Cylinder lock up S&W vs. Ruger...........

I had my S&W Model 629-2E and my Alaskan out and ran both thru a DA trigger pull.

Now the 629 is in excellent shape and well timed as you hear the 2nd click when the cylinder stops rotation and a good dwell period before the hammer reaches full cock. Just the way it should be.

The Ruger Alaskan a well built tank of a beast you hear and FEEL a solid clunk when that cylinder stop locks in place with same good dwell time before the hammer locks back...and that's a great feeling!

Word on the street is that Smith revolvers have superior fit and finish. Ruger revolvers are built like tanks.

Clovishound said:

Word on the street is that Smith revolvers have superior fit and finish. Ruger revolvers are built like tanks.

Click to expand...

That street was a couple blocks behind in the rear view mirror....Ruger has caught up to them!

When I was a Lockheed guard we had three guns available to us. Ruger stainless speed six, S&W 586, and Colt Official Police`s. Frankly I own more Smiths than I do Rugers or Colts. I will say that I like the push in cylinder release better than Colts or Smiths. Every time I had the choice of what to carry for the shift I choose the Colt as it was the lightest and least bulky of the three. Usually though you got whatever revolver the guard you were releaving happened to be packing.

In years past Ruger seemed to have much worse quality control. In the last few years it seems like S&W's quality control dropped off as well. I always preferred S&W for target use and carry, but liked the Ruger guns for heavy shooting and hunting.

I like Rugers better, cause I can afford them!
gramps

I have always favored S&W for DA's but they have continually degraded their guns to the point that there is no fit/finish or build quality advantage. Ruger has steadily improved theirs to make up any difference. I've bought several Ruger DA's over the last couple years and find the actions and triggers to be perfectly acceptable. Not like the older S&W's but neither are the new S&W's.

"Smith & Wesson's are Thoroughbreds,,,Rugers are Clydesdales"
John Taffin

CraigC said:

I have always favored S&W for DA's but they have continually degraded their guns to the point that there is no fit/finish or build quality advantage. Ruger has steadily improved theirs to make up any difference. I've bought several Ruger DA's over the last couple years and find the actions and triggers to be perfectly acceptable. Not like the older S&W's but neither are the new S&W's.

Click to expand...

I have a newer Smith model 10. The trigger was gritty enough that I decided to have a trigger job done on it. It is now wonderfully smooth and clean breaking, and almost too light a pull.

The Clovispup's SP101 was gritty out of the box, but has smoothed up nicely with probably a thousand rounds through it. It's still a little heavy, but since it is a carry gun, it is probably just about where it needs to be.

Mus408 said:

I had my S&W Model 629-2E and my Alaskan out and ran both thru a DA trigger pull.

Now the 629 is in excellent shape and well timed as you hear the 2nd click when the cylinder stops rotation and a good dwell period before the hammer reaches full cock. Just the way it should be.

The Ruger Alaskan a well built tank of a beast you hear and FEEL a solid clunk when that cylinder stop locks in place with same good dwell time before the hammer locks back...and that's a great feeling!

Click to expand...

I am now beginning to have problems with my 29-2 purchased new in 1979 by me. It's now over 40 years old, I can't tell you how many rounds.... but a lot. It has been my 'go to' from the day I got it. I have almost always used 21 grains of 2400 over a 240 grain bullet as the load. (old 2400... bought 16 pounds when they changed it). Have also shot some 300 grainers and some 'lighter' loads of 10 grains of unique with a 240 grain cast.
Anyway. now when I fire it, the cylinder rolls in reverse a slot and I am going to shoot the same cylinder I just shot. I understand I need a new part and I understand it will be good for another 40 years for me and the next owner when I am gone.
My ruger 'go to' guns are 44 mag vaqueros, that have been shot alot also... use them for cowboy shooting and although only 10+ years old, they have gotten 300 rounds a week or more from day 1. They also have been fitted with 44-40 cylinders, so they shoot holy black too. They have never even hiccupted, they are indeed tanks. I have to say the lock up is the best I have ever seen.

T.A. WORKMAN said:

"Smith & Wesson's are Thoroughbreds,,,Rugers are Clydesdales"
John Taffin

Click to expand...

I like that! Except that I would add that the Rugers are Clydes and Shires.

Here's my experience:

I've got both Rugers and Smiths in wheelers. I've developed noticeable end shake in several Smiths (one of which had to be shimmed) but have yet to develop perceptable end shake in any Ruger. Not that it won't happen in a Ruger, but even if it does, the Rugers have already out-distanced the Smiths in the end shake department.

And, of the the Rugers I have, the most solid fitting is the 357 RH, vintage 1984 in SS. Zero end shake, slightly detectable cylinder lateral motion when not locked up, and barely perceptable cylinder lateral motion when locked up.

Actually, when the cylinder closes on that RH, it sounds and feels like a safe/vault closing. It's a pleasure just to handle the thing, really.

bayou5252

My brother just bought his first 44 Mag. For his purposes he selected the Smith model 69 combat. This is their SS five shot built on the L frame, Clinton zit, MIM parts and the two piece barrel and all that.

He did not have the time to find an older Smith and there are no five shot models available from that golden age any way.

He is not a collector or connesoir of handguns in the first place.

I fired his gun before he did and for looks I was very underwhelmed. But the thing shot lights out and right to the sights. That's going some because I am a south paw. The double action is trigger needs a lot of breaking and the single action has a wee bit of creep but not to the point that I was not able to murder my golf ball targets.

After the session with the 69 I hauled out my RH and my 629 MG and sized them all up together.

My brother will never know the difference but since I do, I am glad I got my Smith as a dash four before S&W fell off the stump. He is not a handgun guy so he will be happy with the plain looks and average construction etc.

Three44s