15 Best 357 Magnum Revolvers – Sep 2023

Winners at a Glance

Image	Product	Detail	Price
	Taurus Raging Hunter	Overall Winner	Price
	Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus	Best All Rounder	Price
	Colt Python	Iconic Revolver	Price
	Smith & Wesson Model 340PD	Best Concealed Carry	Price
	Chiappa Firearms 40DS	Best for Innovation	Price
	Ruger Redhawk	Best Cowboy Style	Price
	Rock Island Armory FSHC	Best Low Budget	Price

Intro

The .357 Magnum cartridge has been with us since 1934 and has turned into one of America’s most popular rounds for home defense, handgun hunting and general badassery. So what is the best 357 Magnum revolver in 2023?

Well there’s massive variety here, so a winner isn’t a simple thing. But that’s what we do…

We’ve got long hunting handguns for sale that belong on the African Savannah, snubnosed 357 Magnums that fit in your pocket for the urban jungle and a few others you might not have considered.

Here are our top picks for the best 357 revolvers for sale in 2023.

1. Taurus Raging Hunter

• Price: $820.99
• Barrel length: 5.13 inch
• Total: 10.85 inch
• Weight: 3lb
• Capacity: 7

Overall Winner

The Taurus Raging Hunter was an absolute sensation when it launched last year and it’s still the best 357 revolver in our eyes.

You don’t just get a 7 round capacity in this large frame set-up. There’s clever barrel tech and a fresh design, which isn’t easy to do with a basic large frame revolver on the market today.

Now you can order the best high capacity hand cannon with an 8,38″ barrel, chambered for 454 Casull or 44 Magnum, or a 6.75″ version. But unless you’re a serious hunter or gangster, leave the long barrel.

This smaller 357 Magnum loads version is pretty much the perfect package for home defense, & target shooting.

2. Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus

• Price: $949.99
• Caliber: 357 Mag/38sp
• Barrel: 3 inch
• Total: 11 inch
• Weight: 2.43lb
• Capacity: 7

Best All Rounder

Smith and Wesson features heavily on this list, as you’d expect from the company that brought us the ammunition in the first place.

We like extreme pistols more, but this all-rounder should probably be the overall winner. It’s the benchmark, the gatekeeper for those that came after.

The S&W Model 686 357 Magnum is based on the Smith & Wesson medium frame series stainless steel handgun and it’s basically the safe option. But if you’re only going to buy one, make it the Model 686 357 Magnum.

The S&W Combat Magnum is another favorite. But we have to make choices here…

3. Colt Python 357 Magnum

• Price: $1,350.99
• Barrel length: 4.25 inch
• Total: 9.75 inch
• Weight: 2.63lb
• Capacity: 6

Best Big Name Legend

Built on the legacy of the Colt Snake Gun, the Colt Python 357 Mag is a thoroughly modern take on the old six-shooter. This is also arguably the most complete handgun here and it is also California compliant.

A lot of people just like the look and feel of a classic, perhaps with a few nods to the modern world.

It’s shiny stainless steel and wood with a fluted barrel to save a little weight. Pretty good start and there’s always the Colt Custom Shop if you want to spend more on the absolute best 357 revolver…

4. Smith & Wesson Model 340PD

• Price: $1,099.99
• Barrel: 1.875 inch
• Total: 6.3 inch
• Weight: 0.74lb
• Capacity: 5

Best Concealed Carry

This is the lightest 357 of all time, and a real snappy little beast.

Is it the best 357 Magnum revolver? For personal defense, it’s an option, if you can handle the notorious recoil and muzzle flip.

It can also take the 38 Special Ammo, too, which is a big plus in a gun this small. This ultra light 357 snub gives you options for when you don’t need to light up the night sky and want more precision and recoil control. It also means it features on our list of 38 revolvers too.

5. Kimber K6s DASA Combat

• Price: $1,028.99
• Barrel: 4 inch
• Total: 8.62 inch
• Weight: 1.6lb
• Capacity: 6

Best Newcomer

Kimber is known for making some of the sweetest 1911 pistols. Now it has turned its hand to centerfire revolvers, and the Kimber K6s line is a work of art.

Essentially this is a J-frame series with 6 rounds of 357 Magnum ammunition. So it packs a lot of ammunition into a relatively small frame. Most J-frames carry 5 rounds.

