These are the greatest handguns ever made and yet you see so few of them. There's the 327 series. I have the TRR8 but would like a pug. The Night Guard would be idea because it's small enough to carry and has the adjustable sight. Those things are insanely collectable now. There's the 627, all the Ruger offerings, and the Taurus. At that point, might as well carry my TRR8 though. There's also the Korth but I'm not a rich man.

Nobody else makes them and I don't get it. These things are amazing. If you make a 6 shot 44 magnum than you should at least have one 8 shot 357 built on that frame. Colt should have made an 8 shot SAA a long time and they should be making an 8 shot on the Anaconda frame right.

Kimber should too. They all should.

While on the topic, a 9-10 shot 327 magnum should be priority as well.

As you note an 8 shot .357 would have to be built on a large frame. That makes the gun relatively big and heavy. Big and heavy are not necessarily selling points. I am confident the gun companies do consumer research and would make them if they thought they could sell enough of them to make it worth their troble.

Because they came around 20-30 years too late for the best market for them, law enforcement (yes I know LE has purchased some for specific purposes). By the late 1990s, most people thought of revolvers as BUGs (J frames) or for sporting/target shooting use. People then, like now, were convinced you needed a big bore in the woods, so more .357s weren't the ticket.

They're an enthusiast's gun so are very popular here on the Forums. But they're kind of the Madsen M47 of the revolver world, a culmination of many decades of materials and engineering development that hit too late to make a big impact.

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Psalm 27:2

Yes but with the right materials, S&W showed it can be done in a relatively small package. The pug is obviously and n frame but lighter than a lot of guns and not much bigger than a compact semi auto.

This thing about the market not being there is what gets me though. Every 8 shot 357 I've ever seen has been gone by the next time I stop by my FFL's...which is multiple times a week. From what I've heard from all of them, they last no time in the case. Have you ever seen an 8 shot 357 that was in the case one day and still there the next time you went back?

Ruger also makes an 8 shot 9mm and 357. Although I've never seen one up close.

I went to my lgs yesterday. To buy oil and look around. And asked my sales guy about the colt I asked him for about two months ago. He said not to hold my breath as the manufacturers aren't making revolvers a huge priority right now. He said we might have some single actions but that's it.
They're concentrating on AR's and the plastic guns. As a priority.
Asked him if they had any primers, he said no.

Only speaking for myself here.

Higher revolver capacity never has been a feature for which I yearned and I never ask for it.

I've deliberately shunned seven and eight shot .357 Magnum revolvers because I don't place any value on having two extra shots available in a revolver. I even like the big ol' N-Frame .357Magnum revolvers best of all .357 Magnum revolvers ever made, but particularly don't want seven or eight shots in them

I might have been a little more willing to sample one though if Smith & Wesson hadn't also introduced various design revisions to their revolver line that don't appeal to me.

Because of the two reasons above it's all to easy for me to give 8-shot revolvers a miss. I just don't think highly of them.

Snub 7- and 8-shot .357s might be
much more desirable if hi-cap mag
bans limiting capacity to 10 ever
became the law again.

Seems to me such revolvers
were introduced when
the 1990s ban existed.

Those revolvers also contributed
to the wider use of moon clips.

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Ubi Est Mea

I got to agree with bmcgilvray on this.If I was gifted one I would trade it.

If smith and Wesson would make the model 58 in 357 with eight rounds and 5” barrel,,I would buy three of them today,,but they would have to be made on the same frame as those made in the 1970’s ,,

Six .357 magnum is enough

Bought this 8 shot Ruger Redhawk two years ago. It was an impulse buy, glad I did it. I have not seen another one in the flesh since. Redhawks in .357 and not easy to find it seems...

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I would always like as many shots as possible for a given size gun. But an L-frame is as big as I want a revolver to be. When I bought a 686 earlier this year it was the 7 shot plus version. My revolvers hold 5, 7 and 10 rounds, nothing magic about 6 for me.

S&w made the 7 shot revolver 1st, then Taurus copied them. I thought for sure Taurus made the 8 shot revolver before s&w didn't they? I have the Taurus model 607 and my brother has the 608. Bought mine some where around 1995-1996.

