S&W or Ruger

M

muleshoe

New member
I'm going to buy a new(nearly new) 357mag. I've kinda got it narrowed down to a S&W686 or a Ruger GP100. It'll mainly be my wife's gun, she's not real fond of my 44mag. We'll use it as a house gun, target shooter, and plinker. It won't be carried so I'm thinking 6" barrel. I'm also thinking stainless just because I like stainless. Looks cool and is easier to care for. There's not much difference in price. So all politics aside, which is the better revolver? I appreciate your thoughts and experiences.

:)

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bullet placement is gun control
 
Well, Smith sold us out not long ago and Ruger sold us out in '94. Either choice isn't exactly PC in the shooting world. Good revolvers are hard to find though. Used is the way to go, get a good gun without helping the traitors any.
Personally, I like the Smiths. I've got nothing against the Rugers, but to me the Smith beats it hands down.

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TFL's official "Curmudgeon Member" and damned proud of it!
 
They're both good guns but different. The Ruger is very robust. Simple in mechanics and easy to clean due to its modular design. It's also accurate. But it doesn't have the fit and finish of the Smith and it doesn't have as much finess. The Smith is lighter and has more attention to detail. It also has a slightly better trigger. Both will work well for any purpose, but the Smith has an edge in target work and concealed carry whereas the Ruger seems to be more at home with full power "overdrive" ammunition and a harsh environment. Being slightly smaller in size and used mainly as a house and target gun, I think the wife would like the 686 a little better. The model 66 might even be a better choice for her. I happen to like the heavy/solid feel of the Ruger better, but it does have a heavier trigger and larger size.
 
One more question. I'm not to learned in Smiths so what's the difference between a K frame and a L frame? On S&W's web page they show a 686 in both frames. Is that correct? BTW, will probably go with a used gun.

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bullet placement is gun control
 
Go with a used smith.The ruger is strong but the triggers aren't close to a smith.If your wife is going to shoot it the difference in trigger pull will probably make the difference between a hit or a miss

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beemerb
We have a criminal jury system which is superior to any in the world;
and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men
every day who don't know anything and can't read.
-Mark Twain
 
The L frame is bigger than the K frame. Actually, J is smallest (ie, chief's special), then K, then L, then N (629). This usually applies in both size and weight.
 
Brasso's comments are right on. I own both Rugers and S & W's. Ruger's are a very strong weapon. S & W's triggers are a lot better. Both are good choices.
 
I cast my vote for used 686, maby lighten the trigger return spring for double action work. Smith trigger out of the box usually as good or better than doctored Ruger.

You might want to play with marker pens to get a sight colour that wife can see. I can't use the red ramp front on the Smiths. Light blue works for me on stainless bangers.

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Sam I am, grn egs n packin

Nikita Khrushchev predicted confidently in a speech in Bucharest, Rumania on June 19, 1962 that: " The United States will eventually fly the Communist Red Flag...the American people will hoist it themselves."
 
I have a 6" 686.Very accurate and nice trigger. I bought a spring kit from wolff springs and it made it even better. I can highly recomend it.
 
I absolutely love my GP-100. I have fired over 1000 rounds through the thing without any problems. It is a great gun and tough as nails. It wont win beauty contests, but an intruder wont care much about that.

It is also accurate. I can shoot it well and when it is loaded with .38 defensive hollowpoints, my wife is deadly accurate.


I do recommend a 4 inch barrel, however, as it is a little easier to handle. just a thought.


My $.02
 
There are many threads re this topic; I struggled with it recently when deciding to buy my first revolver (prior to the S&W sellout).

TFL members and other experts generally recommended the Ruger GP-100 series or the Smith 686 (series), both in stainless. Their consensus was: (a) both are excellent .357 magnum/.38 Special revolvers; (b) the GP-100 might be marginally more durable; (c) while the 686 might be slightly more accurate, due to a smoother trigger-pull. The Smith 686 "out polled" the Ruger GP-100 about three to one.

