Ruger double-action .357 revolver

[22lrfan]

My wife bought me a .44 Redhawk for our first anniversary in 1983. It was my first centerfire revolver. I've shot thousands of round of reloads through it, both cast and full power. In my younger days we shot 2 liter bottles full of water at 200 yards with open sights. As I got older I had to install a scope for longer ranges. With 300 gr Nosler JHP's I've shot multiple 1 1/2" five shot groups at 100 yards. Here it is with my .357 Redhawk.

The .357 Redhawk is a tank. Here's the Ruger cylinder compared to a 27-2 cylinder.

 

[Grayfox]

I absolutely love the old "Six" Series revolvers. I have a 2.75" and a 4" Security Six. Currently working a deal with a friend to buy his 6".

Honestly, I've never cared much for the GP-100. I know they're great guns, But it always felt kinda clunky to me.

 

[wellthought1]

I had a Ruger GP100 4" once. I don't know if it was just me or the gun but I shot my old S&W 686-4 4" much more accurately than the Ruger. Also, as another poster has said, the action on the Smith & Wesson is far better and can be made far better than a Ruger can be. Rugers use a coil spring while S&W uses a leaf spring. There's just something about the Smith that is better than the Ruger (for me anyways).

 

[sipowicz]

When 2 of my non gun friends asked my advice for a house gun I steered them to the 3” k frame. One grabbed the Smith 65 the other opted for the Speed six. I have to say I’m partial to the Six over the 65. Can’t put my finger on it….just like it a bit better. I have an Sp101 myself since it’s built like a tank and I can practice my snub shooting without wearing out my DS or Cobra since getting them fixed is not a task I’d want to do in SoCal.

 

[firefighterjohn]

I have both S&Ws; 66 & 686, as well as some Rugers; Security Six and SP101. I love the feel and smooth triggers of the S&Ws but there's something sweet about my well balanced 4" Security Six. If I could find more of them I'd snap them up in a heartbeat. They are very hard to find now too.

Like others have said above, I prefer my Security Six to the GP100 as well.

 

[stansdds]

In 357 Magnum, I have Colt, Dan Wesson, Ruger, and S&W revolvers. The Ruger is a GP100 and it is quite accurate and incredibly durable. Will it outlive my Model 19-3? With hot loaded magnums I am certain it will, but it does not have as nice of a trigger in DA nor SA as my Model 19 or my Pythons. In 44 Magnum I have a 29-3 and a Super Redhawk. The 29 has the best trigger, no comparison, but for full power magnum ammo, the Ruger is far more pleasant. Again, the Super Redhawk is quite accurate. It is my understanding that Ruger's barrels are usually on the minimum side of SAAMI specifications, which tends to aid in accuracy.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Just for reference, I have a GP100, 6", and a 629-6, 6", .327 and .44 magnums, respectively. They weigh almost exactly the same, within a couple fractions of an ounce. I changed the hammer spring to, I believe, a 12# from a Wolfe spring kit on the Ruger. I don't have one of those trigger measuring things, but double action feels about the same until, on the Ruger, just before the hammer drops the cylinder locks in place. Takes getting used to, but it doesn't kick like a .44 magnum. Single action isn't enough to care about, although the Smith is lighter.
Yeah, I know, 2 different calibers but that was only size comparison of the revolvers.

 

[BrovoEchoSierra]

Over all Ruger makes a good gun. Kind of like Craftsman versus snap on tools. Not as pretty to look at, but they work well.
My Brother had a security six that did not shoot accurately, and got rid of it, pretty soon after he got it. Others that I have know have them and like them.
We both have Redhawks in 44 mag, and we would not part with them.
They are an absolute tank! I have shot the **** out of mine, for many years, and its as tight as it was when I got it. Cant say the same for my elbow, wrist and hands, as they have shot loose, so to speak.
No more heavy loads, just 6 grs of green dot, or 9 grs on Unique, and a 240 grain cast bullet. In that heavy gun, it shoots very pleasant, and is accurate. This year will see me shooting the 44 more than normal, as I am sitting on a more large pistol primers for it, and almost none for my 38's. Unless some one know where I can get some 38 brass that uses large pistol primers?

 

[Buick]

I've always liked the Ruger double action; for me it is easy to "stage" the trigger just before the hammer falls. Ease it back, finalize the sight picture, then squeeze off the shot. Very easy gun to shoot accurately in double action mode.

 

[Sistema1927]

They build tanks like Ruger DA revolvers.

While none of my three Ruger DA revolvers (.357 Speed-Sic, .327 SP101, .45 Redhawk) will never win a contest for best trigger pull, they will outlast most other brands with hard use.

 

[ajgunner]

So many options--- You could go with SP101's



Or you could go with Security Sixes



Or you could go with Redhawks



I am fairly certain that unless you have an ammo company sponsoring you, you will never be able to wear any of them out. Believe me I have been doing my best to try.

Just bought a revolver Starter kit for my son. He will soon be shooting a 42 year old Stainless Security Six in 6". One day if/when he hatches me a grandson, I know he will have a fine revolver to get started with also.

