What 38 or 357 Revolver with an external hammer would you choose?

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Originally Posted by PattonWasRight

What do you think you'll decide / what gun are you leaning to?

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Ruger SP101 plain Jane or TALO (kinda like the blued because it's not blinding in the Southwestern sunlight).

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Originally Posted by PattonWasRight

Smith & Wesson Model 19 sweetness, vintage early 1960s. Will def hold its value, handles 357 for SD. Pinned barrel, recessed cylinders ... no MiM parts = hand fitted by craftsman.

Can get these on Gun Broker for $500-$700 depending on this & that

You want dash model 4 or less, so a Model 19-4 or less


"Retired Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector of the U.S. Border Patrol, famous gunfighter, and noted firearms and shooting skills writer Bill Jordan consulted with Smith & Wesson on the design and characteristics of the Model 19. Jordan's idea for a "peace officer's dream"[2] sidearm was a heavy-barreled four-inch K-Frame .357 Magnum with a shrouded barrel like the big N-frame .357 and adjustable sights. After a year of experimentation with improved-strength steels and special heat-treating processes, the result was the .357 Combat Magnum (later designated Model 19), with the first serial-number gun (K260,000) presented to Jordan on November 15, 1955.[1][3]

The .357 Magnum, four-inch barreled model was standard issue to uniformed officers of the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as well as Patrol Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol until both agencies adopted .40 caliber semi-automatic pistols."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_19

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The model 19 gets my vote too. I've got 2 of them, a blued 4" 19-3, and a nickel 2 1/2" 19-4 Both shoot excellent. Great great guns.

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Originally Posted by kirkland

The model 19 gets my vote too. I've got 2 of them, a blued 4" 19-3, and a nickel 2 1/2" 19-4 Both shoot excellent. Great great guns.

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No argument from me! Keep those two forever.

Can't argue with the OP leaning to the Ruger SP101 for a modern choice. Anvil built, can handle 357 mag without a worry. Ruger's lifetime "non-warranty warranty"

For me I have two I want. The first is the Ruger Blackhawk in stainless steel: the .38/357/9mm. This would (will?) be my camp/backpacking/zombie survival gun since it covers the most calibers in one package. My next would be the Taurus poly 605: lightweight, affordable, reliable and able to practice with .38's and carry .357.

I am very partial to the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece with its skinny barrel profile. It has a nice balance to it, and with target loads is very fun to shoot. I use full wadcutters in mine, which are a great small game load, and are easy to shoot well.

Model 15:

https://i.imgur.com/CyReUZm.jpg




https://i.imgur.com/6kaRibR.jpg


A few years ago my dad surprised me with a beauty of a Model 19. It is an early 1970s productions P&R version and a very straight shooter. It rarely actually sees any magnums fired, since I prefer the more pleasant target wadcutters for recreational shooting, but I have confirmed that it does indeed shoot to POI/POA with a few different .357 magnum loads I have on hand.

Model 19:

https://i.imgur.com/9sh2q6a.jpg?1

Model 19 2.5"

https://i.imgur.com/1MBPKyD.jpg



So (for me) my Old Man Guns are likely to be all S&W revolvers.

M old J Frame for my pocket, and my Models 15 and 19 for CCW and around the house.

The stainless 6xx series Smith & Wessons were always my favorite, preferably pre-MIM/pre-Lock.

If I had to buy another, it would likely be a model 66 or 686, round butt, 2.5" barrel.

I'm very interested in the new Colt Cobra but I have yet to see one in the wild. The new S&W M66 with 2.75 barrel looks interesting but I am leery of new Smiths due to a new M67 I had that had a clocked barrel. The shop offered to send it back to S&W but I told them I didn't want it at all. They bought it back.

Now if Colt would make the Cobra with a 3" barrel like my 3" M13 I would have one, might even go on a waiting list for it..

GP100

Lots of good choices. Based on your concern about hand strength, I assume you' bed sticking with .38 ammo at that point. I think the heavier GP100 series and N frame S&W's would be too heavy at that stage as well. A SP101 or 4" K frame would seem perfect. Lots of choices on the new/used market and lots of grip options to look at to help with hand strength.

Doc, It seems that your requirement is for a compact revolver. I am basing that on your comments about the SP101 and Colt Cobra. I'd recommend shopping for a used speed six or security six. You have owned them before and found them to meet your needs. I found one on gunbroker for around $400. If you don't want to Ruger, you could look at the Smith 65/66 or 19 in the same class. If you want 5 shot the Ruger SP101(new) is probably a good choice. I don't do J frame .38s so I can't help you with Smith. On the Colt side I had a Python (Serial Number 58XXX) come out of time on me once. A quick trip to the gunsmith and it was good to go. Given the age of the pistol I don't hold it against the revolver. I've never had a similar issue with a Smith, but I don't own one as old. On the other hand, my Colt Detective Special(C23XXX) hasn't had any issues. The new Cobras allegedly have new internals so the track records of the old Colts might not apply.
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