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Thinking about a Six Shooter

K

kruser

Well-known Member
for Christmas (for me and SWMBO).
Kinda thinking 357 as bullets seem readily available and affordable.
Any reasonable recommendations?
 
With guns, I vote with my pocket book and buy American. Ruger and S & W. I have one of each.
 
I have a Ruger 357 wheel gun, and love it. You also have the advantage of plinking with .38 specials, which are even cheaper to blow out for practice. I do like the Ruger slightly better than the S&W because of their transfer bar. But both are nice pieces.
 
S&W model 686 is a good gun with a good reputation. However Ruger is a good brand too. Taurus is a cheaper model and there have been some recalls but don't ignore them. They make some concealed carry titanium(I think?) frame 357 that I would hate to try to shoot.
 
I bought the S&W Model 15 for my Mom because of the smaller frame. It's still a .357 but small enough for her to get a good grip on.

But, it is a 5 shot, not a 6 shot. It is double action.
a245224.jpg
 
Ruger at one time made a single action that would shot .357, 38s and 9mm but it never really went over.
.
 
I have a Smith and Wesson and an Astra. The Astra was a bit cheaper and I could see little difference. The Smith will sell better but no better to shoot Both 357. My reloading friend loaded 38 cases heavy and marked the boxes FOR 357ONLY
 
I bought a Rugar its called a convertible 357 6 inch barrel Reason its called a convertible is it also comes with a extra cylinder 9mm caliber . So you can shoot 357,38, and 9mm with one pistol. its a great 6 shooter
 
Been shooting handguns for well over 20 years, and I'll tell anyone that wants to listen that their best choice for a first handgun is a .22, both for general utility and as a way of building shooting and handling skills with a gun that has less recoil and also cheaper ammunition. Assuming you're past the beginning stage, I feel a .357 revolver makes an excellent second gun--it's fully capable of being used for big-game (deer/hog and bear in a pinch) hunting and allows the use of .38 Special rounds, both for cheaper, less-recoil practice. Don't mean to lead this thread off on a "mine-is-better-than-yours" tangent, as there's obviously no shortage of other calibers, nor of opinions surrounding their use, and it looks like you're already settling in around the .357, so I'm just adding this to say I agree with your choice.

Once you've got caliber determined, you've got to think about action type. In single-action guns (the classic "cowboy" type where the trigger only fires the gun and the hammer must be cocked before each shot) there are a number of choices, but it's very hard to go wrong with a Ruger Blackhawk. Modern Blackhawks (anything since roughly 1973 have a transfer-bar ignition system and are thus safe to carry with all 6 cylinders loaded. Some single-actions (notably the Colt Single Action Army "Peacemaker" and its clones) do not have a transfer bar and are best carried with an empty chamber under the hammer. The Blackhawk also has adjustable sights, whereas most SAA clones have fixed sights--fine if your gun hits to point-of-aim but potentially difficult to change if it's off by a lot, and not something that's easily adjusted to go from, say, light .38's to heavy .357's. The Ruger Vaquero is also only made with fixed sights. I prefer the 4 5/8" or 5 1/2" barrel lengths, as I find anything longer than 6" makes a gun quite awkward to carry, particularly in a hip holster.

In Double Action guns (where the trigger can be used to cock and fire the gun, or, in most cases, the hammer can also be manually cocked and then the trigger used to fire the gun) there are many choices. Some to consider are the Ruger GP-100--a nice, if a tad bulky, gun available in several different barrel lengths. Another favorite of mine is the Ruger SP-101. It's the little brother to the GP-100, being a 5-shot revolver, but with all stainless steel construction. It's not a terribly light gun, but that works in your favor when firing full-house loads, and the frame and grip are nicely sized for someone with a tad smaller hands. I've got a lady friend with one who enjoys shooting and carrying it as it fits her very well, and yet it's still large enough for my hands, which are on the larger side. Smith & Wesson has several models with long-proven track records, though I can say from experience that their very light, short-barreled models such as their Night Guard 2" Scandium model are QUITE painful to shoot--fine for a carry gun but NOT something you want to shoot 50 shots through at the range, especially with full-power ammo! There are plenty of other makes and models out there, and some are perfectly acceptable, but were I you I'd shy away from the real bargain-basement stuff--I've owned several over the years, and always ended up getting rid of them as they always seemed to prove unreliable, which is NOT something you want when you may well be trusting your life to it.
 