Even after shooting both, I simply couldn't decide whether the GP-100 or the 686 was preferable. Then I discovered the S&W 627: "N" frame, all stainless, five-inch barrel with full under-lug, Smith Special Edition, "gold dot" sight. I love this firearm! It is incredibly well-built, solid, reliable and durable, with superior manufacturing quality and materials -- plus its out-of-the-box accuracy is terrific. Obviously it also has all the standard .357 mag/.38 Special advantages regarding many excellent ammunition options.

In sum, I urge you to consider a pre-treason S&W 627. The "N" frame certainly has reliability, durability and quality similar to the GP-100 and the trigger-pull/accuracy exceeds the 686s'.
 
The L-frame is a slightly beefed up version of the K-frame, with more metal in critical areas. This was done to counteract the one big criticism of the Model 19, that it would need service after a relatively small number of full-bore .357 Mag. loads.

The 686 and the GP100 are actually very similar in size. The Ruger is a little beefier, I think, but the overall package footprint is similar.

What you might also want to do is look around for a used Speed Six or Security Six by Ruger. These were the predecessors of the GP100 line, and are about half-way in size between the K-frame and the L-frame Smith. They also tended to have better triggers. I've seen them at gun shows for less than $250 for one in very good condition.

If you're going to use this as a house gun as well, I would suggest going with the 4" version. You're not going to notice all that much difference in accuracy, but you will notice it in handling characteristics, ESPECIALLY with the 686's full-lugged barrel.

The grips are interchangable between the K and L frames, so there's no problem finding a grip. Anything usable on a K-frame is usable on a 686.
 
I have both a Smith and Ruger In 357mag.I no That ruger does not have a good rep with the trigger but I think that on my guns The ruger has the better trigger. It just took some breaking in
My smith's triger is no better.
For the type of shooting you have descibed
I would go with the ruger GP100 4" or 6" inch Barrel. Or The new model blackhawk in stainless 4-5/8" or 6-1/2 barral

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www.vote.com
also for gun accessorys. http://gungoodies.com
 
My small-framed 10 year old son loves to shoot our 686 with 4" barrel. Point is if he can handle it, I'm sure your wife would. We shoot mostly 38 spl but sometimes crank it up and shoot 357's. Very accurate. Action job would make it even better. Know nothing about the Ruger. Good luck.
 
I've got a Ruger SP-101 .357 that I use for the same purposes you describe. In short, it serves the role perfectly.

I chose the SP over the GP for the basic reason that a smaller weapon is easier to carry/hide/store.

Meanwhile, it's durbable and accurate, even with the 2.25" bbl.

And on that note, consider going with a short bbl rather than a 4" or 6". Basically, it's a LOT harder for a BG to get a snubbie out of your control. Nothing to grab, as opposed to on that big handled 4" version. Surprisingly, you probably won't notice any difference in the "accuracy" unless you're a real whiz.

If you opt for the Ruger, you should immediately change out the grip. The basic stock is held together by a screw that some people find irritating. I use a Hogue, but what's important is finding one that is comfortable to you.

If you are set on a full-sized frame, consider the Smith model 66. Very well made, and it's easy to find high quality used specimens. They get a bad rap for coming apart, but if you aren't planning on constantly using full power loads, it should last forever.

[This message has been edited by brionic (edited May 02, 2000).]
 
brionic:

"They get a bad rap for coming apart"??? What's with that?

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bullet placement is gun control
 
Muleshoe,

The 686 is an L frame, not K. It comes in 6-shot and 7-shot (686+).

If you like smooth and slick or want to get into competition--particularly action pistol--the S&W is probably the better choice. Should be 5" or less barrel with 6 shots for IPSC or IDPA, 7 or 8 shot (627) for ICORE.

If you like something that feels good with powerhouse rounds and ever want to get into silhouette shooting or hunting, go for the Ruger.

Some of the issue of recoil is a matter of perception when choosing between these two. I recently had occassion to note that even my large N frame 627 doesn't seem to have much advantage over the 686+ in handling recoil, but again that may just be my perception. The other perception is that the 686+ is very manuverable.
 
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