A wheel gun thread on a knife forum S&W Model 19 alternative

coolbreezy37 said:
Frame stretching to the point of firearm damage is extremely rare. As to 5000 rounds not being a lot, I’m not going to shoot a lot of buffalo bore or launch a 158 over 15-20 grains of h110 through my 686. I doubt average person is going to buy a wheelgun and punish themselves by putting the hottest rounds through it. Most people that buy a .357 revolver are going to shoot SAAMI spec factory 357 or 38 special through. If they want to experiment, they’ll buy a Ruger Redhawk.
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You're the one who said a 686 was made for a steady diet of magnums. Just sayin bro.
 
I thought it was the lighter grain higher velocity rounds that were bad for the Model 19 but that the 686 could shoot 357 all day?
 
cchu518 said:
I thought it was the lighter grain higher velocity rounds that were bad for the Model 19 but that the 686 could shoot 357 all day?
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I believe that's correct. Keeping velocities modest, checking/reaming chambers for uniform size and reaming forcing cone for optimum performance with the bullet you intend to use would be key to longevity. Possibly powder selection as well, like staying away from Lil'gun and 2400.
 
Bloodloss said:
I believe that's correct. Keeping velocities modest, checking/reaming chambers for uniform size and reaming forcing cone for optimum performance with the bullet you intend to use would be key to longevity. Possibly powder selection as well, like staying away from Lil'gun and 2400.
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Yep, and w296 ball powder.
 
cchu518 said:
Hey Folks,
I know you guys have an opinion about this but the wife wants a wheelgun, more specifically S&W Model 19 but all the old collector coots/hoarders out there have the prices jacked up on these guys and the new ones aren't available.

So in you opinions' what would be a good alternative? 4 inch barrel chambered in .357/38+p?
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Hi cchu518,

There are plenty of good information posted by other members. First thing, check S&W forums there are plenty of good information on these forums and a good chance of finding reasonably priced model 19 for your wife.
To pick a good alternative for model 19, ideally it would be great to know what your wife is planning to do with it.
4-5” barrel revolver chambered in 38/357 is a well balanced do-it-all gun. S&W model 686 will be an excellent choice, it is available in different finishes, and Plus models will have 7-shot cylinders. This revolver is well known by gunsmiths and there are plenty of aftermarket parts. I shot heavily modified 686 in PPC competitions and it performed extremely well. Another solid choice is Ruger, plenty of models to choose from, those revolver are built like tanks. In recent years Colt brought back its popular snake-series revolvers such as King Cobra and Python. There were some issues with earlier models but from what I heard those issues were fixed.
If it is a carry revolver there are plenty to choose from S&W makes plenty of compact revolvers with 2.5 or 3 inch barrels, Ruger makes plenty of compact revolvers. Kimber also makes very good compact revolvers. Majority of modern compact revolvers are capable of handling 357 Magnum loads but it is not very pleasant experience to shoot those.
Lastly, if she wants more of a range / target gun it will be hard to beat 6 inch revolver. These guns are more muzzle heavy and it might take some time to get used to it but besides that 6 inch barreled revolvers are fantastic shooters. Extremely accurate and soft shooting guns. Hopefully you will be able to find the perfect revolver for your wife! Keep is posted!!!
 
Aside from the solid recommendations of the S&W 686, the Ruger GP100 is a good choice. If you want a smaller frame, but still heavy and tough enough for .357, the Ruger SP101 is also available with a 4 inch barrel, although it's a 5-shooter.
 
SixtyLion said:
Hi cchu518,

There are plenty of good information posted by other members. First thing, check S&W forums there are plenty of good information on these forums and a good chance of finding reasonably priced model 19 for your wife.
To pick a good alternative for model 19, ideally it would be great to know what your wife is planning to do with it.
4-5” barrel revolver chambered in 38/357 is a well balanced do-it-all gun. S&W model 686 will be an excellent choice, it is available in different finishes, and Plus models will have 7-shot cylinders. This revolver is well known by gunsmiths and there are plenty of aftermarket parts. I shot heavily modified 686 in PPC competitions and it performed extremely well. Another solid choice is Ruger, plenty of models to choose from, those revolver are built like tanks. In recent years Colt brought back its popular snake-series revolvers such as King Cobra and Python. There were some issues with earlier models but from what I heard those issues were fixed.
If it is a carry revolver there are plenty to choose from S&W makes plenty of compact revolvers with 2.5 or 3 inch barrels, Ruger makes plenty of compact revolvers. Kimber also makes very good compact revolvers. Majority of modern compact revolvers are capable of handling 357 Magnum loads but it is not very pleasant experience to shoot those.
Lastly, if she wants more of a range / target gun it will be hard to beat 6 inch revolver. These guns are more muzzle heavy and it might take some time to get used to it but besides that 6 inch barreled revolvers are fantastic shooters. Extremely accurate and soft shooting guns. Hopefully you will be able to find the perfect revolver for your wife! Keep is posted!!!
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Oooooh I didn't know Kimber made a .357.....maybe I can convince my wife to buy it for me...err I meant her!!!

I think ultimately she's looking for a fool- and stress-test proof home defense weapon that she can reliably operate in a home defense situation and also enjoy at the range. Pre is for a 4" barrel and at or under just under a $1K.
 
cchu518 said:
Oooooh I didn't know Kimber made a .357.....maybe I can convince my wife to buy it for me...err I meant her!!!

I think ultimately she's looking for a fool- and stress-test proof home defense weapon that she can reliably operate in a home defense situation and also enjoy at the range. Pre is for a 4" barrel and at or under just under a $1K.
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The kimber .357 i believe is the K6. I don’t know much about them, except they come in few different variations. I heard positive things about them.
 
rhino said:
Aside from the solid recommendations of the S&W 686, the Ruger GP100 is a good choice. If you want a smaller frame, but still heavy and tough enough for .357, the Ruger SP101 is also available with a 4 inch barrel, although it's a 5-shooter.
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My wife likes her ruger sp101, it's in .327 mag, which is a six shooter.
She practices with it shooting light loads in 32 long. Nice gun.
 
JamesBro said:
My wife likes her ruger sp101, it's in .327 which is a six shooter.
She practices with it shooting light loads in 32 long. Nice gun.
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Can she still find ammo for the .327 or .32? Or does she reload? Kinda always liked the .327 fed.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
Can she still find ammo for the .327 or .32? Or does she reload? Kinda always liked the .327 fed.
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All ammo stock was purchased around 10 years ago and the .327 fed took a little looking around but the .32 longs were easy to get.
.327 is a great round.
 
GP100 and don’t look back. Will eat anything you feed it and not shoot loose. I saw Buffalo Bore mentioned earlier - that’s what they use for a test gun, and it’s still kickin’ after all those ass stompers.
 
I happen to like the 19 and 66. The 586 and 686 are very good but will be a little bit heavier. These all have adjustable sights, the similar models with fixed sights I believe are the 13 and 65. I would say buy the one that you like, not very many people are going to shoot any of these enough to hurt them. The Colt Python fits in here too but will be much more expensive, even the lesser Colts are likely to have high collector value. The Kimber is supposed to be a good choice but looks a bit unconventional to me. If you like Ruger the GP100 is a good choice, even the older Security Six would be a good choice.
But if you want the most durable double action you would have to go for a S&W N-frame, the 27 or 28. Besides being larger and heavier, they will also be more expensive. I think even the model 28 will be pretty high these days.
 
I think S&W still offers the model 10 in the Classics line. I bought one a few years ago and it shoots great and looks fantastic too. 4 inch barrel, nice blue finish.

Good ol' 38 special and rated for +P if you feel like you need that.
 
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