Don,
I have both the GP100 and Blackhawk. I love shooting single action revolvers. Bet every time I go to the range, the GP seems to find its way into the bag. But if I was shooting heavy boolits and loads form one, I think I would do it from the Blackhawk. This is strictly my personal preference. No scientific data included.
Have you thought about a 357 carbine? They have near zero recoil. And with the loads you are talking about, would be a real handy firearm for pig hunting at pistol distances. Just a thought.
andy
A Colt King Cobra in stainless.
I have a Ruger Bisley 357 mag. The frame and cylinder are the same as a 44 mag or 45 colt. I am pretty sure the cylinder is the same diameter as the SBH 357 max only shorter. It is maybe too heavy for a 357 but if anything it is stout. It handles hot loads better than my Marlin 357.
It is always a hard question for me because i have owned many,
many revolvers of all makes. I have shot hundreds of thousands of hot loads and with proper lubrication I have never harmed a single gun. I have never seen "frame stretch" or any of the other problems.
The S&W can not take heavy recoil from heavy boolits but can take high pressure loads.
The only S&W I had to fix was one where the jerk snapped the cylinder shut by the TV method and bent the crane. I bent it straight by hand! It was an early .38 before better steel.
I don't think you can harm a double action with a double lock up for the cylinder as long as you don't try to shoot real heavy boolits.
Can a Ruger take more? Sure, but then you are over normal loads too. If I want something with more thump, I use a bigger gun.
If you want to use heavy boolits at the limit, get a single action.
Then, there is the SRH, hurt that thing and you are trying to shoot to the moon!
IN spite of my love for the N frame Smiths, if I wanted a brute strong pistol to fire super charged .357 magnum loads it would be something on the New Model Riger BH frame. A few years back, Paco Kelly loaded some blistering loads for a Bisley Blackhawk in .357 Mag, with great results.
My strength comparison is based on two revolver I once owned at the same time. One was a Blackhawk and the other a Model 15 DW. I got a load from a well know gun magazine and tried it in the Blackhawk. It shot very well and had substantial power. In fact, I used that load for a couple of years with no problem whatsoever. One day I load and fired 3 rounds in the Model 15. The brass had to be pounded out of the cylinder. Eventhough no apparent damage was done I discontinued the use of that load and concluded that the BH was a stronger revolver.
Does anyone remember the S&W 686 vs Ruger GP-100 magazine ads from the 1980's ?
Ruger claimed to be stronger because of it's thicker topstrap.
S&W replied that there 686 was Forged steel, not investment cast like ruger.
.
NRA LIFE Member
USPSA/IPSC
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |