Model12Win
Moderator
Man... I would guess something like a Model 66-1 or Model 640!
HARD QUESTION!
HARD QUESTION!
There can be only one! What S&W .357 Revolver would you choose?
- Thread starter WVsig
- Start date
riverrat38
New member
I just bought a new S&W M686 PC with a 2.5 inch barrel.
It is my current favorite.
My only other is a M640 Pro, which is my everyday carry gun. I would not want to sell that one either.
Best,
Rick
It is my current favorite.
My only other is a M640 Pro, which is my everyday carry gun. I would not want to sell that one either.
Best,
Rick
highpower3006
New member
I have always felt that these "if you could only" threads were kind of silly. I mean really, only one Smith and Wesson? Not going to happen around here at Casa Highpower. I have several .357 Smiths and could not for the life of me want to chose one over the other.
If we are talking strictly price, the two I have the least amount of $ in would be my two Model 66's. $300 in the 4" no dash and $340 in the 6" -2.
For sheer cool factor, I would take the Model 27, although they are rather hard to come by for the target price of $600. I paid a C-note more than that for this one a couple of weeks ago.
And of course, there is the always popular Model 19. I have just a few dollars more than the target price in this 1967 production beauty.
If we are talking strictly price, the two I have the least amount of $ in would be my two Model 66's. $300 in the 4" no dash and $340 in the 6" -2.
For sheer cool factor, I would take the Model 27, although they are rather hard to come by for the target price of $600. I paid a C-note more than that for this one a couple of weeks ago.
And of course, there is the always popular Model 19. I have just a few dollars more than the target price in this 1967 production beauty.
Driftwood Johnson
New member
What kind of collection can you round out by buying one revolver? Do you have one shotgun, one rifle, and one semi-auto pistol?
Based on prior comments and previous posts old buddy, I'd say a K frame or L frame would fit you best.
If you could feel a substantial difference in a High Power going from the standard grips to the Spegel thin grips, then you'll appreciate the smaller grips and trigger reach of the K and possibly the L frame (686 & 586).
It's possibly, if your hands are small enough, a J frame - such as a M60 might be a good fit.
Also - the K frames like the 65/66 19, etc. come in two distinctly different (to me anyhow) feeling configurations - a square butt and a round butt.
Aftermarket grips can make a round but simulate a square butt, but, a square butt will always be a square butt.
Personally, I despise the feel of the round butt and the fake feel of the grips that simulate a square butt.
Actually, I despise anything on a S&W except the over sized target grips.
Again - that's personal preference. You mentioned some time ago about a CZ75b not "fitting" you.
I find the square butt K frame (both M19 and M17 (the .22 version)) to have an extremely similar feel to a CZ75B. I can't remember who else here noticed that also.
That being the case, you may like the feel of a round butt frame a lot better.
The big N frame guns, like the M27 and M27 are fine guns. Possibly the best guns ever made in .357 magnum for over all use.
They are on the large side though. I don't find it uncomfortable to shoot my M29 - the .44mag version of the 27/28, but, it's not anywhere near as natural a feel as the M19.
Lastly - a word about the L frame. The L frame feels horrible to me. YMMV and it certainly will. The L and the K frames both share the same grip.
The rest of the frame is slightly larger on the L frame.
A lot of people don't care. A small number of people find it very objectionable. I'm part of the latter.
I don't see why it's such a big deal to the former since it just means on less person they have to compete with for those pristine 586's floating around right?
P.S. One last thing...
You might want to look at getting a Ruger Blackhawk in .357mag also if you go with a K frame or a small J frame.
Neither of those two are happy shooting a steady diet of .357mag in a wide variety of bullet weights.
Good luck - feel free to PM me if there's anything you need me to go into more detail about.
If you could feel a substantial difference in a High Power going from the standard grips to the Spegel thin grips, then you'll appreciate the smaller grips and trigger reach of the K and possibly the L frame (686 & 586).
It's possibly, if your hands are small enough, a J frame - such as a M60 might be a good fit.
Also - the K frames like the 65/66 19, etc. come in two distinctly different (to me anyhow) feeling configurations - a square butt and a round butt.
