Best option for current, off-the-shelf 3" .357? King Cobra vs 66 vs Ruger vs Kimber?

[RAM Engineer]

See title. I'm looking at options for a NEW off-the-shelf 3 inch-ish .357 wheelgun. I don't have a strong preference one way or the other regarding adjustable sights. I DO have a preference for reliability & durability. Price is not a consideration right now, but I'm not looking for Korth/Manurhin prices. I'm also not interested in the used market right now.

Here are the guns I'm weighing:

Colt King Cobra (approx $1k on Gunbroker)
https://www.colt.com/detail-page/king-cobra-357

Smith & Wesson 66 Combat Magnum (approx $800 on GB)
https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearm...-combat-magnum

Ruger GP100 (approx $??? on GB)
https://www.ruger.com/products/gp100...eets/1752.html

Kimber (approx $950 on GB)
https://www.kimberamerica.com/k6s-da-sa-3-1

I've looked through the posts and see issues with almost all these options.

[19852+]

A difficult choice for me if used is off the table. I love my S&W M13 3", I love it so much I found a 4" 13 to train. It's one of the last issues made before the hole. I can't stand the way the Kimber looks so even if for illogical reasons that one is out. I like the Colt but I've never handled one so that's a possibility. The Ruger is big and strong but a little heavy IMO. I like Smith revolvers a lot but in my experience the quality recently is hit or miss. My admittedly example of one, new Smith M67 was so bad I took it back to the dealer who offered to send it to Smith for me but I said no, I want my money back this thing can't be fixed. So, I would :

Look at and handle the Colt and the same for the Smith. I would ask the dealer if the Smith doesn't shoot straight can I bring it back for a full refund? I would compare the Ruger to the first two and ask myself if my uses for it were compatible with the weight and size.

For what it's worth..

[JAH 3rd]

I have the model 13 with 3" barrel, blue, round butt, heavy barrel. It is a great revolver when you compare size with caliber. As for the models you have listed, I haven't tried any of them, so can't give an opinion. Good luck in your quest!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_13

[kitchen's mill]

If your top priority is durability there might be only one choice on that list.

the following is dated, but the gp100 is at least as rugged as the old Ruger six series if not more so.

"US Customs and Border Patrol experience in the early 1980s S&W .357s typically required returning to factory for new extractor every 1500 rounds of 357 Magnum loads, while Rugers went 10,000 utilizing Remington and Winchester full charge .357 rounds with no repairs or parts replacements required. The associated lockwork on a Ruger Service Six, Speed Six or Security Six are hard all the way through and I’ve never heard of one going out of time in service. An endurance test I am personally aware of conducted at FLETC in the early 1980s, conducted by a Aberdeen Proving Ground Certified Small Arms Test Director (who I have known for many years) for the US Border Patrol and US Customs where six Ruger Service & Security Sixes digested 60,000 (10,000 ea) of full house 357 Magnum duty ammo (125 gr and 158 gr) without going out of time."

[JAD]

OP: What is it for?

[Hizzie]

Based on durability the GP100 would likely be the leader. The GP100 was designed at a time when hot 125gr Magnum ammo was rapidly destroying K frames. Old Bill Ruger was still in charge and insisted those guns have an insane service life of full power ammo.

[Totem Polar]

The only downside to the Ruger, in light of the OP, is that it’s a chunky boat anchor, by way of comparison to the other choices.

Having owned 3 new Colt Cobras—including the 3” King; a 3” K6S, and numerous GP100s and K-frames over the years: if I was buying a 3” .357 to shoot a lot, from scratch, it would be a GP100 with the compact grip. TBH, the form factor of the WC 10mm is perfect—get that in .357, and call it a day.

JMO, but I’ve shot them all, more than once.

Now, EDC might be a different deal. The size/weight advantage of both the King and K6S is noticeable.

[Stephanie B]

One used 3" G{100 up on GB.

[Salamander]

The only downside to the Ruger, in light of the OP, is that it’s a chunky boat anchor, by way of comparison to the other choices.

Having owned 3 new Colt Cobras—including the 3” King; a 3” K6S, and numerous GP100s and K-frames over the years: if I was buying a 3” .357 to shoot a lot, from scratch, it would be a GP100 with the compact grip. TBH, the form factor of the WC 10mm is perfect—get that in .357, and call it a day.

JMO, but I’ve shot them all, more than once.

Now, EDC might be a different deal. The size/weight advantage of both the King and K6S is noticeable.

The above is an excellent assessment. Here's what I'm able to add to it:

Agreed that the GP100 has the edge on durability. Mine is a 4-inch Match Champion so a little bigger than what you're looking for, however it's still not that hard to conceal. Mine was carried on a two day backcountry trip last week and at 38 oz it was never especially uncomfortable even over rough terrain, and in town on the way to/from it hid easily. The initially rough trigger has smoothed nicely over time. I've replaced the sights and the grip... limited choices on the latter being one downside. For a woods gun in a place with nothing bigger than black bear, this is one of my top choices in part because it will handle a wide range of magnum loads and because of reliability. Here on the coast where it never gets hot it's a full-time option, in places which are seasonally too warm for cover garments something smaller is easier to hide.

My 3-inch King Cobra is a lot more compact and a lot lighter than a GP, very easy to conceal. I like the factory grips which is rare for me. The trigger is light and smooth, although it takes a bit to get used to needing to ride it all the way forward to a full reset. The only thing holding this back as a choice is the sights, which I'm sure are fine for a 25-year old but not so much for anyone over 50. The front is easily changed but the rear trough needs to be just a little bit deeper and better defined, adding a thin line of matte paint around the rear edge was a step in the right direction. I've recently started to have the issue described by others where the ejector rod sticks on the knurls, silly design flaw which allegedly has been fixed by a slightly larger diameter rod on newer versions but I haven't checked. While mine has been reliable over several hundred rounds that's not enough to vouch for long term reliability. Accuracy is good up close but beyond 15 yards those sights really become inadequate. There's enough weight to handle modest magnum loads with ease, and heavier loads for a little while. For use primarily in town where 50-yard shots are unlikely, this can be a good choice because of the ease of concealability and light weight.

Smith & Wesson... I love old K-frames, but if used is off the table... new production S&W are pretty much a no-go for me. The silly lock and the absurdly heavy factory trigger pull on many variants, plus the QA/QC issues, not much more I need to say. If you're willing to do some work on the gun after acquisition maybe it's possible, but personally I prefer not to do too much of that to anything that's going to be carried. These days I pretty much only buy older S&W.

Kimber I can't speak to, have never tried one because I'm hopelessly biased by all their semi-auto's I've seen with problems on my RSO duty nights. Maybe not fair but it's kept me from even trying one.

[jeep45238]

I'll pass on the Colt. I can take all of the Cobra's at the weekend job and with minimal pressure on the ejector rod it stays stuck with the rod's knurling stuck in the hole. These are all brand new, display models and back stock.

It's a simple manufacturing fix, but if they let something that critical go through design, R&D, manufacturing, and QA/QC, it doesn't give me confidence in any new Colt revolver until rectified at the factory.