Revolvers357

The $250 Taurus M605B and the $250 Rossi R46102 revolvers set the price point bottom for .357 Magnum service. The $225 Comanche isn't worth the savings, in our estimation.

The Smith & Wesson gun, $584, and Sturm, Ruger's KGPF-331, $529, will do great work as self-defense arms. But we would choose one over the other.

The words high-capacity and revolver are not often used in the same sentence. However, eight-shot revolvers have been on the scene for a number of years now, and the list is quietly, almost secretly, growing. In the last year, Smith & Wesson has released two new models, one in .38 Super and another blued-steel model with old-fashioned (nee, classic), two-piece wooden grips, to replace the Model 27. In this test, however, we'll focus on the two revolvers that started it all, the Taurus 608 and the S&W 627PC.

At Gun Tests we often speak of features and modifications that push the performance of a given design further up the pyramid. What is this pyramid and why is it so important? Atop the pyramid is where all parts combine to produce the greatest possible results. Often the ability to climb the pyramid is linked directly to money. Most guns hover about midway up the pyramid in performance, function and appearance because they are priced in terms of available markets, i.e. your pockets and mine. But what if a firearm was produced without a price point in mind? How much would such a gun (in this case a 4-inch combat revolver) cost?

If surplus guns make you antsy, three proven .357 Magnum revolvers from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt offer power and accuracy on any budget.

In the January 2002 issue, we presented an evaluation of seven-shot .357 Magnum revolvers from Taurus and Smith & Wesson. Based on the trend toward lower-capacity pistols chambered for larger cartridges, our conclusion was that seven-shot revolvers such as the Taurus 617 and the S&W 686+ might be too heavy for carry.

Updated, Taurus's Model 617 and Smith & Wesson's latest 686 Plus are revolvers that come up big when buyers are deciding whether to carry a pistol or a wheelgun.

Taurus's $422 CIA successfully copies Smith & Wesson's Centennial series, but the S&W $745 Scandium 360S Airlite SC is the lightest .357 Magnum snubby we've evaluated.

Of the three companies' wares, we preferred the accurate, smooth 686, but we'd also buy the strong and well-made New Model Blackhawk. We'd have to think about the Taurus M66.

Taurus's $355 Model 617 and Rossi's new 461, $298, mount a lukewarm challenge to Smith & Wesson's $545 Model 66. The big edge: The S&W handgun's overall consistency.

Ruger's shorter, easier-to-handle GP100 makes more sense in this matchup than the longest-barrel guns from Smith & Wesson and Taurus.

While it's true that a self-loading pistol carries more rounds than a revolver, a pistol is more prone to malfunctions. A single action revolver requires cocking of the hammer before each round can be fired and considerable time to reload. That leaves a double action revolver.

What kind and why? A double action revolver is easy to learn to shoot. It is totally reliable as long as it is decently maintained and the quality of its ammunition remains high. A short-barreled revolver is easily secreted in a bedside table drawer or on one's person in states that allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed. Many think that it should hold six rounds rather than five. What caliber? A .22 isn't p...