686, 586, gp-100

[BandeauRouge]

I wont lie, the only revolver i have played with was for but a single cylinder at a not defunct gun range.

This was a 7 shot taurus 66.

Im looking at either a now unavailabe/out of production ruger bolt action in 357 magnum, an impossible to find lever action in 357 that may not work with my shoulder now, or a hand gun.

The 686 and 586 are supposed to have a nicely pinned in front sight that is "really hard to replace", but every gun website online sells replacements for them and claims "its awfully easy".

GP 100 DOESNT have an easy to replace front sight. EVERY website claims it is easy to replace, but the only guns that appear to have a replaceable front sight are the stainless 7 shots. the blued ones all seem to have a drift adjustable front sight.

This whole gun is for target shooting and short range deer hunting. I liked the taurus 66 grips, but not the guns crappy spray paint finish.

[dverna]

Unless you are using an extremely light or heavy load, I doubt you will need to replace the front sight of a revolver with adjustable sights.

As to the Ruger 77 bolt guns in .357, there were a number of reports of poor accuracy with some of them. I wanted one and that killed for me. They are not cheap either. I came close to getting a baby rolling block but it did not come ready for scope mounting. The other option was the Henry single shot but I do not like break open guns off a bench.

Just did a quick search on GunBroker and there are over 50 lever actions in .357. I have two Marlins and an Uberti 1873 clone. They have performed well. I like the Marlin 1894's as they are easy to scope. My 1873 has an after market tang sight and it works well. Others will chime in with their experience with Rossi's and Henry's.

Good luck.

[Shawlerbrook]

I know some will disagree, but the Taurus is not in the same class as the Ruger or S&W. The GP100 is probably the strongest , but the S&W, especially older ones are fine revolvers.

[brokeasajoke]

I have the gp100 stainless 7shot

[414gates]

Why is the front sight replacement on a GP100 not easy ?

It takes 60 seconds if you don't know what you're doing, otherwise it's a 10 second job.

[Sasquatch-1]

If you get the S&W, you can get Weigand Scope Mount made for Smith & Wesson K, L, N, and X Frame. This replaces the rear sight and allows you to mount a red dot sight with NO additional drilling. It comes with what you need and is easily accomplished by a novice. The biggest problem with this mount is you no longer have the iron sights to fall back on if the red dot fails.

https://www.jackweigand.com/Smith-Wesson-Revolver-Mini-Mount.html

[Jtarm]

Why is the front sight replacement on a GP100 not easy ?

It takes 60 seconds if you don't know what you're doing, otherwise it's a 10 second job.

Not always. The tenon can be oversized and may require a bit of file work to fit.

Pinned S&W front sights can be replaced by anyone with average mechanical skills, or pay a gunsmith $40 to install it.

[NSB]

If you get the S&W, you can get Weigand Scope Mount made for Smith & Wesson K, L, N, and X Frame. This replaces the rear sight and allows you to mount a red dot sight with NO additional drilling. It comes with what you need and is easily accomplished by a novice. The biggest problem with this mount is you no longer have the iron sights to fall back on if the red dot fails.

https://www.jackweigand.com/Smith-Wesson-Revolver-Mini-Mount.html

Totally agree and will add that in forty years of using red dots on handguns I have never had one fail in the field….and I hunt a lot.

[jaguarxk120]

I have a six shot GP100 and the front sight is easy to replace.
Why do you need to replace the front sight with adjustable sight at the rear?

[FergusonTO35]

FYI, my 1982 Marlin 1894 and late model Rossi 92 .357 have been great and I wouldn't hesitate to use them for deer. I'm a recoil wimp, and have put some pretty stout loads through my 1894 and never had any discomfort. 'Nother thing to think about. You say you have only had experience with one revolver. Handguns in general have a pretty long learning curve, especially if you are going to use one for hunting. The carbine is going to be alot easier to hit with at typical hunting distances and the longer barrel provides a velocity boost. A Rossi should be pretty easy to find, right now alot of shops have them here.

[contender1]

Welcome to the Forum!

I wonder why the worry about replacing the front sight? Can you enlighten us?

