I'd say yes.

It can work as a duty gun, a concealment gun, a home defense gun, an informal target gun, a small game gun, a medium game gun, and (if you had to) a larger game gun.

I currently have 3 - 1 from each of the biggies:



A Colt Trooper MKIII, a 66 (Magna-ported and polished), and a 150-series Security Six.



Any one of them would do if for some reason I had to pick just one gun to see to all my handgunning needs.

I think a case might be made for a 10mm pistol, but ammo availability and versatility might be a problem.

Thoughts?

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I agree.

When making a recommendation for someone's "only" pistol, I recommend a 4" medium-frame stainless steel 357 with adjustable sights.

It's not perfect for any one thing, but it's about 90% correct for everything.

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I always take precautions

Well I am certainly impressed with my 19-2

I carried one on duty for a few years and I think they make great home defense guns. I've also taken a couple of whitetail deer up close. I find them a bit tough to really carry concealed except in coat weather.

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- Change it back -

Nick an inch off the barrel and you got my vote.

I'm partial to my pre-27, but I certainly don't feel disadvantaged with my Model 65... pretty well a suitable substitute for most anything that doesn't require a rifle.

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50 Years of DSOTM

I think that is a reasonable compromise if you are limited to one handgun.

The thing is, that type of compromise leads to you have a gun that is "a jack of all trades and master of none."

For concealed carry, most folks would want something smaller with perhaps a higher capacity.

For hunting, a 12 gauge and a .22 would be far more versatile. These are available at reasonable prices on the used market. If you're really feeling flush, pick up a scoped bolt action rifle suited to game in your area. While I'm sure someone has successfully hunted game birds, squirrels, and the like with a handgun, for most of us the long guns mentioned are far more suited to the task.

The shotgun and concealed carry piece could handle home defense. Or get the medium to large handgun for duty carry and use it for HD as well.

I realize that many people are really limited to only one gun. In that case however, I would still wonder if selecting a handgun over a long gun is the best option. Obviously, the ideal choice would be a lot different if you lived in New York City than if you lived in the wilds of Alaska.

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You're shy a few manners.

Why sure it is, that is with some of the behemoths available today
the N frame can now be called a medium frame. Here's a couple of
"medium frame" .357s that are the ideal all around revolver.

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I've been carrying handgun for 41 years. I now carry an old Police issue M19-3. I consider it a Jack of All Trades. BTW, I have never understood why a person thinks a gun with a 1" shorter barrel is easier to carry. It's the cylinder and grip that are bulky.

686+ Mountain Gun

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PTLAPTA!

I have a 4" 66-1, purty, and a few other revolvers, a few semi, but if I could only have one handgun it would be my Gen 4 Glock 19. No doubt. 33rds of 9mmplusP, silencer ready.

If I already had a Glock 19 and a K Frame Revolver, I'd take a 2nd revolver all day long over a 2nd Glock. Much cooler. But for a single working gun there is a reason LE and the Military have dropped the revolvers. And deer hunting with a 4" 357 is a big stretch IMHO.

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Just hanging with my dogs

I once heard a horse trader telling how good a horse was that he was trying to sell. He said the horse could do everything but speak Spanish. I think the same thing about a K frame 4 in. .357. Larry

It may not be ideal but I think it will handle the vast majority of tasks a handgun is capable of.

They've got my vote. Full disclosure--I carried a 4" Ruger Service/Security Six 4" .357 with 125 gr. JHPs for most of my career. Tank tough. Still have them.

I have a "couple" of K frame 4" Smiths now. Probably not optimum for Mad Max scenarios, but not too bad either.

Yeah, if I had to choose just one I would have to choose the 3" over the 4" myself. Thankfully I don't have to make that choice.

I do love the balance of a 4" K frame but I like the 586/686 4" about equally well. That 686 plus mtn gun is a dandy model. I've got the wannabe version that I like a lot, a mod 620. Similar barrel to a mtn gun and 7 shots but the drawback is it does have the lawyer lock. I used to see them occasionally and have bought a couple cheap but it's been a while since I've seen one at a gunshow.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

Since I have four of them, I guess I like them!

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-Roger

I may be a heretic, I haven't fired a .357 Magnum round in 5 years. Mebbe longer. At least, that I can remember. However, I would be hard pressed to name one gun more versatile than a 4 inch medium frame .357.

If forced to reduce to just one handgun, obviously it would depend on the reason for that, be it poverty, a law regulating all of us to just one, or whatever, but I just might pick a stainless steel 1911 instead.

The 4" K frame can cover more possibilities than anything. I choose to go up a notch to a 686, which is getting large for carry. If you don't have a need for a LOT of full house magnums a K frame is more portable and even for HD is lighter to handle and 4" is about an ideal barrel for GP shooting. I don't keep magnum loads in my 686 anyway, I just shoot some big ones for fun.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

My 3" 686+ fits in my holster purses, my 4" does not. While belt holsters are my preference, there are factors that sometimes force my purse carry choice. All things equal, I shoot the 4" better and would love to carry it full time.

Not "think" but know; an astute assessment of those around you should yield the observation that there are many, many different body types. For some folks that 1" can make the difference between bumping against the wallet with every step taken, or riding up into the kidney while sitting. Also, most 3" models round that bulky grip...

a 4" Colt Python or S&W 686 would fill the majority of my needs if I had to go with just 1 handgun... but at times.. a Colt Agent snub or S&W Chiefs snub both conceal so much easier in very warm weather....if serious social work cannot be avoided... I carry a S&W mod 29 4", but wouldn't feel too under gunned if I was carrying a 4" .357 magnum.

