What .357 Would You Choose?

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  • OMCHamlin

    Ultimate Member
    BANNED!!!
    May 17, 2017
    1,115
    The Cumberland Plateau
    It's the end of modern civilization. You've just found a cave for long-term shelter. As you explore it, you find freeze-dried food, 20 cases of water, 2,500 rounds of vacuum packed .357 140r JHPs, 10,000 rounds of .22LR CCI Mini-Mags and three firearms, also in freeze-dried packages: A .357 revolver, a .22LR automatic pistol and a Ruger 10/22 take down rifle.

    Oh, and two human skeletons.

    As you inspect the guns, you realize that had you been given the choices of which two handguns you could have chosen beforehand, it would have been these. What are they? You also see two knives in sheaths, and even though this is a handgun forum the sysops are dead and they can't kick you off. What are the knives?

    Just curious. (If you can, please post photos.)

    --

    Does this exercise involve rolling a ten sided dice?:rolleyes:
     

    Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    There is zero chance I would choose a DW pistol pack, having to screw and unscrew barrels, carry the spare around and not lose the feeler gauge. No thanks. The DW is a solid choice, I'd just pick one barrel and call it a day.
    I'm sorry, did you have some prior engagement? Some place you had to be? We're talking about the end of civilization you're complaining about having to screw and unscrew barrels? I'd change barrels just to change barrels. And as for feeler gauges, who needs 'em? Most revolver guys can just eyeball 'em.

    Like on some forums when asked to choose one and only one gun, you always get a guy that chooses a Contender then lists the 10 different barrels he'll take along. Doesn't count.
    YOU'RE right!

    S&W 6" 686
    Ruger 6" GP100
    My two fav's
    So choose. Which one would you pick? A Security-Six perhaps? A Korth? It would have to last you the rest of your life.
     

    Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    S&W 686 absolutely. Colt revolvers you collect. S&W revolvers you shoot.
    What do you do with Ruger GP100s?

    Just curious. (Any answer not involving a trash can or Porta-Potty will be welcome.)

    And by the way, have there been any answers by people wanting a Taurus .357 Magnum for their survival revolver?

    --
     

    Bisleyfan44

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 11, 2008
    1,758
    Wicomico
    What do you do with Ruger GP100s?

    Just curious. (Any answer not involving a trash can or Porta-Potty will be welcome.)

    And by the way, have there been any answers by people wanting a Taurus .357 Magnum for their survival revolver?

    --

    Continue to shoot them long after the Colts are broken and the Smiths out of time. :D
     

    Meditator

    Active Member
    Dec 9, 2007
    558
    Bethesda MD
    Continue to shoot them long after the Colts are broken and the Smiths out of time. :D

    I finally took one of my Ruger revolvers out for the 1st time ( bought it used 10 years ago). It still shot very good.

    The interesting part is I looked up on the history of this revolver , and it was made in 1990... ! The stainless finish still looks very good and everything locks up tight for a 30 years old revolver.
     
    Last edited:

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,596
    Glen Burnie
    S&W 686 absolutely. Colt revolvers you collect. S&W revolvers you shoot.
    To me that makes absolutely no sense. Yes - some Colts are more collectible than others, but if I had a bangin' good pistol that wasn't worth a mint - like anything less than $3k - I'd shoot it.

    What do you do with Ruger GP100s?
    Continue to shoot them long after the Colts are broken and the Smiths out of time. :D
    I've got a 1956 first year production Pre-29 that would beg to differ, and that gun has seem some pretty hard use. It's still tight, slick, and the timing is spot on.
     

    Cold Steel

    Active Member
    Sep 26, 2006
    801
    Bethesda, MD
    To me that makes absolutely no sense. Yes - some Colts are more collectible than others, but if I had a bangin' good pistol that wasn't worth a mint - like anything less than $3k - I'd shoot it.
    Yeah, but I'm one of those guys who would only handle my Colt Python (if I had one) while wearing lint-free cotton gloves -- and that's in an end-of-the-world scenario! I wouldn't want to ruin its collector value, even if all the collectors were dead.

    I've got a 1956 first year production Pre-29 that would beg to differ, and that gun has seem some pretty hard use. It's still tight, slick, and the timing is spot on.
    The thing is, you're right. I remember when Bangor Punta owned S&W, and people were always complaining that their guns were crap! They were out of time, they had end shake problems, and many complained about excessive barrel/cylinder gaps. At the time, the "perfect" gap was .006 with many coming in at .009-.012 in their stainless .357s. They had B/C gaps that today would be excessive because when their forged stainless steel heated up, it would expand and bind. So if they were .009, they were still in tolerance. Meanwhile, the Rugers, with its investment casting processes, had an average gap of .004.

    When S&W introduced its 686/681/586 revolvers, they tended to be perfect. A few 681s had some soft steel issues, but they were anomalies and were promptly fixed. But S&W took far better care of its flagship revolver than it did of its K-frame 66s. Still, many today call S&W's Bangor Punta era the "good old days," adding, "They don't build 'em like they used to!"

    --
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Yeah, but I'm one of those guys who would only handle my Colt Python (if I had one) while wearing lint-free cotton gloves -- and that's in an end-of-the-world scenario! I wouldn't want to ruin its collector value, even if all the collectors were dead. ”

    To paraphrase my HCC supervisor’s bumper sticker, “In the end, he with the most, or best, toys wins!”
     

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