Rosewood

I agree with the OP that the 8 shot .357 N frame is an awesome handgun.

Some folks will say the heft of these guns has held back their popularity. I disagree with this sentiment. A half lug N frame (627 Pro) generally weighs about the same as a typical full lug medium frame revolver (e.g. 686 or GP100). The N frame is more of a full sized revolver, not a large frame revolver.

It really comes down to timing, marketing, and configurations. Even today, practical configurations such as a 627 Mountain Gun, or a tapered barrel 3.5 inch 627, would make sense and could garner interest amongst revolver fans.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. They’re just super awesome and they’re not these insanely bulky contraptions they’re made out to be. TFB did an amazing review on the pug and it was the same size as a Glock 19 for all intensive purposes. Put a boot grip on it and it’s even smaller. It weighs less than a lot of small to medium sized revolvers people already carry. My TRR8 is super light for it’s size with the scandium frame. When the barrel came off last time I stuck the frame in waist band to get a better feel for the size of a pug and it felt real nice. Obviously it was missing the weight of that 2in barrel but I like to believe that the lack of an ultra light titanium cylinder balanced it out.

Not to mention these guns handle 357 like a dream. That’s why I’d be okay with putting boot grips on the super light pug. The N frame is just a great platform to shoot 357 out of. People have no idea what they’re missing.

I’ve got a couple of 627 and really like them, but for carry I think the best was the 7 shot 386 L frame.

It’s a shame S&W discontinued them.

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My sgntr is mor thn 30 chrctrs

I have 357's that hold 5,6,7 and 8 rounds and like them all. While the 8 shooters can be made light weight. The package size still stays yhe same other then barrel length. I think the majority of people can learn to shoot auto's better and quicker as the double action pull is heavier in revolvers. But I can carry my 327 a d feel very secure.

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balin
NRA Life Member

The plastic fantastic’s have swept the field, and Glock has won that battle. I love .357’s, but not many others do.

And a Glock is not the size and weight of an S&W N Frame. A S&W L Frame 686 Plus seven shooter is the perfect compromise. Less expensive, easier to optain, well proven long history, and it is basically a slightly beefed up K Frame. All that said, it t does not make the 627 any less cool or drool worthy. I still want to get one someday.

I remember when Vic Mehren (sp) and Charlie Prest designed the 8 shots. Vic did it on an old Astra frame because it was big enough. Charlie chose the S&W N frame and modified the barrel so that it sat higher and allowed the 8 rounds to fit.

ICORE was the testing ground and that's where most of the guns were sold.

Most people just thing revolvers should have only 6 shots and you can tell by the numbers that they are correct.

Why aren't they more popular? Well, I can buy a 400 dollar Glock 31 and have twice the firepower. With a spare mag, I can carry the same as what a 327 with three speed-loaders carry and reload only once. And when I end up using in a self-defense situation and it gets dropped on the ground and the cops seize it as evidence and it spends the next five years in a locker before it gets destroyed, I don't miss it because its a Glock and there are a million more just like them.

There's nothing realistic I can do with a 327 that I can't do better with a gun 1/3 the cost.

LOL...... thought about it..... but after 50+ years shooting 6 shooters ..... figured I'd shoot 6 and just dump the rest!

Plus all my speedloaders are 5 or 6!

HKS makes a speedloader for the 686+ 7 shot. I have had a few of them for my Taurus 607 7 shot for 20+ years. I do not know if they make one for the 8 shot or not, never looked.

Rosewood

I have heard this argument many times and I do understand it, however, most folks that carry a firearm daily will never use it in their lifetime. The actual incidents that occur where the LEOs seize your weapon is a fractional %. Do you want to forego carrying a gun you are proficient with because you are afraid you will lose it if you use it to defend your life? My life is worth far more than whatever weapon I choose to carry. I personally want the weapon I am the most comfortable with for that task. I do pray I never have to use mine, but I plan on carrying it JIC.

Rosewood

I have to agree with the OP on this one. I’m a big fan of the 8 shooters.

