3" or 4" 357mag

[rjmt]

LOL…. I recently dropped $365 at Claim Jumper for my Dad's 75th B-day for a party of four.




I love to drop a lavish tip on servers who do their job well (or just busting their hump doing the best they can), sometimes up to 50%.

wow - I haven't been out to dinner since I retired 2 years ago
but I can cook you up a mean Broccoli and beef dinner here at home
and a Dutch Baby breakfast? - better than The Original Pancake House
and my son can bake French Pastry as well as any place in Portland

 

[nammac]

586 3"


686 3"


And a Taurus 617, just because I can…

 

[Knobgoblin]

586 3"
View attachment 1187663

686 3"
View attachment 1187662

And a Taurus 617, just because I can…
View attachment 1187664

Altamont grips all the way round?

 

[Knobgoblin]

LOL…. I recently dropped $365 at Claim Jumper for my Dad's 75th B-day for a party of four.




I love to drop a lavish tip on servers who do their job well (or just busting their hump doing the best they can), sometimes up to 50%.

Love the Claim Jumper. They still got giant desserts?

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

LOL…. I recently dropped $365 at Claim Jumper for my Dad's 75th B-day for a party of four.

I love to drop a lavish tip on servers who do their job well (or just busting their hump doing the best they can), sometimes up to 50%.

I called a two days before to reserve a large table, but they gave away the two back rooms the day of her birthday to others and we got spread out over two tables and a booth. The food was good, but the service was lacking. I was going to leave an 18% tip, but surprise they already included a 21% gratuity.

Apparently all of the young kids are still on unemployment and nobody wants to work.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

586 3"
View attachment 1187663

686 3"
View attachment 1187662

And a Taurus 617, just because I can…
View attachment 1187664

 

[Stomper]

Love the Claim Jumper. They still got giant desserts?

Yes, giFREAKINGnormous "Mother Load" (can you say, "role reversal?) chocolate cake, and some other delicious cake thing that you poured various fruit/berry (for a lack of better term) "compote-ish"sauces on (which I liked better than chocolate).

I called a two days before to reserve a large table, but they gave away the two back rooms the day of her birthday to others and we got spread out over two tables and a booth. The food was good, but the service was lacking. I was going to leave an 18% tip, but surprise they already included a 21% gratuity.

Apparently all of the young kids are still on unemployment and nobody wants to work.

They young guy waiting on us worked his arse off, he got a FAT gratuity (and BTW it wasn't a kiss!)

 

[Tinman357]

I opted for the 3" 686+ and the 3" Colt KC. Best all around I could find to fit my needs. (I don't hunt anymore)

 

[greydog111]

I am looking at getting a revolver, it's going to be 357mag to match my Contender, it is going to serve as a fun gun, trail gun, house gun and occasional carry gun, I dont want a J frame sized gun, so what do you guys like for this purpose, price around 1,000 give or take but the cheaper the better thanks have a great day.

686+ Is the nicest one I've found recently.

 

[greydog111]

I like the S&W L-Frame (586/686) and the Ruger GP100 is probably even better for less money.

I have not noticed any remarkable difference in performance between shorter barrels out to 25 yards. Once the bbl gets longer than 4" you will notice the weight difference. The muzzle becomes heavy.

GP 100 is awesome but 686+ is lighter and nicer quality. Save up and buy S&W

 

[greydog111]

Okay thanks for all the advise I have looked at a 686 at a pawn shop it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time if ever it was 749.00 then I looked at a new 586 L comp it was 1100.00 and I am looking at an older Taurus 66 4" today I have read reviews on the Taurus 66 they were mixed but mostly good what do you guys think of the older 66sView attachment 1187247Taurus is poor quality and the ones I've owned unreliable

 

[greydog111]

For most of the scenarios you've listed, I'd recommend a 4" Ruger GP-100 with adjustable sights and single action capable (not a hammer spurless version). That's probably the best all-round general purpose/fighting revolver. The S&W 686 would be another good choice but I don't like the fact it has a side plate that is held on by screws that can work loose. The GP-100 does not have a side plate or use screws other than the grip screw.

