357 mag

I don't know much about revolvers but I want to get a357 a good one that won't break the bank can you good people tell me what I need to know before I start looking

"Break the bank" isn't easy to calibrate. I've been looking at Gunbroker and local armslist for SP101, GP100 and LCR and the prices are up by at least couple hundred compared to last year. The best bargains I'm seeing are Charter Arms and used Rossi/Taurus.

You would be hard pressed to find a better all around 357 than this one posted is the classifieds.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=290342

Can't go wrong with a GP100. I paid around $500.00 for mine new about seven years ago. Right now the prices are definitely high. Just don't know if they will ever go down or just keep going up. If I wanted it bad enough and had the cash I would pay the price. The GP 100 is a work horse and a beautiful handgun. +1 to what AJGUNNER posted above.

Nice gun in the above link....but...
No way I'd by a .357 for " all around " type of use without
adjustable sights, ain't happening.
A solid .357 revolver can accept a very wide range of ammo and it
all doesn't shoot to the same point of impact.
GP100 is a solid choice for the money, maybe a bit rough out of the box,
but just a little bit of work will make it nice.
Dave

You didn't mention if you wanted a Double-action, or a Single-action type.

A lot depends upon your purposes,, & plans for the gun/caliber.

In general,, you can't go wrong with any of the Ruger revolvers in .357. Well, many do find the recoil of the LCR a bit much,,, but the solid steel framed guns,, in either type are pretty solid & quality.

You didn't say what you want to use it for. That's an important part of the equation. The other part is when you say you want to get a good one, you might want to define that a little better. I can tell you for a fact it's easy to drop $800 (or more) on a "good one". GP100 is a good one, it's a little heavy for carrying around all over. Ruger SP101 4" is a nice one, you might find one of those for $700 or maybe a little less. A Ruger LCRx 3" is going to be pushing close to $600. If you get into the S&W's it can go up from there pretty quickly. A good blackhawk, which is a pretty descent handgun can probably be had for something over $600. Not a bad way to start and they hold up pretty well. I like the way they point. I also like the Ruger Security Six they come in blue and stainless. 4" is pretty handy, and a good clean one will run you something over $600, unless you find someone that's not current with the market. Good luck.

All good points, the only thing I would add is to actually hold and ideally shoot your finalists. Some revolvers will likely fit you better than others. Also, you can change the grips if you find a gun you like but isn't an ideal fit for your hands.

Jim

Rather than ask you questions, or try to analyze your question, I'll just give you a flat out answer. Get a Ruger Redhawk .357 with 8-shot cylinder and a barrel of at least 4 inches. This will cover all bases.

SteelBlue said:

Rather than ask you questions, or try to analyze your question, I'll just give you a flat out answer. Get a Ruger Redhawk .357 with 8-shot cylinder and a barrel of at least 4 inches. This will cover all bases.

Click to expand...

IF the OP could find this gun in the current gun buying climate... Plus, the Redhawk gets close to breaking the bank.

I also agree with AJgunner, the gun for sale in the link above is pretty darn nice.

The .357 is a good choice. My first gun was a Blackhawk in .357 with the extra 9mm cylinder and I still have it. I would replace it if I lost it too! This would be my first choice for a .357, unless it was for concealed carry, but then I would not be looking for a .357.

A GP 100 would be a good first choice. An SP 101 would be a good second choice. An LCR in 357 not so much fun for me, but one can still shoot it if necessary and use .38's in it all day long. Finding any of these at a price you are willing to pay, I wish you luck. As said though these high price times may last a while. I'd like a new .22 MK IV. I'm likely going to pay for one at some point.

I agree with Aj that's a nice revolver and a 4'' bbl the price is right.

Get yourself a 6 1/2" Blackhawk & never look back.

It cannot be overemphasized: you have to decide on what you plan to use the revolver for.

Is it for hunting?

Is it for informal "plinking" and other fun stuff?

Is it for formal competitive participation and/or serious target work?

Is it for home defense?

Is it for concealed carry?

Like it or not, there is no one gun that will satisfy all these situations. A single gun may work for two, perhaps three of these functions, but not all. Extremes are essentially not able to be handled with a single gun. A small, easily-concealed piece will not work for big game hunting. All this is pretty much obvious, but it's still the place to start when gun shopping. Worse thing that can happen is you might find two (or more) guns that between them fill most of the gaps. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

All that blather aside, as has been mentioned above a good-quality, mid-sized, six-shot double-action with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights is a pretty good starting point. JMHO

Other than my dad's .22s, the first revolver I bought for myself was a 6 1/2" .357 BH back in the early 80s. Other than concealed carry, it will do what needs to be done and you can have some fun too with it. I carried mine everywhere when I was in the 'woods'.... fishing, camping, hiking, hunting (as a backup gun)... Met every criteria I had at the time as a youngster under 25 -- or so I thought.... Now of course I am into the .4X calibers which I feel are better for woods defence (older, but wiser I like to think). I carry a .44 Spec Bulldog for the in town concealed carry purpose. No one gun fits all as pointed out above.

My favorite barrel length is 5 1/2" which is why I 'ran' not 'walked' to get one, when Lipseys came out with their .357 Flattop convertible BH (medium frame) in 5 1/2" ... This was the first time a .357 from Ruger was offered in this barrel length (that I ever heard of). Made sure I got one of those (blued). Now that o' .357 BH of my youth with all the memories behind it doesn't get out much.