First off,, get a handgun with an adjustable rear sight. Easier to regulate to YOUR loads at YOUR preferred distances.
Second,, if the front sight (factory one) isn't to your liking,, both the S&W's and the Rugers are replaceable. Depending upon which model & such,, the Ruger GP-100 has a VERY easy spring loaded replaceable front sight. Others,, require a little different work, after Ruger changed the design.
Since target shooting & short range deer hunting is the goal,, I'd look at the GP-100 for such purposes. Strong, well made, and very dependable. And if the desire to replace the front sight pops up,, it's not hard for most who possess a little mechanical skill.

[megasupermagnum]

I replace most front sights, as most often the ones they come with are at best a compromise.

The GP100 standard sight is the easiest to replace there is. You just push a plunger and the sight comes out. I've never had a new one not fit right in. You are mistaken, the vast majority of GP100s use this style. The other GP100 front sight is a Novak dovetail. I've only seen these on dealer exclusives. It is no easier or harder to replace than any other dovetail sight. It is as easy a job as there is on a handgun. If you have ever replaced a dovetail sight, this is no problem.

The S&W can be non removable, pinned, or a DX. Old ones were fixed, and the only option is to mill it off, and cut a dovetail. I'm not sure I've seen a 686 new with a dovetail. Most are pinned. It is an intermediate difficulty job. You will need a center punch to mark the hole, a punch to drive the pin out, and a drill bit to drill it. They are tiny and hard to work with. Some hand drills will not chuck the tiny bit. Once drilled it's just a matter of putting the sight in, and putting the pin in. It's not a difficult job, but it is easy to mess up. The DX style is way better, it is almost identical to the GP100/Redhawk style.

[375supermag]

I personally prefer the 686 over the GP100.
I have owned a 686 Silhouette model for many years and is incredibly accurate.
I have never owned a GP100 but have shot one owned by a friend extensively and believe the 686 to be superior. I will agree wth those who say that the Ruger is a bit more robustly built, I don't know that most shooters would ever push a 686 to its limits strength wise.

My 686 has had many thousands of rounds both cast and jacketed fired through it and it still provides excellent accuracy and locks up as tight as a bank vault. At one time, I shot a large number of book maximum loads through my 686 on a fairly regular basis. I eventually ratcheted those loads back a bit as I acquired larger caliber revolvers, but the gun is fully capable of digesting thousands of those loads with no ill effects.

[dverna]

Totally agree and will add that in forty years of using red dots on handguns I have never had one fail in the field….and I hunt a lot.

I am going to assume something about you....I bet you are not using $75 red dots...LOL

[FergusonTO35]

I am going to assume something about you....I bet you are not using $75 red dots...LOL

I bet so. A cheap red dot is about the most useless thing ever. I knew a guy in college who bought an S&W AR when they first came out and were fairly expensive. He then proceeds to install a Tasco red dot that had previously been on his SKS, meaning every round fired would shake it like 007's martini. The first few rounds he fired missed the paper and went into my target stand. I don't recall him ever getting it even close to sighted in. I advised him to buy a $20.00 GI style sight which would at least hold zero but he wouldn't hear of it.

[NSB]

I am going to assume something about you....I bet you are not using $75 red dots...LOL

That would be a big Roger Dat. I don’t buy the most expensive, but I know what’s worked for me and many of the hundreds of competitors I’ve met over the years. The ultra cheap ones I call a “light in a tin can”

[elmacgyver0]

Totally agree and will add that in forty years of using red dots on handguns I have never had one fail in the field….and I hunt a lot.

Red dots around for forty years?
God, am I that old?
I guess so.
Time Flies.

[Bigslug]

ALL the .357's under the GP-100 tab on Ruger's website (not the Match Champion one) with adjustable rear sights seem to have the quick-change front sight.

If your intent is to REALLY hunt, pick up a stainless 6" and don't look back. They really are excellent.

[BandeauRouge]

Easily replaceable front sight is important. I did use that taurus, and the front sight has that crappy half assed slope on it that i kept trying to use the TOP of the sight to line up with the rear sight. I think it took a whole cylinder before i had it figured out.