Aftermarket grips can make a round but simulate a square butt, but, a square butt will always be a square butt.
Personally, I despise the feel of the round butt and the fake feel of the grips that simulate a square butt.
Actually, I despise anything on a S&W except the over sized target grips.
Again - that's personal preference. You mentioned some time ago about a CZ75b not "fitting" you.
I find the square butt K frame (both M19 and M17 (the .22 version)) to have an extremely similar feel to a CZ75B. I can't remember who else here noticed that also.
That being the case, you may like the feel of a round butt frame a lot better.
The big N frame guns, like the M27 and M27 are fine guns. Possibly the best guns ever made in .357 magnum for over all use.
They are on the large side though. I don't find it uncomfortable to shoot my M29 - the .44mag version of the 27/28, but, it's not anywhere near as natural a feel as the M19.
Lastly - a word about the L frame. The L frame feels horrible to me. YMMV and it certainly will. The L and the K frames both share the same grip.
The rest of the frame is slightly larger on the L frame.
A lot of people don't care. A small number of people find it very objectionable. I'm part of the latter.
I don't see why it's such a big deal to the former since it just means on less person they have to compete with for those pristine 586's floating around right?
P.S. One last thing...
You might want to look at getting a Ruger Blackhawk in .357mag also if you go with a K frame or a small J frame.
Neither of those two are happy shooting a steady diet of .357mag in a wide variety of bullet weights.
Good luck - feel free to PM me if there's anything you need me to go into more detail about.
Thank you Hal for your comments and for showing me I have committed the classic mistake of not enough info about me as a shooter to help narrow the field.
I do have smaller hands. My BHPs are my favorite 9mms. I also love the 1911. Both these share customizable grips widths which I like. I can shoot larger pistols. I own Sigs like the P226/P228. I have owned HKs, CZ 75Bs etc but on some of them like Hal pointed out I found myself reaching for the trigger and adjusting my hands to fit the gun and in the end sought better fitting alternatives.
Will looking into the 686 and 586. A 686 was what I shot the other day.
I do have smaller hands. My BHPs are my favorite 9mms. I also love the 1911. Both these share customizable grips widths which I like. I can shoot larger pistols. I own Sigs like the P226/P228. I have owned HKs, CZ 75Bs etc but on some of them like Hal pointed out I found myself reaching for the trigger and adjusting my hands to fit the gun and in the end sought better fitting alternatives.
Will looking into the 686 and 586. A 686 was what I shot the other day.
My personal choices are the 686 6shot and the 627 8shot, the best thing about revolvers is the ability to change out grips to fit your hand the best I also like my wheel guns with a 4" barrel or shorter. A good 66 will also fit the bill, everyone should have at least one good 357 in the collection. I am a fan of Ahrends grips also.
4" Model 28 Highway Patrolman.
It worked great when I carried it for 20 years in LE, I've shot the crap out of it and it will still work perfectly, it don't care how heavy the loads are.
When O.W. Wilson (in his book, Police Administration) said "the Service Revolver should be heavy, so it could be used as a club if necessary" he had the Model 28 in mind.
Its a N frame 357 that can occasionally shoot 38s, where the K frame, (Model 19, 13, 66) are 38s that can occasionally shoot 357s.
I've had 19s and 13s that I've shot loose. I have a heck of a lot more 357s out of my '28 and its hasn't shot loose.
Shot everything from rabbits to Moose & Buffalo with that puppy (which the department gave me when I retired)
It worked great when I carried it for 20 years in LE, I've shot the crap out of it and it will still work perfectly, it don't care how heavy the loads are.
When O.W. Wilson (in his book, Police Administration) said "the Service Revolver should be heavy, so it could be used as a club if necessary" he had the Model 28 in mind.
Its a N frame 357 that can occasionally shoot 38s, where the K frame, (Model 19, 13, 66) are 38s that can occasionally shoot 357s.
I've had 19s and 13s that I've shot loose. I have a heck of a lot more 357s out of my '28 and its hasn't shot loose.
