anybody here own a smith wesson N frame?

The N frame is chambered in rounds up to 44 Rem Magnum. It would make a durable .357, and is a desirable handgun. The claim of it being the strongest .357 is debatable. Ruger and Dan Wessons are strong handguns. I believe Ruger even made the Redhawk in .357 for awhile. But if I ran into a good deal on a Model 28, I would buy it. Nothing like a good S & W.
 
The S&W Model 28 is a fine handgun, but it isn't quite as strong and durable as a Ruger GP100, much less a Redhawk! I don't have any experience with Dan Wesson handguns, so I can't speak to that.
 
yoz's friend said:
friend wants to sell me model 28 4in. claims its the strongest 357. any opinions on this?
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The S&W 27 and 28 should be equally strong, the 28 is not finished as pretty as the 27. It was intended to be the economy model for the working lawman which is why it is called the "Highway Patrolman".

The standard new model Ruger Blackhawks and Redhawks would be stronger due to their larger cylinders. (Old model Rugers used a smaller frame and cylinder and would not be as strong. Ruger is now making some models with the same cylinder and frame size as the old models.) Dan Wesson did not make a .357 mag in their large frame model but they did make it in .357 supermag. But the strongest .357 magnum revolver by far would be the large frame Freedom Arms.

This is not to say that the S&W 28 is not strong because it is very strong and an excellent weapon.
 
In .357 it doesn't matter, it's plenty strong and a most excellent wheelgun. Smith values haven't gone down in a long time, if it's a good deal I say snag it.


-X
 
he wants $700 for it. he said his father shot it 6 times. it doesn't look like its been used at all though.
 
I have a couple 657s, I like N Frames

yoz's friend said:
he wants $700 for it. he said his father shot it 6 times. it doesn't look like its been used at all though.
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IMO, that's a high for a model 28. 27s and 28s have decreased in "collectability" in past 1-2 years for some reason so the going rate have decreased. 27s in good condition were $1000+ for a very long time but seems like you could get a very good condition one for $600 on gunbroker. I think the interest switched to Pythons for some reason, has to be the reason they're scyrocketing and 27s/28s were dropping
 
Model 28 is plenty strong for regular use; however the price seems a little high for a shooter. If you are concerned about the durability, go with a 686 or one of the Rugers.
 
rje58 said:
The S&W Model 28 is a fine handgun, but it isn't quite as strong and durable as a Ruger GP100, much less a Redhawk! I don't have any experience with Dan Wesson handguns, so I can't speak to that.
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I've had the GP100 and several Redhawks. Both are stronger. I have 405 gr semi-wadcutters for the .45 Colt Redhawk. That tells you of its frame strength. Some testing was done several yrs ago. They weren't driven very fast, maybe 900 fps, but they won't stop for anything in the way. :)
Yeah, I love .45 Colt revolvers...if you prefer... the .45 LONG Colt, although many object to the terminology. But it DOES communicate effectively.
I have .357's also, in Ruger and in Smith...but that caliber is a different animal. They all have their mission. I have Smiths also, which I dearly love.
 
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For that kind of money, I'd rather buy a new K-Frame or L-Frame model. N-Frame is kind of overkill for .357 and not as strong as say a Freedom Arms.

Before you buy a used revolver, you should check out the youtube vids on checking out used revolvers. :D
 
If he's a good friend, and its a good gun, then go ahead. If you are on the fence, let it pass. All depends on how much you like the guy, and how much a hundred bucks matters to you at the moment.
 
I had a model 27 as my first duty gun... It was a 5" model. Beautiful...Deep blue, deluxe checkering. Proved too big and heavy for duty use... You needed a swivel holster to carry it in the car. However, it was a superbe shooter and likely the most accurate handgun I ever owned. 2" groups at 50 yards off a rest.

This is the frame (not the model) that launched the .357 way back when. Smith had come out with the gun that's mentioned in so many old blues tunes..."I got a 38 special, on a 44 frame....." That's the one. Experimenters began pushing the .38 special way above the puny factory loads in these guns, which were essentially overbuilt for the .38.
Soon, they were marketing a .38 "super" round with the caveat that it shouldn't be used in older, weaker guns.

Of course, people are bone-stupid and it was rapidly realized that someone would blow themselves up a bit..So, the decision was made to lengthen the .38 case by 1/10 inch and market it as the .357 Magnum.
Also gave us a tad more case capacity.
 
The S&W's 27 & 28's were very good Guns but in the 357 Mag line the Colt 357 Python wins out ~~ hands down as the strongest & most trusted.* I do like the S & W's though as I still have a few of them -- a couple of the Snub 66's and 60's and they are decent pistols in there own time but neither were good for using high power "Hot" Bullets as the Cylinder would loosen up a bit.! The S & W Models 27 & 28 saw a lot of service with Law Enforcement back in the day when they were popular so they were decent weapons.*
 
wolf-man-12 said:
The S&W's 27 & 28's were very good Guns but in the 357 Mag line the Colt 357 Python wins out ~~ hands down as the strongest & most trusted.* I do like the S & W's though as I still have a few of them -- a couple of the Snub 66's and 60's and they are decent pistols in there own time but neither were good for using high power "Hot" Bullets as the Cylinder would loosen up a bit.! The S & W Models 27 & 28 saw a lot of service with Law Enforcement back in the day when they were popular so they were decent weapons.*
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Different people different experiences. My boss had a Python back in the day and it would lock up terribly with stiff loads, not even heavy or ass kicker, just stiff loads; while his Smith and Dan Wesson ate all day every day. I don't trust Pythons like I do Smiths.
 
I would tend to agree that for 357, the "strength" isn't going to matter a whole lot unless you're really pushing the limits of the gun with hot loads you're cooking up yourself or getting from a place like Underwood Ammo or Buffalo Bore. The 28 is a great gun and will gladly handle the majority of ammunition you are likely to feed it for the life of the gun.

If you step up to 44, the same principle generally applies but Ruger and Dan Wesson do make stronger guns. Again though, carefully consider what you need - the vast majority of shooters are never going to demand that level of performance from their gun.
nickortizzle1035 said:
I have a model 29-2. I'm going to be buried with it!
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Man, I'm jealous. I have a 4" 29-10 I absolutely love. Someday I want to pick up a pre-lock model.
 
I have owned a model 28-2 4" barrel for a very long time now. Couple opinions:
HEAVY
Heavy duty
Strong
Durable

I would put this model of gun up against any 357 revolver as far as strength goes. I traded my uncle a 6" model 28 from circa 1975 for his 1972 model 28 4" barrel with Pachmayr presentation grips and i love that piece. For strength, ha ha. My uncle reloads. He had some hot 357's loaded for a Marlin rifle and long story short, they found their way into his N frame. Luckily it didn't blow up and the cylinder stayed locked, timing is still good, can't tell it happened at all. Awful stout guns in my opinion. My uncle now makes darn sure his ammo is separated and labeled correctly.

My lil ol '72 N frame? Ill say this. With a sandbag rest, paper plates are no problem at 100 yards with 158 grain magnums. It really likes 125 grain remington screamer magnums too. I carry it on fishing and camping trips. Yes its heavier than a lot of others but i love the old gun and I'm confident with it. Also use it for introducing people to handguns with 38 special wadcutters loaded in it after they get bored with my .22 revolver.
 
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