What is the strongest framed 357 magnum

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It's not the frame you should worry about, but the lockwork. The lockwork is what takes a beating by heavy 357 loads. Pythons are considered fragile, but have you measured the thickness of the topstrap??? Have you heard of Python frame stretching? No. Pythons go out of time. It's the hand that always needs replacing. A Python with 10 fitted hands will last just as long as a Ruger ;)
 
It's not the frame you should worry about, but the lockwork. The lockwork is what takes a beating by heavy 357 loads. Pythons are considered fragile, but have you measured the thickness of the topstrap??? Have you heard of Python frame stretching? No. Pythons go out of time. It's the hand that always needs replacing. A Python with 10 fitted hands will last just as long as a Ruger
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Maybe, but Freedom Arms STILL wins by a country mile. Nothing can touch 'em when it comes to strength. They're built for FAR more powerful calibers, they're just offered in .357.

Anyway, as I understand it, what gives out IS the frame on most .357s, the Colts may be an exception, excessive end shake occurs over time. Once the frame is beyond limits of even crane yoke stretching or shims, it cannot be made right. I'm no gunsmith. I think uncle Fuff probably taught me that. :D
 
The frame is not the crane. Endshake is caused by a springed crane, not by a springed frame. There is no way in hell you will spring a frame on any Smith or Colt with SAAMI spec loads.
 
In a D/A revolver, the Redhawk .357 is the strongest IMHO. My Smith & Wesson Model 27 looks somewhat anemic next to my Redhawk .357:
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Rugers for the past several years have used investment cast parts, including cylinders. Smith still uses forged parts. My vote is for Smith. My model 28 probably has 30,000 rounds through it and still functions better than the day I bought it. Just my opinion.
 
Ruger's investment castings are some of the highest quality castings of this type in the world. As strong as an model 27/28 is-forged or not, the Redhawk .357 is considerably stronger. These have proven to withstand .357 overloads that the S&W M27/28 cannot tolerate. Now, in saying that, this is not to say that the M27/28's are weak. It's just that the Redhawk .357 was so overbuilt, that it was immensely strong!
 
slick6 said:
These have proven to withstand .357 overloads that the S&W M27/28 cannot tolerate.
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Like what?

If you overload a case, it will stick in the cylinder. Since case sticking is the limiting factor, are you talking about proof loads?

FWIW, the 357 Redhawk is extremely inefficient. The kind of loads you are talking about will wear out the forcing cone far sooner than either gun will go out of time.
 
Yea i like the freedom arms and the redhawk seems like a great contender. Im not looking for 357 maximum if I were it would be dan wesson or an old ruger blackhawk. I have to disagree with colts going out of time, i know my grandfather has fired thousands of rounds before I have had this python, he took it for 3 tours in vietnam and plenty of practice back from the tours as well, i have put close to 5 thousand rounds in past two years, it is by far the smoothest pistol ive shot, though the barrel rifling is really worn out, so shooting nice groups is long gone in this pistol.
 
I saw a .357 Redhawk yesterday at the Cabela's in Richfield, WI. First time I have seen one. It took a few minutes to wrap my mind around the fact that it was a .357 and not a .44 mag. I have to believe that revolver could withstand anything that could be loaded in .357....and then some.
 
Why carry a anvil to a pistol shoot?

The primer is usually the limiting factor in working up safe heavy loads. When it starts to flow into the firing pin hole or gets pierced by the firing pin due to high pressure you know your really close to or have exceeded max safe working pressure.
If you think and study the chamber of a center fire cartridge you will notice that the primer is unsupported by anything but the firing pin. A primer that has flowed into the firing pin hole will lock up a revolver. So you have a expensive single shot pistol with certain loads. Sticky extraction is another symptom of pressure.
This has no bearing on the relative strength of the firearm its in.
Blown up or bulged cylinders are caused by severely overloaded rounds loaded by stupid people who have not worked up loads safely. Its not a case of X brand being stronger then Y brand.
Yes, certain brands will hold up better to heavy use before shooting loose.
If you really want to blast out .357 projectiles buy a single shot pistol, or get a longer barrel.
 
The Redhawk is definitely a stout revolver, but consider it's weight. If you guys truly need that massive a revolver to withstand maximum 357 loads, then you need to go up to a larger magnum caliber.

Personally, I prefer a lighter, smaller revolver for field carry. That's why I like my GP100, plus it's plenty sturdy enough to handle even hairy magnum charges.

The Redhawk 357 is an answer to a question that's never been asked.
 
The strongest .357 that pops into my head would be the Contender. For wheel guns the Ruger RH is a robust design (nice way of saying too dam heavy) and I put the S&W revo’s above the Python. In any case they will all hold up to full power loads. In my younger days I shot loads out of my Python that were approaching 41 mag levels. Now that I have more sense I down load a 44 mag to 41 levels. You should never pass up a reason for buying another gun and they will all last longer with less of a beating.
 
"Personally, I prefer a lighter, smaller revolver for field carry. That's why I like my GP100, ..."

Never thought I would ever think of a GP100 as a "lighter, smaller revolver".
 
Colt King Cobra. IIRC some famous gunsmith declared it to be the strongest back in the 80's.
 
The primer flow can be stopped by using small rifle primers, same cautions have to be applied as work up your loads but the harder primer prevents it from piercing and flowing easly.
That korth is a beauty, with the full underlug Im in love. i may have found a revolver half decent enought o retire my old python now to find a korth 357 mag.....
 
Now that I have more sense I down load a 44 mag to 41 levels
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I load mine down to 44 special levels. It's easier on the gun and the shooter. My favorite load is 240 grain swc ahead of 7 grains Unique. It's snappy enough to be fun but not punishing. It's a great plinking load.
 
I really believe there is no way of answering this question. Strongest how? Frame? Cylinder? Barrel? which will be able fire / function after taking a beating by a 5lb sledge hammer? Which one will still fire / function after a certain amounts of drops and a determined height? or hand load some strong cartridges and see which one will break first?

The only way to see which one would be strongest imo is to have a metallurgist and a engineer do a study on them. Maybe even include an unbiased gun smith (if there is such a person) and someone who is very experienced at hand loading. You really can not go on how strong it "looks".
The only problem is the manufactures would not like this test, because absolutely one will be deemed "weak" and worthless for the money.
 
IMO, in no way does the Python rank up with the Blackhawk.

Wife and I had both back in the 1960s, in less than a year, the Python was a piece of rattling junk. The Blackhawk was shot a lot more, had a longer cylinder, could take hotter loads and longer heavier bullets.
 
I would think the rare Ruger Redhawks would be the strongest DA revolvers in 357. They are not too common though.
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That's the one. They're more overbuilt in that caliber than any other, including the FA. The .357 shells look like .22 rimfires going into the chambers.

If you guys truly need that massive a revolver to withstand maximum 357 loads, then you need to go up to a larger magnum caliber.
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Sometimes it's fun to shoot magnums from oversized revolvers. Plus the .357 RH is an ideal platform for otherwise dangerous experimentation.
 
Rifle primers in revolvers

You need a harder wack to set off a rifle primer. Plus the lack of information on safe loads using them.
I enjoy fine DA shooting when I shoot ICORE, Steel Challenge or USPSA. And I use a revolver when shooting center fire Bullseye.
My scores aren't great but I know what works and going to a rifle primer is not the answer to any problem in a .357 revolver.
A heavy hammer blow is not conducive to fine accuracy. That is one reason you seldom see revolvers based on the SA Army used in accuracy events.
That big SA hammer with a heavy mainspring to light off a rifle primer would jar my bones.
 
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