NOW, that's what I'm thinking about as almost all of my handguns are Rugers and like the 357/38 and 9mm option!
Saw a Uberti in the paper adds and started thinking???
 
I have a Ruger Security-six 4" . It was my duty gun in the old days as a reserve officer. This was before everyone went to 9 mm , shoots very good and with an after market adjustable main spring you can adjust the double action pull to where you like it , makes for a smooth trigger pull. With speed loaders or a "Bianchi" speed strip you can carry sspare ammo pretty well.
strips
 
i bought a used double action 357 about 40 years ago with a 4 inch barrel its heavy built made in USA paid $75 now its worth over $500. i am right handed but can shoot reasonably left. a few years ago i bought a single action 357 colt copy. i got arthritis in my left hand cant cock the double action any more with my left hand but have no problem with the single action. when you go to buy a gun check the feel of the grip and the sight picture . i have wide hands so the grip for me is sometimes to short on the smaller frame guns.
 
I kick myself. Back in mid 70s I could of had a pair of Ruger's Stainless steel with consecutive serial numbers but I past on them.
 
agreed--not really sure what he means by "didn't really go over"--they've made and sold untold thousands of them, and even now they catalog no less than 5 different models of .357/9mm convertibles in different finishes and barrel lengths. Link is to one of them, but there's more on their website. Granting you'll pay a bit more due to the cost of the extra cylinder, but it gives you another option--both for plinking using easily available and inexpensive FMJ 9mm ammo and also as a viable defensive choice using any of the 9mm personal defense ammo, with the added bonus of not having to worry about the feeding problems that some of the more aggressive hollowpoints can cause in an autoloader. Yes, obviously you're giving up some reloading speed and capacity over an autoloader, but 6 shots of decent 9mm (to say nothing of .38 +p or .357, both of which you can shoot with the same gun) is nothing to sneeze at should you need to press it into service for self-defense.
Blackhawk convertible
 
I have a S&W model 66 4" with custom target grips, smooth trigger with wide hammer. It's like the one on right in picture.
a245225.jpg
 
Ruger made them in the mid 70s for a while and then you could get them for a number of years and when they did come back they didn't make it in stainless.
 
We have 4 Ruger 357s, and a Taurus that is my favorite. The Rugers range from 2 inch up to 6 3/4 inch barrels. I reload a ton of 38 specials that are light enough for about anyone to shoot.
Make sure you wear hearing protection no matter the caliber!!! My 22 hurts my ears as bad as the 44 Mag does. Maybe a different pitch, but still just as bad for your ears!!!
 
Well, certainly the Blackhawk has been made in an incredible variety of configurations over the years, but right now they show 3 different .357/9mm convertibles in stainless on their website--4 5/8" barrel, 5 1/2" barrel, and 6 1/2" barrel. I've got one of the Lipsey's dealer-esclusive .45LC (and before anyone jumps in, yes there IS such a thing--let's not start THAT argument, LOL!!) / .45 ACP "flat top" convertibles with a 4 5/8" barrel and LOVE it! Same basic deal as the .357/9mm--the .45 ACP's cylinder is set up with a milled-in lip for the rim of the cartridge to headspace on so you don't need moon clips to hold them in place. Makes for a fun plinker with .45 ACP ball ammo and a nice woods-walking pistol with .45LC loads.
 
I'll stick to my 44mag but then if I remember right you saw it so if you remember you know why I'll stick to it. Plus I reload so shooting it is pretty cheap. 357 is ok but as with any heavy mag type gun you need a gun with enough weight to off set the kick or it is a gun you will find does not work well and hurts to fire
 
I carry a seven shot stainless Taurus double action in the truck everywhere I go. Have carried it in the last two trucks for several years killed snakes coyotes feral hogs and put down sick cows it's never let me down. I don't oil it to keep it from collecting dust just keep it in a nylon holster and it doesn't have a spec of rust anywhere on it. If you're looking for a single action you can't go wrong with a Ruger Blackhawk. Tony
 
If you are thinking a shooter for target and plinking a 357/38SP/9MM is hard to beat. But if you are going to make it double as a personal defense weapon make sure you practice with the same ammo you will use if needed defending yourself.

