Best 357 revolver

[Certaindeaf]

I have fond memories of my first pistol a 686-4. It is still my best shooting pistol

An 86 is a fine, fine gun. Kinda heavy for carry. I wore out two and a half of them with great pleasure and difficulty.. and with the help of a top-notch armorer. lol
Go Ruger.

 

[Classic]

Sold a Colt King Cobra 6" blued in Mint condition to a member here and still regret it. Friggin tack driver.
GP-100 is decent and a friend has a Security 6 which I think has a better trigger than the GP-100. Another friend has not one but TWO 4" Pythons (both are 95%+) that I have had the opportunity to shoot... Holy crapola!!! Nicest wheel gun I have ever had the opportunity to discharge. The triggers on both were identical.
Ahhh to be rich!

 

[Certaindeaf]

The Pythons are pretty lame. Back in my PPC days I shot out a couple.. dedicated and tweaked, re-barreled and all Pythons. Very nice DA (PPC is DA) but hey, no. no good as they'd go out of time very quickly.. even with target loads.

 

[Trailboss]

The Pythons are pretty lame. Back in my PPC days I shot out a couple.. dedicated and tweaked, re-barreled and all Pythons. Very nice DA (PPC is DA) but hey, no. no good as they'd go out of time very quickly.. even with target loads.

I've owned a few Pythons back in the day. They had the smoothest action of any revolver I'd ever handled but I never thought of them as tough. S&W were tough and Rugers were practically unbreakable. Dan Wesson's were a gimmick and Llama revolvers were a joke. Just the way it was in my neck of the woods.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

It's threads like this that make me go out and spend more money on guns...

So which is better, a. 357 or A .44spl ? LOLOLOLOL!!!!

I miss my old 686. My best friend and I spent many happy days varmint hunting and we used our .357's a lot! Now both my friend and revolver are gone and I want them both back. Silly, huh?

 

[RVTECH]

I was REALLY wanting a 6" blue GP 100 but fell into a great deal on a 4" SS. Had a M-19 4" Smith previously but now glad I went with the 4" GP - with the heavier barrel and full underlug it shoots like a lighter 6" Recoil with it is about 1/3 or less than my M-19. Better ergonomics than the M-19 also. Smiths are nice (earlier ones) but some of the newer one leave a bit to be desired. All things being equal a Ruger GP, Security or Service Six is probably the best value in a quality wheel gun there is. You might find a better Smith or Colt but you will pay the price. Really there is nothing in the category of the Rugers.

 

[Certaindeaf]

If you're a DA shooter (and you really should only shoot a DA revolver DA, even at squirrel heads at 100 yds), they are all different. Most people have mastered the Smith.. the Colt is.. different.. and so is.. the rest.
But if you're a piker, SA is the same no matter the gun.

 

[Salps]

For the value and built like a tank, 5 inch Gp100 stainless. Very accurate.

 

[Greenbug]

I like how everyone here (so far) is keeping it real.... Nobody has claimed that their Taurus or Rossi is the shiznit.

Colts are a fine revolver, but are sensitive on their timing. Ruger revolvers are overbuilt and feel clunky, but very reliable. Smith & Wesson has to be my top pick for a good balance of weight vs. quality. A good K or L frame is packable but not too light to bother you much under recoil. I am very partial to my N frame 627-0 model of 1989, a bit heavier, but it shoots lights out and it's weight makes even the stoutest 357 loads pretty tame.

 

[RVTECH]

Ruger revolvers are overbuilt and feel clunky

Gotta respectfully disagree - or I wouldn't have bought a GP! Closest thing I could equate it to is a new L frame Smith - but not at all clunky in my hands - NOW if you want to discuss Ruger clunkiness how about them Mini-14s or the PC9 - now we are talking clunky!

 

[Joe13]

I have long fingers and large hands, my GP100 fits like a dream but I often get comments about how large it looks. Doesn't bother me if it looks huge to most or not though lol.

Named mine TLW - The Last Word.

I think it is appropriate...


Edit: She is my bedside/bump in the night gun cuz she always goes bang 6 times and rounds always land where i want them too.

 

[RVTECH]

I have long fingers and large hands, my GP100 fits like a dream

Same here but I still MAY have to drop the Houges and go with Pachmayr Presentation. I prefer a traditional grip on a revolver.

 

[Greenbug]

Gotta respectfully disagree - or I wouldn't have bought a GP! Closest thing I could equate it to is a new L frame Smith - but not at all clunky in my hands - NOW if you want to discuss Ruger clunkiness how about them Mini-14s or the PC9 - now we are talking clunky!

Should have said "Ruger revolvers feel overbuilt and clunky... compared to S&W and Colt"

Not saying Rugers are bad, just not my first pick, very solid guns, I just prefer the S&W.

I know it probably wont make you feel any better, but there is my "apology" for my opinion.

As far as the mini-14 and pc-9, yes that is more the definition of clunky.

I really love my Ruger MKII's but can not stand the MKIII's with all the extra junk on them. Just saying, not a Ruger hater per se, just opinionated when it comes to the guns that live at my house....

 

[The Heretic]

I only own one - a 6" gp100 ruger, so thats my answer. Wish I had a colt and SW to compare it too...

I would also say 6" unless you are planning to conceal it.

I've shot Colts (Python) and I own a S&W 329PD, and I've owned and shot a DW .44 Mag, and I've owned and shot a Ruger SP101 snubby in .357. I also own a Taurus Ti Tracker in .357 Mag.

If I wasn't as concerned about weight as I obviously am (a titanium and a scandium revolver), and I wanted the most out the .357 Mag without going to a 7+" barrel because of balance, I would get a stainless Ruger GP100 with a 6" barrel and have a really good 'smith tune and do an action job on it. Then I would have a really robust revolver in .357 Mag. - possibly the most robust DA revolver you could buy short of getting a Super Redhawk and having someone rechamber it for .357 Mag.

If you are okay with SA revolvers and you have the money, then I would go with a Freedom Arms SA revolver with 7.5" barrel.

Personally I prefer my revolvers in DA and barrels in the 3.5 to 5" length and either titanium/scandium or stainless. Colt and Ruger generally have better feeling actions, but Ruger makes them much stronger and modular and a good 'smith can make them feel like a S&W or Colt.

 

[ron]

I am a Smith and Wesson fan. I have bought and sold several different
S & W 357s. 19-4", 66-4", 686-6",686-4", 686+-4",627-5.5" and a 329PD.
And one Ruger SP-101. The Rugers are investment casting requiring them
to be dimensionally larger for the same strength. I will admit the Smith is
more delicate than a Ruger. I do prefer the smoother action of a Smith.
And I use to think they were more accurate than a Ruger. But after
Shooting a friend's GP-100 4" I was surprised that it was as accurate
as any S&W I have owned. I wish I still had that 66.

 

[mrblond]

No Desert Eagle fans? Honestly, If I was going to buy a revolver, I get S&W tunnel vision.

 

[nfield4]

Single action Ruger Blackhawk. Lots o fun!

 

[jbett98]

I'm down to three .357 Magnums right now.
A 6" Colt Python in the brilliant polished stainless steel.
A 4" Ruger Security Six in stainless steel.
And a S&W 360 PD AirLite.

The next .357 Magnum will be a Coonan.
I don't know why I want one, but I do.

 

[The Heretic]

No Desert Eagle fans?

Not a revolver

 

[mrblond]

Not a revolver

For some reason I read the OP as the best 357.. must have skipped over the revolver part..