As much as some may think the revolver’s sun has set, we see the platform being reinvented and reconfigured for today’s shooter and everyday carry (EDC). For those who like the simplicity of a double-action wheelgun — at contact distances, they’ve always been durable point-and-shoot choices — we chose three six-shot 357 Magnum revolvers that are newly manufactured and in a reasonable price range of $504 to $894.

The Smith & Wesson Model 66 Combat Magnum comes from an iconic line of Model 66 revolvers. We tested a Model 66-8 variant and found a lot to like about this newest version. There were also a few things we didn’t like. Remember, with a 66-8 you are investing in a pedigree, and there is a cost to access that lineage.

Next, we tested a Ruger GP100 Model 1790, this particular one being a Talo Exclusive, and we think Ruger and Talo did a great job of trying to make a compact revolver out of Ruger’s medium-size GP100 revolver. The Ruger is chunky, but that just means there is more to love, right?

Our third handgun was Rock Island Armory AL3.1 3520S. The Rock Island (RIA) is a relatively new revolver imported from and built in the Czech Republic. We tested a blued AL3.0 a few issues back and gave it a solid A- rating, so here we wanted to handle and shoot a stainless revolver to see how it fared. Could it be a good choice for those wanting to get into a 357 revolver, but who are on a strict budget? Out of the box, we could see it was not as eye appealing as the S&W and Ruger, but we’ll take performance over looks any day.

The common elements of these powerful revolvers are first and foremost the frame size; all are more or less medium-size frames. All have a six-round capacities, 2-inch to 2.75-inch barrels, rubber stocks, double-action/single-action triggers, and plenty of recoil with stiff 357 Magnum loads like the Federal Hydra-Shok self-defense round we used. They also have good accuracy off the bench. The Rock Island has a fixed-groove rear sight, and the Smith & Wesson and Ruger/Talo have adjustable rear sights. The Ruger revolver was more traditional with an all-steel barrel. The S&W and RIA both use more-modern manufacturing approaches with two-piece barrels.

How We Tested

Before actual range testing, we dry-fired these revolvers in double-action trigger mode to accustom ourselves to the trigger pulls. Double-action trigger-pull weights ranged from 11.5 to a very heavy 15 pounds. A heavy trigger-pull weight makes shooting these revolvers more difficult. We thought the Model 66’s trigger was way too heavy, the RIA trigger was okay, and the Ruger trigger was exceptionally smooth and slick. We did not have any issues short-stroking these triggers. These guns were factory new, but we still went through our pre-range testing of the cylinder gap with a feeler gauge and used our range rod match kit ($130; Brownells.com) to check barrel and chamber alignment. All the guns were in spec for cylinder gap, the space from the forcing cone to the front of the cylinder. This dimension should be from 0.004 to 0.010 inch.

On the range, we tested for accuracy using our range bag as a rest and fired in single-action trigger mode with targets set at 15 yards. We used Thompson Trouble Shooter Target ($6 for five targets from ThompsonTarget.com) with 4- and 6-inch red and bright yellow bullseyes. These targets have a legend at the bottom that shows bullet holes clustered in different areas around the bullseye — left of bullseye, right of bullseye, top of bullseye, etc. — that provides an explanation of why you are not hitting the center. Could be jerking the trigger, anticipating recoil, etc. We have a few “lazy-finger” shooters who push the trigger slightly to the side, rather than pull straight back. Right-hand shooters with lazy fingers will push hits to the left, and left-hand shooters with this affliction will push shots right of center.

The 357 Magnum revolver is as much practical and versatile as it is effective. These revolvers are compatible with both 38 Special and 357 Magnum cartridges. Starting at the mild end, we ran Armscor 38 Special ammo loaded with a 158-grain FMJ bullet. For 357 Magnum ammo, we used Aguila ammunition loaded with a 158-grain JSP and Federal Premium Hydra-Shoks loaded with a 158-grain JHP bullet. The 158-grain bullet is a sweet spot and original load for the 357 Magnum. This bullet weight is also very common for 38 Special and 38 Special +P loads. We also noted that the 38 Special loads printed higher on the target when using the same aim point as 357 Mag ammo. This is due to bullet speed and muzzle flip.

For speed shooting, we moved to 10 yards and fired at 8-inch paper plates in double-action mode as fast as we could while still being accurate. This exercise pushes you to that point where too much speed with the trigger can cause a miss on the target. We can safely say Jerry Miculek is still the speed king with a wheelgun. If you want to train for speed with a revolver, we suggest using 38 Special cowboy loads or reduced-velocity loads so you can practice technique. Going full speed with Hydra-Shoks, we felt as if we grabbed the tail of a rattlesnake. Not exactly fun, and the more we pushed, the worse it was.

