.357 Magnum revolvers

[guppyinalightbulb]

I'm interested in a beater revolver, in .357 Mag, and I don't want to spend a ton for it. A old S&W 586 would be my first choice, but heard about the Comanche III and how cheap it was. So if anybody has a review on it, or other cheap but reliable recommendations and a good place to get them, it would be appreciated.

[sorensen440]

For cheap you cant beat a taurus
Those 586's can be hard to find at times and I have seen them sell for more then the 686's

[Tarn_Helm]

Ruger GP 100

I'm interested in a beater revolver, in .357 Mag, and I don't want to spend a ton for it. A old S&W 586 would be my first choice, but heard about the Comanche III and how cheap it was. So if anybody has a review on it, or other cheap but reliable recommendations and a good place to get them, it would be appreciated.

Get the Ruger GP 100, with 3 inch tube if you can find it.

[HowardW56]

I'm interested in a beater revolver, in .357 Mag, and I don't want to spend a ton for it. A old S&W 586 would be my first choice, but heard about the Comanche III and how cheap it was. So if anybody has a review on it, or other cheap but reliable recommendations and a good place to get them, it would be appreciated.

I don't have any experience with Taurus revolvers, Ruger revolvers are rugged as hell and are almost guaranteed not to break, Smith & Wesson revolvers are pretty dam durable, maybe not as much so as a Ruger, but they generally have a far smoother trigger...

ANd if it a blue steel revolver you are yooking for, the Smith & Wesson has a nicer finish...

[maxicon]

You didn't list what your budget is - that can make a pretty big difference.

I'd agree with the previous posts. Go for Taurus if you want the cheapest decent quality, but be prepared to wait for service if there are problems.

Ruger's next, and if you can swing the difference, would be a great place to start. After that, beater S&Ws do show up now and again for reasonable prices, but you have to move quickly on them. A cheap 586 is pretty unlikely, though.

[JTROKS]

With guns you usually get what you pay for. I've read and heard of folks getting the cheap Rossi and Llama revolvers only to find out that it won't last 200 rounds of magnum ammo. If you can find a used Ruger GP100 and know what to look for to make sure it's not out of whack, you'd get a better deal than betting less money on an un proven guns. You won't find cheap 586s or 686s. The cheapest one I seen was $350 for a 4" 686, but the finish was not pretty. Goodluck.

[97F1504RAD]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=145765

[g17owner]

If you want something that will hold its value well get a smith or a colt. If you want a shooter to put alot of full power magnums downrange get a ruger. My personal favs are my 2.5" model 19 and my 6" 586 no dash.

[cal3gunner]

If you are just going to shoot it, get a 6 inch. It will have less felt recoil and you will probably be more accurate with it because of the longer sight radius. The velocity out of a 6 inch will be a lot more than the 2 or 3 inchers.

If you are going to carry it, get a 3 or a 4 inch barrel because it will be lighter. The 2 inchers give up a lot of velocity but would be good for concealed carry.

I recommend a Ruger SP101 with the 3 inch barrel. It is heavier than the Smith or Taurus 2.25 barrels so it will recoil less. Its barrel gives good velocity but isn't too long to make it hard to carry.

The first year I went deer hunting, I packed around a Ruger with a 6 inch. That thing sucked to carry when hiking up steep hills all day along with a rifle and other gear. The next year I carried a SP101 with the 3 inch barrel, I barely even notice its there.

I am much more accurate with the 6 incher but have no trouble hitting man sized targets at self defense ranges pretty quickly with the 3 incher.

[Oldnoob]

The best "Beater" revolver you can find is the Ruger either GP or SP. Build like tank and cheaper than S&W.

[kermit]

If you are not wanting it for home defense, you may also want to keep an eye out for a used Ruger Blackhawk. They can stand up to some enthusiastic loads for hunting , but don't offer quick the reloading of a swing-out cylinder. My limited experience with Ruger's service department has been very good,too.

[Cali-V]

+1 Ruger SP or GP good value and damn reliable.

[flatovercrest]

+1 on the GP 100
This is what protects my home and family:

[Snapping Twig]

For a beater I'd look at a Ruger. Speed or Security 6 if you can find one. GP 100, a Blackhawk. Depends on what you use it for.

There's even a Super Redhawk in 357, but they're rare. I imagine you could reload something just shy of nuclear in one of those.

I like a 586/686, but that's me.

[antiocharmory]

For an inexpensive, reliable .357 Mag revolver, you can't go wrong with a Rossi R461. Taurus owns Rossi, so their revovlers are pretty decent. Priced around the mid $300 range. We've sold quite a few of these and our customers seem pretty happy with them. Plenty of bang for the buck.