Gonna buy first revolver

I'll be the odd man out... I say an N frame smith in 357. 357s are pretty tame in that beast. 38s are similar to 22mag in my single six.
 
My first revolver was a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum. I'm very happy with Ruger and have a GP100 headed to me in the mail.
 
I have a gp100 in stainless with a 6" barrel, high viz front sight, Altamont grip panels, reduced wolf trigger and hammer spring. The shorter barreled 357s lose lots of power. Look at ballistics by the inch if velocity/power is of interest to you. In my opinion a double action revolver has an advantage over a single action in that you can load 3 38 special cartridges and 3 357 cartridges in one cylinder and quickly open and rotate so you have three rounds at the power and sound level you desire. The ruger gp100 is cheaper than the smith 686 and is supposed to be stronger. The Smith on the other hand I have heard has a shorter trigger reset and therefore faster follow up shots are possible allowing you to shoot just like Jerry Miculak and some off them are seven shooters.
 
I like shooting 45 Colt loads. I did Cowboy Action Shooting for 8 years. My 1911s are all 45ACP. So I wound up buying a Ruger New Blackhawk 45ACP/45Colt convertible and love it. I get to shoot 45 Colt and 45ACP, what's not to like. It's very accurate and very soft shooting. I put a new set of grips on it from Altamont, dressed it up a little. The holsters I made when I was doing the Cowboy Action Shooting. Take a look at them, nice gun for the money!

 
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My opinion is if you are thinking either 375 or 44 mag--then get a 41 mag. Best of both worlds without the pounding recoil and flatter shooting.
 
I have no experience with 41 magnum, but it appears to be a good but not very common round. Ruger (I like Rugers) makes a blued Blackhawk in 41 magnum that has a 6 1/2" barrel. That gun is on my WANT list, not my OWN list; I have no personal experience with it. It looks very appealing to me due to power close to that of the 44 mag and a weight close to a 357. That may prove to be another good choice if you can get ammo for it. Is a 41 magnum flatter shooting or have less recoil than a 357? I would be surprised if that is the case.
 
Is a 41 magnum flatter shooting or have less recoil than a 357? I would be surprised if that is the case.
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No--it will have less recoil and flatter trajectory than the 44 mag while still delivering most of the 44's hunting performance. If hunting is not an anticipated requirement than you might want something else--though I think the 41 is pretty darn accurate even if used as just a paper-puncher. Without a doubt, limited ammo availability and weapons chambered for it are it's biggest weaknesses. There has been a recent surge in both ammo and guns chambered for the 10mm--which while I also love since it's a 40 IMO it is far more "demanding" in getting the right set-up in terms of gun and cartridge. I keep hoping the same "rediscovery" will happen to (what I feel is the better handgun cartridge) the 41. The 41 mag is one of those Cinderella cartridges that is just plain great but "undiscovered"--or shall we say "undeservedly unpopular." ;)
 
What about a Heritage Rough Rider Colt in .22lr/.22mag? I'm considering picking one of them up if the deal is good enough. That would be a good learning gun I imagine, and definitely pretty fun to shoot. Thoughts?
 
Well I went ahead and did it. I bought a Colt Heritage Red Rider .22lr with .22mag cylinder conversion. ;D NIB for $218.40 out the door. Should be here in a few days. Early present for Xmas is how I'm justifying it to my wife. :D Actually she's most excited about this gun than the three others I've gotten so far. I'm pretty excited!

I'm still on the market for a snub and a heftier .357 tho. Still so many I want!
 
Versatile Blackhawk convertible

Pretty hard to go wrong with any on your list n I own most of them....but the versatility of having 3 calibers in a single action revolver tops my list. The Ruger convertible Blsckhawk allows u to shoot 357 mag, 38 spl n 9mm as Ruger provides two cylinders with the gun. The reliability n durability of the 60 year old Blackhawk frame is legendary. It is just a magnificent firearm n looks fantastic also... Something Wyatt Earp would be proud to carry..,
 
I'll cast another vote for the GP100. It's a great starting point. If you wanted to tinker with it or experiment it might be a bit more difficult because of access to the lockwork, but if it where me I'd just leave it alone.
 
Lee6113,

I just bought a S&W 686+ with the 3" barrel. I have, on consignment at a local gun store, my pre-lock 686 with a 6" barrel. The 6" barrel is a great gun but not good for backpacking. I love the 3" barrel. I can't stop looking at it and handling it.
 
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