Recommendation? Revolvers

BP_

BP_

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Looking at picking up a new revolver. It will be my first “carry” wheel gun (I’ve shot them for years), so I’m looking for some good suggestions.

Single and Double Action (maybe one suggestion/your preference of each?) I don’t necessarily have a preference either way. This is not for self defense from humans.

This is a farm/ranch gun that will either be in my holster or on the horse. I also carry a long gun.

Looking at .357/.357mag unless others have better/different options with stated reasons.

Stainless or blued doesn’t matter.

Let’s keep it under $700.


Thanks in advance for your feedback.
 
0C72697A-6C61-4F7D-9034-B67DA3F8BF1D.jpeg Smith & Wesson still has the best line of revolvers. The 686 is my choice. Strong, great looks, reliable, plenty of accessories. I like both 6” and 4” barrels. The one shown has custom Craig Spegel stocks
 
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I would take a steel framed Smith any day in 357 over a Ruger. But they are more than $700 new.
 
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.357 Magnum is a great choice unless you live somewhere with BIG bears or moose maybe to worry about … I enjoy a good single action and they will most of the time be less expensive … I like Ruger Blackhawks if you want adjustable sights … but for the type of carry you've suggested fixed would probably be good enough and more durable … a Vaquero is a good option with fixed sights and the Ruger's are plenty sturdy to shoot even the hot loads from Buffalo Bore or Garrett or Underwood.

in a double action wheel gun I prefer a S&W … I really like my S&W 627 Pro Series ... gives me 8 rounds of 357… Ruger is a great option in your price range … if you look and find one of the GP100 Match Champion guns slightly used they are a nice revolver … I like them nearly as well as any of my S&W revolvers.
 
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Used Smith 686 or New or Used Ruger GP100. For carry, I prefer no more than a four inch barrel. In the last few years, my preference has been single action only revolvers in the Single Action Army pattern. Ruger Vaquero, or New Model Blackhawk in .45 Colt would my preference but I have a USFA SAA 4 5/8 barrel that fills that niche but they are hard to find and expensive these days.
 
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What caliber a rifle do you usually pack on these wanderings?

I have an as-new blued 6" M19 Smith (in the box) that I certainly would stay under your budget. I have never shot it and I suspect it is unfired.
 
Some good suggestions, all of which I appreciate.

I have a .22 and a .223 I keep in the vehicle. I have several other long guns but I don’t bring them out often. I am also about to pick up a Marlin 336 because I’ve always wanted one. I have a feeling that and the .22 will be what I have the majority of the time, once I get a feel for her ;):thumbsup:
 
BP_ said:
Some good suggestions, all of which I appreciate.

I have a .22 and a .223 I keep in the vehicle. I have several other long guns but I don’t bring them out often. I am also about to pick up a Marlin 336 because I’ve always wanted one. I have a feeling that and the .22 will be what I have the majority of the time, once I get a feel for her ;):thumbsup:
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I know what you mean about the Marlin 336. I have never owned one. I also am very practical and the 22 rifle would be the most carried and shot unless I am concerned about big bears or packs of wolves. 22's are my thing.... :D
 
22-rimfire said:
I know what you mean about the Marlin 336. I have never owned one. I also am very practical and the 22 rifle would be the most carried and shot unless I am concerned about big bears or packs of wolves. 22's are my thing.... :D
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They’re fun little rifles to shoot. And cheap, can’t hardly beat the price per round :thumbsup:
They’re just so versatile. Light and inexpensive, accurate and effective. Gotta keep at least one around :)
 
A Single six is a nice gun too. Plinking with the .22 cylinder. Use the .22 mag cylinder for some extra punch.
 
The S&W 66 and 686 will be at the top of the heap, with Ruger GP100 just below that. A Ruger single action Blackhawk is also a good choice. The standard model is fairly large for .357. If you can find a flat top it will be a bit smaller although I don't know if those were available in stainless steel. You can't go wrong with any of these 5 models, it will be up to your budget and which one you like best.
 
eveled said:
A Single six is a nice gun too. Plinking with the .22 cylinder. Use the .22 mag cylinder for some extra punch.
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Neat little gun. I have only shot a handful of .22 pistols, I usually shoot .22 rifles.

I knew it came down to preference, but I was curious what others enjoyed carrying and had success with (reliability). So far I like the idea of the Blackhawk for SA, or the 686 for DA. Are their any advantages of one over the other? Taking away the self defense (against another human) factor.
 
The 686 is double action and probably reloads a bit faster without speed loaders and if necessary shoots a bit faster although with practice you probably couldn't tell the difference in real life if you were listening to the shots at a distance. I would definitely prefer the 686 myself if I was going to spend the money. It's really more a personal preference thing. I have a Blackhawk in 41 mag. I was never a single action shooter unless it's big bores. I love the BFR's. I wouldn't be shooting one of these fast anyway that SA wasn't fast enough.
 
I have a couple of Blackhawks and a couple of Smith and Wesson’s. If you ever wanted it to double as a decent carry gun off the ranch, then I’d go the Smith or Ruger GP 100 route with a 4 inch or shorter barrel. If you don’t care about that, think about a Blackhawk convertible. That gives you the option to shoot .38, .357 or 9mm. Could possibly come in handy if you have a difficulty finding ammo someday.
 
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I always thought I liked Rugers more than Smiths. But Smith&Wesson revolvers have grown on me. (For mid size .357 I still like the Ruger GP100)

I really like the J frames (small). And N frames (large). For a medium .357 I like the GP100
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This one is an 8 shot model 627 S&W that I am very fond of.
 
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To me, double action revolvers are just more convenient with the cylinder flipping open for loading, unloading, or checking live rounds or whatever. I have always been a Colt fan. I own a couple 357 revolvers now. A 3" GP-100 is my night stand gun. It is generally loaded with 38's.

My first center fire revolver was a 6" Colt Python (357). It never got shot much. I sold it after owning it for a long time and used the $ to buy Colt DA 22's which are my favorite (Diamondbacks in particular). For center fires, I am a 41 mag fan overall and mostly skip the 357 caliber. That is where S&W moved into the ownership picture for me (M57's) and eventually I got most of the 22's that S&W made.

I moved back to mostly 38 spl revolvers for concealed carry options and choose between 22's and 38's for personal defense. I have a fair amount of 357 factory ammo that never gets shot and unlikely to buy any more. For hunting, I choose 41 mag or 480 Ruger but I don't hunt much any more. If I want to carry a larger caliber puttering around in the woods, it's usually a S&W M57 Mountain Gun (41 mag). I like 41's loaded to around 1000 to 1050 fps with 210 gr bullets.
 
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