Looking for advice/recommendations for revolvers

[RJM52]

The .357/.38 run bullets that are .357/8, the 9mm .355/6.... The Ruger BH has two different cylinders, one for .357/.38 and the other for 9mm...

I have three S&W revolvers, a 66-2, a 60-10 and a 649-1 all of which have had the chambers modified so they will also run .38 Super and 9mm via moon clips... So the 66 and 60 will run .357 Magnum, .38 Special, 9x19 and .38 Super. The 649 will not run .357s..

The 2 thousands makes no difference...

Bob

[bob208]

I have a ruger security-six 4 inch barrel in stainless steel. it was made 1976. I have shot it and carried it or years still have it. if it came down to a survival situation where it had to work and no spare parts. I would pick it up without a second thought.

a 357 is a good choice you can use full house loads for hunting. you can use any .38 spl. loads from the hottest to the mildest.

[BlackIce05]

Ok, so I think from what I've read elsewhere and what you guys have said so far, the .357 sounds like a solid does just about anything choice. Which is what I was hoping for for the first one. That 41 sounds interesting too, lol I haven't even bought the first and am already planning a second in 41 magnum. I kinda figured that's how this would go. My wife keeps asking how many guns I need. I just tell her I'll let her know when I figure that out. So anyway, sounds like .357 in a 4-6 inch barrel, and DA. So far most seem to suggest the 686 or GP100, looking at the 2 of them so far nothing jumps out to me to pick one over the other. Also a couple mentioned Taurus, which I was curious about. I know some say stay away, others love them. I've read where they had significant issues in the past but are supposedly showing marked improvement? Are they worth considering simply because they're significantly cheaper? Or should I just steer clear of those and stick with either the 686 and GP100?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I would stick with S&W and or Ruger .

[Ithaca Gunner]

All sound advice above, just don't pass up a good used Ruger Security Six, S&W M-28, (Highway Patrolman) or a Colt Trooper at a decent price. They were all made stronger than need be and can provide a new owner with a life long package of accuracy and dependability.

[Kraschenbirn]

You might try checking around for police trade-ins. They may show some holster wear but most have been shot (comparatively) very little. A couple years back, a local shop here latched onto a dozen 4" S&W 65s...K-frame, .38/.357, fixed sights...from a small department upgrading to semi-autos and put a couple in the counter display tagged at $275 each. Whole batch was gone within 10 days...and I've often regretted not snagging, at least, one more than the one I've got.

Bill

[CDRGlock]

I have two Taurus revolvers. 605 and a Tracker 922. Not bad but the S&W and Ruger are well above it in quality.

Resale for Taurus sucks, too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[rintinglen]

When the time comes, notice how difficult the 41 is to find on the shelf, compared to say a 44 magnum.

The care and feeding of odd ball cartridges is something that needs to be considered when contemplating a purchase--four years from now when the next panic hits town, the oddities tend to disappear quickly and come back very slowly. I shoot a .303 Savage, a .348 Winchester, a Star 9 mm Largo and a hand full of others that aren't on the front burner of any manufacturer, and I know where of I speak. It took me three months after the purchase of my Browning 32-20 to find any brass or ammo back in 09, thanks, President Obama.

Things are better right now, but if you take the road less traveled, be prepared to stock up whenever you can, as much as you can.

[Petrol & Powder]

BlackIce05 - Lots of good advice here.

Taurus - My experience with Taurus can be summed up by saying sometimes you get a good one and sometimes you don't. I've had good and bad Taurus revolvers and I know others with similar experiences. I no longer wish to play in that sandbox and just gave up on Taurus. I'm sure you can find people that say they are good guns and they're probably telling the truth about their particular Taurus. I will say the Taurus Model 85 seems to be the exception. Most of the Model 85's I've run across seem to be decent guns.

rintinglen's advice about odd ball cartridges is good advice. The feeding of your revolver can be expensive, even if you reload. The 41 mag is a good cartridge but it tends to run on the expensive side and can be difficult to find.

As for police trade in guns, the revolver portion of that market has pretty much dried up. While police revolvers do show up from time to time, you have to be cautious when buying a used K-frame in .357 mag. The cracked forcing cone issue for magnum K-frames has been somewhat overblown but there is no doubt that it exists. There's an active thread on this forum that shows a model 64 that needed to be re-barreled due to a cracked forcing cone and that's not even a magnum K-Frame. Used revolvers are often a good deal but you have to know what to look for.

[str8wal]

That 41 sounds interesting too, lol I haven't even bought the first and am already planning a second in 41 magnum.

When you are ready to move up, you may want to leapfrog the 41 and go right to the 44. There are a lot more options in bullet weight/style and factory ammo is much more common should you need it. Many stores won't even have a box of 41's on the shelf. But, let's keep our minds on the job at hand. The 357 may do all you need in a revolver.

[Walkingwolf]

A good amount of model 64's are on the market, but alas they are 38 spl. If you are looking for a hunting gun the GP100, or 686 is probably the way to go. If looking for self defense the 64 is a proven stopper, even with standard 38spl. Buffalo Bore has some hot FBI loads that exceed factory performance of other 38 +P.

I put my fear aside of buying a used revolver online, and have a model 64 on it's way. Crossing my fingers that it is in good condition, but it is really hard to wear out a 64, unless the gun is being shot constantly with hot ammo. I am not aware of any major problems with the USAF M15 at Lackland AFB, and they were shot almost daily with military ball.

Also for concealed carry a good choice is the new model 66, it has a reworked crane, and a more stout barrel that extends into the frame, the barrel cut at the forcing cone is gone. Unfortunately they no longer offer the 66 in a six inch model.

[Tom W.]