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

Back in the 70s -80s I was a NRA instructor & RO and certified by the county judge to teach NYS pre issue pistol permit class. A very common question was due to this state’s draconian laws I will only get one pistol, what is a good all-around gun?

My answer was get a GOOD quality 4’’.357M double action with adjustable sights. I would also instruct then to only fire .38s till they get comfortable and proficient before they went to the .357 loads! Back then stainless was not that common so most shooters bought blue over nickel if SS was available back then I would have added SS to my above answer.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

If I could own only ONE handgun for the rest of my life, it would be my 4" 686. The L-frame is a little bigger than a true 'medium frame' 357 magnum, but I'll take the relatively minor size and weight increase over the Model 66, to get a possibly longer lifespan from the revolver.

But that's just my 2 cents worth.

I am in agreement with your opinion, Sig. The only qualifying revolvers I have that meets your specifications are both Ruger Security Sixes - one an older 150 series in blued steel, and the other is in stainless steel. I think the stainless steel Ruger Security Six is my pick for "if I could only own one handgun" scenarios. They are rugged, dependable, and accurate. The trigger pull is not as good as the ones made by S&W, but I think they excel in all other aspects.

Regards,

Dave

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Out of the assorted K fames I have, my preference is the round butt 2 ½” styles. They just feel right to me. If I were limited to just one K frame it would be the 4” Model 19. The model 19’s were/are one of the best, if not the best all-around revolvers ever produced.

I agree with the OP, but fortunately I can afford more than one handgun. I gave my 66-2 to my son because I prefer my 3" K frames or 4" N frames.

Have to agree........ a 4" 66/19s are a very close second.... but for concealed carry make mine a 3" K-frame......66 or 65.

Well, that's really the reason the K-frame .357 came about, wasn't it? I prefer the 3" fixed sight Model 13. I recently acquired a 2.5" Model 19-3 and I was really surprised how much lighter the 3" M13 is.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Honestly, I think a larger frame double or even single action revolver in .44 Magnum or .45 Colt would do some things better, with the caveat of greater ammunition cost and also of greater weight and size.

I bought that Ruger Match Champion that fits the profile of medium .357, but....I have carried N frames before.

There is, thanks to the Judge, quite a bit of moderate recoil .45 Colt defensive ammunition to be had. Thanks to handgun hunters, there are also hard hitting hunting rounds. Same with the .44 Mag, it can use .44 Specials, moderate .44 Mag loads, or hunting ammunition.

The less poweful options out of either big bore ought still be at least as good as a .45ACP, and the .45 Colt in particular has a long history as a "stopper". With .45 ACP type loads there is less muzzle flash, blast, and the big revolvers become very controllable.

I probably will not keep my Ruger.

But there are the occaisional big furries here, it does not matter if a gun is concealed, and there is not much crime. Shrug.

I agree with all of your statement.

Wayne, I found your comments about the weight differences to be interesting, as well as the opposite of my experiences. I have one M-66 2/12”, two 2 ½” M- 19’s, and one M 65-5 Lady Smith. The Lady Smith has the ejector rod shroud.

My M-65 L.S. feels much heavier than either of my M-19’s, to the point that it is no longer in my carry rotation. It’s a great all around revolver, and I enjoy shooting it, but it’s just feels heavier than my beloved M-19’s.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

I have a 2 1/2" 686 RB for revolver CC duty. It is a bit heavy and large for me for this, but I bought it used at a very good price, so I couldn't pass it up. It is one of the 5000 'Lew Horton Specials' 686-1, made in 1983, IIRC, with the beautiful wood finger grooved combat grips. It had already been sent in for the recall. I think this run was the first of the L frames to have a round butt grip frame, but I'm not 100% positive on this.

The story I got from the gun dealer was that it belonged to a local plain clothed police detective, and he traded it for a 6906 after using it as his duty gun for some years. This was long before my state had civilian CC. Quite a few years later, still before civilian CC in my state, I picked up a 6906 for myself, and now it is my favorite CC pistol. Funny how that worked out.

It's because of the ejector shroud on the LS. The regular 13 doesn't have it, but has a heavier barrel than the 19. The snub 19 has the shroud and barrel rib which makes it heavier. I would think the difference in weight of the sights would be insignificant. Also, my 19 is P&R, so it would have a slightly longer cylinder. The difference isn't really a lot, and the 13 has a little more of it on the muzzle

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I think the mid-size .357 magnum with 4' barrel is a good 'do everything' handgun (duty, home defense, carry).

However, most people I know will refuse to carry a steel revolver that weigh's 36 ounces empty and is 9 inches overall. For me, such a gun is 'small', since I typically go with a government model 1911 AND a model 60 in a pocket holster.

the only thing that limits the k-frame is the limited use with 125 gr. full house loads. To me, the .357 magnum's genuine advantage is the ability to shoot the 125 gr. magnum @ 1,500 ft/s.

My collection contains 10 Glocks, 8 Rugers, 7 S&W's, 2 Winchester's and one each Springfield Armory, Mossberg, Remington and F.I.E. ranging from .22 LR to .454 Casull. If I could only keep one, without any reservation it would be my 4" S&W M-686 (no dash). Accurate, dependable and strong enuff to drop a Whitetail at reasonable ranges.