Inexpensive 357’s

Mathieu18

Mathieu18

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Any thoughts on Taurus vs Charter? Any other inexpensive short barrel 357 (not necessarily 2” snub) but anything under 3-4” to look at? Love some of the shiny collector pieces, but don’t have 1000 to spend. Use is mixed loads for snakes and critters on the land.
 
Mathieu18 said:
Any thoughts on Taurus vs Charter? Any other inexpensive short barrel 357 (not necessarily 2” snub) but anything under 3-4” to look at? Love some of the shiny collector pieces, but don’t have 1000 to spend. Use is mixed loads for snakes and critters on the land.
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Why not a 38sp for those critters? Might save a few $.
 
CZfool68 said:
Why not a 38sp for those critters? Might save a few $.
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Mostly for the off chance of encountering a black bear or hog. I know folks that have seen good size of both within 2-3 miles of my land.
 
I bought a 2" Taurus 605 .357 for cheap at my local pawn shop. Put some Wolff springs in it and you've got a pretty good revolver for not too much money.
 
Frack N Cylons said:
I've been casually looking for one of these and they all seem to be >$600 these days. Same with plain old 4" model 65s. Am I looking in the wrong spots?
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Yes not too many in the wild but from time to time you see “users” for lower dollars, nice thing about the used piece I doubt you’ll find one used beyond serviceability they are built like friggin tanks

BTW I’ve owned all three …. Taurus, and Ruger in .357 and charter in .38
I couldn’t even imagine a charter at 357 pressures
and the build quality on any Ruger .357 blows Taurus away so much so I’d have to wait and save a few more pennys for the Ruger, just my opinion
my Taurus .357 literally had mechanical issues, like not even good enough for a range gun let alone bet your life on it, friends don’t let friends carry Taurus

most are at least $500 though $600 not uncommon you can get lucky sometimes:

SOLD - Ruger Security Six .357

Ruger Security Six .357 stainless. $450 Must have PPP or CCW and DL. Must be willing to sign bill of sale. FTF in Raleigh.
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
 
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I saw a 4 inch, Ruger Police Service Six for $450 back in July. Good deals are still around. It just takes longer to find them than it used too.
 
Do you have a set budget range you want to be in or just under $1000? I have a S&W M&P 340 that I am very happy with, but I think it was a little over $800 new. My dad has a Taurus 605 that he has been pretty happy with, but he has not shot it much. With Taurus you are playing their QC lottery, which I’m not a fan of doing with things exploding near my face. 🤪 I would not trust Charter with .357 pressure. Personally, I would save and wait for a Ruger GP100, SP101, LCRx or any S&W. I am of the buy once, cry once mentality so I would wait for a used model to pop up of your choice and that could really get you a good safe model within your budget, there are still good deals to be had if you’re willing to be patient.
 
Now, I wait.

But seriously patient is good. Once I buy it just goes in a safe so might as well hunt for it. I might still snag a 605 if I saw a steal but the Rugers and S&W do look nice.
 
nc-by-the-c said:
Yes not too many in the wild but from time to time you see “users” for lower dollars, nice thing about the used piece I doubt you’ll find one used beyond serviceability they are built like friggin tanks

BTW I’ve owned all three …. Taurus, and Ruger in .357 and charter in .38
I couldn’t even imagine a charter at 357 pressures
and the build quality on any Ruger .357 blows Taurus away so much so I’d have to wait and save a few more pennys for the Ruger, just my opinion
my Taurus .357 literally had mechanical issues, like not even good enough for a range gun let alone bet your life on it, friends don’t let friends carry Taurus

most are at least $500 though $600 not uncommon you can get lucky sometimes:

SOLD - Ruger Security Six .357

Ruger Security Six .357 stainless. $450 Must have PPP or CCW and DL. Must be willing to sign bill of sale. FTF in Raleigh.
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
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I just rebuilt a charter bulldog 44 spl and by mistake the first 2 rounds fired were 44 mags loaded in 44 spl brass. Not a problem.
I wouldn’t recommend doing it long Term but I would not hesitate to carry 5 of the same rounds for self defense.
 
Etruett said:
You haven’t looked very hard
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Seen ‘em, owned ‘em, shot ‘em and sold ‘em. All garbage. I have yet to meet someone who has put a substantial number of rounds though one (except myself) and still liked them. Curious to know how many trouble free rounds you have put though one? I have put thousands of rounds though Glocks, Colts, Walthers, S&W’s, taken them apart and found only minor wear. Can the same be said of Taurus?
Taurus has some visually appealing designs at a temptingly low price point. They are marketed to people with $200 who will buy it, shoot a box of ammo then stick it in the glove box or night stand.
Like other people have mentioned finding a used GP100 is a far better alternative.
 
Rossi is back with sub $500 3-4" revolvers now. I haven't held one yet but I do like the hammer mounted firing pin.
SAR USA is supposed to be importing 686 copies from Turkey soon. Don't know what their price will be but that may be another option for youScreenshot_20230829_221647_Chrome.jpg
 
keepcalmandcarryon said:
Seen ‘em, owned ‘em, shot ‘em and sold ‘em. All garbage. I have yet to meet someone who has put a substantial number of rounds though one (except myself) and still liked them. Curious to know how many trouble free rounds you have put though one? I have put thousands of rounds though Glocks, Colts, Walthers, S&W’s, taken them apart and found only minor wear. Can the same be said of Taurus?
Taurus has some visually appealing designs at a temptingly low price point. They are marketed to people with $200 who will buy it, shoot a box of ammo then stick it in the glove box or night stand.
Like other people have mentioned finding a used GP100 is a far better alternative.
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Ive got a G2C right now that’s got close to 1000 rounds through it. Maybe more depending on if my son has been shooting in the last couple of weeks. Straight out of the box. No cleaning, no lube. Want to see how long it will run. So far not one jam. im a S&W guy to the core but I personally have never had a failure with a Taurus. I’m not trying to compare a Taurus with a $1k gun but for the money I think they are a solid buy for the average shooter. One of the most respected Gunsmiths in the country who just passed away said in the last 5 years, the quality of Taurus Revolvers has surpassed the quality of S&W made today.
 