It’s just one more bullet, but it’s also 20% more ammunition. That counts in even the best home defense situation, or for concealed carry handguns. Everywhere, really…

Kimber produces some of the best 357 Magnum revolvers in the world and this is a unique design at a reasonable price. We like this new product.

6. Taurus Tracker 627

• Price: $499.99
• Barrel: 4 inch
• Total: 8.75 inch
• Weight: 2.19lb
• Capacity: 7 rounds

Best Value

If you’re looking for a cheap, dependable 7 shot revolver, then take a look at the Tracker 627.

You get cushioned grips, a shrouded barrel, muzzle device and red ramp front sight.

This Taurus gets all that, and a bargain price for this matte stainless steel finish.

Look out for the Taurus Defender Series, also known as the Taurus Model 605, too, and the Taurus Model 856.

If you want to step into funky calibers then the Taurus Judge Magnum You can chamber that in 45 Long Colt and .410 shotgun shells and we love the Taurus Judge Polymer in its own special way.

7. Chiappa Firearms 40DS

• Price: $1,044.99
• Barrel: 4 inch
• Weight: 1.9lb
• Capacity: 6 rounds

Best for Innovation

The Chiappa Firearms Rhino is one of the first truly innovative revolvers for quite some time.

Yes, it looks weird. But that low slung barrel improves the bore axis, provides more in line recoil control and also gives a truly distinctive look.

Now not everybody loves the way the Chiappa Firearms Rhino, but it is a truly unique gun and one we think all wheelgun fans should own.

8. Colt King Cobra Carry

• Price: $903.99
• Barrel: 2 inch
• Total: 8.2 inch
• Weight: 1.6lb
• Capacity: 6

A Great CCW

The Colt King Cobra Target 357 Magnum might be your favorite with the longer barrel. But we prefer the 2 inch barrel, just because really.

You get a heavy duty frame, hogue rubber grip and a 6 round capacity in a gun that was reintroduced to the market in 2019. It’s brushed stainless and you can get a bobbed hammer Double Action Revolver or SA/DA version.

Check out the King Cobra Target edition with a 4.25 inch barrel for the best home defense. There are pros and cons when you compare and contrast with the Python.

9. Ruger LCRx

• Price: $679.99
• Barrel: 1.87 inch
• Total: 6.5 inch
• Weight: 1.06lb
• Capacity: 5

Lightweight Carry Gun

The best selling Ruger LCR is a solid budget option if you don’t want to spend $1000+ on the best concealed carry revolvers, but you do want one.

You can order the enclosed hammer Ruger LCR, or the LCRx with the exposed hammer and single action revolver option. But it’s a big snag point if concealed carry is your priority.

Having said that, the matte black LCRx is much easier to find at the moment. Again, that attests to the popularity of the best concealed carry focused five shot revolver.

The Ruger LCR comes with a simple Hogue monogrip that fits the occasion. It’s lightweight without being too clever and the design just looks right. You can see the structure and the double action trigger is intuitive.

That’s because it is. If you want a concealed carry, you won’t go wrong with a Ruger LCR. Or LCRx. And when it’s Ruger & smith & Wesson, these are always cheaper.

10. Ruger Redhawk

• Price: $1,121.99
• Caliber 357 Magnum/38 Special
• Barrel: 4.2 inch
• Total: 9.5 inch
• Weight: 3.06lb
• Capacity: 8 rounds

Best Cowboy Six Shooter, With 8 Rounds

The Ruger Super Redhawk is a legend. From small game hunting through to old school dispute settling, this gun can do it all.

Now the Ruger also gets a single-spring trigger mechanism for a smoother, long pull. It’s steel with no side plates construction and simple but effective adjustable sights. Recoil reduction comes from the extra weight.

This crams 8 rounds into a frame that is much smaller than the giant Ruger Super Redhawk, which takes 44 Magnum rounds and yet was really designed for the 454 Casull.

It’s one of America’s most popular guns for a reason and works for hunting at long range and for defensive duties.

11. Smith and Wesson 686 Snubnose Performance Center Pro Series Model

• Price: $1,335.99
• Caliber 357 Magnum/38 Special
• Barrel: 2.5 inch
• Total: 7.5 inch
• Weight: 2.13lb
• Capacity: 7

What is the best .357 Mag revolver for Concealed Carry in 2023? Well we answered that with a hammerless lightweight special further up.

