I have a Taurus 605 myself and it's a great small .357. Very controllable and reliable. Price point is good, also. The 651 is another good choice. I've sold a few of them and have had no complaints.
The letter designations refer to the size of the frame. The two Taurus pistols I mentioned are J Frame models, which are the smaller framed revolvers which are the size of the small 5 shot (6 if it was a Colt) detective revolvers you used to see them carry before semis got popular with the police. The higher the letter designation, the bigger the gun.
I have a Ruger SP101 snub in 357. It weighs 28 oz loaded with 5 rounds of 158 grn mags. There is only about 50 fps difference between the 158's and 125's in the snub barrel. I would not want to shoot a mag load in a lighter gun. They are also available with a 3" and 4" barrel.
The SP-101 with 5 rounds, should be a little thinner width than the S&W 686+ with 7 rounds. Both are fine choices, I was on the fence between the two for a while, ended up with the SP-101.
SP101-2.25"=26 oz / 3"=27oz / 4"=29.5oz 5 rounds
GP100-3"=36oz / 4"=40oz 6 rounds
686+ -2.5"=34oz /3"=37oz / 4"=39oz 7 rounds
This will give you some idea of weight. The 3" 686+ is a Talo model. How much weight does she want to carry? Keep in mind that heavier is easier to control. It appears that the K frame is no longer available in 357.
Thanks for the info. She doesn't know just yet. We'll be heading to a gun show in the middle of April and I plan getting her to hold as many guns as possible. If we can get a spare minute, we may just head to an LGS and get her hands on something as well.
I have to also recommend the sp101. I've conceal carried compact semi auto 40, 45 and the sp101. The j frame ruger just feels great in your hand and looks great too. I have the CT grips which are very comfortable.
Weight does play a big role if you are carrying daily. Daily carrying a 30 oz + gun can be a pain after awhile especially if you are a smaller framed individual. Just my .02
Following those parameters there are only two ways to go. S&W Mod 19 or Mod 66. Both are out of production, but should be available used. The 686 is okay, but it's not in the same class.
Since this is for your wife, and based on your comment about the SP 101 coming up so often I feel I should pass this on. If your wife is a small woman with tiny hands you need to let her find one to test fire before you buy it. On rapid fire my daughter's SP 101 ate the tip of her index finger for lunch. It kept getting caught between the tip of the trigger and the trigger guard. I'm not talking pinched, I'm saying it drew blood.
Going outside the stated parameters I would suggest a S&W Model 60 still available from Smith. It is a J frame 5 shot, but can be found with either a two or three inch barrel. The three inch comes with much better sights.
That is why my SP-101 was my first love, had her over 10 years now and the only problem so far is she eats everything I feed her LOL. I have had a little work done because I wanted it done and not because it was needed, like the trigger. A rock solid piece that I hope to pass down to my daughter.
Bought a Mdl 60 (LadySmith) for my wife. Found she shot better with a semiauto. So I got her a Ruger SR9, put a set of Hogues on the Smith, and I carry that now. Nice size carry.
After handling many many guns my wife fell in love with the 3" SP101. I don't mind full power .357mag loads in it but she is much more comfortable with .38+P's in it. It can handle anything you put in it and is not too heavy.
It seems to have been missed so far. If you can find a Ruger Speed Six or Security Six in the 2.75" barrel, you have a viable alternative to a 2.5" S&W M19. They usually aren't real high priced, but there are not many for sale - people who have them tend to keep them.
They are bigger and heavier than an SP101 or S&W M60, but they are about the same as the M19 snubby. And they will handle any ammunition in .357 Magnum one cares to hold on to. And you'll need to find aftermarket grips. Pachmeyer makes a set of their rubber grips - or used to make them - and they're still available on some of the auction sites or at gun shows, depending on how far one looks.
So it looks like Anne has fallen in love with an S&W 686 with a 3" barrel.
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