Sportsterguy
Member
Have a 3" 66 and a 3.5" 27-2. If it came down to one I'd go with the 19. You can load 180 gr. bullets that will do about anything you need outdoors or shoot light .38's for comfort or stoke it with some 158 gr. magnums for SD. It's a lighter revolver that's a breeze to carry and shoot, especially DA. I can shoot it much better than the 27 as I have small-medium sized hands and the 27 is a handful. It's also easier to carry and hide concealed which can be easily done with a good IWB holster and belt. Been packing a full sized 1911 Springer this way for over 23 years so that 4" is easy to use as a SD weapon. If you stick to 158 gr. bullets the revolver will last a very long time before a tune up and way less of a chance of cracking the forcing cone. Most folks I know shoot way more .38's than magnums through their .357's and if you go that route it'll last forever. Last but not least it's a tackdriver that will easily shoot as accurately or more so than my 27 as the balance is perfect for me.
The 27 is the most beautiful revolver ever made by S&W IMO, but is heavier and them extra ounces WILL add up after a day of hiking or hunting and humping the hills. I have a harder time shooting it DA as the grip is large and harder for me to maintain when shooting magnums. Mines so darn handsome IMO I don't holster it to keep the finish looking great. If it's going to be used as a carry revolver a model 28 would be the way to go as you can use it without feeling bad about it getting scratched up and so forth which will happen given steady use. Love to target practice with mine as it does handle .357's easily, but see's mostly .38's.
In closing I'd try to get my hands on both and give em a test drive to see which feels better in your hand. I put part of my allowance away for purchasing a couple revolvers a year and its worth it. If you can't I'd still go with the 19. Take care of it, keep the magnum count down and stick with the 158 gr. rounds for a longer life.
Either way you're getting one heck of a revolver and will be happy with either one. Happy hunting!
The 27 is the most beautiful revolver ever made by S&W IMO, but is heavier and them extra ounces WILL add up after a day of hiking or hunting and humping the hills. I have a harder time shooting it DA as the grip is large and harder for me to maintain when shooting magnums. Mines so darn handsome IMO I don't holster it to keep the finish looking great. If it's going to be used as a carry revolver a model 28 would be the way to go as you can use it without feeling bad about it getting scratched up and so forth which will happen given steady use. Love to target practice with mine as it does handle .357's easily, but see's mostly .38's.
In closing I'd try to get my hands on both and give em a test drive to see which feels better in your hand. I put part of my allowance away for purchasing a couple revolvers a year and its worth it. If you can't I'd still go with the 19. Take care of it, keep the magnum count down and stick with the 158 gr. rounds for a longer life.
Either way you're getting one heck of a revolver and will be happy with either one. Happy hunting!
