Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 357 Magnums Rated

I've said many times on here that I think the Smith and Wesson 686 is the best 357 Mag. ever made. I will not deviate from that. If you like the blued version, it's just as good. I think the 686 is better due to my preference overall for stainless steel, but you could say the 686/586 is the best. 681/581 versions are the same only with fixed sights. I prefer adjustable, but these are good guns too.

The only thing that makes a 627/27 a lesser gun is the size. They are a bit large for a 357. Same with the 28 which I'd rate a bit lower than the 27 due to fit and finish. The 28 was cheaper though, so there's that. Overall I think most 27's are slicker from the factory.

The next in line would have to be the Security Six by Ruger. It surprised me when they came out with the GP-100 because IMO there was no need. Nevertheless, the GP is more robust but also larger. I'd rate the GP as the next down since smaller is better when it comes to these guns unless you start getting into excessive recoil or they are simply not big enough to handle the cartridge, but the Security Six always was.

I'd rate the Trooper MkIII/King Cobra as next in line. Some have suffered from less than stellar parts over the years and IMO they are not as robust as the Rugers.

Python comes in next. Beautiful gun, just not as good as the others. New Python really isn't a Python but whatever it is, there are bad things being said about it. Dunno where it will end up when/if Colt gets it ironed out.

Smith and Wesson model 19 is a nice little gun, just proven not quite enough in the metal department for the cartridge. Same with other K frame Smith's and even worse with the smaller guns like the 642. Fine for special applications and mainly shooting 38's or 38 level 357 loads.

Taurus, Rossi, and some others have made 357's over the years. Even the Desert Iggle. Put them in any order y'all want at the bottom.

JMO, and other posters here are welcome to their own even though if they're different than mine they're wrong.

All of those are good guns, no doubt. Currently, my only .357 is a 4 in. M-19 with Hogue rubber grips that I quite enjoy shooting. I mostly shoot .38s in it, but I keep 158 gr coated LSWCs in it for business use. I have owned two other .357s over the years, a 4 in. Ruger Security Six and a 6 in. M-19. Both were good pistols. I sold the Security Six to buy the 6 in. M-19 as I preferred the perceived quality of the S&W better. I had no complaints against the Ruger at all and thought it a fine pistol, but I just preferred the Smith. After a couple of years I sold the Smith because the 6 in. barrel was just not handy. Nothing at all wrong with the quality, just too long for me. I have never owned a Python and have no desire to. There is just something about them that I don't like. Maybe too much uneeded metal? I just don't like the feel of them. I would rather have a Ruger than a Colt. Some people like Toyotas and some like Hondas. Both will get the job done. I have two other S&W revolvers in other calibers as well and a Taurus and a Charter Arms in .38. When it comes to revolvers, I'm just a S&W kinda guy. My latest is a M-69 .44 Mag. that I am working with. Compared to the .44, the .357 is kinda like going from a .22 to a 9 MM.

where one is making a mess in their nest is that the 357 Magnum isnt a 9MM MIRACLE of MYSTICAL POWER. Any way you want to turn it, surmize it, fondle it, dream about it, conjure about it or have a coniption about it it will never reach the level of the Mystical Miracle that the 9MM is. No matter the launch platform or how many pennies you Super Glue to the top of the front sight to be a better shot the 9MM MYSTICAL MIRACLE OF MAGNATUDED MAGNANAMOUS POWER. is THE GREAT EVAPORATOR. Just shoot thereabouts and all will leave the earth.

I should have included Dan Wesson, probably. Charter...maybe. I've never owned either in 357 although I did own both in other calibers. Nothing wrong with either. There's a good possibility the DW would rate above a Python, even leaving out the unique capability of having more than one length barrel in the pistol pack. IME DW's are good guns.

Yes,you should have included DW's---I think my DW is the finest shooting revolver I have ever owned---it's way in front of any SW out there even though it's a 357 Max

I'd have to agree on the L frame.

What isnt mentioned is the ability of its cylinder to handle the heavier 170-180 class bullets or some of the dual crimp designs like the Thompson full length.

Never owned or even fired an L frame, simply because I think the 357 is just as well served in 38s.

I don't recall ever having loaded any bullets that heavy in a 357 because the cartridge usually just serves yeoman duty for me. Good cartridge, just not as interesting as some bigger ones.

I've heard both stories on the K-Frames. Many insist that they've had one for decades, and that they have consumed a steady diet of full Magnum without a problem. Yet the official story is that police departments that required practice with Magnums had to regularly send them in for work or replacement.

I wish you'd suck start a 9, and leave the grown ups to talk about important sheit.

I knew a guy who shot a model 19 loose.

He was a second chance competitor and also shot regional pin shoots weekly. He bought the 4" model 19 used with no idea of history. He documented over 90,000 rounds of hot .38 handloads and IIRC nearly 30,000 .357 loads through it. He died with gnarly arthritis in his hands.

Ruger Blackhawk

So 120,000 total rounds, I'd say that's durable enough for me.

I really like M19's

Ain't that the truth.

Single actions not rated. If they were, the Blackhawk would be near the top of the heap.

The guy's brother still has his old loading books. He was a bullet casting and loading fool all week long. His loading logs are like a diary. Old matches, old friends, the birth of his daughter...
Just a little proud that my name comes up in the book here and there.

Yeah those 586/686’s were some great revolvers. They were carried in a lot of holsters for many years, hence it seemed like everyone you talked to was an armorer.

I think EthanEdwards assessment is pretty spot on. I don't have a L-frame S&W, but have a M27 and 2 K frames. My 27 is more comfortable to shoot with full power loads than the K frames, for sure. But it's a 6" barrel and big and heavy to carry around. The K frames are not very comfortable with full power loads, and I shoot mostly +P 38 spl handloads in them. I've had my M66 since 1974 and it's had the most use. it's still going strong with none of the problems that seem to plague others. Don't know the round count , can't say I've ever keep track of such things.

The L frame seems to be the perfect compromise. I've shot my fathers, now my sons, 686 4" quite a bit and it is more comfortable with full power loads. It carries better than a M27 also.

The Colt J frame, the first made for 357 specific pistol, looks like a 357 should look. And it's carried over Trooper name is the best name for a 357 postol. I liked mine a lot but the grips were just a little too big and aftermarket grips that I'd prefer were not available.
It's 39 ounces in the 6" version is a nice shooting weight with excellent balance, but a bit heavier than I'd want to carry around all the time strapped to my belt.
https://youtu.be/2ySCYpKJzZ8

I think for a carry gun, a stainless Security Six offers the best combination of weight, dimensions, and durabilty in a 357. But the finish on the blued models seems to have some of the worst durabilty among revolvers.

The 19 and 66 are nice pistols for practicing with 38 and loading 357 for personal protection. With their smaller size and weight than most Smith 357 revolvers, I can see why they were a popular carry option.

I guess with what a 357 revolver has become, I can see why a 686 or other larger revolvers have become a more popular choice.

I can tell that you have never experienced the sublime Korth Mongoose dual caliber .357/9mm revolver.

Pity.

I reckon it’s truly the best of all.