But those guns are just for that one specific purpose.

This new Pro model is just a small pistol with a proper hammer, a high capacity and a 2.5 inch barrel. That works in a lot of different circumstances and it’s a high price, high spec pistol.

12. Ruger SP101

• Price: $671.99
• Barrel: 3 inch
• Total: 7.5 inch
• Weight: 2.13lb
• Caliber: 7

The Ruger is another DAO revolver that manages to pack high performance into a budget package.

It isn’t a cheap revolver, but the Ruger is a real quality double action revolver at an affordable price point. Thank you Sturm Ruger, you get us…

The Ruger comes with a patented grip frame design, triple locking cylinder, cushioned grips and easy takedown.

Now this matte stainless steel handgun has a finish that should take a beating, too, which is important in a mid-range shooting gun. So get one of these in your gun safes, you won’t regret it.

13. Charter Arms Mag Pug

• Price: $379.99
• Barrel length: 2.2 inch
• Total: 6.7 inch
• Weight: 1.44lb
• Rounds: 5

The Mag Pug is a budget conscious carry gun that offers five rounds and a much lower price tag than some here. It’s a 357 Mag revolver for every man.

This snub nose small frame carry pistol is elegant, relatively light and it stashes inside an IWB holster. You get a quality Hogue monogrip and that cushioned rubber really helps squash the magnum’s recoil. Even the ejection rod is nicely engineered.

So the company has done good work to fit a lot of power into such a heavy duty small package for the best concealed carry gun.

We approve of this concealed carry revolver chambered in 357, both the stainless revolver and the blued revolver, and so do the gun reviews.

14. Ruger GP100

• Price: $919.99
• Barrel length: 4.2 inch
• Weight: 2.5lb

The Ruger GP100 is a great pistol line and you can get the much more expensive and refined Ruger GP100 Match for target shooting and competition use.

The triple locking cylinder locks into the frame at the front, rear and bottom for positive alignment and repeatability with every shot.

Ruger’s Transfer bar safety mechanism also prevents accidental discharges and you can dismantle and work on the gun without any special tools.

The matte stainless finish and hardwood grip inserts also give this revolver a touch of class.

15. Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX

• Price: $1,707.99
• Caliber: 357 Mag
• Barrel length: 6 inch
• Total: 10.75 inch
• Weight: 4.55lb
• Capacity: 9+1

Now we know the Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX is a semi-automatic and categorically not a revolver.

But the semi-auto pistol is a viable option these days for the home or even medium sized game hunting with a solid 158 grain bullet and that 6 inch barrel on the full-sized pistol.

Of course the original was a comic book monster thanks to its status as the most famous 50 Caliber pistol in the world. That is fun and looks right at home in the hands of Deadpool et al. But seriously, the full power loads are not right for most of us.

Now, though, the company has expanded the range and reduced the firepower to include the likes of the 44 Magnum, and this, the 357. Not only has that created a viable alternative for 357 Sig owners, it has also turned this into a much more compelling handgun. It’s even turning up in shooting events.

Where to Buy 357 Magnum Ammo

You can get a vast range of ammo. That includes advanced full metal jacket hollow point bullets that create intense terminal ballistics and wound channel characteristics that work for hunting and personal defense. For stopping power, you’re going to struggle to beat those.

Then there are specialist bullets for sport shooting. Hornady Critical Defense, Sig Sauer Elite Performance, Federal Premium HammerDown, Federal American Eagle and more are 357 Magnum ammunition that should give you top class performance. Look out for Speer Gold Dot and CCI too.

We have come a long way since Elmer Keith handloaded the 38 Special cartridge well beyond accepted limits to create the first 357 Magnum. Elmer Keith then went on to cement his place in firearms manufacturer folklore with the 44 Magnum, too.

Let’s Talk Bullets…

Bullet weight, bullet diameter and structure have turned into an art and a science and the arms race when it comes to this and, well, every other pistol caliber if we are honest. The 357 sees active service on the hunt, as a defensive round and as a long range shooter. So if you’re looking for a hollow point, soft point, whatever, then you’re probably well catered for.