Im only talkin current production guns. I had an email chat with smith and wesson customer support about people who buy a used SW and need factory support. The phrase "without a paddle" was a good representation of what the person told me.

I like the lines of the X86 family as much as ruger but the ruger manual makes it out that if you can load the cylinder you can take the gun apart and put it together again. THAT is important as i plan on running 90% cast through it.

[M-Tecs]

Red dots around for forty years?
God, am I that old?
I guess so.
Time Flies.

Hate to tell you this but Aimpoint started selling them in 1975. In two years it will be 50 years. The reflector sight was invented in 1900 by the Irish telescope maker Sir Howard Grubb. Aimpoint claimed to be the first to mass produce a reflector sight that was an electronic red dot sight that used an LED for illumination.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/06/06/the-original-aimpoint-electronic-1980/

https://aimpoint.us/history/

[BandeauRouge]

Hunt and target shoot.

To carry it as a backup when hunting. NOTHING less enjoyable then having to play "nice doggy" and back away from a freshly killed deer because a bunch of coyotes want it and you only have a single shot muzzleloader, a bow with 1 arrow, or just a knife.

I read what seems to be the 2008 article by Grant Cunningham about the gp-100 adjsutable sights that move around with every shot, etc...

How does the 5" barrel version do these days

[oldhenry]

I have a 4" 686+ & traded off a 6" 686 (terrible mistake) and I also have a 3" GP100 & a 5" GP100 in .44 Special. If a 586 became available @ anywhere near a decent price, I'd buy it (or trade the 4" 686).

I shoot the 2 GP100s much more than the 686. My GPs have hammer shims, hammer dog shims, 11 lb. main spring & some judicious polishing: they're slick. I think it's the .44 spec. thing that attracts me to the GP's.

They are all in the safe except for the 3" GP (it aways resides within easy reach). It has a dovetail mounted front sight that will stay there. To be honest I can't say what front sight attachment method the others have, but whatever it is will remain as is.

With the GPs I'll never be "without a paddle".

[megasupermagnum]

Hunt and target shoot.

To carry it as a backup when hunting. NOTHING less enjoyable then having to play "nice doggy" and back away from a freshly killed deer because a bunch of coyotes want it and you only have a single shot muzzleloader, a bow with 1 arrow, or just a knife.

I read what seems to be the 2008 article by Grant Cunningham about the gp-100 adjsutable sights that move around with every shot, etc...

How does the 5" barrel version do these days

You might be reading that wrong. Both S&W and Ruger use the same sight design. They both have a screw into the frame for elevation, and a screw through the sight blade for windage. You can argue about which brand sights are nicer, but neither brand sights move unless you break them, which is not likely.

Both of those models are about the best hunting handguns you can buy. Get whichever makes you happy. Or get both if you can. I own two of the 5" GP100s, and I think they are one of the best revolvers ever made. I should have bought 4 when they were cheaper.

[FergusonTO35]

Hunt and target shoot.

To carry it as a backup when hunting. NOTHING less enjoyable then having to play "nice doggy" and back away from a freshly killed deer because a bunch of coyotes want it and you only have a single shot muzzleloader, a bow with 1 arrow, or just a knife.


That's why my Glock 19 with cast slugs and a reload always accompanies me in the woods! Although, the 'yotes around here already know that people = guns so stay away.

[Kosh75287]

This wasn't on the OP's list of choices, but I'D suggest looking for a gently used S&W M28. It isn't quite as "handy" as the medium framed revolvers mentioned, but there's not a lot wrong with their sights (or anything else), as they are. If the long-range plan is to scope the .357 Mag revolver of interest, the M28 could be problematic.
But I know from experience that a used M28 will shoot to "minute of vital zone" on deer, to 100 yards. It will ALSO hold to "minute of hungry/ambitious coyote", every bit as well.

[jaguarxk120]

The Smith and Wesson M28 or Highway Patrolman is no longer in production.
That fact puts it high up on the S & W collector list, also pushes the price
up also.

