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Best .357 Magnum Revolver Buyer’s Guide (2022)

I have had exactly the opposite experience with Ruger and SWhaving had the Sp101 and Model 60 both in three inches.

I bought the Ruger first because of prior love for Ruger revolvers. The Ruger trigger was heavy, gritty, and rough, accuracy was mediocre and I never really found a load it really liked. It's weight was nice with stout loads and I loved the grip. The fit and finish were ok but not what I got on my Redhawk.

it was the overall performance however which forced me to trade it in on the Model 60. The 60 has been head and shoulders better in every aspect. Especially fit and finish and trigger, all of which are exceptional.


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Was it a post lock S&W or a pre lock? The 640 Pro is the first new S&W revolver I've purchased since they started putting locks in them and I only purchased it because it doesn't have the lock.

Unfortunately I have heard very mixed things about the Pro shop guns. Even my dealer who is very pro S&W said they are very hit or miss. He had two NIB for me to try and the one I didn't get had a really bad trigger.

Overall what I'm most disappointed in is the lack of consistency from major American gun makers.
 
Was it a post lock S&W or a pre lock? The 640 Pro is the first new S&W revolver I've purchased since they started putting locks in them and I only purchased it because it doesn't have the lock.

Unfortunately I have heard very mixed things about the Pro shop guns. Even my dealer who is very pro S&W said they are very hit or miss. He had two NIB for me to try and the one I didn't get had a really bad trigger.

Overall what I'm most disappointed in is the lack of consistency from major American gun makers.
Post lock, it has the hole where the soul can leak out.
 
Was it a post lock S&W or a pre lock? The 640 Pro is the first new S&W revolver I've purchased since they started putting locks in them and I only purchased it because it doesn't have the lock.

Unfortunately I have heard very mixed things about the Pro shop guns. Even my dealer who is very pro S&W said they are very hit or miss. He had two NIB for me to try and the one I didn't get had a really bad trigger.

Overall what I'm most disappointed in is the lack of consistency from major American gun makers.
Years ago I read this article by Massad Ayoob and decided to pass up S & W revolvers with a key lock. That may seem foolish to some, but there are lots of older S & W's to pick from that were produced as God intended. It's of interest to note that no other manufacturer caved to the Clintons.


 
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All of the revolvers mentioned in the article are good guns, but they are also fairly expensive. Charter Arms is by no means a premium gun manufacturer, but they are an American company with excellent customer service. My .357 Mag Pug has been a 100% reliable workhorse. The only modifications I made were a pair of $20 rubberized grips from the Charter Arms website and orange nail polish on the front sight. New Mag Pugs are usually available from $300-$400, making it an economical way to add a .357 Mag to your collection.

Charter Arms Mag Pug .357 Mag.jpgCharter Arms Mag Pug .357 Mag II.jpg
 
All of the revolvers mentioned in the article are good guns, but they are also fairly expensive. Charter Arms is by no means a premium gun manufacturer, but they are an American company with excellent customer service. My .357 Mag Pug has been a 100% reliable workhorse. The only modifications I made were a pair of $20 rubberized grips from the Charter Arms website and orange nail polish on the front sight. New Mag Pugs are usually available from $300-$400, making it an economical way to add a .357 Mag to your collection.

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Used a 44 Bulldog for a number of years, great revolver.
 
All of the revolvers mentioned in the article are good guns, but they are also fairly expensive. Charter Arms is by no means a premium gun manufacturer, but they are an American company with excellent customer service. My .357 Mag Pug has been a 100% reliable workhorse. The only modifications I made were a pair of $20 rubberized grips from the Charter Arms website and orange nail polish on the front sight. New Mag Pugs are usually available from $300-$400, making it an economical way to add a .357 Mag to your collection.

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Almost got one of those. But wound up getting a S&W 360 instead. From my research, those Charter Arms revolvers are a deal for the money.
 
Almost got one of those. But wound up getting a S&W 360 instead. From my research, those Charter Arms revolvers are a deal for the money.
I'm assuming it is due to the recent mad rush on the firearms market, but Charter Arms has had some quality control issues with some revolvers leaving their factory (I've had to send several back shortly after purchase). On the plus side, their Customer Service is very responsive and they will make everything right free of charge. When you get a Charter Arms revolver that is running right, they are finely-tuned machines with incredibly smooth actions and terrific trigger-pulls. When things are running right at the factory, Charter Arms are probably the best value you'll find in any revolver.
 
Years ago I read this article by Massad Ayoob and decided to pass up S & W revolvers with a key lock. That may seem foolish to some, but there are lots of older S & W's to pick from that were produced as God intended. It's of interest to note that no other manufacturer caved to the Clintons.


My issue is that I have personally seen two different S&W revolvers with locks, lock themselves at the range. In both cases the person had been shooting with no issue then suddenly the gun wouldn't fire and the lock was just turned enough.

So I do not own any S&W revolvers with a lock.
 
My issue is that I have personally seen two different S&W revolvers with locks, lock themselves at the range. In both cases the person had been shooting with no issue then suddenly the gun wouldn't fire and the lock was just turned enough.

So I do not own any S&W revolvers with a lock.
I had a 629 that would do this from time to time, gets real annoying
 
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