I don’t know why the Glock came up here , but I’ll add the 1911 I to this. It may only hold 9 max but it is undisputed the fastest gun most ordinary people can shoot. When you can remove the threat faster you don’t need 32 rounds.

The 8 shot Revolver made its debut 20+ years ago when Semi-Auto's had already become the self defense handgun of choice for younger people getting into EDC/CCW. Basically, too little too late to save the Revolver from waning. 8 shots requires a relatively large and heavy gun - many are unwilling to tote around all day.

The traditional Revolver holds 6 (5 in a J frame 38 Spl.) and since so many already had them and were now using semi auto Pistols for SD, I guess they say no real advantage in buying a new revolver.

Personally, I switched from a 5 shot J Frame to a 10+1 shot Sig P365 4 years ago and went from 5 rounds on board to 11. Even at 8 rounds, a Revolver that holds that many rounds is pretty heavy, bulky and inconvenient.

So now my Revolvers are pretty much relegated to the Range and maybe a walk in the woods when a larger heavy caliber is desired. Since I have not carried a Revolver for over 4 years now, I have no real desire to buy an 8 shot version. My Sig P365 is 17.8 ounces, small, and with the standard 10 round magazine, holds 11 rounds of pretty potent 9mm ammo.

While an 8 shot Revolver can be quite an effective SD/DH gun, most people now days view their revolvers as collectibles, Range and Hunting guns. DO NOT go by the people on this site because obviously there are many older, dyed in the wool Revolver fans here! Yes - I am one of them but will stick to me traditional 6 shot (5 for J's) Revolvers. I have no reason at all to bump it up to 8.

You can't imagine how jealous I am. Well I guess you can cause you have both. I absolutely need that 327 PC. Those grips look good on the TRR8. I've been using Pachmayr compacts on mine but I may get some green G10's.

The 627 is a great gun that I carry from time to time.

Here is a thread I started on it some time back.

The Model 627

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Let's be careful out there

Why won't everyone make 8-shot large-frame revolvers???

Because only one guy really wants them to.

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Pisgah

Karatè, I am with you when it comes to stuffing an extra round or two into a revolver. I have a 627-5 snubbie that I carry occasionally, but my 7 shot 686-4 sees a lot of carry time. To my mind, it’s the quintessential SD revolver. Same fire power as my 1911s and P220, but in a revolver of similar weight as 1911.

Unfortunately, there’s just not enough demand for 7-8 shot revolvers, I assume due to the large demand for less expensive, plastic autos that can hold more ammo. The large 7-8 round revolvers appeal to just a few of us.

Those arguing Glock this and Glock that, it's irrelevant in a thread where folks are talking about revolvers. We all get the advantages of double stack automatics, but that's not the topic of discussion.

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213th FBINA

Why can't I be proficient with a Glock instead?

You do you, whatever. I don't carry a Glock myself, either. I just gave reasons why an 8 shot revolver doesn't make sense to most people.

I guess I am old school enough to prefer the 9 shot High Standard 22's from the 60's. There really isn't much new. Charter Arms 7 shot 32 Mag, the Professional, hasn't really set the world afire either.

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Front sight and squeeze

This concept came to revolvers at a time when most all new shooters were headed toward semi-autos. I LOVE the 8 shot 357 Magnum revolvers and have posted the following story several times. However I see you are somewhat new to the Forum so I am mostly repeating the info here


In 1997 Lew Horton Distributors convinced S&W to do an 8 shot 357 Magnum revolver. When I got wind of this I called and asked to be sent number 357, I like serial numbers. I was told that this was a one time run of 300 firearms. In the upper left corner of this old group photo is the 27th production revolver. It was delivered in June of 1997.

The concept was so successful that the entire run was sold out in just several weeks. Usually these runs take at least a year or more to sell out. So Lew decided to do a second run. I received a call asking if I still wanted number 357. It is the revolver in the upper right of the group photo and was delivered in September of 1997. This run also sold out in record time.

More were produced and eventually the firearm became a cataloged item. Over the decades many other configurations were offered.

