Need a new 357

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shotgunmessenger96

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Hello everyone,

Iv'e got a taurus 66b6 357mag and this is the second in a year it locks up. The last time it cost me $40 to get it smithed. My plan is sell it and buy something better, either a ruger gp100 or some SSA clone. how is the gp100 preformance-wise? I prefer 357 mag. does anyone have any advice?
thank you.
 
The GP100 is a very well made tank and it has no issues that I know of. I have many brands but prefer the Ruger GP100 and the SP101. The GP100 is a lifetime gun, you will expire before it does.
 
If you can, find a Security Six. The GP100's are nice but I prefer the Security Six. It will also probably be a little cheaper.
 
As much as I like Rugers, my personal preferance would be a S&W 686. It's a bit more accurate and just a bit nicer.

The Security-Six was my favorite Ruger .357, but the new GP-100 doesn't really offer the same advantages. If you can get a GP-100 at a good price or if there's a big price or availability difference, either will be fine. The 686 is the best .357 made in my opinion.

The Ruger is strong and it can be field stripped easily. Neither of these advantages is as significant as they once were. The 686 is my favorite. If the Ruger were lighter and didn't have an underlug, then it would have been my top choice.
 
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Yeah a friend of mine has a security six he inherited and nothing ever went wrong with it. Its a good gun but its hard to find now that ruger discontiued them. What advantages does it have over the gp100?
 
didn't have an underlug, then it would have been my top choice.
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I really like the underlug for the extra weight. For me it helps get back on target faster when shooting rapid fire by lowering the recoil and less movement.
 
+ 1 for the S & W 686-1 w/ 4 inch barrel

+ 1 for the S & W 686-1 w/ 4 inch barrel. If I could only keep one pistol in my small collection, it would be the S & W 686-1 w/ a 4 inch barrel. Hands down, it is one of the best that S&W has ever come out with. (JOMHO)
 
Yeah a friend of mine has a security six he inherited and nothing ever went wrong with it. Its a good gun but its hard to find now that ruger discontiued them. What advantages does it have over the gp100?

Better balance and trigger. GP100’s have been made with a half lug. I like having a back strap, but the GP100 has more meat under the barrel.

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg210-e.htm

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg39-e.htm
 
I would be using the gun for hunting, plinking, and target shooting so I prefer the wieght and wouldn't mind a full lug. My taurus has a 6.5 inch barrel and a full lug and I used to hit plastic bottles out to 40 yards offhand. For a gp100 I think the 6 inch barrel with a full lug and the rubber grips with rosewood inserts would be a good setup. Can anyone tell me about how thick those grips are? My taurus has uncofortably small grips that are about 1"side to side and 2" front to back.
 
Have you looked at the M&P R8?

I have one and love it. Very accurate right out of the box. Also, having 8 rounds in the cylinder can come in handy while hunting.
 
I really like the underlug for the extra weight. For me it helps get back on target faster when shooting rapid fire by lowering the recoil and less movement.
Click to expand...
I do too if I'm going to shoot at a range. If I'm going to carry the gun all day or take it out in the field, the extra weight can be tedious. Also, a lighter barrel is easier to line up on a moving target. With a 4-inch it's not so much of a problem, but on a 6-incher, no thank you. I'll take a 6-inch Security-Six any day. For years, the 6-inch Security-Six was one of the most desirable handguns to pack out in the country. It was light, strong, could be stripped in the field and targets could be rapidly acquired with the lighter barrel. For long distance shooting, people could use a bush, tree or fence post to steady the gun.

The heavy underlug barrels were made for shooting, but for those who carried guns day in and day out, weight is a consideration. No one ever complained about the Security-Six or the 6-inch S&W 66. I don't see many of the latter anymore.

RugerSecurity-SixTrio_5.gif
 
Very simple. Best new medium frame 357 on the market is the Ruger GP100. If your looking in the used market, then a Security/Service/Speed six, Smith and Wesson 586/686 pre-lock and a Smith and Wesson model 27/28. These are the best in my opinion for DA/SA revolvers. You did not specify SA/DA or just S/A. It you are considering S/A go Ruger new model Blackhawk 357. That be the strongest unless you have the budget for a Freedom Arms or a Ruger Redhawk 357.

There you have it. I did not mention Colts but I feel there more for collecting than shooting.

Good luck,
roaddog28
 
You did not specify SA/DA or just S/A.
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- Either. I prefered DA, but if everyone said the gp100 was junk then I'd stick with the good old SA. I've never had or heard of a real bad problem with them. Everyone seems to like the ruger though so thats probably the one for me.
 
i have a 2" Rossi 357 in stainless and run thousands of rounds thru it both 38 spl and 357 mag. the only problem i have ever had is the weight. other than that i love it, but it is the first 357 i have had.. i like it more than the s&w airweight 38 for what it's worth...
 
My first, and my last. Did see any point after that. :cool:
ruger1.jpg
 
GP100, the full underlug and easy cleaning did it for me. I liked it so much I bought an SP101 for carrying.
 
GP100, the full underlug and easy cleaning did it for me.
Click to expand...

Don't all new 686 models have a full underlug just like new GP100s?

How is cleaning a GP100 easier than a 686? I bought a stainless steel GP100 with 6" barrel last year. Cleaning it's the same as cleaning a 40-year-old S&W I inherited, except the black filth doesn't stand out on the blued finish of that old gun.

What made the decision for me was price. A 686 cost $150 more even though I couldn't see any way in which S&W was any better than Ruger. I got the impression the price difference was largely for a famous name. Anybody knows Smith & Wesson is a gun maker. How many people not interested in the least by guns have any idea what Sturm, Ruger, and Co. make?

I know there is much debate on the 686 vs GP100 issue. The fact that the debate rages on for years tells me that there is no clearly better one. If one was clearly better the argument would have ended long ago with an obvious answer instead of differing opinions.
 
KJS, I guess to answer your questions, there were other factors that I hadn't remembered at the the time I posted (the things I posted were just things that stuck with me since I bought the GP 8 years ago). Price was a big one at the time, and if I remember right the S&W co. had recently caved in to the government which left a nasty taste in my mouth. Also looks. I really liked the look of GP100's over any S&W (especially S&W's full underlug look). Basically I'm just not a big fan of S&W. I also really don't see paying the prices they're asking for them either. JMO
 
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