Advice for new wheel gun

L

Lt102

New member
I have a dilema....I suddenly have a thing for wheel guns. I currently have a Ruger 357 Blackhawk and a S&W Model 36 snubbie. But now I find myself wanting a DA in 357 for target shooting etc. Local gun shop has few that have me interested, don't what to choose and what is a good deal price wise.

They have the following:
Ruger Security Six 6" barrel, they say it came from a recent estate sale, the gun looks perfect not even a faint drag ring on the cylinder and no holster wear, functionally it checks out too, price is $339
S&W Model 28 4" barrell,finish probably 90% mild holster wear, Checks out fineprice $350 they had 2 others that looked worse but still were good functioning for around $300
and finally a S&W 686 4" barrel checked out fine and looks good $395.

PS does the Sec. six share the same rep for being indestructible as other Ruger guns, Iam leaning towards it because of this , was originally looking for a GP100 but alas they don't have any right now.

Sorry for being long winded .........anyone want to offer up an opinion
 
For your needs I'd grab up a 28. I think an N frame S&W would be as tough a .357 as there ever was. I also think the price for the Security Six is a little high. You would also be totally good to go with the 686. I just like N's better.
 
Lt102,

First, you are going to get alot of people in this forum telling you to get the Smith. A Smith will function for you, as you already know. So will the Ruger. Think of the two guns you own and ask yourself which will last longer. That having been said, let's talk about the two guns you have a chance to purchase.

Model 28 4" .357 - Great Large frame .357, strong, and reliable. Great triggers and accurate. I am not a huge fan of 4" guns for target shooting and not a fan of S&W service department. Depends on the shooting ranges of course.

Model 686 4" .357 - Decent gun, strong, and reliable. Great triggers and accurate. Again, not a huge fan of the 4" guns for target and not a fan of S&W service department.

Ruger Security Six 6" .357 - Very strong, reliable, tank of a .357, better suited for heavy handloading than the Smiths. Although I am sure I am opening myself for the Smiths aren't weak comments. Read prior statements. Accurate shooter and great length barrel for target shooting. Triggers are o.k. and can be greatly improved with a drop in spring kit. Ruger has fixed used guns and new guns alike. First, second, or tenth owner. I am a huge fan of their service department. The easiest to deal with in my experience.

Good luck with whatever one you buy, let us know.

.44mag
 
PS does the Sec. six share the same rep for being indestructible as other Ruger guns
Click to expand...

The SS is the lighter, earlier version. I actually prefer the SS to the GP-100. It just feels better in my hand. I bought mine new for my 21st birthday in 1982. It's still the house gun after all these years. But to answer you directly, no, the SS is NOT the super tank of a gun that the GP-100. I'm sure you could overload one if you really tried. Since it is lighter, you would probably give up before then because of the sharper recoil.

And that price is too high. I saw a Security Six come up on gunsamerica yesterday for $225 in like new condition. I see them all the time for less than $300.

All that said, I love the Smiths too. A 28 is never a bad thing. Who can dislike an N frame Smith? Especially an older P&R'ed one. And the 586/686 series is one of the easiest to shoot guns out there. None of your choices are bad, you just need to pick the one in the best condition that is also the best deal! Compare what you saw to what is on gunbroker, gunsamerica, etc.

Gregg
 
I own a S&W M28 and a S&W M19 in 357 Magnum. I wanted and found 6" barrels. They are both excellent and priced about $350.00. A 4" barrel is concealable in a IWB holster, easy to carry in a OWB holster and a decent focal length for most shooters. The M28 S&W would be my choice as it is a high quality, no-nonsense and reliable large frame. The Ruger "old" double actions suffer varied problems. I would not trust one as a CCW or HD weapon. The worst problem is that their triggers fail to reset. That is undesirable in a combat revolver. I suggest you find out which - the M28 is. Mine is a M28-2. The - and a number indicates S&W engineering changes.
 