For those who wish to argue with that go look up the after action review about the secret service shoot out when an assignation attempt was made on Truman. Basically although they did put the bad guys down they fired a lot of ammo doing it and took some unnecessary causalities. All because they trained with lighter loads than they carried for duty trying to save money. So shots that should have hit missed completely. At a relatively short range 6" rise or drop in difference can be fatal!

Like we said in the Army and then proved it worked in Desert Storm, train like you will fight!

Rick
 
For my 4"model 66 I like the old Herrett target grips. They make the .357 very controllable and comfortable to shot. They make them in left and right versions.
a245226.jpg
 
Ruger GP-100, or -141 (has different grips) with a 4" barrel; 38/357. For plinking and general target practice a Ruger 22/45 or SR-22 are both 22LR. I can also recommend the Ruger SR-9 if you want a semi-auto 9mm. All are reasonably priced. They are like children; no favorites, I love them all.
 
Among others, I have a Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum with a 7 1/2" barrel. Put wheels under it and it would make a respectable artillery piece.

For all around, I'd pick my Dan Wesson .357.

I've never been much on 9mm, although I have a couple. Feedback I got from fellow Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan is if you shoot someone with a 9mm, all you do is pizz them off. Nail them with a good old .45 and they're down.
 
I agree with ammo difference making a big difference when shooting.I have a Ruger 77M .257 Roberts and I always sight in with the ammo I'm going to use to hunt with as different ammo will
usually change where it hits.
 
Nobody has mentioned the S&W Governor. Chambered to accept .45 ACP, .45Colt, and .410 x 2 1/2 shotgun shells. Flexible. Good house gun.
 
I have a Taurus judge that is about the same as the smith governor except it shoots 3 inch .410 shells. Not a practical carry gun but fun to shot and great for water snakes. As for a .357 I have a small Taurus revolver that's perfect to conceal carry and also a ruger Blackhawk for hunting and target shooting. The good thing about the .357 is being able to use .38 specials' for less recoil and noise.
 
Agreed. The GP100 is the evolution of the old Security 6 (which I own). It is one of the most solid revolvers on the market today and is recognized as the strongest medium frame revolver ever made. Basically its a Colt Python without the massive weight (and price) of a Colt Python.
 
TimV has some good points.
I have several handguns, but only one wheelgun. It's a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a six shooter. Mine is a 10 1/2" .44 mag. - probably a little long for most people, but I like it. I've taken several whitetails and as of October, an elk with it. Shoot several different loads, but hunt with a 300 grain handload at about 1300 fps.
 
I picked this up at a gun show about 3 years ago and got what I felt was a steal on it. So the price made me like it a lot. Its a 44 spc. But my favorite and by far smoothest wheel gun to shoot is a .357 S&W Highway patrol from the 1970s that was a gift from my best friend. It is like butter. Made well before so many guns had such stiff trigger pulls. I agree with most replies here that you will be happy with most any Ruger or S&W product or even an older colt would be a nice also. OH GREAT, now you have me thinking about what I might like. Thanks Kruser.
a245241.jpg
 
Quick clarification--the above should have said "milled-in lip for the MOUTH of the cartridge to headspace on", not the rim. Had posted that last night and when I read through the thread this morning I noticed that my fingers had moved faster than my brain!
 
(quoted from post at 19:55:31 12/12/16) for Christmas (for me and SWMBO).
Kinda thinking 357 as bullets seem readily available and affordable.
Any reasonable recommendations?
Click to expand...

A lot has been said here already. I have owned several 357's over the years and I prefer the Ruger's overall. The GP100 is a great one in 6 inch for general use hard to conceal for CCW purposes. The Ruger SP101 3 inch is another great all round revolver. Makes a nice CCW revolver and general all around carry revolver around the farm.

