Which 357
- Thread starter Hawaiian
- Start date
Consider the short shrouded 6" GP 100. I have this model and a full shrouded 4". The 6" actually balances just as well as the 4", due to the short shroud, yet it gives you the advantage of increased sight radius and more velocity.
I just love my 6" GP 100 with the short shroud. Its a great shooter.
I just love my 6" GP 100 with the short shroud. Its a great shooter.
I love my 6" 586-nothing (it does have the M). It is my most accurate gun, very smooth trigger and action, well balanced, beautiful and it just plain feels good (both in handling and in shooting). It has started an affair with L-frames that I think won't be alleviated until I have quite a few more. Actually, between this and my K-frame they have me really loving S&W revolvers.
You ask for others to consider:
-Taurus Tracker, steel frame. Nice gun, great finish, if you like the grips they are supposed to do a great job in cutting recoil.
-Taurus 608. This gun is on their really beefy .44mag frame so it should handle anything you chose to feed it. It is a big, heavy 8 shot .357mag.
-Dan Wesson. The fact that they have available interchangable barrels is seen by some as a positive feature and by others as a gimmick. I think it is kinda cool that you can have a 6" or 8" target barrel on the same gun that you carry with a 2", 3" or 4" barrel.
You ask for others to consider:
-Taurus Tracker, steel frame. Nice gun, great finish, if you like the grips they are supposed to do a great job in cutting recoil.
-Taurus 608. This gun is on their really beefy .44mag frame so it should handle anything you chose to feed it. It is a big, heavy 8 shot .357mag.
-Dan Wesson. The fact that they have available interchangable barrels is seen by some as a positive feature and by others as a gimmick. I think it is kinda cool that you can have a 6" or 8" target barrel on the same gun that you carry with a 2", 3" or 4" barrel.
If it's not going to be a carry piece, the advice on a short-shroud 6" GP100 is very good. You'll have a fine "range queen" that can be pressed into "woods/survival gun duty" to good effect. Not a bad choice for home defense either.
The GP100 is incredibly strong...*maybe* tougher than the 686. Lots of aftermarket springs/sights available, trigger is sometimes not quite at S&W's level but can be tuned, or just dry-fire it a bunch.
The GP100 is incredibly strong...*maybe* tougher than the 686. Lots of aftermarket springs/sights available, trigger is sometimes not quite at S&W's level but can be tuned, or just dry-fire it a bunch.
Jim March too shy...
Read and print out his revolver check list here;
http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/library/Revolver-check.html
Take it with you when shopping. Applicable to new or used guns.
Sam
Read and print out his revolver check list here;
http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/library/Revolver-check.html
Take it with you when shopping. Applicable to new or used guns.
Sam
Ben Shepherd
New member
Prefer the ruger.
Trigger will become sweet over time.
And when you want to you can run hot rod loads as well.
Trigger will become sweet over time.
And when you want to you can run hot rod loads as well.
I have to agree with Ben Shepherd. The Ruger GP100 is the way to go. Good looks, built strong and as accurate as you will most likely ever shoot.
The triggers on the Rugers are getting better, but there are some that need to be sweetened up. This can be done by dry firing the gun alot or it is very easy for you or a smith to lighten and smooth out the trigger. Plus there are a lot of accessories for the GP-100. JMO
Tony
One of my Rugers
The triggers on the Rugers are getting better, but there are some that need to be sweetened up. This can be done by dry firing the gun alot or it is very easy for you or a smith to lighten and smooth out the trigger. Plus there are a lot of accessories for the GP-100. JMO
Tony
One of my Rugers
Ok, here goes my opinion. I use to own a 6" S&W 686, I now currently own a Ruger KGP-141 (4",SS, Adj. Sites). The 686 I owned was completely reliable with 38special and would reliably lock up with full house magnums. It did make a trip back to S&W and I was promptlly taken care of. Kept it for a while and was offered a price I couldn't refuse. Bought the 4" GP and love it. I do actually like it better than the 686 I had. I wil never get rid of it. As a matter of fact when I was shopping for a snubby, I went with the SP-101. I would still like to add a 3" fixed site GP yet.
What Can I Say?
As both are great firearm's, in their own right. I was a
big fan of the Ruger Security-Six line; then Ruger decided
to discontinue production, in favor of the GP-100 series.
Both, the GP-100 series Rugers and the Smith & Wesson
686 will serve you well.
