S&W vs Colt vs Ruger in .357 magnum revolver

Alfonso

Alfonso

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I'm in the market for a .357 magnum revolver for target shooting. I've always been a semi auto 1911 .45 acp man but have owned a few .357 revolvers in the past including a S&W 19-3, Ruger security six and astra Comanche. What would be your picks for target practice use. I do have my 12.6 so a 4 " bbl could be thrown into the suggestion box. I'm looking for reliability, accuracy, lots of use, and affordability. I don't want to mortgage the home.

Thanks,
 
I'm in the camp that says the best bang for the buck is with S&W. With Ruger being a close second.

Colt guns are nice for sure. I've shot those belonging to a couple of range buddies. But the cost for them is simply not worth the difference in the trigger feel. Note I said "difference" and not "better". I found them to be a little different but no better than my S&W's.

I rate Ruger as a close second due to the GP100 and Redhawk trait of having a noticeable click in the trigger pull that you feel when the cylinder stop is released just before the hammer break. This can lead to staging the trigger. And in my experience staging the trigger leads to less accuracy since you tend to snatch at the trigger from the staging point.

Of course if shooting primarily in SA mode then none of this matters much. And in SA the S&W and Colt are about the same with Ruger being somewhat further down.

Among the S&W options you have K, L and N frames for guns that shoot .357Mag. The slightly smaller and lighter K frames are at their best with mostly .38Spl with some magnums here and there. The Model 19 is a K frame .357. The Model 14 is a well regarded .38Spl only gun. The 586 and 686 are L frame guns which can shoot a steady diet of .357Mag without any issues in the short or longer term. The N frame guns are bigger and more massive than the L frames and laugh at a steady diet of full house magnums. The N frame is what is used for 6 shot .44Magnum guns.
 
All great revolvers but if you are looking for a revolver to punch many rounds down range with I'd run a GP100. Good balance and smooth with 38 SPL. Will last a life time.


Built like a tank, thick top strap and a solid frame.

Trigger can be rough compared to a Smith but will smooth out.
 
ill back that up.
best bang for the buck is the ruger GP100.

if you can afford it S&W is a better gun but money/quality id go with the ruger.
built like a tank.

i currently run a GP100 and love it but i will be picking up a S&W some day to compliment it.
im not a huge wheel gun guy so its about 5 or 6 back in the list of stuff to pick up.

last week i had the opportunity to shoot my GP100 beside a S&W R8 and a S&W 460V mag and while the fit and finish was better on both the S&W they where also both over twice the price of my GP.
 
I'm going to say GP100, for value, reliability, durability and accuracy. THe smith has better trigger group, better finish, weaker build.

If you said trigger was most important to you, I'd dsay S&W. Otherwise you can't beat a GP100.

Colts I can't speak to. Lots say the old ones were great, but they are unobtanium and overpriced.
 
Ruger Gp100 all the way! But sometimes it comes down to which one you can get,both are hard to come by either way you can't loose!
 
I prefer Colt's, but considering what people are asking for one I can't really recommend one in good conscience. The Ruger is the stronger of the other two, as mentioned built like a tank. I would choose the S&W simply for the trigger. A good trigger makes good shooting a lot easier. - dan
 
Jumping in - which commonly available model(s) are the N-frame smith 357?

I've shot a 686 and it felt ok, but the 629 44 magnum filled the big hands nicer.

I shoot single action only and I love Smith triggers. But I also shoot a Ruger Blackhawk with that draggy transfer bar system ok.

Is the GP100 trigger really all that much worse than a Smith in SA mode? Or is that more of a revolver connoisseur thing?

My budget tops around $700, which means used smith or new ruger
 
While the smith k frame is lighter and not up to a steady diet of fullhouse 357, the smith L frame (eg 686) is built to handle steady magnum loads and is not weaker than the ruger gp.

Also, there are 2 grades of colt- Python and King Cobra. The king cobra is equal to the smith and ruger and I would not pay a premium for one. The Python is a few notches above, at least 1500 plus, and worth it.
 
As others have stated it really comes down to two guns. The Ruger and Smith & Wesson's.

I guess it really will be which one you are OK with and how much do you want to spend. They are both good guns.

I have both and I appreciate both of them, but for different reasons. Yes the trigger is much nicer on S&W guns and the fit and finish is better as well but there is a cost for that.

Don't buy into the stories that the Ruger is much stronger, it isn't. They are just made in different ways. People think because the Ruger is bigger that it is stronger but that really isn't so.

Try them both and then make your mind up. I am sure you will be happy with either one.

Graydog
 
Mark-II said:
Jumping in - which commonly available model(s) are the N-frame smith 357?