In 2000 a distributor named Bangers offered a blue carbon steel 8 shot model 27 in 4" or 6 1/2". Only 100 of each were produced (pictured above). There was supposed to be a follow up in 2001(or later) of a 3 1/2" and a 5" but it never occurred. I do not know what the falling out between Bangers and Smith & Wesson was about, but I was very disappointed

In 1998 Lew Horton had the 627 Heavy Hunter produced. This was a very heavy barreled 6 1/2" slab sided revolver. It was Mag-Na-Ported from the factory had a weaver base integral in the barrel design as well as a hidden weight system that allowed the weight and balance of the firearm to be customized by the owner. Even the hottest 357 magnum loads are *****cats in this big wheel gun.

1999 saw the introduction of one of the most highly sought after modern snub nosed revolver ever, the 627PDR. The Personal Defense Revolver had a 2 5/8" barrel and a unfluted cylinder. Thanks to Clint Eastwood this came to be called the Bloodwork revolver.

In 2003 the Performance Center introduced a cataloged revolver initially called the 327Sc. Today most folks call it the 327Carry or the 327PC, It is a Scandium framed, 8 shot, 2" revolver with fixed sights. This revolver is still in production today.

In 2004 there was a small run of 8 shot 627s in a semi-pinto kind of configuration. I think these were done for AccuSport

2005 saw the introduction of the 327JM. This was a 5" scandium framed revolver that was limited in production. I am not sure how many were produced
In 2006 Lew Horton came back and offered blue steel 8 shot Registered Magnums in 3 1/2" and 5". These picked up where the Bangers exclusive from 2000 left off

350 of each barrel length were ordered. In 2007 nickel versions of both Registered Magnums were introduced, 250 of each barrel length were ordered. I do not recall the exact production numbers, but several of us have it in our notes

Below is a picture of all six variations of carbon steel, 8 shot model 27s. Each of the six revolvers in the picture has the same number with a different prefix and the set remains unfired since leaving the factory.

2007 also saw a very limited run of two tone TRR8 revolvers

2008 saw the introduction of the 327NG. The Night Guard is a Scandium framed 2 1/2" carry revolver that is fitted with an Ashley Express front sight and a U shaped notch rear sight. This was not a Performance Center offering and is a standard cataloged firearm.
Over the last 25 years I have gathered up about two dozen of these Magnum 8 shooters. Mine go the the range on a regular basis.

I even have setup two of them with additional cylinders so that they can fire the 9x23 Winchester cartridge. Naturally all of the smaller cartridges in that family can also be fired in those revolvers. I set up the V-comp thinking of pin shooting

Hope that this sheds some light on this wonderful development in revolvers.

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"Acta non verba"

Who cares how popular they are, or are not, or if they ever will be? Theyre fabulous guns to those of us who like them, and those who have purposefully sought them out or who were lucky enough to find ourselves one. To me their rather obscure existence makes ownership all the more delicious.
A lot of guns are like these though, people judge them for what they see or what their prejudices or preferences are or their experiences have been and never give some guns a chance but that is everyones right to do so and there is nothing wrong in doing that, only the self deprivation of POSSIBLY a gun that they would fall in love with, or one they would find very useful.
Ah, come on man (in the words of our bungler -in-chief) theyre awesome no matter if not everyone thinks so. I mean just look at this thing. Maybe Im an idiot but sometimes Ive bought guns just because they are wonderful to look at and these certainly are .

Colt saa, your collection just always blows me away.

So, did Lew Horton get the 8 shot idea from Taurus? Or did he come up with it independently. Best I can tell, Taurus started production in 1996 with their 8 shot.

Rosewood

BillBro...nice 627. Mine wears very similar clothes, though it's been polished up in a few places.

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Psalm 27:2

I like my 4-inch 686-4 7-shot. I like the 686-4 in just about any flavor. The 386 Night Guard is on my buy list, too.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

While Taurus was the first to market, I believe the flow of design was independent of each other

I had heard about the Smith & Wesson before the Taurus

There were two Smith & Wesson testbeds/prototypes one in stainless and one in blue that were around in 1996 or earlier. I do not have a photo of the stainless version

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"Acta non verba"

I’ve no interest in these 7 or 8 shot 357 revolvers.

I see no benefit in the extra round or two. The N frames are fine for hunting, but you don’t need the extra rounds for hunting: one or two rounds is all that’s necessary for hunting.