I prefer a D.A. revolver because that's what is comfortable for me. I had a Ruger S.A. .45 Colt / .45 acp convertible and mostly just used it as a fun gun. I traded after a few years mostly because I got tired of it.
The felt recoil, to me, is somewhat more straight back with a D.A. and not nearly as severe. I've had several Ruger SBH, one with a 10 inch barrel ( stupid purchase on my behalf ) one stainless with a 5 inch, and ended up with a SRH. Same loads, easier shooting. Even the .480 I had wasn't hard to shoot. As far as .357's go the Ruger 4" stainless Security Six was hard to beat.

[bluelund79]

I'll add into the dog pile. I own a Ruger GP100 and a Blackhawk in 357. Neither have seen the range since I purchased some Smith and Wessons. The grip fits me better, the action is smoother, and trigger is much better. All of that adds up to better shooting. Currently, I have a 686-6 in a 3" barrel as my edc, 627-5 4" pro series, 617-6 22lr 4", 69 44mag 4.25", 15-1 4" 38spl and a 10-6 4" 38spl. If the Rutgers weren't 6" barrels, I'd probably sell them sooner or later. Until then, they don't eat anything, nor do they take up much room in the safe. Good luck in your decision, it was rather easy for me, like it was for others. For what it's worth, I have Taurus a fair shake with a 4" 607, I didn't like the ported barrel, nor did it point well for me. I do own a Judge, but only for the fun factor, didn't want to blow the extra coin on a Smith, and I got such a screaming deal, I couldn't pass it up.

[charlie b]

Since you are an OTR driver try scheduling a stop in a town with an indoor range where you can try out a gun. Albuquerque has one right off of I40 in town. Las Cruces has one off of I-10 about two miles. Phoenix had a couple but I am not current on their businesses.

I'd get a .357, load it with .38spl until you get used to it. Then use .357mag.

When reloading I found that loading down to .38spl target loads was as easy to shoot as .22 and almost as cheap. Just a great all around chambering.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[10-x]

How much $$$ do you want/ have to spend? Kind of important. Instructing folks starting on revolvers is easier with a .22 all the way around. If you havethe $$ pick up a Ruger single six or for DA a S&W. Smiths will be pricy but you will have a good DA revolver for life as with the Ruger. Sights can also be big factor, check out all that you can get your hands on. See which ones " feel right" for you. Everyone is different. Cant go wrong with a .357. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Art in Colorado]

I have said this many times before but will say it again. A S&W 686 with a Dash 3 or Dash 4 inside the crane after 686 to me is the perfect 357 revolver. These would all be used guns having been made in the late 80's to early 90's. I prefer the 4 inch models. Nothing wrong with Ruger GP's but can't tolerate the rubber grips. I know you can get after market wood grips for them but the angle to them to me is all wrong. While with the S&W the after market wood grips are many and most are great. If you can find one of these 686's you are going to have to pay more then a new Ruger but you will have a perfect revolver for life. I am sure there are more experienced members on this board but I have been buying and selling more S&W and Ruger revolvers then I can count for more then 30 years but I do have to admit never having to own a Ruger Security Six. So there you go.

[BlackIce05]

I honestly haven't given much thought on price. Don't get me wrong, I never have as much money as I think I should. But my view on buying a gun is that the price shouldn't be at the top of my concerns. I'd rather have to save for an extra month or two to get a gun that is made better, more accurate than I am, and has the least chance of needing to be repaired within the first couple of years than to save a little money and get it sooner, but have to wait for it to be sent back from repair, or worry that it's going to come apart on me or whatever. That being said, I'm always most interested in what can achieve my goals at the lowest price. Like Taurus for example, I gave that some serious thought because I had read where some said they love them, had nothing but good luck from them etc., but, there's a high enough risk of getting one of the "friday" guns, that it doesn't seem worth the cost savings. So far I think I'm leaning towards a S&W, they seem to be the most recommended, and even people recommending a ruger seem to compare them to the S&W. Also, some of the rugers just look odd to me, I would definitely have to get my hands on one before buying a new one. Unless I happen to find something used, of course that could change everything. Was going to say I could sell it if I couldn't get along with it, but honestly I've never found a gun of any brand that I just absolutely hated, and I've never sold one. I have every gun I've ever owned all the way back to a 22 I got when I was a kid.

[psweigle]

Keep in mind, ruger is by far and above the strongest revolvers built today, and are used as test guns for ammo companies. There is a whole section in most modern reloading manuals that are marked very clearly "ruger ONLY" loads. If you are looking to purchase a gun that will be around forever, it may be a good choice. No argue ment that a smith used to have a much better trigger though.

[BlackIce05]

Thanks, psweigle, that's very good to know. I hadn't read that. That certainly raises the ruger up some. I don't know that I'm leaning either way now.

[charlie b]

FWIW, the "Ruger only" loads originally came from the .45Colt. Ruger's SA in that caliber was built stronger than the original Colts so the ammo folks came up with heavier loads for that revolver. Some manuals say "Ruger/Contender only" since the TC Contender barrels could also handle the heavier loads (and some say Ruger/Contender/Marlin or rifle loads).

Rugers are strong, but, I would not say that a heavier frame S&W was any weaker than similar sized Ruger. There were some lighter .357's made that did not like full power loads. The model 19 S&W was kinda famous for that. The early Ruger SP101's in .357 Mag were labeled for 125gn only loads. I would not choose a Ruger just based on frame strength. Any of the modern .357's will handle the loads.

There were some special .357 loads for the TC Contender that had 180 or 200 gn bullets loaded longer than the normal max length for the .357 Intended for silhouette shooting. But, they were not loaded to more pressure than the regular .357 loads. I don't know if any fit in the Rugers or Dan Wessons. Of course there was also the .357Maximum round developed for that competition.