NMBH size VS S&W 57/657 ?

[Greg_M]

Still looking for a 1975 Blackhawk in 41 mag (off and on) to keep my 45 convertible and 44 mag company.
Sure see a lot of S&W 57s and 657s

Just wondered what the size comparison is like.
I have short fingers and whoever the engineer was at Ruger that designed the NMBH, we have the same size hands, they fit just right.

Smiths have always looked a bit bigger.
Reach is always the issue.

Thanks
G

 

[contender]

Apples & oranges. Grip designs are totally different.

 

[Greg_M]

So the S&W will not fit my hand?

 

[street]

Go to your LGS and put one in your hands and try it out, and see how it fits.

 

[Snake45]

So the S&W will not fit my hand?

You would probably be fine SA. You'll probably have trouble with a DA pull, though. If you only want to shoot SA, the Smith N frame will work for you.

 

[Greg_M]

Go to your LGS and put one in your hands and try it out, and see how it fits.

It's about 150 miles to the nearest gun store.
Everything else is mail-order.

 

[grobin]

I hate to give you bad news. But the only way to find out if they fit is to try one. I had a Bodyguard 38 +P I gave to my brother because it just didn't fit my hands. He has smaller hands than I do and likes it a lot. He got a 629 Hunter that is a little big for my hands but he does just fine with it. If I really wanted to know if a revolver fits I'd make sure by calling ahead to the store to make sure that they have one and then trying one. I'm 1 1/2 hours from the nearest store likely to have one. There's a local store but they are pretty much a hunter's supply and only have a few used hand guns.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Any N-frame S&W (.357, .41, .44, .45 ACP, etc.) will have the same grip so any of them you try will tell you if 57/657 will fit your hand.

 

[David Bradshaw]

Still looking for a 1975 Blackhawk in 41 mag (off and on) to keep my 45 convertible and 44 mag company.
Sure see a lot of S&W 57s and 657s

Just wondered what the size comparison is like.
I have short fingers and whoever the engineer was at Ruger that designed the NMBH, we have the same size hands, they fit just right.

Smiths have always looked a bit bigger.
Reach is always the issue.

Thanks
G

*****

As Contender says, apples & oranges. However, as you already have a Blackhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP Convertible, and evidently enjoy its grip, you will find the same handle on a Blackhawk .41 Mag. We don't know whether your .44 is the ubiquitous Super Blackhawk or the early Blackhawk with Peacemaker-scaled aluminum grip frame. All these grips interchange. I find the earlier Blackhawk grip murderous for full house .44 Mag. Bill Ruger did too, along with many others; hence his SBH---a.k.a. Dragoon----grip frame.

The hump of the S&W grip allows for fast double action shooting, at the expense of shock to the base of the thumb with heavy-recoiling loads. Some shoot both grip designs very well, while other good shots do much better with one or the other.
David Bradshaw

 

[contender]

Greg_M,, I didn't understand your desires in your first post. And the others here have allowed that the best thing to do is to try a S&W in your hands to see if it will fit.
I will add,, remember,, there are many different grips available for the S&W to make the fit better,, or worse. I understand your issue having a LONG distance to the nearest gun shop,,and then HOPEFULLY they would have a few things for you to try.
How about a different approach.
Go to a gun show. You may have to travel,, but if you go to a bigger one,, you should be able to try several different S&W's and often with different grips on them already. That can assist in your decisions.

 

[bogus bill]

I bought the first .41 mag blackhawk I seen back then. My friend had a .44 mag SBH. Both had the long barrels. We went out and tried them both together. My .41 kicked and whipped the barrel higher than his .44 mag did. Through the years I have owned and have more experience with the smiths. I have owned a 4", 8 3/8" and still own a rare 5" model 29-2`s. Maybe the rugers are built stronger but I like the smiths. The recoil of .44 mags in the smiths doesn't bother me, has to be the grip shape. I also own a Lipsey 5 1/2" .44 special BH. I have had many smiths colts and rugers over almost 60 years. I somehow have accumulated in that time these seven .44 specials.
No, I don't really need them all.
Four various smiths, two colt SAA`s and the ruger all in .44 special. The .44 special can realistically do most of what a .44 mag can do and is lighter and more of a sweetheart to pack.

