Revolvers

[satchel3006]

id say go for the 4" gp100 i love mine. the 4" barrel imo carries better on a belt and you'll never wear it out

[YellowDog]

They (Ruger, Smith, Taurus) are all good but I love my Smith & Wesson 586.  Accurate as all get out, great trigger (with a slightly lighter spring).  Shoot a few different models and buy the one you like best.  If you want to carry it a lot concealed you'll want the shorter barrel but for something you are going to shoot and get enough practice in, I'd go with the 4-5 inch barrell

[MHWASH]

Lots of good advise. The only Smith I've owned is my J-frame. I'd recommend either a Smith or Ruger. In my opinion Tuarus id too much of a gamble as far as reliability. Nothing more than 4", because shooting a .357 with a short barrel is a nightmare.  I'd also go with a double action, it will be much faster to shoot accurately fast than a single action. Also a lot faster and more enjoyable to reload.

[ICEMAN]

Smith 686. 

[high country]

everything above I agree with, but will add....

if you are gonna use a357 for home defense, consider using something like glaser blues that will bust up on impact with sheetrock. there is not enough walls in a normal house to stop a high stepping 357 slug. for home defense nothing beats a pump shotty. there is not a soul alive.....even monks without television know that the sound of the gun being cocked means big trouble is too close for comfort.

[Intruder]

:)OK let the debate begin. Smith & Wesson builds the best double action revolver the normal customer can afford. Korth for example is too much money.
I own Rugers, love the sp101, own 2, (but it is twice the size of many S&W snubs), I think the GP100 is a really good gun, very strong and twice the size a 357 ought to be.
With luck and some work you can get a great double action trigger Ruger, and a not bad single action trigger, the S&W has a very nice double action factory trigger and the single action is   the BEST!!!!
I really like Ruger specially the the Blackhawk line but  the best carry 357 is a S&W Model 19/66 or maybe a 586/686. I prefer the 66.
4 inch is the length and adjustable sights.
Carl

Hard to argue w/ that....
Money is always going to be the key factor in these decisions.  If you got the $ and want to spend it buy the upper end stuff.  Tarus is a decent gun but as Carl points out the S&W is really one of the best off the shelf you can get... but you'll pay more for it.  I too think the 4" is what you want if you're not hunting w/ it.

[demontang]

Yeah muzzle blast with the 2" barrel is kind of bad when you use full house 357 mag loads, but thats why you us 38 specail to learn the gun and to just plink with. When u carry stick the 357 mag loads in and if you have to use it youll never notice. Theres lots of companies that make 357 revolvers and so are better then others and some are cheaper then others.

Ive seen taurus have cylinder timing problems first hand in some of there older revolvers. There newer revolvers seem to be a lot nicer. Which company you go with really is a matter of how much you have to spend. S&W make some damn nice revolvers but you pay for it too,  ruger has some nice one a little cheaper, and rossi makes a reliable one that a lot of people over look.

[Ratdog68]

First... the weapon you settle on must fit your hands.  With the gun nestled into the web of your hand (web being the part between your thumb and index finger) you will see an imaginary line between the first knuckles of those two digits.  The barrel of the gun should be perpendicular to that imaginary line... AND your trigger finger should be able to easily actuate the trigger... AND your thumb should be able to actuate the cylinder release without changing your grip on the gun.  (Yes, there's always a way to compensate when this isn't the case, but, that isn't the point here).  

Second... you should see which design suits your tastes the best.  Each of the major manufacturers had to come up with "their" way of opening the cylinder (except for Taurus, which has adopted the S&W design).  And, if my rememberer is working correctly Colt's cylinder rotation is "the other way" from everyone else's... which, if you don't have time to reload the cylinder with a full compliment, knowing which way your cylinder rotates is important.

Third... and this is getting more into preferences I have... but... I'll toss it out for your consideration.  ALL of my double action revolvers are either S&W or Taurus... Why?  Because they function the same.  All of my single action auto-loaders are of the Colt Govt. design... for the same reason.  Why is that important to me?  In the heat of the moment of a life/death situation, the LAST thing I want to have to have going through my mind is... "which design am I carrying, and what things do I need to remember about it?"  I don't want to have to remember whether I have to "pull" the release or "push it... or whether the cylinder rotates one direction or the other.

Fourth... consider something else... how much does the gun weigh... and is this going to be a major consideration for what you want the gun for?  For example... I LOVE my model 686 Smith in 4"... but, it was a duty carry gun (when a wheel gun was my only option).  Is it the gun I reach for to carry concealed?  Nope.  Can I ?  Yup.  Do I ?  Nope.  I either grab my Taurus 85 snub nosed .38 or my Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry II (.45ACP)... because they're LIGHT.  However... there's considerations for each thing which becomes important to you.  The lighter the gun, the more you're gonna feel the recoil.  The lighter the gun, the more likely you'll be to have it where you need it (on your person).  Now... would I use my snub .38 or my Kimber for hunting with?  Nope.  Could I?  If I had to.

