Best Buy on .357 - my opinion/your opinion

[TMan]

Okay, in several threads it has been mentioned that a certain gun is really a good buy for the price. This seems to happen a lot with Ruger.

Well, I have become very opinionated after buying and shooting the Beretta Stampede. The one I purchased was in nickle and has the 7.5" barrel. The more I've shot it the more impressed I've been with it. Yes, it is SA, and includes a transfer bar, but has this thing ever have a sweet trigger.

After shooting it, I switched to shooting a .22LR, and I was amazed at looking at the targets. I did better with the Stampede.

I'm planning on getting another one with the color-case hardening i.e. the deluxe model (JEC1703). That is unless someone convinces me that something else is better.

Okay, I've given you my opinion - what is yours?

[MLB]

It may be a bit difficult to justify the "best buy" portion of the arguement, but ".357 magnum" and "4 in. Colt Python in Royal Blue" just seem to be made for each other. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

Python's are the luxury rides in the .357 magnum but my honest opinion regarding the best buy in the double action .357 magnum revolvers, has to be with Smith & Wesson's Model 27, preferrably the 27-2.
Next to the Python, the S&W 27 is the best handling .357 magnum revolver I have ever placed in my hands.
The 27 can be found for around $450. to $500. dollars on the average.
TMan; I think I mentioned it before, but Beretta bought up the cowboy works of Uberti. Both are Italian firearm manufacturers, as you probably already know.

[TMan]

Well guys... DA, I bought the Hogue grips for my Python, and it definitely made an improvement, but it still isn't as enjoyable to shoot as the Stampede.

MLB, my Python is 6", was bought used, but other than a tiny scratch that you need better than 20/20 vision to see near the muzzle, is perfect. It had been shot before, based on some powder in the cylinders. However, it may have been by the factory. I could see absolutely no sign of wear on it. It cost me $800. The Stampede cost me $399 new.

DA, I'd really like to shoot a S&W 27 to see what it is like. I bought the 627, and it is a good revolver, but again not as enjoyable to shoot as the Stampede. I've never shot .38 Special in the Stampede, but the .357 Magum recoil isn't objectable. I have to force myself to shoot anything else.

I don't care who made it, whoever it was, they did a wonderful job. Did I mention it is pretty too. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

TMan; Just to show everyone the revolver your referring to, I found the Stampede series on this site.

www.berettaweb.com/Beretta%20Stampede/Stampede.htm

["DoubleAction"]

This will provide some background information in regards to the Beretta - Uberti relationship.
www.gunshopfinder.com/industrynews/stampede.html
I'll add my own by stating that the Beretta Group purchased Uberti in 2000. In retrospect, the Ubertis has been manufactured for others for sometime, including Cimmarron Arms, American Arms, and several others. The Uberti guns are so close to replicating the originals, many first thought they were buying Colts.
Many of the Uberti revolvers feature the four notch hammer and color case hardened frames, as opposed to the color case frames. One might also want to look at the Uberti revolvers when looking at the Stampede.

www.ubertireplicas.com

[TMan]

Man DA, I love those grips. Anybody that thinks guns aren't pretty needs to look at that one.

Concerning the Uberti relationship: I'm wondering what the originals are like before the Beretta take-over. If you recall Jaguars, the saying was that you need to buy two: one to drive and one to be in the shop. Well, after taking over Jaguar, Ford changed all that and added a lot of quality. So, is my Beretta Stampede really as wonderful as I think is it just a plain old Uberti?

["DoubleAction"]

Thanks TMan; If Uberti builds the gun, it's a Uberti but I saw nothing plain about the Stampede at all. My Uberti is actually slicker than my Colt because the action has been worked, and it shoots more accurate than my Ruger Vaqueros. While you have your eyes on Ubertis, give their Single Actions a look on the Uberti Website. The Uberti site is linked from the Beretta site. With the passing of Aldo Uberti, in 1998, and the buy up by Beretta in 2000, I think there will be some cost cutting issues, such as the color case frames (Ruger Vaquero too). It appears to be from your experience, the Beretta Stampede is an excellent shooting piece, and that is the requirement for any firearm in my opinion. I'm fairly sure that Uberti was contracted to build some cap and ball reproductions for Colt. If you want to see some nice Henry and Winchester reproductions, check out the Uberti guns. The first time I saw the Uberti Henry rifles I thought I was looking at the originals. If you ever saw the movie "Silverado", you was looking at Uberti guns.

[kynardsj]

My best in a singleaction would be a Ruger Blackhawk in stainless. While a Python is a lot of folks dream gun (and they are slick) an affordable option would be a S&W 686.

["DoubleAction"]

kynardsj; The Rugers are very good buys, and an excellent pre-owned S&W 686, with the steel hammer and trigger, can sometimes be found for around $300. I prefer many of the older S&W revolvers over the newer versions.

[TMan]

kynardsj said:

My best in a singleaction would be a Ruger Blackhawk in stainless. While a Python is a lot of folks dream gun (and they are slick) an affordable option would be a S&W 686.

kynardsj, some things have changed since I originally started this thread. I bought the Ruger Blackhawk, but in blued vs stainless. The reason for the blued was there wasn't a stainless one available as a convertible. The one I have has a .357M and a 9mm cylinder.

My most recent buy was on a used 686-1, which is so sweet. It has become a favorite at the range, and not just with me.

If you follow the threads, you will find that I was very disappointed with the trigger pull on the Blackhawk. It was 6.5 lbs, which is way too much for me. I did a trigger job on it, and it now has a 1.75 lb pull. The barrel on the Ruger is longer than the one on my Python, so that could account for the fact that I like shooting it better.

So, of the three you mentioned I would rank them not necessarily as best buy, but as most enjoyable to own and shoot: 1) S&W 686-1 2) Ruger Blackhawk and 3) Colt Python.

[kynardsj]

I think Ruger has some marketing stratigies going on with the convertables. Unless they started recently the only one you can get stainless is the Single Six. I ran into the same situation when buying my 45 with the acp cylinder. Looking in the Ruger catalog they don't offer the 45 or 357 convertables in stainless. So if we want something shiny that doesn't rust, buy another pistol or order an expensive extra cylinder in stainless from Ruger. By the way, your choices for 357's look to be in just the right order.

[TMan]

Well, once again I prove I'm an idiot. It just dawned on my that I'm shooting .38 Specials in the 686 and .357M in the other two. Nice apples : oranges comparison again. I should stick to gardening.

Like you kynardsj, I'm a big Ruger fan. I really liked the Mark II, and I have two of them, but I'm not that wild about the Mark III. The only Ruger I wish I hadn't bought is the Bearcat because it is just too small for my hand. It will bring a great smile to my grandson's face when he gets a little older, so it isn't a complete loss.