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  • Born2vette

    Norm, Team woodworker
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    17   0   0
    Jul 25, 2020
    3,893
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    Westfield
    I notice a lack of enthusiasm for the Colt. It’s now kinda, sorta a CZ but also noticed not much of a following on the interwebs as well. I suppose I should take that as a sign.
     

    Amishman44

    Master
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    48   1   0
    Dec 30, 2009
    3,678
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    Woodburn
    One of my all-time favorite revolvers to shoot...a 2.25" SP101 in .357 magnum...had it since December 1994 as a Christmas 'gift' to myself... carried it nearly 10 years before I got something else. Have a 3" version nowadays, to go along with it...love them both!!! Love the pinned-in front sight and the options available for tritium and Hi-Viz options for low or no light shooting. I've got a few J-Frame's in .357 magnum but for ease of range use, the Ruger is far more comfortable to shoot.

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    Don't forget it's big brother, the 3" GP100, as well...can't beat 'em for ruggedness and reliability, not to mention accuracy as well! Love the fit, feel, balance, etc. of the 3" GP100's.

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    Steve

    Master
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    84   0   0
    Nov 10, 2008
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    Have had a S&W model 60 J frame for more years than I care to remember. Absolutely love it as a CC gun, but it is not really a range gun. Does have a healthy kick when firing any .357 load and the 2" barrel is not the best for range work. Those trips call for my S&W 4" 686 or my Ruger GP 100 4". Had a 2" Ruger SP 100 and while it was a great gun, the S&W 60 saw more holster time than it did. Strongly recommend any of these guns. You can't go wrong with a Smith or Ruger. Just depends on which one fits your hand the best.
     

    flightsimmer

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    6   0   0
    Dec 27, 2008
    3,943
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    S.E. Indy
    Well, to each his own. But for .357 magnum, occasionally, I really would go with either a 4" S&W 686 or my favorite, the Ruger, GP-100 Match Champion. But that's just my opinion.
     

    duanewade

    Sharpshooter
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    3   0   0
    Sep 12, 2019
    464
    93
    Columbia City
    I have three .357 mags, a S&W 360 AirWeight (1⅞"), a Ruger SP101 (2½) and a Dan Wesson 15-2 (2½) that I have carried or do carry regularly. The 360 is really not too bad until you start running hot loads, the SP101 is a fine shooting pistol but my Dan Wesson will out shoot either any day of the week. I recently picked up a NM Blackhawk in .357 and it is nice too.

    For a range toy I'd go with a 4" or 6" barrel and it should have some heft to it to help with recoil.

    There are some nice .357s on Armslist for sale in Indiana.

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
     

    SAILORGOLF46

    Expert
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    20   0   0
    Feb 14, 2012
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    Greenwood
    All three are good choices, the SP101 will be the easiest to find and the price will not hurt as bad as the others. Yes the SP will need some work to smooth out but as been said it is a tank. I finally found a S&W M 60-10 that fits my small hands better than the others. Good luck and the revolvers you are looking for are a solid investment.
     

    cg21

    Master
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    25   0   0
    May 5, 2012
    4,549
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    You said very different I was expecting Chiappa vs cowboy vs kimber lol

    id say the ruger and s&w are more tried and true than the new colt.
     

    Ziggidy

    Grandmaster
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    2   0   0
    May 7, 2018
    7,270
    113
    Ziggidyville
    Ruger Sp101 3” (down to 5 shots, not as nice trigger as the other wheel guns but considerably less $$, 1 oz lighter than the Colt, built tough, and lots of aftermarket goodies available). These are the most available and least expensive by $200-300. Trigger can be smoothed out from what I hear (or put 1000 rounds or so down range). Holsters, speed loaders, etc probably the easiest to find at fair prices.

    So, lets hear it peoples!
    It's less money, built very tough and had the Ruger name (which means great service if needed).

    IMO, that's the winner.
     

    snapping turtle

    Grandmaster
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    6   0   0
    Dec 5, 2009
    6,462
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    Madison county
    The colt should have the better double action trigger and all will have a very nice single action trigger. Normally I find the double action trigger of a colt breaks the exact same place every time where the ruger and less noticeable but there the smith can vary more where the break is on double action. (This can be remedied but there is a cost)

    I still think my model 66 smith works pretty well over all. (Size trigger accuracy) Don’t overlook a good model 66. The three inch barrel some prefer above all lengths and it seems you want the three inch but having an extra inch might be a little more uncomfortable in the pants but often pays off with better performance. 4 inches is minimum to hunt with and many more used options available in 4 inch barrel. 357 also likes having a longer barrel but I don’t see a ton of velocity drops from 4 to 3.
     

    88E30M50

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    22,748
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    Greenwood, IN
    My favorite .357 for carry is a 3” Model 13. The balance on that gun is very good and it carries very well in a good holster. For the range though, I really like a 4” 581. I know that neither of these are on your short list, but if you happen across one or the other, you’ll not regret adding it to the collection.

    I do have an early Model 60 that’s in 38 Special. That’s not a great range gun but is still a lot of fun to shoot. Just don’t expect small groups at 15 yards shooting DA.

    I guess my point is, you’ll end up owning a bunch of them, so there’s no need to think too hard about which comes first.

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    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
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    Bloomington
    S&W preference here also. I had a 6" 586 but now have a 4" 586 which I prefer. For me it's a nice balance.

    I had a Model 13 which I'm still kicking myself I sold. It was a 3" and I really liked it but when I bought my 586, I figured I wouldn't shoot it, so it went.

    It would have been just fine sitting in my safe. :)
     

    Leo

    Grandmaster
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    30   0   0
    Mar 3, 2011
    9,733
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    Lafayette, IN
    I shot a 3 inch SP101 for years. Full underlug made the weight balance very controllable, and the factory rubber grip gave good recoil control. Like all revolvers, it ate anything. I also have an LTR with a SW model 36 and a Charter arms undercover. Both of those are a little smaller but the SP 101 is close enough to be considered in the same size range. The Ruger always seemed to be slightly more accurate, probably due to the longer sight radius and bigger front sight. Holsters had to be ordered because usual revolver holsters are for 2 inch compacts or for 4 inch S&W K frame sized revolvers. The 3 inch SP 101 has a foot in both niche's.

    The GP series six shot Rugers are fine if you want the bigger gun. A full underlug 6" GP 161 was my bullseye revolver for years, S&W K frames with a proper trigger and action job are pretty much king in that size category
     
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