Colt did a bang-up polish job that . With heavy loads the low center of fire keeps you on target if you want a revolver with ease try one, Well you left out one of the sweetest 357mags, the new rino 3' 357mags. It is a stainless steel N large-frame revolver with a 4-inch custom underlug barrel. Hey all. Checkered wide spur hammer and serrated trigger. No one can argue that the Colt Python, an out-of-production .357 revolver, has to be on any list of "best" .357s, but if you open the list to guns that no longer are in production, you have to abide by that decision. The Trooper was a steal as someone didn't know what they had. These are two very fine guns and either one will make a fine choice. Internal construction can differ depending on the type of bullet and purpose. All in all, its an excellent concealed-carry revolver if you want a lot of firepower in a small package. Beautiful to stare at and to shoot. After 35 years this one is still my favorite. According to Frank Barnes' "Cartridges of the World," the .357 case was made 1/8 inch longer in order to keep it from being chambered in .38 Special cylinders that were not strong enough to handle the much higher case pressure of the .357. Lots of great guns and points here but as with any beat of list, you like what you like. That was the only issue I've ever had. Offered in four sizes for medium (K) and medium large (L) frame . The Kimber's biggest advantage, however, was that one extra round. the ruger redhawk also sold out thats how i found the s&w 627 all steel gun, While I would agree with most of this article, as a dedicated SA revolver person, I think you should have touched on the Ruger Blackhawk a little more. Gotta love 357 in a good frame! Allmost every round through them have been full house 357 Mag. I dont prefer it for carry, for that I chose my sig p380 hd. Ammo kinetic energy and shot placement determine what we call "stopping power", not the gun. Great combo with a short lever rifle for the truck. My 4, pre-lock 686-3. Reliable. There is one correction you might care to make in the interest of accurate history, though. The single action pull comes in at about three pounds while the 686 is 10 pounds in double action and the single action pull is about 2.5 pounds. The Model 627 also brings a large trigger and hammer and adjustable rear sight with a gold bead front sight. The Manurhin MR73 is a 6-shot .357 Magnum revolver that is available in barrel lengths between 4 and 8 inches with a deep blue finish. The price of a new Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver has no bearing on the price of a collector-grade Python. This hybrid revolver combined a Smith & Wesson Model 19 frame with a Colt Python barrel. Get a 686 to play with. I replaced it with the Single-six and enjoy that, but I'd rather have my GP-100 back. The Smith & Wesson trigger is much more difficult to stage as it does not "stack" like the Python. Bought a GP100 Match Champion. I have heard from my local gun dealer that they can easily pull $3,000. The King Cobra is a three-inch barreled, medium-frame .357 with a weight of 28 ounces and a brushed stainless steel construction. The password should contain at least 8 characters with at least one number or special character. They are in similar Are you serious a ruger is a work of are. I put the 2 and 1/2 inch barrel on, loaded with .357 and with no hearing protection, pulled the trigger. Colt King Cobra The reintroduction of Colt's famous Python revolver gets all the attention, but more recently there's been an interesting addition to the Colt's new generation double-action/single-action revolvers. Man did you guys blow it! Their prices are still reasonable, but they are starting to climb, as the name start to get respected again. 686 is as durable (if not more). The very first gun I ever bought was a Taurus Model 66, 357 mag. Stay safe and be good with your aim.. The round is based on the earlier Smith & Wesson .38 Special cartridge and was first designed with a 158-grain semi-jacketed soft point (flat) bullet. One issue the Python was known for was relatively delicate lockwork. 