[rktman]

Fun for Saturday. Ready, aim, fire. Could make for some interesting comments. Prior to the boating mishap, I had a 6" Dan Wesson and a lever action chambered for .38/357.

[circlecity]

I couldn't agree more with this article and, as noted above, you can't beat pairing a .357 handgun with a Marlin lever action .357 rifle. I believe a Ruger GP100 (or its almost identical equivalent the S&W 686)is dollar for dollar the finest handgun on the market and certainly the one I'd recommend for a first time buyer. And I'm not anti-Semi auto by any stretch - a Glock 19 or Sig 226 are close to heaven and must haves. But for me nothing feels better in my hand than a GP 100, 4", and I am more accurate with it than any other handgun. The Smith is a couple hundred dollars more expensive and has a better trigger out of the box. The triggers on the Ruger are, however, very easy to work on for a gunsmith and can cheaply be made as good as the 686. For me the Ruger feels better in my hand and more solid. As for the rifle, with a little practice, anything out to 100 yards with iron sights is pretty easy with a Marlin lever action. 'nuff said.

You can't beat a .357 round either. More stopping power and penetration than a .45 ACP with easily manageable recoil and the reliability of a revolver. If you're absolutely sure you'll need more than six rounds then you go with the semi. Obviously the goal is to hit what you're aiming at consistently with enough force to stop the threat so whatever accomplishes this for you is the best firearm for you.

[UnwashedPeasant]

The writer does not say WHY the .357 Magnum is the best gun for survival.

Is it because it is more reliable, easier to load, so light that a child can shoot it accurately?

These days the standard handgun is a 9mm Glock, and this article gives no clue on why the .357 Magnum would be better in any way.

[advertising guy]

self ping

[Herosmith]

I own a SW .357. Have you ever shot that sucker WITHOUT ear protection? My idiot son did once and almost dropped the weapon from the pain.

[Parley Baer]

Well, I have close at hand a Ruger GP100 .357 with a 4” barrel. A Para Ordinance 45acp with a 13 round magazine and a S&W Model 1917 in 45ACP.

[Yardstick]

I hear him saying Smith & Wesson model 66. Or maybe 686 but the 66 is better looking IMO.

[jy8z]

I picked up a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel in stainless at my local gun shop just to see how it felt in my hand. I had to have it. I really could not afford it at the time but lucky for me they have lay-a-way there. A few sacrifices and three months later I brought it home. It is a fun gun to shoot. There's just something about a S&W revolver in stainless that I cannot resist.

[Tijeras_Slim]

A thread I just posted on classic revolvers.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3290608/posts

[Billthedrill]

Picked up a used Smith & Wesson Model 19 that had been somebody's duty gun. Tiny bit of holster wear on the muzzle is about all. It's my bedside gun - point and click interface.

I also acquired a 686 with a 2.5" barrel. My brother told me I had to have two of them to make sure I got both a Smith AND a Wesson. He's really smart about stuff like that.

[MileHi]

But really, when it comes to the .357 Magnum, there isn’t a better gun/ammo combination anyone could ask for in an all-around “best” gun set-up.

Yep