They’re too bulky for me to carry on a regular basis as an EDC.

Why 8 round revolvers? Because we are Americans and we can have 8 rounds if we want.That's why.
Pictured are my 627s with Culina target stocks.

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Best answer yet!!

Nice collection, colt_saa...and I didn't realize that you're a neighbor of mine here in coastal central Florida. I also have a 627-5 with 2-5/8" bbl., mine wears some Crimson Trace laser stocks. However, with all due respect, I need to correct one of your statements:

"1999 saw the introduction of one of the most highly sought after modern snub nosed revolver ever, the 627PDR. The Personal Defense Revolver had a 2 5/8" barrel and a unfluted cylinder. Thanks to Clint Eastwood this came to be called the Bloodwork revolver."

Although Clint did carry a 627 in the movie, it was actually a special 627. It had a fluted cylinder- which was not normally installed on the 2-5/8" 627. See the write up below from the Internet Movie Firearms Database (imfdb.org). There are pictures from the movie of the fluted cylinder on the site, too. Just FYI.

"FBI Profiler Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) carries a Smith & Wesson Model 627 as his sidearm throughout the film. It is a special version featuring an unusual barrel profile and an 8-shot cylinder made by the Smith & Wesson Performance Center. McCaleb's piece has a fluted cylinder, common to other variants of the 627, but not standard on the snub nose version. McCalebs revolver also has Hogue grips."

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I like my 6 & 7 shooters...

As much as I love the .357 cartridge (my favorite) I’ve never particularly been an N-frame fan.

I only own one, and that’s just because I think a .44 Magnum should be enjoyed in a large frame. Since I have no desire to own a 2nd N-frame, I’ll pass on 8 shot .357 revolvers.

I do however, like my 7 shot L-frame.

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How many people really study revolvers? I bought my TR8 at Academy and when I asked for it, the young salesman told me that there were no 8 shot revolvers and that I was "crazy". I asked if there were any adults working today and he gave me his supervisor who pulled the TR8 for me to look at. I could not help but count the chambers in front of the young salesman while his supervisor laughed. I purchased the gun and the supervisor asked his salesman to make sure that he put all 8 chambers in the box. Everyone likes different things and many of us like different things at different times. Iam fond of eight shots of 357 at times and it is a handsome firearm.

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If they’d make an 8-shot, 3.5” Model 27 with gold bead post, I’d bite.

Eight-shooter just doesn't roll off the tongue like six-shooter.

I had a smattering of L and N frame 7 and 8 shot revolvers and just never loved them. By the time the 7s and 8s were out and about, the day of the revolver as a common service weapon was already over, and while eight is better than six, eight is way less than 15 or 17. None of the 7 or 8 shot revolvers I had really had the charm of their golden (or silver even) era six shooting counterparts, and I never felt the need to keep them. If the 7 and 8s became a thing in the 70s or early 80s I bet we'd have seen a ton more and they'd be remembered pretty well.

While that exact configuration was never offered from the Factory, you could have purchased a eight shot, 3 1/2" Model 27 and simply had the front sight changed. The 5" Model 27s came with the God Bead front sight so we know hat the Factory had them availble

They were available in blue or nickel. Both are pictured above.

Pictured below is just the blue, carbon steel, eight shot Model 27s that have been offered from the Factory

The eight shot, 3 1/2" & 5" Model 27s are built on the 4 screw Heritage style frames. The eight shot, 4" & 6 1/2" Model 27s are built on the older 3 screw frames

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"Acta non verba"

I don’t own any N frames, but will, after I scratch the 3” K frame itch. But I don’t think any will be eight shot.

I own three 386 Scandium L frames. All are seven shot. 3 1/8” or so MountainLite, 2 1/2” PD and my favorite of the bunch, a NightGuard. The PD and MountainLite have titanium cylinders, the NG has a steel cylinder.

The PD and MountainLite have a date coming up with Cylinder & Slide for fitting SS cylinders to bring the weight from ~19oz to ~24oz.

The PD’s recoil with heavy 357 loads is unpleasant at best. The other two aren’t so bad.