Our favorite handgun ammo and rifle ammo suppliers include:

• Lucky Gunner – Great bulk ammo deals in every caliber and weight. Cheap reloads for the gun range through to the best jacketed hollow point ammo, rimfire ammo etc. Gift cards available.
• Firearms Depot – A huge selection and bulk deals.
• Sportsman’s Guide – Large jacketed hollow point, soft point, Hornady Critical Defense, American Gunner, Buffalo Bore, Terminal Performance, Speer Gold Dot and lots more. Bullet weight options that will make your head spin. Gun cleaning kits too. Great pistols and revolvers chambered in a variety of ammo.
• Palmetto State Armory – Hollow point, soft point, full metal jacket and Barnes Expander options. Buffalo Bore, Terminal Performance and other big names. Buy guns too, on your credit card if you’re reckless.

Remember to organize the price low to high to find the real bargains on Palmetto State Armory and others.

Other Big Bore Options

These 357 magnum cartridge centerfire revolvers are expensive, there’s no way round it. But if you want to achieve big power on a budget, like you’ve got a gift card or something, then look at single shot pistols and more.

A single shot pistol would make a weird revolver, though. No firearms manufacturer is that good and you’re better off looking for a break action. There are a lot of break action pistols out there and some of them really are good these days for shooting sports and hunting.

Lever action pistols are available in all kinds of big calibers. Henry Mare’s Leg Lever Action pistol is a tribute to the cut down rifles law makers turned to in Wild West firefights. This is arguably the missing link between pistols and long guns.

Really it looks like a chopped Henry’s Repeating Arms lever action rifle and can come chambered for 44 Magnum, too. You can even put a red dot on there. Or period correct rifle scopes/optics from one of your long guns.

Slip it into scabbard style gun cases and it is the ultimate zombie apocalypse gun. Really, this is what Woody Harrelson is packing in Zombieland.

You can buy that wonderful creation here.

But if you’re looking for long guns then you have some truly intriguing calibers waiting for you. You don’t need 357 Mag long guns…

Also look into double stack 45 ACP guns, handguns, 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol options and more. Organize the price low to high to check for bargains in this price range.

Always check your gun laws, too, and product registration restrictions, before you buy guns online. Some States just aren’t as cool. California and New York, we’re looking at you, so watch out for the latest news.

Buy accessories & gun cases as well, to protect your new investment.

Black Powder 50 Cal is Not 50 BMG

Black powder especially is a big bore option, but don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll get the same power as an actual 50 BMG rifle from this stuff. Or the shot placement.

We got firearms, handguns, bolt-action rifles, just about everything for you down at the good ol’ USA Gun Shop. You want a bolt-action pistol? A Scout rifle? A Smith & Wesson M&P Shield? And gun accessories, relaoding supplies and gun sights. We got the best deals!

What about handgun ammo, rifle ammo and shotgun ammo? Gun cases are pretty hard to find these days, especially handgun ammo. 9mm is like gold-dust, but we have our sources.

Check here for the best place to buy 9mm and rifle ammo. S&W Magnum ammo, too, naturally and you can find other ammo by caliber.

Buy a gun online too. The best pistols, revolvers, long guns, firearms, handguns, muzzle devices, rifles, gear, accessories are all on the internet.

What did the old time police use?

The.38 Smith & Wesson Special CTG blued revolver with its fixed sights is still a legend, even though most law enforcement officers are happy they no longer have to rely on that kind of hardware.

You can still find the old 38 S&W Special revolver for sale on the used guns site and at auction. This was basically standard issue in for police, sheriffs, all law enforcement really, from the 1920s to the 1990s in some cases.

The best 9mm pistols slowly took over and the limited capacity means they’re fading out. But some cops still carry a revolver that at least owes its existence to the 38 Smith & Wesson Special.

These small frame revolvers are a classic and it is still a great gun with a sweet trigger pull on this 38 Special +P revolver.

Where to Buy Gun Parts Online

Wheelguns are pretty low maintenance, but you still need gun parts now and again, as well as gun cases. So where are the best places for gun parts online?

• Brownells – Gun parts galore.

Other Stuff We Can Sell You

This is blatant plug time. It is what it is. We can probably sell you knives, tools, accessories,targets, optics, credit card guns, rifles, shotguns, all that. Even air guns that shoot arrows. No shit, seriously.

We got normal full size bolt action rifles, ammo storage and lots more.

I mean things like speed loaders could be useful for handguns & revolvers, too. In fact yeah, speed loaders are important, more so than gun cleaning kits for 44 Magnum Revolvers & 357 Magnum revolvers.