S&W or Ruger?

coyote711

coyote711

Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
1,679
Yup, it's me again - had a previous thread asking for handgun recommendations. Pretty well narrowed it down to a S&W 686 or a Ruger GP100 - at least "on paper". Hopefully I'll be able to get some time behind the trigger on both of these before making a final purchase decision.

I'm here now to talk to the owners of the S&W's and Ruger's which I'm considering, or models closely related to the 686 or GP100.

I can read the tech specs and features, but being a newbie they don't mean much to me. :rolleyes: What would be your preference in choosing between S&W and Ruger, and why?

Thanks for any insight you can give me, and I hope I don't start a war here! ;)
 
I would say the S&W 686 Plus (ie can hold extra round). I would say in 4in as well. Both feel good in hand however the S&W fits my hand better. The Ruger is a great gun as well both would not be the wrong choice really comes down to you at the range.
 
I have a Ruger (sp101) so I'm biased (but who isn't). The best thing about Ruger revolvers (besides being less expensive) is that they're built like tanks. They'll handle just about anything. However, this isn't saying a S&W is by any means weak.

Both are excellent.
 
having had a Ruger security six, a GP-100, and a speed six, and a super single six.(not all at the same time) I have to say my lean is toward the S&W.

The S&W is smoother, better trigger pull, nicer action for 'staging' you're double action shots. Plus, the S&W custom shop is the best. If I love S&W guns, it's the factory service that's outstanding.

Three years ago, I bought a breand new 10 shot 617 with a 4 inch barrel. The single action was passable, but the double action was rought. I gave it a thousand runds to work out, but it was a no go. I called S&W, and they told me to ship it right back. They had the gun about a month, got it back, and WOW!

I don't know what they did, but the double action was like greased glass, and the single action was the proverbial breaking glass rod. That 617 has become my favorite gun. For the last three years, I've put over a thousand rounds a mnth through it, and zero problems. As far as accuracy, my old Ruger single six is nowhere in the class with the S&W 617. And with the 10 shot capacity, I acutally wouldn't feel that bad with it if I had to defend myself with it.

I just could never bond with the Rugers. Nice guns, but clunky, and heavier than they need to be. They just don't have the 'feel' that a S&W has.
 
Ford-Chevy.Pick one you'll be OK. I have 686 and SP101 however carry S&W 66w/3"barrel-why, because I shoot them well and have carried for >30 years.

At the end of the day guess I'm not all that wild about heavy handguns that I have to tote all day while on my feet..the full underlug on the 686 and the Ruger's heavy construction do add up on old bones - I'm 72, LOL.
 
i went with a ruger sp101 3" and sold my s/w gut pumper... cant remember the model but it was the hamerless 2in barrel. i like them both, and the wesson is lighter but i like the heft and style of the ruger more. i think though, however, if i wanted a longer barrel "more accurate" firearm id go with the wesson. for an edc revolver the ruger won.
 
I've also owned both guns, and will also say "go for the 686." A much smoother trigger, which is pretty easy to slick up even more. I also like that the frame allows you to put different grips on it. You can't go wrong with either, but I'd go for the Smith.
 
I like Smith and Wesson. I have shot both Rugers and Smiths but have only bought Smiths recently. I still have my pair of old Ruger Single Sixes that are amazingly fun to shoot. The triggers on the Smith and Wessons feel better to me and as a purely personal preference I enjoy the aesthetics of the Smith and Wessons better. There are lots of pros for each gun. Ruger's frames are cast, S&Ws are forged(both incredibly strong, slight extra weight on Rugers due to construction.) Rugers are easier to field strip if you drop the gun in mud or something like that. Newer S&Ws have that internal lock that adds more moving parts, thus adding another element that can fail.

For me, the 686+ would be my pick, especially if I could find a pre-lock model, but I have had 0 issues with my internal lock guns, so I would not hesitate to pick up one with the lock either.

Both are great guns, as mentioned above, a classic Ford vs Chevy debate.
 
I have mostly Rugers,but have to say the newer guns coming out are very rough;and you have to spend time smoothing them to get the best out of them. If you can get a S&W without a clinton zit then go for it.
 
It's already been said - I'd go for the Smith. Smoothest action of any revolver. S&W revolvers have been been tested in combat more than any other revolver, you can trust 'em.
 
At this point the make/model and our opinion isn't important. Now, what is critically important are the following....First, which one fits your hand(s)? While the manual of arms is the same on both, the manipulation of the controls are slightly different. So get familiar with the operation of each pistol. Try the handgun with either hand, using both a one-handed and two handed grip. Test out both revolvers in your right hand and then left hand (again using a two handed and a one handed grip) and check the manual of arms.

Why? because who says you get to fight a predator with your "preferred or strong" hand? What happens if your "preferred hand" is injured or incumbered by holding onto an injuried love one or hiking buddy? What are you going to do? Because giving up or saying "I can't run this revolver with my other hand" is not an option.

