I have a 3” Colt Python being delivered to the local Sportmans Warehouse, so keep an eye on the forum’s classifieds for one or both of my 3” and 2.5” 686+ revolvers. They’re going to go for a LOT less than they’re worth. Having said that, the 2.5” has been carried far more often than the 3”. In anticipation of cooler weather, I recently bought a Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig that accommodates both pistols. I’m hoping the 3” Python will fit.
I actually saw the stainless version, a Model 65, in a local gun shop a couple of months ago. I should have picked it up. In any case, I probably shouldn't be running a lot of magnums through such classics, even though they'll likely be milder ones like the Barnes XPB 140gr copper load going 1,175fps, which according to Mr. Chuck Haggard has proven to be a pretty good loading.Originally Posted by DocGKR
Right now I'm leaning towards a GP100, they seem pretty sturdy. If I got a new production S&W I'd want to remove the lock before I shot it.
Purely hypothetical question but, let's say you could only have revolvers and had to pick one as your primary carry, what would you pick today?
I'll keep an eye out, thanks!
May I suggest a Smith Model 66 F Comp (Pricey and hard to find). Or the more available and easier on the wallet. Model 66 K Comp. Both are 3 inch K Frame Round Butt. The K Comp is available in a 2.5 as well as I recall. My F Comp makes full power magnum's feel like +P .38 and .38's feel like a .22. Hope this helps.
Be Aware-Stay Safe. Gunfighting Is A Thinking Man's Game. So We Might Want To Bring Thinking Back Into It.
You've written that you're interested in .38/.357 revolvers, but you didn't say whether you'd carry .38 or .357 ammo in them.
If you're planning on sticking with .38 Special, I'd get a pre-lock S&W K frame with a 3-4" barrel. There are a lot of them out there, and the QC was better then than now. Another possibility would be a current-production Colt.
If you want to carry and practice with .357, I'd go with a GP-100 (either new or used) with a 3-4" barrel or a pre-lock S&W L frame. Ruger has occasional QC glitches, but they appear to be better at resolving them than S&W. Again, the current-production Colts deserve a look as well.
I've got three S&Ws with locks: a 642-2 I bought used as a LE trade-in, and a 21-4 (.44 Special) and 22-4 (.45 ACP) I bought new. I've never had a problem with the locks. I've got ~800 rounds of +P factory and +P-equivalent handloads through the J frame with no issues, and at least that many rounds through the other two with no issues. My carry load for the 22-4 is 230-grain +P HST, which would cause issues with the lock if anything would.
The only sudden failure, that immediately and totally shut down any of my revolvers, was the leaf-style mainspring inside my S&W Model 58. The thing just snapped in two, near the center. A close look did not indicate that it had been modified, in any way, by any previous owner. (Some misguided folks will “shave” a leaf-type spring, to lighten a trigger pull.) So, all else being equal, I will favor a revolver with coil springs.
It is no secret that I really do like the GP100, SP101, and Speed/Security Six, but I also regularly tote S&W K-Frame .38 snub revolvers.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
I would like to be able to run Magnums through it on a regular basis. That said, if the best choice for durability and reliability truly would be a K Frame .357/.38, I could buy that, train with .38 with it, and maybe pick up a used or current production L Frame with comparable barrel length to practice .357 in. Should be close enough in experience while also allowing me to carry the easier to carry K Frame.
it's my understanding that the new Model 66's have a sleeved two piece barrel. Are there any downsides to this?May I suggest a Smith Model 66 F Comp (Pricey and hard to find). Or the more available and easier on the wallet. Model 66 K Comp. Both are 3 inch K Frame Round Butt. The K Comp is available in a 2.5 as well as I recall. My F Comp makes full power magnum's feel like +P .38 and .38's feel like a .22. Hope this helps.
Also, I'd like at least a 3" barrel and probably gonna go with a 4"
While I've had several Smith & Wesson revolvers in the past, I'm firmly in the Ruger camp. For .357 magnum use with any regularity, I recommend the GP100. While there's pretty good anecdotal evidence that QC at both Ruger and S&W has slipped on current new production guns, Ruger's Customer Support has been, and is superb, so I wouldn't unduly worry about getting a new one. If there are issues, they'll expeditiously make it right.
For .357 magnum use, I'd go with Hogue Tamer grips. While not as concealable as the Ruger Compact GP100 grips, they're the most effective in painlessly controlling .357 recoil, and with judicious holster choices, a GP100 with them is concealable. Alternatively, the VZ G10 grips or the Ruger Compacts would be my choice for concealed carry.
While I prefer a GP100 for .357 magnum use, if you can find a later production heavy barrel Security Six, that could be equally viable. I wouldn't unduly worry about the lack of Ruger factory support-as Jerry Kuhnhausen comments in his shop manual for the -Six models, not much ever goes wrong with them, and Wolff has springs that cover the most likely breakdown components. I use my GP100 for dedicated .357 magnum use, and my standard barrel Security Six for .38 Special +P use.
Best, Jon
I had the chance to shoot a S&W Performance Center 681 at a S&W event years ago, and would consider it to be a really good carry revolver, if you can find one.
https://www.gunsamerica.com/98104354...MOON-CLIPS.htm
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