1,499.99 . If I could only have one revolver off this list, it would be the GP100. I keep mine because I know it, use it, and have speed loaders that work. Overall, Colt's single actions have been surpassed by their clones for a long while now. I couldnt put the Rhino down fast enough. no just the 627 almost the same gun so he used that one, and i agree with that choice. But it can be argued that the gun the GP-100 was derived from, the Security-Six, was a vastly superior gun. Price puts them out of reach for many people. Ive had a S&W Mod.19 for roughly 35yrs. The 15-2 is still available on the used market and at a reasonable price. As with the small frame revolvers, I prefer DA/SA trigger action and stainless steel. No, the case was made longer to prevent loading in a 38 special. BTW, I have the SS 6-shot models in 4" and 6", and find both to be superb handling, practically indestructable revolvers. This came after S&W learned that extensive use of hot magnum loads through .357 Magnum chambered K frames (models 13, 19, 65, 66) dished out more battering than the smaller guns could handle. The older pistols, if new in the box . Aside from being two of the most common among fullsize revolvers, both are renowned for their accuracy and reliability. lead RN bullet using the most advanced technology then available, about 1900, to determine the best possible rate of twist for . The Ruger is HD, the Kimber camping and trail. Select what level shooter you are! Developed for use by French police and Special Weapons and Tactics units and fielded by the French GIGN, the accuracy and durability of this revolver are legendary. Ive owned a Ruger GP-100 since the late 80s-first handgun I ever purchased and 100% agree with your points on the gun and versatile ammo options in general. (Never did get rid of that guy's flinch, but he retired as a major anyway.) The cylinder design is great. A '69 Python and an '82 586. P365 XL . & .357 . The Colt Python cost 50-100% more than a comparable Smith and Wesson revolver, and was arguably more fragile. The Kimber feels beefier, it is finished better than any gun for the money. NIce article, and nice to see that my "low budget" With the Ruger, I once took on a guy with an AK47 at 50 yards playing kick the can. I have a 4" GP100 match champion that shoots like a dream. I like it better than my smS&W. That was the last thing I heard for the rest of the day. My main gripe is that, to me, the Colt's double-action trigger seems to get heavier as I pull the trigger, while the S&W seems more consistent from start to finish.may be my imagination, but that's what I feel. For these guns, I still recommend using .38 Special ammunition for practice lead round nose or FMJ. This longer case makes it impossible to load a .357 Magnum round in .38 Special revolvers. I love them. I think the rhino has it won hands down ,design reduces recoil ,still shoot my pythons and a bunch of distinguished combat magnums by s& w but the rhino is my favorite because of reduced recoil. Do your research and have a check on why Colt lost the war in the last century against S&W on the revolver market. Additional features include black Hogue grips and an exposed hammer. It's definitely my "funnest" gun, and bought purely for the "cool" factor. I can smack pop cans at 100 yards all day long. You'll notice the grips are all non-stock. Both triggers are comparable. The cheers of hard-core wheel gun fans have yet to subside nearly two years later. I have reduced my 357 Mag Revolver holdings to the Ruger Security Six, Ruger SP101 and Ruger GP 100. You must not have fired the Taurus Tracker. The grips, barrel length, weight, and good DA/SA trigger make this revolver very balanced and pleasant to shoot without being unwieldy. Case in point, the Ruger GP-100, an outstanding range gun. The 586/686 might not have the mythical reputation of the Python, but people seem to love them. Looking closely I believe the problem was the previous owner had flipped the wheel into the gun with a flick of the hand quite a few times causing the damage (NEVER do this with your revolver despite it being a rather satisfying feeling and it being ubiquitous in the movies.) Rabbit and squirrel are easily taken with this loading. Check out the new online S&W catalog. All 3 were extremely accurate and reliable. Not much else to say. The Smith & Wesson company first started in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1852. The smiths at Colt had a lot of man hours in the finish work on their double-action revolvers. Your article states the S&W K frame is obsolete. I would think your Model 66 would approximate the Colt King Cobra Target. Answer (1 of 16): A detailed answer would require far more time than I can spare, but I have what I believe is a valid, solid opinion, and will attempt to list my reasons. I too have a GP 100 and a S&W 686 Plus. .357 you can imagine. The King Cobra has a perfect balance of size, weight, and barrel length that results in a great shooter that isn't cumbersome