Help a brother out....


I need a magnum. Preferably a .357. I had in the past a Ruger GP100 w/a 4" barrel. I really enjoyed it , but the trader in me got the best of me and I let it go. Now I have the itch for a magnum again.


I've been looking at the Smith & Wessons and am really interested in a 586 w/a 4" barrel, or a 520 w/a 4" barrel. I've never owned a S&W so I am not well versed in them. How do they compare w/the Ruger in terms of durability and accuracy? How do thw newer Smith revolvers feel trigger wise? My Ruger did have a somewhat heavy trigger pull. The S&Ws just seem to be a bit more refined than the Rugers, but that is just a minor point.


Oh yeah, this would be just for sheer shooting fun. Maybe some carry in my car or home defence, but really just fun at the range.


Aw hell I might even go with a S&W 325 in .45 ACP. Anyone have one of those?

Cast steel frame- Ruger
Forged Steel - S&W

I like the S&W's better myself but your mileage may vary.  This is truly a case where you can not go wrong in choosing one over the other.

My Dad has a GP100 and he installed some springs from wilson combat and it shoots like a dream. I have always wanted a 686 to though.

I love my GP100.  Built like a tank. A little rougher than the S&W, but I have never heard of one breaking down.

Only pic I have.  My Super Blackhawk 44 mag and GP100 357 mag.

somewhat OT, but FWIW

I took a friend shopping for a carry .357 (2" j-frame size)

The trigger job ranked from WORST to best was as follows

3. Ruger

2. S&W

1. Taurus

Everybody likes ruger's reliability, and S&W usually has the smoothness superlative, but maybethe Taurus might be worth checking into (although I am confident bigger smiths will have better jobs). I also find that lawyer lock abhorant.

Rugers are built like tanks and you can get Wilson or Wolff hammer springs to make it smooth as hell. I've owned Taurus, S&W and Ruger revolvers. I only have a Ruger GP100 4 in. S/S( Like the one in the picture above) and it is my favorite and most accurate handgun.  I sold my S&W M19 to a friend and kept the GP100. It is very easy to dis-assemble and maintain.
No gunsmith needed.
If the Shit-hits-the-fan.... This would be the gun I would depend on!

You would not compair the K frame to a GP100. it is in a different class and much smaller. Look at the 686(L frame) and 629(N frame). Both will handle full magnum loads for life justlike the GP100. All are nice but I(and many others) think the 686 is the finest .357 ever made and the 629 the very best 44 mag ever made.

I too had magnumitis. I loved the ruggedness of the Gp 100 but wanted the smoothness of a Smith. I decided on a nearly new 4" blued Ruger Security -Six. Heavyer built than the K frame Smiths but smaller than the Gp 100. The old revolver is as smooth as any Smith I have owened and more durable than the smaller framed Smith's I loved so much. If the GP 100 is built like a tank, the Sec-Six is built like an APC.

I prefer the 686 to the GP100 only because I like the smooth trigger pull on the 686. As far as accuracy goes they are neck and neck. Recoil on either is the same for me and I like the push button cylinder release of the Ruger better than the push forward of the Smith.

My GP-100 with Wilson spring kit and some nicer sights. 8.5 LB smoooth pull

The factory grips on the GP100s for me are the most comfortable.  But I buy S&W guns because they hold their value better and in some cases appreciate.

Quoted: Rugers are built like tanks and you can get Wilson or Wolff hammer springs to make it smooth as hell. I've owned Taurus, S&W and Ruger revolvers. I only have a Ruger GP100 4 in. S/S( Like the one in the picture above) and it is my favorite and most accurate handgun.  I sold my S&W M19 to a friend and kept the GP100. It is very easy to dis-assemble and maintain. No gunsmith needed. If the Shit-hits-the-fan.... This would be the gun I would depend on!

Really hmmm...now my interest is sparked.  Where would one find out how to change springs and stuff?

Back to the thread, I work at one of the largest dealers in the Phoenix area so I get my hands on literally dozens and dozens everything, and from  what I can ascertain, the Ruger is built like a brick shithouse and has a pretty good trigger.  It is not as "clean" as the Smiths, but for the price a GP100 or 161 is hard to beat IMO.

Oh yeah, they have great factory grips.