Two things that I will mention here:

1 - I have yet to find a 357 or a 44 that I like the factory grips on. I have replaced mine with Hogue grips as have my friends. These make shooting more comfortable and have improved accuracy for each of us. These have also made them better for my 5'1" wife.

2 - I never carry 357's for CCW as they will over penetrate and creates a higher potential for hitting an unintended target. I always use plain old 38 Specials (never CCW with the 38 +P's for the same reason). I know that there are others that will disagree with this and each tho their own.

Best advice I can give you is to look at several and find the one that fits your hand the best.

Don't pass on a Charter Arms if you find one you like as these get good reviews and seem well made.

As to ammo I have went to using the Ruger ARX in all my CCW firearms as these are designed to help prevent the over penetration problem. I use them in my .380, 9mm, 38 Spcl and 45ACP. Just a thought for you. I do still use hollow points when out on the farms.

Hope this helps
 
Discontinued but S&W model 28 " Highway Patrolman" or Model 27 or Colt Python . With the Python being the smoothest of all .
 
(quoted from post at 19:55:31 12/12/16) for Christmas (for me and SWMBO).
Kinda thinking 357 as bullets seem readily available and affordable.
Any reasonable recommendations?
Click to expand...
my choice would be a glock or cz 9mm.
 
(quoted from post at 09:16:01 12/13/16)
(quoted from post at 19:55:31 12/12/16) for Christmas (for me and SWMBO).
Kinda thinking 357 as bullets seem readily available and affordable.
Any reasonable recommendations?
Click to expand...

A lot has been said here already. I have owned several 357's over the years and I prefer the Ruger's overall. The GP100 is a great one in 6 inch for general use hard to conceal for CCW purposes. The Ruger SP101 3 inch is another great all round revolver. Makes a nice CCW revolver and general all around carry revolver around the farm.

Two things that I will mention here:

1 - I have yet to find a 357 or a 44 that I like the factory grips on. I have replaced mine with Hogue grips as have my friends. These make shooting more comfortable and have improved accuracy for each of us. These have also made them better for my 5'1" wife.

2 - I never carry 357's for CCW as they will over penetrate and creates a higher potential for hitting an unintended target. I always use plain old 38 Specials (never CCW with the 38 +P's for the same reason). I know that there are others that will disagree with this and each tho their own.

Best advice I can give you is to look at several and find the one that fits your hand the best.

Don't pass on a Charter Arms if you find one you like as these get good reviews and seem well made.

As to ammo I have went to using the Ruger ARX in all my CCW firearms as these are designed to help prevent the over penetration problem. I use them in my .380, 9mm, 38 Spcl and 45ACP. Just a thought for you. I do still use hollow points when out on the farms.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

I own a Ruger SP101 snubby in .357. Installed a set of "Hogue" grips. The Hogue grips are just enough bigger so I can get my pinky finger on them, and also give enough cushion to absorb some of the recoil. I also installed a "Wolf" spring kit which helps the accuracy because the trigger is easier to pull.
 
I've been shooting revolvers for the past 45 years. And pistols. I have a few of each.

I can offer an opinion if you tell us what your intended use is.

One of my favorite types is the Ruger SP101. I have four of them. They are chambered in 357, 38 Special, 9mm, and 22LR.

If I had to reduce the count to just two, it would be the 357, which also shoots 38, and the 22.

Most of my collection of revolvers contains Smith and Wesson and Ruger products.

My CCW revolvers are a SW model 60 and a Ruger SP101. My next purchase will likely be a Ruger LCR.

I also have a good selection of semi-auto pistols, but the revolvers are still my favorites.
 
How big bodied do you want it to be? I have a 38/357 that is a pretty small gun, but a LOT of kick from a little gun when you drop a 357 in it. (nice to be able to practice with 38, and kill with 357 though) Also have a normal 357, 6 inch barrel. VERY nice holding / balancing / shooting gun. VERY accurate if you treat it like a single action. Love it very much. Would be my first choice in a bad situation. I would have to look but I believe they are both S&W's.
 
(quoted from post at 12:39:28 12/13/16) Smith and Wesson.....686 or 586. Various barrel lengths and other options available.