Etruett said:
I just rebuilt a charter bulldog 44 spl and by mistake the first 2 rounds fired were 44 mags loaded in 44 spl brass. Not a problem.
I wouldn’t recommend doing it long Term but I would not hesitate to carry 5 of the same rounds for self defense.
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The first round didn't give you a clue? You had to fire a second?? :)
 
georgel said:
The first round didn't give you a clue? You had to fire a second?? :)
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It was an alloy frame. I guess my mind was thinking recoil was because the gun was so light. I’m actually glad I fired more than one although I wouldn’t have done so on purpose. It showed me how well they are built.
 
Etruett said:
It was an alloy frame. I guess my mind was thinking recoil was because the gun was so light. I’m actually glad I fired more than one although I wouldn’t have done so on purpose. It showed me how well they are built.
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In the early '70's, my first handgun was a Charter Arms Undercover in .38. Overall I liked the gun. But, unfortunately it was from a bad run, where they screwed up the forcing cone and it would keyhole rounds. Hollow-based wadcutters would leave rectangular holes in the target from 20ft. Looking back, it was probably more effective. ;)
 
I know I came here Taurus vs Charter, but that Rossi RP63 with 6 shots for the same price is looking nice…
 
I had a Ruger 101 that was wonderful. It carried well, shot well, and was comfortable to shoot even with full loads. A good friend really liked it, so I gave it to her. I think I will get another one just like it. You will probably be using the revolver for a long time and may even pass it on to your grandchildren. Spend a little more and do it right the first time. The price should not be the deciding factor when shopping for a revolver. The extra initial price fades into oblivion very quickly, but the quality never does. Almost all of my revolvers are Colt, S&W, or Ruger. I have had Taurus and Charter revolvers. The Taurus would not work, and Taurus could not fix it after several trips back to them. It was donated to a good cause with full disclosure of its history. I bought the Charter off a student and gave it to my aunt to carry. I think I shot it twice. I gave it to a friend who wanted it because it belonged to my aunt when my aunt passed at 99.5 years old. It rode in her purse for over 30 years. She never had to fire it, but it served her purposes well.
 
Mathieu18 said:
Any thoughts on Taurus vs Charter? Any other inexpensive short barrel 357 (not necessarily 2” snub) but anything under 3-4” to look at? Love some of the shiny collector pieces, but don’t have 1000 to spend. Use is mixed loads for snakes and critters on the land.
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I have owned a Taurus 669 .357 for over 30 years and everyone who has fired it (the haters) went and bought one the next day. It has never done anything more than shoot tight groups without a single issue. I've never touched the sights or had a single thing done to it.
Most are chambered as .38/.357 which gives you more options. Keep in mind that a .357 with a 4" barrel is going to kick pretty hard.,
Between Palmetto State, Buds Guns and the other big stores, you should be able to score a nice .357 for under $400. Ruger also makes a nice .357 thats reasonable. I wasn't aware Charter was still around but always loved their snubbies. AAC has .357JHPs for $30.00 for 50! They have run flawlessly for me. Hope that helps!
 
jonny said:
I have owned a Taurus 669 .357 for over 30 years and everyone who has fired it (the haters) went and bought one the next day. It has never done anything more than shoot tight groups without a single issue. I've never touched the sights or had a single thing done to it.
Most are chambered as .38/.357 which gives you more options. Keep in mind that a .357 with a 4" barrel is going to kick pretty hard.,
Between Palmetto State, Buds Guns and the other big stores, you should be able to score a nice .357 for under $400. Ruger also makes a nice .357 thats reasonable. I wasn't aware Charter was still around but always loved their snubbies. AAC has .357JHPs for $30.00 for 50! They have run flawlessly for me. Hope that helps!
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The aac .357 is garbage I had 3 out of a box of 50 with light primer strikes out of my model 19 never seen that issue before
 
This is a hard question as a lot of the quality brands have skyrocketed in price the last few years. I picked up a new 686-something for over $800 with a 4" barrel. If you know how to check timing you might be able to find a good used deal at a pawn shop. I have heard people rave about Taurus and Rossi, and I have seen horror stories. Revolvers are an odd beast, unlike semi autos they are hard to fix. Once they fail, they can fail spectacularly.

Even the repro Cimarron/Italian pistols are expensive now. A pistolero that (I could be off a little in my numbers here) cost $300-400 now costs over 5:

www.cimarron-firearms.com

Pistolero® .357/.38 SP., 4 3/4 in.

Pistolero .357/.38 SP., 4 3/4 in. Color Case Hardened Frame, Walnut Smooth, Standard Blue
www.cimarron-firearms.com www.cimarron-firearms.com

Revolvers are a hard game for 'affordable' stuff the more power you seek from the cartridge.
 
Is there a resource to learn how to check timing?
 
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