Shot everything from rabbits to Moose & Buffalo with that puppy (which the department gave me when I retired)
savagecornmuffin
New member
Call me crazy, but If I have to choose a Smith, it's going to be my 360 Scandium Kit. Its not that I love the gun,... I think it loves me!
My 125 gr +P 38 spl loads from this gun at 25 yds (supported at the bench). These are my very best groups. Average is still +/- 1 inch.
.357s are tough to handle, but not so bad I couldn't handle them when I needed to. Honestly, I don't think this gun was truly, in spirit I mean, made for .357 mag. But, hey,.. it is what it is.
This or my model 64, but that's not a .357.
If I could buy a new .357 and it had to be a S&W, then I'm going full retard..
My 125 gr +P 38 spl loads from this gun at 25 yds (supported at the bench). These are my very best groups. Average is still +/- 1 inch.
.357s are tough to handle, but not so bad I couldn't handle them when I needed to. Honestly, I don't think this gun was truly, in spirit I mean, made for .357 mag. But, hey,.. it is what it is.
This or my model 64, but that's not a .357.
If I could buy a new .357 and it had to be a S&W, then I'm going full retard..
I already made my choice here and bought a new 686 4", 6 shot ( I don't do model hyphenations). I am wearing it now.
It has had a trigger job, throats reamed, and trigger/hammer polished out. I put Pachmayr Grippers on it. Now I like it and wouldn't part with it. I suppose at some point I will probably disable the trigger lock and remove the parts, but I am not worried about it.
A .357 is not that easy to carry, because a gun big enough to handle recoil and to provide at least 6 rounds is a pretty noticeable load on ones belt. I carry exactly that all the time but know it wouldn't work for many others. My situation allows it.
I think 4" is the best for a single gun. It shoots beautifully and doesn't push one toward .38 Special.
I don't know about all those classic used guns. I have a big 657 with a scope but probably won't go in that direction or price range again.
I only do stainless (revolvers), and all my guns are shooters.
It has had a trigger job, throats reamed, and trigger/hammer polished out. I put Pachmayr Grippers on it. Now I like it and wouldn't part with it. I suppose at some point I will probably disable the trigger lock and remove the parts, but I am not worried about it.
A .357 is not that easy to carry, because a gun big enough to handle recoil and to provide at least 6 rounds is a pretty noticeable load on ones belt. I carry exactly that all the time but know it wouldn't work for many others. My situation allows it.
I think 4" is the best for a single gun. It shoots beautifully and doesn't push one toward .38 Special.
I don't know about all those classic used guns. I have a big 657 with a scope but probably won't go in that direction or price range again.
I only do stainless (revolvers), and all my guns are shooters.
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HawkeyeNRAlifer
New member
I have a 686 6" I bought back in the mid 80"s for $325. If I didn't have it and was looking for a 357, I'd probably buy a good used 686 4". I've punched a lot of paper and taking a lot of rabbits with this gun.
The other gun in the photo is a Taurus 44 special, it looks very similar to the Smith.
Note the Pachmayrs on the 686, those were the go to aftermarket grips back in the day. It seems all my other wheelguns are sporting Hogue grips.
Sorry, no pics. files too large for uploading here.
The other gun in the photo is a Taurus 44 special, it looks very similar to the Smith.
Note the Pachmayrs on the 686, those were the go to aftermarket grips back in the day. It seems all my other wheelguns are sporting Hogue grips.
Sorry, no pics. files too large for uploading here.
Many of these threads, we just dream about our own ideas and share 'em. But it sounds like you want insight on what YOU might choose, given our thoughts. In that vein, I'll make comments. Cause otherwise, hell no, I'm not going through life with only one S&W .357 Magnum. Cause that's stupid and I won't do it. 
Save your Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum purchase for some time down the road... and spend just $300 or $400 now on a solid, used, K-frame .38 Special. A used Model 10, 14, 15, 64 or 67 would give you a lifetime of phenomenal .38 Special shooting from the world's finest EVER double action revolver platform. No... no option for shooting .357 Magnum. But you'd be covering that later when you figured out exactly which S&W .357 you wish to buy.
