Which is a better, easier to maintain revolver?

[OldWestOutlaw]

In about a year it'll be time to buy an older firearm to stow away or use for decoration (just as my Model 1887, my Model 1894, and Mosin Nagant are doing right now). This time I thought I'd get a pistol but oh the choices, I was personally thinking of getting either a Model 27 S&W .357 or an M1911 like my friend plans to get, personally I lean more towards the revolver because It's more my taste, would the ammo be as readily available as the .45 in the 1911? Remember, this will most likely never be used except for the rare trip to the range, if that because I haven't been there in almost a year.

Yes I know I said revolver in the topic, I was thinking of a SAA but Single Action Revolvers sound like a lot of work, after all I'm lazy.

[Meety Peety]

Both can be fairly easily maintained or can be pretty meticulous.. all depends on how you take care of your gun. In terms of which gun would be the best fit for you, the best thing to do would be to go out and rent both and see which one you like best. A wheel gun is (IMO) more user friendly, less prone to malfunction and less to worry about when you need it most. Of course, this may not be the case in terms of an SAA. It's not that they require so much more work to use, but they can be more difficult to clear/reload in a timely manner and it can be difficult to check your chambers effectively if you aren't fully comfortable with this style of gun. The 1911 will likely promote the best shooting habits for a first handgun and will likely produce the best overall accuracy right off the bat. This doesn't necessarily make it a better gun (Opinions are everywhere) but autoloaders do tend to be easier to manage at first. Autoloaders will carry a certain level of malfunction-ability due to their design, however a quality firearm matched with quality ammo will make this almost nonexistent. Really not something to totally base your choice off of.
All of this will undoubtedly depend on your comfort level of the firearm and caliber in which you are shooting.

Ammo shouldn't be too hard to find anymore for both calibers, though prices and availability will vary depending on the round you plan to shoot. Realistically, you shouldn't have much trouble finding some ammo to shoot when its time to go to the range, unless you must have a certain brand or load. Generally speaking, the price difference between .45 and .357 HD ammo isn't a big enough difference for most people to base a gun purchase off of. Keep in mind going .357 will allow you to shoot .38s freely to save some money, while .45 is what many people consider to be the minimum requirement for HD purposes. All depends on what you plan to use the firearm for.

Edit: This also doesn't really fall under the Curio & Relic section. It would have been better to post this in the handguns section. It'll probably be moved soon anyway.

[Cowboy T]

Neither of those are really "older" models, especially the Model 27. But if you're looking for a safe queen, either one will do nicely. The N-frame S&W's are just...beautiful...to look at. As mentioned, it'll shoot the less expensive, and lower-recoil, .38 Special ammo, too.

Personally I would suggest you go for a Model 29 in .44 Magnum for that "Dirty Harry" thing, since you're looking for a showpiece. Yes, .44 Magnum ammo is reasonably available, .44 Special somewhat less so.