There can be only one! What S&W .357 Revolver would you choose?
- Thread starter WVsig
- Start date
Not much question for me. I'd pick a pre-war registered .357, but one in good condition would likely be closer to the $6,000 mark than your $600 limit. To my deepest regret I lack one. If I were looking for another .357, I would look for an older model with a worn finish. Sometimes they can be had at a price that isn't too bad. I'd prefer the 27 or 28 to the 19. Of the newer guns I like the 586. If you need stainless one I have affection for is the 627-0 with its 5.5 barrel and non-fluted cylinder. Although there is nothing at all wrong with the 686. Availability of the best Smiths at a decent price is drying up. My advice is to take what you can find and be happy with it.
357 Python
New member
There are many good choices.
K-frame Models 13, 19, 65, 66 Slight risk of cracking the forcing cone when using light weight (125-135 gr.) high speed magnum rounds. Easily concealed.
L-frame Models 581, 586, 681, 686 Built to take care of the above problem. Slightly heavier than the K-frame. Will handle any factory magnum load and most handloaded ammo. Relatively easy to conceal.
N-frame models 27, 28, 627 The original 357 frame size. Built to handle nearly any load in most handloading manuals. Very heavy for all day carry but it can be done. More difficult to conceal due to the size but it can be done.
In my opinion the best all around S&W 357 Magnum would be the L-frame models particularly the 686.
K-frame Models 13, 19, 65, 66 Slight risk of cracking the forcing cone when using light weight (125-135 gr.) high speed magnum rounds. Easily concealed.
L-frame Models 581, 586, 681, 686 Built to take care of the above problem. Slightly heavier than the K-frame. Will handle any factory magnum load and most handloaded ammo. Relatively easy to conceal.
N-frame models 27, 28, 627 The original 357 frame size. Built to handle nearly any load in most handloading manuals. Very heavy for all day carry but it can be done. More difficult to conceal due to the size but it can be done.
In my opinion the best all around S&W 357 Magnum would be the L-frame models particularly the 686.
Peter M. Eick
New member
This one.
1939 Registered Magnum that was the Camp Perry Pistol prize, speced out by the winner. He chose well as this is 50 shots, 15 yrds offhand with a real 357 magnum reload.
Peter M. Eick
New member
When I bought mine (used of course) it was not much more then the required price limit. It was a great deal and I snatched it up. It pays to keep surfing the gun sites and every once in a while....
orionengnr
New member
You may think that one is enough...or you might find out otherwise. 
If your first revolver ownership experience is a positive one, who knows where it will end? A lot of people feed their revolver addiction.
In the first 25 years of my life I only had one revolver, a Rossi that was such a POS that it nearly cured me of that itch permanently. For some reason (and twenty years later) I gave it another try and bought a 4" S&W M66.
Since then I've owned at least twenty S&W revolvers. At least three brutal Scandium .357 j-frames (none currently), a 6" M27 that I foolishly sold, and a very nice 4" M586 that just didn't feel right compared to the M66. And then a bunch more that weren't .357s...
If I were only able to have one, it might very well be that M66. It's an ex-LEA gun, not abused but nowhere near new. Just enough wear that I'm not the least bit self-conscious about carrying it or shooting it. The K-frame is the perfect size for me. Feels, fits, and balances perfectly.
I'd like a nice blued 4" M19 like HighPower's, but then I'd have to worry about keeping it pretty. My M66 has no such issues.
SavageCorn, that's some nice shooting with that hand cannon.
If your first revolver ownership experience is a positive one, who knows where it will end? A lot of people feed their revolver addiction.
In the first 25 years of my life I only had one revolver, a Rossi that was such a POS that it nearly cured me of that itch permanently. For some reason (and twenty years later) I gave it another try and bought a 4" S&W M66.