Our CCWs are S/W M&P Shield in .40, and 642 Airweight in .38 Spcl+P. HTH Mark
Click to expand...

I also have the S&W airweight in .38 special. Had to install Hogue grips just so I would have something to hold on to.
 
Better off with Remington full frame model- 'Belt' model in 'Navy' caliber had 6 inch barrel and used .375/.380 balls. Had a .44 with the 8 inch had a lighter trigger and had spare cylinder- would do a little competition against some guys with snubs, 10 rounds timed fire at beer bottle caps after the beer bottles emptied. Would slow load the cylinder in gun, line up facing rough target line and commence fire with the snubby shooters figuring I'd lose on the reload time. Some a little ------ off when I would reach in pocket and do a quick cylinder change, shoot last 4 bottle caps while the 5 shot snubby shooters were doing individual loads since they didn't think about speed loaders. Meantime the guys that had seen me shoot before had made side bets at 2:1- a $10.00 bill for a $20.00 if I shot better, hint that their club shooter would miss more, not run out of time but would likely miss half his shots. One riding season before word got around and bets odds went against or became even, some of knowledgable riders in club got all their gas money betting on me that season. I used .457 balls, Colt Navy flask with 20 grain spout for loading. Been awhile, old lady split and took the pistols with her since she was still in the re-enacting as Confederate.
RN
 
I got a Ruger Security Six also, Solid, dependable and reasonably priced. It always goes boom when you pull the trigger!
 
One nice thing about barber shops is that fellas like me don't limit our conversations to hair. As far as your .357, there are a wide variety of reputable manufacturers out there, a couple mentioned right here below. Whatever you do or choose, do it in great health. I will say this though, someone below pointed out that you can fire .38 out of a .357, and .38 rounds are much cheaper than magnum, so for practice/plinking, that's a good deal. A .357 is a great choice. Again, much good luck and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Mark
 
You're right this is a tractor site but there are a lot of people who visit this site and not only know tractors but have a wealth of knowledge on various subjects, as is evident in this post. A good reason to like this site.

Dick
 
There have been some great guns listed so far. With that in mind, you say one word that many of those listed don't fit when it comes to a price, and that's reasonable.

We've got two of the .357 pistols, one in stainless, and the other blued. Both are great shooting guns, and about the most accurate pistols we've got. I have no problem hitting a silhouette at 100 yards at least one or two times out of 6. Get in closer, and it's dead on.

Pair the pistol with one of their lever action rifles, and you've got a match made in Heaven.

Another good thing is the grip feels really good in your hand, and it's large enough that even for someone, like myself, with big hands, it accepts your whole hand, with no pinkie hanging off the bottom.

Add to that the fact that the pistol can be had, brand new, in the $325 range, and used for a little less, and it's one of the most reasonably priced guns you can get, and still maintain an extremely high quality. If you want to spend a bit more to pair it with the rifle, it'll set you back a touch over $500 for it.
rossi rifle

rossi pistol
 
(quoted from post at 22:24:22 12/13/16) There have been some great guns listed so far. With that in mind, you say one word that many of those listed don't fit when it comes to a price, and that's reasonable.

We've got two of the .357 pistols, one in stainless, and the other blued. Both are great shooting guns, and about the most accurate pistols we've got. I have no problem hitting a silhouette at 100 yards at least one or two times out of 6. Get in closer, and it's dead on.

Pair the pistol with one of their lever action rifles, and you've got a match made in Heaven.

Another good thing is the grip feels really good in your hand, and it's large enough that even for someone, like myself, with big hands, it accepts your whole hand, with no pinkie hanging off the bottom.

Add to that the fact that the pistol can be had, brand new, in the $325 range, and used for a little less, and it's one of the most reasonably priced guns you can get, and still maintain an extremely high quality. If you want to spend a bit more to pair it with the rifle, it'll set you back a touch over $500 for it.
rossi rifle

rossi pistol
Click to expand...

Rossi might be an OK brand, but I don't think they are "made in the U.S.A."
 
I thought it was the morning "in house" coffee shop for rural folks. Seems if we keep it clean the site cops don't write us a ticket....yes I have had one or two.
 
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