 

[ACORN]

Unfortunately Ruger also adopted a full under lug and I am not an under lug fan as they just add unnecessary weight and bulk.

Unless of course you find one of the elusive GP100 half lugs.
Much better balanced.

 

[RetCapt]

I have a Smith no dash 586 and a Ruger Service Six, both set up for PPC shooting. These are strictly paper punching actions now because they may not have 100% reliable ignition.

Both have light hammer and trigger return springs. The 586 springs are from Wolff. The trigger return spring in the Ruger is also from Wolff. The hammer spring in the Ruger is an interesting piece. Somewhere in the late 70s-early-80s, legendary gunsmith Jim Clark engineered an adjustable coil mainspring for the Ruger by manufacturing a cylindrical strut that was threaded and has an adjustable tension nut. Thus, it is infinitely variable by lengthening or shortening the mainspring.

So, to cut to the chase, which is better? The best I can say is that it is just too close to call. They do feel different but that is all that I can conclude. By comparison my Colt Python also has a PPC action job. It is just as smooth as the other two, again with a different feel, but slightly heavier. From my own experience all three are superb. Any inability to chew out the X ring is pilot error.

Re: Staging the trigger. Most of the experienced PPC shooters shot the entire course DA, even though SA was allowed at the 50 yard line. My method of staging the trigger was to have enough trigger finger through the trigger guard so that the tip of my trigger finger would contact the opposite frame surface just as the shot was about to break. Both are so smooth that I could not tell just when the cylinder had locked up (although I know it did/does from practice and testing). This finger tip method was reliable and repeatable.

From my experience I would have to call it draw between the Smith and the Ruger, with the Python being just a hair behind.

 

[mikeruns]

I love an old blue spd-6 in .357, and everything about it appeals to me from the bbl length to it's fine accuracy...I purchased new, a Redhawk .41 magnum also round butt with a 2-3/4" bbl and liken it to the speed-6 yet the Redhawk has adj sights and weighs twice as much seemingly-this was called the kodiak in .44 magnum and one of the distributors had some of the same made up in .41 so I just call it my kodiak .41....had to have it to stable with a model 58 that was a caliber loner...and to make the speed-6 also not a Ruger snub loner haha

 

[sceva]

All I know is that I like my Speed Six .38 Spl.

 

[brucev]

Have owned a goodly number of K, L and N frames in a variety of calibers from .22LR up to .44 Mag. Have owned only a few Rugers ... Security Six and Red Hawks ... in .38/.357 and .44 Mag. The Rugers were heavier gun for gun. With hot loads, the weight was a help when shooting long strings of fire. Never had one that was so particularly finely accurate as had been my experience w/ S&W revolvers. No Ruger has matched the K-frame for just being ideal when actually carrying/using in the woods/fields. At the range, It's a toss up. The L-frame has in my opinion been unmatched by any manufacturer including Ruger and Colt. None of them are worthwhile as snubnoses. As 4/6 inch revolvers ... or the 8 inch L-frame, the Rugers are fine but at best only equal. The L-frame and Python are about equal. The L-frame is not as delicate. Have had three Pythons. Two required a trip to the mother ship after a few years of shooting the same 38/.357 loads I ran in my S&W's. The N-frame has been my most loved revolver in whatever caliber... usually .357 as well as .44 Mag. and .45 ACP. These days ... I must say I prefer the 4/6 inch M-28 simply b/c I just don't see the need for a lot of barrel weight in these calibers. As well I like the side of the grips. The 625 is about idea for the .45 ACP ... one of the most accurate pistols I've ever owned/fired. If limited to only one ... it'd be the L-frame. Nothing can more than maybe equal a .357 686 L-frame. It is ideal in balance, weight, strength, capacity and accuracy. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[BB57]

…./

/…Re: Staging the trigger. Most of the experienced PPC shooters shot the entire course DA, even though SA was allowed at the 50 yard line. My method of staging the trigger was to have enough trigger finger through the trigger guard so that the tip of my trigger finger would contact the opposite frame surface just as the shot was about to break. Both are so smooth that I could not tell just when the cylinder had locked up (although I know it did/does from practice and testing). This finger tip method was reliable and repeatable…./

/…

I stage a DA trigger the same way as it’s about as consistent as you can make it.

I do however notice that some of my Ruger triggers feel mechanical enough that you can really feel that second click and can *almost* stage them reliably by feel alone. *Almost*….there’s that one shot in a dozen or so that will just go all the way past that second click.

 

[jeffrefrig]

5" GP100, as mentioned above by ACORN, (just one example) in front of the 6". I traded the blued Lipsey 5", .327 Fed Mag for a 629-6. That 5" WAS a nice gun to shoot, that's for sure.

 

[LCC]

SP101 3" .357 loaded with Buffalo Bore hardcast a woods walk companion for years. Wolff spring kit turned an ok action into a much smoother one, Diamond Pro grips took the sting out of full house loads.

 

[max]

I got a stainless 6 inch Security Six back in the mid 70's. A previous owner had changed the springs and it has a very nice trigger. Later on, I got a 4 inch blue and it is also a very nice shooter. I need to change the springs one of these days.