Since then I've owned at least twenty S&W revolvers. At least three brutal Scandium .357 j-frames (none currently), a 6" M27 that I foolishly sold, and a very nice 4" M586 that just didn't feel right compared to the M66. And then a bunch more that weren't .357s...
If I were only able to have one, it might very well be that M66. It's an ex-LEA gun, not abused but nowhere near new. Just enough wear that I'm not the least bit self-conscious about carrying it or shooting it. The K-frame is the perfect size for me. Feels, fits, and balances perfectly.
I'd like a nice blued 4" M19 like HighPower's, but then I'd have to worry about keeping it pretty. My M66 has no such issues.
SavageCorn, that's some nice shooting with that hand cannon.
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M19-4's go for that amount.
The Bango Punta stigma they have helps keep the prices (fairly) reasonable.
Some of the L frames are also in the $500/$600 range if you look hard enough.
Registered magnum for $600?
That's not even a realistic dream for 2014.
A quick search shows them selling for ~ $3000.00 to $7000.00.
So many different options for so many different uses makes it hard to pick one Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver. Yet for all around use, in your price range, I would pick the highest quality M-19 I could find.
As so many have suggested before, "the M-19 is everything anyone needs in a revolver and nothing you don't need."
As so many have suggested before, "the M-19 is everything anyone needs in a revolver and nothing you don't need."
I don't have the exposure like many of the respondents here, but me and the family have had a chance to handle/shoot several different revolvers (over a period of time), barrel lengths 2 1/2 inch to 6 inches including a M66, M67, M19, M686, GP100, and SP101.
From our little consensus, if we had to pick one revolver, it would be the 3 inch 686+. I was surprised that the females in my family would pick it over the 4 inch k-frames, but one can't really tell about personal preferences until you actually shoot the things. Myself it was a tossed-up between the aforementioned 686+ and a 4 inch M66.
From our little consensus, if we had to pick one revolver, it would be the 3 inch 686+. I was surprised that the females in my family would pick it over the 4 inch k-frames, but one can't really tell about personal preferences until you actually shoot the things. Myself it was a tossed-up between the aforementioned 686+ and a 4 inch M66.
28...big, heavy makes hot loads easy!
586....nice larger size for accuracy and shooting fast...also just looks good with a full under lug.
19....good size to carry and shoot . A bit light for shooting lots of heavy loads.
13....fixed sight version of the 19. Would be a great CCW.
640....very small pocket 357 for CCW. Very light in a waist holster. Not bad to shoot fast.
340PD....very small, super light, a bit tough to shoot fast, but it can be done. A real gem in the pocket!
A word on barrel length....6" for target or hunting; 4" for short hunting and targets out to 50 yards; 3" for CCW on the belt; snubbie for in the pocket.
Buy used....the better guns IMO are pre-lock, pre-MIM, old school blue guns of the 70's. These are still around at good prices as shooters.
Buy blued for beauty, buy SS for utility.
If I were to get one today, I would buy a used LEO 586 4" from topgunsupply.com.
586....nice larger size for accuracy and shooting fast...also just looks good with a full under lug.
19....good size to carry and shoot . A bit light for shooting lots of heavy loads.
13....fixed sight version of the 19. Would be a great CCW.
640....very small pocket 357 for CCW. Very light in a waist holster. Not bad to shoot fast.
340PD....very small, super light, a bit tough to shoot fast, but it can be done. A real gem in the pocket!
A word on barrel length....6" for target or hunting; 4" for short hunting and targets out to 50 yards; 3" for CCW on the belt; snubbie for in the pocket.
Buy used....the better guns IMO are pre-lock, pre-MIM, old school blue guns of the 70's. These are still around at good prices as shooters.
Buy blued for beauty, buy SS for utility.
If I were to get one today, I would buy a used LEO 586 4" from topgunsupply.com.
Waspinator
New member
Well, I was at the LGS on Thursday and they had lots of new S&W revolvers lined up in the case. The one that jumped out at me out of all of them was the 4" 586. So, that would be my choice.