I've shot a 686 and it felt ok, but the 629 44 magnum filled the big hands nicer.

I shoot single action only and I love Smith triggers. But I also shoot a Ruger Blackhawk with that draggy transfer bar system ok.

Is the GP100 trigger really all that much worse than a Smith in SA mode? Or is that more of a revolver connoisseur thing?

My budget tops around $700, which means used smith or new ruger
Click to expand...

In N frame S&W's there are a few options for .357Mag. First is in the used or classic lineup S&W makes or made the blued finish Model 27 and Model 28. The 27 is a premium gun with a better polished deep and rick looking blueing. It also got nicer anti glare checkering along the top strap and barrel ridge and grip lines along the back strap. The Model 28 Highway Patrolman was intended as a law enforcement gun so it's not as nicely polished and lacks the checkering.

Keep in mind that with revolvers the grip feel comes from the grips installed on the gun. If you don't like the S&W stock grips then there's a wide variety of aftermarket grips that can make any of the frame sizes fit anyone's hands.

The SA trigger of the S&W is not just a little better than the Ruger's. I will admit that I've not looked at my Smiths when the side plate was off to see how the trigger works. But it's definitely not the usual sear and hammer hook setup. The trigger has no hooks on it of this sort. The Ruger uses the system of a regular set of stepped hook ledges such as found on 1911's, the SAA style revolvers and so many other guns. As a result the Ruger trigger will always have a very slight amount of trigger creep before the release. Even on a gun with a trigger job this will still be the case. On the other hand the Smith trigger has NO creep. It's sort of like the trigger is wedging the hammer in place and your trigger pull simply eases the pressure and lets the hammer fall. I can't feel or measure the amount of trigger travel to let the hammer fall. And I've tried.

I'm not a Ruger hater. I've got two of them. But I also know that the Ruger trigger in either DA or SA will always be second best behind the triggers on my Smiths. And the difference between them isn't something airy fairy like. It's there for all but the most fumble fingered to feel if you are allowed to handle and dry fire the two guns side by side.
 
SP 101 4.2" with some hougue grips, is one sweet little 5 shot .357mag. I got mine used and the trigger pull double action is light with the staging feel that BCRider is talking about. The single action is just plain sweet. Light and crisp.
I'm not sure if the original owner replaced any springs or had trigger work done but I don't plan on doing a thing to it. Perfect.
 
I've shot both GP100 and S&W extensively. Out of the box, I would say S&W has the better trigger. I've had a GP100 with a little work done on it by a competent gunsmith ($75) and the SA on it was indistinguishable from the best S&W SA I have. I find the "two-stage" DA on the GP100 helpful for accuracy but I also appreciate the DA of the S&W, which is super-smooth. So I guess it depends on what a fellow personally likes, whait is most important, and how much one is willing to spend for it. No experience with Colts unfortunately. Although you didn't mention SA-only revolvers, the Ruger line-up is pretty fine and there is a lot of market support for them.
 
Mark-II said:
Is the GP100 trigger really all that much worse than a Smith in SA mode? Or is that more of a revolver connoisseur thing?

My budget tops around $700, which means used smith or new ruger
Click to expand...

It is not that a GP100 trigger is all that worse. It is a very good trigger, and perefctly serviceable for any kind of shooting. The trigger itself is only marginally better. The firing group as a whole though does stand out. I think the reason the S&W shines is got to be the hammer geometry. I wish I had one on my bench so I could prove it, but the best I can do is describe how it feels to me. Forgive the analogy:

Imagine swinging a 8 foot 2x4. That is the ruger GP hammer. Imagine cutting the 2x4 down to a four foot lenth. It is going to swing much faster and much more easily. Both hit the firing mechanism with more than adequate force to ignite the primer, so the ruger gains no benefit. The smith on the otherhand feels "tighter" because the click comes sooner without having to rely on brute spring strength.

My GP with wolf springs has a lighter trigger, but a slower hammer. I gain something, but I lose something, so I don't feel any better off. I thin S&W did better in only this one respect. You pay through the nose for it.

GP100 are tanks and will become heirlooms to be passed down generations. Good value for a very good gun.
 
ive seen a couple places are in stock with the GP100 right now.
they where rare as hen's teeth this last 18 months but looks like a big order must have hit the distributors here this last month or so.
so if your looking and have $700 you may wanna pull the trigger now on it as they are in stock.

if memory serves me i saw them in stock at wolverine and frontier on the weekend.
 
I prefer S&W by default. My meager experience with Ruger leaves me only with a good-informed opinion about the ROA. But many here on CGN, have much good to say about their DA revolvers.

I have Colts but I baby them too seriously. (lack of warranty gun repair in Canuck land)
 
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