Then secondly, once you've determined fit then check the sight picture. They will be different. Find out which one gives you the crispest sight picture with your eyes and grip/stance. We can't answer this for you.

When you go to a gun shop the main consideration is ask the shop to check you for a proper "fit." Find out which handgun fits your hand best - left or right handed. Once you've settled on fit then check the sight picture. Then other than economics (your price point and their availability) select the one that gives you the most confidence. It doesn't matter what we think of a Ruger or S&W but it does matter to you. YOUR the one who has to hold it at arms length in the middle of the night when a predator might be attacking and that is the only thing separating them from you and your hiking party. We're not the ones holding your handgun in harms way!

Asking someone else to select a defensive handgun for you is like asking someone to buy a pair of shoes for you. We can help you narrow down your short list but you have to make the final decision based upon fit, function, and finances.


Relax, they're both high quality firearms backed by excellent American based companies. You can't go wrong with either one. But, what the heck do I know?
So now it is up to you.
 
Last edited:
Quirt said:
At this point the make/model and our opinion isn't important.

Relax, they're both high quality firearms backed by excellent American based companies. You can't go wrong with either one.

So now it is up to you.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Quirt. It would be hard to argue with anything you've said here. It's sometimes easy to get wrapped up in the "fun" part of these types of decisions, and lose sight of the big picture. If I really take a liking to handguns and want to own more than one, and when I gain more experience, then I can fine tune it as to "Model xxx vs Model yyy".

It sounds like either of these two models/companies would be a good solid choice for me - that's about all I can do here for "due diligence" and, as you say, the rest is up to me.
 
Love and have many offerings from both companies. In this particular head to head I would go Smith.
 
I've owned both and the Smith and Wesson wins hands down IMHO. The Ruger is built tough but it's rough around the edges and just isn't as classy as the Smith. Plus I found my Smith to be a little more accurate. But this was probably because the Smith had a trigger that was miles better than the Ruger. I am told you can work a Ruger trigger till it's almost as good as the factory Smith. But then again you do a trigger job on the Smith and you have something special. I had a 686+ with a 3" full lug barrel and it was maybe the sexiest wheel gun I'd ever owned. I regret selling it sometimes.
 
If $$ is no object, S&W all the way fr fit, finish, smooth action, etc....
If $$ is tight (you want to leave room for practice ammo, after all), then get the GP100 with 4" barrel. Even after shelling out an extra $75-100 for an action job, it'll still cost a couple hundred less than the 686. (and yes, there are aftermarket grips for the Ruger as well)
Practice shooting with either hand is good advice, too.
 
Just to add a real life example of Quirt's excellent advice- I got to go to a gun show that allowed firing different guns. I was wanting a shotgun, and just like you're finding out here, there are 2 or 3 that have huge followings and good enough reputations that any would be fine. I was also lucky enough to have someone I respected tell me that the only thing that really mattered was which one fit me best and that I could shoot the best.

To my amazement, there was one brand that I hit everything I shot at with, and the 2 other brands were "iffy" at best- for me. I couldn't believe how much difference there was in my results, but you can guess which I bought! Whenever I remember this I think about how tough a time I would've had "learning" to shoot one of those others compared to the "pick it up & shoot" I got with the one that suited me best.

Obviously, this is even more important when you're looking at a defensive gun. Looking forward to hearing what you end up with.
 
Last edited:
I agree with most others, it comes down to which feels best to you. I have a SP-101 and a 686 and reaaly like both. The Ruger is a handful with full power 158 grain loads but much better with lighter JHPs. I shoot the S&W a bit better and that may be because of the larger grip but I have never looked at replacing the grip on the S&W. I believe you will be happy with either one.
 
10-4 and a big ":thumbup:" to all who have posted since my last post! MVF - a most interesting and thought provoking post!
 
I own both makes and have for years. I kinda, sorta, prefer a Smith, however, a Ruger is mechanically simpler and has a better lockup. If you even slightly 'ding' the cylinder axle of a Smith you can have real problems but not so with the Ruger. Also, the cylinder bolt recesses of Rugers are offset from the cylinder chambers which provides some added strength. These recesses on a Smith are exactly over the chambers and thus, IMO, somewhat compromise the chamber strength. I've never personally seen a Smith cylinder blow in that area but I have heard rumors of it.

As a long time gunsmith, I've worked on many Smiths (usually caused by the owners trying to do things to the revolvers that shouldn't be attempted unless you really know what you're doing), i.e., lots of bent and distorted sideplates, etc. You can't do that with a Ruger because there are no sideplates. The Rugers also have no critical screws to work loose and get lost other than the grip screw and adjustment screw for elevation of the rear sight. But I've ordered many sideplate screws for hard used Smiths over the years when they worked out and were lost.

Thinking back over the past 20 years, I can only recall working on two Ruger revolvers but lots of Smiths and Colts. To me that says something for Ruger ruggedness and simplicity.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top