IMO the S&W is the way to go. Out of the box, Smiths have better triggers, hands down. A 686 will do everything a GP100 will do, plus you won't have to carry a "tank" around on your hip. Sweet Smith triggers... Just my $.02

Quoted: IMO the S&W is the way to go. Out of the box, Smiths have better triggers, hands down. A 686 will do everything a GP100 will do, plus you won't have to carry a "tank" around on your hip. Sweet Smith triggers... Just my $.02

can you tell me where these sweet smith triggers are?  the last one i bought, 2 month old 625, had a trigger so bad...........i would guestimate it at about 15+ pounds double action, and not really crisp in single action.    now with a bit of stoning and a spring kit it turned out great.     i love my smiths, i like the push button on the rugers.




i think you have a hard toss up to figure out here.
Brett

Dang, killarbb, it sounds like you got a real lemon! It happens sometimes. Call S&W, send that turd back! They will make it right. Just like Colt would, or Browning, or Ruger. Competition has made it that way. These are the good ole days!

I have owned a Smith 681,686, and  (2)66's, and also a Ruger GP100 and the Ruger is one I kept. Mine has a decent trigger, is accurate, and like everyone posted it is built very strong.

My dad owns a couple 686's and they are very nice revolvers, much more refined than the GP100.   I carried a smith 66 and 15 as well as a GP100 as duty guns over the years and much preferred the Ruger to those smiths.   The 15 was a .38 of course and the 66 a .357, the smiths always felt smoother but the GP just felt better and more solid.   I handload, the GP could take loads that would tie up my 66.  

One of the guns I regret selling was my 4" GP100     Still have it's lil bro, the SP101


I dont miss the 66 and the 15 was Uncle Sam's and worn out!

Where would one find out how to change springs and stuff?

Wolff sells the Reduced Power spring kits. You just need to replace the factory mainspring (under grips) with your choice of reduced power spring. I also find that polishing the trigger contact surfaces with a Dremel and polish compound that it makes a HUGE difference in trigger pull.

Quoted: Dang, killarbb, it sounds like you got a real lemon! It happens sometimes. Call S&W, send that turd back! They will make it right. Just like Colt would, or Browning, or Ruger. Competition has made it that way. These are the good ole days!

there was no way i was sending this one back.  i spent about 3-4 hours on the trigger wiith a stone and a spring kit.  that made it all better.   i do agree that while the prices we pay for new firearms has gone up, the quality has gone down, very much.  the internals on my 625 were horrible.  there were tool marks on everything, some of them really bad.




as far as how to do the spring kit, i am sure you could figure it out with the parts in front of you, but let me be endorse the "Trigger Job"  video with Jerry Miculek.  if you are going to shoot or own smith revolvers, this is a must have video.  




Brett

Ruger GP for me, given the choice. With some trigger work, it's the perfect HD revolver. Comfortable, I like the cyl. release better, points better, rugged as hell, and cheaper to boot.

In my experience....

Accuracy, they are pretty much the same.
Durability, The Ruger wins.
Trigger, The Smith wins.

In the header line you mentioned K frames, But little has been mentioned about them.
These are my preference in 357 Magnum, (Model 19,65 or 66). However these are also in the least able to stand up to a large amount of 357 Magnum use.

But how much are you really going to use them ? If you are going to fire hundreds of rounds per week out of it, get the Ruger, or a L frame.
I don't fire that many (158grn) rounds out of my 357, so my K frame guns standard up just fine to the 125grns that I use.

I find them light (buit not too light) and small enough to be comfortable.

When it comes to accuracy, neither the Ruger, the S&W K/L frames, nor the Python have an advantage over the other.
I have only one Python which I like for it's classic looks but rarely shoot. I have one GP100 but many S&W revolvers.
What I like with S&W revolvers is the double action trigger pull. I barely ever shoot S/A and the speed of a finely tuned S&W K frame is phantastic. They are not finicky and if set up right and maintained well, they give excellent service.

Why do you think Miculek stays with S&W?

Quoted: Why do you think Miculek stays with S&W?

'Cuz they pay for his ammo of course!!

ETA:  I have had a few Smiths (19, 586, 686, 27, 28), a couple Colts (King Cobra, Python) and a bunch of Rugers.  True the Smith has a better trigger, but a short time with a stone or a dremel (wire wheel) on the engagement surfaces will improve the Ruger trigger.  I love the GP100's.  I have NEVER seen one with timing problems like all of my Smiths had.  I think the 686 is dead sexy and the single action trigger is second to none, but if you want to shoot a bunch (particularly magnum loads) the GP will outlast the Smith without a bunch of parts replacement.  YMMV.

Quoted: Quoted: Why do you think Miculek stays with S&W? 'Cuz they pay for his ammo of course!! ETA:  I have had a few Smiths (19, 586, 686, 27, 28), a couple Colts (King Cobra, Python) and a bunch of Rugers.  True the Smith has a better trigger, but a short time with a stone or a dremel (wire wheel) on the engagement surfaces will improve the Ruger trigger.  I love the GP100's.  I have NEVER seen one with timing problems like all of my Smiths had.  I think the 686 is dead sexy and the single action trigger is second to none, but if you want to shoot a bunch (particularly magnum loads) the GP will outlast the Smith without a bunch of parts replacement.  YMMV.

