real big problem in life. :rolleyes:
 
What are you going to use it for.
Carry: get a 3" 13/65 or a 2.5" 19/66
target: K-38 or 6" 586/686
Look gorgous and make boom: early model 27 with 6 or 8-3/8 barrel
Gaming: a 627 - 357 times 8 or a 586/686 7 shooter with moonclips
All of the above, 4" early 586 with moonclips

I have a 3" 13, 3" 65 (getting a 4" pencil barrel), and a 4" 586(that I am selling)
 
Depends on what you're going to do with it. A 686 with a 4in barrel will cover alot ground and will handle the hottest 357mag rounds with ease. Excellent condition M19 and M66 can be found on Guns America for around $350.00 if you're looking for something lighter in weight.
 
I'm trying to build up my S&W collection, as I can afford to. Go for the older ones. They have great bluing and really nice triggers. I just bought a 19-3 with a 6 inch barrel. It'll mostly be a target gun, and mostly shoot 38's.
The choices are kind of a win-win situation. Whatever you pick, it'll be a good one.
 
I've grown to like the Smith N' Wesson 6" 686-5 as my
primary .357 choice. With the added bonus of a WOLFF spring
kit, it makes for a really great shooter. :D

Best Wishes,
 
I would get the 19. I have owned the others and like the 19's the best. My M19-4 shooter has over 40K rounds through it and is going strong.
 
If I had my druthers, it'd be a model 27, if you can find one.
Next choice: 586 (I prefer blued guns)
If you really like the half-lug, the model 66 (blued version? don't know the model number) is your gun.

For general purpose, the 4" is probably the best, you can pack it well and shoot it well.
 
My choice is the S&W too. My choice for best 357 Magnum is a 6" M28. I have even CCWd it. I do have a M19 that I have yet to put through its paces. I had a 4" M65 that I rid myself of. It didn't do much of anything well. A S&W N frame in 357 Magnum is a great revolver choice.
 
If you want a gun to shoot heavy magnum loads, look for a Model 27 or Model 28. Both can be had in 4" and 6" barrels. The M27 also had the 3.5", 5" and 8 3/8" barrel lengths but these are somewhat hard to find. These are built on the same N-Frame S&W uses for the .41/.44 Magnums. Unless you're shooting hot magnums all the time, these are hard to wear out.

A Model 686/586 .357 is the intermediate L-Frame and popular with a lot of shooters since it is sizeable enough to absorb the recoil but smaller than the N-Frame. These guns will withstand a lot of magnum loads better than the K-frame.

In the K-Frame, S&W has offered a wide selection of guns. The fixed sight Model 13/M-65 are twins and rock sturdy guns. The Model 19 and Model 66 (stainless) are twins with adjustable sights and were, for many years, the police gun of choice. Accurate, sturdy and easy to carry. While these will stand up to magnum shooting, constant magnum use will wear these guns out faster than the others. The K-Frame is derived from the older M&P frame for the .38 S&W (short Colt) and older black powder cartridges. It was beefed up over the years and will serve decades if .38 specials are used for practice and magnums only for serious work.

S&W Now offers their 5-shot carry guns in .357. While these guns are typically known as J-frame sized, the newer guns are, as I've been told, designated I-Frame. These have been beefed up a little and some dimensional changes incorporated for the longer .357. I have a 649 "Bodyguard" model and while it will shoot .357's, they are not fun unless you really like recoil. Treat these like K-frames and they'll last for decades too.

If I could only have one it would, for me, be a choice between a 4" Model 19 or a 6" Model 27/28. The 19 could be carried comfortably but the N-Frame will handle anything the .357 round can put out. Not selecting the L-Frame is simply my own bias -- I've never liked the looks of a full underlug of the Colt Python or 686.

What about the new Scandium framed guns or Scandium/Titanium guns?
I'm not yet convinced that these guns will stand-up to heavy loads over time without developing problems. And to my eyes, the "Two Tone" look of the guns is not as appealing as a blued or stainless gun.
 
I like 19's,, only the older Square frame P&R models though - 4 in and 6 in.
4 in to look at.
6 in to shoot with.
 
Of my various handguns, both revolvers & semi-automatic pistols, the only gun which I keep loaded is a S&W model 686 stainless steel 6-shot 357 Magnum revolver with a 4" barrel, which I purchased new in 1987. :D
 
Get your kicks with Smith "66"

I would go for the lighter handier model 66 unless you plan to fire alot of full power loads for constant practice. Then you might consider a larger frame Smith or even (for other readers) a Ruger. SOG has a good special on trade-in mod. 66 guns right now. But, there always is the possibility that they were fired with hundreds of hot loads in service and may show wear and be loose.
But might be perfectly fine. I prefer stainless in a rev. for practical purposes.
Just one less worry. But it is also a matter of taste. I think my 66 is my oldest handgun in the case right now, except for a .25 Raven that I am waiting for a campaign, 50$ gun buyback, to rid it! Will sell the mags and grips seperately, of course. 66 here has a sweet action.
 
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