We're gun enthusiasts around here. If you honestly believe you won't ever get another S&W revolver after getting your first one... you are probably delusional.
- I love my 4-inch Model 19-3 because it's smooth and feels "RIGHT" in my hands. I don't know if another revolver feels more "RIGHT" when you're holding it. However... it will simply thump me harder than I like with heavy .357 Magnum, and there'll always be questions about just how much pounding a sweet K-frame can or should be subjected to with heavy loads.
For shooting mountains of .38 Special with only the occasional thrill of .357, a 19 or it's stainless brother the Model 66 is a phenomenal choice. And just for range & shooting enjoyment, I'd take the longer sight radius of a 6-inch barrel.
- I love my 6-inch Model 686 because I've always thought that it looked EXACTLY like a big, serious revolver is supposed to look. It also balances a fine line of being a great gun for shooting .38 Special but also handling any .357 Magnum you wish to put through it. There's a reason so many folks flocked to these guns in early 80s when PPC was still a huge weekend shooting activity across the country. And there is obviously a reason that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting 686's in any place that has revolvers. However... I have found that the big, full lug barrel, especially in 6-inch guise, becomes a -VERY- heavy mass of steel hanging way out in front and it makes the rig muzzle-heavy and a bit unbalanced. Though I can say that I only tend to notice this after a box or two of ammo, on a long shooting day. When a little fatigue sets in, the l-o-n-g barrel with the full underlug seems heavy. A 4-inch 686 would help that a lot, but that gun doesn't look as attractive to my eyes.
- I just got a 6-inch Model 28-2 last summer, and wow, this one is different. As a big N-frame, it just isn't ever going to feel quite as familiar as most S&W revolvers (to me) because I've done so much shooting with K-frames and extremely similar L-frames. So the reach & feel on an N-frame is different. It's not bad, it's just that a K-frame is "perfection" on Earth, and the N-frame is somewhere behind "perfection." However, the N-frame handles the biggest, meanest, snottiest and harshest .357 Magnum that I can load at my bench and it's easily the most comfortable way I have to shoot heavy .357 Magnum. In that regards, I simply love this gun. And if I wasn't a handloader and didn't find so much joy from sending heavy stuff down range, the big N-frame wouldn't be as loved in my cache. The 28-2 (Highway Patrolman) is... an ugly behemoth. Many will disagree, but IMO, that's right on. Dull finish and looks gangly. A Model 27 would look light years better, but what I wanted was a lot of gun for low dollars and the Model 28's offer that in a HUGE way. You can find good deals on these big, ugly beasts. I think a 6-inch looks better than a 4-inch, but the 4-inch handles really nicely, I will say. I prefer my 6 for the extra sight radius.
- A gun that I have zero experience with but should be mentioned if you are stone-cold, over the edge completely nutbar and you will seriously stick to the "only one S&W revolver EVER" guideline
, and that would be the Model 627. An N-frame that carries EIGHT shots of .357 Magnum. As a newer gun, I wouldn't care to own it, I much prefer all the pre-lock examples. But there's not much in the world quite like a big N-frame with the capability for eight rounds of heavy .357 Magnum. Won't be a low-cost option, either. But seems to be worth mentioning.
Save your Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum purchase for some time down the road... and spend just $300 or $400 now on a solid, used, K-frame .38 Special. A used Model 10, 14, 15, 64 or 67 would give you a lifetime of phenomenal .38 Special shooting from the world's finest EVER double action revolver platform. No... no option for shooting .357 Magnum. But you'd be covering that later when you figured out exactly which S&W .357 you wish to buy.
We're gun enthusiasts around here. If you honestly believe you won't ever get another S&W revolver after getting your first one... you are probably delusional.
Honestly I have lasted this long without one I think 1 will be enough.... 
Thanks for the insight sevens. I almost picked up a model 10 from Buds a while back but again did not pull the trigger. I am in no rush to choose the right one. It is not a have to have it now kind of purchase.
Thanks for the insight sevens. I almost picked up a model 10 from Buds a while back but again did not pull the trigger. I am in no rush to choose the right one. It is not a have to have it now kind of purchase.