I also favor the Model 28. It's a tank. It's heavy. It has a matte blue finish instead of the lustre blue finish. It has adjustable sights, recoil-reducing mass and a no-nonsense trigger & hammer.

For a range gun it'll be nearly indestructable and you can shoot it all day long even with Winchester-USA .38 range ammo. Step up to magnums and that mass soaks up a lot of recoil.

If you might carry it CCW, consider the 686 as a more compact version still capable of handling .357's with a little less aplomb than the M28.
 
Here's my Ruger Security Six 6" stainless, I've got a number of S&W and Ruger revolvers, the Ruger is built like a tank and it's a good shooter! I won this one at a PPC match back in the 80's.

35912352.jpg

http://www4.pbase.com/wingman26/image/35912352
 
Anecdotal Security Six thoughts

My shootin' buddy's got a 4" Security 6. It's a nice gun, with one exception. Full-power .357 Magnum loads caused the gun to ring like a bell. The whole frame of the revolver would vibrate at a fairly high frequency after each shot. The same loads, out of either my 4" Trooper Mk III or his 6" King Cobra, while still having stout recoil, were much more comfortable to shoot.

The Ruger's reaction to them was enough to make us not shoot full .357 loads in it any more. I'm not saying that it would be unsafe, or even that it would damage the gun, I'm not qualified to make either of those statements. I will say that it made me uncomfortable. With milder .357s, or any .38, it's been a sweet shooting gun. I still prefer my Trooper.

--Shannon
 
The first 357 I owned was a new smith 28 in 6 inch and it would not shoot,my friend was a gunsmith and he could't hit with it either,needless to say someone else owns it now.I much prefer a K frame smith with a 6 inch barrel,they are the finest revolvers made....
44-40
 
They're all fine guns which would serve you well. The 686 would be my choice, however, as they're just really fine guns with huge followings, superb triggers & actions, accuracy, reliability, and durability... it is just a tad stouter than the Ruger (heavier and has a more massive cylinder) and would serve you as reliably and as ruggedly as anything else. The Smith name and looks count for something as well... in many people's minds anyway. But you really won't go wrong with any of them.

The 28 is great, but personally, I prefer the smaller L and K frames for .357 caliber. To me an N-frame is larger than I like for the small bore .357. I love the N-frame for big bores, however.

K's are awesome little guns, but not as stoutly built as the L's. They're great if you're going to shoot a lot of lighter .357 loads with occasional full house .357 loads.

If I were you, I'd take the 686, especially if it has no internal lock... the best 686's are 686-2, 686-3, and 686-4. And should you ever wish to resell... well, the Smith & Wesson name is golden and a beautiful, used S&W is very marketable indeed.

The GP-100 is an excellent alternative to 686; the GP-100 is just a little smaller and lighter than a comparable length 686. GP's are sort of between a K-frame and an L-frame, but nearly the size of the L-frame. The L-frame has a thicker and heavier cylinder than the GP-100 has. The GP-100 3" is a particular favorite of mine... they feel great in the hand.

Any of these models is great in use. A Smith is generally a better choice for possible resale, collector value, especially if it's pre-internal lock. Generally a good used Smith will at least retain it's value if not appreciate over time. I'm speaking primarily about the models leading up to the installation of the internal locks.

Some will tell you that they had an example of this or that which was a bad gun. Don't let that taint your view of any gun. That has no bearing on the general quality of Smith, Ruger, and Colt revolvers. Look around long enough or ask enough people and you can find a poor example of any of them. No reflection on the brand or model, just on a particular example. There are lemon Mercedes, Lexus, and BMW's also, but that doesn't mean the brands aren't excellent in general.

Any and all will serve you well, they just have different twists and turns. I have SP's, GP's, J's, K's, L', and N's and I love them all... but they're just different.

Don't know if I helped any, but I tried! ;-)=
 
Well I own a 686 .357, and its one of the best revolvers I have. I think the price is bit high, but at a pawn shop you can dicker a bit.
 
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