I have a bugout bag in the event of an emergency and don't know whether to pack my SP-101 or my Speed-Six. What do you think?
One of my favorite handguns is the S&W 66 with a 2.5-inch barrel and a 4-inch barrel, pinned of course, with counterbored chambers. Although they aren't nearly as strong as the Rugers, they too were great survival, camping and hiking guns. Alas, the only 4-inch 66 I have is a cheap (or even free some places) Android program called IRevolver. You can load the gun, cock it and shoot it DA or SA but that's it. It's sure purty. Here are some screen shots:
The point is, .357 revolvers are incredible, and as far as I'm concerned Ruger and S&W screwed the product by increasing the weight and balance of their current production guns. The SP-101 and the LCD are fine guns, but the barrel on the latter is too short and the current line of "medium framed" guns really aren't. They're clearly heavy framed guns in comparison with the previous Model 13, 65, 19, 66 and Security-, Service- and Speed-Six pistols. I loved the older guns and I do have an affinity for the Smith 686 -- but the current Rugers are losers, in my opinion, except the SP-101 and LCD. The GP-100s are too heavy to carry on hikes or take hiking. They're almost strictly range guns.
I'd love to see the Speed-Six and 6-inch Security-Six brought back into production. Back in the 70s, two of the most celebrated .357 hunting and outdoor guns were the S&W 66 6-inch and the Security-Six 6-inch revolvers. Since their demise, however, these types of articles have virtually ceased. No one wants to haul around a 686 6-inch or GP-100 6-inch for hunting or casual hunting in the out of doors.
The Speed-Six, on the other hand, were great trail guns, camp guns and self defense guns for hikers, bikers and CCW. Pound for pound, ounce for ounce, you can't get a better, more powerful gun.
I don't know what Smith and Ruger were thinking about when they dropped their medium framed guns.
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