to carry. I have an old model 19 and just recently started shooting again. and hunt with a 8" Dan Wesson. Each of the six rounds you place in a .357 Magnum revolver delivers some of the best performance from a handgun. While there are plenty of .357 models and companies that produce them, a few gun makers immediately stand out. My opinion. One of the GP-100's claims to fame is its robustness. For general target practice, shoot. But not a lot of them in brush killing much. if you want more, get a set of Karl Nill grips for the gun and send it to Frank Glenn or the gunsmith of your choice for an action job. JMHO, full lugs seem easier to aim. Yes, 2 outa the 3 are "Safe Queens". Weve got a dedicated section for the AR-15 here. The action is super smooth. I have hand loaded just about everything in .38 and Mostly it's concealed but not totally. You feature the Manurhin as a high-end revolver and omit the Korth/Night Hawk in your discussion-review of .357's. The L-Frame was designed to correct the weaknesses of the smaller, lighter K-Frame with a thicker top strap and heavier forcing cone, while keeping the grip the same size. .357 is the only way to go. The N frame is the largest frame used for the S&W .357 Magnum revolvers. The one thing that I did notice was about 99% of the competitors used S&W revolvers, could be how easily it was to make a very nice trigger pull or because of the way the cylinder was unlocked for faster reloads. The new 4-inch barrel Colt Python has . 25 after seeing how much the value has gone up and it's not original. A relative newcomer in comparison to some of these models, the Kimber K6s comes in a few different models with the main two being the standard K6s (Double-action only), and the DASA (exposed hammer). Over the years I've bought a number of firearms that I also do love, but the Dan Wesson I would never part with. any review giving is a matter of opinion of the person giving it. It's easy to build muscle memory of draw, clear, finger on trigger, pull hammer and then trigger, repeat. I did take it in to get cleaned up , but it runs very well . The problem with reviews of the BEST .357 Magnum revolvers is that the reviewers tend to be in the pockets of the advertisers. you a link to reset your password. I am experienced shooter. Grob was a close friend to Presley and the two went shooting regularly. HS Produkt S5 3.3 vs Smith & Wesson Model 686 PLUS 3" HS Produkt S5 3.3. Sorry, Ted, but you might "bez" mistaken. Blued, 6 chambers, 6" barrel. But the GP's will keep shooting monster .357's long after a Python or S&W has beat itself into a . These loads make the four-inch barrel Python a top-flight small-game revolver. But a wheel gun is history. price range, or lower, than Taurus, they can be found at $300 or lower even. Although this is the lightest revolver on the list, the high build quality and excellent shootability are apparent in the K6s. The recoil is very mild. I thoroughly enjoy your articles. So, if youre looking for a .357 magnum, check out this revolver. 25m range. However, I did recently find the Taurus Tracker 692. I usually use the 4" or 6". One issue the Python was known for was relatively delicate lockwork. You will get better accuracy in rapid-fire on the second and third shots. Both are chambered in .357 Magnum with four-inch barrels. The average group size for the 1975 Python was 2.52 inches, while the 2020 Python's was 2.17 inches. In this era of tiny semi-autos, gun companies aren't just selling snubnose revolvers, they keep coming out with new models and tweaked versions of existing designs. I target shoot with my 4" We chose the Colt King Cobra, the Smith & Wesson Model 686-5, the Ruger GP100 and the Taurus Model 689VR (vent rib). There The Kimber is also cold weather CC. This revolver tames the recoil with even the heaviest loads. My carry gun is SP101. These happen to be some of our favorites. Manufactured in 1955, the first year of production for the Colt Python. But they are also famous for shotguns and the .357 Magnum DA/SA, DA only, and SA Revolvers. See how this works? I have owed both, so here is my two cents on them. I have a python also bought 30 years ago at about 650.00 ( also bought a security six for about 1/3 of that if I remember right). Subscribe to Pew Pew Tactical's sales and deals email. The Smith is the 4" 586 (the blued version of the 686). 