I am in the market for a new piece. I have two automatics, a Glock 27 in .40 S&W and a SIG P239 in 357SIG. I think I have enough of them for the moment, so I’m looking for a recommendation on a .357 Magnum revolver with a 2" barrel. The reason for those specifications is that I don’t want to buy something big or bulky, it must be something I can comfortably carry. I also want something that will shoot cheaper and less-powerful ammunition right out of the box, which a .357 can do (.38 Special).
I was drooling over the S&W scandium-titanium airweights, but those are simply too expensive, and as light as they are I can only imagine the sting that they would give your hand. So no, I’ll settle for stainless or blued. I also want an exposed hammer, not a DAO like the S&W 642.
That said, I am not a revolver guy (although I am quite familiar with them and how they work), so this is a step in a different direction for me, and I don’t really even know what’s good or what a good price is. I’d like to keep it reasonable. Robin and I disagree on what that means, but for the purposes of this thread let’s say a $500 limit unless there is something I just absolutely have to look at that goes for more. New, used, doesn’t matter, just as long as it is in good condition and can be trusted.
Well, I own a Model 28 S&W (Highway Patrolman). Lovely pistol…the first one I ever purchased, in fact. You can find aS&W Model 66-2 for under your price ceiling if you shop around.
I can highly recommend the Ruger SP-101 line of revolvers. Small-frame .357s in a variety of finishes and barrel lengths; the MSRP for them is about $500, but I never see them that expensive in the gun stores around here.
I have a KSP-321XL, which is a “hammerless” .357 5-shot small frame revolver with a 2.25-inch barrel. It weighs a little over a pound and a half. Draws and points smooth as hell, and it’s a dream to fire. It’s my everyday carry piece in warm weather - much as I love my 1911, the damn thing is too hard to conceal if all you’re wearing is a T-shirt and jeans.
As far as reliablility goes, I have no problem trusting my life to a Ruger. They’re rugged and well-engineered. I’ve got quite a few, from the 10-22 carbine to the Mini 14, and even a New Model Blackhawk (also in .357) for single-action fun.
I notice you mention that you’re looking for something with an exposed hammer. Any particular reason why? I like the “hammerless” models because there’s no spur to catch on anything when I draw. I admit, the covered-hammer S&W look kind of clunky, but if you check out Ruger’s line on their web page here, you’ll see that the Rugers are a lot sleeker-looking (the second model down on the page is the one I have.)
No particular reason why, it’s just my preference, although I will say that I am used to the 5.5 pound trigger pull on my Glock and as a result I find many DAO pulls to be a bit too heavy (I’ve anecdotally heard of some going as high as 15-18 pounds). Then again, that’s how I would be carrying it, so as long as the trigger pull isn’t too heavy I’m fine with DAO pistols as well.
I know that the size sounds nice, but a 2" .357 can be a real bitch to shoot unless you plan on mostly popping off .38 ammo (but then why get a .357 when you can get a nice, say, SW Chiefs Special for much cheaper?).
My dad’s .375 Ruger Blackhawk isn’t a walk in the park even with an 8" barrel on it. Besides, a 2 incher is really just a backup belly gun. Why not something with just a bit more length so you can aquire a decent sight picture?
I realy liked my 9mm Ruger auto (KPC95 I think), but when a friend offered me his Colt Python .357 revolver I was skeptical.
I shot a 3" group at 30 yards! First time shooting the gun! That gun was awesome. If I had to buy a .357 revolver, that would be the first one I would look at.
Although opinions on them are mixed, don’t write off the boys from Brazil, e.g. Taurus. You’ve fired my Taurus .44 Mag, and they have many other models smaller than the hand-cannon series. Brand new, that weapon was < $500.
I think the ability to handle the recoil is just a matter of practice. I barely even feel the kick of my .357 Blackhawk, and the Ruger shorty didn’t take that long for me to get used to.
I’ve heard people say that a short barrel is only good for a “backup gun” but I have to disagree. The situations which require a ready firearm and a quick draw are likely to be close enough where a short barrel isn’t going to be a handicap, and the smaller weapon is more easily concealed.
When I’m practicing with my SP-101, I’m practicing fast draw-acquire-shoot drills with silhouettes at 10 yards and under more than carefully-aimed tight groups on a standard target.
Crafter_Man and danceswithcats: How have your Tauruses been as far as reliabilty and overall quality go? I’ve heard mostly bad about them, but because Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt were all local companies where I grew up, I’m willing to chalk that up to regional bias.
I have to agree. My Taurus is a .357 Magnum, 6" barrel. I know that is bigger than you were looking for and concealed carry is out of the question, but it is reliable and accurate. The only drawback is I get one hell of a knuckle rap when I fire it. I bought mine used for about $220.
Additionally, I will never have a semiautomatic for home or personal defense, but that is my personal bias, YMMV.
I own a S & W Model 66-2 in stainless steel. I use .38s for practice and .357 when I carry it. I love it although I sometimes think a shrouded hammer would be nice for concealed carry.
Since you’re not a newbie, I’m going to assume you know what you’re after and just give you opinions on two of the guns I’m familiar with (with which I’m familiar?) -
I’m a 1911 guy myownself, but I own an SP101 as well as a S&W 586. The Smith is the “nicer” gun, but not what I’d consider a carry piece (if the barrel lengths were similar it’d be a fairer comparison) and the Ruger is exactly what you’d expect from Ruger. Personally, I wouldn’t go for any fancy metals and I agree with you about the exposed hammer - just a personal preference, I guess.
If the missus is concerned about how much this will cost, I’d go for the Ruger. The recoil on the little SP101 is quite tame with standard .38 Special, and while it’s not as pleasant to shoot as a Smith (due mainly to the trigger, imho), it’s still a fun little gun and I prefer the stock grip on the Ruger over the Smith. But if you happen upon a S&W for about the same price, you can’t really go wrong.
There you go, but I do know a guy who seriously digs his Taurus.
And for some affordable style, maybe one of these with the 4 3/4" bbl
I’m pretty fond of my Taurus Tracker Titanium .357. Mr. Stuff, who is the gun nut in our family, bought it for me for my birthday a couple of years ago, and then got sort of jealous of it. He really likes it, as do I.
Mr. Stuff was initially hesistant about Taurus, but was won over by reports of reliability and quality about five years ago, if I recall correctly.
Plus, you’re going to lose a substantial amount of muzzle velocity firing from a 2" barrel, and you’re going to have to cope with an enormous muzzle flash at night. For something that small, I’d go with a .38 Spl or .44 Spl. in a revolver. That being said, I agree with Uvula Donor that the SP-101 (with a light stoning job on the sear to make the trigger tolerable) is the way to go. Other light-frame .357 Magnums are going to beat you up and shoot lose; this one is solid as an anchor.
The older Colt revolvers are excellent choices, but in the past couple of decade Colt has had some irregular quality control problems. I’d buy used and have it checked throroughly by a gunsmith.
I don’t know what Airman Doors is planning, but I always buy .357’s even though I generally shoot .38 special, just because I can. The ability to swap back and forth without changing cylinders is attractive to me. I’d be a little twitchy about cramming .38+p into an older .38, but have no hesitation about using it in a .357, see? I like having options, even if I don’t use them.
Exactly. There are few pistols out there with as many different loads as the .38/.357. Infinitely customizable to whatever you think you need. No jamming, no “failure-to-feed” problems.