I happen to perfer the 6" Smith
-5 model, with the frame mounted (or floating*) firing pin.
The only negative comment I can make about either gun,
is the fact that I don't condone the use of MIM hammer's
and trigger's; as found on the Smith & Wesson!
*FootNote: a feature found on the Colt Python
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
As both are great firearm's, in their own right. I was a
big fan of the Ruger Security-Six line; then Ruger decided
to discontinue production, in favor of the GP-100 series.
Both, the GP-100 series Rugers and the Smith & Wesson
686 will serve you well.
I happen to perfer the 6" Smith-5 model, with the frame mounted (or floating*) firing pin.
The only negative comment I can make about either gun,
is the fact that I don't condone the use of MIM hammer's
and trigger's; as found on the Smith & Wesson!
*FootNote: a feature found on the Colt Python
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
686.
Mine is a wonderful gun, perhaps the most accurate revolver I've ever owned. It is a -5, so it has the MIM parts and frame-mounted firing pin, but that didn't turn me off as much as I thought. Trigger is slightly heavier than I like due to the firing pin, but still not as bad as most Rugers.
There are two other things you should consider (and this is just my opinion).
First, Ruger quality just ain't what it used to be. I say this as a very disappointed ex-Ruger man, having owned many, many fine Ruger sixguns in years past, as well as some current specimens of theirs that I feel are simply "junk". In short, I've seen some real quality control issues in recent Rugers. I've spoken of it extensively in the past, so do a search if you want.
I don't believe Smith and Wesson is having this problem. Of course, this could change.
Second, the "Rugers are built like tanks" mantra is somewhat mis-leading and not accurate in my experience. It is possible to break one. I have broken two Ruger revolvers through the simple act of dry-firing. Sure they can handle high pressures, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and I feel the Ruger has one in the cheesy 30-cent casting they call a "transfer bar". When it breaks, it causes a catastrophic failure to function, not a nice thing to have happen in some circumstances.
Also, the 686 should be even stronger since Smith added their endurance modifications in the later models.
Just my opinion, no flames necessary.
Please, ALWAYS USE SNAP CAPS!
Mine is a wonderful gun, perhaps the most accurate revolver I've ever owned. It is a -5, so it has the MIM parts and frame-mounted firing pin, but that didn't turn me off as much as I thought. Trigger is slightly heavier than I like due to the firing pin, but still not as bad as most Rugers.
There are two other things you should consider (and this is just my opinion).
First, Ruger quality just ain't what it used to be. I say this as a very disappointed ex-Ruger man, having owned many, many fine Ruger sixguns in years past, as well as some current specimens of theirs that I feel are simply "junk". In short, I've seen some real quality control issues in recent Rugers. I've spoken of it extensively in the past, so do a search if you want.
I don't believe Smith and Wesson is having this problem. Of course, this could change.
Second, the "Rugers are built like tanks" mantra is somewhat mis-leading and not accurate in my experience. It is possible to break one. I have broken two Ruger revolvers through the simple act of dry-firing. Sure they can handle high pressures, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and I feel the Ruger has one in the cheesy 30-cent casting they call a "transfer bar". When it breaks, it causes a catastrophic failure to function, not a nice thing to have happen in some circumstances.
Also, the 686 should be even stronger since Smith added their endurance modifications in the later models.
Just my opinion, no flames necessary.
Please, ALWAYS USE SNAP CAPS!
the L frame and Ruger enthusiasts know what they are talking about. Hard to go wrong with either-althought both companies are perfectly capable of turning out a really turkey buzzard occasionally. I do consider the Rugers to be the basic best for .357 loads and have the 4" heavy and the 6" short shroud. My six inch is of recent manufacture and is virtually identical to the one I had several years ago.
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SaltyCracker
New member
If you go used, and do a lot of shopping around, you can probably get BOTH for a little over the $500 you are talking about spending.
Works for me!
Works for me!
Att: Grapeshot,
Very well stated, my friend.
Those Smith & Wesson
686-5's are some mighty fine firearms aren't they? I
know since my day's as a LEO; it just seems like I like
to shoot the 5"- 6" barrel revolver's a lot more!
With Warm Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
Very well stated, my friend.
Those Smith & Wesson686-5's are some mighty fine firearms aren't they? I
know since my day's as a LEO; it just seems like I like
to shoot the 5"- 6" barrel revolver's a lot more!
With Warm Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member