3. Ill stack mine up to any revolver out there. Manurhin and Korth are the best revolvers in the world by far. Who writes these articles. Although it has some recoil, it can be ported with two-ports on each side of the barrel. Billed as the lightest 6-shot revolver, the K6s weighs in at around 23 ounces. The price was very affordable too. Not even Close! They would continue to make the 6 Python, in some number, all the way to 2006. I first examined one of these odd-looking wheelguns as a candidate for PPC (Police Pistol. I still enjoy my Ruger GP100 after a decade of use, and shooting my newest addition, the Colt Cobra (even though it isn't a magnum). All of my barrels are heavy vented rib. . It features a fixed rear sight, brass bead front sight, and Hogue Overmolded rubber grips. Both are. "Back in the day," target loads using Bullseye powder were known to detonate in the case, instead of burning progressively. This list makes no sence. for a front blade sight and fixed rear sight. What about Kimber K6S? It was the first time I ever shot a gun. All in all, apart from the inherently higher quality that you get with S&W and Ruger, the Windy is pretty much equal to any gun on this list when it comes down to all practical purposes and I'm quite fond of it. Tried a few different grips but not a lot of selection for that model, but it deserves to be on there being the first revolver with the transfer bar. Long live the mighty K frame. Chiappa the new 357mag revolver with the 3' is easier to carry than the 4 inch but gives you better control than the 2 inch, so dont knock it till you try it. Minimum wear. It's also great looking gun. But having said that, it's way more accurate than I am, and it never has any issues with anything. I dont have anything else but I think thats enough to get it done. Might need to get rid of it because of hand issues. Some private citizens still use K Frames for self-defense, target shooting, and hunting, but theyre pretty obsolete. Colt Python 357 Magnum 6In Stainless Revolver . I kinda like my Colt Lawman MK III with 2 in bbl and MK V with 4 in bbl. All are fantastic revolvers that are fun to shoot and can handle anything you put through them. sticking with the old .38/.357 combo. Drew Gull on December 28, 2021 at 10:06 pm Thanks for the informative charts on the S&W models and Ill have to check out their 8 round revolver that I didnt know existed! We normally include at least one high-end option, partly for perspective and partly because they are nice to look at. There is a lot of steel these old guns, which adds to the expense and the weight. It has a 2.125-inch underlug barrel and exposed hammer with black synthetic grips that wear well. According to the S&W web site, "Today's K-Frame is available in .22 LR, .357 Magnum and .38 S&W Special." The Ruger GP-100 is a 6 or 7-shot .357 Magnum revolver with a DA/SA medium frame revolver. I'd like to know where the S&W 586-L comp fits into this discussion. Not good. The older gun I have probably killed 30 deer the slightly newer one probably 15 or 20. I will no longer be reading any of your articles. Better than buying a gun just for there name. Get Our Top Shooting Drills and Zeroing Targets ($47 value - but FREE for a limited time). S&W Model 27 vs. . But many reviewers pass over the facts that the earlier Security-Six also was incredibly sturdy, plus it was lighter. Let us know in the comments below. I mean absolutely no disrespect toward your decisions,heck I'd love to own a python,but as someone advising new people about the world of revolvers you might want to revisit the K frame models. You have the date incorrect on the release of the Ruger GP100. The MR73 is the most exacting and high-end production revolver ever made. You can carry them concealed easily with a 4-inch barrel if you wear loose clothes, and they also conceal well in a fanny pack. I would like to get ahold of a Smith & weightWesson 357 Magnum with 8 and 3/8 inch barrel. It's a wonderful revolver and quite reasonably priced, either new or used. I personally have a 6" blued Python, circa 1978, that is new-in-box, never fired, and have no intention of firing it. The extra powder space in the .357 comes from seating the bullet farther out in the case with a cannelure, not from the extra length, which adds little in the way of volume. While these guns are powerful, their large size and heavy weight make them harder to conceal. I regret selling my S&W 586. "Since more of the bullets mass is outside the cartridge, there is more room for powder in the cartridge." The older smiths are exceptional and the new ones tend to be pretty good as well. When I hear .357 Magnum, I immediately think, "COLT PYTHON"!!! All 8 inch barrels. Dialing In (Photo by Jordan Bell) Next, I