Looking at a .357 for my first Revolver

S

SynSerp

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Dec 28, 2014
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The .357 mag is the preference I'm looking at. Being able to feed .38 spec round into it means my wife can learn how to shoot and that means more guns for me in the future since she's already excited about them anyways..
I'm looking at ruger or smith & Wesson
 
I have both a 4" GP100 and 3" SP101. As much as I like the GP, the 3" SP101 is my favorite handgun to shoot. I highly would recommend changing the grip on it, I opted for the Houge Monogrip on mine and it is fine to shot .38s and .357 rounds without any problems for me. In general, I don't think you could go wrong with any Smith or Ruger revolver.
 
I'd go for a S&W model 19 with a 4 inch barrel. Cant go wrong with that.
 
Ruger SP101. If your on a budget an EAA Windicator in 357 is a tank of a gun. I like the SP101 better but your going to pay more for it.
 
The SP101 is my only revolver in .357 Magnum right now, and it is a fine revolver. But if I were looking right now, I'd try to find either a Model 66 or 686 S&W.
 
SynSerp said:
The .357 mag is the preference I'm looking at. Being able to feed .38 spec round into it means my wife can learn how to shoot and that means more guns for me in the future since she's already excited about them anyways..
I'm looking at ruger or smith & Wesson
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a target/home defense gun or a conceal carry weapon?

n2s
 
The model 19 will be much easier for the wife to learn to shoot and much easier to learn to shoot well.
 
either a gp100 or a s&w 19 if you are going to carry alot and shoot a little the 19 is for you. if you are going to shoot a lot and carry a little then the gp100 gets the nod. they are both good guns and i own both of them in 4" the 19 is easyer to hit with for me due to its ( breaks like glass) trigger but it is a lot harder on my hand with mag loads. the gp100 is the anvil of the 357s mine has degested loads well in excess of the recomended maxium loads you see in reloading manuals with narely a hitch. if i could only have one ( god forbid it should ever come to that)i would keep the gp100. hope this helps
 
If not specifically for cc, get one of the heavier models as already mentioned above. Full house .357 in a lightweight carry version is just no fun at the range, and if using to teach others, they'll hate it or won't want to go again. It's great to be able to download to .38 to start a new shooter.

I've tried carrying multiple revolvers over the years, but just keep coming back to auto's. For a lot of years I carried one of a dozen 9mm's mostly, but then one day decided to try a 1911. Now I'm hooked. Have a 1911 .45 in 3", 4.25", & 5", all for different occasions. But 99% of the time I'm carrying the S&W 4.25" Performance Center. Now my revolvers sit in the safe except for the days the entire family goes to the range with me.

My wife and kids really like shooting the Ruger LCR .22 because it's less intimidating. And to soften it even more, you can load with .22 Shorts. Then recently discovered .22 Primer Only rounds. They are so soft you can practice in the house with a small WalMart 22 trap. Almost no smoke or smell. But keep it minimal for health reasons.
 
N2sharp poses a good question...CCW or Home defense? Assuming the latter, might I suggest the Taurus 4in Model 66? I have an older S&W686, and it is indeed awesome, but I got the Taurus for my wife's nightstand a few years back and have been very happy, not to mention a good bit richer :D You can find a new Taurus in the 3-4 hundred range nearly all the time....makes a good choice, I think.
Bull
 
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I really like my sp101. That being said, it is a little small if concealed carry isn't really a concern. But I have the 3" version. I read that they came out with a 4.2" sp101 that appears to have a little more substantial grip that might be real good if you are focusing on Ruger. I think the GP100 might be kind of big if your wife is of smaller stature.
 
Find a used Ruger Security Six. They're some of the best .357 revolvers made for all around use and they are extremely affordable. I would get the Security Six over the other models as they have adjustable sights which is nice if its a range gun.

I had a 2-3/4" one, and they're very stoutly built without being a tank. I've no idea why Ruger ditched the design for the chunkier GP-100 frame or the kinda awkwardly sized SP101 (kinda big for carry, kinda small for plinking).
 
Im partial to the Ruger Gp100 match

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Also I like really any other Ruger or smith, just not Taurus
 
I had an sp101 and it was a real sweet gun and for a little revolver the rubber grips really ae up the recoil. I used to carry 125 gr hollowpoints. I recently bought a mint condition smith mod 28 4''. it like shooting a .22 the weight really sucks up the recoil. guess its just which one you like better because they are both fine firerms.
 
686 or 586, cant go wrong with a 19 either.
If you can try for one of the late 70s or early 80s models, lot of police trade ins never got shot that much and the triggers seem to be better on the older ones.
 
I just realized that I've had my GP100 for 20 years now. It was my first handgun- best choice I could find for an all-around plinking, target, home defense gun. My wife likes it, too, and actually prefers shooting .357 to .38 in it. Mine is a 4" with adjustable sights and has been totally reliable and amazingly accurate. The trigger is a bit heavy in double action, and mine has been smoothed a bit. If I was going to target shoot more with it, I would go with a lighter spring, but really no complaints here.

One thing to note- if you're going to shoot a lot of .38 in it you have to be really good about cleaning the cylinder. Mine developed ridges that made it hard to extract .357 even though I thought I had been doing a good job. I've gotten some pretty nice handguns since I bought this, but honestly, I think this would be the last to go.
 
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