[BandeauRouge]

The Smith and Wesson M28 or Highway Patrolman is no longer in production.
That fact puts it high up on the S & W collector list, also pushes the price
up also.

the 686 is hitting 919-1050 for current factory new models.. The older ones well, are just as much and if they predate the hillary hole they go for more.

[jaguarxk120]

I just checked on Guns International, the M28 ranges from a low of $900 to $1500 and higher!

And there is no hillary hole.

[practical_man]

OP
I own and shoot all three revolvers, and a marlin 1894 carbine. All are as reliable as sunrise and kill whatever vermin they’re loosed on. The S&W get the nod when I get the itch to shoot a revolver match. Smith’s are smoother out of the box and much easier to tune than Ruger. That said, the GP 100 can be nicely tuned too. If you can change spark plugs in your car you’re mechanically proficient enough to do the job.

For hunting I choose the long gun every time. The advantages are obvious. As a backup, the revolver in a homemade chest rig works well. Also a good way to carry when feeding livestock during spring snake season or just puttering around the woods.

For NEW production s&w revolvers adding a red dot is dead simple. The previously mentioned Wiegand mount works well and I like it. I recently switched to the Allchin mount and an enclosed emitter red dot. Much better solution as the dot is mounted closer to the bore and debris doesn’t get into the dot housing.

YMMV

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've had a few 586 guns, a 686, and a GP-100
All older out-of-production models.
I was fond of the one's I had...still have the Ruger.
I never found a need to replace a front sight on any of them.
With all that said, since you mention in one post, that you are only interested in current production guns, then I'd suggest getting a Henry Big Boy.
That's my 2¢

[Chena]

Take a close look at the Smith 627. I have had two GP 100s and liked them both, they are accurate and hell for stout. But they are less responsive in the hand the N Frames I have owned. Regarding front sights, if it is a question of visibility, fluorescent orange Krylon and a narrow natural hair brush are your friends. Top coat with clear Krylon or nail polish and touch up once in a while.

[FergusonTO35]

If you can find an older GP with the 6" half shroud barrel that would be the way to go. My best friend has one and it is sweet.

[anothernewb]

Weigand makes one for the ruger GP100 as well. have one on mine.

[Thor's Daddy]

...The biggest problem with this mount is you no longer have the iron sights to fall back on if the red dot fails...l[/url]

https://fusionfirearms.com/s-w-rmr-rear-sight-black-target-silver-body

Weigand isn't the only game in town it seems...
https://fusionfirearms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0d8212a3ae2dd039333d1f246eec5091/0/1/0107_1.jpg

[tja6435]

https://fusionfirearms.com/s-w-rmr-rear-sight-black-target-silver-body

Weigand isn't the only game in town it seems...
https://fusionfirearms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0d8212a3ae2dd039333d1f246eec5091/0/1/0107_1.jpg

Dang, that is slick. I may need to buy a stainless S&W so I can put that mount on it

[Sasquatch-1]

https://fusionfirearms.com/s-w-rmr-rear-sight-black-target-silver-body

Weigand isn't the only game in town it seems...
https://fusionfirearms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0d8212a3ae2dd039333d1f246eec5091/0/1/0107_1.jpg

At $140.00 it is almost three times the cost of the Weigand.

[dannyd]

Well you what camp I am in. :)

310341

[rintinglen]

310466
Submitted for your approval yet another alternative. The Ruger Security Six line is lighter and handier than the L-frame Smiths or GP100 Rugers, but stronger and more enduring than the k-frame S&W's in 357. I have been very pleased with mine. The only fly in the ointment is that aftermarket support is limited. Despite there being hundreds of thousands of them out there, not many sources for grips, replacement parts, etc. remain.
They tend to be cheaper than the Smiths and the Gp 100's as well.

[FergusonTO35]

Those Sixes are my favorite Ruger handguns ever. I have a 1988 Service Six (last year of production) stainless .38 and it ain't going anywhere. Only problem is, Ruger states on their website that factory parts and service are no longer available for them. Used parts are still fairly easy to find, and if you had one that was beyond repair Ruger would probably sell you a new GP at significant discount.