Interesting point about peening the cylinder from dry fire. Would that therefore make the blued guns less desirable to me, compared to stainless steel? I believe the steel in the blued guns is softer and less "good" than the stainless versions. And if so, then I should look for 66 instead of the 19. Or 686 instead of 586.Originally Posted by OlongJohnson
I don't think this is accurate. I'm not aware of any difference in longevity between the blued and stainless versions other than rust resistance.
Someone more knowledgeable please correct me. I think the concern with heavy/fast dryfire practice with the 28 is that it's a very heavy cylinder and momentum can affect the cylinder.
What about a modern 3" model 66? Or a 3" SP101?
If you're looking for a dry fire/practice gun that you might carry a lot, shoot a little and still want to retain the ability to run magnum rounds you could do worse.
A note...the manipulation of a DA revolver trigger may not benefit you depending on the gun you typically run.
I am a 1911 guy and the way I run a Glock trigger vs a 1911 trigger vs a revolver trigger is different for each gun in terms of finger placement and the type of trigger manipulation I'm partial to. You might be better served with a rimfire version of your carry gun so you don't mess up your currently ingrained habits.
I'd also suggest not worrying about future laws until they are being debated, and add some deep penetration 9mm loads to to your inventory. Especially if you don't particularly like shooting revolvers. I do. That's why I have a Ruger GP100. I also have fired around 500 rounds of 148 gr wadcutters through it because Jim Cirillo.
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Pretty much correct.
Cylinder notch peening starts fast and slows to a crawl as time goes by. K frames aren't terribly bad; L frames slightly worse; N frames can be a definite issue with heavy and hard dryfire.
I'm not a Ruger fan but they certainly build solid revolvers and their service can't be beat. I've owned S&W's for a very long time, about 29 years, and have 4 or 5 right now. Never owned a 586/686 but I'm in the market for one currently. If 357 is your choice I would steer away from 19/66. That's a K frame and too light for full house (factory) 357 loads. That's just my opinion but I've loaded a lot for my two 19's and I'm going to a heavier L frame. I tend to shoot a lot however so that may have something to do with it. I don't dry fire, I just shoot... a lot.
I also have an N frame but it's heavy and bigger than I would like. It's a newer 625 and the build quality is marginal IMO. I'd stick with the pre 1990 S&W's if I were buying one.
Good luck in your search.
Last edited by Borderland; 04-18-2019 at 11:14 PM.
Which is one reason I wish they’d make more steel-framed guns with Ti cylinders.
OP:
But a vintage Smith in good condition. If you can afford to wear it out, you can afford another one.
If you're not going to be shooting much Magnum ammunition, any you mention will work, and last, just fine. I prefer the S&Ws, especially the L-Frames in .357, and have owned examples of the S&Ws you mentioned. That being said, I consider the GP-100 to be a solid, quality, gun, that I could happily live with.
BTW, I've owned a few no-dash L-Frames, a -3, a -4, at least a couple -5s, and one -6 with the lock. I still have a -5, without a lock, but with MIM lockwork. Had Vito at S&W do some work on this -5 before he retired, so I'm going to try to hang on to this one. All my 686s though, of whatever variation, have been good guns. One early no dash 586 needed to go back for the "M" modification due to primers flowing into the firing pin hole and tying up the action. But otherwise, no issues with any of the L-Frames.
BTW, whatever you choose, if you're going to be dry firing it that much, I'd sure suggest you invest in a good supply of snap caps.....ymmv
Last edited by Rock185; 04-19-2019 at 04:33 AM.
Inertia: It's not just a concept, it's a law!
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm now heavily leaning toward the 19 or 66.
Since I plan to carry it in the woods, and also would like to be able to AIWB it CCW if needed, the 19/66 is the smallest/lightest of the guns I am looking at. I don't plan to shoot much magnums through it at all, so that's not an issue. I do plan to dry fire it a lot, and as mentioned, the greater inertia of the heavier cylinders of the GP100 and 686 would theoretically accelerate wear on the cylinder (to some degree at least, even if small) during dry fire. So in theory, the 19 would be a superior dry fire tool compared to the rest.
Also, I had a chance to handle one last night and it fit my hand really well. The GP100 felt like I was holding a brick. The 19 felt really nice.
My plan now is to look for either a 19/66 or 585/686 and pick up whichever I can find in good shape at a good price locally. With an edge towards the 19 if I can find one of those first.
Last edited by powell556; 04-19-2019 at 11:19 AM.
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