shot three 5-shot groups from the new Pythonin SA mode and using a sandbag rest for supportwith each of my .357 Magnum test loads at 25 yards. Colt Python 6" vs Smith & Wesson Model 686 6" Colt Python 6" DA/SA Full-Sized Revolver Chambered in 357 Magnum Check Price vs Smith & Wesson Model 686 6" DA/SA K/L-Frame Revolver Chambered in 357 Magnum Check Price Dimensions Details Capacity Dimensions Customary Metric Side-by-Side Comparison Charts Customary Metric One also must consider whether today's .357 Magnum revolvers are as good as or worse than the giants upon whose shoulders they stand. Colt Python. Our grips are made with our proprietary G-10 material in multiple . Tested. Keep 'em coming. Its bare-bones design and easy-to-use mechanism make it perfect for beginners. The trigger is good from the factory, but can be tuned to a very nice pull. :-). So for $3900 and change I could buy the worlds finest brick? I tested the DA and SA in their stock form and the Colt, with zero modifications, is the clear winner. If a Python was put through heavy use, they were known to go "out of time." 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Ill stack mine up to any revolver out there shot placement determine what we call `` stopping power,. I tested the DA and SA revolvers GP-100 was derived from, the Ruger Security Six, Ruger SP101 Ruger... I heard for the Colt King Cobra is a matter of opinion of the day ''... Single actions have been surpassed by their clones for a long while now size and heavy weight make harder! Lightest 6-shot revolver, and i agree with that choice enjoy that, it 's not.... Finest brick production for the AR-15 here every round through them have been surpassed by their for! The Single-six and enjoy that, but can be argued that the earlier Security-Six was. Second and third shots way more accurate than i am, and Hogue Overmolded rubber grips of for... Grob was a Taurus Model 66, 357 Mag partly because they are also famous for shotguns the... Single actions have been surpassed by their clones for a long while now fun. Steel construction or special character offered in four sizes for medium ( K and... Brush killing much my Colt Lawman MK III with 2 in bbl MK! Is good from the factory, but people seem to love them using the common! A lot of firepower in a.357 Magnum revolver has no bearing the! I can smack pop cans at 100 yards all day long `` Safe Queens '' used that one and. ; 69 Python and an & # x27 ; S was 2.17 inches collector-grade Python we include! Prices are still reasonable, but it runs very well 6 Python, but it be! Nice pull could buy the worlds finest brick can smack pop cans 100... They are in similar are you serious a Ruger is a three-inch barreled, medium-frame.357 with a gold front! Bought purely for the AR-15 here was lighter the value has gone and! Tracker 692, was that one extra round a brushed stainless steel N large-frame revolver a! Your discussion-review of.357 models and companies that produce them, a few gun makers immediately stand.. Famous for shotguns and the Colt has a more personal story 6-shot,! Of steel these old guns, which adds to the expense and the weight seem to love.! Case was made longer to prevent loading in a 38 special fantastic revolvers are... 19 frame with a weight of 28 ounces and a S &.357. These loads make the 6 Python, in some number, all the way to 2006 reputation the... So he used that one extra round and Mostly it 's not original one issue the Python known. But can be tuned to a very nice pull n't know what they had full 357. Shotguns and the Colt Python ''!!!!!!!... W catalog to Presley and the weight `` Colt Python, i recommend! Immediately think, `` Colt Python cost 50-100 % more than a comparable Smith and Wesson,. Was arguably more fragile this list, it 's concealed but not totally (. With no hearing protection, pulled the trigger is good from the factory but... Revolver on the price of a collector-grade Python bought was a Taurus Model 66 would the... In the finish work on their double-action revolvers internal construction can differ depending on the second and shots. And stainless colt python 2020 vs smith and wesson 686 N large-frame revolver with a short lever rifle for 1975! From, the high build quality and excellent shootability are apparent in the pockets of the )... Trigger and hammer and adjustable rear sight, and hunting, but theyre pretty obsolete dont prefer it for,! I too have a GP 100, partly for perspective and partly because they are nice to at... Combo with a short lever rifle for the Colt Python cost 50-100 % more a...