Fifth... penetration/muzzle flash.  Is this going to be for home defense?  If so... most likely it'll be dark.  A magnum gun's muzzle flash will be brighter than a non-magnum's... and have more affect on your ability to see in the dark (after the first shot).  Also... a magnum round is going to have some penetration considerations.  Do you want the round to pass through an assailant and hit an innocent bystander behind the bad guy?  Or... would you rather have ALL of your round's energy absorbed within the body of a bad guy?  I'm not going to get into a debate of which caliber is best... my point is that you need to consider magnum/non-magnum as you consider your options.  Again, I love my .357 (which will also shoot .38 special non-magnums).

[thinkingman]

Good post above.
Rugers weigh 50% more than they need to, and you will lose interest incarrying excess bulk.
Also 357Mag is a handicap if your barrel is less than 4".
38sp +P is about the same if you're talking snubbies.
If you're really talking concealed carry, SW 442 is about perfect.
for open carry, Taurus Tracker Ti, SW 686 4", SW 327 might be perfect for open carry.
Try them and see.

[Kent Hunter]

Some real good posts here. I bought a S&W 640 .357 Mag concealed hammer for my wife. I put a set of "Crimson Trace" laser grips on it also. The reason for the laser grips was to address what a previous post said about muzzle flash when it's dark. It has the 2 1/8" bbl. It does snort a bit when you trip er off, but in the heat of the moment that's a moot point. She loves the weapon and can shoot the dickens out of it!! I also bought her a Galco shoulder holster for it and she is "packin" every time she leaves the house also. The bottom line is, buy what fits you/her good and you/her are comfortable with and become proficient shooting what ever you decide on. Good luck.

[Ratdog68]

Some real good posts here. I bought a S&W 640 .357 Mag concealed hammer for my wife. I put a set of "Crimson Trace" laser grips on it also. The reason for the laser grips was to address what a previous post said about muzzle flash when it's dark. It has the 2 1/8" bbl. It does snort a bit when you trip er off, but in the heat of the moment that's a moot point. She loves the weapon and can shoot the dickens out of it!! I also bought her a Galco shoulder holster for it and she is "packin" every time she leaves the house also. The bottom line is, buy what fits you/her good and you/her are comfortable with and become proficient shooting what ever you decide on. Good luck.

Just a side note "food for thought".  With bullet technology getting as good as it is these days... have you considered a high end hollow point in .38+P or a .38+P+ ?  I'm talking about the risk of over penetration with a .357... and again... merely suggesting that it be "looked at" so that you're selecting what's best suited for you/yours... since you mention such a short barreled gun.  How does she do with the recoil management?  Are you getting your money's worth of the powder charge in such a short barrel?  Would a .38+P give you a more efficient "bang for your buck" with such a short barreled gun?  The variables are fun. 

[6x6in6]

Very fond of my S&W 657 41mag with 6" barrel.

[runamuk]

Rugers always catch some flack for weight and well their sucky triggers......but I hate recoil and as awkward as the weight is at first it sure helps with the issue of recoil in my wimpy girl opinion......the weight of the gun itself I can learn to deal with the more I shoot the less it seems so heavy and the more I become comfortable with it.  I chose 357mag so i could shoot the smaller 38 rounds and not be afraid of my own gun..... It is not really a concealed gun I have yet to figure out what I would want for a true concealed gun seeing as I rarely wear clothing suited to hiding a gun    however I carry my revolver concealed all the time never open.....I walk in the woods wearing some sort of pack lately its been a fanny pack which is nice but not quite big enough for all the stuff i like to have along.....so i am looking at some versipacks......I also frequently toss one of my guns in my purse....hey I never know when I might want to go shooting   if its with me it is easier to do.....and really I would not want to get shot with a 22 so figure I probably do not really need any of the bigger guns I am not military or a cop or a gang banger I'm just a girl who walks in the woods alone with the bears

[Ratdog68]

runamuk... sounds like you have what works for you.  If you're not pleased with the double action trigger pull, you could have it worked over... and if you're shooting it "double action"... why not look into having the hammer bobbed so it is less likely to snag on something as you deploy? 

I have a new concealment vest coming... should arrive Monday.  "Options" are nice when it comes to packin'. 

[satchel3006]

the gp100 doesn't weigh that much its weighs 40 oz unloaded which is about the same as every other steel frame 4" barrel .357 mag. thats also about what a steel 1911 weighs. yes you can get lighter weight pistols but i dont think i'd want a lighter .357 mag i enjoy shooting my guns i can put about 100 rounds through my gp100 before my hands starts shakeing i doubt i could put anywhere near that amount through a lighter weight .357 plus a good belt helps the weight