S&W L and N frame comparison

[chickenfried]

Hey guys can someone point out the pros/cons of the L and N frames in .357. More specifically a 4" 586 vs. 5" 27-2. Thanks.

 

[tech]

I have a couple of 586’s and love them. Never had an N frame .357 but I would assume they would be softer shooting. It is a bit larger and tougher to conceal, but not by much. I don’t really see any cons to either pistol. I hear the model 27 is very nicely done. I have one on my list.

Man that list keeps getting longer.
Mike

 

[Gunpacker]

N vs L

IMO the L frame is the best .357 around. Period. Weight for good shooting comfort, size is perfect.
N frame on the other hand is great for the .44 magnum because you need the big cylinder for that cartridge. Not so for the .357. Everything is unnecessarily large for the .357, frame, cylinder, grip. For me the N frame is huge in grip to trigger distance. I have medium size hands and the gun is just too big for shooting comfort. The L frame by contrast has maintained the grip to trigger size of the K frame, and is perfect.
No way that an N frame revolver in .357 is right.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Apples and oranges - 8 shots in an N frame and a big gun. A 586 is a smaller gun but by no means a small gun.

SMith makes great revolvers . . .

 

[jc2]

Apples and oranges? How about six in a N-frame and seven in a L-frame? There's not a whole lot of weight difference, but the N-frame is definitely larger. The L-frame basically combines the ergonomics of the K-frame (probably as good as any revolver ever was) and the strength of the N-frame.

 

[RWK]

"The L-frame basically combines the ergonomics of the K-frame (probably as good as any revolver ever was) and the strength of the N-frame."

Well, I agree with the ergonomics element; however, the L Frame -- while plenty strong -- is certainly not as robust as the N Frame.

 

[Hal]

Frame aside,,,,,the 5" 27-2 is a classic.

A 4" 586, while a decent shooter, and as tough as nails,, is fairly pedestrian to fairly ho-hum to quite ungainly, depending on your personal tastes.

YMMV, but I find the L frame to combine the worst of the N and K worlds not the best. I find them unbalanced in my hands and not at all "natural".
Even though the L and the petite J are worlds apart, I find they both have the same akward - wannabe something else - feel.

No doubt it stems from the way I grip a D/A revolver. I tend to "choke up" on the grip to the point that the hammer not only touches the web of my hand, but slightly compresses it. I can do that with both the K and the N frames, but not with an L (or the much smaller J frame).

 

[Highland Ranger]

Apples and oranges? How about six in a N-frame and seven in a L-frame?

8-shot N frame in 357: http://www.firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=294735&item=831437&sw_activeTab=3

Point was, if you need more ronds and don't mind the size, go N, otherwise go L

 

[HSMITH]

The pro's and con's vary with what you do with the gun.

What do you want to do with it? What type of shooting do you do?

 

[BluesBear]

Gunpacker opined;
No way that an N frame revolver in .357 is right.

I'll take exception to that. The S&W N-frame with factory target stocks is the closest thing to a perfect fit in my hand of any revolver on the planet.

I have a 6" Model 28 and it is a lovely shooter. Recoil is much more controlable than with any other .357 magnum I have ever fired. And I have fired almost everything out there.
Yes it's overbuilt but that dosn't bother me at all. Since I shoot it much more
than my other N-frames I can appreciate that it will last longer than I will.

qI shoot it much more because it is set up to feel exactly like my other 6" N-frames. Since ammo is much cheaper than .41 .44 .44-40 & .45 I can do most of my practicing with the .357.
If I want to go plinking I can use cheap .38 special wadcutters in it and recoil is not much more than a .22 rimfire.


The 5" barrel Model 27 is even more well balanced in my opinion and is very high on my wish list.
The 3½" Model 27 is much better feeling in my hands than the 4" model and if I were looking for a .357 for CCW would be high on my list. As it is I am perfectly happy with my 3" Model 29 .44 Magnum. (A 3" Model 57 .41 magnum would be better but I can't find one for sale.)

 

[chickenfried]

Thanks for the info guys. I just bought a 586, my first revolver. WEll that might have opened the floodgates cause a 27-2 recently caught my eye. I always liked the full underlug look like the python. But now the look of the 27-2 is growing on me. They would both be range/plinking guns.

 

[drannor]

I love S&W .357''s:

M19-3 6"
M586-0 4"
M686-1 6"
M28-3 6"
M627-8 5" (PC 8 shot)

They all have their high points but I find myself coming back the 586 as the best all around range gun. It's big enough to soak up the .357 loads, light enough to allow for extended range sessions, ergo is just right, and points naturally.

Enjoy your purchase! (and watch your wallet, these things are habit forming)

 

[9mmepiphany]

and don't forget the checkered top strap and barrel rib on the 27. the tapered barrel also gives it a certain grace that the underlug just lacks. my 27 has the 8.375" tube but a 5" one rates right up there too...and would balance better for carry.