I'm looking at buying 1 of 3 .357s tomorrow and want some opinions. Both have a great feel to them, same style sights, and are the similar price.

S&W 686 4 in, stainless, pach grips, ported barrel, used $400

S&W 686 4 in, stainless, wood grips, non ported, used $430

Colt King Cobra, stainless, pach grips, non ported, used with box and manual $400 (a little less clean than the others but some polish would probably make it near perfect)

I do not particularly care for the ported barrel and if the grips are the price issue I could have them switch the wood ones out and get the non ported for the same price. I want to put newer style contoured grips on whichever gun I get anyway.

Are there any things I should take into consideration in deciding between the smith or the colt? Someone said the Colt may become a collectors item since its out of production, do they have any type of problems I should look for?

I have a S&W Model 686 .357 with 6" barrel and would not trade it for anything. Both guns are good. I would go with the S&W as I have had no problems with it at all. Also the great thing about .357 is you can shoot .38 Special in the same gun and the ammo is cheaper. Good Luck with your gun and be careful.

the 686 is a great pistol. the ported barrel is not what i like, its worthless unless you shoot bowling pins or other shooting matches. the colt would be my first choice because you dont see many of these pistols on the market . hey buy the 686 none ported and the colt! serious note. remove the grips look for drag marks on the moving parts. the more marks you see the more you will need to polish. neither should need much work. good luck on your decision

Sorry I can't help you with your choice since my only experience is with my Ruger GP 101 stainless 6" .357 with adj sights. I love this gun even though the trigger could use some work (it's real heavy and creepy too). I've put all 6 rounds into a 7" circle at 100 yards with this gun and could probably do better. I know by your birthday post that you're anxious to get one of these guns, but relax and figure out just what you want. Shoot a bunch of different ones (ranges will rent so you can try before you buy) and see which you like best. Like Todd said, good luck and be (real) careful.

I have a Ruger GP101 with a four inch barrel. It's the most balanced handgun I've ever shot. That's the deciding factor, is how a particular gun feels in your hand when you're holding it in the shooting position. How well does it fit your hand? Does the barrel remain level with minimal effort? A gun that tends to dip and feels heavy after a short time at the range is probably not the gun for you. It should feel like an extension of your hands and shouldn't feel top heavy or be uncomfortable to hold.

I have a single action J B Sauer .44 Mag. My philosophy is that if you are going to shoot something, shoot it!
I never leave town without it.

I have a S&W Model 686 .357 with 6" barrel and would not trade it for anything. Both guns are good. I would go with the S&W as I have had no problems with it at all. Also the great thing about .357 is you can shoot .38 Special in the same gun and the ammo is cheaper. Good Luck with your gun and be careful.
ditto here!

I also looked at the Ruger, but didn't like the way the trigger felt and I don't want to have to do work on anything like that. Very nice gun, but not quite for me.

These guns are both at different shops, the range does not have any .357 revolvers to rent, nor do they have any used guns I might persuade them to let me try first. They just have new, and I imagine they want to keep them that way.

I am anxious, I can admit that...but I do have very specific ideas of what I want and won't settle just to buy something. I love the way both feel, so I was basically just looking for any other opinions or possible things I might not be able to know about either simply by holding it.

Before you lay down the cash, check out www.Gunbroker.com for the make and model of handgun you are considering. If I could suggest an alternative to those you mentioned it would be the excellent (out of production) Ruger Security Six, for under $300. A variety of grips are available for it.

Also check here for an average price.
http://www.auctionarms.com/

I've owned the Security Six also ... great gun! If price is ever an issue, any Ruger is your best bang (hehe) for the buck!

The S&W's are great choices! I wouldn't horse with a ported barrel on a .357 ... they're actually a very manageable revolver. Stainless would be nice for a truck gun, or anything that might sit in exposed weather.

The only thing ... I might persuade you toward a 6" barrel, unless you're pursuing a concealed weapon permit. It also depends on your stature (build) ... I actually have shot fairly well with an 8" DW. Anyhow, balance and feel will far greater influence your shooting ability than make/model of revolver. Obviously though, if your going for a concealed carry ... 6" barrel might be excessive.

Neal

Is Colt still making revolvers? I might be wrong, but I think I heard that they were going to quit a few years ago so a Colt might keep it's value better.

I have two S&W's (model 29 and 696), but have never owned a Colt. I have shot several of both brands though, and I like the S&W's better. The Colts are very good guns, but IMO, the S&W's have a better fit and finish. Accuracy seems to be the same though, usually very good.

Like was said you don't need a ported barrel with a 357. In fact you don't want the extra noise. Which one fits you best? Most people fit the Smith very well and anything that says Colt you pay for the name.

Well I went back out and about and brought the Colt home. Something about it just seemed a little too right, the smith had a familiar feel similar to my dads model 66 and I really liked it too but the Colt just had this extra little something.