Not exactly. I know a guy who has over 50,000 rounds through a 686(most 357 magnum loads). A GP100 can also do this but the Smith will not wear out eather. The L-Frame is pretty stout.

This may or may not be helpful but I recently purchased a used Ruger GP100, and here is the range report I posted on another forum.  I Hope this is useful.

Range Report...

OK guys, here's the report.  

Its a sunny, hot, and clear day out today.  Temps in the mid 90s, with little or no breeze.  

I brought 200 rounds of ammo.  150 rounds of .38 Special, and 50 rounds of .357 Magnum.  

The .38 was 100 rounds of American Ammo LRN, and 50 rounds of S&B.  The Magnum ammo was Space Coast ammo, sold by my local gun range.  

The distances I shot at were 15 yards, and 7 yards.  Dont be too overly critical of my shooting, remember I am still recovering from dental surgery.  

Let me start off by saying this...

I... LOVE... This... Gun!!!

Would you believe that I love this gun more than any other I have ever owned?  Shooting this was an absolute PLEASURE.  

Recoil was very mild, even with the full power magnums.  I was able to get off good sets of double taps with full power magnum ammo.  .38 was nothing as far as recoil goes.  

The trigger is smooth and silky, and breaks clean.  The tigger pull is long, like any DA revolver, but was not excessive in its weight.  

The quality is everything I expect from a Ruger product.  To say that this thing is built like a tank is putting it mildly.  I have no doubt I could run the HOTTEST loaded ammo through this gem and it would be none the worse for wear.  

I really enjoyed the push button cylinder release rather than the sliding release as it typical of most DA revolvers.  

I also found that (as usual) I really like Hogue grips.  These grips are comfortable, and provide a sure, firm grip on this magnum.  

If I had to change anything about this gun as it is, it would be the ability to add a higher visibility front sight.  As it is I am likely to paint my front sight floresent orange, as I have done with most of my other revolvers.  And while this paint does not last forever, it does last pretty solidly for a couple weeks before it needs a "touch up".  

There were no malfunctions at all today, of any kind.  Here are a few pics... click the image for a larger version.  

Here is the Ruger on my shooting table.  




And again...




Here are my first ten shots, from 7 yards.  Yes, I shoot in groups of 5... makes boxes of ammo come out even this way.  





Here is a group of 5 from 7 yards, almost put through the same hole.  I was able to get groups like this around midway through the day, after I grew accustomed to the trigger pull, and found my sight picture.  




This is from 15 yards.... 20 rounds in this target if I remember right.  




And here is a set of rapid double taps from 7 yards with magnum loads... kinda sucky I know, but hey... sue me.  




I have been carrying this revolver all day as my CCW weapon, and although I really dont like the holster I am carrying it in (Desantis IWB holster), its an easy weapon to carry.  A bit flatter than my Glock, and while I sacrifice capacity, I gain superior fire power with magnum loads.  

I am not willing to give up my Glock of course, and it will remain at my side more often than not, however any day I am looking for pure power, this Ruger will fit that bill quite nicely.  

All in all I am extremely happy with my Ruger.

Why do you think Miculek stays with S&W?

Lets keep in mind that the guns that high profile master shooters use are NOT the guns you and I buy off the shelf at the local shop.  IMHO buying a gun because some big named shooter uses one is akin to buying shoes becasue some big named ball player wears them.  

Nor do I think the author of this thread is going to put that kind of custom work into the gun because as he stated above, its going to be mostly for recreational shooting.

IMHO I think the Ruger is the better choice because it fits ME better than a smith, but I dont think you could wear either one of them out.  

There was a story a while back about how a ranch worker left his smith 66 hanging on a fence post from one summer to another before he found it.  The leather of course was ruined, but the gun was just fine.  Hung there through the rain and snow and hot sun and the gun was fine.  

I'd say go for which ever one fits YOU best.  If its a toss up in that catagory, then go for the one that's easist on your wallet.  

I fondled a co-workers S&W Model 19 yesterday. I really liked the frame size. I may have to go with a K frame just because I've never owned a S&W anything. Found some good deals on the net for police trade in K frame guns.


When I'm ready to lay down the cash, I will try to shoot both the Ruger and the S&W side by side and make a decision from there.


Or I might just go ahead and get a GP100....or BOTH!

Ruger... nuff said


M