Because you stated the possibility of carrying it, the 3" GP-100 would be a better option, but it's still fairly large. Additionally, most 3" versions come with non-adjustable sites and are even available without a hammer spur to make concealed carry easier.

Bottom line, unless carry was going to be one of the primary uses, I'd go with the 4". The 3" is going to be a compromise in most other scenarios. Another option, as always, is to buy at least one of each! Just my two cents.

Gratuitous picture of one of my GP-100s. A relatively rare 4", fixed sight, .357 mag GP-100 with a double action only hammer (no single action notch at all) and tritium front sight sporting the compact grip. I have two of these as bedside guns loaded with 38 special defensive rounds. Can't get much simpler. Hand it to the wife while I grab the shotgun.
View attachment 1187253

GP 100=a tractor. 686+ 7 shot=Dodge Challenger!

For the same reasons not one professional American law enforcement entity ever, ever issued one.

Taurus is a poor choice, Charter arms is worse!

 

[kmk1012]

686+ 7 shot=Dodge Challenger!

That's a pretty low blow. I hold S&W revolvers in a much higher regard than a Fiat.

 

[titsonritz]

I recall looking at a Mod 66 6" Taurus many years ago and I remember it being pretty nice as well but don't remember why I didn't buy it (probably because I was looking for a S & W! )

I often thought it was odd Taurus used the same model number as S & W for a similar style pistol.

Nothing odd about it, Taurus and S&W use to be sister companies, much of the same tech and machines were shared.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Nothing odd about it, Taurus and S&W use to be sister companies, much of the same tech and machines were shared.

But then one sister discovered cocaine.







Lol

 

[titsonritz]

I prefer the half shroud of the Security Six over the GP100 full shroud

So do I, its one reason I like the 27/28 over the 586/686/GP100. As nice as 13/19/65/66's are they do not survive .357 for long and more meant to be carried a lot and shot a little.

 

[titsonritz]

But then one sister discovered cocaine.







Lol

Pretty much.

 

[RVTECH]

As nice as 13/19/65/66's are they do not survive .357 for long

Well, 'do not survive .357 for long' is a bit of an exaggeration.

Yes, it is true pre lock, original K frame .357s will loosen up quicker if shot a steady diet of full house .357s but a lot of this 'hearkens back' from the days of the Super Vel hyper velocity 110 grain bullet loads and the 'infamous' cracked forcing cones.

I am unfamiliar with factory .357 ammo (as I load my own) but I suspect typical, off the shelf brands of .357 are not loaded to anywhere near the levels 'earlier' ammo was and if used 'judiciously' in 'K' frame guns will not be a huge problem.

Bottom line however IF you intend to shoot 'full house' .357 mag ammo regularly then consider a GP 100 or a 'N' frame, or later 'L' frame S & W.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I'm another fan of the GP-100, mine in a 4 inch with trit sights.
The 4 inch Python is also a super nice carry pistol, almost too nice, but the Ruger is a little faster and I don't care if it ends up in an evidence locker!
The little Colt detective is slick, but gives up too much performance for my tastes, more of a belly gun/back up
Same with the S&W Snubby I had, which had the funkiest grip and angle, I was always shooting low no matter what I tried, so off it went!

 

[s1xty7]

I prefer the half shroud of the Security Six over the GP100 full shroud

Y'know, not all GP-100s where full lug. A couple of examples:

Newer Match Champion:


Older half lug option w/ fixed sight (Note: this one is 38 special only, but I have two just like it in .357 mag that were Canadian police trade ins that had to be re-imported). I think they might still do occasional runs with less standard features:


And then there are the 6" half lug models. This one is shown in blue but they did stainless ones too:


The GP-100s have come in a lot of configurations if you do some looking around.