Taking it out to the range tomorrow and see how it is.

Well I went back out and about and brought the Colt home. Something about it just seemed a little too right, the smith had a familiar feel similar to my dads model 66 and I really liked it too but the Colt just had this extra little something.

Taking it out to the range tomorrow and see how it is.

personally i think you made the best choice. i have some colts and some smiths and they are all great pistols but i think that colt is going to hold value really well. i also agree that if you want a quality piece for a reasonable price the ruger fits that category really well. i have put together a half-a$$ed collection and my intent was just to pickup the classics such as a python, K-22, luger, colt 1911, berretta 92F, etc. i still really want a browning hi-power and maybe a clean sig and a glock then i should have the standards all covered. good luck with your colt and be careful for God's sake. a firearm can be a lot of fun and a lifesaver but they demand RESPECT always.

I also looked at the Ruger, but didn't like the way the trigger felt and I don't want to have to do work on anything like that. Very nice gun, but not quite for me.

I noticed that when I shoot mine as a single action (cocking the hammer before firing for those who don't know), the trigger pull is very light. It's so light it scares me to shoot single action. So I only shoot double action. When shooting double action, the trigger pull feels normal. That is my only complaint with this gun though. Was this the same concern you had? I ask because I wonder if mine was modifed to make the trigger pull lighter for single action shooting, possibly for a previous female owner.

God I love America!

I'm stuck in Kazakhstan right now, and reading a thread about guns just makes me homesick.

I'd have chose the Colt as well, though I've never fired that particular pistol and have owned and loved a stainless 686. I'd have chosen the Colt just because I've never had one.

And I don't care for ported barrels either. If I were in some sort of competition maybe, but I'm not.

As far as Rugers go, I've owned a couple of Super Blackhawks in .44 Magnum, so I don't know what they feel like in double-action. My true love with revolvers is strictly single action, and I never bothered with the double-action pull of the 686 when I had one.

I'm currently looking for a deal on another Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum, so I'll have a hand-cannon for winter carry. ;)

For a while I had two S&W .357s at the same time, a M-19 with a 6" barrel and wood grips and a M-60 with Uncle Mike's combat grips and a 2 1/8" barrel. The short one was much more comfortaqble to shoot in spite of the M-19's extra weight...the grips made the difference. Had a Colt Lawman Mark III .357 in the early 70s, but got rid of it a long time ago. I like the snub nose for all around, but if I only had one shot and it had to count I'd take the M-19 single action...they make good target guns.

I noticed that when I shoot mine as a single action (cocking the hammer before firing for those who don't know), the trigger pull is very light. It's so light it scares me to shoot single action. So I only shoot double action. When shooting double action, the trigger pull feels normal. That is my only complaint with this gun though. Was this the same concern you had? I ask because I wonder if mine was modifed to make the trigger pull lighter for single action shooting, possibly for a previous female owner.

actually the Ruger I had seemed to be heavy on the single action pull, thats what i was talking about

I know it could be fixed but as I said I wanted something that was already the way I wanted.

I'm getting even more happy with my choice the more I handle it and get a feel for it.

I also know to be VERY careful. Whenever I hand anyone a gun I tell them its loaded even if it isn't just because its safer for them to look and prove me wrong than to not look and prove someone dead. I've grown up around guns and I don't respect anything more than them.

I want to thank everyone for the posts and opinions, I think I'm gonna be happy with my choice.

actually the Ruger I had seemed to be heavy on the single action pull, thats what i was talking about

I know it could be fixed but as I said I wanted something that was already the way I wanted.

I'm getting even more happy with my choice the more I handle it and get a feel for it.

I also know to be VERY careful. Whenever I hand anyone a gun I tell them its loaded even if it isn't just because its safer for them to look and prove me wrong than to not look and prove someone dead. I've grown up around guns and I don't respect anything more than them.

I want to thank everyone for the posts and opinions, I think I'm gonna be happy with my choice.

Thanks for the reply! It sort of confirms my belief that mine was modifed at one time. I think it's time for a visit to a gunsmith.

Like I said, when it comes to handguns, you have to go with the one that feels good to hold and is balanced. That's because all of us have hands and arms that are different shapes and sizes and our muscular strength varies from one person to the next, so a gun that feels well balanced to one person may feel heavy and awkward to another. Let us know what you decide.

Went to the range today and bought a box of .357 mag rounds, might have been reloads in a different box or something, cause 6-7 out of the 50 were packing a little more punch it seemed. Every now and then one would go off and there was a huge flash from everywhere.

I really like the gun a lot. Can't tell much difference in recoil from shooting my dads smith with the 6in barrell.

My first 2 shots were pretty much dead center in the bull circle (about a 3in oval), then nearly all of them were to the left which I found to be a little odd. I would expect to be up and to the right if it was me pulling. I think I might adjust the rear sight a bit next time and see if it moves the pattern back over.