 

[Greg_M]

Greg_M,, I didn't understand your desires in your first post. And the others here have allowed that the best thing to do is to try a S&W in your hands to see if it will fit.

How about a different approach.
Go to a gun show. You may have to travel,, but if you go to a bigger one,, you should be able to try several different S&W's and often with different grips on them already. That can assist in your decisions.

I think I will wind up going to a show to "try them on" as soon as I get done with all this moving.
I have a new friend here in Datil that keeps talking about a huge show in OK and wants me to go with. I just haven't been able to do much with all the driving back and forth between WA and NM.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
G

 

[Snake45]

I bought the first .41 mag blackhawk I seen back then. My friend had a .44 mag SBH. Both had the long barrels. We went out and tried them both together. My .41 kicked and whipped the barrel higher than his .44 mag did. Through the years I have owned and have more experience with the smiths. I have owned a 4", 8 3/8" and still own a rare 5" model 29-2`s. Maybe the rugers are built stronger but I like the smiths. The recoil of .44 mags in the smiths doesn't bother me, has to be the grip shape. I also own a Lipsey 5 1/2" .44 special BH. I have had many smiths colts and rugers over almost 60 years. I somehow have accumulated in that time these seven .44 specials.
No, I don't really need them all.
Four various smiths, two colt SAA`s and the ruger all in .44 special. The .44 special can realistically do most of what a .44 mag can do and is lighter and more of a sweetheart to pack.

Bill, is the 4" Smith with the ivory (ish?) grips a converted M28 Highway Patrolman, or an original .44? Looks sweet either way. :wink:

 

[Luckyducker]

I used to have an L frame S&W 357mag that I bought new, the first handgun I ever owned. It came with a set of grips that felt like I was trying to hold on to a piece of 2x4 lumber, and I have somewhat large hands. I quickly returned to the guy I bought it from, an FFL dealer that sold from his basement, and complained about the grips. He brought out a box of used grips that fit my revolver and I rummaged through them and picked a set of well used grips that had a chip out of the right side grip and he installed them on my gun and they fit like they were custom made for me. On the other hand my NM Blackhawk 6.5" 41 mag didn't seem to bad to hold but I felt like under recoil that I couldn't manage it well. Mind you, this is a large game hunting revolver only. I put the horrible Hogue mono-grip on it, which is larger than the plow handle that came on it and it fits my large paws extremely well. Grips are like shoes, in that you can find a pair they fits you.

 

[Muley Gil]

"Any N-frame S&W (.357, .41, .44, .45 ACP, etc.) will have the same grip so any of them you try will tell you if 57/657 will fit your hand."

Not really. S&W has offered a square butt and a round butt grip profile for quite a number of years. I personally prefer the round butt, as my hands are a little small. The best feature of the round butt grip frame is the fact that there are RB to SB conversion grips available, for those that prefer the SB style.

 

[bogus bill]

Snake, thats a 4" model 24-3 that I bought new I think in 1984. Thats faux ivory. I have the original grips and box stashed.

 

[woodperson]

I do not know for you. But I could not use the square butt Smith 686 all with the factory coca bola grips. I have sorta bony hands with long fingers and there was just not room for the knuckles and it felt bad. Sorta felt like putting my hand in a bucket of scrap metal. I ended up buying a set of Hogue wooden grips just to be able to shoot it. But I later tried a round butt Smith 686 and it felt great. Did not shoot it but it felt just fine. You are not going to get the round butt on a .41 mag though. My .41 mag is a Blackhawk and I would not like the S&W better personally.