7 or 8 round .357 revolver's?
- Thread starter willmc33
- Start date
hardworker
New member
686+ smith
CarbineCaleb
New member
Yep, in the S&W line, it's 7 shot L-frames and 8-shot N-frames. Variations on the 686-Plus (7 shots L-frame), 627 (8-shots N-frame stainless), and 327 (8-shots N-frame scandium frame and stainless or titanium cylinder). There were recently discontinued, the 327 Night Guard and 386 Night Guard. There have also been 386 Mountain Gun and 7-shot 586 (blued steel/wood) produced. Both the 586 and 686 are also made in 6-shot versions.
As far as looks go, there are (or have been) variants made with slab sided or round barrels, half lug, full lug and weighted barrels, ported and unported barrels, snub nose to long barrels, all "silver", all black, and two-tone metal finishes, wood or rubber grips of different sizes and shapes, pretty much everything that Smith & Wesson does with styling and options has been done with these series of guns. So if you look at everything made now or in the past 10 years (available used or sometimes new in box on e.g. gunbroker or by scouring local dealers), you'll likely find something to match traditional, utilitarian or techno tastes.
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Missed that one badge851.
I am planning to buy a 4" stainless model 66 Taurus this weekend come "hell or high water".
As for all the variants of 7 shot .357 revolvers, I think the S&W 686+ is the best. I like the Taurus guns also. Comes down to money. The S&W is more refined and will retain value better. I wish Ruger would bring out a 7 shot GP100.
I am planning to buy a 4" stainless model 66 Taurus this weekend come "hell or high water".
As for all the variants of 7 shot .357 revolvers, I think the S&W 686+ is the best. I like the Taurus guns also. Comes down to money. The S&W is more refined and will retain value better. I wish Ruger would bring out a 7 shot GP100.
Although now out of production, S&W did make some other 8 shots. They made the model 27-7 back around the year 2000. This was a blued 8 shot Performance Center with only about 500 made. Later on in the decade, they brought it out again, this time I believe it was the 27-8, with the internal lock being the modification.
My lgs has a S&W Model 327 two inch barrel that I have been looking at for $900.00. I went in yesterday to shoot my new (to me) Model 12-3 and they said I could have it for $900.00 total out the door. I think I'll wait a little longer and see if the price comes down a little more.
silvermane_1
New member
there is the S&W M&P R8, it's a 8-shot .357 mag but runs about $1500
The 627 Performance Center is simply an amazing gun. Get a chance to shoot it and you will change your mind quickly! Best production revolver you can buy right now. If you're not crazy about the angled underlug look, you can go with a 627 V-Comp which is just as amazing to shoot and looks more traditional. Both models are 8-round revolvers. I added a red dot to mine and it's ridiculously fast and accurate. Not to mention you rarely see another person with the same gun and people always want to come over and check it out.
Willie Lowman
New member
I couldn't agree more. The only modification I have done to mine is loc-tite the trigger adjustment screw where I wanted it.
-7-seeker_two
New member
S&W made a run of "pseudo-K" frame (actually L-frame) 7-shot revolvers.....619 & 620, IIRC. I don' think the sold well, but they should still be in the used market.
What do you want it for: target, range, home defense, or carry?
I ask as they are pretty cool, but I'd want to check out where th cylinder indexing notches lined up before using a large diet of hot .357 loads through it. More chambers in the same diameter cylinder generally means thinner chamber walls.
For loads from .38sp up to moderate .357mag, this should not be a problem. For hot and heavy (like buffalo bore) loads as a significant part of the diet, this could cause chamber damage. Not likely, but it could.
So, be clear about your intended use before you get one.
I love my 6-shot GP100 as it will do it all. I lust after a performance center S&W with 8 shots for a range or target (by target, I mean competition) .357.
sent ftom tapatalk on Evo3G
I ask as they are pretty cool, but I'd want to check out where th cylinder indexing notches lined up before using a large diet of hot .357 loads through it. More chambers in the same diameter cylinder generally means thinner chamber walls.
For loads from .38sp up to moderate .357mag, this should not be a problem. For hot and heavy (like buffalo bore) loads as a significant part of the diet, this could cause chamber damage. Not likely, but it could.
So, be clear about your intended use before you get one.
I love my 6-shot GP100 as it will do it all. I lust after a performance center S&W with 8 shots for a range or target (by target, I mean competition) .357.
sent ftom tapatalk on Evo3G
I've actually looked into this, since I'm playing with a design project that would use one of the S&W 8-shot cylinders.
From what I gather, S&W moves the center axis of the chambers outward so the outer wall thickness is closer to that of the .44mags. .357 operates at slightly lower pressures than .44, and acts on a smaller (effective) area against the cylinder walls, so I'm pretty confident in their toughness. The (modern) 6-shot N-frame .357's are just overbuilt for manufacturing simplicity, is all. At any rate, logic would suggest (always a dangerous gamble...) that S&W has a set minimum safety margin for all its .357 magnums.
The closest thing to an under-designed revolver they've put out in the chambering were the K-frame ultralights, and they just shook apart and had frame cutting (not cylinder weakness issues). I'm very confident sane loads will not damage my TRR8.
TCB
Ralph G. Briscoe
New member
I have the 327 Nightguard and 327 pc--both wonderful revolvers.