Which 6" .357 Mag? Value side of the equation

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raindog

New member
I have a Ruger GP100 .357 Mag with a 4" barrel.

I got it in trade and it's always bugged me a little that my .357Mag is a bit short. The round really needs a 6" or 8" barrel from everything I've read.

I'm thinking of selling the 4" and getting a 6". I have no complaints about my GP100 but on the other hand there is nothing about it that makes me love it above all choices. It's the only .357Mag I've ever owned.

The S&W 686 seems to be in the same class.

I'm aware that there are super-premium guns costing twice as much...not what I'm looking for.

So if you were going to buy a 6" .357 Mag priced around the cost of a GP100, what would you buy?
 
raindog said:
So if you were going to buy a 6" .357 Mag priced around the cost of a GP100, what would you buy?
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A 6" stainless steel GP100. As a matter of fact, I alreadtly did!

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Just can't beat a GP100 IMO.
 
A S&W 66 or 19 depending if you want SS (66) or blued (19). I've got a 6: 629 and while I like the looks of it \, I would be tickled if it were a 4". I've got a M28 4" and M66 4" and they are great guns and lenght
 
i bought the 6" gp a couple years ago, ive thought about a 686 to add to it. to be honest though, after the gp you really don't need another 357.
 
Here is the best value proposition.
Get a Colt Python 6" shooter.
Shoot it for 10 years.
Sell it.
Buy your Ruger with the profit.

Now you have a free .357.
 
So if you were going to buy a 6" .357 Mag priced around the cost of a GP100, what would you buy?
Click to expand...

If you already like the GP, I'd buy another GP. Another option is of course the 686 although it is more expensive than the GP. The S&W typically has a better trigger although not by a great deal and both guns are excellent.
 
The 6-8" barrrels will give optimum velocity and the longer sight radius will aid accuracy. If I were hunting or target shooting at longer ranges I'd definately want the longer barrel. But they are a bit harder to carry and not as practical for all around use.

A 4" barrel is not optimal, but not too bad and is a good compromise. It is when you get down to the 2-3" barrels that velocity loss really starts to be a problem. Over the years both Ruger and S&W have offered a limited run of 5" guns. I wish I had bought one of the 5" GP's when they were made.

Both Ruger and Smith make good guns. I've always had a slight preference for S&W and feel that they are a better long term value. Rugers are good too, but in different ways. They have a reputaion for being more rugged. Maybe, but I've never had a problem with either design. Rugers do tend to cost less, but don't hold their value in the long term as well. All of my Smiths will sell today for more than I paid for them.
 
save up for another gp if ure wanting to hunt or get the ultimate out of a .357 in my experience u'll be sorry u let the 4'' go somewhere down road.
 
Keep the 4" gun and buy a 6", GP100 or a 686. You may decide you want to shoot IDPA and you'll need the 4". 4" is a better holster gun than a 6". Velocity isn't all that bad with the 4" gun.
 
Without too much effort you should be able to find a Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman for between $450-$500. Also there is the Colt Trooper Mk III and Mk V. Both models were made with 4" and 6" barrels. I've seen those selling for around $500 in my area. But they are both out of production which might matter to you.

Good revolvers nevertheless.
 
Might want to think about this. What if you acquire the 6" Gp-100 and upon shooting it , there is no notable difference ? Are you then preferring rthe 4''? (Which is clearly much more packable.) Might want to keep the 4" and buy the 6'' when you have more money. Then sell the one you don't want , if there in fact is such a thing at that point.
 
raindog said:
I have a Ruger GP100 .357 Mag with a 4" barrel.

I got it in trade and it's always bugged me a little that my .357Mag is a bit short. The round really needs a 6" or 8" barrel from everything I've read.

I'm thinking of selling the 4" and getting a 6". I have no complaints about my GP100 but on the other hand there is nothing about it that makes me love it above all choices. It's the only .357Mag I've ever owned.

The S&W 686 seems to be in the same class.

I'm aware that there are super-premium guns costing twice as much...not what I'm looking for.

So if you were going to buy a 6" .357 Mag priced around the cost of a GP100, what would you buy?
Click to expand...

What are you concerns about the 4"? Velocity? Accuracy?

I have the following revolvers:

Python 6", 4", 8"
S&W Model 627 4", 5"
GP100 6"
Taurus 605 2 1/4"
S&W 586 L-Comp 3", coming next week

Definitely a difference in velocity at a longer distance with an 8". The difference between 4" and 6" is neglible. 4" and 5" is not noticeable.

The GP100 is the best value for the money. I did get a trigger job so it ran close to the price of a 686.
 
First off, what do YOU think?

By that I mean, do you like the way your GP100 feels/shoots? I think that too many people read all sorts of opinions on the net and then find that other peoples likes and dislikes color their own thinking.

I have .357 revolvers in both 4" and 6" barrel lengths and from a shooting standpoint there is very little difference. If you shoot something with a .357 shot out of a 4" barrel what ever you hit isn't going to know that you didn't have an extra 2" of barrel.

If you are carrying your revolver around all day you will want the shorter barrel for ease of carry. If you are primarily shooting targets you MAY want the longer sight radius that a 6" barrel has, but there is no difference in the inherent accuracy between the different barrels.

If you are a handgun hunter and a handloader, the longer barrel would be better because it allows you to wring the last bit of performance out of the cartridge.

Other than that, if you are dissatisfied with your GP100 for other reasons than a vague feeling that it somehow isn't "right", by all means get another with a longer tube.

If it was up to me, I would just keep the gun and buy another that will make you happy.

I have a 6" GP100 and while it's not a Python, it is a reliable gun that I know I will never wear out. I do however, have a vague feeling that I need to buy a 4" GP100
 
When I bought my .357 mag I had a choice of GP100 with 4" and a 6" barrel or a Security Six stainless with a 6" barrel. I got the S6 stainless with the six inch barrel because with the GP100 four or six inch, both were barrel heavy to me?
The half lug on the six inch Security Six just felt better to me!:D
 
I like my four inch GP 100, but if the sole purpose is to stretch the limit of the magnum, then that takes the Model 19/66 off the table (I love my model 19s but they don't get fed turbo loads either).

Another GP-100 or six-inch 586/686 are the obvious choices. Six-inch S&W Model 28s also seem to be a lot more prevalent than the four-inchers around me.
 
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