For speedloaders, we used Tuff Products six-round QuickStrip speed loaders ($9.45 for two strips from TuffProducts.com), which are a flexible urethane material that allows you to load two rounds at a time, and it lays flat in your pocket. These are what we use for EDC. For holsters, we used a nylon Uncle Mike’s Inside the Waistband (IWB) holster and a Galco leather Phoenix belt holster. Here’s what we found:

Gun Tests Grade: A-

$759

Ruger and Talo Distributors teamed up to create this variant of the GP100, which features a 2.5-inch barrel, compact grip, green fiber-optic front sight, and adjustable rear sight. In hand, this GP100 weighs in at 36 ounces unloaded. We noted the double-action trigger pull was exceptionally smooth, and pull weight was 12 pounds, though it felt lighter. We think Ruger did a great job of reducing this GP100 revolver to a size that is more manageable for concealed carry. We do, however, think they could have taken a few additional steps.

While the revolver’s weight is a boon to help reduce felt recoil, it makes toting the revolver a bit more difficult. We would have liked to see a few ounces shaved off by rounding the edges of the frame and barrel. Is that nit picking? Yes it is.

The GP100 is built to last through thousands of rounds of magnum ammo with no cracked forcing cones, stretched frames, or other damage from the pounding. Truth be said, we suspect most shooters will run 38 Special ammo through this gun for training, plinking, or even IDPA competition and load the hottest, most accurate 357 Mag cartridges for self defense. So while over-engineering the revolver is smart for longevity, the user is left with a bulky revolver.

We like the 2.5-inch barrel because this length provides more velocity and energy. The longer barrel also allows for a longer ejector rod. The full-length ejector rod makes it easier and faster to dump empties from the cylinder. The fit and finish were very good, what we expect from Ruger. The metal finish is deep blue with a contrasting stainless trigger and hammer.

The grip is another good feature of the revolver. It feels a bit chubby and short in hand, and is sized right for concealed carry while still providing excellent recoil reduction when pounding away with magnum ammo. The rubber, while a bit catchy on covering garments, feels full in your hand. The checkered wood inserts give the grip a more traditional look and also provide some texture to the palm of your hand when gripping. Ruger offers larger grips, and there are plenty of aftermarket grips for the GP100 series if you need to swap them out. For EDC, we’d keep the supplied grip.

The HiViz LiteWave green-fiber-optic front sight is another good feature. The bright-green dot is easy to see and fast to pick up. The front sight is dovetailed into the top of the barrel and can be replaced by pushing the front-sight plunger in with a small punch and sliding out the sight. You can also get replacement pipes in white or red. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation. The rear notch has a white outline. In use, the fine white outline gets lost when you focus on the green dot. When we placed the green dot in the notch, these sights worked well. There are also other aftermarket sights available for the GP100, such as the Meprolight Tru-Dot ($135; CheaperThanDirt.com), which uses a three-dot night-sight setup, if that’s something you prefer.

As we mentioned, there are some edges on the topstrap we would have liked rounded. We do appreciate Ruger tapering the lug for smoother holstering. The cylinder latch on a Ruger is pressed into the recoil shield to open the cylinder. It operated smoothly. There was some very slight cylinder wiggle, but nothing out of the ordinary. The GP100 uses what Ruger calls a triple-locking cylinder that is secured into the frame at the front, rear, and bottom. The front is locked into the frame at the crane via a front latch, and at the rear via the ejector rod. Ruger says the cylinder latch helps lock the cylinder in place for more positive alignment.

The trigger was wide and smooth, and the hammer spur was plenty wide and had plenty of toothy checkering for a sure grip when thumbing it back. The firing pin is housed in the frame, and the GP100 uses a transfer-bar safety system. The trigger needs to be fully to the rear to allow the hammer, transfer bar, and firing pin to fire a round.

Going hot, we found the trigger in double-action mode required 12 pounds of finger pressure to fire a round. It felt like a lot less due to the smoothness of the pull. There was little felt stacking. In single-action mode, the trigger broke at 4.1 pounds, which we thought was good for a defense revolver.

In accuracy testing, the best five-shot group measured 2.29 inches with the Aguila 357 Magnum loaded with a 158-grain JSP bullets. The average accuracy was 2.5 to 2.8 inches across all ammo choices, which is fine for self-defense situations. We also noted the Ruger had slightly higher velocities than the Model 66-8, which has a similar barrel length. The AL3.1 has a 2-inch barrel, so we knew its velocities and energies would be less. For speed shooting, we banged at the 8-inch paper plates at 10 yards and found the GP100 was very easy to control. We fired additional strings with magnum ammo and actually thought the felt recoil was very tolerable due to the grip and the weight. The Ruger is the gun you want to shoot if you are doing high-volume training. Empties were easily ejected, with no issues.

The nylon Uncle Mike’s Inside the Pant holster was a good option for carry, but we preferred the Ruger in the Galco Phoenix belt holster due to the carry comfort.

Our Team Said: The Ruger/Talo GP100 is a compromise. It is more comfortable to shoot, but less comfortable to carry. We thought the accuracy was good. We liked the HiViz fiber-optic front sight and the smooth trigger. If you are already a Ruger revolver aficionado, this would make a very good self-defense combat revolver.

38 Special/357 Magnum Range Data

Value Guide: Shorter Revolver Rankings